tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56465265859303512642024-03-05T02:22:12.019-08:00Family: The Final FrontierFresh brain-scrapings--faith, family, and daddyhood from the soft underbelly of life...Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.comBlogger334125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-1458820457914643562011-05-02T15:43:00.000-07:002011-05-02T16:02:16.342-07:00In-depth look at a thorny subject...This is a review of Randy Alcorn's book, f God Is Good. It's a look at one of the great philosophical questions: if God is good, why is there evil and suffering in the world? It's a question that doesn't lend itself to easy answers. In fact, many people have turned completely away from belief in God solely because they couldn't reconcile His existence with the existence of evil.<br /><br />Alcorn, as usual for him, doesn't go for the easy answers that don't really satisfy. He delves into the subject confidently, with a firm conviction that we can find answers, while still trusting in a God who is good, kind and loving.<br /><br />There is, of course, a difference between evil and suffering. Much of the suffering in the world comes as a result of human evil. Suffering also comes form living in a fallen world that is plagued by genetic defects and natural disasters. the question then becomes: why doesn't God stop the suffering in this world?<br /><br />Alcorn doesn't try to give easily digestible, pat answers. Instead, he points out the good that often comes out of evil. God uses evil and suffering to bring about wisdom, patience and faith in His people. Thus, evil and suffering can have a redemptive good. Alcorn also points out that evil and suffering can whet our appetite for the next world, in which there is no suffering.<br /><br />Overall, If God Is Good is an honest, in-depth treatment of a subject that every serious Christian must wrestle with at some point. It's written in Alcorn's distinctive, clear, straightforward style. It's deep, but at the same time easy to understand. I recommend it highly.<br /><br />I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. They in no way affected my thoughts on the book itself...<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-82395547502661877652011-03-06T22:23:00.000-08:002011-03-06T22:26:57.535-08:00Review of audiobook: "Living by God's Promises"<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> 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<w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">As a follower of Jesus, I believe the best books are those that are both informational and inspirational—books that feed my mind AND my spirit. I recently came across a book that accomplishes both tasks. “<a href="http://christianaudio.com/living-by-gods-promises-joel-r-beeke-james-a-la-belle">Living By God’s Promises</a>,” written by Joel Beeke and James La Belle, is saturated with Scripture. The authors draw from 3 Puritan writers-- Edward Leigh, William Spurstowe and Andrew Gray—to produce this great book.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"> The authors feed our minds by teaching us the proper way to understand the promises of God. They look at the purposes, the extent, and the foundation of the promises. I know that I grew in my understanding of God’s promises through these chapters of the book. The rest of the book feeds our spirits by showing how we can apply God’s promises to the various circumstances of our lives, like when we struggle with illness, temptation growing in Christ.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The audiobook (which is what this review is based on) was expertly produced. The narrator, Robertson Dean, has a voice that’s so good that it makes me need to repent of the sin of envy. He lends a sense of dignity to this important, and overlooked, subject. In short, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. If you want to be blessed as you are reminded of God’s promises, get this book and devour it right away!</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"> I need to let you know that I received a free copy of this book to review from <a href="http://christianaudio.com/">christianaudio.com</a>. The adiobook came from them; the thoughts in this review are completely my own.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-38893718560652388082011-01-08T15:33:00.000-08:002011-01-08T15:36:04.785-08:00New Year's Resolution #17......reopen this blog...#18: use more elipses when I write...<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-24740285095987222732010-05-03T11:52:00.000-07:002010-05-03T11:58:42.039-07:00The excitement is building!One of the things I am enjoying the most about pastoring is watching people get excited about being part of our community. In fact, you can almost see people's hope increasing on a weekly basis. <br /><br />We've decided to start video taping the services, and I want to show you a clip from last Sunday. I think you will see just what I mean. Our folks are really getting into worshiping together:<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CLmjVDQMQUs&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CLmjVDQMQUs&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-72791037147222523782010-04-23T01:01:00.001-07:002010-04-23T01:04:11.983-07:00Word cloud of this Sunday's sermon...<span style="font-family: arial;">I'm not sure why I like Wordle so much, but I really do enjoy the site. It makes word clouds of any document or web site you plug in. The words are sized according to the number of times they are used in the document. I think the word clouds that get generated are interesting, and sometimes beautiful.