Like Sacks of Wet Cement

Deer season quieter in 2011-12

2012-02-08T20:39:00.003-05:00

COLUMBUS - Deer hunters did not have as much success in the recently-ended season according to numbers released by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. That trend carried through in most of the state's 88 counties, including Van Wert County.
During the 2011-12 white-tailed deer hunting season, 646 deer were checked in across Van Wert County. That compares to 835 deer taken in the 2010-11 season. That number includes 270 deer harvested in the county during deer-gun season in December and another 91 during muzzleloader season in January.
The four-month deer hunting season wrapped up Feb. 5 with the closing of archery season.
Statewide numbers showed 219,698 deer taken this season, down from 239,379 the previous year.
In nearby counties, Paulding County has 1,126 deer checked in this season compared to 1,440 the prior season. Allen County hunters bagged 1,037 in 2011-12, down from 1,291, and Mercer County had 625 deer taken compared to 652 in 2010-11.
The hunting check-in process has moved ahead technologically over the years. Two new methods of game-reporting were overwhelming successes. During the season, 44 percent of hunters called in their game numbers while another 36 percent used the Internet to check in their trophies. Only 20 percent of the harvest was actually taken to a license agent to be reported.
The white-tailed deer is the most popular game animal in Ohio. Hunting is big business in the state. Each year the sport impacts the state economy by approximately $859 million through the sale of food, hotel rooms, fuel, equipment, and other items.

Van Wert man's appeal denied

2012-02-07T21:33:00.004-05:00

A Van Wert man who pleaded no contest to one count of drug possession had his appeal rejected by the Ohio Third District Court of Appeals.
In a decision released on Monday, Josh Minyoung's petition of appeal. He was sentenced in Van Wert County Court of Common Pleas on June 29, 2011, to one year in prison. Minyoung appealed the sentence, claiming that the court should have suppressed evidence against him gathered at a traffic stop on Dec. 7, 2010.
Through his attorney, Minyoung claimed the evidence should have been suppressed because law enforcement officers detained him beyond the initial traffic stop and that drugs were found on Minyoung during an illegal search.
The case revolved around a traffic stop made on Minyoung as he returned to Van Wert from Fort Wayne, Indiana. A trooper with the Ohio State Highway Patrol began to stop Minyoung's vehicle for a noisy muffler, but before the stop was made the trooper discovered that there had been a Crimestoppers tip made and verified that Minyoung was going to be transporting prescription drugs to sell in Van Wert. So the trooper called the Van Wert Police K-9 Unit to assist with the stop.
While the trooper was discussing the noise violation with Minyoung, the K-9 alerted to drugs being in the vehicle. The driver and passenger were removed from the car and patted down. During the pat-down of Minyoung, the trooper told the suspect to remove his shoes. Minyoung pulled a baggie of marijuana from one shoe. When told to take off both shoes, the trooper found a bag of pills in Minyoung's other shoe. The pills turned out to be the Schedule II drug, Dilaudid.
The court ruled that the K-9 search around Minyoung's vehicle did not delay the stop since the trooper and Minyoung were still talking about the noisy muffler when the dog alerted to the vehicle.
Secondly, the question of whether or not ordering Minyoung to remove his shoes as part of the pat-down was also addressed by the court. In the written opinion, Judge Vernon L. Preston wrote, "The State argues that even if the search of Minyoung's shoes was inappropriate as part of the pat-down, [the trooper] still had probably cause to search Minyoung based on the totality of the circumstances. We agree."
The appeal was therefore denied and the judgment of Van Wert Court of Common Pleas was affirmed.

17 arraigned in special court session Tuesday

2012-02-07T20:12:00.003-05:00

After a series of arrests on Friday which capped several drug investigations in Van Wert, the list of defendants was so long that a second day of arraignments was scheduled for Tuesday in Van Wert County Court of Common Pleas.
Among those arraigned was Kelly McKenzie, 49, Van Wert, who faces charges of trafficking in heroin, aggravated trafficking in drugs, trafficking in a counterfeit controlled substance, and possession of heroin. She entered not guilty pleas to all four charges. McKenzie was ordered held on $100,000 cash bond. A pretrial was set for Feb. 15.
Police found 5.3 grams of brown heroin on McKenzie's person. She was arrested at a traffic stop while allegedly bringing heroin from Dayton to Van Wert.
Ruth A Napier and Kyle Caldwell were each ordered held on cash bonds. Each pleaded not guilty to second-degree felony burglary. Napier is being held on a $100,000 cash bond, Caldwell on a $10,000 cash bond. Pretrials in each case are set for Feb. 15.
Douglas Fonner was arraigned on nine felony counts -- four breaking and entering charges, three safecracking counts, and two theft charges. Fonner, 27, was arrested in connection with a string of break-ins at businesses in the county. He faces similar charges in Mercer and Auglaize counties. Fonner was ordered held on a $100,000 cash bond. A pretrial hearing was set for Feb. 29.
Timothy Wollet, pleaded not guilty to trafficking in heroin, a fourth-degree felony. Wollet was ordered held on a $5,000 cash bond and ordered to appear for a Feb. 15 pretrial hearing.
Ream Thomas Davis, 54, Van Wert, pleaded not guilty to two counts of aggravated trafficking in drugs, and one count of trafficking in a counterfeit controlled substance. Davis was released on bond. A pretrial hearing was set for Feb. 29.
Jeff Garwood, , 48, Van Wert entered not guilty pleas to two counts of trafficking in drugs and one count of trafficking in drugs. He was released on bond and ordered to attend a Feb. 29 pretrial hearing.
Jared Garwood, 27, Van Wert, pleaded not guilty to a pair of trafficking in drugs charges. He was released on bond with a pretrial hearing set for Feb. 29.
Kyle Barnes, 24, Van Wert, pleaded not guilty to three counts of trafficking in marijuana. Barnes was released on bond. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Feb. 29.
Adam Stripe, 34, Van Wert, entered a not guilty plea to third-degree felony trafficking in drugs. Stripe was released on bond and ordered to attend a Feb. 29 pretrial hearing.
Christopher Blue, 32, Van Wert, pleaded not guilty to two counts of trafficking in heroin. Blue was released on bond. A pretrial hearing is set for Feb. 29.
Zachary Springer, 19, Van Wert, entered not guilty pleas to three counts of trafficking in heroin. Springer was released on bond and was ordered to appear for a Feb. 29 pretrial hearing.
Ryan Schisler, entered not guilty pleas to three drug possession charges. Schisler was released on bond. A pretrial hearing is set for Feb. 29.
Ryan Schaadt pleaded not guilty to three counts of drug possession. He was arrested by Van Wert Police after authorities received a tip about drugs possibly being inside a Kiger St. home. Schaadt was released on drugs with a Feb. 29 pretrial hearing set.
David W. Pratt, 32, Van Wert, pleaded not guilty to trafficking in a counterfeit controlled substance, trafficking in heroin, and aggravated trafficking in drugs. Pratt was released on bond. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Feb. 29.
Greg Glander, Jr. pleaded not guilty to possession of drugs. He was released on bond. A Feb. 29 pretrial hearing was scheduled.
Alonzo Munoz pleaded not guilty to fourth-degree felony domestic violence. Munoz was released on bond and ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim in the case. A pretrial hearing was scheduled for Feb. 29.

Crash victim's family petitioning to have 911 recording removed

2012-02-07T19:29:00.003-05:00

ROCKFORD - In the aftermath of the shocking accident which claimed the life of 17-year-old Brianna Coon over the weekend, now the girl's family is suffering further heartbreak from the release of the audio of the 911 call she made right after her car plunged into a Putnam County pond.
The tragic crash happened Saturday night around 11. Coon's car went off the left side of County Road P and wound up in a pond just north of Ottoville. She was able to make a call to 911 at 11:03. The car was not located for about two hours.
However, a recording of that 911 call soon appeared on YouTube, broadcasting the last few moments of the girl's life. That recording was then picked up by other media sources, including an English newspaper and website. That article also included pictures of Coon and members of her family. The photos were attributed to Facebook, meaning they were taken directly from either the girl's profile page or from the page of a family member. A member of the family stated that at least one of the pictures had not been seen before by any of the family members.
The family is also hoping for people to sign an online petition to have the 911 audio removed from the public sites. The original posting on YouTube has now been removed, but the audio is still present on the site based in England, as of Tuesday evening.
The web address for the petition is http://www.change.org/petitions/remove-the-911-call?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=friends_wall
A relative also told the Times Bulletin that a telelvision news crew from Dayton had also caused additional heartache for family members as they emerged from a Rockford funeral home after making funeral arrangements.
"They came to me and said that they'd like to go with the angle that prom is coming up and they wanted to promote kids driving safe. But of course when they aired the story, they didn't mention anything about prom safety," said Amie Coon.
The investigation into the crash is continuing. Amie Coon stated that a check of her niece's phone records showed that she was not texting at the time of the accident.

getting to know a cubmaster

2012-02-05T12:18:00.004-05:00

"For me, scouting is just a way of life. That's what I try to tell my Cub Scout parents. Don't think of it as an extra-curricular activity, think of this as the way we live. Then we have our extra activities we do on top of it."
In a short amount of time, Tammy Speer has become integral in scouting. She began by taking on responsibilities in the town where she lives, Columbus Grove. Now she is the cubmaster of Pack 35 in Van Wert.
"My son joined as a Tiger scout back in 2006, and I went to his first meet. This was not in Van Wert. His leader said, 'Tonight is Fun Night!' So I went to his next meeting, and she said the same thing again. I decided that I could do it," Speer explained. "The next year, I became a Wolf leader. I ran a secret pilot program in my den, and the next year they opened up that program to the whole pack. At that time, I moved up to cubmaster. I had 16 boys when I became cubmaster, and when I left two years ago, I had 68 boys."
Speer became involved with the Cub Scouts in 2006 and thought she was done with the responsibilities, however scouting is a way of life.
"Van Wert happened to be my husband's pack when he was a kid, they were in need of some help, and I had success with my own Cub Scout pack and then retired from it," she related. Now Speer makes trips from Columbus Grove each Monday and Tuesday for the Cub Scouts.
The Cub Scouts have been in existence for more than 80 years, providing fun, learning, and activities for young boys in first through fifth grades.
Scouts in first grade begin as a Tiger Cub. At this level, parents accompany their scouts for all the meetings and activities. The next step up is the Wolf, followed by the Bear. With each level, parents keep stepping back a little bit more, giving more independence to the Cub Scout. After finishing requirements as a Bear, a scout can enter the Webelos (Meaning "We'll Be Loyal Scouts") program. By this point, the scout is independent and getting ready to cross over to the Boy Scout troop in the sixth grade.
Speer came to Van Wert with a long list of accomplishments and responsibilities. At present, she is serving as a council trainer for Hawthorn District (which consists of Paulding, Putnam, and Van Wert counties), a troop guide for the 2012 wood badge staff in scouting, a camp director for the Black Swamp Area Council Dad and Lad Camp, a committee member for Van Wert Boy Scout Troop 35, and a volunteer administrative assistant for Camp Lakota's Boy Scout summer camp, in addition to her cubmaster duties.
The honors came quickly to Speer in her scouting involvement. She reported, "My first year as cubmaster, I was awarded the District Cubmaster of the Year. The following year I was awarded the District Award of Merit. Last year I was given the Black Swamp Area Council's President's Award."
Since beginning her work in Van Wert, the participation numbers have greatly increased. "At Pack 35 this year, when I came in we had a significant number of boys, but we didn't have a significant number of active boys," commented Speer. "We only had about 14-17 active boys, that means showing up at least two meetings a month. Since May this year, we have recruited 26 new boys. Our number right now is we have 36 boys in our pack. And that's 36 active boys in the pack!"
Scouting is not the only activity in Speer's life. She works in Bluffton, Ohio as an optician in a family eye care clinic. But scouting really is a way of life for her. And the benefits do not only come to the scouts. Speer loves it.
"It's nice because when your kid joins scouts, you are a parent. Then you become a den leader, you are a parent of however many little boys that are in your den. When you become a cub master, you are responsible for all these kids. So it's kind of neat when they come up to you when you're sharing their life with you. For me, it's neat to watch the boys go through the program and watching them benefit from it."
As the cub master of 35 boys, Speer oversees all the den leaders, making sure that everyone has their den meetings planned supplies ready. "I am responsible basically for making sure they have everything they need to be successful," she said. In addition, Speer is also serving as den leader of the Bears because she is short a den leader.
The scouts' fun comes from being with friends, and experiencing fun activities. The scouts had an outing last summer to a Ft. Wayne Tin Caps game and got to sleep overnight on the field. There are family camp-outs, the Pinewood Derby model car race, and activities during the summer along with the fun of the weekly meetings and the earning of activity badges. All that activity requires someone to organize and make sure all jobs are done.
Speer stated, "I'm responsible for making sure everybody is on task and keeping scouting fun."

Wind turbine vandal pleads

2012-02-01T16:36:00.005-05:00

A Texas man who was charged with being the third member of a group that broke and then burned a crane at a wind turbine construction site in July entered a plea of guilty to a reduced charge Wednesday morning in Van Wert County Court of Common Pleas.
Cody J. Edwards, 21, Saginaw, Texas entered a guilty plea to fourth-degree felony vandalism in the destruction of diesel-powered lights that were at the construction site. Charges of arson, breaking and entering and an additional vandalism charge were dropped in exchange for the guilty plea.
According to reports, Edwards was with two other persons, Kyle J. Beech, 21, Van Wert, and Dustin E. Gamble, 20, Haviland, on the night of July 2 when they rode ATVs to the construction site. The trio broke into the crane and used it to destroy the construction lights at the site. When the cable on the crane broke, a fire was set inside the cab destroying the $500,000 piece of equipment.
Edwards will be ordered to pay for his share of the damage that was not covered by insurance, which is $56,585. Sentencing is set for March 14. Edwards is being held on bond in the Van Wert County Jail.
Another Texas man entered a guilty plea on Wednesday. Dontrey E. Cooper, 29, Beechnut, Texas, pleaded guilty to theft, a fifth-degree felony. According to a statement, Cooper allegedly obtained a large sum of money from a phone scam against an elderly lady in Van Wert County.
Sentencing was set for Feb. 29.
Benjamin Hurley, 27, Van Wert, Ohio was given a 180-day jail sentence as part of one year of community control on a misdemeanor theft charge. Judge Charles D. Steele also ordered Hurley to pay restitution of $249.23 to the victim as well as to pay fees and court costs. Hurley was given credit for 105 days already served in custody in this case.
One of a group of people arrested for a series of thefts from vehicles parked at the Van Wert County Fairgrounds was granted judicial release from prison and was placed on community control for three years. Wilson was accused in the vehicle break-ins along with breaking and entering of buildings at the fairgrounds and with buildings owned by the Van Wert County Foundation. Steele ordered Wilson to make restitution to the theft victims.

