christian as an adjective???

 As I've shared with you before, I believe words are important.  I believe names are important.  A few thoughts that may leave some of you scratching your heads and some of you saying amen.....

-Recently several preacher types to whom I subscribe, Andy Stanley, Voddie Baucham, Given O. Blakely, and Scott Meyer, all of whom are very different in their style, denominational background, and ministry roles  have been hitting on the idea of contrasting what it means to be a Christian versus what it means to be a disciple, a Christ-follower.

-A few weeks ago Jonesy mentioned the name of one of her favorite singers to someone.  That person was unfamiliar with the artist and asked if it was Christian music.  Jones responded with a look of confusion.  I knew what the person was asking, but to Jonesy it was a strange question because she hasn't yet learned to use the word christian to describe things and I kind of hope she never does.

-When Carrie Underwood sang her wonderful rendition of "How Great Thou Art" she was a country singer singing a christian song.  When Chris August sings "I Want You Back" he's a christian singer singing a Motown song.  When there was so much Jesus and Gospel talk at Whitney Houston's funeral it made both  Hollywood and Christians uncomfortable.

-I'm a talk radio junkie, and it seems everyday I hear someone say (with the utmost sincerity and passion), "We need to get back to being a Christian nation." I wince every time I hear it.  I'm afraid that what they are pleading for is not that our citizens and our government officials become disciples of Jesus, but that the citizens of our nation would change their behavior to conform to a standard inspired by Judeo-Christian ethics. They seem less concerned with winning hearts and minds for the Kingdom of God through evangelism, love, and charity (read real charity, not govt. welfare), than they do with passing laws that outlaw or require certain behaviors to make the kingdom of the U.S.A a better place to live.
Many will claim that the U.S.A was founded as a christian nation.  To that I say no, it wasn't, but it was founded by Christians.

I believe that to use the word christian as an adjective is to cheapen the work of Christ into a behavior modification plan.

My Children Are My Delight

Went hiking with Jonesy and West yesterday.  Did a little bit of fishing, but didn't catch anything. 

On our way back to the truck I said to Jones, "Too bad we didn't catch anything, but it's a good day for hiking."

"Yeah, I don't really care what we do or if we catch anything.  I just like being with my daddy."

Her words made my heart swell with gladness.

I rarely fish, go grocery shopping, or run errands anymore without having at least one of my children with me. (Yes, I know that Leslie does almost everything with at least two in tow, and I admire her steadfastness and sanity.)  They are my delight.  I love coming home from work to a Georgia hug, West's broken record Dadda, Dadda, Dadda, and Annie's giggling smile.

Things aren't perfect in our home.  We struggle daily through teaching obedience and manners and settling sibling squabbles.  But they are growing and maturing and Leslie and I are growing and maturing with them.

Buzzards and Eagles

While we were cleaning fish yesterday evening, Annie pointed at a buzzard circling above and said, "Look, an eagle!"  Jonesy and I both quickly corrected her and told her that it was just a buzzard.  On the train today I was thinking about that and realized how important it is for me as a father to teach my children the difference between buzzards and eagles.  I started thinking in metaphors and praying that my daughters learn to be discerning, to love and be kind to all, but to know a buzzard when they see one.

We had a good time fishing.  The weather is beautiful, the lake is full, and the blue bonnets are blooming.  We are blessed.

Spring Break 2012

Justin had a week of vacation a week before the girls were out of school for spring break. He moved out to the lake and we joined in after school. Jazbo and Wayne spent some time out at the lake too. A and W spent all day Wednesday with Daddy and Jazbo. All six of us spent Wednesday night in the tent with the wind howlin'. On Thursday, the cold and the rain moved in and stayed for four days. The camping vacation was cut short and all the guys went home on Friday.



























Saturday: We took the kids to their first circus. It wasn't a big circus. I think they were entertained, but not impressed.
















On Monday, we went back out to the lake on a gorgeous day.

























Tuesday was roller skating day! See videos on FB. West slept through most of the three hours in his stroller while I watched and laughed at Justin and the girls.




Wednesday was Chick-fil-A day and church night.

Thursday






On Friday, the kids and I went to the Mayborn Children's Museum. We arrived at 930am and we left at 345pm. There was a scavenger hunt, Disney Nature (short) Movie, and a magician along with the original two floors of learning rooms.







































Saturday evening we rented Mr. Popper's Penguins and snuggled and laughed after supper. West can now sing "Ice, Ice Baby" over and over and does some dance moves while he sings.

Sunday was church, lunch at Fuddruckers and rest!

Annie is 4

Happy Birthday Annie!

















A. requested a donut party. So, we had a morning party at Shipley's Donuts.










Thank you to all of Annie's friends that helped make her party day wonderful!








