tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55819952012-02-16T13:42:09.316-05:00A record of random wanderings around the web, my brain, and other cluttered places.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.comBlogger1141100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-89619941416950102702007-12-20T15:37:00.000-05:002007-12-20T16:01:44.998-05:00

Last Wednesday, I was Santa Claus for my wife's day care center. Let me share a simple conclusion from that experience which should be obvious to all, but evidently is not: if your baby or toddler is afraid of Santa, your best bet is to accept that reality and wait twelve months. Your munchkin will probably love Santa to death next year.Now for some corollaries to the above thesis:Reasoning with

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-24450978472763763102007-11-23T12:10:00.000-05:002007-11-23T12:30:12.246-05:00

...people standing right out in the middle of the street at busy intersections, collecting donations for charity. Yup, for those of you who don't live in metropolitan Detroit, that really happens at holiday time around here. And it's not just any charity. Usually, they are charities that are supported by local police and firefighters. Wouldn't they be among the first to figure out that standing

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-59279459589926047132007-11-04T15:35:00.000-05:002007-11-04T15:41:06.351-05:00

My rant about colorblindness needing its own month and colored ribbon is paying off! This morning when I arrived at church, a couple of our members were handing out gray ribbons, along with copies of my post on the issue. By church time, fully half the congregation was sporting gray ribbons! We all had a good laugh about it, but the visitors must have thought this was one loony church--mobilizing

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-29542877378565022302007-11-01T15:24:00.000-04:002008-12-09T10:25:06.254-05:00

My granddaughter Maizie and her two bestest friends, Mia and Morgandy, were M&Ms for Halloween. (Maizie's the orange one.) Couldn't resist posting this picture. If it strikes your fancy, there are more on my daughter's blog.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-25743392303291061692007-10-27T11:30:00.000-04:002007-10-27T12:00:38.111-04:00

The routine at lower-priced, neighborhood diners:Order food.Receive food.Waitress drops off check, usually around the time she delivers food.If dessert is ordered, waitress quickly recalculates check and returns it to table.When ready to leave, pay on the way out. The routine at higher-priced, upscale eateries:Order food.Receive food.Finish eating, then wait 10-15 minutes for waitperson to come

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-7910477159932454692007-10-25T14:33:00.001-04:002008-12-09T10:25:06.498-05:00

The Dallas Cowboys logo is a star. It has nothing to do with cowboys and everything to do with the fact that the team is in Texas, the Lone Star state. But the team is not the Texans, it is the Cowboys.Meanwhile, the Texans are a team in Houston. Their logo is a bull. That's directly related to cowboys, but certainly wouldn't be limited to Texans.It seems to me the two teams need to switch logos

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-47792080332515977542007-10-24T22:16:00.000-04:002008-12-09T10:25:06.726-05:00

October is pink ribbon month. It's also pink product month. Everywhere you go, pink trinkets are for sale. The promise is that for every dollar you spend, a few pennies will be given to breast cancer research. Some folks think it's a bit of overkill. But in making their point, they trivialize a birth defect which affects millions of innocent victims, including me. Listen to a typical example from

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-48198799109714542542007-10-11T12:35:00.000-04:002007-10-11T12:43:33.642-04:00

Yesterday, warning lights for the brakes and the ABS system lit up on my father-in-law's van. The power-assist function of the brakes stopped working (it was like stopping a car with the engine off). Today, while driving to the dealership, both lights went out and the braking returned to normal.A few days ago, I unhooked the speakers from my computer to use them with a video projecter. Yesterday,

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-20654942012195932942007-10-10T16:25:00.000-04:002007-10-10T17:05:43.769-04:00

I haven't posted in a while. Many of you know why. For the rest of you, here's the sequence of events:Tuesday, September 18: Cheryl's Dad, Sam, has total knee replacement surgery in Lansing. Her Mom, Jane, doesn't feel well, so she stays at our house while Cheryl goes to Lansing to be with her Dad.Wednesday, September 19: Cheryl's sister-in-law, Anne, calls to tell us that Cheryl's brother, Tim,

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-57877395639706814502007-09-23T22:32:00.000-04:002007-09-23T22:44:38.284-04:00

My dear brother-in-law, Tim Bass, died Thursday, September 20. We arrived a couple of hours after he went home to be with God. Tim has been part of our family (and I a part of his) for over 36 years. He was in middle school when I met him: a tall, skinny basketball player with a baby face. Over the years, he became a brother-in-law, a peer, one of my best friends, a colleague in ministry, a

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-80831372169122190962007-09-20T13:24:00.000-04:002007-09-20T13:28:27.821-04:00

We got the call yesterday that my brother-in-law, Tim Bass, will not be with us much longer. I can't describe our sadness. I'm writing this hurriedly as we prepare to leave to be with him and the rest of the family. We need your prayers. But before I go, I wanted to share the last entry Tim's wife Anne posted on his Care Page. It's a witness not only to a life of faith (Tim & Anne's), but to a

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-44072536428503178102007-09-05T10:38:00.000-04:002007-09-05T10:55:56.611-04:00

I wrote a little song that I thought I'd share with you. It's sung to the tune of The Beverly Hillbillies Theme Song:Come and listen to a story ‘bout the Wolverines,A bunch of loony guys, ain’t worth a hill of beans.Everybody told ‘em they wuz gonna be greatUntil they got whipped by the boys from State.(Appalachian, that is. Boone, North Carolina. One double A)Well next thing you know, they wuz