Wassenberg to host landmark art show

2012-01-31T20:44:00.004-05:00

VAN WERT - An important artist who based his work from his home in Melrose, Ohio is the subject of a landmark art show at the Wassenberg Art Center.
The work of Clyde Burt will be on display for the first time since his death in 1981. The display of wall hangings by Burt is paired with the work of the Indiana Wildlife Artists for a show running Feb. 4-24 at Wassenberg, 643 S. Washington St., in Van Wert.
"We're excited and humbled," remarked Wassenburg Director Hope Wallace. "It's the overall impact of Clyde Burt in the short time he was with us, the impact on American studio pottery that he has made. He has been referred to as a pioneer in some of his techniques. The importance for us is immense.We have pieces here that have been in the Arts and Embassy Program that was initiated during the Kennedy administration."
Clyde Burt's son, Ron Burt, was instrumental in making this exhibit a reality.
"It is the first time we've put together of my dad's work in 30 years," he stated. "He was very well-recognized, and we had people all over wanting an exhibit. I talked my Mom into it. It's time. It's been 30 years. People are asking for it. So we put several collections of his work together."
The exhibit does not include the type of work for which Burt is best known. His pottery is easily his most recognizable work, but this show features a different kind of ceramic work. There are 14 wall hangings along with two of Burt's paintings which have been brought together for this show. Many of these pieces will not be seen again in public once this show has closed.
Burt worked mostly in clay and earth tones, although the two paintings displayed at the Wassenberg were part of a special group of paintings that Ron Burt requested from his father in the 1970's.
The wall hangings also have some incredible history. One piece was chosen to hang in the Nigerian embassy for two years.
Wallace said, "To have something that has been at such a place is a huge honor."
Burt's influence on the field of pottery and ceramics is well-known in the art world. Ron Burt said his father continued to work from his Melrose home because it was near nature -- something that was near to his heart. The location also allowed him to be close to many larger cities like Cleveland, Detroit, Fort Wayne and Chicago.
For the son, gathering his father's art has been very rewarding.
"We're thrilled to find out what happened to his work 30 years past. We're thrilled to find out who has it. We're thrilled to find out what museums it is in, and things he probably didn't visualize happening," he related. "He has things that had been contracted hanging in different offices all over the midwest."
Several of Burt's works are on display at the Smithsonian American Museum of Art. In his lifetime, he taught at Ft. Wayne Art School, IPFW, Dayton Museum at Art, and taught summer classes at University of Wisconsin.
Many of his works had remained in his studio after his death, but Ron managed to talk his mother into sharing the pieces.
"I don't think it was right until now for my Mom to do this," he explained. "I wanted Van Wert to have this exhibit, and I talked her into it. Van Wert has opened its doors to me. I go to church here, and I like the community real well. I thought this would be a great place to have it. I like the Wassenberg, and I like a number of people who are associated with the Wassenberg. I felt it was a good fit."
Wallace admitted she is thrilled to have the display of work from this ground-breaking artist at the Wassenberg.
"This is an internationally-known potter, and his work is compelling. You just want to keep looking at them," she said.
While this exhibit is strictly for wall hangings and paintings, Ron Burt shared that he hopes to put together an exhibit of his father's pottery in the next year or two as well.
For more information about seeing the work of Clyde Burt, contact the Wassenberg Art Center at (419) 238-6837.

Aggregation deal to be 18 percent

2012-01-31T18:04:00.003-05:00

The discount through electrical aggregation has continued to increase, and now with a contract about to be signed, it appears that those taking part in the governmental aggregation program will save 18 percent on generation costs.
Bill Bradish of Palmer Energy met with the Van Wert County Commissioners on Tuesday to sign some paperwork to be filed with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to certify the commissioners as the aggregator for the plan. Once the paperwork is filed, PUCO should approve it in 30 days.
"Once that is completed, then we will start the process of getting the databases [of electrical customers] and getting out the cards," Bradish told the commissioners. He was referring to cards which will go to everyone eligible to take part in the county's aggregation program, allowing people to opt out of the offer. Those would likely be delivered in mid-March to mid-April to county residents in areas that have already passed aggregation at the ballot box.
The aggregation dealing began last fall with companies offering a three percent discount on the generation costs, but by November the competition for the market drove the discount rate up to eight percent, offering savings to electrical customers of nearly $70 each year.
From that point, the offers grew to 11 percent, 15 percent, and now finally to 18 percent. Bradish commented simply, 'It's really a good deal."
This aggregation program also helps the county's coffers as well as participating townships and municipalities. For each household that is a part of the county's aggregation program, the county will receive $10 grant money that will be split with the township or village.
Bradish explained the agreement, saying, "We have pretty much finalized the deal with First Energy for this area. We are at a two-year contract with two two-year possible renewals. We do have a $10 per meter grant, and we have negotiated it for the other two periods also. So in other words, in two years when we negotiate another contract, we will get another $10 per meter. Then in two years after that, as long as it is still First Energy, we will get the $10 grant. We have the ability within the two years, if someone comes up with a deal, we are free to renegotiate that."
The deal is open to residential electrical customers who are not using a budget bill plan, and to small businesses using less than 700,00 kw per year and located in an area which has passed the aggregation legislation.
According to Bradish, electrical customers who are already under contract with another company will not receive a card about the program. If a customer wishes to break a deal with another company and join the county's program, he needs to contact First Energy.
"There will be some penalty to get out of that contract," Bradish warned. "People need to weigh that fee against the savings they would realize in the governmental program."
Later on Tuesday, the commissioners met with Bruce Miller of Garmann Miller Architects to discuss possible changes to the Courthouse HVAC and dome restoration project. Last week, bids on the project came in far too high for the project to proceed as planned.
County Commissioner Thad Lichtensteiger reported that work was still being done to finalize project plans, but the work will likely be pushed back until warmer weather.
It appears that House Bill 300, which allows the county to borrow money to make energy-improving renovations against the estimated energy savings, may be the ticket to putting the work back on track.
"As it stands at this point, Bruce Miller is going to go back and talk with the apparent low-bid general contractor and find out if we can tweak that bid a little bit to incorporate some changes that we think can be made. We won't have to beef up some of the metal trusses so heavily, and it might allow him to lower his bid," Lichtensteiger shared.
When bids were opened on the project last week, the general construction bids were all far above the engineering estimate for the work, leading the commissioners to go back to Garmann Miller to come to a possible solution.
As of now, the county could get the entire courthouse equipped with a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system with a $1.56 million price tag for around $100,000-$200,000 with about $800,000 in loans from House Bill 300, and money from Judge Charles Steele's special projects fun, along with some tinkering with the construction document requirements.

Early voting begins today

2012-01-30T21:20:00.003-05:00

VAN WERT - Even with the March 6 primary election day still weeks away, the time for casting ballots is already upon us.
"We are going to start voting absentee on Tuesday, Jan. 31 for the primary election," announced Van Wert County Board of Elections Director Linda Stutz. This time however, the location for early voting has changed.
"Voting has been moved out of the Board of Elections Office over to the first floor conference room in the Courthouse Annex at 118 E. Main St.," Stutz continued. The change is being made to provide more elbow room for voters. Stutz pointed out that with the volume of Van Wert County voters taking advantage of the early voting period over the past few years, the additional room became necessary.
Also changing this time around are the early voting hours. The office will be open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. - noon.
Persons wishing to vote should use the entrance to Job and Family Service at 118 E. Main St., but workers will also be next door at the Board of Elections Office to direct voters to the right location.
Potential voters should also be sure to bring proper identification with them. A drivers license must have the correct name and address to be accepted as identification for voting.
Anyone who has moved and has not notified the Board of Elections should correct his or her address by Feb. 6 at 9 p.m. Also, anyone still wishing to register to vote in the March 6 primary must register by Feb. 6.
There are two commissioner seats being contested in the Republican primary on March 6. Stan Owens and Denzil Wortman are running against one another. The other seat is being contested Kim Brandt, Todd Wolfrum, Phil Baxter, and Bill Evans.

NPAC, Stahl win major awards at Chamber dinner

2012-01-26T21:35:00.003-05:00

As the Van Wert Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 90th anniversary Thursday night, many other celebrations were honored, and the organization's two major awards were handed out.
The Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio was presented with the Crystal Image Award.
"The Crystal Image Award was designed to honor a chamber investor that has demonstrated leadership in the Van Wert Community by its many-faceted contributions," stated Chamber Board Chair Eva Yarger. " Those contributions include business responsibility, productivity, employee empowerment and service to the community."
Paul Hoverman accepted the award on behalf of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center and thanked the staff for their efforts at the center. The NPAC, which will begin its fifth complete season in the fall, is hosting 27 professional shows this season and is attracting many visitors to Van Wert County. At the end of 2007, 71 percent of those attending performances at the center were from this county. In 2011, roughly one-third of the more than 3,100 ticket buyers are from Van Wert County, translating into more business for hotels, restaurants and other local merchants.
As for the future, the NPAC's fifth anniversary season begins this fall, and Hoverman promised, "You ain't seen nothing yet!"
The other traditional major award, the Ray Miller Award, was presented to Dottie Stahl, a volunteer for the Van Wert Hospital and the Van Wert County Chapter of the American Red Cross for more than 20 years.
Unfortunately, Stahl was unable to attend as she recuperates, but Edie Laukhuf, president of the Van Wert Chapter accepted graciously on her behalf. Laukhuf honored Stahl, who expanded the Red Cross volunteer program at the hospital during her tenure, and faithfully served the organization in several ways.
One other special award was presented to outgoing Van Wert County Economic Development Director Nancy Bowen in appreciation of her service to the area.
Milestone awards were presented to nominated businesses and organizations celebrating anniversaries, including Kennedy Manufacturing Company which recently marked its 100th anniversary. Other honorees were Federal-Mogul Corporation for 70 years in business, Vantage Career Center for 35 years, Wetzel Motorcycle Club for 25 years, Shutterbug for 25 years and Staffmark for 15 years.
Golden Shovel awards were presented to local businesses who recently completed expansion or major renovation. Those were given to Statewide Ford Lincoln/Quick Lane Tire & Auto, Van Wert Manor, the Van Wert Agricultural Society, Vancrest, and YMCA Camp Clay.
According to Chamber President/CEO Susan Munroe, this year's event was the largest ever for the annual dinner and awards, bringing in 221 people at Willow Bend Country Club.
The evening's keynote speaker was Natalie Taylor, sports host for Fox Sports Ohio. The Van Wert native spoke to the crowd about her work in broadcasting and the advantages of having been raised in Van Wert.

Snow days have changed

2012-01-26T15:58:00.004-05:00

As I write this, my school-aged kids are home instead of having knowledge crammed into their brains. Why? It's a snow day. Well, not exactly snow, but you know what I mean. School was closed and the juvenile world celebrated. Oh, so did the teachers and school staff and bus drivers and others. And why shouldn't they? It's a surprise vacation! But the whole routine just seems so different than when I was the school boy wondering if it would snow enough for the powers-that-were to call off school.
First of all, back in my day (just picture me leaning back in my chair, putting my thumbs in my suspenders and gripping an old pipe in my teeth for this part), we didn't get days off school unless the weather was really bad. These days, with everyone threatening to sue a school district for any little things, superintendents have to be far more conservative about sending buses and student drivers and parents out on the roads. When I was a kid, the administrators relied more on experience -- meaning if they could drive to school without experiencing a ditch or pole firsthand, school was on!
A friend of mine whose wife is a teacher wrote me today that since school had been cancelled, he was taking his beautiful wife out to breakfast. I responded with something about it being too awful outside for school, but apparently not for breakfast! He responded that he had to run to town anyway, so he might as well bring some unexpected company!
Of course in my boyhood, if school was called off, it was because no one without a military tank or a snowmobile could get to the building! The rest of us old folks all remember the Blizzard of '78, the Winter of '79, and countless other seasons that didn't rate special commemorative names. Most of those times, the question was not if school would be cancelled, but how many days in a row would it be cancelled.
Also, the way we learned about snow days is so much different now than back then. This morning I got three separate text messages informing me that my kids were delayed, further delayed, and finally cancelled. The most work I put into finding out was to reach for my cell phone on the nightstand.
Back in the day, we used to crowd around the radio as the announcer on WOWO or some other station would read the list of schools where kids could play all day. The list would be long, especially on WOWO since there were maybe 100 school districts reporting there. We waiting anxiously, hoping against hope that this time they weren't reading them alphabetically when they forgot to read off my district.
There are so many ways to find out about cancellations today. Sure there is radio, but there is also the crawl at the bottom of the television channels, school websites, radio and TV station websites, signs in front of the schools, texting, Facebook, Twitter, and so on. The kids today don't get to experience near as much anxiety in the wait.
When I worked in radio, we took the calls from the school big-wigs who got to call off school. Calls from people asking about school delays and such came in on the same line. And yes, there were the occasional kids who tried to cancel their own school day. Do-it-yourself snow day! The problem was, the school administrators were all given a code that had to be repeated when calling in a school announcement. So when the kid would call, trying desperately to sound like an adult (and fooling no one), and tell me that the city school system was closed for the day, I would just have to ask, "What is the code?" After a few seconds of stammering, the line would go dead. So much for the do-it-yourself snow day.
I saw plenty of kids out and about during the Thursday snow day in the county. They weren't snowed in. They weren't trying to dig their way out of the house to make a snowman. They went out for breakfast and lunch, and went shopping. On a snow day! It's just not like it used to be.

Father and son each sentenced for theft

2012-01-25T17:40:00.006-05:00

VAN WERT - A father and son were each sentenced Wednesday for their part in a burglary in which two refrigerators were stolen and sold for scrap.
Thomas Stocklin, Jr., 54, Delphos, and his son Jeffrey Thomas Stocklin, 30, Lima, each had pleaded guilty to the same charge -- third-degree felony burglary, but the sentences handed down by Van Wert County Common Pleas Court Judge Charles D. Steele were quite different. Thomas, the father, was sentenced to six months in jail with credit given for 40 days already spent in custody in the case. His son Jeffrey was given a nine-month prison sentence. The reason for the difference in punishments is Jeffrey Stocklin's very long criminal record which dates back to 1997 when he was a juvenile.
Steele read entries from the younger Stocklin's record before pronouncing sentence, including theft, forgery, breaking and entering, DUI, attempted assault, failure to appear, and receiving stolen property. Stocklin told the judge that those crimes were committed due to a severe drug addiction, to which Steele replied, "I wouldn't doubt that!"
The pair were arrested along with a woman for breaking into the enclosed front porch of a home in the 300 block of S. Canal St. in Delphos. They took the refrigerators from the soon-to-be abandoned building. Steele also ordered the Stocklins to jointly make restitution of $54 in the case.
The third person charged in the November theft from Century Bar in Van Wert was sentenced on Wednesday. Cory T. Salisbury, 30, Rockford, was placed on one year of community control on a misdemeanor charge of theft.
Salisbury explained that he became involved in the taking of beer and other items because he was intoxicated and ended his participation in the scheme after it had already been acted upon. He also admitted that he should have reported the crime to authorities in a timely fashion.
As part of his sentence, Salisbury will be placed on electronically-monitored house arrest for 30 days and pay his share of $1,978.99 in restitution. He was also forbidden from entering Century Bar. A 180-day jail sentence and $1,000 fine were deferred pending the successful completion of community control.
Benjamin Williams, Jr., 33, Convoy, was given three years of community control for trafficking in marijuana, a felony of the fifth degree. He will serve the next 30 days in the Van Wert County Jail, give up his drivers licence for six months, and pay fees and court costs. A nine-month prison sentence was deferred pending the successful completion of community control.
A Van Wert man was sentenced to a pair of 12-month prison terms for attempted burglary. Dominic Eddins, 32, was also recommended for the Intensive Prison Program which may allow Eddins to be released earlier. He was given credit for 88 days already served.
Eddins was accused by Van Wert Police of breaking into a pair of homes in late October of 2011.
Michelle S. Densel of Van Wert was sentenced to one year of community control on a misdemeanor theft charge. She was ordered to pay restitution of $1,181, and has already paid back more than half that amount. She was also ordered to perform 200 hours of community service, and pay fees and court costs. A 180-day jail sentence and $1,000 fine were deferred pending the successful completion of community control.
A Van Wert woman was ordered held on a $50,000 bond for violating the terms of her previous bond agreement. Shannon Hartman had been in a vehicle that was involved in the sale of drugs and was later found at the Jobs and Family Service office with some of the marked money used in the purchase of drugs. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Feb. 1.
Jerry A. Dominique, 43, Van Wert, appeared in court Wednesday, accused of violating his community control sanctions. Dominique denied the violations with the case being set for a hearing at a later date.
Tyler Bochard admitted violating the terms of his treatment in lieu agreement by admitting to using marijuana on Jan. 10. His case was continued for 30 days when a status conference will be scheduled.
A 63-year-old Delphos man pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer, a fourth-degree felony. Larry R. Brown was accused of assaulting Sgt. Ryan Kimmet of the Delphos Police Department last September. Sentencing is set for March 7.
Haley N. Jones, 18, Buckland, Ohio entered a guilty plea to a fifth-degree felony charge of breaking and entering. Jones and several others were charged with breaking into a Venedocia business in July of last year. She is already being held awaiting sentencing in both Allen and Auglaize counties on similar charges.
Jones could receive up to 12 months in prison when she is sentenced on Feb. 8.
Andrew L. Sterling was sentenced to three years of community control for violating the terms of his community control agreement. On Nov. 23, 2011, Sterling admitted to violating three conditions of his agreement. Steele also ordered Sterling to spend up to six months at the WORTH Center in Lima. An eight-month prison sentence was deferred pending the successful completion of community control.
A pair of men were each arraigned on fifth-degree felony theft. Andrew D. Snyder, Rockford, and Damien J. Smith each entered not guilty pleas. They are accused of taking items from Walmart.
Each man was released on bond and warned not to enter any Walmart store. Pretrial hearing for each will be held Feb. 8.
Steven R. Putt, 43, Decatur, Indiana, was arraigned for non-support of dependents. Putt entered a not guilty plea and was released on bond. A pretrial hearing is set for Feb. 12.
Joshua Schmidt, 28, pleaded not guilty to failing to register as a sex offender. It is the second time Schmidt has been charged for not reporting.
Schmidt is currently incarcerated in prison on an unrelated charge. A $10,000 cash bond was ordered for Schmidt. A pretrial hearing was scheduled for Feb. 1.

