Damon Said...

Wisdom For Everyobody (Wisdom #3)

2011-03-20T12:01:00.001-05:00

01.16.2011-Wisdom for Everybody (Wisdom #3).mp3

Wisdom #2.

2011-03-16T16:59:00.001-05:00

01.09.2011-Who Do You Think You Are (wisdom #2).mp3

Wisdom Sermon Series

2011-03-09T15:26:00.001-06:00

Recently completed a sermon series on wisdom. Over the next few days I will post this series. Here is the first sermon.

1.2.2011-Wishing You A Wise New Year.mp3

Becoming Good News

2011-01-26T10:05:00.001-06:00

11.28.2010-Becoming Good News.mp3

Buster Swiller All Fwink Willied Around

2011-01-12T16:05:00.006-06:00

I am currently working on a series of sermons about wisdom. So, I have spent quite a bit of time lately thinking about foolish things I have done. Not the big, awful, mess your life up kind (though I have some of that). Just the dumb, spur of the moment, idiotic stuff that makes you look like a moron (got it by the truckload). Honestly, I think my brain went missing in seventh grade and I didn't get it back until I was about 30. So I have something like 18 years worth of material to draw on.

One of the foolish things I did in college was called "Buster Swillerin." A good friend of mine named Alan would do this funny thing where he would talk to you and throw in a couple of nonsense words. He could do it so well you would swear you didn't hear him right. This made you ask stupid questions and he got immense enjoyment out of it. Over time, our group of friends all got good at this and would do it to each other. Then we started using it on other people. One of the phrases we would often throw in was "Buster Swiller" and so we called this foolish little game "Buster Swillerin." After you did it to somebody really well you would say you "Busted them up." And of course my group of friends eventually became called "the busters." We even had a newsletter called the "Buster Gazette."

I once spent probably fifteen minutes at a McDonald's drive-thru as four of us tried to order. The poor person taking our order was so confused she was convinced the speaker wasn't working. So she told us to pull around to order. We did, and when she opened the window we unloaded with silly string on her.

We busted late night security guards, good-looking girls that intimidated us, and the President of the University. If someone famous was coming to visit school this was viewed as a prime chance to demonstrate your skills. We loved the perplexed look on people's faces as they tried to ascertain if we were crazy or they were. It was completely and utterly foolish. And great fun.

Hadn't thought about it in a long time until this sermon series. And then I saw this video. Back in the early nineties we didn't have easy access to video. Or else we would definitely have done this.

Good News-You Can Always Go Home

2011-01-12T15:13:00.001-06:00

11.21.2010_Good News-You Can Always Go Home.mp3

Good News Series-You Can Be Healed

2010-12-28T14:47:00.001-06:00

11.14.10_Good News-You Can Be Healed.mp3

Good News Series-You Are Free

2010-12-08T15:57:00.001-06:00

11.07.2010_Good News_You Are Free.mp3

Good News: God Gives You Everything You Need

2010-11-30T15:50:00.001-06:00

10.24.2010-Good News-God Gives You Everything You Need.mp3

Pants on the Ground

2010-11-12T22:17:00.012-06:00

In my sermon last Sunday, I mentioned a story where I accidentally glued my sweatpants to our kitchen floor. I was trapped while laying tile and in a very awkward position. I eventually determined that the only way out was getting out of my pants.

After church, this came up in a conversation. In a joking way it was mentioned that many of the worlds problems can be solved by dropping your drawers. Thought about it a little bit, and it's true! Just look at what all can be done by removing your pants.

1. Make a tourniquet for a severely cut arm.

2. Inflate them and use them as a life preserver.

3. Totally freak out and scare away a burglar.

4. Make a donation to Goodwill.

5. Cool down if you are overheating. (Once was on a summer youth trip when the AC went out in one of the vans. We stopped at a convenience store, put all the guys in that van, and proceeded to make do if you know what I mean.)

6. Wade a stream.

7. Solves the should I tuck or not dilemma (accept for a few diehards who would keep tucking. You know who you are.)

8. Beat out a fire.

9. Totally embarrass your daughter and scare away her scuzzy boyfriend.

10. Airport security is a lot simpler in a pantsless society.

11. You can't "sag" if you are not wearing pants. At least I hope you can't.

12. Makes it easy to get that Tetanus shot.

And of course...

13. Ants in the pants.

Admittedly there would be a few problems. Where to put your wallet and keys? Old dudes in whitey-tighties. A nationwide run on bleach. But you could still visit your favorite restaurant. The sign says no shirt, no shoes, no service. It says nothing about pants.

Good News Series-God Gives You Better Than You Deserve

2010-11-10T15:40:00.001-06:00

Good News-God Gives You More Than You Deserve.mp3

I Learned Something

2010-11-03T16:16:00.008-05:00

It's everywhere you turn. On the nightly news, on the cover of magazines, talk radio, podcasts, the Internet. The headlines scream it out, "Schools Failing", "Can the Education System be Fixed?", "America Falling Behind". NBC recently dedicated a whole week with numerous news programs focusing on education. And this may be one of the rare times when the media is actually correct that things are bad. Obviously, not every student in America is flunking out, but the problems are real and large.

However, while this may be news, it is not exactly new. These problems have been discussed for decades. Numerous solutions proposed. Spending increased. New standards adopted. Yet, here we are, still looking for a true fix to the problem. Most recently, there has been the widespread call for a better means of evaluating teachers. We must pay good teachers more, and get rid of the slackers. Only, we can't seem to agree that this is a good idea, nor on how you actually evaluate a "good teacher." So we keep arguing, and thinking, and debating.

Recently I had an experience that may shed a little bit of light on the situation. Every other Saturday I teach a class on parenting. This seminar is a court-ordered class and the majority of those attending are doing so because they are in the midst of divorce proceedings and they have children still living at home. Needless to say, many of those ordered to attend are not so happy to spend half a Saturday doing this. To lighten the mood, I start off with a quip about how this class is going to be way more fun and interesting than defensive driving. This is typically received with nervous laughter.

Last class I taught began even worse than normal. A monsoon came that morning, and everyone was drenched. There was a mix-up with the key to the building and people had to wait outside in the downpour. If it was possible, those attending were even less enthused than usual. But, believe it or not, four hours later several people told me as they were leaving how much they appreciated the class and that they really learned some things to help their parenting. One man even admitted that he came in not expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised by the material.

Now, according to the debate raging in this country, I must be an excellent teacher. I took a tough crowd, made tougher by circumstances, and convinced them to learn some new things. Some people actually enjoyed the class! And I will admit that I felt it was one of my better classes. Some days you just have it. However, on the evaluations participants fill out, a couple of people seemed to believe it was the worst experience of their lives. One person, when asked what they learned wrote, "Not a damn thing!"

So, if I'm such a good teacher (and I am!) then how did these few people get so little out of class, while others raved about what they had learned? Most people I know would say, "well, they had such bad attitudes, they weren't gonna learn anything no matter what." I agree. The problem in this case was not the teacher or the material, but rather the student (at least I hope). But then the question must be asked, "How do we evaluate education if the problem is sometimes the students themselves?"

