BJ Not BK

     Another week gone, and another series of posts handed over in triplicate to the folks at iron mountain to be hauled via armored car to the hillside bunker for safe keeping.  This week my drivers are being escorted by mortgage originators and Realtors.  Apparently the recent downturn in the real estate market has even the strongest avoiding mortgage originators....should make for some safe keeping.

1.  Friday is for photos:  These photos are courtesy of a weekend trip downtown.  The train departs twice on Saturdays and twice on Sundays.  We didn't ride this day but plan on taking the trip later.

If you like great photography make sure to visit Steve Mckoy's Friday photos here [link] and Joe Thorn's here [link].

Want to see your photo published here?  Submit all family friendly photos to bjnotbk@gmail.com for consideration.  Please note that I reserve the right to publish or not publish any submission.

2.  Senator Craig's lewd behavior [link] has been at the top of the news all week.  One question?  Why would a person in his position risk everything at a public restroom?  I thought Senators had interns and the paige program for such expressions? 

3.  What are you listening to?  Are you looking for encouragement?  A good swift kick in the spiritual pants?  Then I highly recommend listening to Dr. Ergun Caner.

Here is his testimony as a convert from Islam to Christianity (each clip lasts about 9 minutes):

Part 1 [link]
Part 2 [link]
Part 3 [link] 

As Dr. Holden would say, "If this don't light your fire your wood is wet!"

Here is your Jack Johnson clip of the week [link]. 

4.  Prayer request update - God is good!  My dad had the two of three procedures completed on his foot and so far so good.  Next step, within 10 days or so, will be the re-constructive surgery.  Please lift him up when you pray and thank you! 

5.  Freedom - I was going to spit out a little nugget here on freedom but have decided to share with you in a seperate post my recent encounters with this wonderful word.

6.  Are you ready for a long weekend?  I am.  I have been blessed to have both Monday and Tuesday off so now Wednesday will be the new Monday which means Sunday will be the new Friday?  I better not put too much thought into this.  I think I will just sit back and enjoy the weekend.

7.  What are you reading?  I have several books I have been working my way through but I have a totally new focus on the Bible and it has been great!  Thank you Father for your Word and for giving me back my hunger for it.

8.  Weekend plans?  We have two cookouts we are attending.  One is with our Sunday school class and the other we are hosting and what about college football?  Are you ready?

9.  Speaking of college football....who is your team and why?  Who will be the BCS champs at the end of this season?  The Vols are my team and of course will be the reigning BCS champions at the end of this season.

10.  Thank you to everyone for visiting bjnotbk this week.  Thank you for your prayers for my dad.  Thank you for being apart of the Steeple community and a part of my trivial world.  Blessings to each of you! 

I have always enjoyed the written word.  As long as I can remember I have been a story teller in some fashion or the other in tall tales told to adults, which often got me into trouble, in the classroom setting where I studies creative writing at the University, or in personal diaries, for the manly men who are reading Journals.  While the tall tales only served to toughen my backside, the creative writing courses served as an outlet to flex my creative juices.  I remember once in college we were assigned to write a 10 page project to mimic a style of one of our favorite authors.  I can still hear the voices of my classmates complaining that they could barely muster 5 pages let alone 10, I turned in 150 pages to the frustration of my professor.  Little did she know I had been working on a novel for the past 6 months, a very bad novel, but nonetheless a novel.....maybe one day I will re-write that novel?  But I digress...

Yet the one outlet that has been very private but very comforting to me over the years has been my journaling.  I picked up journaling while in the Navy.  I kept a journal every day for almost four years.  There is something very powerful about seeing words on a piece of paper.  Sometimes the words can comfort, sometimes, remind you, sometimes make you thankful you are not in that time or place anymore.  I still journal but my entries are few and far between and often take different forms.  Sometimes I journal my prayers, sometimes I journal my own commentary on scripture, other times I am writing my own jibba jabba hogwash thoughts yet all of these actions seem to tap into something special, something important.

Do you journal?  Have you kept a diary in the past? 

Would you like to share something you have written?

I may browse through my journals and share a couple of entries with you.




 

     When I was a child, in college, getting up early was nothing.  In fact, sleep was nothing, not needed.  I could go three weeks on a crust of bread and 12 minutes of sleep.  Running was easy.  I could run awake, asleep, in the morning, afternoon, or evening.  I could run in my spiderman underoos without shoes on gravel roads....it just didn't matter.

