“I am amazed…”

“…that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only that there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.”

Now I know why I’m so messed up…

The early years of Sesame Street deemed “adult only.”

Take a look at the NY Times article.  Fortunately, being born in ‘78  it sounds as if I escaped the worst of it, though I do recall some dreams that mimicked the pinball themed LSD induced animations I saw on The Street.  And I’m pretty sure that modeling my behavior after Cookie Monster or Oscar got me a whoopin’ a time or two.  Sounds like the makings of a class action suit to me.

Makes me wonder what Barney and SpongeBob are doing to more recent generations.

Food For Thought…

Here are the lyrics:

She called… Blacks, Whites…wait
African Americans and Caucasians, Asians, excuse me.
Vietnamese, Philipenes, Koreans and Jamaicans or
Haitans, waitin’ Hispanics y’all. Please be paitent
Mexican, Puerto Ricans, Venezualean, Cuban, Dominican, Panamanian Democrats
I beg your pardon, you partied with the late, great Reagan?
Republican, Independent, Christian, Catholic,
Methodist, Baptist, 7th Day Adventist, 5 Percenters,
Hindu, Sunii Muslim, Brothers and Sisters who never seen the New York city skyline when the twin towers still existed.

But still She called.

From the bowels of Ground Zero she sent this 911 distress signal.
Because She was in desperate need of a hero,
and didn’t have time to decipher what to call ‘em,
so she called ‘em all Her children.

The children of the stars and bars who needed to know nothing more than the fact that she called.
The fact that someone attempted to harm us
this daughter who covered us all with her loving arms.
And now these arms are sprawled across New York City streets.

A smoke filled lung, a silt covered faced,
and a solitary tear poured out of her cheek.
Her singed garments carpets Pennsylvania Avenue and the Pentagon was under her feet.
As she began to talk, she began to cough up small particles of debris
and said, “I am America, and I’m calling on the land of the free.”

So they answered.

All personal differences set to the side
because right now there was no time to decide which state building the Confederate flag should fly over,
and which trimester the embryo is considered alive,
or on our monetary units, and which God we should confide.
You see, someone attempted to choke the voice
of the one who gave us the right for choice,
and now she was callin.
And somebody had to answer.
Who was going to answer?

So they did.
Stern faces and chisled chins.
Devoted women and disciplined men,
who rose from the ashes like a phoenix
and said “don’t worry, we’ll stand in your defense.”
They tightened up their bootlaces
and said goodbye to loved ones, family and friends.
They tried to bombard them with the “hold on”, “wait-a-minute’s”, and “what-if’s”.
And “Daddy, where you goin?”.
And, “Mommy, why you leavin?”.
And they merely kissed them on their foreheads and said “Don’t worry, I have my reasons.
You see, to this country I pledged my allegience
to defend it against all enemies foreign and domestic.
So as long as I’m breathin, I’ll run though hell-fire,
meet the enemy on the front lines,
look him directly in his face,
stare directly in his eyes and scream,
“I AM AMERICA! WE WILL NOT BE TERRORIZED!
WE WILL NOT BE TERRORIZED!
I REFUSE TO BE AFRAID!
I’LL FIGHT YOU ANY COUNTRY, ANY CONTINENT, ANY TERRAIN.
I’LL FIGHT TO MY LAST BREATH!”

And if by chance death is my fate,
pin my medals upon my chest,
and throw Old Glory on my grave.
But, don’t y’all cry for me.
You see, my Father’s prepared a place.
I’ll be a part of his Holy army standing a watch at the Pearly Gates.
Because freedom was never free.
POW’s, and fallen soldiers
all paid the ultimate sacrafice
along side veterans who put themselves in harms way.
Risking their lives and limbs just to hold up democracy’s weight,
but still standing on them broken appendages anytime the National Anthem was played.
You see, these were the brave warriors that gave me the right
to say that I’m Black. Or white.

Or
African American or Caucasian,
I’m Asian, excuse me.
I’m Vietnamese, Philipene, Korean, or Jamaican.
I’m Haitan, Hispanic

Y’all, Please be paitent.

I’m Mexican, Puerto Rican, Venezualean, Cuban,
Dominican, Panamanian, Democrat
I beg your pardon, you see I partied with the late, great Reagan.
I’m Republican, Independent, Christian, Catholic,
Methodist, Baptist, 7th Day Adventist, 5 Percenters,
Hindu, Sunii Muslim,

Brothers and Sisters We’re just Americans.
So with that I say
“Thank You” to the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines,
for preserving my rights
to live and die for this life
and paying the ultimate price for me to be…FREE!