It seems the one thing we refuse to consider when discussing education in America is that the problem may lie with the students. Specifically, that many students are unmotivated to learn. We all know of students (Abraham Lincoln being our favorite example) who seek to learn no matter the barriers placed before them. How do they learn without good teachers? Determination and motivation. Those traits seem to be conspicuously lacking in many students today.

Now please understand, I am not blaming seven year-olds for our educational woes. I am blaming the motivation and determination of many students for crippling the educational system in our country. There was a time when education was seen as a privilege that allowed you to seek a better life. It is still that way in many countries. In some developing countries there is an almost violent struggle to get your child into a school, because education is so valuable. But in America, many kids don't see the value in it. Many (including parents and children) assume that prosperity is some kind of right that just happens. So while our kids play video games and disrespect their teachers, they assume that in the end it will all work out. Meanwhile, kids in other countries know the real score and are passing our kids by.

So how do we build in some motivation for our students? How do you create a love of learning and a thirst for knowledge? Let's start by getting one thing out of the way. Good teachers make a difference. But, how much? A good teacher can probably take a student on the borderline and push them toward motivated learning. The better the teacher, I am sure the farther over that line they can reach. But only the rarest teacher can reach well beyond the line. So we can't count on a rare occurrence. We should get rid of terrible teachers (teachers that make kids who are interested in learning lose interest) but that still leaves us with our problem.

I am also sure that improvements in classroom management, better curriculum, etc... can have some sort of positive effect. But, can any of this overcome a student who is dead set against being there and learning? And can it even make a dent when that student is put in a classroom with several other students who are also determined to not learn?

At some point we must look at the student directly. The key to learning may be the learner! There is debate about how much difference a good verses great teacher makes. But we all know that someone really determined to learn is almost impossible to stop. A decent teacher with a student who is a voracious learner equals lots of learning.

So how can we motivate a large population that does not seem to care about their own education? Economists would say we must find the incentives. Something drives people to learn. There is some kind of payoff. As mentioned earlier, if you are in a poor, third world environment the incentive for learning may be survival, or drastic improvement of life. On the heels of this comes family pressure, since you may be the only one fortunate enough to have the opportunity of education. But what are the incentives in America? Should we pay students for attendance and grades? (Before you scoff, this is being tried with some success in a few school districts, and besides it kind of fits the idea that you have a job and there is a pay-off for showing up and doing it well.) How big a role do parents and family play in providing incentive? I'm thinking beyond a quarter for every A, but rather a family providing both examples of learning and incentives. Why should a seven year old learn to read if mom and dad know how but never pick up a book? Are parents viewed by their children as learning and growing even beyond "school"? What role does society play? Have we removed incentives for learning by focusing on screen-based entertainment? (You don't have to read or use algebra to play your Wii and watch Jersey Shore.) Have we elevated technology as the answer to the point that students believe if they can use Facebook and Twitter they are de facto computer scientists? Do the safety nets we place around people rob them of the motivation to improve their existence through education?

The bad news is that the problem may lie with the students. The good news is that the answer lies with the students. That class I taught had a couple of really unmotivated learners. But most of the people, even while struggling through a difficult time in their lives, seemed to interact with the material and at least made an attempt to apply it to their life. Of course they have a big motivation. I was teaching a parenting class. Most of them are about to become single parents. That could be considered quite an incentive to learn.

Good News Series-You Are Wrong

2010-10-21T16:24:00.001-05:00

10.3.10 Good News-You Are Wrong.mp3

Good News: God Wants What's Best For You

2010-09-29T11:26:00.001-05:00

9.12.2010 Good News-God Wants What's Best For You.mp3

Good News: Forgiveness

2010-09-22T08:26:00.001-05:00

9.5.10 Good News About Forgiveness.mp3

Concert Time Baby!

2010-09-20T17:54:00.003-05:00

This blog post is more of a selfish advertisement than anything else. If you happen to be in Abilene on Saturday October 2, you really should come check out "It Ain't Easy Being Decent." That's what we are calling the evening, which consists of two decent bands playing some music. We don't claim to be great, but hey it's free, and you get what you pay for. So come on out. If I could be anything besides a preacher, it would be a rock musician. Well, for one night, here we go!

By the way, just in case you aren't sure, this is a concert. Not a church service. We will be playing music by the Who, Joan Jett, etc...

When Chippy Met Salsa

2010-09-07T15:40:00.007-05:00

Last night I was at the church building getting ready for band practice (yes, I am in a rock band called "Something With Mustaches"). My boys and I were eating some hot dogs when I came upon a jar of salsa in the fridge. I brought it out since salsa goes with anything (except ice cream, found this out the hard way). As soon as I walked out with it, Grant said "Hey, are there any tortilla chips?" It's just a given that if you have salsa you need tortilla chips and if you have tortilla chips you need salsa.

Some foods just have to go with a particular other food. It's like each food may be decent or good, but they haven't found a true home until they are combined. Then, it is like marriage, the two become one.

Now, I am not talking about combining ingredients. Eggs and flour and sugar making a cake doesn't count. It must be foods that really stand on their own, but have become married to another in way that is wonderful.

So what follows is my list of the greatest food get-togethers in all of history.

10. Mashed potatoes and gravy. Don't want to think about what's in gravy (grease and milk) but can't imagine mashed potatoes without it. Add chicken-fried steak to the mix and your talking an all-time classic meal. I mean, isn't Grandy's existence based solely on the fact that we like chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes, and gravy so much that we will occasionally purchase a cheap, fast, sub-par facsimile.

9. Bacon and eggs. Especially a couple of fried eggs over medium.

8. Beans and rice. Most underrated on the list. Usually thought of as the pairing that poor college students live on, but a really well made red beans and rice is delicious.

7. Butter and cranberry sauce. This is personal. Most of you have never tried it. But every Thanksgiving I take some cranberry sauce (must be shaped like the can) and smash some butter up in it. Put it on a roll or eat it alone. I also enjoy a flour tortilla with melted butter and salsa on it.

6. Rotel and Velveeta. As close to breaking my rule about separate ingredients rather than separate foods. But come on. These two items existed separately first. Velveeta invented in 1918 (is it a food if it is "invented"?) while Rotel didn't appear until the 1940's. I would love to see a sales chart for each of these products. My bet is that nobody bought them. Then you see a gigantic spike. Somebody accidentally got them together. Now, I am sure that if one went out of business the other would cease to exist almost immediately.

5. Cheeseburger and French Fries. Now we know that eating a lot of this is bad for us. Too bad eighty-four percent of America consumes only this. (That is a true fact, I read it on the Internet)

4. Peanut butter and Frito's. Parker men dig this. My dad, my brothers and I can stand around the kitchen with a jar of creamy Jif (all other peanut butter brands are horrible and stupid, I don't care what you like, there is only one, and it is Jif, all others must bow before it) on the counter with an open bag of Frito's. Let the dipping begin. Have spent more time with my Dad doing this than any other activity. And for all you "crunchy" fans just know that if you dip enough Frito's the shrapnel eventually leaves the Jif (bow down) crunchy.

3. Cookies and milk. Whoever the first person was who said "you know, that Oreo should not just be eaten with the milk, it should be swimming in it", should be the fifth head on Mt. Rushmore. If they marketed a gallon of milk that came with a package of Oreos already in it I would so by it. And hide it in the church fridge so my wife wouldn't know it.