Christmas Music Overload

2011-12-07T21:17:00.004-05:00

By this time of December, either you've haven't heard enough Christmas music for your liking or you've heard plenty more Christmas music than you want to hear. It's the curse of the holiday -- how much music is enough and how much is too much.
Musical performers will all record Christmas music. They have to. It's the law. Alright, it may not be the law, but they all do it. The reason singers record Christmas music is that they realize that if they have one hit that strikes a Christmas chord with the general public, their careers will never die. Artists can make their career based on one record, and with a Christmas record, it will be dragged out and played every year. Brenda Lee has "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," Bobby Helms has "Jingle Bell Rock," and Elmo & Patsy have "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer." Each have become as much a part of Christmas as stockings, trees, and one-horse open sleighs.
Even artists who obviously do not celebrate Christmas have cashed in on the holiday. The Jewish Elvis, Neil Diamond, even has not one, not two, but three albums of music for this Christian holiday. And don't even get me started on Barbara Streisand!
But in the glut of Christmas music, many songs get lost along the way. Realize that there are only a handful of accepted Christmas carols and then a separate group of Christmas songs. In all, there are really not many songs that keep getting repeated on those 24-hour Christmas radio stations. If you listen for an afternoon, you'll already have figured that out!
But there are other recordings made for Christmas that get lost in the shuffle. They are treated with as much respect as the box with all broken ornaments and Christmas lights. Because I have a background in radio broadcasting and music, I may have heard of a few Christmas recordings that you may have never heard. Allow me to peruse my personal collection of Christmas music and share a few with you.
"Merry Chirstmas from The Brady Bunch" - What could be cuter than the lovable television family warbling carols? Well, plenty. The real actors performed the songs on the album, meaning it sounded only slightly different than any group of kids in the early 1970s singing Christmas carols. Mighty forgettable. (Note: There was also a "Partridge Family Christmas Card" album, but good taste overtook me and I didn't pick that one up!)
Twisted Sister - "A Twisted Christmas" - Imagine the hard-hitting rock and roll chords of the 80's hit "We're Not Gonna Take It." Now imagine those same three chords with the lyrics of Christmas carols instead the cries of teen angst. You've got "Twisted Christmas." It's the album that makes it possible to bang your head to "O Come All Ye Faithful."
"Christmas Day with Colonel Sanders" - I, as a lover of truly terrible music, was overjoyed at the thought of Col. Harlan Sanders crooning holiday classics coated with 11 herbs and spices, but alas the album was a mix of hymns and carols sung by real musicians like Al Hirt, Jim Reeves, Ed Ames, and other household names from over half a century ago. So I passed on the album and got the bucket of chicken instead.
The Singing Mailmen of Miami - "Mail Early and Have a Merry Christmas" - I'll admit, this may be my personal favorite. I stumbled across this in the record library stacks of a radio station I worked for. It was the late 80s, but the recording dated back to the 60s. There was an actual group of postal workers known as The Singing Mailmen of Miami who sang for charity purposes. This album was Christmas-themed, but also served as public service announcements for the post office. One tune sounded like "Jingle Bells" but the lyrics were about remembering to use zip codes to make mail deliveries quicker. Another cited the benefits of mailing cards and packages early during the holiday season. As a wacky morning D.J. I would play one of these tunes whenever I had 30 or 60 seconds to stall before something important happened. The Singing Mailmen of Miami were always good for a useful holiday tip.

Getting to know a wish granter

2011-12-04T17:34:00.007-05:00

Imagine being able to do something memorable in the life of a child with a life-threatening illness. Robin Kraner often has that opportunity.
Kraner is a wish granter with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Ohio, an organization with a focus on helping to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Her position is something she believes she was led to take after an experience with her then-15-month-old daughter at Toledo Childrens Hospital.
"During the time we spent there we met so many families and children, but the ones I remember most are the ones whose children had a life-threatening or terminal condition," said Kraner. "I felt like I had been led to the experience at Childrens Hospital so that I could somehow make a difference in their lives and the life of their child. I feel it is a gift and an honor to be the one who gets to give some magic to these families."
Part of Kraner's focus this week is a Make-A-Wish fund-raising campaign in conjunction with Macy's in Lima. She is soliciting letters to Santa. The letters can be from anyone and do not need an envelope, a return envelope or a stamp. Macy's will donate one dollar per letter placed in the big red mailbox in the Lima store, or two dollars per letter on Dec. 9, which is National Wish Day. Kraner has petitioned help from many local schools, including Van Wert, Crestview, Parkway, Antwerp, and several others. She is even delivering the letters to Lima herself through the end of the year, all so Make-A-Wish can earn up to $1 million to spend on granting more wishes.
As a wish granter, Kraner acts as the go-between, coordinating everything with the child's family and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, participating in special events, fundraisers and other activities. She helps the child determine exactly what the wish should be and then begin the process of making that wish come true. The feeling is amazing.
Kraner tried to describe what wish granting is like. "It cannot be compared to anything I've ever experienced. For one moment in time, that child can make a wish that will take him or her as far as their imagination will allow. It's as if for one moment everything in the world in that child's life is good. To be a part of that is life changing."
One of the other happy parts of granting the wish of a child is also providing the child's family with an amazing shared experience with their loved one.
"The child's parents and family can rest in knowing that they were able to see their child happy, some of them for the very last time. That gives them a good memory. Nothing can heal the heart of a parent who loses a child, but to be a part of placing a grain of peace and well-being in their soul with a good memory that Make-A-Wish has provided is truly magical and nothing short of a miracle. And I get to be the one who waves that magic wand!"
Kraner and her husband Mitch and children Chris and Hannah live just outside of Ohio City. Her paying job is at Stoneco in quality control. Kraner also is in charge of field trips for schools and groups as well as the public safety program.
She also volunteers her time and talents to the families of terminally ill children by taking family pictures at hospitals and hospices. Many families want this picture, but cannot get the patient to a studio or photographer.
"In most every case this is a final opportunity for them to have a picture with their beloved family member," Kramer sighed.
One of the latest wishes Kraner was involved with started two years ago with a teenage girl in a neighboring county who was losing her eyesight. Her wish was to meet Daniel Radcliffe, the actor who portrays Harry Potter in the series of motion pictures.
She was finally able to grant that wish in September of this year when the teenage girl and her mother were flown to New York to meet Radcliffe.
"What can compare to such a wonderful memory?" Kraner asked. "She may eventually lose her sight, but she will always remember that meeting and how she, for that one moment, was special!"

Investigators looking for leads in Mercer Co. murders

2011-12-01T17:35:00.003-05:00

FORT RECOVERY (OLHD) — Investigators with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation & Identification (BCI&I) have few leads and Mercer County Sheriff Jeff Grey is hoping the public will provide information about the murder of a 70-year-old man and his 47-year-old daughter in their home near Fort Recovery.
The bodies of Robert "Bob" Grube and Colleen Grube were discovered Wednesday morning in the home at 2216 Burrville Rd. The two had been bound with duct tape and shot to death.
“It is going to take the whole community to solve this crime,” Grey said at a press conference on Thursday. “I am confident this case will come to resolution and science will play a part in the solution.”
The time of the shootings has been narrowed down to between 5 p.m. Tuesday when Colleen was last seen and 9 a.m. Wednesday when the bodies were discovered by Robert's daughter-in-law, Cassandra Grube. Colleen had left Cassandra's home Tuesday afternoon after babysitting for the day. She was expected back at 8 a.m., and when she did not arrive on schedule, Cassandra went to the home to check on her.
The scene was originally described as a burglary by Cassandra in a 911 call. Grey confirmed that the house looked like someone was searching for something and that it is believed that crucial evidence may have been taken from the home.
“It is critical at this point to follow the evidence trail,” he said. “BCI & I agents arrived shortly before noon Wednesday and processing crime scenes is their area of expertise.”
Of interest is the fact that although a snowstorm began late Tuesday afternoon, there were no foot prints or tire tracks discovered in the snow. Autopsies on both bodies were scheduled for Thursday, and investigators are hopeful that the results will help pinpoint a time of death.
The bodies were found in the same room of the house with Bob in his wheelchair and Colleen on the couch.
Detectives and agents from BCI & I have several possible scenarios of the crime and how the killer or killers could have entered the home, including the possibility that entry was made before Colleen returned home Tuesday.
A weapon was not found at the scene and Grey declined to say where the victims were shot and how many shots were fired. Investigators are also unsure if a few recent break-ins at businesses and bars could have any connection to the incident on Burrville Rd.
“We are keeping some things close to the vest as we conduct a thorough investigation,” he added.
Both Bob and Colleen were stroke survivors. Bob retired from Fort Recovery Industries in 2003 and suffered his stroke in the following years.
Elaine Grube, one of Bob’s sisters-in-law, said he never complained of his health issues. He attended the Center for Neurological Development in Burkettsville after his stroke, but was never able to regain his strength or stamina.
“Colleen used to be a nanny in New Jersey before she had a stroke in her mid-30s,” Elaine Grube said. “She had to relearn the ability to speak among other things. She came home after a while, and Bob nursed her back to health. And in the end, Colleen returned the favor.”
A notice in red type on the Mercer County Sheriff website calls for "your help with the investigation of a double homicide on Burrville Road east of Fort Recovery. The Sheriff's Office has established a local anonymous tip line 567-890-TIPS (8477). Tips can be left 24 hours a day and all leads will be followed up by an investigator."
Meanwhile, Grey has issued a plea to area residents to be sure to lock doors to residences and vehicles, and not to let strangers into homes.
“This kind of stuff is not supposed to happen in Mercer County, and the nice thing about a small community is people realize when something looks out of the ordinary,” he said.
Grey asked residents to be aware of strange activity in their respective neighborhoods and to call 911 if they spot anything suspicious.
“Neighbors need to work together to look out for each other’s property,” he added.
(Information from the Ohio League of Home Daily contributed to this report.)

(Cutline)
The Mercer County Sheriffs Department detective Megan Baker, deputy John Marbaugh and detective Lance Crum investigate the scene of a double homicide on Burrville Road near Fort Recovery on Wednesday morning.

Council acts on trash; water and sewer rates

2011-11-28T21:36:00.002-05:00

The much-debated trash ordinance was passed by Van Wert City Council Monday evening, but not without a late amendment and a whole new ordinance detailing enforcement issues hitting the council floor.
Council members passed the four ordinances which outlaw littering or keeping garbage or garbage receptacles in the front yard of any occupied private property for more than two straight days. The late amendment changed the wording of the ordinances to include the entire front yard of a property. Previous versions of the ordinance had prohibited trash within 20 feet of the right-of-way.
The new ordinance dealing with enforcement went through its first reading Monday night. It is actually a new chapter to be added to the Van Wert City Municipal Code if passed. The ordinance would make violation of the trash law a civil offense which needs only to be proven with clear and convincing evidence before the court.
An offender would be issued a notice, or ticket. The fine for the violation would be $75 but would increase to $150 if not paid within ten days. The accused violator would also have the option of requesting a hearing on the matter.
The process of establishing a trash ordinance began earlier this year as an attempt to find a way to keep residents from accumulating bags of trash at the curb for many days at a time. Council twice heard from area trash haulers to try to find a solution. Many local residents have complained that some people have left trash bags out for several days and that animals and high winds have scattered trash through many neighborhoods.
Council members also gave preliminary approval to an increase in city water and sewer rates for 2012. A proposed ordinance which increases rates by five percent still faces two more readings before council can grant final approval.
According to Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming, the increase is the same as for 2011 with the average city water and sewer customer seeing a total monthly increase of about $2.16. The city did not raise water and sewer rates for either 2009 or 2010, and Fleming noted that with the increasing costs of treatment chemicals, the raised rates will just about cover the effects of inflation from the past few years.
Fleming also shared that the city was going to be applying for another Tier 1 Community Development Block Grant to assist in downtown development.
Council members also passed the ordinance establishing standards and oversight for small wind energy systems within the Van Wert city limits. Council earlier passed an ordinance making these small turbines a conditional use item in the city, requiring adherence to specific regulations about heights, locations and uses.
Also approved were temporary budget appropriations for the first quarter of 2012. A meeting to amend any figures needing changes was established for Dec. 28.

Holiday Diversity

2011-11-24T12:34:00.005-05:00

They say, "Opposites attract." And whoever 'they' are seem to be right in selected situations. Most of us know the couples with the quiet man and the talkative woman or vice-versa. So that holds true sometimes. Yet I've don't recall many millionaires looking for spouses at homeless shelters, so there is a limit to the adage.
These days we are taught to celebrate diversity, or plainly put, to celebrate things we don't have in common. On the surface that seems all bright and cheery, but when the rubber meets the road we see how silly that truly is. If I am introduced to someone new and we strike up a conversation, that conversation will surely be about something the two of us have in common, not about something only one of us enjoys talking to. Certainly I've been in those conversations where the talk is only about things I care nothing about. At that point I was in no mood to celebrate diversity! That's why we discuss the weather, people! It is a common point for all of us!
Yet diversity continues to rear it's ugly head. Check out any advertisement for a college or university. If there is more than two or three students, you are sure to see at least two races, at least two genders, and at least four different hair colors -- sometimes just on one person! Why do they all look this way? The universities want to be known as diverse.
This weekend, we see diversity in our holidays. True, almost one month ago, we saw Halloween (a celebration originally more about evil spirits than anything else) followed the next day by All Saints Day. Most people don't know much about All Saints Day, but it's a day set apart to honor those great people of the Christian faith. So, in case you're scoring at home, Oct. 31 was for evil spirits while the next day, Nov. 1, was to honor the really good people. Diversity.
Of course we know that Thursday was Thanksgiving Day in the United States. It was established, first by religious pilgrims who were thankful to God for their arrival and survival in a new world. It was made a legal holiday by President Abraham Lincoln during the midst of the American Civil War. On that day, the country was to give thanks to God for it's blessings while the country itself was in danger of biting the dust.
These days, Thanksgiving is still known as a time to be thankful for what one has. It's a day based around thankfulness, although a huge turkey dinner and a host of football games comes into play in modern times. The diversity comes on Friday. Black Friday. The day where shoppers rise early (or never go to bed the night before) to go and buy. While Thursday is a monument to thankfulness for what we already have, Friday has turned into a shrine to greed.
Don't get me wrong. Going shopping on Black Friday does not make you an evil, greedy person. After all, eating turkey and pumpkin pie on Thursday doesn't make you any more thankful either. But Friday is the official kickoff for society to tell us that we can't celebrate the birth of our Savior without a new 72-inch flat screen television, on sale Friday only for a spectacularly low price!
I've worked in retail on Black Friday numerous times. I've seen the look in those shoppers' eyes. If it doesn't have a sale tag on it, it will not sell. If the tag doesn't say something about 50 percent off, it will not sell. On Black Friday, I believe I could take a twenty dollar bill and put it on a shelf with a tag reading, "Original price $100. Black Friday Sale 75 PERCENT OFF!!!" and I would see it without any problems. A sale tag makes certain people lose control of their math skills.
At the same time, Black Friday has become a family bonding time in certain families. It's a time where entire families can lose control of their math skills, but come home with a new 72-inch flat screen television. And that can all happen less than 24 hours after reflecting on how thankful they are for everything they already have.
This weekend, I hope your attitudes don't get quite that diverse. We are a blessed people. Be thankful.