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-27637848631398163222007-08-31T22:08:00.000-04:002008-12-09T10:25:08.099-05:00

Last week, was vacation week. We went to my son and daughter-in-law's place in Chicago. Our daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter met us there. The Chicago Air Show was that weekend. We didn't officially attend, but the USAF Thunderbirds came roaring over my son's apartment with regularity, sending me running to the window every time.From Chicago, Jason, Caren, and Maizie accompanied us to a

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-28832678349745127852007-08-15T11:08:00.000-04:002007-08-15T11:26:22.891-04:00

This summer, I've developed a routine that I've grown to love. At least once a week, usually on my day off, I ride my bike to one of several regional parks that are 10-12 miles from home. I take a backpack with my lunch, plenty of water, my Bible, a pad of paper and sometimes a book or two. I find a picnic table in the shade, usually next to the Huron River or Lake Erie, and spend a couple of

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-38732343637037256332007-08-13T22:34:00.001-04:002007-08-13T22:39:06.960-04:00

You have to click this link and watch the video. Trust me! Yes, it stars my granddaughter Maizie, and yes, all babies have their irresistibly cute moments. But this is one of Maizie's moments. Unless you hate babies, puppies, and cute little bunny rabbits, you'll like this.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-42534864407755710972007-08-03T14:16:00.000-04:002007-08-03T15:06:54.877-04:00

At some random moment, a dialog box appears on your computer:An update is available for Windows MultiMixer Codec Homogenizer for Microsoft Office Depot 2.4. Would you like to install it now? YES NO CANCELNow, what I'd like to see would be full disclosure, which would involve a slightly longer message in the dialog box:An update is available for Windows MultiMixer Codec Homogenizer for Microsoft

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-766980776971973312007-08-01T14:28:00.000-04:002007-08-01T14:49:45.147-04:00

For get the Oscars, the Grammys, the Emmys, and the Tonys. Forget the Heisman Trophy and all MVP awards. My favorite is the annual Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, in which entrants are challenged to submit bad opening sentences to imaginary novels. It's named in memory of Victorian novelist Edward George Earl Bulwer-Lytton, who opened his 1830 novel, Paul Clifford, with the immortal line, "It was

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-4715576411851659522007-08-01T14:12:00.000-04:002007-08-01T14:20:04.503-04:00

So I'm sitting at my desk, preparing Sunday's sermon. I'm surrounded by stacks of books, all filled with profound, if sometimes ponderous, insights. It's 2:00 p.m. on a hot, sticky day and I'm having trouble staying awake. I decide to take a break and go to the gas station next door for a soda. Then it hits me: why should we preachers get upset with our people for sleeping during our sermons when

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-2310748533883920602007-07-28T14:25:00.001-04:002007-07-28T19:20:58.291-04:00

Detroit Tigers' record for the ten games before I praised them on this blog: 8-2Detroit Tigers' record for the ten games since I praised them on this blog: 3-7And while we're at it:Combined winning percentage for the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers since July 19 when I made a snotty comment on my daughter's blog about there not being a world-class major-league baseball team anywhere in the state

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-27787804982983373032007-07-21T10:21:00.000-04:002007-07-21T10:28:54.064-04:00

Warm days, cool nights, bright sunshine. Turn off the A/C and open up the windows. Wake up just cool enough that the coffee feels s-o-o-o-o good going down. Enjoy every evening with a pleasant breeze wafting through the house. If it weren't for winter, everyone would live here!5-Day Forecast for ZIP Code 48183 Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-8676762409576343982007-07-20T10:43:00.000-04:002007-07-20T10:54:15.833-04:00

It's time for me to post about the Detroit Tigers! In spite of injuries to key players all year, they now have the best record in baseball. The three-game sweep of Minnesota was impressive. All three games won by a single run. All three in the Metrodome, which has been Dead Man's Gulch to the Tigers for years. With 32 wins on the road, we're not that anxious for them to return home!Of course,

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-48410006544642453192007-07-14T10:09:00.001-04:002008-12-09T10:25:08.716-05:00

A totally gratuitous picture of my granddaughter Maizie. You can see more of her (and read hilarious commentary from a sometimes insecure but amazingly wise first-time mom) on Caren's blog.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-4186711325893356762007-07-12T11:38:00.000-04:002007-07-12T11:54:51.227-04:00

I'm not a trend setter. I'm not much of a trend follower. I'm not even a very good trend observer. One sure sign that a trend is about to die is when I finally notice it and get on board. (I bought a leisure suit once. Yep, it was two days before "leisure suit" became a universally accepted synonym for "dork.")So the fact that I've recently noticed several new cars painted a rust orange color may

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-33340220293303272542007-06-30T13:35:00.000-04:002007-07-03T07:07:31.750-04:00

Actual headlines from the Detroit Free Press that can be sung to the tune of "Camptown Races" (followed, of course, by "doo-dah, doo-dah").School board fails to vote againYankees 2, Athletics 1Longtime movie critic deadTigers trade for bullpen helpFuture nurses go to campPhelps ends meet with three more winsWhere to see red, white and boomWeak link in Katrina fixCemetery suspect stuckMiller,

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-81849734967623860542007-06-26T13:23:00.000-04:002007-06-26T22:18:18.959-04:00

Department of Heavenland SecurityPrayer Validation DepartmentDear Supplicant,We regret to inform you that your account has been temporarily deactivated. Your prayers to the Almighty will not be acknowledged or answered until you reactivate your account using the link below. We have taken this action in response to a potential security breach. We recently learned that our arch-nemesis, B. L. Zebub