2. Peanut butter and jelly. In the lunch sack. Every day. For like ten years. And I still love it. Proof that the phrase "you can have too much of a good thing" is moronic.

1. Chips and salsa. The Brangelina of food couplings. Whenever this became big in America (late seventies, early eighties) caught me right as I was developing my own personal food tastes. Yes the eighties may have given us bad hair, parachute pants and Twisted Sister, but it was all worth it for the discovery that a fried tortilla dipped in a fiery tomato-based sauce will be the appetizer sitting on the table when God throws His great banquet.

August 22, 2010 Sermon: Bad News, Good News

2010-08-25T23:06:00.001-05:00

After many weeks of up and down stuff in our revamped sound booth, we are good to go. A new sermon should now appear promptly every week. This week began a series on "Good News."

8.22.10 Bad News and Good News.mp3

To Hell and Back

2010-08-10T09:36:00.004-05:00

A week ago my family packed up our bags, piled in the Suburban, and headed to Houston for my youngest brother's wedding. Eight hours in the car with five children (including a baby). In the middle of a heat and humidity wave. With a baby whose favorite thing to do right now is pierce your eardrum with a screaming screech that should be patented by the Department of Defense as a new weapon of mass destruction.

This past Friday, we took the four oldest children to Six Flags. We had free tickets. The lines were short. My kids are happy eating a picnic out of the back of the car, so I spent NO MONEY! (Except for the 8000 dollars in gas.)

Is it a sign that I am getting old that I preferred the trip to the wedding over going to Six Flags?

Seriously. I was so glad to watch my children have a wonderful time at Six Flags. To see how they have grown braver and taller and so are able to experience all sorts of new rides. But, it was 106 degrees. It was humid. I almost blacked out on a roller coaster because of the number of G's it pulls on some wicked spirals (and my dehydration probably contributed as well.) On the plus side I extended my record streak to three in a row of Six Flags trips without vomiting.

I left Six Flags feeling like a wienie. But after a little reflection I realized something profound. People often imagine Hell being hot. That is probably true. But it will also be humid. And there will be little misting machines that will fool you into believing they will cool you down. Only, any time you approach one you will be rebuffed by a herd of children demons. You will be forced to ride roller-coasters that would appear to be fun. But you will exit each one feeling disoriented, dizzy, and certain that any moment you will actually witness your stomach exiting your mouth. To top it all off, you will be tormented by a nagging feeling that you should be enjoying yourself, that this should all be fun. And underneath in your heart of hearts you will know that this Six Flags will never close and allow you to mercifully go home.

When I was young I used to believe that heaven would be Six Flags all the time. Now I know, that is Hell.

Revival #7- Reviving our Image of Jesus

2010-07-13T12:27:00.001-05:00

Reviving our Image of Jesus 03.14.10 .mp3

Fourth is Second

2010-07-06T10:30:00.008-05:00

Fourth of July is an underrated Holiday. Between the grilling, the warm weather, the time spent at the lake or the pool, and of course blowing stuff up, it's my second favorite holiday. (You can't touch Thanksgiving.) What makes it so great is how relaxed it is. Very little work has to go into a great Fourth. There is not the pressure of shopping or getting the perfect costume. Simply throw on a bathing suit and you're ready. So honor of the Fourth of July, here are four Fourth memories.

1. When I was young I spent many Fourths in Henderson, Texas. I would stay at my grandparents along with my cousins Michael, Kevin and Preston. We spent our days exploring, playing "piggie wants a signal", and playing badminton. Since Wimbledon was always on that week, we each pretended we were a tennis star (I was always the totally cool Bjorn Borg.) Then on the evening of the Fourth, everyone would head to Lake Forest Park. There, the local Jaycees put on a fireworks display. One year the shot them off to close to the crowd (shrapnel rained down upon us), the next year backed up and set the woods on fire. It was a small show, but always exciting. When I was five or six, my cousins and I rode in my parent's car to the show. As we sat in the back my mother noticed us giggling. Some high school girls were waving and flirting with us. My mom asked what was so funny. My cousin Preston (who was also five or six) turned around, bit the palm of his hand and said, "Foxes!"

2. As we got older we began spending many Fourths at my aunt's lake house. Lot's of skiing, tubing, fishing and shooting pool. And of course, the massive amount of fireworks we would shoot of her pier. In spite of all the fun we had, the Fourth at the lake I remember best was not fun. It was 1986, and I was particularly excited about the Fourth. This was the year that the refurbished Statue of Liberty was to be unveiled during "Liberty Weekend." Being a history buff I looked forward to watching this on TV while celebrating with our typical lake entrapment's. Alas, it was not to be. On the morning of the Fourth I woke up early with stomach pains. I won't go into details, but let me just say that I had a stomach virus and it was two for the price of one, if you know what I mean. Spent the entire day in bed or in the bathroom. Woke up just enough to watch the NYC fireworks display.

3. On July 4, 2000 my wife went into labor with our first child. Talk about fireworks. Although Grant wasn't born until the fifth, we spent the evening at the hospital. In fact we watched the Abilene fireworks display from a hospital window. What I love about having a child born on that date is that for several years when Grant was young, he kinda thought that the celebrations and fireworks were something special done just for him.

4. Finally, I love this Jim Gaffigan take on holidays. And my favorite part is his take on the Fourth of July. I completely relate.

Revival #6 Humility and Servic

2010-06-29T10:48:00.001-05:00

To be a servant like Jesus is oh so hard.

Reviving our Humility and Service 02.28.10.mp3

Revival #5 Spiritual Disciplines

2010-06-22T11:41:00.001-05:00

Today we think about that tricky inner place where we try to continually connect with God.

Revival of Spiritual Disciplines 02.21.10.mp3

And Counting

2010-06-21T14:59:00.008-05:00

Last Thursday night the census bureau called me. Needed to ask me a few questions. The woman on the phone then proceeded to ask me to verify every single piece of data that I had previously put on my census form. I laughed under my breath through the entire call.

Weeks ago we received a letter informing us that we would be receiving the census form.

We then received a postcard stating that our census form was on the way.

Then came the actual form.

Within a few days we received more correspondence reminding us to make sure and send back in our form.

I sent the form back in.

Then came the phone call.

Now, I have no problem with the government getting a good head count. But is this not overkill? I looked all over for some statistics to try and quantify this. Here is the best I could come up with. The government is hiring 635,000 census workers, to count 300,00,000. That's a worker hired to count 472 people. Or how about this: the census cost a little more than 60 cents per person in 1950 ($91.4 million). It is projected to cost nearly $47 per person in 2010 ($14.5 billion). That’s a whopping 7822% increase in cost per person. During the same time, the population rose by 100% (i.e., doubled) from 150 million to over 300 million. But the overall cost of counting it (the census) rose by 15,800%. When did counting become so costly?

Here is my idea. Mail everyone the census. In the packet promise to give every household who fills it out and turns it in $20. Now, all that is left is to find the few people who didn't do it. And you have more than half your budget to do it.

Showing Up

2010-06-17T16:00:00.009-05:00

On Monday, my father underwent a prostatectomy. I went to Tyler to be with my parents during the surgery and his first couple of days of recovery. They had no idea I was coming, and I feel the surprise was well received.

