Ramblings from one following Jesus on the back roads of life
For all my devoted readers (both of you), I’m sorry there was no TGIF last Friday. I returned yesterday from a great week away with my family and there was limited internet access. Now I have a whole lot of blog reading to catch up on.
I’ll share some of our travels as the week goes on. I may even be able to have pictures!
It’s the Friday before Father’s Day. On Sunday, the family and I are driving down to Miami, where we’ll depart on Monday on a cruise in the Caribbean. I get to spend the entire week of Father’s Day with my wife and children. It’s a rare treat.
Check these posts out:
Ed Stetzer has some questions for McChurch.
Jared Wilson has some concerns about leadership.
Next Reformation blogs about purpose and people.
Jonathan Brink wonders about sovereignty and love.
Jeff McQ thinks about mistaken identity. Part 1 and Part 2.
Brant Hansen wonders how the rapture would affect the election.
John Armstrong wonders if God is Green.
Ever wonder why the chicken crossed the road? Some answers here.
The Gospel Driven Blog has an urgent request.
Molly is stumbling. Don’t worry, it’s a good thing.
A Hopeful Heretic is being bent.
Have a great Father’s Day! I am grateful for the privilege of being a father of two wonderful adults. Josh and Jennie, I am proud of you and I love you.
Check this site out. It’s good.
Annedroid has a set of questions about summer.
1. What first tells you that summer is here?
Here in the sunny South, it’s sometimes hard to tell when one season ends and another one begins. For me, summer officially begins during the last week of school. The students are ready to be out, and so are the teachers. Things tend to be a bit more relaxed, although there are those students we have to deal with that think they can go a bit overboard with their behavior. By the time the final day rolls around, we all have no problem saying goodbye to school for a couple of months. By this time, the sun is up early and sets late, the days are longer, and there is more time to do things.
2. Name 5 of your distinctively summer habits or customs.
Sleeping in. During the school year, I get up between 5:30 and 6:00 each morning. During the summer, I get up when I get up. Sometimes it’s before 7:00, sometimes it’s not till 9:00. Along with sleeping in, I also stay up later at night.
Dressing down. Mostly I wear shorts, T-shirts, and flip flops. There are few reasons for me to wear slacks, and even fewer reasons to wear a tie. It’s summer and, at least in my mind, I’m at the beach.
Eating less. Summer is a good time for me to lose weight. Many days I’ll skip lunch, and dinner is usually lighter than it is the rest of the year.
Drinking more. I drink a lot more water and iced tea during the summer. Even though sweet tea is the official drink of the South, we usually drink tea unsweetened. It quenches your thirst far better.
Travel. During the school year, we don’t have as much time to travel, so any longer trips are reserved for summer. The rise in gas prices this year has changed that a bit though. We have already had to cancel a trip I really wanted to take because of the cost.
There is a sixth thing we do in the summer. We try to tackle one or two home improvement projects. This year it’s the kitchen.
3. What is your favorite smell of summer?
I have two favorite smells. The first is a combination of the smells of the beach. Suntan lotion, salt water, cooking food, and the other fragrances that come together to say ocean. The second is a combination of the smells of the mountains. Pine, campfires, the fresh smell of a quick rain storm.
4. What is your favorite taste of summer?
I guess my favorite taste would have to be the taste of anything cooked outside on a charcoal or gas grill. Hamburgers, hot dogs, steak, chicken, BBQ. If it’s cooked on a grill, I like it.
5. What is your favorite summer memory?
Wow. I have so many great memories, from trips taken when I was growing up, to trips taken with my wife and children. The Smoky Mountains, the Outer Banks, Niagara Falls, the Bahamas, and more. So many places and so many memories.
6. Extreme heat or extreme cold? Which would you choose and why?
I’d have to say extreme cold. I’ve always had an easier time getting warm when it’s cold. I tend to run a bit warm, so hot weather tends to wipe me out.
7. What books do you plan to read for the season?
Surprised by Hope for the second time. Next Man Up (a book about the NFL). A few more, ranging from serious to fiction.
8.How does the summer affect your faith? Is it a hindrance or an ally?
I used to kind of take the summer off with my faith. Now, summer is a good time to spend more time exploring and thinking about how to follow Jesus more closely. When we travel, I like to visit churches that are different than what we are used to at home, and I try to draw from those different traditions.
I’ve had a lot of stuff rolling around in my brain this week, but nothing crystallized into anything coherent. I have been reading a lot though, and here is some of what I thought was worth passing on:
A Former Leader muses about grace.
At A Time to Laugh, we are reminded of our true identity in Christ.
Jake gets down to the grassroots.
Jonathan Brink has a good question about the glory of God.
Brother Maynard gives us his pick of 20 classic Christian Rock albums.
Tall Skinny Kiwi orders a product. He swears it’s not his. (Parental advisory) 🙂
Tim Hill knew this was going to happen.
Todd Hiestand questions the wisdom of building an ark.
Check this site out. It has some great articles.
Good thoughts this week:
Bob reviews Finding Our Way Again by Brian McLaren.
Jake has faith rooted in knowledge.
Dan Edelen has some good stuff on the goings on down in Florida.
annedroid is trying life without caffeine, although I don’t know why.
Scot McKnight waxes eloquent about fountain pens.
Michael Spencer introduces us to Jesus Shaped Spirituality.
Grace asks Why Are An Orange?
Kamp Krusty has a Christian cruise Q and A.
jonathanbrink writes about The Scoreboard.
Robbymac plays possum.
Alan Hirsch discovers what happened to the Boomers.
Todd Hiestand gives ordinary people a chance to answer big questions.
Have a great weekend!
imonk has a new site for you all (or y’all as they say around here) to check out. It can be found here.
We had a good weekend here in the sunny South. Saturday was kind of a lazy day, which was nice because there hadn’t been too many of those lately. Sunday morning could have been better. In the church service, we spent the first ten minutes or so worshipping America. Don’t get me wrong. I love this country and I’m grateful to God for his blessings on it. I just don’t think a corporate gathering for worship should be centered around something other than God. I don’t have any problem remembering those who died defending our liberties during the service. But when the choir sings “I’m Proud to be an American” and every other song praises this country rather than the one who gave us our freedom, then I have a problem. If a church wants to center something around a celebration of America and the sacrifices some have made, that’s fine. Just have it on Memorial Day. I don’t believe the Sunday AM time is the end of all things for followers of Jesus, but I feel like something was missing.
I’m at one of those crossroads that I come across from time to time.There are a couple of different directions I could go. The problem is that I don’t know which way to go and I really don’t have very much control over things. I’m just standing here, enjoying the scenery, watching other people go on their way, and waiting for God to show me a direction.
At the same time, I’m feeling a bit of discontentment with things as they are now. I don’t know if it’s because I’m tired and ready for this school year to be over, or if it’s something else. Maybe the Spirit has put this in me. I just know that there are some changes that need to be made. Whether they are changes in my situation or ministry, or just changes that need to happen within me is something I’m unsure of.
End of the year testing is over! (and there was great rejoicing) The school year is winding down and we’re all ready for a break.
Here is what caught my eye this week:
Barb is dreaming of a place.
re:patrick sings a broken hallelujah.
Jake invites us to dinner.
Dan Edelen has some good thoughts on “faith”.
Rich thinks about the “other”.
Once again, John Armstrong has some good thoughts.
Josh wonders about our government.
Grace writes on being broken.
Jeff McQ finds religion strangely appealing.
Nextreformation has some good ideas about being missional in the burbs.
Jared sees the brilliance of Jesus.
Please pray for Steven Curtis Chapman and his family.