The CCJ Blog

Well, we were singing about being ‘undignified.’ Nothing says undignified like guitar flips for Jesus.

At Southern Hills this month, CCJ’s member Mary Fahrenkrug has her art on display. Center hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday & Thursday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

She has a series of photos from her old neighborhood in Evansville that are very nice (I like the vine-covered porch photo and a ‘Missing Mary’ photo) as well as some other mixed media work.

Check it out and support a fellow CCJ’er.

Remember back in the day on Seinfeld when George’s Dad would say/yell out “SERENITY NOW” when he gets frustrated in an effort to keep his blood pressure down? (I don’t because I never watched it but came across this clip on YouTube.)

Instead of “Serenity Now” maybe we would say “Peace Now” or “Vitality Now” or maybe something else to calm us.

I don’t know about the rest of the blog community but I like to read. So if you were to recommend a few “must read” or favorite christian books what would they be (the bible being assumed)?

The patient is kinda brutal to the chaplain but I think he has a point when he says, “I need answers! I want a real chaplain who believes in a real God and a real hell!”

Found via The Gospel-Driven Church.

… that’s what my mom always said to me as a kid when I said I wanted something that I couldn’t have. I have found myself using it on my kids now. (Also used: ‘you can’t always get what you want,’ but that’s more Mick Jagger than my mom).

I haven’t used this one yet but I’m sure I will: ‘Use your head for something besides a hat rack.’

What have you caught yourself saying to your kids (if you have them) that you parents always said to you?

Be sure to pick up a copy of Saturday’s Herald. There is a story about unusual marriage proposals and one of the featured couples is CCJ’s own Kurt & Jill Neighbors. (This is, of course, barring any national tragedy which would bump the Saturday Feature from its normal place).

It’s a nice photo & story.

“As a faculty member at Indiana during Knight’s tenure there, we’d go to conferences and meet people and they’d say, ‘How can you work at that university with that megalomaniac Bob Knight?’ ” said Murray Sperber, a retired professor of English and American studies and a noted Knight critic. “But no one ever said, ‘How come Indiana cheats?’ It’s kind of embarrassing. Well, it’s not kind of embarrassing; it’s very embarrassing.”

That was from a story in the USA Today, this morning concerning Kelvin Sampson and the allegations against him by the NCAA. Now if you know me very well you know I am by nature a defender of coaches. Everybody always thinks they know better then the coach. Every one is a critic and most people wouldn’t have a clue what a good coach is. That being said if these allegations are proven true (And I believe they probably are) then this man should be fired.

I am all for second chances but when a person getting the second chance goes right ahead doing what got him in trouble in the first place, (Of course claiming he didn’t know he was violating the rules) you have to not only question his character but plain decision making ability in general. I think our society as a whole has lost respect for the rule of law. When I was growing up I was taught that no matter how silly a rule was, if it didn’t violate God’s law I was to follow it. That is not what is lived out much today.

I found out yesterday that I lost another high school classmate. I opened up my copy of the paper and there was Kevin in the obituary section. Kevin was genuinely one of the nicest guys I have ever been around. 

My class (Springs Valley High class of 1991) has lost at least five members since we graduated. That is a lot for as young as we are. It is just a reminder that life on this earth is short and it is so important to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior so that life goes on after this world. 

We too often think “being a missionary” is a full time, leaving our homeland, giving up the comforts of home experience. But that’s not true in every case. All of us are commanded to “Go ye” by Jesus.

Our mission is defined by what God “calls” us to do. Some are lead to New Orleans for a week, others to Haiti or other far away countries. Your field could be at your job, school or neighborhood.

Of all the pictures I took last week in Haiti, I choose this one because it helps me remember to thank God for being born in America. Yes, we may have alot to complain about but being hungry, without warm clothes or food isn’t one of them.

If you think you have no gifts to share, let me tell you what I did in Haiti. I pushed kids in swings, fed babies bottles, fed toddlers to little to feed themselves, washed bottles, walked children in strollers, wiped snotty noses, took cold water to the men working on the roof in 85 degrees temp. I just sat and held children who were sick, gave some one-on-one attention, and washed toys. None of these things took any talent. None seemed like important jobs…..but it was important to the lives touched by our love.

Lark News (this is satire, remember that) is brilliant:

As Homer Simpson would say, ‘it’s funny because it’s true’:
Church members struggle to memorize mission statement
VISALIA, Calif. — First Covenant Church unveiled a new mission statement last week, hoping to launch the church into an era of greater unity and spiritual effectiveness.
But response to the two-page statement has been decidedly mixed among church members who despair of memorizing it as the church has requested.
“It’s a verbal tangle of quasi-eloquent nothingness,” grumbles one man. “I can’t even say it right when it’s projected on the screen. I end up with a mouthful of blah.” Read the rest …

For those who believe a church is a place to consume:
Afraid of breaking news to pastors, family now attends six churches
The Harrelsens’ 4-year-old daughter has developed calluses from doing so many crafts each week. But she firmly believes that everyone attends six churches. The family’s car is swimming in church bulletins and Sunday school hand-outs.
Their teenage son is annoyed at having to attend six churches, but sees some upsides.
“I meet more girls, but I have a hard time remembering their names,” he says. Read the rest …

And I’m sure Darrel and Mark have felt like doing this more than once:
Pastor eBays congregation
BIG TIMBER, Mont. — Without their consent or knowledge, a pastor in rural Montana has sold his church and congregation on eBay for $3 million.
“I finally got good and sick of them,” says Tad Marshall, pastor for 15 years who completed the secret sale last week. “This serves them right. All of them.”
But many in the church are stunned by the Marshall family’s sudden departure.
“We had such a good relationship,” says Winifred Barnes. “Whenever I called him in the middle of the night to pray for my psoriasis, he was happy to help. I’m surprised he would treat us this way.” Read the rest …

Our family enjoyed the food and atmosphere last night with our church family. It was great to watch the game on the “big screen”! It was great to meet new people and exchange stories. There were some die hard football fans in the crowd and some who were there for the commercials. The last minutes of the game were exciting!! (Go Eli!!) Thinking about the commercials, some were better than others. I checked the internet this morning what was voted the best (baby-e*trade) and worst (Justin Timberlake).

Thanks to the scrapbooking ladies who let my daughters decorate a few pages which are proudly displayed in our home. To the little boys who played with Owen and gave him some guy time which he needs growing up in a family of girls.

Thanks for the great time and we look forward to many more events!!

The annoying ads for everything from payday loan lenders (if you’re thinking of visiting a payday loan lender - don’t do it. You are getting robbed legally) to singles matching services should be gone from the comments now.

If anyone sees any, let me know. Otherwise, everything else is the same.

Thanks.