     I ran, and I ran alot, ok, alot for me....5-6 miles a day with a long run here or there on the weekends.  In fact, I once had M drop me off in my hometown and ran the back roads to her house...stupid me I didn't even take anything to drink so two hours later I show up happy but dehydrated.  I guess when you are younger you don't think about things like water?

     Lately I have not run much and I miss it.  I miss rolling out of bed, drinking two gallons of coffee, visiting the bathroom 147 times and then running.  Running with ease, running as many miles as I want to.  I miss enjoying the scenery and the solitude of me and the road. 

     I ran this morning but it wasn't easy, getting back to things you have gotten away from never really are.  5k use to be laughable to me.  I remember running 5 miles and feeling like I had not even worked out.  5k was not easy this morning but I did it and I was reminded of what and why I love running and why, Lord willing, I will continue to run.

     If you run, or have thought about running then I salute you because you are moving, you are in motion, and you have not given up nor given in.

 Yesterday I decided to look for two new Bibles, one for myself and an illustrated one for my daughter.  We have been doing evening devotions with L for a while out of a book M bought some time ago but also thought it would be a great idea to get a Bible we could all read together, besides....I am sure I will learn something in the process.

 Shopping for Bibles is exciting.  Have you been Bible shopping lately?  The Christian stores are huge now, the selections greater than ever, the colors, the bindings, the choices......and I thought purchasing a digital camera was difficult?  

The Bible section was to the left of the door and took up the entire length of one wall, a virtual floor to ceiling wave of God's word in KJV, NKJV, NIV, ESV, ASV, NLT, AMPLIFIED!!!, and on and on.  And the colors?  Red, Burgundy, Navy, Green, Black, two tone, silver in your choice of bindings....calf-skin, leather, leatherette.  I haven't even touched on the different types of Bibles, life application, study, reference yada yada yada.  And have you seen the accessories for Bibles?  Bookmarks, ribbons to mark your place, Bible covers to protect your Bible, custom Bible covers of your favorite NFL, NBA, MLB, or Nascar team.

Part of me wanted to purchase one of each, except the one that kinda gave me the creeps.  It seems that some clever marketer decided it would be cool to make a Bible and cover it in faux snake skin?  I paused...snake skin?  No thanks. 

I finally found the Bibles I wanted, picked out my Atlanta Falcons Bible cover.."sheesh, snake skin...who would of thunk it?  That is just going a bit too far."  and made may way to the checkout.
 

Great news here at Steeple.  It looks like At Home With Mom is back to posting and her return is a good one [link].

Please be sure to visit.  I look forward to reading more!

Welcome back! 

I have a friend who came to my Sunday School Class along with his wife and daughter to give their testimony.  I could go into great details as to how God has helped them, blessed them, and forever changed their lives but I thought it would be best left to them and the 700 club.

Recently the 700 club ran a feature on Morgan and her family.

Even though I have personally heard this testimony it still gives me chills when I read it [link].

You can watch the video clip here [link].  The clip is at the end so you will need to move the slider bar over toward the end.

The family has a website and now a ministry here [link]. 

 Another week gone, and another series of posts handed over in triplicate to the folks at iron mountain to be hauled via armored car to the hillside bunker for safe keeping.  This week my drivers are wearing nothing in response to Joe's latest post [link] thus guaranteeing that no one will dare come within 1200 feet of the vehicle.

1.  Friday is for photos:  I took this photo some time ago but I love it because it reminds me of cooler weather and the great hike that day. 

If you like great photography make sure to visit Steve Mckoy's Friday photos here [link] and Joe Thorn's here [link].

Want to see your photo published here?  Submit all family friendly photos to bjnotbk@gmail.com for consideration.  Please note that I reserve the right to publish or not publish any submission.

2.  Here is a video clip of mine and Joe Napalm's hiking trip last year [link].  You are not telling the truth if you tell me you did not get chills watching this.  I am planning on upgrading my camera so hopefully this year's video will be much higher     quality.  Side note:  Once you get past the first time it gets easier and easier.

3.  What are you listening to?

This is one of my favorite songs of all time [link] and I dedicate this to my lovely wife, M.  I love you.
Here is your Jack Johnson clip of the week (you can move past the interview if you need to) listen to the words and
enjoy [link].

