Just a Few Thoughts...

A Greek flagged tanker, carrying Saudi oil, with a crew from the Philippines was taken by Somali pirates today. After the incident, the Greek Navy sent a ship to monitor the situation. Maybe they should have done that a little earlier. Derek Jeter is the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year. Maybe it's me, but this year I am wondering if anyone deserved the award. I think Jeter got it because he is from New York. I heard Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona yesterday on FOX News Sunday. He said regarding health care that we need to separate out those who want health insurance, and cannot get it, and those who choose not to buy health insurance because they want other stuff, like a new car. This seems to make sense. I am sure though that when those folks get sick, they will be pretty irate when they are told that unless they pay upfront, there is no right to health care. The only thing I bought on Black Friday was gas for my car. The only thing I am buying today, Cyber Monday, is more gas. I guess I am officially a drag on the economy. Why is it that when I need a subsidy to buy insurance it is a government handout, but when farmers in the GOP dominated midwest need a subsidy, it is good business, and not a government handout? When we started Adventures in Life Ministry, our bank was Great Western. Their motto was "We'll always be there." WAMU bought them out and got rid of that slogan real fast. Our new banker is Chase. Now for our ministry/business we get to have holds placed on all of our deposits. After 20 years of never having a deposited check come back, we are now treated like bad risks. You'd think we could come up with a way to treat the banks like bad risks. After all, I didn't fail, my bank did. After the election of 1980, all the way up to the mid-term elections of 1982, President Ronald Reagan placed fault for our last major recession on former President Jimmy Carter. He even called it the Carter Recession. Was he not accepting responsibility? Finally, I am listening to a wonderful collection of Tony Bennett music. I first saw him in Vegas over 25 years ago when he was opening for Joan Rivers at the old Frontier Hotel. He is one of the few old masters still out there. Just great music styled in a way only Bennett could do.

The Iron Bowl

The Iron Bowl is the game for Alabama. With no professional sports teams within their border, this intrastate slug fest has become the biggest party for sports fans in the state. And for many, religion. I have seen first hand the tears of both joy and sorrow of local football fans in this state. My son is an Auburn graduate and I was fortunate enough to be able to see a few games in person during his tenure there. To say the place is rabid is an understatement. People live and die on this rivalry. Marriages breakup, families divide and businesses rise and fall on the results. And it is a zoo on game day. Here is all you need to know to get a picture of what it is going to be like today at game time in Jordan-Hare Stadium. About 55,000 people live in Auburn. The stadium holds almost 90,000 when it is maxed out, and today it will be. Outside the place will be another group, probably 10,000 strong who couldn't get tickets, or are too drunk to know where they are. Are you tracking with me here? That means bare minimum, this small city with a normal population of 55,000, will swell to over 100,000 at game time. Auburn University versus The University of Alabama. War Eagle versus Roll Tide. I think the infidels of Tuscaloosa will win, but of course I am rooting for the Tigers of Auburn. War Eagle.

What's For Dinner?

Roast Turkey Honey Baked Ham Sausage, Sage Stuffing Mashed Potatoes and Gravy Macaroni and Cheese Sweet Potato Souffle Collared Greens String Beans Green Salad Rolls And for dessert Sweet Potato Pie Handcrafted, by my wife, Chelle In the morning while we are putting some of this together, I'll make us a couple of great lattes on my Saeco Espresso maker and we'll enjoy Conchas, or Mexican sweet bread for the uninformed. Enjoy your celebration and Happy Thanksgiving!

Youth Ministry, Discipleship and Short-Term Missions

I write a little about short-term missions over at another blog called "notes from dave." Last month I posted on the lack of training many youth pastors, and by extension, youth ministry participants receive prior to participating in short-term mission work. You can read that post here. As a result of that post, I have been asked to expand my thoughts and submit an article to a major U.S. Christian magazine. It will be published, I hope, in January, so I am now in the process of some final research. One of the people I have asked for input is Seth Barnes of Adventures in Missions. Seth has been involved in short-term mission at many levels in his more than 20 years AIM. Here is what Seth had to say. And yes, I am the unnamed guy who is "going to write an article." I got an email from a guy who is going to write an article about how training for short-term missions is inadequate. I replied,"The problem is not that youth leaders don't have access to training, but that they don't value it, have time for it, or have pastoral support for it." He wrote back: "How do we break the cycle as it applies to youth ministry?" Well, that question opens a can of worms. To see into his can of worms, click here. And then let me know what you think.