<br /><br />Anyway, I put one up based on my sermon notes for this Sunday. <a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1939228/SUnday_sermon%3A_10_Commandments_Weren%27t_Designed_To_Be_Kept">Here it is</a>. Enjoy!<br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-62528926540615990242010-04-09T21:31:00.000-07:002010-04-09T21:34:59.143-07:00Review of "Daily Message" iPhone app...I downloaded the christianaudio Daily Message app last week for my iPhone.<span style=""> </span>So far, I like it.<span style=""> </span>It’s a great idea: an audio Bible that is broken up into short daily hearings, which allows you to hear the entire Bible in one year.<o:p></o:p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">There is a lot to like about the app.<span style=""> </span>It’s very simple to use.<span style=""> </span>The narrator has a pleasant enough voice.<span style=""> </span>The daily segments are relatively short, meaning that someone with a short attention span (like me, for instance) can get through it easily.<span style=""> </span>The app also allows for a time of reflection on the reading you just heard.<span style=""> </span>It’s a nice feature, since sometimes I am so busy that I don’t take time to soak in what I’ve just read (or heard).<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">My only complaint with the app is that it is only available in the Message paraphrase of the Bible.<span style=""> </span>I would love to see an app with the same features as this one, but with a real Bible translation, like ESV or NIV.<span style=""> </span>Once christianaudio puts out an ESV or NIV version, I will recommend this app without reservation.<span style=""> </span>As it is, I think it’s of limited value for daily Bible study, although it might be good for lighter devotional time.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">I’m reviewing this app for the christianaudio.com Reviewer’s Program.<span style=""> </span>It’s available for purchase<a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-daily-message-through/id364375843?mt=8"> right here</a>...<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-52364729051407195292010-03-16T10:15:00.000-07:002010-03-16T10:18:30.393-07:00Audiobook review: Just Do Something<span style="font-family: arial;">Hey everybody! I took advantage of the opportunity to review audio books for Christianaudio.com (<a href="https://christianaudio.com/">http://christianaudio.com</a>) because I love audio books. The first book I’ve had a chance to review is <a href="https://christianaudio.com/product_info.php?products_id=2224">Kevin DeYoung’s Just Do Something</a>. The book itself is a look at how we determine God’s will for our lives. DeYoung’s premise is that we spend too much time waiting for a supernatural feeling from God, and not enough time following God’s revealed will in the Bible.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The premise is challenging, and DeYoung presents his case convincingly. But this review is more about the audiobook that I got from christianaudio.com. It’s a high-quality work. The book is unabridged, which I like a lot. The sound quality is perfect. If I have one complaint, it would be with the person they chose to read the book. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">He reads it well—good diction, all that stuff. But his reading of it is a bit dry, almost like he was reading a textbook or a recipe. The subject is interesting (it could even be life-changing), and it could have used a little more excitement in the presentation. But that should not keep you from hearing this really important book.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">My recommendation: if you want to dig deeper into how you can really know God’s will for your life, this is a good place to start. And this audiobook is a handy way to take the book with you. The audiobook is well-produced, easy to download, and it’s a good deal also. Go get it here: <a href="https://christianaudio.com/product_info.php?products_id=2224">Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung</a>.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-69064529081487319202010-03-04T13:05:00.000-08:002010-03-04T13:06:59.626-08:00Now I know what the Mighty Mrs. J is getting for Mother's Day...<object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YCf9NkcvRno&rel=0&border=1&color1=0x6699&color2=0x54abd6&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YCf9NkcvRno&rel=0&border=1&color1=0x6699&color2=0x54abd6&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="349"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-14887277507922778132010-02-02T10:34:00.000-08:002010-02-02T10:45:11.043-08:00Canadian Health Care: Best in the World?I just saw this article, and I had to post it. It seems that the Premier of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador needs heart surgery. So, of course, he's checking into one of Canada's fine hospitals for his procedure--paid for by Canada's universal health care system. A system that is, so I've been told, lights years beyond the U.S. health care system.<br /><br />Oh, wait. <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2010/02/01/nl-williams-heart-201.html">I guess he's going somewhere else to get treatment</a>.