4.  Prayer request - Please lift my dad up today in prayer.  He is a diabetic and was admitted this week to the hospital for
foot issues which could turn serious.

5.  Projects?  Last night the wife and I surveyed the bonus room on the third floor and mapped out plans for the future,
craft, TV, game, man cave, family center.  

6.  You might be a pit bull if......come on play along, you know you want to.

You might be a pit bull if......you use a two year old's arm as dental floss
you eat shotgun pellets for breakfast
you are repeatedly beaten in the head with a lead pipe and still refuse to release your donut
you find yourself hanging out with Michael Vick

7.   Hope you have a great weekend.  God bless you and yours.
 

If you are a pit bull owner then this post is not for you.  If you are a pit bull breeder then this post is not for you.  If you know someone who once owned a pit bull then this post is not for you and if you are a pit bull then this post is not for you.

All pure bred dogs are just that...bred and certain traits are focused on such as the retriever who is bred to retrieve and the pit bull who is bred to stop speeding trains with it's face.  Breeders select those traits they want to isolate, traits that are to be desired in the breed, then pass on to future generations for specific purposes.  For example the basset houd.  Squatty, low to the ground, long, long tail...what's it all for?  To kill us with cuteness?  Not quite.  These dogs were used to hunt and their shape was selectively bred to chase game into holes, tight quarters.  What about that tail?  Well, that was used so that the hunters could grab the end and pull the dog back and so on and so forth.

Now enter pit bull stage right with a two year old's arm in it's mouth.  Where do you think the name pit bull came from?  The love of all things peaceful?  The fact that these dogs are so good with children and people that they would pit themselves against even a bull?  Not hardly.  Pit bulls are a breed that need not exist period.  Wanna argue that one?  Go for it.

This breed [link] was used in bull baiting and bear baiting.  These dogs have the tendency and the genetic disposition to attack bulls and bears as well as elderly people, children, men, women, school buses, jet airplanes, nuclear warheads, and democrats.  It's time we put an end to the nasty practice of pit bull breeding and democrats.

How should we in the U.S. approach such a sensitive subject?  I say let's tax them back to the stone age...better yet, let's declare all pit bull owners and breeders domestic terrorists, even better, let's declare all pit bull owners and breeders foreign entities...we can build a fence around each one, impose heavy tarriffs on all goods in and out of their compounds and then declare war on each one carpet bombing their homes and their kennels.  By the way, studies have shown that pit bulls can in fact survive a nuclear blast twice the size of th A-bomb that was dropped on Japan.

Pit bulls are a problem but are really just a symptom of the larger problems we face here in the United States.  The real problem is global warming.  I have heard that pit bulls are being used in secret labratories across the globe in a last ditch effort to curb global warming.  It appears that even carbon is afraid of pit bulls.

 Looks like Michael Vick is innocent after all I mean.....What?  What's that you say?  Oh....he pleaded guilty?  Hmmm....Looks like Michael Vick is not so innocent after all after his recent plea agreement with the prosecution.  This morning a news article was released [link] stating that at least 50 pit bulls were seized on Vick's property and that they will be euthanized unless someone calls and claims them.

Let's walk through how that might work.....

"Hello, FBI agent Maloney speaking."

"Yes, I was involved with an illegal, felony, dog fighting ring with Michael Vick and I see here in the paper where you are trying to locate the rightful owners of the dogs.  Can I come by and get cupcake?"

"Sure, come on over.  "

"Great!  I've got three fights I have to make this weekend and I will need cupcake there.  Oh, can you groom her for me?"

"Sure I will personally make sure cupcake is groomed and ready before you get here."

"Oh, thanks Agent Maloney, you are such a doll.  Oh, agent Maloney.."

"Yes?"

"I forgot to tell you but I have a couple of outstanding warrants against me, I will probably have illegal drugs and firearms in my car, and I have 412 unpaid parking tickets."

Do you really think that anyone will call in claiming one of these dogs?

How stupid do you think...?

Never mind, I am sure by the end of the day all dogs will be claimed.
 

 

     When I was thirteen my dad enrolled me into my cousin's taekwondo school.  There is where I met Mr. Griggs.  Mr. Griggs was co-owner of V.T.K.C. (Volunteer Taekwondo Karate Center), was one of the head black belt instructors, one of my cousin's best friends, and a great guy with a gentle spirit.  He encouraged me as a young man not only in martial arts but in life as well.