I arrived Sunday evening, and very quickly we all headed to bed since my father's surgery was scheduled for early Monday morning. May parents headed to the hospital around 5:00am and I went around 6:00am. At the front desk they informed my that my dad was still in pre-op and I was welcome to join him, but only two people were allowed back at a time. No problem, since it would just be myself and my mom (and possibly my brother who lives in Tyler.) However, when I got to the pre-op area I was greeted by a crowd. There was the usual suspects (mom, brother, my dad's sister who lives an hour away), but that was not all. Several people from my parent's church had arisen at an ungodly hour to be with my dad for a few minutes before he went into surgery.

After my dad was wheeled away, everyone moved to the waiting area where we were joined by many more people. Friends my parents met when they first moved to Tyler (I was a year old), the only preacher I ever knew growing up and his wife, my best friend's parents, etc... It was like old home week. Everyone wanted to know about my wife, kids and job. We talked about our experiences with the same dentist (we've all been to John Scott). Laughed about people we all know. I almost felt guilty enjoying myself so much while my dad underwent cancer surgery.

Later that afternoon, as I sat in my dad's hospital room, I had time to reflect on the events of the morning. The day began with worries about my dad's cancer and impending surgery. It ended with him resting (about as comfortably as possible after a surgery) in his hospital room. In between, I experienced real love, concern and community.

This is how we want things to be. What we hope for. That people will be there for us when the chips are down. But so often we think this just happens. That people either show up or don't because of some cosmic happenstance. But that's just not true. Look at the facts.

My parents have lived in the same town for 36 years.

They have attended the same church for 32 years.

My mom has attended almost every bridal and baby shower held during that span.

My parents bring food to those who are sick, host the single parents and their kids for swimming at their house, and throw a killer New Year's party.

Don't get me wrong. My parents aren't the most theologically sophisticated people you will ever meet (that is not a put down by the way), but they know how to stick with it. They have stuck with the same church and same people for decades. Everyone who showed up weren't people my parents have shared all their darkest secrets with, my parents are too private for that. But they are people with whom they have shared life, long-term.

Community isn't an accident. It is not simply a product of a charismatic leader. Rather, community is the result of the slow and often repetitive process of staying with people. Community is not first and foremost something that happens or we strive for, it is something that grows out of showing up in people's lives. Again. And again. And again. And again. And again.

Revival #4

2010-06-01T15:33:00.003-05:00

Continuing our look at revival. What true revival in the church looks like.

Revival in the Church 2.7.2010.mp3

Family Choices

2010-04-17T21:45:00.007-05:00

http://tv.msn.com/mom-pop-culture/what-the-duggars-are-doing-wrong/story/feature/?gt1=28137

A recent article I read online prompted me to write this blog entry. The article was about the Duggar family, who have nineteen children and a reality show about their family. I encourage you to read the article (linked above). I cannot explain it all, but the article and especially many of the comments posted in response to it truly bashed large, homeschooling, religious families. So here is my response.

Simply put, I do not watch this show because I do not have cable or dish. My family (which is large) chooses to spend our money elsewhere. I would not put my children on TV.

However, any knock on what this family is doing should stop at their willingness to market themselves. How they raise their family is their business. I am simply glad that they are actually raising their family. Too many people allow day care, the government and the school system to be the primary influences in their children's lives. Why have children, if you do not plan to raise them?

My children are home schooled. They are obedient, well-spoken and able to interact with people of all ages, not just peers. My nine year old son knows Latin. I also know many children who attend public schools who are well-adjusted and thoughtful. These are choices we as parents must make about what is best for our children and our families. However, most people do not consider there to be any choice, but instead are pulled along by society into doing what everyone else is doing. It is not that homeschooling is the right choice, but rather thinking through all possibilities and doing what is best for your particular family and children.

There are many myths about large families in America. Overpopulation is one such myth: our greatest resource is well-adjusted people. The problem isn't overpopulation, it is under population of character-driven people of integrity. Any family producing such people...we should all hope they produce more.

Children from home-schooling families not being socialized is another myth. If by socialization we mean raising teenagers who talk back to parents and teachers, show little respect for authority, spend most of their time texting and playing video games, and find education to be a joke, then we need less socialization. Why would I want my children to spend most of their time around other people their exact same age? I want my children to have a broad range of experiences with all kinds of people. Homeschooling can provide that, but it is up to the parent to make sure it does. Public schools may provide a diversity of backgrounds. However, children must be grouped into classes where everyone is their same age and same basic education level. Therefore, public schools face a different type of challenge when seeking to expose children to diversity.

Finally, there is the myth that children from large families don't receive the love or attention they need. This could be true. Mom and Dad and other relatives might not give of themselves the way they should? But this also happens in small families. An only child can be neglected by overworking or selfish parents. And a home with many children can be a place of real love and deep relationships. Is it really bad to have an older sibling spend some time with a younger one? Isn't that what families dream about, their children taking some responsibility in life and loving each other? Is the key to a child's future really found in more free time to text their friends about the homework they are not doing?

As stated above, in the end families must make decisions based on what they believe to be best. Anytime this becomes an opportunity to demonize or dismiss those who make a different choice, goes against both democratic and Christian ideals.

Confession (Revival #3)

2010-04-01T21:57:00.001-05:00

2010 01 24 Damon Parker Confession.mp3

Trust and Obey (Revival #2)

2010-03-23T14:26:00.001-05:00

Something went wrong when I previously tried to post this sermon. Hopefully it is now fixed.

Trust-01.17.10_Damon Parker.mp3

You Gotta Laugh

2010-03-15T17:54:00.008-05:00

In the past few weeks two separate, yet undoubtedly related events have brought me some supreme chuckles (laughter, not the candy.) The first is the White House deciding to commission a group of people to figure out why we have a federal budget deficit and what we can do about it. If you can't see the humor in this, then you might hurt yourself. The government, the people in charge of making the decisions for the most powerful nation in the world, need a special commission to point out that when you spend more than you bring in it leads to a deficit. Boy I am so glad these guys are in charge. But here's the rub. Pretty good chance the commission won't come to the conclusion that spending more than you bring in is the problem.

Let me offer a simple solution for our federal budget deficit. Pass a law that until the deficit is gone, the federal budget for the next year must be less than 99% of the previous years revenue. Now, that doesn't get rid of all the old debt. Nor does it determine the means for reaching that number (could be budget cuts, tax increases, whatever). It is simply the first step. It would be like cutting up the credit cards as a first step in getting your own personal finances in shape. But the government would almost never do something this simple because it would be too easy to track when the government didn't stick with it.

The second event was an article I read in the January 12 edition of Time. The point of the article is that with the economic problems that have gripped America, it has become obvious that many Americans do not understand personal finances. The article asks how we can educate our children so they do not make some of the same stupid financial mistakes of the previous generation? The answer: The government is sending out new curriculum to be used in our schools. (This is when you must fall down, lay on the ground, and laugh til it hurts.) The government, massively in debt, unable to stick to a budget, and proposing new expensive legislation in the midst of a "financial crisis", wants to teach children how to handle their money!

No matter where you stand politically, the way our national government has dealt with our money for many years goes beyond ridiculous. Yes, many families are in dire straits because of stupid financial decisions. Only, they don't have the luxury of raising taxes or borrowing from China. The gall of the government believing it is in any position to give financial advice. It is a drowning man claiming to be an expert swimmer.