<br /><br />I hope the good premier has a full and speedy recovery. And I hope he's thankful that there's a country he can go to where he'll get the medical care he needs...<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-90345461755843709102010-01-14T21:06:00.000-08:002010-01-14T21:14:32.963-08:00He's coming home!We just got word--our new baby is coming to live with us! As many of you know, we have been working on adopting a beautiful baby boy, who is currently in Arizona. Well, all the initial paperwork is done, and we are leaving early tomorrow morning to pick him up!<br /><br />Pray for us. This is just the first step in the adoption process. We've got a ways to go before he's "officially" ours.<br /><br />Also, one of the coolest things about this whole situation has been how our church has rallied around us. For example, we have a community outreach planned for Saturday. I was planning on calling everybody and rescheduling it for a Saturday when I can be there. But one of our members told the Mighty Mrs. J, "We can do it anyway. After all, pastor says it's not a one-man show. We're all part of God's mission." So the outreach goes on!<br /><br />I'm blessed and happy that the message is resonating with our church folks.<br /><br />Oh, and if you're wondering whether there will be a massive onslaught of pictures of the new baby...I think you already know the answer to that question...<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-90161715331970614812010-01-13T22:30:00.000-08:002010-01-13T22:38:15.185-08:00I'm a sucker for book giveaways...I'm not ashamed to admit it: I love books. And I love free books best of all. And the fine folks at SBC Voices are giving away some books. Not just any books, mind you. These are high quality books, printed on sturdy paper with solid binding.<br /><br />The books in question are:<br /><br />Calvin's Institutes<br />Sailhamer's The Meaning of the Pentateuch<br />Marshall & Payne's The Trellis and the Vine<br /><br />If you went to Brethren High School like I did, you'll want to check out some literacy courses, then go enter this contest. Otherwise, just go enter: <a href="http://sbcvoices.com/kicking-off-2010-right-100-book-giveaway/#comment-7469">http://sbcvoices.com/kicking-off-2010-right-100-book-giveaway/#comment-7469</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-25396901874836542332010-01-06T12:22:00.000-08:002010-01-06T12:30:33.240-08:00Finally caught up on sermon uploads...Finally got the sermon from last Sunday uploaded. It's about putting God first in 2010. It's available for your dining and dancing pleasure at the <a href="http://www.firstbaptistbellgardens.org/2010/01/05/january-3-sermon-putting-god-first-in-2010/">church blog</a>.<br /><br />Sermon notes are there also. I know, I am almost <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">too</span> generous...<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-12742051728944272492010-01-03T22:57:00.000-08:002010-01-03T23:03:48.914-08:00Nothing better than self-promotion...I know that for many of you, there's been one thing missing from 2010 so far: a sermon from me. <br /><br />Well, now that has all changed. The audio of my December 20 sermon, "3 Things Christmas Reveals about God, " is up at the church website. <a href="http://www.firstbaptistbellgardens.org/2010/01/03/sermon-dec-20-2009-what-christmas-reveals-to-us-about-god/">Click here</a> to get to it.<br /><br />And yes, I know that Christmas was almost 2 weeks ago. I've been busy...<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-87059921914867991232009-12-31T17:58:00.001-08:002009-12-31T17:58:01.137-08:00What are you reading?Getting ready for the new year by getting a reading list together. Any suggestions about what should be on mine?<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-37879250961077726792009-12-30T10:00:00.001-08:002009-12-30T10:00:07.754-08:00Mobile post test...Just testing to see if I can blog by phone...<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-17143139801153830852009-11-06T22:25:00.000-08:002009-11-06T22:27:19.065-08:00Hello???Is this thing still on? It's been awfully quiet in here lately. Might have to put up some new mediocre material in here, just to keep things going. More soon...<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-40706556336047894732009-08-08T20:14:00.000-07:002009-08-08T20:17:11.373-07:00Urgent prayer from Iran...For two Christians who are in prison for converting to Christianity from Islam. They may receive the court's decision on their fate Sunday morning.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.elam.com/articles/Urgent-Prayer/">Click here to read the full story.</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-63250225332130114742009-07-28T22:23:00.000-07:002009-07-28T22:29:35.388-07:00Updates, we got updates...<span style="font-family: arial;">I'm sure you'll be getting sick of these updates before long, but I'm going to give you another one anyway. We're in Glendale, AZ. Tomorrow morning at 9, we are going to meet the social worker for the baby. We'll talk, she'll get to know us a bit, then we may be able to have a visit with the baby. <br /><br />I guess what I'm saying is, keep praying....<br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-50538459171681726812009-07-27T20:01:00.000-07:002009-07-27T20:19:07.272-07:00Update time...We just spent a great week in Colorado, hanging out with my aunt and cousins. We left this morning, and we are spending the night in Albuquerque. Nice hotel, questionable pool cleanliness...but that's another issue altogether.