Yesterday I received a call from my Uncle that Mr. Grigss had passed away.  I hadn't seen Mr. Grigss for nearly 20 years yet my mind recalled him clear as day. 

This morning I humbly bow in honor and memory of you Mr. Griggs [link].

     The wife and I sat down last night and watched the first half of the Giants/Ravens pre-season game.  Does anyone really care about pre-season NFL?  What is the point in watching the first team take three snaps before putting in all the reserves?  I know, I know it’s football and that should be enough reason to watch but I just can’t get behind games where the talent is sub-par, in terms of the league, and the games don’t carry any meaning.  

However, watching the game did make me wonder.  How great would it be if every profession had a pre-season?

Imagine coming into the office.  You’ve got your best Brooks Brother suit on, your power tie, and your leatherette briefcase.  You sit down, read three emails when your boss steps in:

“Alright champ that’s a wrap for you today.  Nice form, nice fundamentals, great work.”
“But boss, I can take another email…I know I can.”
“Can’t do it sport, it’s way too risky this early into the season.”

Reluctantly you head to the break room for more coffee and donuts and watch as Chip, your 4^th string replacement takes your seat only to fire off 112 emails with grammar mistakes, politically incorrect jokes, and offensive content.  Oh, did I fail to mention that he forwards all chain emails to everyone in your address book?

Or picture this.  You are a stay at home mom, quite arguably the most demanding and dangerous job on the planet.  You fix breakfast, you change a diaper when you get the “tap”

“Alright mamma your done today…hit the spa.”
“But I …..”
“No lip lady, were bringing in 16^th string mama.”

Baseball has opening day, the NBA has the European games, and the NFL has pre-season.

What about the rest of us?

“What?  What do you mean I have already written enough?  I swear I can crank out another post…but….”

Looks like I am being yanked, too important to the team to take such risks this early in the season.

Oh well, I guess I will head over to the break room for more coffee and donuts.

     Another week gone, and another series of posts handed over in triplicate to the folks at iron mountain to be hauled via armored car to the hillside bunker for safe keeping.  This week my drivers are wearing blue suede shoes and I have two hound dogs ridding shotgun in case any Jail House Rock breaks out en route.

1.  Friday is for photos:  This first photo is of the wife and daughter at a local craft fair.  My wife is an incredible painter.  The red tulips are here latest creation.  I tried to discourage anyone who came close to buying any of her work. 

2.  This next picture I took for fun.  I call it "big sister's room."

If you like great photography make sure to visit Steve Mckoy's Friday photos here [link] and Joe Thorn's here [link].

Want to see your photo published here?  Submit all family friendly photos to bjnotbk@gmail.com for consideration.  Please note that I reserve the right to publish or not publish any submission.

3.  The trip to Graceland was a bust.  M spilled bacon grease on my sequined jumpsuit.  I told the pilot to kill the engines.  How could I bring myself to make the pilgrimage without the proper attire?  By the way, here is my favorite Elvis memory.  In the early 90's I was in boot camp.  In boot camp you are literally cut off from the outside world.  No television, no radio, no news, nothing.  Late one San Diego evening we marched over to get our hair cut.  The lines were long as we waited in formation, each sailor looking forward not saying a word.  A soft warm breeze blew and I remember noticing the warm glow of the sun on the palm trees as the last of the day slowly slipped away.  Inside the barbershop we could hear the radio and out of the blue Can't help falling in love, by Elvis was playing.  For some strange reason the entire company began lowly singing the song!  Strangely enough no one called us down, called us out, or reprimanded us.  This was the best memory I have of Elvis and of boot camp.

4.  What are you listening to?  I have really found some incredible podcasts.  Here are my current favorites:

Let my people think - Ravi Zacharias
Defender of the Faith - William Lane Craig

Here are some I have recently subscribed to and plan on checking out soon.

Edgar Cane
Mark Driscoll
Reasons to Believe Creation
1 Year Daily Audio Bible
The Saint Cast - History

Here is a great band if you have never heard of them before.  The Cowboy Junkies [link]. 

Here is your weekly Jack Johnson clip [link]. 

5. I have noticed an up tick in traffic here at the site recently as well as the return of some familiar regulars.  That must mean school is back in session and summer is officially over.  Welcome back everyone.