Saturday afternoon we met cousin Adrianne with Ethan and Mikayla at Chili's for lunch(Annie's pick) and then we went to UMHB soccer camp. A. did not participate, but J, G, E and M did and they had alot of fun! Thank you Adrianne for driving up to see us.









On Tuesday, on her "real" birthday, she opened family gifts and had LalaLoopsy cupcakes.








Her new booster car seat!






Thank you to GranNola and Papa, Grandma and Grandpa, Mimi and Jazbo, U. C and A. K, Great Grandmother and Grandaddy for the phone calls and for sending her mail. She was thrilled to receive something in the mailbox!

The Springfield Isotopes and Jesus

I've been wrestling with this in my mind since the World Series last fall....

The Springfield Isotopes make it to the World Series.
Your co-worker shows up with a new Isotopes shirt, hat, and bumper sticker.
You say, "I didn't know you were an Isotopes fan."
"Oh yeah, man.  I've been a huge fan for years."
"Really?  I've never heard you mention them before."
"Well, I am."
Another co-worker shows up wearing the same Isotopes hat he was wearing when you met him ten years ago.  You know he's an Isotopes fan.  They're all he ever talks about, even in the off-season.  He spends his vacation going to spring training.  His kids are named after his favorite Isotope players.  He gets up early to study their box scores every morning.
He sees the other guy with his new gear and bristles.
"Fair weather fan, huh?  You don't deserve to wear our stuff!  Where were you when we were at the bottom?  Where were you when we couldn't buy a win?"  (Real fans always refer to their team with words like "we" and "our".)
Another guy walks in wearing a Yankee cap and Mr. Realfan turns on him. 
"You're from Springfield!  Why are you wearing a Yankee cap?"
"Because I like them, I was born in New York."
"Yeah, but you live in Springfield now. Everyone here should be an Isotopes fan."
"So you can make fun of us for being fair weather fans?" you ask. 

I'm going to take a cue from my uncle's blog today and not offer any of my own conclusions, but rather put forth some questions and invite you to respond as you will.

1. How do the un-churched feel when they visit your church?
2. Are you bothered by heathens celebrating Christmas?
3. Do you think the owners of the Springfield Isotopes are bothered when "fair weather fans" buy what they are selling?

Que Pasa

This time last year I was catching lots of catfish.  I haven't even wet a line yet in 2012.  I've been working a lot.  And when I haven't been at work I've been working a lot.  I'm installing new tile in our house, learning as I go.  I'm only halfway finished.
Trying to do this and also be a good daddy and husband and employee is leaving me exhausted.

In keeping with the 2012 TOTP resolutions, here are the books that I have read so far this year...

The Help by Kathryn Stockett.  The cover has a blurb from some NPR lefty, "This could be one of the most important pieces of fiction since To Kill a Mockingbird..."  A good book, but sorry, this is not going to go down in literary history as one of the most important pieces of fiction.  If it had been published when To Kill a Mockingbird was published, then maybe.  But I don't think it could have or would have been published back then.  Maybe the story could have been published, but it would have had to be written with a very different, more delicate approach.  Harper Lee managed it with her classic.  I'm not so sure that this author could pull it off.  Also, I noticed a continuous flaw in the writing.  As the author gave voice to each of the characters it was obvious that she putting her own 21st century outlook into many of the characters' thoughts.
I did enjoy the book and am looking forward to seeing the movie. 

The Shunning, The Confession, and The Reckoning by Beverly Lewis.  The Heritage of Lancaster County Trilogy.  Interesting, entertaining, easy reads.  I can see why her books are so popular.  I learned a lot about Amish culture that I didn't know before.

The Secret, also by Beverly Lewis.  The first book in another Amish trilogy.  The plot is not as interesting.  I've started the second book in the series, but I'm having a hard time pushing through this one.  The first trilogy I read interested me because I was learning about Amish culture.  This one is kind of bland and predictable.

What Are People For? by Wendell Berry- A collection of essays.  I'm blaming my lack of blogging over the last month on this book.  He says what I would like to say a lot better than I could ever say it.  It was enjoyable to read someone with whom I agree about so much.  He discusses everything from marriage, to church, to farming techniques, economics, education, and politics.  Amen and Amen.

Jaber Crow by Wendell Berry- A novel that has made it's way onto my top 10 list.  I plan on reading everything else by Berry that I can get my hands on.

Massacre at Goliad and After the Bugles by Elmer Kelton- Two novels of the Texas Republic.  As always, great writing from a great Texan writer.  He deals with it in many of his books, but racial tensions between Mexicans and Anglos is a major theme in these books.  He handles it in a much better way than Stockett did in The Help.  In my opinion, our seventh-graders could learn more about Texas history by reading three or four of Kelton's books than they could sitting through a whole year of social studies class.