Post Script: In the article about children needing financial education the word "parents" was never mentioned.

Revival Series

2010-03-09T10:50:00.001-06:00

In early January I began a series of sermons on revival. Unfortunately, not all of them were recorded as we were still in the midst of working on sound equipment at the new building. But over the next week or two I will post all that were recorded.

I have received great response to this series. This makes me a little wary of putting it on the web. This series was not meant simply to be listened to. Rather it is something I was asking people at church to participate in. It is that participation, much more than the sermons, that has led to numerous personal revivals. So let us give credit where credit is due. God and people do the work together. I am just a pencil in God's hand.

Revival 01.10.10_Damon Parker.mp3

Tawdry Tiger

2010-02-20T15:50:00.003-06:00

Over the past few weeks several people have asked me what I think about the whole Tiger Woods drama. Most, I think, were asking me as a sports fan. A couple, I believe, asked me as a minister who thinks about such things. I want to write about it from both perspectives.

As a sports fan you must somewhat suspend your disbelief. It's like going to a movie about aliens invading the earth. Even though we have zero proof of life on a distant world, you choose to believe for a couple of hours to enjoy the movie. Same goes for sports. If you root for a favorite team, inevitably they will employ an idiot. So what do you do? Only root for teams with players whose morals fit you? You would have to give up sports.

However, golf is different. It's an individual sport. Rather than rooting for laundry you actually must root for a person. But how many people root for a person based on who they really are? Maybe if your cousin plays professional golf. Otherwise, you are rooting for people you really don't know. So you can root against Tiger because of what you now know about him, but you risk rooting for other players who may be involved in the same kind of stuff, you just don't know it.

But there is obviously more to this than sports. This scandal says something about our strange relationship with sex in this country. Here are just a few things I think it might show us.

1. Most of America seems to have no idea what to think about sex. We live in a country that sells sex left and right. There is a massive industry feeding people's bizarre interest in the sex lives of the rich and famous. Girls in swimsuits sell beer. And cars. And hot wings. Yet, we all act utterly offended when someone famous cheats on their wife. Why? They are just fitting into the mass marketing culture of which they are a vital part.

2. Our double standards are incredible. I heard a famous sports writer say that the demographic that Tiger and golf must win back is women. He stated simply that women are the group most offended by Tiger's behavior. Again, why? I understand being upset that Tiger cheated on his wife. In fact he did it numerous times. All with women! Sure Tiger betrayed a woman. 15 women also betrayed her. Is he a louse? Absolutely. But let's not pretend this is a male issue. It always takes two to tango.

3. There is actually way more to this than sex. While Tiger may in fact be a sex addict, his conduct is very similar to something we have seen over the past several years involving athletes, movie stars and politicians. Those with power or especially wealth and talent, are treated like they can do no wrong. Young athletes with amazing potential are given millions of dollars before they accomplish anything. People glob onto them hoping to cash in on this wealth and fame. When that athlete or movie star does something untoward, those around them do not confront them. You don't take a shot at the golden goose. So these people get used to having whatever they want. No one tells them no. The rules don't apply to them. So, why would getting married suddenly make them accept the rules. The time when we develop integrity isn't just when we are a child. It is those years when we first hold a job, or have to make our way in the world on our own. If during that time the rules don't apply, you develop the notion that the rules will never apply. Perhaps rather than looking jealously on those who achieve wealth and fame at an early age, we should remember the massive risk to the soul and spirit that comes with that territory.

Love The One's Your With

2010-01-21T16:53:00.001-06:00

2009.11.29 Damon (Love your family).mp3

Kids Say the Darndest Things

2010-01-18T17:53:00.003-06:00

With five kids in the house (four who are talking, and that pretty much non-stop) I am constantly bombarded with odd requests, regaled with stories that go nowhere, and questioned like I am the lead suspect in a mass killing. It is overwhelming some days.

But every once in awhile it pays off with either a moment of amazing grace or absolute hilarity.

Logan (our four year old) was bent over our three month old daughter Savannah. As she cooed and looked up at him he said, "Hey Savannah. Do you see me?" Then as she turned to look at him he screeched at her, "Look into the eye of the tiger!"

As a fan of both Rocky and Survivor (the musical group) I couldn't be more proud.

Cry Out To God

2010-01-14T15:06:00.001-06:00

2009.11.22 Damon (Cry out to God).mp3

Lunacy of Language (part 1)

2010-01-12T11:38:00.005-06:00

I care about words. It's part of my job and who I am. I wouldn't be preaching if I didn't think that just the right word, delivered in the right way, at just the right time, can make a gigantic difference in someones life. So I pay attention to words and how we use them.

Which is why I am continually frustrated by how those in governmental authority use words. Words seem to no longer mean much beyond the political/rhetorical possibilities they provide. It is not that those in power or seeking power lie (although they sometimes do). It is that they are allowed to bend language to their own ends and are rarely called on the carpet for it. Somewhere Daniel Webster is weeping.

So let me start with a simple example: "Too big to fail." Read this from the New York times in 2008: “Some institutions really are too big to fail, and that’s the way it is,” said Douglas W. Elmendorf, a former Treasury and Federal Reserve Board economist who is now at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

This phrase has been used over the past year and a half by economists and politicians from various political leanings. In that parlance it means that some companies are so vital to the U.S. economy that they cannot be allowed to go under. For instance GM is just too big and important to allow it to crumble, so we must spend billions of dollars in taxpayer money to make sure it survives.

First, look at the language. It logically makes no sense. Can something honestly be "too big to fail". Does a fourth grade teacher turn in her grades and say, "You know, Jimmy didn't do the work, and he can't read, but he's just so large I can't fail him." If this were an actual truth, then there would be no show like "The Biggest Loser." Being big would be the goal in life. But logically we know this makes no sense. So the politicians and economists begin with an illogical statement. But it doesn't end there.

Once the illogical grammar is accepted, then the real insanity can begin as the phrase can now be used as "reasoning" for all sorts of stupidity. So a car company is "too big to fail". Using that logic means that if any business gets large enough, it doesn't have to worry about turning a profit, producing quality goods, or satisfying customers. It simply needs to be really big.

If "too big to fail" is true, then even if today I invent a means of beaming people from one place to another (think Star Trek) and pull it off in a way that is affordable for everyone, we would still need to support GM. Think of all the companies and businesses that have disappeared over time because something better came along. Imagine if we kept dragging them with us because they are "too big to fail." We would still have companies producing stagecoaches, milkmen running around every morning, and blacksmith shoppes.

And what about all the companies that are not too big to fail. Imagine trying to compete with a business that is much larger, has more resources, and can't lose. You could make a better product that people wanted more and was cheaper. All the "too big to fail" company would need to do is drop their price so low and drive you out of the market. They can do it because even if they lose so much money they should be bankrupt, the government will save them.

So in reality, "too big to fail" makes no sense. And that should be obvious. So it must be rhetoric to cover up the true motive for wanting to bail out these companies.
Why not just tell the truth? "We are afraid of the backlash of this many unionized workers losing their jobs," might be what some politicians are thinking. Or perhaps they just feel real sympathy for all the families who would be effected by the massive job losses that would come from the demise of a large company like GM.