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-70089576309792329192007-06-21T13:08:00.001-04:002008-12-09T10:25:08.936-05:00

(Drum roll, please.)Milinda! She was the 10,000th official visitor to Meanderings and has won the valuable prize pictured at right. Milinda is a frequent visitor and a fellow blogger. Her blog, What Was I Thinking?, is definitely worth a visit. Milinda wasn't even trying to win the prize. She was checking to see if I'd updated my link to her blog's new address (I hadn't). But, wanting to win was

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-5669599883035912352007-06-19T13:11:00.000-04:002007-06-19T13:50:07.437-04:00

The Forever Stamp: good deal or bad deal? Let's see. Since 1995, postal rates have gone up, on average, every 2.5 years. The average increase has been 5.1%. Now, let's do a little hypothetical:You buy 2,439 forever stamps today for $1,000 (you get a penny back in change). Then you stash them away for the next 2.5 years. At that time, postal rates go up to 43¢ (a 4.9% increase). You can now mail

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-44221846648352928792007-06-15T22:28:00.001-04:002007-06-16T10:52:06.606-04:00

Things I like about living in Michigan:Spring: beautiful flowers, green grass, warm days, cool evenings.Summer: riding my bike on a warm evening; realizing that even though I'm 10 miles away and it's 9 p.m., I can easily make it home before dark.Fall: the explosion of color, brisk air that makes a sweater feel just perfect.Things I don't like about living in Michigan:The other ten months.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-62084270769775093992007-06-07T14:10:00.000-04:002007-06-07T14:16:27.538-04:00

Teaser headlines from the cover of the June issue of the Woods-n-Water News (Michigan's Premier Outdoor Publication):Spoons: Not Just for Pike Any MoreSupercharged SmallmouthsHuh?

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-51496415397080057202007-06-06T13:07:00.000-04:002007-06-08T14:15:53.436-04:00

The last few weeks, I've taken a bit of a sabblogital (a break from blogging for a while). But a full-color junk mail postcard for a new church in our community has moved me to break the silence.The front of the card shows a climber suspended by ropes and pitons while scaling a sheer rock wall. "Life," the caption screams, "Live it on the edge." In the lower right-hand corner is a picture of

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-4258835458574278702007-05-18T22:34:00.000-04:002007-05-18T22:48:16.403-04:00

I prefer the old-style game shows.Old-style shows required an individual to demonstrate mastery of a wide range of educationally sophisticated topics. Think Jeopardy! here.Newer game shows let people cheat: poll the audience, phone a friend, or copy from a fifth-grader, for pity's sake!The newest game shows--Deal or No Deal, National Bingo Night--are just guessing games. Playing them requires the

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-40182879967309518862007-05-08T21:21:00.000-04:002007-05-08T21:34:13.573-04:00

I'm back at another Pastors of Excellence Retreat. Yesterday, Terry Wardle talked about the "false selves" we develop in response to our wounds. They're protective personae we put on to shield ourselves from the rejection and abandonment we fear. Terry has names for his false selves, like "Poker Face" and "Solitary Man."Today, I sat down and began naming my false selves. I'll spare you detailed

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-63457295429850800242007-05-02T11:21:00.000-04:002007-05-02T11:23:20.837-04:00

Made me laugh:If Someone Wanted To Publish My Blog Entries For Money, I Wouldn't Say No.onion_embed {background: rgb(256, 256, 256) !important;border: 4px solid rgb(65, 160, 65);border-width: 4px 0 1px 0;margin: 10px 30px !important;padding: 5px;overflow: hidden !important;zoom: 1;}.onion_embed img {border: 0 !important;}.onion_embed a {display: inline;}.onion_embed a.img {float: left !important;

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-48862687567466831692007-04-27T15:21:00.000-04:002007-04-27T18:09:12.512-04:00

Those crazy guys over at the Woods-n-Water News ("Michigan's Premier Outdoor Publication") are at it again! I've written before about the teaser headlines they put on the cover that just make you want to buy it so bad (see my post on 12/13/06, Corn-Crazed Ducks).Well, the cover of the May issue is no exception. Consider this one: "Crappie Hot Spots." Immediately I'm thinking about the Hollywood

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-42623044593625545732007-04-27T09:41:00.000-04:002007-04-27T10:06:16.229-04:00

Recently remembered proverb: "Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time...and it annoys the pig."I'm fond of saying, "A successful day is one where I cross four or five items off my 'to do' list and only add seven or eight more." It occurs to me that that statement says a lot about deficiencies in my spiritual life.Why is it that so many things on my "to do" list are things I don't

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-38456220816274338852007-04-19T22:05:00.000-04:002007-04-19T22:42:10.419-04:00

A Tennessee jury today found Mary Winkler guilty of voluntary manslaughter in the killing of her husband Matthew. Matthew was the minister of the church of Christ in Selmer, Tennessee. The jury of ten women and two men rejected the charges of first degree and second degree murder. In Tennessee, voluntary manslaughter suggests that the crime was committed in an irrational state. Mary claimed that

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-53909309367095253312007-04-16T20:54:00.000-04:002007-04-16T21:49:53.297-04:00

Last night in my Bible study group, two members were talking about the Bath school disaster. I had never heard of it. They explained that in 1927, a disgruntled school board member in tiny, rural Bath, Michigan detonated hundreds of pounds of explosives that he had secretly planted under the floors of the elementary school. Forty-five people were killed; another fifty-eight were wounded. Most of

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-33466172293134497542007-04-12T21:33:00.000-04:002008-12-09T10:25:09.260-05:00

OK, it wasn't that many requests...Oh, all right, it was zero requests...But I know you would have requested this picture of my granddaughter Maizie if you'd known how cute she was!