Welcome Reformation Bloggers…

For some reason my stats shot up today as people check in from challies.com’s Reformation Day Symposium.  I am unable to participate this year but if you have a few minutes click on “October 2006″ on the right side of this page.  My contribution to last years symposium should appear at the top of the page.  Thanks for stopping by…Semper Reformanda!

My, how times have changed…

Recently, Britney Spears released her new single, Gimme More, which peaked this week at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. I listened to it and was, as all individuals born prior to 1990, utterly confused. So to help me understand what she was saying I googled the lyrics and read them over. This didn’t help matters:

“(It’s Britney, b****)
(I see you, and I just wanna dance with you)

Everytime they turn the lights down
Just wanna go that extra mile for you
You got public display of affection
Feel’s like no one else in the room (but you)

We can get down like there’s no one around
We’ll keep on rockin’ (We’ll keep on rockin’)
We’ll keep on rockin’ (Keep on rockin’)

Cameras are flashing while we’re dirty dancing
They keep watchin’ (They keep watchin’)
Keep watchin
Feels like the crowd is saying

[CHORUS]
Gimme gimme more
Gimme more
Gimme gimme more
Gimme gimme more
Gimme (Uh)
Gimme gimme more
Gimme gimme more
Gimme more
Gimme gimme more
Gimme gimme more
Gimme (Uh)
Gimme gimme more

A center of attention (Can you feel that?)
Even when they’re up against the wall
You got me in a crazy position (Yeah)
If you’re on a mission (Uh-uh)
You got my permission (Oh)

We can get down like there’s no one around
We’ll keep on rockin’ (Keep on rockin’)
We’ll keep on rockin’, rockin’ (Oh ah ha)

Cameras are flashing while we’re dirty dancing
They keep watchin’ (Wait)
Keep watchin
(Feel’s like the crowd is saying)

[CHORUS]
Gimme gimme more
Gimme more
Gimme gimme more
Gimme gimme more

Gimme (Uh)
Gimme gimme more
Gimme gimme more
Gimme more
Gimme gimme more
Gimme gimme more
Gimme (Uh)
Gimme gimme more

(I just can’t control myself, oh)
(They want more? Well I’ll give’em more, oh!)

[CHORUS]
Gimme gimme more
Gimme more
Gimme gimme more (Gimme more)
Gimme gimme more
Gimme (Uh)
Gimme gimme more (Ooh)
Gimme gimme more
Gimme more
Gimme gimme more
Gimme gimme more (Gimme more, oh yeah)
Gimme (Uh)
Gimme gimme more

Ohh, gimme more, gimme more (More)
Gimme more, gimme more baby
I just wanna more

[CHORUS]
Gimme gimme
Gimme
Gimme gimme more
Gimme gimme
Gimme (Ooh)
Gimme gimme more
Gimme gimme
Gimme
Gimme gimme more
Gimme gimme
Gimme (Ooh)
Gimme gimme”

Makes you feel dirty just reading it, doesn’t it? I used this as an illustration for our high school group last week and in order to show a little contrast I went back 50 years ago and found a #1 hit that was a bit controversial at the time. In fact, some radio stations banned it from airplay. I give you the Everly Brothers, Wake Up Little Susie:

Wake up little Susie, wake up, wake up little Susie, wake up
We both fell sound asleep, wake up little Susie and weep
The movie’s over, it’s four o’clock and we’re in trouble deep

Chorus:
Wake up little Susie, wake up little Susie
Well, what’re we gonna tell your mama, what’re we gonna tell your pop
What’re gonna tell our friends when they say ‘ooh la la’
Wake up little Susie, wake up little Susie

Well, I told your mama that you’d be in by ten
Well, Susie baby, looks like we goofed again

Wake up little Susie, wake up little Susie, we gotta go home

Wake up little Susie, wake up, wake up little Susie, wake up
The movie wasn’t so hot, it didn’t have much of a plot
We fell asleep, our goose is cooked, our reputation is shot

Wake up little Susie, wake up little Susie
Well, what’re we gonna tell your mama, what’re we gonna tell your pop
What’re gonna tell our friends when they say ‘ooh la la’
Wake up little Susie, wake up little Susie

Quite a difference between “You got me in a crazy position, if you’re on a mission, you’ve got my permission,” and “The movie wasn’t so hot, it didn’t have much of a plot, we fell asleep, our goose is cooked, our reputation is shot.”