OSU Extension is a valuable resource

2011-11-22T20:52:00.003-05:00

Van Wert County is fortunate to still have the Ohio State University Extension program locally. With budgets being slashed all across the states, many offices are being forced to close, but the Van Wert County extension program continues thanks to stable funding and a wide variety of useful programs and information being used by residents all over the region.
Representatives from all four program areas of OSU Extension Van Wert County gathered Tuesday afternoon for the Program Highlights meeting at the Van Wert County Fairgrounds to report on the many activities in 2011.
"There are not too many organizations like Extension out there," pointed out OSU Extension Agricultural Educator Curtis Young.
Indeed, the Extension program across the state is not what it once was in many counties. Young stated, "At one point in Ohio, from the agricultural standpoint, there had been a minimum of one ag engineer in all 88 counties, and in some counties there were two or three individuals that were oriented toward agriculture. Today our numbers may be 30-35 in ag across the state."
In other program areas, the numbers are down as well, thanks to retirements and local funding cuts. Family and Consumer Sciences are staffed at about the same level as agriculture, and the Community Development program features only around a dozen persons throughout the state. Only 4-H remains with close to the same staffing levels as previous years.
But in Van Wert County, all four programs remain, and at the meeting, highlights from the past year were presented. Carol Trice listed the many items from the Family and Consumer Sciences program, including a new nutritional offering.
"We were a pilot program this year for a Senior Farmers Market Voucher Program, as well as for the seven counties that are in our region for seniors. There were 620 seniors in the seven-county area who got $50 vouchers they could spend at local farmers markets," explained Trice.
She went on to describe the nutritional information program that went along with the voucher program, the parenting classes given at the county jail, and the life skills programs given to women at the Van Wert YWCA Womens' Shelter.
Nancy Bowen spoke about the Community Development program highlights. Bowen, who serves as the Van Wert County Economic Development director, updated those in attendance on the funding for the Van Wert Supersite development, the Business Retention and Expansion program used to aid local business, and the two revolving loan programs which are used to help small business in the area.
"They really are successful," she noted. "We're at a portfolio now of about $2.5 million, have made 66 loans and created somewhere between 375-400 jobs."
Heather Gottke, 4-H program coordinator, shared some of the accomplishments on the year. "Membership did go up with around 550 members and cloverbuds," she said. "We also increased by two new specialty clubs -- a shooting sports club using air rifles so far, and hopefully archery and pistols in the future, and a poultry club called the Bird Brains!"
According to Gottke, volunteer totals are now around 100, around 160 participated in 4-H Youth Camp, and 215 youth participated in Livestock Quality Assurance training, resulting in a perfect record this year for the absence of drug residue in livestock.
Young wrapped up the program reports with an overview of the Agriculture program. Since arriving in the Van Wert County Extension office in April, Young has carried out a variety of agronomic studies for insects, worms, and weeds, as well as performed editor duties for two online journals.
With a background in entomology, Young also reported on the struggle to eradicate the Emerald Ash Borer, as well as updating the situation with the Asian Longhorned Beetle in southern Ohio, and on a new variety of fruit fly known as the Spotted Wing Drosophilia in Van Wert County. That insect is a fruit fly which attacks fruit even before it ripens.
Young commented that the OSU Extension office in Van Wert County is now recognized all around northwest Ohio as a source for information that used to be available in each county in Ohio.
"With surrounding counties not having resources like we have here in Van Wert County, we get a multitude of calls and emails from outside of the county searching for information that they can no longer get locally," he stated. "We're definitely seen as the resource of where to go to when you don't know the answer to things."
The OSU Extension system is the world’s largest non-formal educational system. The purpose of Extension is to bring the knowledge and research from the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center on the OSU campus to the local level, enabling Ohioans to use the scientifically-based information to better their lives, businesses, and communities.

Conveying Convoy

2008-09-21T11:29:00.003-05:00

Around 200 years ago, the area where the village of Convoy now stands was nothing but swampland. The property located near the edge of the Black Swamp began to be purchased in the late 1830s. Transient settlers began to arrive and depart shortly thereafter. One of those early visitors were Mr. and Mrs. John Morse who walked from Defiance to build a log house along Ridge Rd. It was Mrs. Morse who gave the township it's name, borrowing from her hometown of Tully, New York.

The first permanent settler was Robert Nesbit. Sent to Ohio by the Pennsylvania Railroad, he built a log cabin in the woods in 1848. Eight years later Nesbit and James Pettit laid out the town which Nesbit named Convoy after his hometown in Ireland, Conmhagh (Convoy). These are the only two towns in the world with this name.

Businesses began to appear, spurred on by the presence of the railroad. Acre after acre of swampland was drained and much forest was cleared to discover prime farm ground beneath. The area was also known for its wild animals. In 1886, a railroad was purchased by George Marsh, G. M. Salzgaber, and L. H. Wise which brought passengers from Van Wert toward the Indiana state line, hoping to see the thick woods and the wild animals.

Convoy itself was incorporated in 1874 with 400 residents led by Mayor A. B. Penny. Lumber was the first real industry of the area. By 1872 there was a stave factory and a hoopmill nearby. But it was the rich farm ground that soon took over. A milling center and associated shops were soon the center of activity.

Two large fires devastated the village in the early part of the 1900s. In August 1900, the south side of the business district was completely destroyed. Residents armed with large blankets and pick poles tried to prevent the blaze from spreading to even more of the structures. The first Convoy fire department rose from the ashes of that disaster.

However in 1906, the north side businesses burned for several days before the blaze was extinguished. These fires caused the replacement of the mostly-wooden storefronts by block buildings.

The first school in the area was located about a half-mile west of town. The first teacher, D. R. Bonnewitz, taught students in all eight grades. The first high school graduates were awarded diplomas from Convoy High School in 1887. An eight-room schoolhouse was built on E. Tully St. in 1918. By 1921, Convoy and Tully Schools merged to form what was then the largest school in Van Wert County. Nine more rooms were added to the building in 1923 and Convoy-Tully School opened that fall with 145 students. Students from Union High School were also arrived in 1952. In 1960 Convoy-Union consolidated with Wren to form Crestview Local Schools.

The village continued to make improvements over the years. A sewage system was installed in the 1930s and a water system was added in 1943. A wastewater treatment facility was built, and streets and sidewalks were continually improved. The latest set of improvements included reconstruction of E. Tully St., then W. Tully and the downtown area which concluded this year.

Edgewood Park, on the village's north side was dedicated in 1980. The park grew out of the Convoy Centennial Celebration of 1974. Proceeds from the event provided seed money for the park. In 1975, 22 acres of land were purchased and work began. The name was chosen by contest with Brian Duncan coming up with the winner. The first ball game at Edgewood Park took place in 1979.

Businesses have continued to flourish in Convoy. Hall Lumber Company, U. S. Bank, and others have been a part of Convoy life for many years. Convoy Care Center was opened in 1983. Even today, new businesses like Baked Nostalgia, Yard Sale Time, and The Secret Garden make Convoy a wonderful place to live.

A new post

2008-02-02T19:53:00.000-05:00

Nothing much to say, I guess.

2007-02-28T13:04:00.000-05:00

Here it is.

2007-01-22T15:47:00.000-05:00

2007-01-14T23:37:00.000-05:00

#2a

2007-01-10T21:52:00.000-05:00

award

2007-01-08T23:24:00.000-05:00

here

2006-12-01T20:39:00.000-05:00

pay

2006-11-05T23:14:00.000-05:00

cake

2006-11-05T22:57:00.000-05:00

slumber

100 Tasks

2006-11-02T22:17:00.000-05:00

Jennifer had this on her blog, and since I haven't stolen anything from her in quite some time, I thought this would be a good opportunity.

Which of these 100 things have you done? I've marked the ones I've done in RED.
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone (At least I think there were candles.)
08. Said “I love you’ and meant it!
09. Hugged a tree (But I didn't mean it!)
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights (At my house!)
15. Gone to a huge sports game (Regular season, but it was the Super Bowl Champs!)
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa (How about leaned after climbing stairs?)
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper (Oh, yeah. More than I care to remember.)
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon (It wasn't a long trip, but it was about 7 miles.)
22. Watched a meteor shower (And was a little disappointed in it.)
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity (No, I can always afford to give more.)
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment (While working as a radio announcer giving the agricultural weather report. My boss wasn't happy.)
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger (I went on a date with a stranger. Doesn't that count?)
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run (But it's been an awfully long time ago!)
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Visited all 50 states
40. Taken care of someone who was drunk
41. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
42. Watched wild whales
43. Stolen a sign (I actually didn't steal it, but I had it in my possession for about a year.)
44. Backpacked in Europe
45. Taken a road-trip
46. Gone rock climbing
47. Lost over 20 pounds (Shoot, I've lost 20 pounds most every year of my life. Gained even more!)
48. Midnight walk on the beach
49. Gone sky diving (We chickened out back in college.)
50. Taken a train through Europe
51. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
52. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table, and had a meal with them
53. Milked a cow
54. Alphabetized your CDs (That's the way they are supposed to be!)
55. Sung karaoke
56. Lounged around in bed all day
57. Gone scuba diving
58. Kissed in the rain (Not as romantic as it looks in the movies.)
59. Gone to a drive-in theatre
60. Started a business
61. Taken a martial arts class
62. Been in a movie (Just a couple of "student" productions.)
63. Crashed a party
64. Gone without food for 5 days (ARE YOU KIDDING ME??)
65. Gotten a tattoo
66. Got flowers for no reason (Gave flowers for no reason. All the time.)
67. Performed on stage (That's been a few years ago too.)
68. Been to Las Vegas
69. Recorded music
70. Eaten shark
71. Buried one/both of your parents (both)
72. Been on a cruise ship
73. Spoken more than one language fluently
74. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over (Of course losing my job had something to do with it!)
75. Been to the Statue of Liberty
76. Had plastic surgery
77. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
78. Wrote articles for a large publication (Not a really large one, but lots of small ones!)
79. Piloted an airplane
80. Petted a stingray
81. Broken someone’s heart (Not to my knowledge.)
82. Broken a bone
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper (Yes, but not as often as my kids.)
85. Parasailed
86. Skipped all your school reunions
87. Shaved your head (Not yet, but as soon as my wife's back is turned it'll happen.)
88. Caused a car accident
89. Pretended to be "sick" (Pretended to be sicker than I actually was.)
90. Surfed in the ocean
91. Saved someone's life
92. Fainted (No, but I've been knocked out.)
93. Been in the room while someone is giving birth (Four times)
94. Hitchhiked (Not exactly, but I've been given rides by strangers on the highway.)
95. Adopted a child (Been adopted.)
96. Been caught daydreaming (Huh?)
97. Been to the Grand Canyon
98. Called off a wedding engagement
99. Donated your blood (I did last month for the first time in about 15 years.)
100. Become a follower of Jesus Christ (Best decision I ever made.)

Throughout this exercise, I was reminded of just how precious life is, and of how many incredible experiences we have along the way. I can kind of understand why some get so wrapped up in the earthly life that they put the thoughts of an afterlife in the back of their minds. God has given us so much on this ol' sin-soaked earth. Just imagine what we'll be able to compare notes about in heaven!

Mister

2006-10-04T16:20:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been a number of months, but we're equine owners again! This is our new addition to the family. His name is "Mister". Actually his name is long and complicated and doesn't even contain the word "Mister", but that's what my wife has decided to call him. And since she'll be doing most of the work, she gets to name him.

Faithful readers (also known as people with too much time on their hands) will remember that we lost our little grey Welsh pony back in March after spending eight years with him. This month, my wife culminated her horse shopping experience by picking up this quarter horse for more than a few quarters.

Mister is bigger than Cracker Jack was. He is a different color. He also has a much different temperment. Where Cracker was more like a dog, following us around the pasture, Mister is a real handful on the ground. He is much more interested in the green grass surrounding him than in anything I have to tell him.

Then again, Mister loves to be ridden. He just hates to be led around. He wants to be put to good use -- whether walking my daughter around the yard or galloping down the fence row with my wife urging him to go faster. In his mind, it's: "Carrying someone on my back is good, being led around is bad".

I'm just kinda thinking here, but isn't it interesting that most people would reverse those twp things. We would prefer to be led from place to place, being shown what to do, rather than carrying the load ourselves. It's much easier to have someone lay out all the instructions than to take up our cross or be an example to others.

Horses are working animals. People (the smarter of the two) depend upon horses to do specific tasks. Horses are effective tools when they are being used by a good horseman.

We too are to be effective tools. We are to be used my God (again, the smarter of the two) to do specific tasks, which Scripture says have been laid out for us to do since before the foundation of the world was laid.

Maybe horses are actually the smart ones.

2006-09-28T22:26:00.000-05:00

horsin'

2006-09-13T21:48:00.000-05:00

pepe

Wind Chasing

2006-09-04T10:28:00.000-05:00

"Meaningless! Meaningless!"
says the Teacher.
"Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless."

What does man gain from all his labor
at which he toils under the sun?

Generations come and generations go,
but the earth remains forever.

The sun rises and the sun sets,
and hurries back to where it rises.

The wind blows to the south
and turns to the north;
round and round it goes,
ever returning on its course.

All streams flow into the sea,
yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from,
there they return again.

All things are wearisome,
more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing,
nor the ear its fill of hearing.

What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

Is there anything of which one can say,
"Look! This is something new"?
It was here already, long ago;
it was here before our time.

There is no remembrance of men of old,
and even those who are yet to come
will not be remembered
by those who follow.

I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Ecclesiastes 1:2-14

I often find myself wondering about the way I spend my time. I'm pretty sure I don't make the best use of my time. And I'm not even sure that spending time wondering about the way I spend my time is a great way to spend my time. But now I'm confused. But I'll continue.

A lot of bloggers eventually write a few posts about whether it blogging is a good use of one's time. This post is not one of those posts. Instead I'm thinking more about the other things in my life. Not the stuff that actually has some sort of value, but the stupid things I do. The picture to the right is not of me. It's actually some woman setting the world's record for... get this... underwater ironing. That's what I said. Read it again if you like. Un-der-wa-ter-i-ron-ing. This dear lady is at a depth of around 100 meters in scuba gear, with a folding ironing board, an iron and a mental deficiency.