Who knows what the real motives are. And we will never know as long as we allow those in authority to use this kind of language. Just give us the straight dope please.

Faithfulness

2009-12-23T14:15:00.001-06:00

2009.11.08 Damon (Faithfulness).mp3

Get Out of the Way!

2009-12-16T14:50:00.006-06:00

I just can't resist. Driving around Abilene earlier today I encountered, in my opinion, the most evil person on the planet. I do not know their name. Have no idea if they are male or female. Could be any age. But pure evil without a doubt.

I have encountered them before. Several times. And I am always amazed at their audacity. They don't attempt to hide their malicious behavior. In fact, they make sure you notice.

So what did this perpetrator of pestilence do? They pulled out in front of me. Now, don't dismiss this so quickly, let me explain. I'm not talking about when somebody pulls out in front of you in an effort to turn left across the nose of your vehicle. They should not do that, but I think often they don't see you or misjudge your speed. And as long as there is no actual collision you get the privilege of seeing the fear in their eyes as they glimpse you barreling straight at the driver side door.

No, I am talking about when someone pulls out directly in front of you going the same direction you are. Now even that can sometimes be forgiven. There is a massive amount of traffic (think after a football game) and all traffic is moving slowly. They shouldn't go, but they know that real damage is out of the question because everybody is moving so slowly.

And I can even let slide when someone pulls directly in front of me because they see the massive line of automobiles on my heels. They shouldn't go, but it looks like ten more minutes before another suitable break in the traffic.

But, when there are no other cars around, it's a two-lane road, you pull directly in front of me, go one block and then turn (slowing me down not once but twice), all in an effort to save yourself 2.5 seconds...I want to hunt you down like the spawn of Satan you are.

Now, I know there are many horrific, evil things in the world. That it may seem this pales in comparison. But I am convinced that this is where all evil dictators begin. They pull out in front of people and immediately turn and they do it again and again. Because of the lack of consequences they think they are "special" and can do whatever they want. It is a well-known fact (pretty sure I read it on Wikipedia) that this is where both Idi Amin and Saddam Hussein began.

I know it would be wrong to respond to this threat to world peace by smashing the accelerator or following the person to their home where I would then, uh, confront them? I know that it is inappropriate to give the international hand signal for "you're a demon-child for pulling out in front of me". I know I should love, as Jesus would. But if ever there was an exception to the rule, it's this.

Image (2)

2009-11-19T13:22:00.001-06:00

For some reason the player didn't post. So hopefully, here it is.

Made in the Image of God 11-1-2009.mp3

Image is Everything

2009-11-14T14:50:00.006-06:00

Haven't posted a sermon in a few weeks. Didn't preach right after Savannah was born, and then our church moved into a new location and didn't have recording capability for a couple of weeks. But now we are back on track.

Below are some photos I showed during part of the sermon. My thanks to awkwardfamilyphotos.com for the pics.

Made in the Image of God 11-1-2009.mp3

Power

2009-10-14T16:03:00.001-05:00

Our final sermon on common biblical words. If you were not present, you will notice a time when I talk with members of the audience. I am speaking with Lloyd: who is a recovering drug addict, KB: who leads a medical mission to Zambia each summer, Rebecca: who was baptized the week of the sermon, and Duane: who is recovering from an extremely serious motorcycle accident. This may help give you some context.

2009_09_20 Power.mp3

You Too

2009-10-13T16:26:00.010-05:00

I experienced many firsts last night. It was the first time for me to be in a crowd with some 80,000 other people. It was my first time at the new Cowboys stadium (pretty cool, but difficult to maneuver in because of all the VIP sections). And it was my first time seeing U2.

Now I suppose there are things to quarrel with. I am sure in a smaller arena or outdoor setting the sound would have been better. There were a couple of new songs I could have done without and a couple of old ones I wish they would have played (they could simply play the Joshua Tree straight through and I would be happy). And the tickets could have been cheaper (but I am such a cheapskate they would have to be giving them away to suit me, and then I would gripe about the cost of gas to get there).

All that may be true. But it means nothing. In the middle of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" I turned to my wife and told her it was all worth it just for this moment. I jumped up and down to "Elevation", "Vertigo" and "Beautiful Day", was moved by "Stuck in a Moment" and "One", belted out the words to "Mysterious Ways" and rejoiced with "Where The Streets Have No Name". It was a real-life spiritual experience.

U2 did a superb job of mixing their world-concerns with their music. They kept their politics positive, choosing to talk about lives saved and how people could get involved rather than dragging individuals or political parties through the mud.

And there was religion. Whether it was Bono belting "Amazing Grace" or Archbishop Desmond Tutu introducing "One" the undercurrent of God and humanity ran through the show. I mean, has any band written a better or more honest spiritual song than "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"?

Someone might say that it was a spiritual experience, but it was U2 who was worshipped. For some I suppose that is exactly what it was. But I didn't worship Bono, Larry Mullen Jr., Adam Clayton and The Edge. No I worshipped the one who put the songs in their hearts.

Included below is a video from the concert (just to get a taste). For those of you who don't really know U2 this will be a poor introduction. Instead, ask me for a CD and I will burn you one with my favorite U2 songs and you can see for yourself. Really. Ask.

Too Much Time on my Hands

2009-10-04T09:29:00.003-05:00

Time is on my side, yes it is... (The Rolling Stones)

What is your relationship with time? Now that is a strange question. You may think that I want to delve into the philosophical meaning of time or explore the physics of the space-time continuum. Perhaps dabble in the meta-physical nature of time and wax poetic on whether God is outside of time or chooses to constrain himself by living in the linear. But no. I just want to know what your relationship with time is.

Is time your friend? Are you always running out of time? Do you have too much time on your hands (Styx)? Is time flying too fast?

I have no doubt that our relationship with time reveals so much about how we view ourselves and the world around us. At the end of an average day some of us are left with a feeling that we didn't accomplish enough, while others feel overwhelmed that the things that matter are being pushed aside for all the things that have to be done. I know personally that I went through a long period of feeling torn about time. When I was at work I felt guilty for not giving my family the time they deserve, and then when I was at home I often watched the clock and thought of all the things I needed to be doing for my job.

Being home this week and "accomplishing" nothing has once again shown me my ever-changing relationship with time. I have done very little this week. I mostly stayed home. I played with the kids. I held the baby. I ate. I watched a movie. But I did almost nothing for my job. I did very little to serve anyone else. I didn't do something to bring in some money. I thought about mowing the yard, but didn't. I have felt twinges of guilt. But only twinges. They completely disappear when Savannah looks up at me.

I believe our relationship with time isn't about whether we think we should accomplish more or change priorities. Our relationship with time comes down to how we view ourselves. So much of how we chase time is about others, or filling up something missing in us. But a Godly view of ourselves says that I am worth a little time. I recognize my humanity is a gift from God. The being tired and needing some time off is the way God made me. That accomplishment does not effect love one bit. That time can be useful (like everyone knowing when to gather for dinner), or time can rule me.

I have thoroughly wasted time this week. Looking back on the past seven days, it was a glorious and holy time.

Wisdom

2009-09-29T15:32:00.002-05:00

Does anybody want to be wise?