A loving tribute…

Dr. William Piper, father of Dr. John Piper pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, has made his way home after 88 years of life on this earth. Too many words here would be a travesty, so I merely encourage you to read the younger Dr. Piper’s tribute to his father.

Life your life in such a way that the greatest tibute that could be paid you upon your death is for someone to tell a stranger of the sacrifice Jesus made for them.

For my brother…

Being a multi-talented artist himself, I figured my older brother might enjoy these dirty pictures.

Scott Wade is, as all great people are, a Texas boy.  His website, dirtycarart.com, has several more pictures of his work, including some that show the process of how he creates these temporary images out of good ol’ Texas dust.  Incredible and fleeting all at the same time.  I goofed, so you’ll have to click on the images twice to see them bigger. Who knew that God and Adam were both just reaching out to tickle the Pillsbury Doughboy?

Welcome home, bro.

I want one…

 Midterm week this week so I can’t post anything of real value.  Mom and Pop got a new ride the other day, I hope it comes equipped with one of these.  Blows OnStar out of the water…

I love the car thief and the date, hilarious.

There are more, if you’re interested you can just google “trunk monkey”.
Have a good week.

Proclaim the King…

From Wikipedia:

Dr. Shadrach Meshach (S.M.) Lockridge (March 7, 1913 – April 4, 2000) was the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, a prominent African-American congregation located in San Diego, California, from 1953 – 1993. Across the United States and around the world he was known for his preaching.

Biography
Shadrach Meshach Lockridge was born March 7, 1913, in Robertson County, Texas, the oldest of eight children and son of a Baptist minister. A graduate of Bishop College in Marshall, Texas, he worked for two years as a high school English teacher. In 1940 in Dallas, he felt led to preach. In 1941 he married Virgil Mae Thomas but they never had any children.

Ministry
In 1942, he accepted his first pastorate at Fourth Ward Baptist Church in Ennis, Texas. In August 1952, he was named pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in San Diego where he served until retiring in 1993.
During Dr. Lockridge’s tenure at Calvary Baptist, a predominantly African-American congregation, his ministry touched the lives of more than 100,000 people. He preached at crusades, revivals, religious rallies and evangelistic conferences around the world.
He also served in key regional, state and national positions with the Baptist Church, including being elected the first president of the National Missionary Baptist Convention of America.
He held doctorates and numerous honorary degrees and was often sought as a public speaker, even after he retired in 1993. He served as guest lecturer at numerous schools and universities and on the faculty of several others, including the Billy Graham School of Evangelism.
Dr. Lockridge was active in the civil rights movement, and under his leadership Calvary Baptist hosted several of its leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
An excerpt of one of his messages has become quite popular, where he describes his King, Jesus Christ.

I wish I could preach like that.

The Road Goes on Forever, and the Party Never Ends…

Just when you thought it was safe to surf the net again, I’m back to continue my ranting and raving. I took the month of January as a slight sabbatical from blogging. It started involuntarily. Apparently something about South Arkansas doesn’t agree with high tech equipment. As I was sitting in my in-laws beautiful home, attempting to do a little computering, my laptop spontaneously caught fire, flipped over four times, and started downloading liberal democrat propaganda. Alright maybe it wasn’t that dramatic, but it did cost me a hard drive. Thanks to the fine nerd herd employed by The Geek Squad, I was back in business in just a couple of weeks. I went ahead and abstained from updating the site due to a fairly tight school schedule, but now that I’m back in the swing of things, or just uncontrollably caught in the rush that is my life, I plan to post on a regular basis once again.

 The purpose of this post is twofold, one to let you know that things are still kickin here in D-town and the blog updates will resume, and two to brag just a little bit. Tomorrow, the beautiful wife and I head out to Wolf Creek Ski Area near Pagosa Springs, Colorado with some fine folks from Young Married Life at Denton Bible. For some reason I cannot get the pictures I want to post, so you’ll just have to use your imagination as to how beautiful it is and how fun it is going to be. I also can’t edit the html so you’ll just have to use this link to check out where we will be. http://www.wolfcreekski.com/ I’ll make sure to wave at the WebCam every so often in case you are watching.

There are several things bouncing around in my head to write about so hopefully early next week I can get them in print. This little site here has gone from between 30-40 people a day reading it to 2 or 3 in the month that I haven’t posted. That is ample time to have caught up on the archives so new stuff will come shortly.

In the mean time, be good, and don’t do anything cool until I’m back.