Let's think about this for just a moment. (Again, it's probably not the best use of my time or your time, but humor me.) She is ironing. Underwater. Generally, that's not the best way to iron. When I actually iron something, I usually start with a mostly-dry item of clothing. I'm assuming the iron isn't plugged in somewhere, as I don't see a long orange extension cord, or any signs that the diver is being electricuted. Then, it appears that the diver is actually ironing -- a t-shirt! As I've told more than one person, if you're ironing t-shirts, you need to get yourself a hobby.

Putting it all together, it's ridiculous to think that a woman is actually diving the depth of a football field into the ocean to iron a t-shirt in the most ineffective way imaginable. It's perhaps even more ridiculous that a photographer bothered to dive down 100 meters to take a picture of this woman!

As easy as it is to make fun of Miss Underwater Ironer, I realize that I'm no better. I'm not as hard on myself as Solomon was. I don't buy into the whole "everything is meaningless" argument. The two days I spent wandering around the county fair this weekend was time spent with family and friends. The time blogging helps me explore my relationship with God. My time reading blogs does the same thing.

But there's the hour or two in front of the television set. Or playing a computer game. Or surfing You Tube to see what silliness has been documented for the whole DSL-Connection-or-faster-world to see. Am I making the best use of my time? Obviously not. Most of the time I'm doing my share of wind chasing.

Why is it that time-wasters are able to climb up the ladder of priority in my life? (and I'm assuming yours also). True, I'm not ironing t-shirts underwater, but by the same token, I don't know how to scuba dive. Shoot, I barely know how to iron!

I wonder where the right mix is. "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," I've always heard. Of course, I've always heard that from people who don't want to work! I wonder just how much of my life I've wasted, chasing the wind.

Paul wrote that whatever we do, we are to do it to the best of our ability as though we are doing it for God. I'm not quite sure Paul was thinking about underwater ironing when he wrote that, but is there a place for diversion? Is diversion like so many other things in life -- good in moderation, bad in overindulgence?

All I know is that I don't make the best use of my time, and I don't believe God is always pleased with the way I spend my waking hours. That is something I must be praying about.

2006-09-01T10:06:00.000-05:00

bocephus

2006-08-23T15:40:00.001-05:00

girls

2006-08-23T15:40:00.000-05:00

boys

numa numa

2006-08-14T22:32:00.000-05:00

2006-08-08T20:51:00.000-05:00

shower

2006-08-08T19:40:00.000-05:00

miser2

2006-08-06T18:41:00.000-05:00

air conditioner

2006-08-06T18:40:00.000-05:00

fan

2006-08-06T18:39:00.000-05:00

ice

2006-08-06T18:38:00.000-05:00

speed stick

Sloth

2006-07-16T21:37:00.000-05:00

Sloth. No, not the cute little critter with either two or three toes. More like the innate desire we have not to bother to lift either two or three toes to do something. Meet Sammy the Sloth.

There are days I can be the laziest man on the face of the earth. I'm not proud of that, although on those days I doubt I'd put up a good argument to refute the charge. There are days when I'm content not doing anything, if at all possible.

The reason why Sammy the Sloth has come up is from Kelly's comment from my post, Doubt, Pride and Shame. I fully understand Kelly's point. Many days I live Kelly's point. But let's look at laziness, or sloth, and see what it really is.

My contention is that in it's basic form, laziness is simply selfishness. Think about it. If I'm too lazy to read my Bible or to pray, isn't it really that I don't want to read it? Or at least that I don't want to read it or to pray enough to put down the bon-bons and the remote to pick it up and get to it?

I know that there are days when I come home from a long day of work and I really don't feel like doing anything more. Last week was one of those weeks for me. I was filling in, taking on extra assignments at work while my boss was on vacation. By the time the whistle blew at the end of the day, my mind was fried and I had no desire to use it without significant sleep. Could I have done something I really wanted to do? Sure. There were things I would have gladly done, given the opportunity. However, most things last week didn't motivate me enough to get me going.

So too with the busy schedule excuse. I hear ya', soccer moms and little league dads. I'm with you, not only in spirit, but also in body. Shoot, we're all pretty busy little beavers these days. Society tells us we should be, and our kids should be, so that's what we do. The little squares on the calendar fill up and each day becomes a sort of challenge to see how we can manage to get everything accomplished. So who can take time out for prayer?

But from where I sit (and it's not far from where you're sitting), our business is a matter of choice also. And it comes back to self. We make committments or fill in schedules with things we want to do (or think we should do) and then wear ourselves out for the things we are called to do. So when we collapse on the sofa after a long day of picking up kids, dropping off dry cleaning, picking up groceries and dropping off projects we are left with our sloth. Not that we are too lazy to pray, but that we've chosen other alternatives -- alternatives which make us happier, or which make us more impressive to the people we know. Or as Kelly put it, "I make time for all the other things in my life that are important, don't I?" Yup. That we do.

So I really can't accept laziness as an excuse or a reason why we don't pray. Because laziness comes back to selfishness, and selfishness comes back to pride. We don't find ourselves too lazy to pray. We find ourselves to have chosen things that give us satisfaction in other areas, then use our own pride as an excuse for ignoring the One who gave us life, and gives us eternal life.

2006-07-08T11:01:00.000-05:00

sharp edges

Doubt, Pride and Shame

2006-07-06T22:37:00.000-05:00

A good writer doesn't give away the answers to the question too quickly. So, call me a hack.

I asked the question, "So, why don't we pray?" and I've already given you the answers that I've come up with right there in the title. Doubt, pride and shame. I thank those who offered their comments, which I believe fit into these three categories.

When I first started hashing this thought out in public, it was at Meg Logan's Blog. (Meg was away from the blogosphere for awhile, but is back at it again. I heartily recommend a trip over there.) But in one post on prayer, I mused about this subject and Meg, very bravely, admitted that her problem was doubt. It is very easy for us to doubt that our prayer will make any difference at all in the situation we pray about. Why is that? Because we've all prayed for something and not received what we prayed for. All of us. I've met no one who is batting 1.000 in the GWPF's (Getting What we Prayed For's). In fact, I'd say I know more people who are closer to .050 than to .500 in GWPF's.

So doubting is natural for us. Since we often think of prayer as a way of getting what we want instead of remembering that it is a way for us to want what God wants, we can get discouraged watching request after request go unanswered -- or at least not answered the way we want.

If we don't think something is going to "work" it becomes a less attractive way for us to spend our time. But prayer is not about getting God to change His mind, it's about molding us into the image of Christ Jesus. "Thy will be done" -- remember?

The mental image I use when explaining how prayer works is of a person in a rowboat holding a rope which is tied to the dock. By pulling on the rope, the dock is not brought closer to the boat. In fact just the opposite is true. Prayer is most effective when our will is brought into line with God's will. But the doubting mind keeps us from seeing the true purpose of prayer, and so drives us away from prayer. We may not really hate the idea of praying. We just can't find a pressing reason to make it necessary or even efficient.

Then comes pride. Pride makes us think that prayer is unnecessary because we can handle the tough stuff ourselves. Pride makes us believe that we're not in that bad shape. Pride says that we are rugged individualists who have no need for a crutch. Pride tells us that "God helps those who help themselves" yet forgets that this old saw is not taught in Scripture.

Oh, pride. It's just our own poor perception of ourselves taking action. It's usually more of a "male" thing, but it brings down plenty of females too. Urging us to "be strong" and to "deal with it" and the like. Funny how Jesus never had any real problem with being too proud to pray -- and I doubt we think we're stronger than Him!

We do so love to have a good opinion of ourselves. Self-actualization, self-worth, loving yourself before you can love others... the world tries to sell us that whole bill of goods daily. Scripture teaches something else entirely. And the Bible is full of examples of godly people who weren't too proud to come to their Creator.

Shame. There's a word we don't hear much anymore. I suppose it stems from the whole pride nonsense. But deep down we still have shame, even when the world tries to tell us we shouldn't. And that shame can get in the way of our relationship with Christ.

John and Martha have each sat down in a room together. This married couple hasn't spoken to one another since Martha was caught lying to cover up an adultrous relationship. John and Martha try to make small talk -- about the weather, the kids, work... but they are not alone. Also in the room is the 1200 pound gorilla they both seek to ignore, but which refuses to be ignored. How awkward and uncomfortable John and Martha each feel. Both are fully aware of the problem, but neither is willing to address it. They wish to avoid a confrontation.

I think it's that shame which drives many away from prayer. We are fully aware that God knows our sinful hearts. He knows what we shouted at the person at the coffee shop yesterday. He knows what we were fantasizing about the attractive young person in the next car at the stoplight. He knows that we're so self-absorbed that our efforts at a relationship with Him are superficial at best. And since we know that HE knows all that, we wish to avoid the confrontation.

I'm not big on confrontations myself, but even more I hate having the gorilla in the room. Many years ago there was a young lady I worked with who had a problem with something I did. I heard through the grapevine that she was upset with me, but whenever I went to her to discuss it, she left the room at breakneck speed. She hid in her office with the door shut. She sneaked out of work via the side door at an unexpected time. All this to avoid a confrontation which needed to be worked out. Running from confrontation seldom accomplishes anything but delaying the inevitable. Yet still many people run. By the same token, many run from prayer, too ashamed to go to God to get rid of the 1200 pound gorilla.

Now maybe I'm just being simplistic here. But I think prayer avoidance comes down to these three categories. Again, not having time is just an excuse. Claiming to not know what to pray or how to pray or even not knowing we should pray are childish rationalizations meant to make ourselves feel better about snubbing Almighty God. It's back to doubting in prayer or God's ability to answer prayer, being too proud to ask for help, and feeling too much shame to come to the One we continue to sin against.

But isn't understanding the reason for our running a step toward getting that prayer life on track? I'm challenging you and me both to deal with the reason why we don't pray, then let God put it as far away as the east is from the west, and get back to a deepened relationship with our Savior and Lord.

2006-07-04T12:18:00.000-05:00

wonka for tea

Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen

2006-06-05T21:25:00.000-05:00

In this life I've seen everything I can see woman,
I've seen lovers flying through the air hand in hand
I've seen babies dancing in the midnight sun,
And I've seen dreams that came from the heavenly skies from above
I've seen old men crying at their own grave sides
And I've seen pigs all sitting watching, picture slides
But I never seen nothin' like you.
Do Ya - Electric Light Orchestra

I see trees of green, red roses too.
I see them bloom for me and you,
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue and clouds of white.
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night,
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by,
I see friends shaking hands, saying, "How do you do?"
They're really saying, "I love you."

I hear babies cry, I watch them grow,
They'll learn much more, than I'll ever know.
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

Yes, I think to myself, what a wonderful world.
Oh yeah
What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

Over the past two months I've seen some mighty intriguing things. Nothing as odd as babies dancing in the midnight sun or old men crying at their own grave sides, but I've found them interesting.

I've watched an old man attempt to preach the gospel over a public address speaker in his Chevy to a crowd who was only annoyed by his presence. I'm a big fan of persistence, but I'm not a big fan of screaming Bible verses at people who don't care what the Bible says. Find another way to share, brother.

I've looked out the windows of a country club onto a perfectly manicured golf course. There I saw a golden retriever and a boxer have a swim in the water hazard and go tearing across a few sand traps. None of the country club members saw the canines marring the course. I stood quietly with a smirk on my face.

I've seen a woman fighting cancer. Each time she thinks a battle is won, another battle begins. Yet her faith remains strong that the One who sustains her will also save her -- whether on earth or in heaven.

I've noticed many who are still living with grief over the loss of a friend or family member. Whenever that loved one comes to mind, something in the voice will get either quiet and melacholy or harsh and bitter.

I've gazed into the eyes of angry taxpayers, furious that a project had gone many millions of dollars over budget. And I've seen politicians tell me something that I knew at the time was completely untrue.

I've watched a young man all but confess to killing another man over a wad of cash. He made his plea while his family called to him, "Don't admit to nothin'," and "They can't prove you did it." They thought he should accept no responsibility for his actions. One of the family members even muttered under her breath, "At least he still has 24 hours to change his mind," as if accepting his punishment was a huge mistake. In watching those people, I was reminded that there are far too many times we refuse to take responsibility for what we do.

I've seen community pride as a new public building was opened and dedicated.

I've seen patriotic pride in the eyes of a veteran on Memorial Day.

I've seen selfish pride in the attitude of a group of young women who thought too much of themselves.

I've seen human pride in the attitude of someone placed in a position of authority.

Finally, I've seen Christian pride among a group of believers gathered to call out to their God and to call attention to their faith.

And I think to myself, "It's not always that wonderful of a world, is it?" But the next one sure will be.

2006-06-01T22:02:00.000-05:00

taylor girls

2006-05-29T22:27:00.000-05:00

dame

2006-05-29T22:21:00.000-05:00

hybels

2006-05-29T22:20:00.000-05:00

prof

Two Places at One Time

2006-05-18T07:05:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's a new post. Finally. Taking on a new job has done strange things to my daily routine. I'm just not in front of the computer much right now. It probably has a little to do with warmer weather and a lawn which continually needs mowed. I've started a few posts, but I don't seem to get the time to finish them. It's a shame I can't blog and mow at the same time.

I actually sat down to watch some television last week. Anymore that's a rare occurrence and I probably shouldn't have made time for it, but that's water under the bridge now. My wife wanted to watch er. We used to watch that show faithfully, it's not much fun anymore. Ron, of Northern 'Burbs fame, suggested that the show had jumped the shark, but I think it's been steadily walking across the shark's back for a few years now.

Anyway, since I knew one of the er characters was going to die on that show, my morbid curiosity got the best of me. Well, it wasn't just that. It's just nice to sit on the couch with my wife for a while since we've only been communicating electronically during waking hours lately. It'll be nice when her job cuts back to part time again in a couple of weeks.

But I digress...

On that episode, amongst all the nonsense that has become a part of most prime time television, was one line that struck a familiar chord for me. The character who was killed was a doctor in Iraq. His wife had been given the news about his death and somewhere in the grieving process she offhandedly said something like, "I was probably watching Celebrity Poker on TV when he died." And I realized that I had pondered that same feeling before. Maybe it's natural for us to think about things like that. Like while something earth- shattering is happening somewhere else, I was doing something completely trivial. When the first plane hit the World Trade Center, I was eating a donut. Why should that matter? I don't think I could have prevented the plane from hitting by being more vigilant. Unless of course I would have had a couple of 44 caliber donuts pointed at the cockpit door. But that's just foolishness.

There is a feature I love on my Sirius satellite radio. Of the seventy or eighty music stations on the bird, you can only listen to one station at a time, but my receiver has a feature which allows me to store up to twenty songs in memory. Then when any of the music stations is getting ready to play that song but I'm listening to a different station, the radio will beep a warning and the display will tell me which of those songs in memory is going to be played. Then I just have to hit one button and the station is changed just in time to hear the song.

Let's say for some reason that one of my songs in memory is Copacabana by Barry Manilow. (The reason would have to be demonic possession, as I can't think of another possible reason to store that piece of music!) But if I'm listening to a Jimmy Buffet concert on the Jimmy Buffet station when Copacabana is played on the 70's station, I'll get a beeping warning in time to allow me to hit the magic button so that I can hear each golden note of the music and passion, which is always in fashion at the Copa. Granted, I'd miss that part of the Jimmy Buffet channel, but it's almost like being in two places at the same time.

A lot of times it's very tempting to try to live in two worlds at the same time. In a way we have to. We are called to be in the world, not of the world, as countless preachers have said. But we're supposed to stick out... to be different. It's a much easier road to be "one of the guys" at work -- making rude comments about co-workers or the boss, gossipping, telling and laughing at dirty jokes, using profanity and the like. But that's not what we're called to be.

As Christians, we're called to be possible targets for other people's humor. We are to be different. We're the ones who are actually supposed to love and care about the lady who wears too much make-up and the guy with the body odor problem. We're not supposed to be preaching, "You people are horrible!" to the assembly clustered around the water cooler, but we are to live by example. Instead, we often take the easy way out and do what we cannot do in real life -- try to live in both worlds.

