I may be a “Bad Christian” but I am loyal to my tens of readers. I have been hearing your overwhelming cry for the return of the iPod Devotional series. Okay, it was really just faithful reader Kathy who asked for it’s return with this question. P.S. Will the iPod devotions return anytime soon? Love those!! For new inductees to this site a brief update might be in order. The iPod Devotional Series is a periodic feature that involves, not surprisingly, my trusty iPod and the shuffle feature. I fire up the device, go to the shuffle button, hit play, and I write about whatever song is randomly selected from the 1,000 plus songs I have downloaded (all legally). My taste is quite eclectic so this is a bit risky. But we have already had a devotion based on Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar so how much further south can we go? So Kathy…this one is for you. Today’s song is
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One of my favorite comedians is Steven Wright. He is the thinking man’s stand-up comedian. Here is one of his classics. “I’m addicted to placebos. I’d give them up…but it wouldn’t make any difference.” Think about it. Dictionary.com defines a placebo drug as a substance having no pharmacological effect but given merely to satisfy a patient who supposes it to be a medicine. Some would suggest that all religion is a placebo. Friedrich Nietzsche said that “Faith means not wanting to know what is true.” I realize there are many people of faith who fit into that category. I can speak only for the Christian faith and myself. I have spent many years seeking what is true. I have tried to the best of my ability to be honest. I have read the arguments of thinkers on all sides. I have studied the life of Jesus. I have researched other religious figures. Why would I not want to know what is true? Why should I waste my time, money, and questionable talent on a faith that is false? The men
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I am a book-a-holic. Books are my high and you will regularly see me stumbling out of another book store clutching a bag of fresh verbiage. Recently I came across a volume with an intriguing title. Die Happy – 499 Things Every Guy’s Gotta Do While He Still Can Since I would like to die happy I decided to check it out. Authors Tim and Michael Burke outlined the concept of the book at their website called, oddly enough, Die Happy. (Warning…there is offensive content at this site) It’s pretty simple. You only have so many years, days or minutes left as a non-married, free-to-do-whatever-the-hell-you-want-to-do guy. Yes, someday you will get hitched. You will buy a house. You will spend Saturdays mowing your lawn, coaching pee wee soccer and shopping for little girly clothes at Old Navy. Oh well. It is too late for me to die happy according to the Burkes. They did have some very funny reasons why you
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One year ago today I sent out an email to a few hundred of my closest friends announcing a new blog. The most common response? What’s a blog? In that initial missive I said this… I will be posting often about issues that affect the body of Christ. The topics will range from politics to embarrassing Christians. We will discuss faith in our culture and what it means to be an authentic follower of Christ. It will be honest, edgy, and it should be fun. Now 232 posts later I hope I have hit that target a few times. Often the embarrassing Christian has been me. Regular readers know my oft stated spiritual goal. Making other Christians feel superior since 1969 (my Spiritual birthday). The feedback from readers has been amazing. I have been deeply touched by your love and prayers as Joni and I have shared our journey through her breast cancer battle. And I have been very pleased that, for the most part,
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This past weekend I downed some coffee and perused the Dallas Morning News before heading to Waco for Homecoming football action at Baylor University. A headline in the Metro Section caught my eye. SMU, Baylor bare souls over ‘Playboy’ Dallas school won’t fight photo shoot; Bears clothes-minded The headline writers obviously had some fun with their jobs but the story was serious. Here is an excerpt from the piece written by DMN writer Michael E.Young. Separated by 100 miles of interstate, the Southern Baptists’ Baylor University and the United Methodists’ SMU seem even farther apart when it comes to students posing in states of undress in a men’s magazine. Southern Methodist University’s approach is decidedly hands-off. When Playboy magazine photographers set up temporary shop next week near SMU for a “Girls of Conference USA” pictorial, they’ll do so without university opposition. “SMU is not a participant in or a proponent of this project, which is sponsored by an off-campus publication,”
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Eldest son Matt wrote a well received article that I posted a few weeks ago at this site. Today I opened the cyber mailbox and found another effort from Matt. Today you get a father/son combo of Baylor University posts. Matt gets to tee off first. My father, in his vernacular, is the writer of these “humble ramblings” that grace this blog daily. Last Friday he wrote about Baylor Homecoming, an event my wife and I have been attending for the past 9 years. Dad wrote about Baylor Homecoming, “Why is this homecoming special for me despite my lack of a Baylor degree? It is about relationships. And memories.” Samuel Palmer Brooks, one the most beloved of Baylor Presidents (1903-1931), said of Homecoming, “Will you not, as a loyal student of dear old Baylor, lay aside for a few days the usual cares of life, come back to your alma mater, renew former associations
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Veterans of the early 70’s might remember a song from Rare Earth called “I Just Want to Celebrate”. Real veterans of the early 70’s might have spotty memories so I will help you out with the lyrics. I just want to celebrate, yeah, yeahI just want to celebrate, yeah, yeahAnother day of living,I just want to celebrate another day of life Those words came to mind as I prayed for my friend Ed. Perhaps the biggest compliment a guy can give to a masculine friend is that you both love and respect them. Respect is big guy thing. I suspect you only get a handful of true friends in a lifetime. Ed is one of those friends. He is loyal. Ed is a real guy who is strong enough to be tender. He is funny. Edgy. He is a guy who hates playing church (and who has a colorful way to describe those who do). And Ed is one of the
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