The Famous Pumpkin Pie

I came across this fantastic pumpkin pie recipe for the holidays. Provecho! [hat tip to rich peil of abound fundraising for the picture.]

Language and Culture, Opening the Window

Many people set out to learn another language. For me that language was Spanish. It was never something I had thought much about when I was young. In fact in high school, I followed my brother and took 4 years of French. But then somewhere in the middle of life as a young adult, God grabbed hold of me and I was sent in a completely new direction, to Mexico. Kicking and screaming I went and after time, finally decided I needed to learn the language. Unfortunately, many believe mastery of a language ends when they are technically proficient. Which means I will never get there, but I believe there is more. I think to really understand a culture, you need to get to a point where you understand the inside stuff. Like the jokes and those pesky sayings. You know what I mean. Stuff like "A stitch in time saves nine" and "A penny saved is a penny earned." The sayings that those on the inside know, and which can give you a window to understanding the culture. One of my favorite books is titled "Folk Wisdom of Mexico" by Jeff M. Sellers. It is a collection of proverbs and sayings from Mexico. I've included a few of those here for you. Think of it as a small opening of the window, and enjoy the view. En boca cerrada, no entran moscas. Flies don’t enter a closed mouth. Cuando hay menos burros, hay más olotes. When there are fewer donkeys, there is more to eat. Guarda tu ayuda para quien te la pida. Keep your counsel arrested, until it’s requested. El que nunca va a tu casa, en la suya no te quiere. He who never goes to your home doesn’t want you in his. La verdad padece, pero no perece. Truth suffers, but never perishes. Dios habla por el que calla. God speaks for the man who holds his peace. Sólo lo barato se compra con el dinero. Money only buys what is cheap. Cuando joven, de ilusiones; cuando viejo, de recuerdos. While young, it’s all dreams; when old, all memories. El sueño es alimento de los pobres. Dreaming is the food of the poor. El sol es la cobija del pobre. The sun is the blanket of the poor.

Just Sayin' Thanks...

Over at notes from dave, I write on some of the issues facing the short-term mission world. The other day I was reading through an old blog post of mine and decided to look again at the comments. It was there that I saw that one of those people commenting spoke of how a pastor had had a positive impact on his life. I thought about that for awhile and then, since I knew both people pretty well, passed the comment along. Being in ministry, we frequently never get to see the results of our ministry. Especially if you are involved in youth ministry. Often times any change that someone may experience will come years after contact has been lost, and with it a chance to say thank you. Within a few moments of passing that comment along, I received a note back from that youth pastor saying thank you. He was going through a particularly difficult time in ministry, was discouraged, and the comments I sent him were a well received and appreciated encouragement. I wanted to take a few moments today and say thank you myself. To a long time friend with whom I worked almost 20 years ago. I was a sorta young youth pastor and the church where I was serving was scheduled to go on their annual mission trip to Mexico. Now for me this was something totally new. But I soon found out I was supposed to be in charge. Think about that for few seconds. A guy barely thirty years old, in charge of a group of high school students, in another country, where they didn’t speak English. I was scared to death. But there right beside me was Dr. Dave, our Minister of Christian Education. Now as I look back, with the benefit of 20 years experience serving in Mexico, I can tell you we made a lot of mistakes. But I can also tell you this. Dr. Dave Gallagher helped plant the seeds for cross cultural ministry in me. Over time those seeds have been watered by many great people, but were it not for that initial investment of time and energy, and Dave pushing me into what was then a pretty new style of ministry, who knows what I would be doing today. In just a few days I will be going to Green Lake Conference Center in Wisconsin to help plan the 2010 National Conference for the Fellowship of Short-Term Mission Leaders. Dave has a home there now after many years of ministry. Unfortunately, while I am there, he will be on the road and we will miss each other. So Dave, if you get a chance to read this, and through facebook, I am guessing you will, even though we did not always see eye to eye, thank you. You planted the seeds that have forever changed my life. Hermano David, Dios le bendiga!