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-58730268194977851762007-04-11T17:52:00.000-04:002007-04-12T17:37:23.264-04:00

The media frenzy over Don Imus's insulting remarks seems strangely out of proportion to me. Last night the NBC Nightly News devoted over ten minutes--nearly half its daily allotment--to the story. Slow news day, you say? Sure, there were no "jetliner hits building" stories to displace the Imus piece, but c'mon, folks; we are still at war and gas prices are spiraling upwards. The attention given

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-27025613654866444072007-03-30T15:06:00.000-04:002007-03-30T15:38:02.768-04:00

Just a quick little truism: gratitude gives birth to joy, and joy gives rise to generosity. And gratitude is a decision. But it's more than a single decision. It's a discipline, in the sense that training for an athletic event is a discipline. It is a single-minded focus that governs many other decisions. You don't become a grateful person by accident. It's the result of hundreds of seemingly

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-26905559306051153012007-03-22T13:58:00.000-04:002007-03-22T22:05:26.713-04:00

Scanning the dial this morning on the way to work. Stumbled across these romantic lines:I 'd like to see you out in the moonlight.I'd like to kiss you way back in the sticks.I'd like to walk you through a field of wildflowersAnd I'd like to check you for ticks.--Brad PaisleyTicks

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-33418743034799910862007-03-07T17:41:00.000-05:002007-03-07T17:52:09.417-05:00

Bill Knapp’s Restaurants were a Michigan institution. Most of them were built exactly alike, so they were instantly recognizable. You could walk into a Bill Knapp’s anywhere in the state and instantly feel at home. The food was good and the menu changed seldom, if ever. And they had a fiercely loyal clientele. But Bill Knapp’s paid a terrible price for their decades of keeping everything the

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-85912087618945913962007-03-02T16:29:00.000-05:002007-03-02T17:48:30.503-05:00

I’m just not much of a believer in using the political process to bring about God’s will. Yes, I believe governments are ordained by God. And yes, I believe that God often works through governments to accomplish His will. And yes, I vote my conscience in every election and urge others to do likewise. But I don’t see a lot of good that has come from Christians organizing as a political action

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-10124077358964817722007-02-26T22:09:00.000-05:002007-02-26T22:18:53.623-05:00

...or is the Academy totally wacko? I'll begin by saying that I am not a film aficionado. I see maybe four movies a year. I went to sleep last night before the major Oscars were presented. It's 10:00 the night after and I still don't know who won best picture, best actor, best actress, etc. And that doesn't bother me.But...I did see the award for best documentary. Just going by the brief clips

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-19890177040005021272007-02-22T14:14:00.000-05:002007-02-22T14:59:34.589-05:00

She first gained recognition for her body. Light reflected by that body, captured by a lens and focused on a strip of photographic film rendered an image that was then converted into millions of tiny multicolored ink droplets on the glossy pages of a magazine. Millions of men looked at the resulting likeness of her and said, "I want her body." Women looked at her pictures and wished they could

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-49229597724368916342007-02-22T12:22:00.000-05:002007-02-22T14:13:31.322-05:00

My in-laws are staying with us temporarily. While they're here, I sometimes drive their Cadillac, which is a very smart car. My car, a '93 Olds Cutlass, is by contrast as dumb as a sock full of chick peas. There are two keys to the Caddy, and it knows which one you have inserted. When I use my father-in-law's key, the car adjusts the seats and mirrors for him. He's a big guy, so I have to

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-70171932548000095092007-02-17T16:47:00.000-05:002008-12-09T10:25:09.535-05:00

I'm at Winterfest, a gathering of 12,000 teens and adult sponsors from churches of Christ across the country. In this morning's session, Jeff Walling interviewed Roger Crouch, a Shuttle astronaut. Like many kids of his generation, Roger wanted to be a fighter pilot, then an astronaut. But he was disqualified from both because he was colorblind. Undeterred, he kept knocking at NASA's door for

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-23020343596649752282007-01-29T20:45:00.001-05:002007-01-29T20:45:40.721-05:00

WARNING! GEEZER ALERT! The following rant was written by a geezer who pines for the good old days when things were done right. If you are under the age of 35 and/or have the misguided notion that the good old days were just days and probably not all that good, read no further.Otherwise...Whatever happened to the words, "you're welcome"? I still say "thank you." But something has happened to the

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-113431984523923652007-01-24T21:47:00.000-05:002007-01-26T09:46:50.933-05:00

The assignment was simple: go for a walk outside; ask God to reveal a lie about yourself that you have believed; then find a stick that is symbolic of that lie. The exercise was part of a Pastors of Excellence retreat in Ashland, Ohio.Dutifully, I ventured into the great frozen outdoors to find my stick. But my heart wasn't in it. This was the third such exercise of the day. Each one involved

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-91723601208159930962007-01-15T22:15:00.000-05:002007-01-16T09:51:55.289-05:00

A recent tour of the United States Mint in Denver served to harden a conviction I've long held: the penny should be abolished. The Mint makes more pennies each year than all other coins combined! It costs 1.23 cents to make a penny. Then they are sold to banks for, um, one cent each. We make almost 8 billion of them a year, representing an $18 million burden on the taxpayer. Two-thirds of each

