You’re missing some interesting stuff

Some of you are missing some really interesting posts, if I must say so myself (I wrote them, hehehe ) over at G(i)FB(o).

Hey! So you’re not into the Brasil thingy. Not a problemo, you still get to see my twisted mind at work and that’s worth the price of admission!

Daft hands

Please forgive me! When I saw this I had to post it — my hands just are not this nibble. It starts slow, but it will reward you…

Sad

Every day I drive to work I pass a church’s building annex — a fancy way of saying “office building.” It had 3 ball fields that were used by the community, a nice two-story structure and lots of open space.

Last year they began an expansion of the building. As I watched the progress, it became obvious that they were going to put a steeple on their new annex. Yesterday I noticed they put a big cross on top of the steeple.

The first of this week saw one of the ball fields fencing come down and site preparation for more construction. Today they are in full-scale foundation preparation for a large structure. I learned about an hour ago that they have come into quite a bit of money from a parishioner dying and leaving it to the church in their will. The plans are to eliminate the other 2 ballfields as a result of the construction.

The proverbial 2 + 2 now equals 4.

I don’t know these people. I know nothing of their plans. I simply see significant funds going into physical structures, facilities that were being used by the community being eliminated and christianity being represented to the community as a symbol.

It makes me sad.

It seems to prove that Christianity has become nothing more than just another religion.

Sad…

Help me, please!

I just got off the phone with a complete stranger.

The only thing that gives us any connection is that she is desperate for help and she managed to find my number. She has been sick for years and wants to know if there is any hope.

Pastor Jeff mentioned this morning in our men’s group that he recently had someone calling for help and his initial reaction was to cringe.

I think we all do that. Society has inbred that response in us, unfortunately.

I’ll confess — that was my reaction on the phone.

Almost immediately the thought popped into my head: “What if that were you and you wanted to talk to somebody like you?”

Of course thoughts like that are always followed by additional thoughts that kinda beat up on you. I’ve recently been praying to be able to see people like Jesus does (please don’t pray that… it will only get you in trouble!).

You probably know what happened next, right?

“You asked for this.”

Drats! I did.

I’ve been spending some extended time in1 Corinthians 12-14 over the last week and a half. I’m not surprised that I thought of this:

Love is patient and kind. Love is not… proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable…    [12:4-5]

I dealt with her in the way I would have liked to have been dealt with.

Not only was it the right thing to do – it helped reinforce the lesson of how to see like Jesus does.

It felt good, too. I just love the fringe benefits of this being a follower gig…

5 places to experience where I live

I have a friend who lives in New Zealand. A Brazilian. I find it interesting: a) that I have a friend, b) that he lives on the other side of the world, and c) that it is a Brazilian. Isn’t life tasty?!

This buddy, Dan Cort, took up a challenge by another Brazilian to describe the place where you live and give a quickie sketch of five places you’d recommend someone visit if they came to town. In other words, see the common place through the eyes of someone who has never seen it.

I came up with an interesting list.

1.  The Battleship U.S.S. North Carolina 

As a child in the second grade, I helped save dimes in order to pay for the battleship to come to Wilmington. As a result, I got a free pass to tour it as soon as it was open. My first tour was limited because so many areas of the ship had to be refurbished for tourist and were not safe for the public. A recent trip there found almost everything available to be explored — I still have the same fascination with it that I had all those decades ago.

I still love standing behind the .50 caliber deck machine guns and pretend I’m shooting at incoming planes!

 2.  The Maco light

Until the Atlantic Coast Railroad tore up the tracks running west through Maco, many locals living today had witnessed the strange swaying light at the old Maco crossing. President Grover Cleveland spoke about it publicly during his 1888 reelection campaign. Life magazine even reported it to the nation in 1957.

The story is that of Joe Baldwin, a flagman who, one pitch-dark night in 1867, was riding a caboose that lost its coupling pin. Separated from the train, the caboose had slowed nearly to a halt when Joe spied the light of a speeding passenger train coming right at him. He stood at the back of the caboose waving a lantern in warning, but the oncoming train couldn’t stop. In the collision Joe was killed instantly, decapitated. His head was never found, but ever since then, a single swaying light could be seen over the tracks at that very spot. It was seen so frequently that trainmen routinely mounted two lights on their trains, one red and one green, so as not to be confused with the Maco Light, which hasn’t been seen since the tracks were lifted. It seems Old Joe Baldwin’s warnings are no longer needed.

If you want to go check it out, understand that there is nothing there. But the mystic of the area is still intact, if you can find it! It is 15 miles out of Wilmington off US 74/76 on a dirt road called Stella (turn left onto Stella from 74/76). Its about 50 yards down the road where you’ll see where tracks used to pass through. An interesting narrative of a visit there can be found here.

If you want to get there, here’s the scoop. It’s about 30 minutes from Wilmington on US 74/76. While you can’t see the light any more, if you’re a history buff, you’ll still find it interesting.

As a sidenote, back in the late 60’s and early 70’s it was known as a great place to go parking with your sweet little thing. I really wouldn’t know about that, however…

3.  Ft. Fisher

If you’re a history buff, you’ll love this place. Right on the ocean, the entire Confederate groundworks are preserved and available for your enjoyment. If you hate history, the scenic sights of the ocean on the left and the Cape Fear River on the right are fabulous.