2009_09_13 Wisdom.mp3

Love At First Sight

2009-09-27T19:40:00.008-05:00

We went to the hot air balloon festival Friday night. Only one balloon took off. Kinda disappointing. However, there was belly-dancing. (By the way, no better way to embarrass your high school child than be one of these middle-aged ladies shaking their hips in front of a thousand people.) We came home, got kids in bed, and Melody went to take a bath. When she finished, she came in the kitchen where I was eating a Nutty Bar, and she had put the clothes she wore to the balloon festival back on. That's when I knew it was on like Grey Poupon.

I will spare you the next several hours that mostly involved me freezing and miscounting the number of breaths taken during a contraction. At 6:44 a little girl entered our world. Kinda blue from the cord around her neck, she was immediately squawking and looking around suspiciously. And I love her dearly.

Don't know what else to say. I don't know if adults experience love at first sight, but I have felt it five times. So, without further ado, here is a glimpse of Savannah Faith. (If you click on the picture, it might enlarge.)

Redemption

2009-09-22T19:49:00.001-05:00

Continuing to look at Biblical words, this time we tackle redemption.

2009_09_06 Redemption.mp3

All's Fair

2009-09-17T09:02:00.004-05:00

Went to the West Texas Fair this week. And now I am trying to figure out why.

I like the fair, I think. Apparently a lot of people like the fair. It was packed on Monday night when we made our foray onto the midway. And I enjoy seeing lots of different kinds of people all in one place. I like running into people I know, especially those I rarely see. But I don't like crowds or waiting in line.

My kids enjoyed riding a few rides. I'm not so big on it. It may have to do with the knowledge I have of what a fair ride is. I know that last week that ride was is Colorado or New Mexico, was hastily disassembled, driven to Abilene, and hastily set up. Would you ride in an automobile that yesterday was in pieces and is a couple of bolt turns away from being in pieces again? This can't be safe can it? Then there is the rust factor. My brother studied rust in graduate school (what fun that must have been) but from him I have gleaned this knowledge: rust is bad. So when I look at a ride that is covered in it, my trust alarm goes off. And then of course there is the ralph factor. When I was young I went to the fair with my neighbors, the West's. Their son Cody was two years older than me. He convinced me (against my better judgement, which is saying something for a seven-year old) to rider The Spider. Like most fair rides, the basic premise is to go round and round. So we did. At first it was no big deal. Then I was laughing uproariously as the speed increased. Then I knew I was going to be sick. I tried to get it over the side, but Cody took a direct hit. Think it also slung some on the people below us. Cody won me a goldfish to make up for it. Died in a week. This year I only rode rides that required an adult to ride with a child.

There is a lot to see at the fair. Exhibits. Tractors. Homemade pies with ribbons on them. I enjoy the exhibits. It's fun to see what some people are willing to submit, believing they have created a work of art. My kids aren't real big on the exhibits, they prefer the noise and lights of the midway. And besides I am bitter. For a couple of years I tried to become a judge. If anybody can tell a good pie from a great one, it's me. But I was rebuffed. I think I was done in by the "Old Girls Club." That's right, the fair made me a victim of sexual and age discrimination.

But of course there is the food. I have been in love with fair food since my grandparents took me to the fair and bought me some sausage with a piece of white bread folded around it. Oh my! I like to walk past every food vendor looking for the best deal on an eclectic mix of fried foods and roasted meats. And I love topping off an evening at the fair with the deep-fried goodness that is a funnel cake. But alas, this year the funnel cake line was too long. The kids were tired. And we went home.

So, what is the pull of the fair? Greasy food? But you can get that food lots of places. If a barbecue joint started serving funnel cakes, that would be fair food without the admission price. Great rides? On most fair nights it would be cheaper to buy a ticket to Six Flags where you would get rides cemented in the ground that are much more fun and exciting. Exhibits? Maybe years ago when this was the one chance to compete with your neighbors and see the amazing quilt made by Gertrude Mapplethorpe. But now I would much rather play spades on-line than compete against others at growing a big zucchini.

So why go to the fair? Only one reason. It's fun. It's an excuse to be a kid. To stare at the size of the horns on a longhorn. To ride a mechanical bull (yes I have, and boy it hurt). To eat a deep-fried snickers with ice cream without feeling guilty. To wonder how people can make a living as a juggler or a one-man band. To run through the fun house pretending you are in the finale of Grease. It's just fun. Totally lame and completely over-done. But fun. Seems to me I know a lot of people who no longer know how to have fun. They should go to the fair.

Holy

2009-09-06T21:40:00.001-05:00

We continue our look at Biblical words.

08.30.09_Holy.mp3

Grace

2009-09-06T21:39:00.001-05:00

After the series on Faith, Hope and Love, I decided to look at other Biblical words that we often use, but sometimes their meaning and power slips away.

On a technical note, I am struggling to get the player to appear in the blog. However, if the player is not here you may click on the link to either listen or download the sermon.

08.23.09_Grace.mp3

Love

2009-08-24T22:22:00.001-05:00

Final sermon in a series on Faith, Hope and Love.

08.16.09 Love.mp3

Hope

2009-08-24T22:21:00.001-05:00

Second in a series of three sermons on Faith, Hope and Love.

08.09.09 Hope.mp3

Return to Sender

2009-08-22T08:58:00.005-05:00

Last Friday I stopped by the main branch of the United States Postal Service here in Abilene. I had just finished playing basketball, so I was extremely sweaty. I needed to be home in 30 minutes to take Grant to his guitar lesson. All I needed to do was mail one letter.

Now the letter I was mailing was not just any piece of mail, it was my tax return. I filed for an extension because this year our taxes were even more confusing than normal. I finally had completed it. So understand, I was at the Post Office to send mail to our government about my taxes.

When I got inside there was a long line. I thought this unusual for a Friday at 1:20. Then I noticed there was only one person helping customers. And the customer he was currently helping had a lot of different types of mail to send. So I waited. After several minutes this customer was done and another stepped forward with the largest box I have ever seen someone attempt to mail. The line crept forward.

Now I noticed that the worker behind the counter wasn't alone. There were two other people behind him. Supervisors. But all they did was stand and watch. (Let me say now that this is not a diatribe against the postal service or its' employees. I know many good people who work for the postal service.) I kept waiting for one or both of them to open a window to speed things up. They never did.

I was in line for fifteen minutes and moved forward only one spot. I found this annoying, but not as much as the person in front of me. An elderly woman turned around, looked me right in the face, and said very loudly, "Well, I guess this is what our health care is going to be like pretty soon." She spoke with a little anger, but mostly resignation. Everyone looked at us. I simply nodded and smiled at her. Then we all went back to waiting.

A few observations:
1. If you know me well, then you know my Libertarian leanings. As my wife said when I relayed this story to her, "That lady had no idea who she was talking to." Yes, she was preaching to the choir.

2. Imagine that instead of the post office, I was at McDonald's. Have you ever waited 35 minutes at Mickey D's? I don't know why the two supervisors made no move to help (perhaps there are regulations that keep them from doing it), but I do know that at McDonald's the manager would have stepped up and opened another register and run it themselves. Why do I know this, because I have seen it. And because McDonald's is a successful business. The reason: they thrive on serving the customer. Any business that routinely treated its' customers like I was treated at the post office would quickly go out of business. But government is not a business. If they do something poorly or without cost-effectiveness they do not go out of business.