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-13902951068274753732007-01-07T17:01:00.000-05:002007-01-07T17:38:52.717-05:00

My Mom sang Rock-a-bye baby to us, but I was always troubled by the bough breaking and the cradle falling with the baby in it. So I never sang that one very much to our babies. Why unnecessarily traumatize them if you can avoid it?When my grandfather walked the floor with fussy babies, he sang a song from his childhood about a heroic railroad engineer, Casey Jones. Although he remembered the tune

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-74448911310521812212007-01-04T13:24:00.000-05:002007-01-04T14:49:21.212-05:00

Francisco is a brother in the Lord who lives in Recife, Brazil.1 We met him on a mission trip several years ago. He was working as a custodian for the downtown church in Recife. Despite meager pay and an hour-long daily commute on hot, overcrowded buses, it was obvious that Francisco loved his job. And it was clear that he loved his job because he loved God and God's people.Francisco went out of

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-8854113390281575372006-12-24T20:51:00.000-05:002007-01-04T13:18:48.122-05:00

To all my loyal readers: I wish you a very Merry Christmas. And for those of you who occasionally wander by who or came here by mistake, or Googled your way here, or clicked a link without knowing what it would get you, or who just got here through random blog-surfing: I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, too!The family will be assembling soon. Both my children will be spending Christmas Day

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-27899090215574089112006-12-22T15:29:00.000-05:002007-01-04T13:19:23.618-05:00

Google search terms that have brought people to this blog recently:1. Looney Brownstown Michigan2. Letter to Daughter in Law3. Corn crazed ducks4. Mark Frost (go figure!)5. Wedding vowel renewal

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-60379663011399258642006-12-22T10:39:00.000-05:002008-12-09T10:25:09.786-05:00

I have several readers who live in the Denver area. According to my Site Meter, they've been visiting this blog (and presumably others as well) a bit more frequently in the last couple of days. So what do you do when you're snowed in? Put an extra log in the fireplace, grab a cup of hot chocolate, curl up and visit your favorite blogs.And how much did it snow in Denver? More inches than my

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-64882658521304028612006-12-20T22:44:00.000-05:002007-01-04T13:20:45.449-05:00

...I have witnessed a huge shift in the relationship between the church's morality and public morality. I can identify three distinct stages:1. The church as moral compass to society. Most people, even those who were unbelievers and irreligious, believed that the morality taught by the church was right. They believed that when and if they got their act together, they would adopt something close

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-90394868687554976652006-12-13T11:00:00.000-05:002007-01-04T13:21:11.398-05:00

The gas station next to our church sells the Woods-N-Water News, which calls itself "Michigan's Premier Outdoor Publication." Like most magazines, its cover is filled with teaser headlines intended to persuade browsers fork over $3 for the whole issue. I resisted the temptation, even with teasers like (and I am not making these up) "The Estrous Doe," and "The Timing of the Rut." But the December

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1165946671958433272006-12-12T12:56:00.000-05:002007-01-04T13:21:38.211-05:00

A snippet of a real conversation with two married couples, of which all four individuals are PKs (preacher's kids):"I'm so tired of listening to preachers. It seems that they're just talking because they're supposed to and because they're good at it. It would be different if I really felt that they had spent a lot of time praying about their message and seeking a word from God. Of course, I can't

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1165893354581010252006-12-11T22:02:00.000-05:002007-01-04T13:22:08.913-05:00

Forgive me, readers, for I have sinned. It has been three weeks since my last post. I have no excuses except:1. Moving into a new house.2. Getting old condo ready to rent (painting, repairing, cleaning).3. Trying to sell an airplane.4. Figuring out how to get furniture from Texas and Arkansas to the new house.5. A couple of crises involving people I love dearly.6. Brother-in-law with cancer.7.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1163797950044826732006-11-17T15:56:00.000-05:002007-01-04T13:22:47.940-05:00

Sunday, November 19, 2006, is WORLD TOILET DAY, so decreed by the World Toilet Organization (no, really). For those of you who do not instinctively recognize the need for this special day, here's a nugget from the WTO website:The purpose of having this day is to have people in all countries to take action, increase awareness of toilet user’s right to a better toilet environment, and to demand

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1163693333981042582006-11-16T10:41:00.000-05:002006-11-16T11:09:47.423-05:00

Quick UpdateHaven't posted in quite a while. Some of you have noticed and have been bugging me. Glad you missed my posts. I'll write something witty, deep, and challenging later. For now...We bought a new house (at right). The condo was too small to be a "grandma house." Moving in Saturday.Evidently my body scheduled a couple of days off without giving me advance notice. Spent a couple of nights

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1161722179267926822006-10-24T16:35:00.000-04:002006-10-24T16:51:14.140-04:00

Good News at LakewoodOne of the joys of traveling is getting to visit other churches. Sunday, we attended the Lakewood Church of Christ. Lakewood is the Denver suburb where my daughter and son-in-law live. They are members of the Littleton Church, which is a wonderful congregation. But, with daughter and granddaughter in the hospital following the latter's birth, we decided to go someplace

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1161358164862370132006-10-20T11:25:00.000-04:002006-10-21T01:14:23.746-04:00

A-Maizie-ng!At last. I am officially a grandpa! Maizie Jane George was born at 7:14 a.m., Friday, October 20, 2006. She weighed in at 8 lbs., 11 oz., and was 20 inches long. We are ecstatic. Her Mom and Dad are doing great. And Maizie is gorgeous.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1160923044927399752006-10-15T10:30:00.000-04:002006-10-15T10:37:24.940-04:00