Wilmington was one of the last open ports for the Confederacy towards the end of the Civil War and Ft. Fisher was the reason. It protected the entrance into the city and the Union war ships could not breech it. It took a massive amphibious assault in January of 1865 to silence it’s guns; this in essence spelled the doom of the Confederacy

Here’s a good beginning point for additional information. I love walking around the really neat catwalk that allows you to see everything!

4.  The beach

Who cannot like the beach! We are blessed with lots and lots of beach here in Wilmington. It goes from the highly developed to the almost pristine. Wide strands allow for walking, decent waves allow for surfing and its even pleasant during the winter months.

Now the funny part is that while I like the beach, I don’t care for the sand… and the sun… and the salty water, but I like the beach. I love living near the beach and the climate that goes with it. At times it reminds me of Fortaleza, which is also on the beach.

5. The Oceanic Restaurant

One of the things that sold us on moving to Wilmington was eating on the pier at the Oceanic at the end of December. I mean, come on… it’s not everywhere that you can eat outside, on the beach, in the dead of winter! The food is great, the view is spectacular and its the best way to be on the beach (remember the sand, sun and salt water thing above?).

There’s actually quite a history behind the place. There are some cool, old photographs of the Oceanic Hotel that burned down many decades ago on the walls in the restaurant.

The crab dip is fabulous!

Ya’ll come visit us sometime!

Go that way →

Dang it!

I hate referring people to blogs someone else has written (makes me look bad ); but, sometimes what folks write so affects me I have no other choice.

So, even though I didn’t write it, take a look at this and this.

Spiritual Dishonesty

Many years ago while a freshman in college, I had to write a paper on speaking in tongues for Dr. Oliver’s Christian Doctrines class. Being a young college student with a head full of mush, I didn’t know that I wasn’t actually supposed to think. Silly me, I thought I was there to learn new things that would have a profound impact on my life.

I researched the topic thoroughly and much to my surprise discovered that I didn’t have all the answers that I was supposed to have. I came to the subject fully biased with my answer before researching the topic; imagine my dismay when what I uncovered and what I thought I believed didn’t quite match up.

This has nothing to do with speaking in tongues; but everything to do with a journey and a reaction.

Dr. Oliver gave me a “C” while stating the paper was “A” quality. He further stated that if I’d but “rethink” my conclusion, he was sure that he would reconsider my grade. Not being fully stupid, I read between the lines, rewrote the conclusion to definitively state that speaking in tongues did not exist and promptly was rewarded with the “A” I’d been promised.

Most of my “religious” life has been oriented along these lines. As I’ve grown older and wiser, I refuse to participate in such spiritual dishonesty and have discovered there is an enormous difference between “religion” and “spirituality.”

That is why my Sundays are such refreshing breaths of fresh air at Lifepoint. Accused of superficial Christianity by the Dr. Oliver’s of this world, we are reaching, teaching and changing those who have no hope into individuals who understand their eternal purpose as citizens of the life to come. Though accused of spiritual dishonesty, I can testify that it is the most spiritually honest place with which I am acquainted.

I wonder what professor Oliver would think of his gullible student today? If he were still alive, methinks he wouldn’t be pleased… but my real Professor is probably chuckling.

We’ve been invaded!

It began with a little one, just one, two weeks ago.

He scurried off the counter when the light came on. Fast little booger.

Then his brothers showed up. And his cousins. And his uncles, and aunts, and third cousins and the rest of his extended family. Now, we have a virtual invasion going on.

Making a cake last night, one ran across the counter. Sitting on the couch one ran across my leg (I HATE that!); one was in my shoe, another was on my TOOTHBRUSH!

Roaches! I hate them!

They are going to die…

Church Magic

Given that most folks think we are crazy, quite a few think we are less than biblical and faithful, and others don’t know what to think, what is happening at Lifepoint Church is nothing short of spectacular.

It is so palpable that you can touch it, feel it.

The hard part is about to begin; 0 to 400 has been a breeze (well, ok, not a breeze, maybe a Category 2 hurricane), but 400 to 1000 is going to test us. And it will come hard and fast.

I’m ready for the ride!

Living on the edge of a miracle

I heard a man who is full of experience and wisdom make a remark this weekend that has stuck with me like stink on a skunk:

“Understand that what you are doing with God is the front edge of the miracle that he is accomplishing.”

We so often want to see the miracle and everything is about the miracle taking place. We forget that the stage has to be set for the miracle to happen. Dawn can’t break until the darkness goes away; night can’t fall until the sun sets; your stomach can’t be satisfied until your mouth does the chewing; that magical first kiss doesn’t happen until you’ve invested in that sweet young thing; water doesn’t flow from a pump until it is primed.

It’s all about preparation and expectation.

Read throught the miracles in the Word. They all were set up before they happened. Often those involved in the miracle, the actual recipients of the miracle, had no clue what was about to happen. As far as they were concerned it was the same old same old. What a shame!

My life is the swell that produces the tsunami. I’m riding the edge of the big event. I’m ushering in the miracle by what I do…

Puts a whole new perspective on my outlook.