Post Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has past yet my waist still provides ample evidence that there was plenty of food at our celebration. I've consumed mass quantities of calorie rich foods for the past week and I'm almost sick of eating. But today is the beginning of my annual pre-Christmas weight loss program. How will I do it? These semi-tasty MET-Rx Protein Plus bars. I'll do one for breakfast & another for lunch daily. My evening meal will be normal (huge). This should save a few calories daily and I'll be slim & trim by Christmas. Maybe...

I'm Out

I'm off to South Carolina to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. We are taking my mom down to my sister, Cindy's home at Pawley's Island. It should be a good time. It's always nice to get away for some r & r. I'll post later... probably next week. Happy Thanksgiving!

Old Folks Home

"Old folks home?" "Nursing home?" "Convalescent home?" Whatever you call it I went to one today: Riverside Regional Convalescent Center. I was filling for another local preacher. I got to speak to 20-30 folks and some staff people too. It's my second time and it was a blast! I really like preaching there. The residents are so appreciative. I can't help but think that they would be considered the "least of these." My sermon was "Desperate People Do Desperate Things" from Luke 8:40-56. I hope they'll have me back soon.

Baptism

I preached on the subject of baptism this past Sunday. I always like to let it rip about that topic. It's been a good few days since. We had 2 ladies immersed Sunday afternoon. Then yesterday another couple came by and they were immersed too. I think we are getting some momentum again. Summer was tough but we've had several addtions in the last couple of weeks. The best part is the majority of additions have been through baptism.

PS. That's not me in the picture; just some random baptizer from the web.

Sure I was excited...

Sure I was excited when Joe Gibbs dramatically came back to the Redskins. There appeared to be a return to glory in Washington's future. That was then. The Redskins are no where near the upper echelon of the league. In fact, they are firmly planted in the lower tier of the NFL. Joe is highly paid and has the highest paid (or over paid) staff in history. He continues to waste $$$ (but Snyder has plenty). He contines to waste draft picks (and Snyder doesn't have plenty). It isn't 1983 and Joe's simply not getting it done. It's time for Danny to turn over the team to a less legendary guy and start building a franchise for the modern era. I know this will make me a Benedict Arnold to the faithful but it's been over for the legend for quite a while. Any less legendary guy would have already cleaned out his desk. Admittedly, I'm not the football fan I was when I was 16, but Joe's not the coach he was back then either!

Color him blond

IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (47-3, 42 KOs) knocked out previously unbeaten Olympian Calvin Brock (29-1, 22 KOs) in round seven on Saturday night at the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York City.

I'm thinking this guy could help himself get more recognition and notoriety. I suggest that he go with the blond, flat top look, you know like Ivan Drago from Rocky 4. This should generate more coverage in the sports world. Maybe he could even go with a retro U.S.S.R. robe too! Anyway, the guy can fight.

Surprise: NO Surprise!

So I rush to the office this morning to download some new songs to my wife's Ipod Shuffle. She's running a 1/2 marathon this weekend and I like to surprise her with some new songs whenever she races. (I know - what a great husband). Anyway, I came to the office because we have DSL and I can download faster and she's leaving in about 30 minutes for North Carolina. One problem: Itunes keeps asking me if I want to replace the playlist on the Ipod with the Itunes library on my computer. So I can't figure this dumb Apple Imess out! Why can't I add some songs to this Ipod without replacing the whole library? I'm sure it has to with copyright stuff or maybe its just Apple doing their proprietary stuff again. Of well. Ifailed Iguess.

UPDATE - From Mac.com" You can only link your iPod to one computer at a time. If you connect your iPod to a computer with a music library that is not linked with your iPod, you’ll see a message asking if you want to overwrite the contents of the iPod with the contents of the new music library. In most cases you’ll want to choose “No.”

Hill & Bill

2008 is around the corner. Might Hillary be the next president? Everyone seems to think not, but stranger things have happened particularly in politics. I can see Bill by her side biting his lip and grinning proudly. The "feminazis" will be in a frenzy. The freak parade will in tow. This will be the most heated contest ever. Unless the repubs find another Bob Dull to run. So who will rise to face the beast? Rudy Giuliani? John McCain?

Run Tammy Run!

My wife, Tammy will be down at the Outer Banks of North Carolina running in a half-marathon this weekend. She's done a half and a whole before but this time its about running with her sisters and friends. I've been "coaching" her competitveness and encouraging her to smoke her sisters and friends but I think she might hold back. You know how those gals are. It will an "Oprah experience" for them as they get pedicures & manicures, as they have their "pasta party" and, of course, as they hold hands crossing the finish line together. Who says that men and women aren't different? But I'm still pullling for my girl to take the crown: Go Tammy!

He isn't resigning...wait...oh yes he is!

So Rumsfeld is out. I thought he wasn't going anywhere. Funny how things have changed in less than 24 hours. Mr. President, may I make a suggestion: How about Cheney too? It's time to start looking toward 2008. Right now there appears to be no one on the horizon to face the coming Clinton/Obama ticket. Say it isn't so!

Your New Speaker...

America has spoken and Nancy Pelosi will be the new Speaker of the House. Uh-oh... Look out Republicans... The investigations are about to begin. Maybe the Repubs will actually fight back. In some ways they were better as the minority party anyway.

From potential president to former Senator

Wow! It can happen fast. Months ago George Allen was being mentioned as a possible presidential candidate. He looks to be far from the Whitehouse now. They say its too close to call but it really does look like our new Senator will be Jim Webb. Maybe this will awaken some of the government expanding, big spending, debt building, fence straddling Republicans out there. I fear, however, that they just may just see a need to be more "moderate." We will see. I used to think that if the Republicans could gain control over the Congress and the Whitehouse we would see things straigthened out. Boy, was I dumb.

I get it already

Maybe I'm just watching too much TV these days. I watched the Pats/Colts games Sunday night and the CMA Awards last night. It's more than usual for me but nothing extreme. Here's my issue: I think I have seen/heard the new Chevy truck ad(s) approximately 5,ooo,ooo times! "This is our country..." I am now fully committed to NEVER owning a Chevy truck. And I'm not too excited about John Mellencamp either: "From the east coast...To the west coast..." How about little "Rain on the Scarecrow" instead!

It's Election Day...Finally

Finally it's here: Election Day is underway and I am relieved. I don't know how it is elsewhere but it has been nonstop here in Hampton Roads. Virginia is a hotbed for "contested" races this year. George Allen and Jim Webb have been in an absolute blood bath. One of the congressional races here has been ferocious too (Phil Kellam vs. Thelma Drake). I don't even vote in that district but I still have to suffer because of the advertising assault. Every other commercial on radio and television is a political ad. I'm so sick of it. At least now we can return to the normal advertising drivel and tripe that we've come to expect.

I hope he gets sick!

Jesse Duplantis is not a guy I look to for biblical guidance. The other night, however, I did listen to him for a few minutes. What's up we these word/faith guys? He's going on and on about how Christians aren't supposed to get sick! Does guy even have a Bible? If he does, he can't be reading it. What amazes me is that people actually think this guy is preaching the word. Amazing! I hope he gets sick... not fatally so... just sick enough that he can't preach. Or, better yet, maybe he could get sick during one of his sermons about not getting sick. That would be perfect. For more on Jesse check this out: http://www.discernment.org/wordfaith/jesse.htm