The thing is, we really can't live in both worlds faithfully. It's like when I try to listen to two music channels at the same time. I cannot do it. The best I can do is to get snippets of each song, ending up with only a fraction of each. It's the same deal in the Christian walk. If we try to spend 9 to 5 in one world and 5 to 9 in the other, we're shortchanging Christ. He wants all of us, not just the parts when "the girls from work" are around.

If I had a dollar for each person I have met who tries to compartmentalize their Christian time and their secular time, I'd have enough cash that I wouldn't be getting up to go to work right now. But I've met enough. And many more.

"Lord, give me strength not to treat you as a part-time Savior and a part-time Lord."

I'm Easy

2006-04-29T14:55:00.000-05:00

I don't think I agree with the results, but for what it's worth I'll fire up the bike!

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Sitting by the Heater

2006-04-28T17:24:00.000-05:00

The minute the words left my lips I knew I should remember them.

My kids have developed a habit over the years. Near the door leading to the driveway is a small electric heater mounted in the wall. On cold mornings, they like to turn the heater on and sit there with warm air blowing directly on them. Usually I have to chase them away and turn the heater back down, all the while muttering about the high electric bills like the stereotypical dad.

This morning was a bit chilly. I had to be at a meeting at 9:00 and drop my 4 year old off at a babysitter's house at 8:30. In typical 4 year old fashion, time meant nothing to her. It was a struggle to get her out of her bed because it was so cozy and warm under the blankets, but finally she got up. I got her dressed and fixed her a bowl of cereal while I got things together for my meeting. It was time to leave and I walked back into the dining room to find that she wasn't there. But the hum of the heater near the door told me where she had gone.

I knew if I didn't get her in a pair of shoes and a jacket in the next 30 seconds, I'd probably be late for my meeting. So I told her she had to turn off the heater and get up.

"But Daddy, I'm cold and it's soooo warm and cozy here."

"Honey, we really need to go right now."

"But I'm so cozy."

Then the words just popped out. I wasn't sure if she would understand what I was saying or not, but reflex had taken over.

"Honey, sometimes we have to do the things we're supposed to do even if we're really cozy where we are now."

"Boy ain't that the truth," I thought to myself. There have been so many times when I didn't want to get out of bed, but I knew I had to be at work that day. There have been so many times when I was sitting so comfortably that the only way I would get off the couch was to be pulled by some heavy equipment. And there have been the times when I knew about things I needed to do, but I was just too cozy not doing them.

But I know I'm not alone. There are many people who would go to church on Sunday morning if it wasn't so comfortable using that one day to sleep in. There are people who won't stand for Christ because it's too cozy just hanging back in the shadows. There are churches who won't reach out to people because it's comfortable doing things they way they've always been done -- and nothing more.

We each have our little heaters to sit by. They make us so cozy and comfortable. But the thing is, we each have things we are supposed to be doing. We just get too cozy sitting by the heater. And when that happens we fail... we fail ourselves and we fail our God.

Sirius Snobbery

2006-04-25T11:27:00.000-05:00

While I'm on the topic of music, and since Douglas brought it up, let me take you on a tour of my Sirius Satellite Radio system. I've alluded to it before, but here's the lowdown of what I live with.

First of all, don't ask me how much it costs, what equipment to get, etc. The 17 year old pimple-faced salesguy will fill you in on all that. I have a boombox for home, and a unit for my truck which broadcasts a low power signal which is then picked up by the stereo in the vehicle. Just slip it from one receiver to another. Pretty easy stuff, really. Oh, and the vehicle unit can be picked up by cars parked within a couple of parking spaces, so be advised! I can also access the music channels online for times like now when I am away from the boombox.

I'll also warn you that satellite radio will spoil you quickly. It's tough to sit and listen to earth-bound radio unless I'm looking for local news, sports or weather. For music, it's a whole 'nother world. It's all I can do to fight the radio snobbery impulse to look down my nose at the commoners with the quaint old-fashioned radio.

If you're a music lover, it's paradise. If you listen to nothing but the current hits, current country, or even basic classic rock you're better off not investing. That stuff gets played everywhere. Where satellite radio pays off is the stuff nobody else is playing. I'll take you on a spin down the dial.

The pop music section includes variations of the same theme -- stuff you hear on the radio now or for the past 50 years. You get a station for the 50's, the 60's, 70's and so on. There is a love songs station and a few that only play songs which annoy me. Sirius also has an all-Elvis station and currently has an all Rolling Stones channel. My favorite in this section is channel 12 which they call Sirius Super Shuffle which takes songs from most different types of music and plays them at random. At least that's what it's supposed to sound like. Often it does.

There is a section for rock with the basic classic rock stations: Classic Vinyl for 60's and 70's and Classic Rewind for some of the newer stuff. There is old punk/new wave, hair bands, garage bands, and every flavor of rock station you can think of. My current favorite here is channel 18, the Spectrum, which is more eclectic off beat stuff.

The dance/hip-hop/soul section is a mystery to me. Some of the older stuff I like, but this section really makes me feel old. Especially the all-disco channel The Strobe, channel 37. I find myself thinking, "Wow! I really hated this song in high school and it's no better now!"

The country section has a current station, an 80's and 90's station, a traditional country station and Outlaw Country, which is always good for a laugh. It's always fun to roll down the truck windows at a stop light with Tennessee Ernie Ford blaring out of the speakers! The bluegrass station is nice sometimes too.

The Christian section has expanded from two to three stations since I originally signed on to Sirius. There is now a basic channel, Spirit 66, for the Michael W. Smith and Casting Crowns stuff, then Revolution on channel 67 for the harder edge stuff. Revolution plays a lot of Disciple, Jonah 33, Hawk Nelson and a bunch of bands I've never heard of before. I'm about 50/50 on Revolution. Some of it is just too much for me. Other songs are great. The other Christian station is for Gospel recordings, and it seems I rarely get in the mood for that stuff anymore.

Next comes the Jazz (3 channels), New Age, Blues, Big Band and Standards, classical (3 channels) and international stations. The Jazz stations are great for when I'm writing, and there are always days I want to turn up Sirius Blues to around the decibel level of a small aircraft. The international stuff can be fun sometimes too, but unless I'm having a fiesta I don't usually turn on Universo Latino channel 90.

Mostly the three-digit channel numbers are sports and talk channels. Right at channel 100 and 101 are the two (yes, two) Howard Stern channels. Like it or not, the self-proclaimed King of All Media comes with a Sirius subscription. For folks like me, it's really easy to avoid him as he doesn't stray from his two frequencies. Same thing for some of the other less-than-wholesome programming which is bounced off the Big Dog's satellite. I can skip past the Maxim magazine station, the homosexual station, the unrestricted comedy channel and the new Playboy channel. I'm sad that my money helps go to support these things, but I do my voting with my tuner. I'm willing to bet that there is some way to measure how often each individual station is tuned in on my receiver.

There is a "clean" comedy channel which isn't bad and something called Blue Collar Comedy which seems to be trying to do some clean and some not as clean. It's not the station to listen to with the little kids in the backseat. Too many surprises.

There are a host of news options, from CNN to NPR to Fox News to BBC to Radio Korea. The talk radio options are a bit weak on Sirius right now after they picked up Fox Talk Radio which features Tony Snow and a bunch of folks I don't know. The right wing talk station is pretty worthless as is the left wing station. I used to be able to hear Laura Ingraham and Tammy Bruce, but they pulled that whole channel to put Fox on. Air America used to be on Sirius, but that only lasted a few months. I believe that network is still operational, so I'm not sure of the whole decision-making process on that one.

Then there are the traffic stations -- great if you live in one of the top 20 cities in the country. I don't live in one of those, so they are worthless. There is a Christian Talk station that I haven't quite figured out in the two months it has been on. EWTN is there for Catholic programming. There are a couple of kids' music channels too.

Sports is fantastic on Sirius, as every NFL game is found on the dial somewhere. I also find a lot of NBA, NHL and college sports on the air too. Of course there's ESPN Radio and ESPN News, but also NFL Network's radio channel is always on and there are other sports events broadcast live.

Sirius seems to invest a lot in getting some "name" personalities to attract listeners. As the number two satellite radio provider, they continue to look for a promotional edge. So it's not shocking to know that all of the five original MTV veejays pop up on Sirius music channels. Aside from Stern, Sirius also has Martha Stewart (how that sounds on radio, I don't know), Barry "Greg Brady" Williams, Jimmy Buffet, Bode Miller, Eminem and assorted other celebrity voices working on the air.

My favorite part is simply having the musical choices. I can go from a traditional jazz mood to an 80's music mood at the drop of a hat, but it's an easy transition with Sirius. My least favorite part is having to avoid all the stuff which really needs to be avoided, or stuff which will never pique my interest.

Is turning up the Sirius better than spending an hour in prayer? Of course not. But as I discussed yesterday, music is a language of the heart. On many of the channels I have my desire to speak that language fulfilled. It may not be huge in the Grand Scheme of Things, but it's an extra joy in a life already flooded by joys.

2006-04-18T23:06:00.000-05:00

cast

2006-04-17T22:05:00.000-05:00

Gopher

2006-04-17T22:03:00.000-05:00

Charo

2006-04-17T22:01:00.000-05:00

Julie

2006-04-17T21:59:00.000-05:00

It's Doc

2006-04-17T21:57:00.000-05:00

Cap'n

Christian Carnival Cruise

2006-04-17T21:56:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Christian Carnival CXVIII. It's the week after Easter (or Resurrection Sunday, if you prefer) and it's time for us to have a little vacation. Maybe take in a little fresh air out on the open sea. So, climb aboard. We're expecting you.

That's right, it's the Love Boat Edition of Christian Carnival, with posts assigned one member of your ship's crew for supervision (in case we have to man the lifeboats). So why not begin at the top? Introducing your ship's captain:

That's Captain Merrill Stubing. He's an old hand on board this ship. Making sure of a safe journey is his number one priority. He will be our guide through a series of posts about the event which enables us a safe journey to heaven -- Christ's passion, crucifixion and resurrection.

Lyn from Forward Thoughts starts us off with an Easter sermon/meditation entitled, With a Word.

Given the assignment of sharing about one of the seven "words" of Christ, Brendt of Musings from Two-Sheds Gomer examines, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise,” in a few thoughts on one of the "words".

From Ruth of Ruthlace, comes this meditation called, Do You Know About Easter?

At Brain Cramps for God, John takes on Hope and Knowledge for Easter.

In What Brilliant Darkness, Dr. Bob from The Doctor Is In reflects on the death and resurrection of Christ in poetry.

At dokeo kago grapho soi kratistos theophilos, Richard state discusses the disappearance of Satan in Matthew and Mark and his role in Luke's Passion story in The Ruin of Satan.

Dadmanly posts An Easter Message from a MILBLOGGER returned from Iraq since an Easter celebrated in Mesopotamia. Read New Beginnings (Again).

At Adam's Blog, Adam applies the Easter event to other parts of life in Even So, Come Lord Jesus.

And A Penitant Blogger brings this section to a close with Knew Not That It Was Jesus -- a reflection on Mary Magdalene’s encounter in the garden and on the encounters of our everyday life.

Your cruise director Julie McCoy heads up the next group. And since it's the Love Boat, let's talk love... and worship... and related issues.

Catez begins with March of the Penguins, posted at Allthings2all. Filmed in Antarctica during the icy blizzards of winter and the later warmth of spring, March of the Penguins tells two stories - that of the Emperor Penguins and that of ourselves. It's an epic journey that mirrors human experiences of loss and love, and tells of a timeless quest to create and sustain life in the beauty of God's design.

silas jones examines the lack of correct teaching in today's Christian music in Sound Doctrine and Musical Worship.

Such a Worm! Rebecca of Rebecca Writes looks at possible reasons behind a change that is often made to the words of the hymn, "Alas and Did My Savior Bleed?"

Feeling a little seasick? Doc Bricker will fix you up. And while he's at it, he will usher in a group of posts which touch on current events and cultural debates.

At Northern 'Burbs Blog, Ron completes his "untouchable" series examining the Dalits of India with Free the Dalits: So What Can I Do?

Why did crime go down in the mid-'90's...and what does the answer teach Christians about how to argue for truth? You'll wince at the answer to the first question, but maybe learn from the answer to the second when Byron from the No Kool-Aid Zone presents, Roe v. Wade v... Crime? A Lesson in Making the RIGHT Argument.

With Should Moussaoui Die? Professor Bainbridge Uses Avery Cardinal Dulles' theses on the morality of the death penalty, to ponder the question of whether Zacharias Moussaoui should be executed.

Tote that barge. Lift that bale. Fetch me another pillow and bring it to the Lido Deck, would you? Nah, never mind... Gopher will do it! Your ship's purser brings us a set of posts about that everyday trudge through life.

The Bible gives our language many expressions. The post, Cultural Literacy and the Bible, part 1, at Daddy's Roses examines a few of these.

Here's a look at the downward spiral that single Christians often take towards the bar scene from David at all kinds of time. Why Christian Singles Quit Going Out.

This Is Not Life! What does a cyborg killing machine know about human existence? More than you might think, according to the post from Light Along the Journey.

Everybody knows that the best theological discussions take place in a place where the drinks flow freely. At least that's what they tell me. And if we're going to have that discussion, who better than Isaac the Bartender to serve up the posts?

At Parableman, Jeremy talks atonement, sin, peace and deliverance in his thought-provoking Deliverance From Transgressions.

Micah Girl has been teaching her students about the connection between God's love and eternity in "Eternity in Their Hearts."

Following the hoopla around the public unveiling of the so-called Gospel of Judas, Derek from P.I.D. Radio presents an audio post, the beginning of a three-part interview with Craig A. Evans, a member of the advisory board assembled by the National Geographic Society to analyze the document. Craig, a university professor of New Testament studies who has authored and edited over 50 books, brings some sanity to a story that's been blown out of proportion by a credulous news media.

Diane of crossroads: where faith and inquiry meet asks What Would Happen If... our churches were organized just like the First Century Church. Would more people would have more balanced teaching, feel more taken care of, have less control and abuse, and get more out of church? Judge for yourselves.

Finally, everybody needs a little coochie-coochie. Ladies and Gentlemen.... Charo! With posts just for fun.

A comic with a point? You be the judge as kneon transitt should not be allowed to blog presents, "The Evangelists".

Martin has a little bit of everything in Sunspots 52 posted at Sun and Shield.

What's the relationship between taxes, the scripture, and soggy bread? OK, Katy at fallible.com hasn't found one, but this is a fun post anyway. It's called They Got Some Crazy Little Scriptures There, And I'm Gonna Get Me One!

Here's an odd question. But you need to visit Wayne's World 2005 and read it for yourself. It's included in Minus 52 Days - Generating Traffic After Easter.

2006-04-17T21:54:00.000-05:00

Big Isaac

Why It Matters - Biblical Inerrancy

2006-04-13T08:35:00.000-05:00

Since the Jesus Seminar seems to be on an extended vacation, Bart Ehrman stepped up this Easter season and trotted out the so-called Gospel of Judas. In his continuing campaign to deconstruct (and thus destroy) the word of God, he touts an old Gnostic piece of propaganda designed to lure people toward their teaching -- the need for a secret knowledge. Anybody with a little bit of investigation can see that the document is not a historical account, and it most certainly wasn't written by Judas in that time between kissing Jesus in the garden and hanging himself from a tree in the potter's field. But it's the attack that matters. The idea is to get people -- especially Christians -- to doubt that what the Bible says is true and accurate. Ehrman and many others want to take down biblical inerrancy.

