Faith example

Faith is sometimes allowing things to get worse before they get better. An example is being honest.

Feeling Alive

I saw a movie called 2 For the Money with Matthew McConaughey and Al Pacino. Pacino was a recovering gambling addict. He went to a gambler's addiction meeting as a farce and stood up and gave this speech about how losing it all reminded an addict that he was alive ie. a person had lost their home, family etc but was still moving. Personally, I can't stand winter. My feet stay cold all season and I shiver every morning no matter where my thermostat is set. The grey skies outside make me feel melancholy and lonely. Nonetheless, I feel a sense of peace during the wintertime. Summer flies by so fast and I don't have to worry about dressing for the weather or going outside. I think maybe all the bad things about winter remind me that I'm alive.

Baptist Jokes

A Baptist was the only survivor on a sinking ocean-liner and made it ashore a desert island. He managed to survive for 5 years before a rescue party arrived to save him. He told them "thanks for coming, let me show you how I've lived before we go." He pointed to his hut and said "I made this from sticks and leaves to provide shelter." There were two cliffs high above the beach with a building on each. The survivor pointed to one and said "I built that building with the cross last year to have a place to worship God." The rescuers asked "what is the building on the other cliff for?" The survivor responded acrimoniously, "oh...that's where I USED to go to church."
There's several good Baptist jokes here.

Righteously Indignant

If you want to bless somebody out, but want to keep it Biblical, use one of these lines from the Biblical Curse Generator.

Why Strict Churches are Strong

A Slate article examines The Power of the Mustard Seed. It comments on an economist's idea about why congregants at strict churches are willing to give up so much. Laurence Iannacone (the economist) postulates that an attendee of such a church follows the rules, gives up free time and some liberties in order to gain "a community of people deeply involved in one another's lives and more willing than most to come to one another's aid." Further, if the rules weren't so strict, there would be too many free-riders spoiling the product. On the other hand, if the rules are too strict (i.e. Catholicism and birth-control) the price of admission is too high and the church loses people. I imagine most people at my church would contend that they are willing to follow the rules because God has led them to. What do you think? Does it matter if there is a economic rationale for the church we attend?

25 Books from Georgia

An article in the AJC identifies "25 books 'All Georgians Should Read.'" I've read one and I've only heard of four. I'd be surprised to find anyone who had read most of these. The one I read was The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.

Vin Diesel Let the Dogs Out

A fitting tribute to a truly deserving man.

Planning our Africa Trip

I met with several guys last night to plan a trip to South Africa. We're planning on spending about 7 days in Port Elizabeth, South Africa before venturing to Victoria Falls on the Zambia/Zimbabwe border. I'm particularly excited about rafting the Zambezi River and the Zambezi Swing. From there, were going to Nairobi, Kenya as we make a connecting flight to Egypt. We think we can manage to spend a day in Kenya and then spend 3 days in Egypt visiting the pyramids and sailing down the Nile. It's back to Atlanta from there with perhaps a day in Paris as planes to Cairo evidently connect there. We'll hit 5 African countries which I imagine is a record for Tunnel Hill, Georgia.