the journey

Flickr Fridays

M a g i c a l
Originally uploaded by imapix

[Click on photo for larger, richer view.]

Entitled magique, I couldn't resist posting this great photograph. Enjoy!

Every Friday morning, a trailer-load of shows up at church. Well, that's not exactly true, a group of our guys take a trailer to the Tarrant Area Food Bank and picks up 3000-4000 pounds of food to distribute to hungry families.

I don't know what it is about Fridays, but I look forward to Fridays in ways that most people can't relate. It's a day to befriend the hungry, hug the lonely, and demonstrate God's love in tangible ways.

It's way cool. Life can't get much better. Have a great weekend everyone. Take care of yourself & one another.  God's depending on it.

pax,
meb

It's time for a tall one

No I'm not referring to a beer.  ;-)

What's up with the new generation of paperback books that are a full inch to an inch & a half taller than conventional paperbacks?  Is it cheaper to make them taller than thicker?  Jeez.

When I purchased Vince Flynn's Act of Treason it just felt weird.  I would have much preferred a thicker book than a taller one.  But that's just me.

And that's my 2 cents.  Keep the change.  ;-)

Technorati Tags: Act of Treason, Vince Flynn, tall paperback books

This weekend: Lust

This weekend we'll be taking a look at the deadly sin known as Lust.  Here are a few tidbits to get you thinking:

The scripture passage:

You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  Matthew 5:27-28 NRSV

A definition:

"Uncontrolled or illicit sexual desire."  It gives no thought to consequences; it's all about the euphoric thrill of the moment.

A word about Lust:

Frederick Buecher defined lust as "the craving for salt of a [person] who is dying of thirst." (Wishful Thinking, p. 54).

Tags: lust, 7 deadly sins

Welcome to McChurch

I did some Internet browsing & ran across this quotation about today's consumer-driven churches:

The problem is not whether or not a church has a dynamic preacher, a worship band, or liturgy. The problem is that too many churches, consciously or not, have emphasized production of spiritual goods to satisfy individual appetites. As people who attend church, we may not have asked yet if we would like to add fries to the order of faith, but we have learned how to look for what we like. And if we don't find it or it mysteriously disappears, then, like the members of focus groups, the next step is obvious: Head down the road a mile or two to the next McChurch.

Source: The Dying Church

Technorati Tags: McChurch, consumer-driven churches

Imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner

Comedian Jim Carrey appears on YouTube to appeal for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, the world's only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner.

HT:  CNN

Tags: Jim Carrey, YouTube, Aung San Suu Kyi

It's not a motorcycle baby

OCC mobile barbeque pit
Originally uploaded by Insane Zamboni

[Click on photo for better view.]

Wow. I've gotta get me one of these babies! I've always liked mobile barbeque pits, but this one takes the cake.

Thanks to the creative guys at OCC, this chopper is decked out for summertime fun! Great idea! I love it!

Read the entire New York Magazine article here.

We're talking serious BBQ, folks!  ;-)

A night at Babe's

On Sunday night we took the church youth group to Babe's Chicken. Wow, what a fun night!

In a nutshell, Babe's serves your choice of meat (see their menu) and provides the table with all-you-can-eat family style vegetables and bisquits.  If you're a fan of good comfort food, Babe's is the place to go.

Unlike the rest of the group, I chose chicken fried steak & chowed down on multiple servings of cream corn (superb!), green beans, mashed potatos & bisquits and honey. 

If you're ever in Texas, Babe's isn't the easiest restaurant to get in (there's often a 25 minute wait despite their huge dining room), but it's well worth the time and effort.

Pictured is where we went-- the Burleson location.

Tags: Babe's Chicken

The end of an era

I read this brief letter at the conclusion of yesterday's worship service:

When I attended seminary in Kansas City, one of my favorite television shows was MASH.  In the final episode, Hawkeye was faced with the difficult task of saying good bye to people who were more than work associates-- they had become family.

Today, I find myself in much the same position.  Having known most of you for 12-13 years, saying goodbye is no easy task. But that's what I'm here to do today.  I hereby submit my resignation as your first pastor to explore other options, and will make Sunday, September 16 my final service with you.

Please be assured of my love and concern for you & you can count on my prayers as you make important decisions in the days that lie ahead. Above all, it my prayer that you'll never lose sight of the plight of the lost, the lonely & the marginalized, and that you'll be ever-faithful in transforming the world, with God's love, one heart at a time.

That would definitely make me proud.  And I sense it would put a smile on the face of Jesus as well. 

I love you guys.  God bless you.

Warmest regards,
Dr. Mark Bushor

Tags: Mark Bushor

What did she say?

This is an example of everything that's wrong with beauty contests. Sheesh.

Tags: Miss South Carolina

Jimmy Carter's Playboy interview

While doing research for this Sunday's sermon on lust, I ran across this famous quotation:

"Because I'm just human and I'm tempted and Christ set some almost impossible standards for us. The Bible says, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." Christ said, I tell you that anyone who looks on a woman with lust has in his heart already committed adultery. I've looked on a lot of women with lust. I've committed adultery in my heart many times.... This is something that God recognizes, that I will do and have done, and God forgives me for it. But that doesn't mean that I condemn someone who not only looks on a woman with lust but who leaves his wife and shacks up with somebody out of wedlock. Christ says, don't consider yourself better than someone else because one guy screws a whole bunch of women while the other guy is loyal to his wife. The guy who's loyal to his wife ought not to be condescending or proud because of the relative degree of sinfulness."

Jimmy Carter, The Playboy interview, November 1976, an excerpt.

Source

Tags: Jimmy Carter, Playboy interview