This is nothing new. People have been trying to disprove the Bible for centuries. Any strand of hope has been clung to in order to cast doubt on the reliability of what has been handed down to us as God's word. I've dealt with many people who have tried to claim that the Bible is just a book translated from one language to another to another to another until today it looks nothing like what was originally written. Their ignorance of the fact that our Bible is translated from the original language shoots their argument before it falls off the tongue.

But most assaults on the Bible's reliability come in two forms: the Church changed the texts to make them say what the Church wanted them to say, or the original authors were unreliable. The first charge reads like a wild conspiracy theory. Many unorthodox teachers make this claim to try to prove their own anti-biblical theories. And then there are the Dan Browns of the world who flesh out a conspiracy theory about Mary Magdalene, Leonardo daVinci, et. al., call it a "code" and make bucketfuls of cash from it.

Those who claim that the authors could not have correctly transmitted God's word onto paper often point to some of the apparent contradictions in the text and claim that there are mistakes. Jennifer was discussing one of those this week. However upon further study, those apparent contradictions are not contradictions at all. They can all be harmonized with one another. At least I've never found one which wasn't easily harmonized. People have argued with me that the Old Testament writers thought pi=3 and that different authors reported different figures for war injuries and for populations, refusing to understand that giving a rounded number instead of an exact number is not a distorting of the text. They point to differing accounts in the four Gospels, ignoring the basic human fact that different people notice different things. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were all different types of people, writing to different audiences for different reasons. If the four wrote all identical texts, the charges of collusion would be rampant. And let's not forget that Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and even Jonah had no problem getting God's message accurately. Why should we think that God wouldn't make sure Peter, Paul, James and John got it right too?

Please note that holding to biblical inerrancy holds for the original documents and not necessarily the translations, which is where our conspiracy theorists pounce. Yet as great as the number of biblical manuscripts that we have, there is little doubt as to their overall accuracy.

But why does it matter? Why can't we just toss out biblical inerrancy and not worry about it? Because the Bible is our standard. Sure we have the revelation of creation around us and we have the revelation of conscience within us, but beyond that we have no way to determine whether a teaching is accurate outside of the Bible. There is no esoteric "feeling" which is not so subjective to make a true determination. If the accuracy of the Bible is in question in one place, how do you place confidence in it's accuracy in another? If Jesus' miracles are all just myth, then what is really true and how do you know? Certainly we can't be stupid enough to think that our own reason with no further revelation from God will lead us directly to Him.

If Jesus didn't walk on water, then how do we know we are saved by grace and not by works?

The fact that man argues over interpretation is irrelevent. Man will argue over the color of the sky, even if it came with a big label reading, "BLUE". Our troubles in understanding all of it is only natural for pea-brained humans trying to comprehend an infinite God. Our problem believing it is a matter of faith, or the lack thereof. But none of these compromise the truth of the Bible, nor do they undercut in any way the doctrine of biblical inerrancy.

Biblical inerrancy matters because once the accuracy of any part is called into question, the accuracy of all of it is then in question. It matters because Scripture is the revelation God gives of Himself. It matters because the Bible is the foundation for knowing the truth of our faith.

It matters.

2006-03-31T17:02:00.000-05:00

wheel to wheel

2006-03-31T16:27:00.000-05:00

driver prayer

2006-03-31T16:14:00.000-05:00

the car

You Don't Own Me

2006-03-28T23:53:00.000-05:00

12.5 %

My weblog owns 12.5 % of me.
Does your weblog own you?

If it ever gets to the point where that percentage is around 20-25%, please put me in a home or care facility.

A tip of the ol' ballcap to Jeff the Baptist.

2006-03-23T15:06:00.000-05:00

cracker

What's Wrong With Church - Conforming to the World

2006-03-21T13:56:00.000-05:00

I have already briefly discussed the charge leveled against many churches of being run like businesses. Provided we aren't losing the purpose of the church along the way, a certain amount of businesslike structure is necessary. But it's in this area where lines can become blurred after a while. A church is not a business, yet the two entities have some natural similarities. If leaders do not keep the true purpose of the church at the forefront of their minds, the church can morph into an odd reflection of just another business. The trick is being able to work within contemporary society without becoming just like it. A church must not conform to the world any more than a Christian should conform. But it happens.

In a way, it's odd that we think that conforming to the world is bad but at the same time see churches built to mirror what we see in society around us. How similar should the church be to the world? Where is that line? I'm not sure we could all agree on where to draw it, but most of us can easily see when it's been crossed (in our own subjective opinion, of course). And I think much of that is because conforming is mostly a condition of the heart and not simply a physical appearance. But we see it as "looking too much like" or "sounding too much like" instead of "trying to be just like" and I think we miss a great deal when we do.

It's easy to take shots at the church for thinking like the world. We do it all the time. The world likes things bigger and better. The church... well, same thing. Is there any real reason we count the people who attend each weekend? Is there a point to keeping a running score of the number of members in each local church? There must be, right? But to tell you the truth, I'm not sure why. To measure success? Perhaps, if your definition of success translates easily into numerical trends. But isn't the job of the church to not only make converts, but also to make disciples? It's not always about quantity, but quality. I've visited churches that are a mile wide but only an inch deep. How about you? Certainly it doesn't take a theological genius to distinguish between a church of 300 people and a church of 300 disciples.

So why do we count? Because we naturally determine success by keeping score -- just as the world does. If I am at a pastoral conference among strangers, I am certain to be asked three questions: 1) Where is your church? 2) Which denomination is your church a part of? 3) How many people do you average on Sunday? If the person knows the answer to #1 and #2, then it doesn't take long to get to #3. And once the answer is given, the questioner has mentally determined if my church is successful or not. Isn't that ridiculous? It is. But I find that I do it too. I'm trying to break that habit. But the world continues to work at forming me in its image.

One of the scarier complaints is that there are churches who are trying to be cool. It's hard to believe, especially when "cool" is almost always an anti-establishment term. Church is establishment. Yet some complain that churches try to slink away from what they have always been to be seen as something new. I'd call it the "hip factor" but the word "hip" isn't too "hip" these days. Therein lies a problem. If a church tries to be cool, it had better keep up with the times. Each generation -- X, Y, Boomer, Buster, Whatever -- has it's own image. To conform to each preference is impossible.

But beyond that, is the issue of why we would appear to conform. Do we try to appeal to Generation Y to reach them or to not look out of date? Some charge it's nothing but surface change with no real desire to reach the next generation. I'm not sure that is accurate, but again appearances are subjective. It comes back once again to the state of the heart.

The hot button issue of the past few decades is music. Some charge that putting a drummer with a trap kit in the sanctuary is not only conforming to the world, but falling in line with Satan! I've read the propaganda from those who claim that specific music styles are "of the devil" and are sacreligious to use in a worship setting. "If it wasn't written by Fanny Crosby or Charles Wesley, we'll have to put it to a council vote." You know the type. But I'm still hard pressed to find the Satanism in Lord, I Lift Your Name on High or Shout To the Lord. Maybe I'm just not spiritually discerning enough.

Finally there is the emphasis in many churches placed upon having the best. Certainly this attitude is nothing new in the church. For years it was an unwritten rule that those attending church would dress in their "Sunday best" to show respect for God. These days it is assumed that excellence is to be the goal in everything the church does. Polished music teams, flawless technology, spotless facilities, entertaining services. God help the poor soloist who is a little "pitchy" during her song or teacher who stumbled through a prayer. We want to project the best. But like wearing our best clothes, our motives can lose their way in the pursuit of excellence.

Many stories have been told of poor folks who felt very unwelcome in a church because their best clothes didn't measure up to the church folk's expectations. I've also heard from people who were embarrassed that their best singing or playing wasn't good enough for their brothers and sisters in Christ. Many times I've heard from pastors who were told they weren't good enough or that their messages "didn't feed" the right people. Somehow the average Christian in the pew can go through a transformation so they he or she can determine what is worthy of God or not. That isn't a matter of having the right heart, but a matter of thinking like the world. God is not honored by the biggest and best building if it isn't built to bring Him glory. God is not glorified by the most beautiful voice if the song is sung to garner human approval. In this sense, far too much in the church has been conformed to the world.

But in most things we face a dilemma: being conformed to the world outwardly is seen in different ways by all kinds of people. Since the hearts of those involved cannot be known, charges of being too worldly are easily made and subjectively proven. The "right" way to worship or to dress or to do anything in the church is often seen through the periscope of each person's preferences. Fights are easily picked. Offense is easily taken. Churches are easily torn apart. Innovative ministries are often squashed for fear of looking too much like the world instead of being used to the glory of God.

Yet there are still many churches who are guilty of conforming to the world for no other reason than the comfort and reputation of the people who attend. Congregations fight over which is the biggest and most popular within a community while some seekers are brushed aside because they aren't rich enough or cool enough to add to the net value of the church. Paul wrote,

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

When the mind is renewed, the heart will be also. And when our hearts and minds are transformed by a genuine desire to grow as Christ's disciples and to bring others into that kind of relationship with Him, then we are not shaped by the world but by the Creator.

Up next: You and Me.

What's Wrong With Church? - Introduction

2006-03-10T08:08:00.000-05:00

When I started formulating ideas for this series, I wanted it to explore reasons. I don't want to lay down a multi-part diatribe against churches. Nor do I want to write a scathing condemnation of those who either have left the church or feel no need to be a part of one. There were a few raised eyebrows when I used the term "ran away from the church" in my post last week, but let's be honest here, that is an accurate phrase. Running away from the church is not the same as running away from God, but that is often what happens.

So I want to begin with some definitions. What constitutes "the Church" anyway? For my purposes, I'll use the big C "Church" to designate the Church Universal and the little c "church" when I'm talking about the local church. There are all kinds of arguments that the "church" is the only true expression of the "Church" but I'm going to leave that alone for the time being. I'll also delay dealing with the argument that the Bible doesn't call for a "church", only a "Church" until we get going here.

Who are those who have "run away" from church? In this discussion, I will specifically talk about those people who purposely stay away from any church. There are plenty of people who are "between churches" at any given moment and get frustrated with the whole visiting process. I understand that. I will give the benefit of the doubt to those people, even though many times people aren't very motivated to get to that next church. I think some who have left the church began by being between churches, then stopping in mid-stream.

The purpose of this series is to try to find some answers. Why are people staying away from the church? What are churches doing wrong? Why are the people staying away? Are they legitimate problems or the product of a sin nature and a self-absorbed culture? What about house churches instead of the tradition, institutional kind? What does God want from us?

I don't think there are many crystal clear answers applicable in every instance, with the exception of that last question. But there are trends we can notice. But in doing so, the conversation must be generalized. It is uncomfortable for me to sit and type criticisms of the church, knowing full well that some churches don't have these problems. It is just as tough to type criticisms of people when there are many cases where the generalities do not apply. I am not trying to attack anyone's character or salvation. I just want some solutions that both sides can address. If you take offense, fine. I'm sure some on each side of the argument will do just that. But let's figure out what is wrong together.

As a pastor, it has been asserted that I have a bias here. Well, I do. I'm a churchman. I make no apologies for that. However I am hardly a traditionalist as some would try to label me. That could be because of my background. I have been a pastor for nine years and a Christian as far back as I can remember. But there was also a time when I was not a part of a church. For nearly seven years I mostly avoided church. I wasn't rejecting God so much as I was too lazy and intimidated to find a church. The fact that I was moving to a new state every two years didn't help matters either. But I suffered through the same struggles as many who have run away. I found every legimate criticism I could to justify my own actions. In the end, it became more about seeking God and His will for me than it was trying to find a perfect church. It must have been, because I didn't find a perfect church. I found one where it was hard for an outsider to become accepted; where you were expected to be of a certain economic and educational standing; where the church's customs were expected to become your own; where you were lost in a sea of people, yet at the same time alone and sticking out like a sore thumb. That was the church I found -- the Western church, shaped as a product of our culture.

I thank all of you for your comments on the question thread last week. As we go through the series, I hope you'll continue to question and comment on anything that strikes you. Above all, I hope that this series will spur some thought to those of you in a church to do something in your own life or with your church to help alleviate these problems. And I hope God may use it to direct those who have left the church to help overcome past hurts and issues. May it be a fruitful process for all of us!

2006-03-08T12:32:00.000-05:00

postcard church

2006-03-08T12:26:00.000-05:00

lonely church

2006-03-08T12:23:00.000-05:00

waco church

What's Wrong With Church? - Glory Thieves

2006-03-08T12:19:00.000-05:00

"Ah, such a beautiful building! What happy, smiling people! There are so many! This church does so much for the community! Your pastor is such a dynamic speaker! I really like the way you make it easy to get from the parking lot to the sanctuary. I just can't say enough about your church!"

What's wrong with the above string of praises? On the surface, nothing. Compliments on a church facility or the people or the pastor or the charity work... those are fine. Where the problem lies is in the response of the church. Does the church accept those comments as praise heaped upon them or as praise for the One who deserves it? Deeper still, does the church exist to draw comments like the above paragraph? Are we looking to glorify the local church? Are we rejoicing in glorifying our pastor or our denomination? Are we trying to glorify ourselves? Or is our church doing ministry so that the world "may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven"? There are far too many churches who seek to glorify themselves first and foremost. They brag about their denomination and show off their celebrity pastor. And somewhere in the process the glory due to God gets waylayed. Sidetracked. Stolen.

One of the most basic excuses is that anytime the church is lauded, so is God. And to a certain extent there is some truth to this. But as with most everything in our lives, God is more interested in the condition of our hearts rather than the justification slathered on afterward. So you've built a $15 million facility. Is it for God's glory or for your own comfort? Be careful with the answer because God knows what's in your heart.

Is God more glorified in a huge cathedral or a school gymnasium? Does a huge and beautiful facility really reveal God's character? What about a hut made of sticks in the jungles of South America? Why do we get so caught up in having a nice church campus? First, because some people won't bother to come hear if the building isn't comfortable -- trying to please the world. I've wrestled with this whole issue previously. Certainly there is a need to keep a person from being physically uncomfortable, but too many churches cross the line into luxury and opulence.

The second reason we want the church to be nice is because it is for us. Just as we attempt to make improvements in our houses and try to have the latest, fastest technology, and strive to make everything as easy as possible in our lives, we take that same mindset and try to squeeze the church into it as well.

Third, we want things to look good so that others will be impressed by them. Let's be honest about things, we enjoy having people talk about our wonderful facilities. The sanctuary or the gym are bragging points. But it's more than just the facilities. We want the most entertaining music, the most charismatic pastor, the fastest-growing denomination or church. We take pride in our blessings rather than in our Blesser. We gladly accept the praise of man for ourselves in our finest Pharisaic style.

The dangers of stealing God's glory are not readily apparent unless your are looking at the situation spiritually. It all seems right to have the best... to keep up with the Jones' church and maybe a little better. It seems normal to take pride in the "selling points" of one's denomination or pastor or church, but the church exists to enable His people to give Him the praise and worship and honor and glory which He and He alone so richly deserves. If we steal His glory, our heart is in the wrong place. It's not supposed to be about us. It's about Him. And if our boasting is in anything other than Christ Jesus, we are taking the glory which so rightly belongs to God.

May the words of the Apostle Paul be the prayer of each and every person within a church and within the Church:

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which
the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Up next: The Business of Church.

2006-03-08T09:09:00.000-05:00

kirby

Representing Christ

2006-03-01T08:59:00.000-05:00

It's amazing what passes for a story about religion these days. This article from the Los Angeles Times last week is clearly filed under "Religion" yet the story is about Thomas Kinkade, an artist known as the Painter of Light. The report is about the outcome of an arbitration case where a couple of Kinkade fans became Kinkade Gallery owners, then felt betrayed by Kinkade's company, lost money, closed the gallery and took the Painter of Light to court to recover damages. The couple's initial investment was $122,000. Through hard work, they made up to $60,000 one year. Their arbitrated winnings? $860,000, although the amount may be inflated to around $3.5 million when interest and attorney fees are figured in.