Time for Good News!There probably won't be any more posts on this blog for a while. We're leaving today to drive to Denver. Twenty-two hours of driving spread out over two days leaves little time to tend to a blog. And when we get to Denver, we'll be tired and then we'll be very busy. So this is my last post until......my granddaughter is born! They're planning to induce labor on Tuesday if she

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1160624423113426242006-10-13T13:52:00.000-04:002006-10-13T13:58:38.406-04:00

An Open Letter to My Daughter-in-LawThe day you married my son was one of the most memorable days of my life. I am now a father-in-law (again). I want you to know the guiding principles I will strive to follow:After Jesus Christ, you are #1 in my son's life. We raised our son. We invested thousands of hours raising him and thousands of dollars educating him. He's been our son for 33 years. He's

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1160674631935343452006-10-12T13:33:00.000-04:002006-10-12T20:46:52.693-04:00

Thankful for HalloweenTheological misgivings aside, you have to be thankful for Halloween. If not for Halloween, the stores woud put up all their gaudy Christmas decorations the day after Labor Day.Last year, at the annual Scaraoke costume party I attend, I wore a T-shirt emblazoned with a large letter "E". My wife's shirt bore a picture of a paper clip. I was E-male and she was an attachment (

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1160670437064094772006-10-12T11:05:00.000-04:002006-10-12T13:21:49.870-04:00

The Cory Lidle TragedyWhenever there's a high-profile airplane crash, dozens of concerned friends and family members call to tell me that small planes are proven death traps. The aviation community grieves the loss of Cory Lidle, as does his family and baseball fans everywhere. But here's one pilot's view.First, let's back off the hysteria. No mode of transportation is completely safe. My guess

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1160264202344511632006-10-07T19:22:00.000-04:002006-10-07T19:36:42.353-04:00

R-E-S-P-E-C-TThe celebrated and overpaid New York Yankees are no more. The Detroit Tigers will face Oakland for the American League championship. Remember these names: Bonderman, Verlander, Granderson, Zumaya... shall I go on? And when the Tigers come to your town, whether it be Oakland, San Diego, St. Louis, Los Angeles or (especially) New York, you will respect these guys.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1160098155867143682006-10-06T17:35:00.000-04:002006-10-06T17:40:43.206-04:00

More Wedding VowelsMeanderings still gets a few hits from people who Google "wedding vowel renewal." But the traffic's dropped off a lot since the initial surge. Since this is just about this blog's only claim to recognition in the broader world, we can't let this decline continue. Surely everyone knows that Google orders results according to the frequency with which they are clicked. So, here's

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1160097197731441502006-10-05T20:02:00.000-04:002006-10-05T21:13:17.783-04:00

Amish-olatry?OK, I'm probably going to get blasted for this, but here goes anyway. Our hearts are broken by the recent tragedy in Amish country. And yes, we admire the Amish for their gentle demonstration of forgiveness. But the way some of my Gen-X blogmates tell it, the Amish pretty much have a direct line to God. These last few days, I've read that because the Amish live in isolated

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1160059713087417002006-10-05T10:43:00.000-04:002006-10-05T10:48:33.096-04:00

And the Point Would Be?Yesterday, a man in Japan recited the value of the mathematical constant pi to 100,000 decimal places--from memory. Took him sixteen hours, including bathroom breaks. Read all about it here. All righty, then.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1159886267983006872006-10-03T10:11:00.000-04:002006-10-03T10:37:47.996-04:00

Not FunnyWhen I heard the news yesterday about the horrific killings at an Amish school in Pennsylvania, a stupid little voice--I call it my "inner stand-up comedian"--intruded into my thoughts. "Hey, did you hear the one about the Amish drive-by shooting?" it asked, unaware of how embarassingly inappropriate that thought was. Of course, I'm not going to tell you the joke. It's not funny any more

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1159845728515317022006-10-02T22:50:00.000-04:002006-10-02T23:22:09.610-04:00

Moving MotherI haven't been tending to the blog much lately; other priorities have intruded. One of the big ones for me was moving my mother into an assisted-living facility for Alzheimer's patients. My friend Jeff and I drove to Nashville, Arkansas, last Sunday. From there, Jeff followed me to Houston in a U-Haul truck loaded with Mom's bedroom furniture. We unloaded Tuesday morning, then took

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1158944544762172412006-09-22T12:49:00.000-04:002006-09-22T13:02:24.780-04:00

God! Politics! Christians! Money!OK, here's the deal. The longest thread on my blog runs to a total of nine comments, and I think two of them were mine. That's just unacceptable. However, I've noticed that when Greg Kendall-Ball and Mike Cope post anything about God and politics or about Christians and wealth, the resulting threads run to 100+ comments. Although reading those long threads wears

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1158853209052894872006-09-21T11:24:00.000-04:002006-09-21T11:40:09.096-04:00

Farewell KB.netGreg Kendall-Ball, caretaker of kendallball.net has decided to hang up his spurs and exit the blogosphere. His blog was one of the most widely visited sites among members of the churches of Christ (second only to Mike Cope's blog according to my own unscientific survey). Greg attracted a posse of Gen-X hot-shots, many of them grad students in theology, some of them heretics. Greg

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1158609677838273912006-09-18T15:28:00.000-04:002006-09-18T17:25:46.273-04:00