6.  Hope you have a great weekend.  God bless you and yours.  

     We spent all night frying bologna sandwiches, cooking bacon, refilling our prescription pain killers and ironing our sequined jumpsuits.  That can mean only one thing....the 30th anniversary of the death of Elvis.

The private jet is on standby.  The wife and I are headed to Graceland, Memphis, TN to pay homage to the King of rock-n-roll. 

For those of you who would like to tag along I have room for 52 of you.  If you would like to be considered please post either your favorite Elvis song or your favorite Elvis memory here to be considered.  Remember, only 52 spots are available so act now!

Please note: You must supply your own bologna sandwiches, bacon, prescription pain killers, and sequined jumpsuits.

I think, after 30 plus years, I have finally decided what I want to be when I grow up.  At one point I was convinced being an astronaut was the path but several people have told me that I am no rocket scientist and I just can't get past the whole diaper thing.

No, I am sure that when I grow up I want to be a doctor and here are the reasons.

1.  Big diplomas - Have you ever been into your doctor's private office?  The walls are covered with diplomas the size of small projection screens complete with fancy gold seals and signatures that can't be read.

2.  Lab coats - There is something very cool about a white, pristine lab coat and clipboard.  In fact, I now write all my posts dressed in tan slacks, light blue dress shirt, Brooks Brother bow tie, and my freshly pressed lab coat.

3.  Latex gloves - I have always wanted to enter a room and snap on one of those gloves for dramatic effect.  I can't really do that in my current job, I mean, I guess I could but not sure it would go over to well.

4.  Pharmaceutical Reps - Next time you go to the doctor look around.  Notice anything?  That's right!  You are the only one not wearing a suit.  In fact, you are probably the only patient the doctor has seen in weeks as his days are now packed morning till evening being entertained by pharmaceutical reps.  They wine and dine doctors like there is no tomorrow.   As a doctor I would have all my lunches bought for me and my staff.

5.  Free samples - As a doctor I would hand out samples of new drugs.  Everyone would get a stool softener for Christmas.

6.  Complete Freedom - As a doctor I could say anything I wanted without fear of the consequences, must be something with the lab coat?  "Miss, I must tell you that your blood pressure looks good, but your are grossly overweight, your cholesterol is high, your fashion sense is whack, and you need a new tax attorney."  "Oh, yes thank you doctor!  Anything else I should know?"  "I'm glad you asked miss...."

7.  That shiny silver head medallion - I don't see doctors wear these much anymore but I would make sure that the shiny, silver, bright as the sun disc worn on the head would come back in fashion.  I would wear it everywhere especially while driving.  Imagine the fun when someone cuts you off on your way to the office instead of getting mad manipulate the disc so that the reflection of the sun hits them right in the eyes.  It's ok, I'm a doctor.

8.  Please, call me doctor - As a doctor I would insist that everyone calls me doctor.

My path has been chosen, my plan is simple.  Now all I need is $300,000.00 in donations to fund my schooling, and a good math, science, chemistry, and biology tutor.

Any volunteers? 

 Taxes?  Who cares?  Gas tax, cigarette tax, taxes on water, toll bridges, none of it matters to me.

I don't smoke, don't drink water, and my car now runs entirely on baby seal blood, I use spotted owl for my oil and transmission fluid....it works much better than manatee.

You can take land, deny personal freedoms, confiscate guns, teach kids whatever you want to, develop and deploy all the social programs you need to baby sit the cradle to grave society.  

You can do whatever you want to as long as it doesn't affect me.  All I want to do is to buy stuff, be comfortable, and to die an old age seeing to it that my kids are off to expensive, Ivy league schools.

Is this what we have become? 

What ever happened to “give me liberty or give me death,” “don’t tread on me,” or “you can have my gun when you pry it out of my cold….dead….hands!”

This is the new religion.  The religion of me. 

The Holy Trinity of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit has been replaced, as Eugene Peterson calls it, with the my needs, my wants, my desires.

While our men turn to blubbery piles of mush, fat on too much Television, hormone laden chicken, and a hefty dose of feminism our women are left to carry the culture, defend the family.

The mocha international foods coffee is in the trash, the office furniture is back in place, and I am about nothing more than destroying any Feng shui you thought you had.

Everything has an effect good or bad.

It’s time to wake up.