The crux (pun intended) of the story is that the couple alleges that Kinkade and his associates used his faith to get potential gallery owners to trust the painter's company. The panel stated that besides failing to disclose material information to the potential gallery owners,

...Kinkade and other company officials used the artist's familiar Christian-oriented themes to create "a certain religious environment designed to instill a special relationship of trust" with the couple. ... "Media Arts through its agents Thomas Kinkade, Ken Raasch and Barnett, in particular, held itself out to be acting on a higher plain," the panel said in its written opinion, adding that the men frequently used terms such as "partner," "trust," "Christian" and "God" to convey a sense of "higher calling" to [the couple].

So the focus of the story (but a secondary focus to the arbitrators) was that of using Christian faith to build trust where none was deserved. Let's face it, the story is pretty boring otherwise. People are deceived in business deals all the time. Still others are too naive to ask good questions or do good research before sinking a ton of money into a business. But when Christianity is involved, then it's a story. Man bites dog. Hypocritical Christian swindles (misleads) gullible couple.

My point is not to condemn or defend Kinkade and company, nor to belittle a couple who trusted people without checking out the situation very well. My point is not even in the outrageous amount of money awarded by two of three court-appointed arbitrators or the cut taken home by the attorneys. My point is that as professing Christians, everything we do is seen in the light (again, pun intended) of our belief system. And any chance to show Christians as anything less than what we purport our Savior to be is cheered by the world like the villain's demise in a melodrama. After all if Christians are just as bad as everyone else, then nobody needs to be bothering me to read a Bible or say a prayer or waste my time and money going to church.

It's tough to take the name of Christ upon us. It's impossible to live up to. There is precious little earthly reward in the eyes of the world. Oh, those eyes... watching, waiting, hoping to see us slip up. Because when we fail, it's not personal news, it's not business news. It's religion.

2006-02-27T09:05:00.000-05:00

Fly me to the moon

2006-02-22T12:21:00.000-05:00

Irresponsibility

2006-02-11T23:58:00.000-05:00

cal

2006-02-10T15:11:00.000-05:00

Beaming up

"Life Ain't Fair" Revisted

2006-02-09T12:10:00.000-05:00

I was given a link to this story from a Reno, Nevada newspaper. It's a typical tale from our legitious society, I 'm afraid. In short, eighth-grader, Sara Beckman, was involved in the county spelling bee when she was given the word "discernible". She spelled it correctly, but since it was misspelled on the judges' sheets, Sara was disqualified. The error was not brought to the moderator's attention immediately, and the bee continued. Now Sara and her parents have a lawyer who says he will file suit if the final round isn't replayed. The bee officials say that the rules were distributed and read, and since the rules for a protest weren't followed Sara was eliminated from the competition.

I'm an old spelling bee veteran. I never got as far as Sara though. I did reach the county competition twice, and just missed a third time. My youngest son is the alternate for the county spelling bee tonight. I've been through this before. And let me tell you, there is nothing fair about a spelling bee. Oh sure, it's as fair as can be practically accomplished. But the kid after you always gets an easy word -- especially after you'd just had to spell "mononucleosis" or "longitudinally". Plus some kids are terrified of standing up in front of strangers, while others are comfortable showing off in front of others. It's never going to be completely fair.

Back in November, I blogged about the unfairness of life. But such an obvious concept eludes us periodically. We think contests should always be on a level playing field, but it's never that way. Just wait until the Olympic figure skating starts and the announcers have to explain away the marks from the Russian judge. Or check out the recent whining about the lousy officiating in the Super Bowl last weekend. Even instant replay can't make everything fair. Why would anyone think a lawsuit could solve problems in a spelling bee?

When there's a prize or a title on the line we try to be even more cautious about not playing favorites. Coming up Monday and Tuesday is the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden. Being dog-lovers, my family and I don't miss a year of this show. If you've never watched a dog show, the canines are judged on different criteria. Each dog is judged according to how closely it resembles the breed standard. Some breeds standards are a little easier to measure up to than others. Yet the show is in it's 130th year. But it's not fair.

I doubt that we could really call beauty pageants fair either. Everyone's standard of beauty is different. I know that I can never pick the winner of a beauty pageant in the opening parade.

The problem with our obsession with fairness is we tend to focus on the here and now. We value our treasures on earth far more than we ought. We act as if we believe that all good gifts are given to those who work, sweat and study to earn them and that the trophies, plaques and medals will never dull or tarnish. I'm not advocating laziness, but we cannot afford to base our hopes, dreams and identities on earthly honors.

For Sara the speller, I'm sorry that the officials messed up your big chance to go to the state finals. But at the same time there are going to be bigger injustices in your life. However I pray that you and your family come to the realization that it really doesn't matter. The spelling trophies are impressive to show off for a couple of years, but eventually they get dull and they end up in the way. Your obvious intelligence will serve you well -- with or without a trip to the state spelling bee. And the guy taking advantage of the situation is that lawyer friend of yours.

Life ain't fair. But our eternity will be determined by the only fair judge. He has no distorted agendas nor any false information. He reads hearts, and He reads them perfectly and fairly. And if yours belongs to Him, you won't be disqualified.

An Odd Parallel

2006-02-06T17:34:00.000-05:00

Little did I know that when I picked up the little book revolution by George Barna that I would be handling such a controversial topic. I've been reading some of the many reviews and reactions to Barna's book around the blogosphere, and have recognized the age-old (at least my age) argument of whether a Christian needs to be a part of a local church. Tod Bolsinger is doing an extremely good job of taking on Barna's ideas point by point and I refer you to his blog for individual posts like these linked in this run-on sentence. At Pyromaniacs, James Spurgeon is dealing with the same issue in a current series of posts also. His position is bluntly put in this quote:

I'll say it again. When you quit church, you quit following Christ. I don't say that to be mean or nasty. I say that in love and in hopes of getting some to re-think their actions.

Then I ran into this note from Al Mohler's blog about the passing of feminist leader Betty Friedan over the weekend. Here are a couple of quotes from that post:

Her thesis was that American women were coming to recognize that the arena of the home, with the traditional role of wife and mother, was just not enough. As she famously posed the question, women were supposed to be asking, "Is this all?"

In any event, the death of Betty Friedan reminds us that the modern feminist movement's beginnings can be traced directly to a deep dissatisfaction with the arena of the home -- and to the denial of the roles of wife and mother as truly satisfying, truly important -- and truly worth the devotion of a woman's life.

As I read these quotes, I was immediately drawn back to the controversy of the need for belonging to a local church. The genesis of the feminist movement, as illustrated in the quotes above, was a dissatisfaction in the way things were. Some women didn't feel that home or kids or the life of being an unpaid slave was the way things should be. So they set their sights on having more. Meanwhile, the "revolutionary" held up by Barna is also someone who isn't fulfilled in a local church, so he leaves and sets out looking for more. Like the feminist, the revolutionary isn't searching for rules or expectations. Each is seeking a sense of freedom. Yet in this freedom is a desire for finding a way to please God by pleasing oneself.

As Bolsinger points out, this isn't a new or revolutionary phenomenon. People have been looking for their own breed of religion for centuries. They see the obvious flaws in the organization known as the Church and feel that they can't deal with such imperfect people. The trouble is that each person brings his or her own imperfections. And someone with only a desire for selfish fulfillment misses the point of taking up one's cross to follow Another. Those who reject the institutional church miss out on the opportunites which only a group of like-minded, accountable-to-others believers can provide. Sure there are problems in each church. That's the point. Together we are the body of Christ. Separately we are all thumbs, and far too liable to interpreting our faith through the filter of what pleases us.

I don't know why Barna's book reads like a recommendation of abandoning the local church. He is a researcher. I fully accept his read on a current trend happening within the boundaries of what is labelled Christianity. But somewhere along the line Barna goes from reporter to cheerleader, and perhaps that's what has set so many people on edge. But that's a post for another day.

2006-02-02T14:24:00.000-05:00

fiona

2006-01-27T23:37:00.000-05:00

luge

2006-01-27T23:36:00.000-05:00

Biathlon

2006-01-27T23:35:00.000-05:00

hockey

2006-01-27T23:34:00.000-05:00

Skiier

2006-01-27T23:32:00.000-05:00

Skaters

2006-01-27T23:30:00.000-05:00

Curler

2006-01-27T23:27:00.000-05:00

Bobsled

2006-01-26T14:34:00.000-05:00

book

A Distorted Sense of Reality

2006-01-25T00:31:00.000-05:00

I don't get much choice in the matter. My family is hooked on the show. After getting enthralled by the competition and the "talent" on display last season, my wife and kids simply must watch American Idol. If you haven't seen the show, certainly you've heard about it. The Great American Talent Search -- if your idea of talent is singing ballads and cheesy dance numbers. Sure some of these young folks can belt out a tune, but in the end it really doesn't matter who wins because the top group of contestants all get a chance to make a record anyway.

My wife will watch the whole season enthusiastically. My boys start to lose interest once the more talented contestants are all that's left. And I know many more people just like them. What my precious sons love to watch are the people who are... well, not that good. They stand up before the three judges and they simply make fools of themselves. And people love to watch that. It's not because the performances are heartfelt or emotionally moving. It's that they are bad, and it's always comforting to know that other people can look even more stupid than you did when you drove off with two sacks of groceries on the roof of your Subaru.

What makes the early stages of American Idol so enticing is that the people who come in to audition are all thinking the same thing: "I'm so good. I'm going to be the next American Idol!" Each of these poor people have either deluded themselves or have been talking into believing that they can sing better than anyone else waiting in line to audition.

It can be downright painful to watch. Sure sometimes it's gratifying to see some obnoxious, egotistic singer get put in her place by an obnoxious, egotistic judge, but for the most part these people are terribly hurt when they are told bluntly that they couldn't carry a tune in a five-gallon bucket. One contestant was told that if she's going to sing in the shower she should get a soundproof shower curtain to save others the misery of hearing her. But all insults aside, Idol brings a parade of self-deluded people into a television studio and lets America watch them get hit by a firehose full of reality.

I wonder how many of these contestants continue the delusion after being denied a spot on the show. I'm sure there are many. We don't part with our pre-conceived ideas easily. If we are told repeatedly that we sing wonderfully, we typically adopt that idea and place it in our treasure chest full of truth. Nothing leaves that treaure chest unless we want it to go. Not even a videotape of a screeching-voiced audition and insults from three judges will pull it out of some truth chests.

All accepted truth is like that. If we consider something to be true, we'll be hard-pressed to discard it -- even if there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary. At The Gad(d)about, Matt wrote about an opportunity to witness to a Mormon friend about Biblical inerrancy, but found that his friend wasn't paying a bit of attention to all the evidence which refuted what he'd been taught in LDS Sunday School. He would gladly proclaim the "truth" but wouldn't entertain the notion that his "truth" was the equivalent of an off-key, forgotten lyric American Idol audition. He wouldn't give up his distorted sense of reality.

I could rattle off example after example of people not accepting the evidence for Jesus Christ and show how their ideas of truth are clung to like a struggling climber gripping the lone strong reachable limb for support. And we'd all nod, say "Amen," and shake our heads sadly at the stubborn, lost people with such a distorted sense of reality. But instead, let's point the flashlight in the opposite direction, shall we?

Are we afraid to have our version of the truth challenged? I'm not really talking about original sin or the Trinity or the deity of Christ here... what about the way we determine truth? I knew a man who was convinced that God will not hear your prayer unless you end your prayer, "In Jesus' name, Amen." Say it, and God will answer. Skip it or forget it, and you've wasted your time praying. When I challenged his way of thinking, he didn't jump up and down and scream, "HERETIC!" at me. He nodded, listened to my words and arguments, and thanked me for telling him. Of course I didn't change his opinion at all. I could have spent 40 days and 40 nights explaining that those words aren't some kind of password to get God's attention, and he still would not have listened. He wasn't going to pull that "truth" out of his treasure chest. He had been taught this and had cherished it for years. He was quite happy with his distorted sense of reality.

It's a pretty common reaction, really. Too many times we've put the wrong bricks in our foundation of truth and we're scared to death to pull it out or else the whole thing could fall. Or we don't want to examine our precious truths because if one of them is wrong, couldn't they all be wrong? Yet each Christian and each collection of Christians has his or her own false truths which are treasured too much to be parted with. From "We've always done it this way," to "But I was always taught..." our reality could stand a little pruning.

I'm always happy when I hear of churches not being tied to traditions while still worshiping and serving God. Collecting an offering without passing a plate or basket, giving away smoke detector batteries or bottles of water without a tract or sermon, holding services without turning to Willow Creek, Saddleback or old traditional methods -- it shows a willingness to look at those things which so many Christians hold to as truth. When a person or a church is willing to do this, it is surprising just how little of "what we've always done" is truth rather than tradition. And more important still is the teaching of Jesus telling us not to put tradition ahead of doing what is right. Or more simply put, we can't let our comfort level determine how God wants us to worship Him, serve Him and love Him.

Still too many of us are like the tone deaf singer, shrieking the Theme from Fame, then laughing off the evaluations of the judges who told us that Aunt Martha was wrong -- we really can't sing well. We're afraid to give up our distorted sense of reality.

2006-01-18T13:11:00.000-05:00

bullseye

2006-01-14T14:34:00.000-05:00

Doggie

2006-01-08T17:08:00.000-05:00

another view

2006-01-08T17:07:00.000-05:00

The car

2006-01-06T10:48:00.000-05:00

Duh

Identities

2006-01-05T23:47:00.000-05:00

He sounded so noble saying it. So professional. And sadly to too many ears it sounded right. Me? I just shook my head.

My wife and I were watching er tonight. It was a show where it seemed every little plot line concerned abortion. And at one point a doctor accused her superior of not helping a 15 year old rape victim get an abortion because he was Catholic. He spewed right back at her, "Listen I'm a doctor first. Nothing gets in the way of me helping my patients." I could just hear the cheers of the tens of thousands watching this tired drama in their homes. After all, a doctor has to be a doctor before anything, right?

I have read many things about the U. S. Presidential election of 1960 with Roman Catholic candidate John F. Kennedy scaring many voters with his church affiliation. Rumors circulated that JFK would take his orders from the Vatican instead of listening to the will of the People. I have seen many news reports where potential judges and justices come forward to tell questioners that their religion would not color their view of cases brought before them. And I wonder to myself, "Is this right?"

There is a position open at a local university for a philosophy professor to teach from a non-sectarian position. Now while I can certainly present material which is non-sectarian in nature, can I truly be teaching from a non-sectarian position? Can a public school teacher really hide his or her faith so that nothing taught will be colored by it? I don't think it can be. Or more accurately, I don't think it should be. I'm not calling for teachers to strap crosses on their backs and pass out Chick tracts between classes, but by the same token where is the point where a Christian looks like any other teacher?

I've been thinking and writing a lot here about being a Christian first and an American after. Does the same thing apply to our jobs as well? Should the doctor have shouted, "I'm a doctor first!" or should he have said something about him caring about his patients because he was a Christian?

I've done the little exercise a number of times where you list all your identities. For example, I am a Christian. I am a pastor. I am a father. I am a husband. I am a son. I am a seller of t-shirts. I am a friend. And so on. What I read in the Bible is that we are to be Christians first and that relationship should affect how we behave as fathers and pastors and friends and t-shirt sellers. Separating my faith from the rest of my life is a surgery from which I cannot easily survive spiritually. And no matter how noble it sounds to say, "My family comes first. I'm a father first and foremost," I think that's mistaken. Because being a Christian should make me a better father and husband, etc. The one overriding identity in our lives must be our faith or else we've relegated God to the backburner.