On Loving EnemiesThere was an op-ed piece in today's USA Today entitled "A Christian vew of war," written by Oliver "Buzz" Thomas. An excerpt:In ancient times, particular gods were associated with particular nations. "Tribal deities," we call them. Today we know better. God is not the mascot of Republicans, Democrats, or for that matter, Americans. God transcends all national and political

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1158418031252941322006-09-16T10:23:00.000-04:002006-09-16T10:47:11.266-04:00

Flying on 9/11I have successfully resisted the urge to join every other blogger on the planet and talk about where I was and what I was doing on 9/11/01. Let me talk instead about what happened to me on 9/11/06.I was due in Ashland, Ohio, at 10 a.m. for a Pastors of Excellence retreat. The night before, I checked the weather, and it looked like I would not be able to fly myself there (I am not

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1158250930416944622006-09-14T11:59:00.000-04:002006-09-15T17:18:34.316-04:00

Spiritual Reinforcements NeededIf you have the time, please read this post in its entirety and join me in prayer for a friend and brother, Marc Neal. I am a participant in Pastors of Excellence, a wonderful ministry put on by Ashland Theological Seminary. Eighty of us come together for six three-day retreats over the course of two years for spiritual renewal and personal growth. Marc is the

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1156982518965078492006-09-05T06:46:00.000-04:002006-09-05T06:51:33.826-04:00

Minor E-noyancesSweet, sappy, way-too-long, meant-to-be-inspirational forwarded emails that end with "if you don't forward this to 20 people, including the one who sent it to you, that proves you don't care."Calling a company, getting their automated phone system, which asks you to enter your sixteen digit account number followed by the pound sign, then your five-digit zip code, then the last

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1156815810746507322006-08-28T21:22:00.000-04:002006-08-28T22:14:25.150-04:00

The Wedding!Saturday was an exciting day for the Frost family. We witnessed the most touching ceremony uniting in marriage our son Alan with Sheila Neely. (It was my honor to be the "officiant" of the wedding.) Then, we celebrated the rest of the night with a wonderful collection of family and friends. Maybe I'll have more to say later about the many beautiful aspects of the wedding, but for now,

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1156349749242210252006-08-23T12:00:00.000-04:002006-08-23T13:34:35.196-04:00

Quiet and PiratesThings have been pretty quiet on this blog, and they're about to become more quiet. My daughter Caren and her husband Jason are in town for an all-too-rare visit. We are all leaving for Chicago tomorrow for the wedding of Sheila Neely and my son Alan. I love all of you who read this blog, but not as much as I love spending time with my kids. So, if I have a chance to post over

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1155670162829901152006-08-15T15:06:00.000-04:002006-08-15T15:29:22.866-04:00

Of Specks and Logs and Coffee PotsThe following Post-it® note recently appeared on the coffee maker in the church kitchen:TO THE PERSONS MAKING COFFEE: IF YOU MAKE COFFEE, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR TURNING OFF THE COFFEE MAKER. PLEASE REMEMBER TO IT OFF.Being a smart aleck, I contemplated placing another note underneath it:TO THE PERSONS PUTTING NOTES ON THE COFFEE MAKER: IF YOU WRITE NOTES, YOU

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1155257617565049632006-08-10T20:32:00.000-04:002006-08-10T21:06:53.490-04:00

The Battle Hymn of...Michigan?Most schoolkids in Michigan know that Michigan, My Michigan is our unofficial state song. It's sung to the tune of O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum, which also happens to be the tune for Maryland, My Maryland and Florida, My Florida (OK, Maryland was first; Michigan and Florida are copycats). The first verse, which is the only one anyone remembers, goes thus:Home of my

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1155039114595647732006-08-08T08:10:00.000-04:002006-08-10T20:54:23.896-04:00

If Only It Were This Easy!Headline: Prohibitively High Rocket-Fuel Prices Bring Mideast Crisis To Standstill

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1155002261124172522006-08-07T21:27:00.000-04:002006-08-07T22:32:43.016-04:00

Out or In?While riding my bike today at Lake Erie Metropark, I saw a group of teens at the beach volleyball court. They weren't playing volleyball. Their body language indicated an argument in progress. As I pedaled past, one of the kids yelled out, "Hey, mister! That was out, wasn't it?" By this time, I was well beyond the court, but I turned and yelled over my shoulder, "No, it was definitely

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1154999570443681522006-08-07T20:41:00.000-04:002006-08-07T21:25:47.373-04:00

Pain and JoyLast week, we were in Santa Monica, California to attend a memorial gathering for our foster son, Bruce Shaffer (pictured at right), who took his life a year ago. I'm glad we went. Maybe you think that such a trip would be filled with pain and sorrow. Yes, there were tears. Bruce's suicide was just the latest in a life puncuated by tragic events. We mourned for him and grieved over

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1153926356230272122006-07-26T10:42:00.000-04:002006-07-26T12:44:02.166-04:00

Hard QuestionsDon't be afraid to ask the hardest questions that rise up in your soul. But don't expect answers. Expect rather to experience God.--Larry CrabbWe tend to avoid the toughest questions of life. We're scared of them. What if we ask a hard question, a question that challenges the core of our faith, and find no answer? What will happen to our faith then? We conclude that maybe it's best

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1153522423151063872006-07-21T18:11:00.000-04:002006-07-21T18:53:43.233-04:00

What Do You Do With An Hour?The "worship wars" that churches have fought over the past few years have largely missed the point. Periodically, we call a truce in the wars long enough to observe that the things we're fighting about--musical styles, proper dress, multi-media technology, and hands (clapping, raising, etc.)--are not the central issue. Then we go back to fighting over those very issues