<br /><br />As for the baby update, we are supposed to meet him in Phoenix on Wednesday. The social worker is working out the details, but it looks like we'll be able to spend some time with him. He won't be coming home with us on this trip because there is still court work to be done. But that part could be wrapped up in a few weeks, and we'll have a new member of the family!<br /><br />Interesting side note: while we were relaxing at the hotel pool tonight with the kids, we met a guy who is also staying here. We started talking, and it turns out that he was in town on business, but he lives and is on staff at a church in the same Phoenix suburb where we will be meeting the baby. He was very encouraging. He prayed for us, right in the hot tub! It was a great church service, amongst the bubbles. <br /><br />Please keep praying! I'll keep you posted...<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-43699814329411290162009-07-21T22:04:00.000-07:002009-07-21T22:09:42.729-07:00Prayer request from the road...Hello everybody! It's been a while, and I have a lot to update you on. But that will have to wait. Right now, we are in Parker, CO, visiting my terrific family. We're having a lot of fun, and we plan to be here until next Monday.<br /><br />I want to ask you to pray for us. We got a call this afternoon. I can't go into details, but we were asked if we would be interested in adopting a baby boy. We have been talking about adopting again for months, so we are definitely interested, But we need pray, and lots of it. We need God to open doors. We need wisdom. We just have needs, period.<br /><br />So, the Mighty Mrs. J and I would really be thankful if you would remember to pray for us.<br /><br />Thanks!<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-19844847652424218692009-06-26T11:12:00.000-07:002009-06-26T11:16:48.223-07:00Homeschool perks: combined lessons in football and spellingThis is from the New York Times: a picture taken from a football field where homeschool families have put together a high school football league. One of the coaches put up some inspirational signs:<br /><br /><a href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/images/photo/2009/06/26/0626-FOOTBALL/28270023.JPG">Spelling isn't my strongest subject either...</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-51001542903860270552009-06-17T16:25:00.000-07:002009-06-17T16:29:28.855-07:00What's too powerful for God?<a href="http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/">Stuff Christians Like</a> is a great blog, and <a href="http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/2009/06/562-making-god-almost-all-powerful.html">today's post</a> is beyond awesome. Just the word I needed today...<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-70280215937100912512009-06-17T00:43:00.001-07:002009-06-17T01:04:13.015-07:00Pastors, and other scary people...There's one thing about pastoring that I had almost forgotten about, but I have faced in the last few days. It's the weird reaction that people have when they find out you are a pastor. Typically, they get an odd look on their face, and get really quiet. It's like they think I'm judging them, or waiting for them to do something that I can condemn them for. Or, maybe they are expecting me to hold them down and evangelize them.<br /><br />I had the over-the-phone equivalent tonight. I called up someone who goes to our group, just to see how he was doing. I hadn't seen him in a couple of weeks, and I wanted to make sure that he and his family were OK.<br /><br />He was obviously uncomfortable. He was evasive, short, and sounded like he would rather be doing anything but talking to me. And I wasn't being harsh or judgmental. I was just trying to express some concern for my brother. I got the feeling that he felt like I was going to do something to him. (What, I have no idea.)<br /><br />It's an odd situation for me, because I don't view people through my agenda to grow "my" church. In other words, I don't see the people around me as prospects, or potential Sunday School teachers. They're just people like me. But the title of "Pastor" puts an immediate barrier between me and some other people.<br /><br />It reminded me that pastors can get lonely in their position. I don't want that to happen to me and my family. I am going to redouble my resolve to be as real, honest, and open as I can be. If being a pastor sets up barriers, I'm going to do everything I can to bust through them...<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-49038942397302572612009-06-08T16:05:00.000-07:002009-06-08T16:07:34.770-07:00Introducing, the new owners of General Motors...In fact, I think these two might be designing the next line of cars:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/snnEdabQOvE&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/snnEdabQOvE&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Actually, Maxine Waters is twice as smart as most Kobe fans...<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646526585930351264.post-13736068688629710742009-06-06T20:33:00.001-07:002009-06-06T20:33:29.603-07:00Special Olympians are ALWAYS causing problems...<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Is it possible that <a href='http://www.dailynews.com/search/ci_12518112'>the guy in this story</a> might have some anger management issues? I'll let you decide...<br/></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>Richard Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16367871189749418405noreply@blogger.com0