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1152928612994326702006-07-19T11:26:00.000-04:002006-07-19T11:42:47.446-04:00

Things Discovered While Looking Up Other Stuff #2Alan Smithee, one of the most prolific directors in Hollywood, doesn't exist. When a director wants to disassociate himself from a film because creative control has been taken away from him, he can petition the Director's Guild of America to have the fictitious name "Alan Smithee" listed as the director in the credits. The lyrics to the "Wiener

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1153278235988904332006-07-18T22:56:00.000-04:002006-07-18T23:03:56.056-04:00

Leanne in FinlandA member of our church, Leanne Sexton, went to Tampere, Finland, on a mission trip last month, then stayed for an extra month to continue the work by herself. Her walk with Jesus is awesome; she is more in tune with the movement of the Spirit than just about anyone I know.She sends back the most amazing emails from Finland. They're more than just a description of her ministry.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1153174606746135892006-07-17T17:52:00.000-04:002006-07-17T18:27:12.713-04:00

Dis-a-vowelSeveral weeks ago, I posted a story about a wedding vow renewal ceremony at a local senior citizen center. Whoever made the sign describing the day's activities had used the word "vowel" when they obviously meant to use "vow." It tickled me, so I wrote a reflection on what a wedding vowel might be.Well, it seems that a significant segment of the population doesn't know a vow from a

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1153097814279107302006-07-16T20:41:00.000-04:002006-07-16T20:56:54.300-04:00

How Embarrassing!I hate it when I make dumb mistakes in my sermons. Three weeks ago, I was commenting on the sudden appearance of hundreds of people wearing Bluetooth phone devices. I said I thought they were the the first step toward becoming the Borg in Star Wars. I was thinking Star Trek, but said Star Wars. Every Trekkie in the church took it upon themselves to correct me. I think I could

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1152557416927248102006-07-10T14:16:00.000-04:002006-07-11T17:52:13.833-04:00

Frost's Generational Axiom #1"I sense a great disturbance in the blogosphere, young Jedi.""What is it, my master?""It's the baby boomers, young one. They're aging, and they seem incapable of doing it quietly." We boomers can't do anything without making a production out of it. The prez just turned 60, prompting every reporter of similar vintage to pontificate about the aging of the boomers. Over

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1152538443291006462006-07-10T09:15:00.000-04:002006-07-10T09:34:03.366-04:00

Yes, They're for Real!I've delayed saying this until the All-Star break, but the Detroit Tigers are for real this year! Will they win the series? Who knows? Will they even make the playoffs? They have the best record in baseball, but the second-best record belongs to the White Sox who are in the AL Central with them. And the Sox are only two games back. But, the Tigers are real enough this year

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1152288986129289162006-07-07T11:31:00.000-04:002006-07-08T12:43:19.630-04:00

Mind Like a Rolodex®Remember the venerable Rolodex card file? It was such a wonderful little innovation for the office. Instead of index cards being packed into a drawer, they were on a wheel which could be turned to quickly get the needed information. Once you got to the right place, you could see the whole card at one glance (unlike older card files) or you could pull the card completely out.I

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1151947358753747462006-07-03T12:47:00.000-04:002006-07-03T13:22:38.823-04:00

Teens at Work This week, I am at Michigan Christian Youth Camp, participating in the first-ever "Mid-Michigan Work Camp." It's a week of Christian summer camp for teens, except that instead of horseback riding, water skiing, volleyball, and high ropes, the kids are painting houses. Each day, they pile into vans and go to homes of needy people in the Lapeer, Michigan, area and they paint. Most of

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1150989434515074382006-06-30T14:37:00.000-04:002006-06-30T14:44:38.436-04:00

I'll Probably Die Without Ever Knowing...• The lyrics to "Hail to the Chief" (or if it even has lyrics).• The name of even a single character on Desparate Housewives.• The rules for backgammon.• How to ride a unicycle.• What red and green look like to people who aren't red-green colorblind like me.• Why "pro-life" and "anti-gun control" wind up together on so many political agendas.• Exactly

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1151427775866812672006-06-27T12:52:00.000-04:002006-06-27T13:02:55.880-04:00

A blog you should read is Zeteo, run by my good friend and brother in the Lord, Al Petri. Al's family owns Al Petri and Sons Bicycle Center, but he is better known at our congregation as a voracious reader, a deep thinker, and a man with a servant heart. He and his wife Debby have been faithfully ministering to the homeless for the past couple of years. His blog will make you think and challenge

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1150992352681360172006-06-22T11:17:00.000-04:002006-06-22T12:05:52.783-04:00

Mark Your Calendars!Here are some festivals and celebrations around the country that you won't want to miss:The Fishfly Festival in New Baltimore, Michigan. June 21-25. For those of you who don't live in the Great Lakes region, fishflies are disgusting creatures that swarm in from the lakes in droves in late spring/early summer. They don't bite or sting, but attach themselves to just about any

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581995.post-1150930448581446022006-06-21T18:49:00.000-04:002006-06-21T21:07:11.770-04:00

Check These Out...Beth Tunick is a friend of mine and a member of my congregation. She is currently working with a mission team in Uganda. I've added her blog, "Beth in Uganda" to my links. Check it out; she writes so vividly that you're almost there. Please pray for her and her fellow team members.Let me also point you to another new blog, "What Was I Thinking???" This one is run by Tammy, who

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817225797224517201noreply@blogger.com0