3. I don't really like the government handling the mail. I think a business could do it more efficiently and probably cheaper. I certainly don't want the government taking over the computer industry. Can you imagine if you were forced to get your computer from the government instead of Dell or HP? How much would one cost? And how long would you have to wait to get it? Yet, the government continues to worm it's way into taking over. Banks. Automobiles. Health Care.

4. Lately we have seen the yelling and complaining at the town hall meetings. The government seems baffled by this. While I prefer a less heated discussion, I understand the anger. People feel like the government is not listening. That its' taking over. Yes, most people say they want changes in the health care system. That does not mean they want the changes the government is pushing. I want changes. But what I want is the government to get out. Not get farther in. But that option is apparently not on the table.

5. Let's remember the irony in all this. I was at the Post Office to pay the government to mail a letter to the government about my paying the government. Couldn't this all be done a little more simply.

Faith

2009-08-09T11:48:00.001-05:00

Have had some technical difficulties with sermons. Those are sorted out. The sermons that were missed will eventually be posted together.

This sermon is the first in a series of three on Faith, Hope and Love.

8-2-09 Faith.mp3

Happy Meal

2009-08-06T15:24:00.003-05:00

I have to comment on something I just witnessed.

Was at McDonald's earlier, taking advantage of the McPlayplace since it is 427 degrees here in Abilene. It was pretty much a madhouse. Every mom in Abilene apparently was there with their kids. It was loud. It was kinda messy. It was McDonald's playground in the summer.

All this was to be expected. But I watched a mini-drama while at McDonald's that I found fascinating. While it was very loud, there were a couple of kids screaming at fighter jet takeoff levels. Now, I am a selective hearer, so I blocked them out. Not everyone there apparently possesses this spiritual gift. There were many long looks from moms to see if it was their child, and even longer looks when they realized it wasn't. A couple even said rather loudly something like, "Hey Billy, don't scream like that other kid." An obvious attempt to bring parental action.

Finally, a mom stood up and snapped at a screaming kid who ran by, "Hey stop screaming like that _____ . (name withheld to protect the innocent) The child never even looked over, just kept running. And screaming. Next time by, the mom literally snapped her fingers and told him to stop screaming. There was a brief moment of recognition, then the kid continued on his way, running and screaming.

At the third attempt, I began doing nothing but watching the kid. The mom attempted to make him stop 5 more times. Only once in the five did he even acknowledge her with a look. Never did he actually change behavior. The screaming finally stopped when his grandmother brought ice cream to the table and he sat down to eat.

Now, I am not dogging on parenting styles or saying I am a perfect parent. And I don't mind kids running and screaming at a playground. Had she never even made an attempt to correct his behavior, it wouldn't have bothered me. But basically, this little boy directly disobeyed his mother eight times, and got ice cream.

Now, I know sometimes we all parent in ways that aren't the best. There are times when I am tired or stressed and don't handle things like I should. But I was right behind this woman and her mother. They talked and laughed. The mother mad small talk with another mother she knew. The only stress was everyone else wanting to throttle her kid.

All I can say is it is doing your child a huge disservice to ask for obedience and do nothing when you are blown off. It teaches your child that you are nothing, and that you think of yourself as nothing. It teaches your child that they run the world. It teaches your child that rules and obedience are merely optional. And it teaches your child that they and their behavior are not worth any serious time or effort. Good luck when this one turns 14.

By the way, after the ice cream it was time to leave. Kid didn't want to go. Guess what he did?

The Sport's God

2009-07-19T15:31:00.008-05:00

The final proof is in. The evidence has moved beyond a shadow of a doubt. The trial is finished and it's an open and shut case. God doesn't care about sports. Definitively.

There was a time when I wasn't so sure. I must admit to having uttered little prayers right before an important pitch or free throw involving my favorite teams. While I disagreed with the players who immediately gave God the credit for their victory (always wondering why he didn't get the blame for a tough loss), I could never say absolutely that God didn't have a hand in it. Now I think I can.

Today, a fifty-nine year old man led the British Open going to the last hole. All Tom Watson needed was a par and he would become the oldest person to ever win a major golf championship. By over ten years!

It was obvious that every spectator at the golf course was pulling for Watson, willing him toward victory. I sat watching with rapt attention a sport I couldn't care less about normally. This was a big deal, history in the making. An eight foot putt for par was all that was left. And...he...missed!

He slumped into a playoff and was quickly finished. Stewart Cink, not Watson, was the champion.

So if God cared a lick about sports, wouldn't Watson's putt have scooted in? There has rarely been a time in sports when a good thing that was this close has slipped away like this. Why didn't God just make it happen?

I think these are the choices we are left with:

1. God hates Tom Watson. God took Watson close to the heights of ecstasy just so he could crush him on the rocks of disappointment. Boy, what must Watson have done to deserve that? And is God really that petty and capricious?

2. God really likes Stewart Cink. He seems like a nice guy. Plus, he's going bald. Otherwise I know nothing about the man. But even if this was all about Cink, couldn't God have helped him out without crushing Watson?

3. God doesn't care about Golf. This is a strong possibility. Perhaps God is only interested in team sports. Prefers Olympic events. Or thinks of Golf as too hoity-toity. Or maybe he's only interested if Tiger is playing.

4. Or most likely, God doesn't care about sports. Doesn't give a rip if your team wins. Isn't helping any professional player more than others. Allows us to make decisions and decide the outcome for much of life, including sporting events. In fact is probably puzzled by how fun and games could become such excruciating events for us.

So, Once and for all can we stop connecting God with sports. Don't say that God is the reason you won (especially when it was definitely pass interference but didn't get called). Don't thank Jesus for your home run (especially when you take steroids). And most of all, can't we all stop believing God cares an iota about sports.

(Disclaimer: This all gets rescinded if the Rangers ever make the world series. It would be prayer vigil time.)

Good Idea!

2009-07-09T19:36:00.010-05:00

I play basketball two or three times a week. Almost every time I play I hear the phrase "good idea!". In basketball parlance "good idea" means that the play didn't quite work out, but the thought behind it was good. It might be that someone tries to pass the ball into a tight spot. If the ball gets through it will be an easy basket. However, the ball is intercepted or the recipient couldn't quite catch it. The person who was supposed to receive the pass will then say to the passer "good idea."

Since I play with a lot of really nice guys, I think this is a way of being kind. Rather than saying, "wow, what a sorry pass" the person is given credit for the idea which was good. It's a similar vein to "It's the thought that counts." Since I tend to be somewhat sarcastic, I don't ever say "good idea". I'm afraid that it will come out as a snide remark about the person's inability to execute a simple task.

So there is the concept of "good idea". Nice thought, just poor execution. Sadly this is rarely used in other arenas. There are many great ideas out there, but sometimes the execution leaves a little to be desired. So here are a few things to which I wish to say "good idea."

Diet Soft Drinks

Reading for Dummies

Baked Potato Chips

Manimal

8-Tracks

Peanut Butter and Jelly in one jar

Water Wings

V-8

Raffles

Self-Tanning Cream

Assemble at home furniture

Every Nerf Gun ever made

Spray On Sunscreen

Comb-Overs

Self-flushing toilets

User Names and Passwords

Sermon: Jesus and Ozzy Osborne

2009-07-01T21:17:00.001-05:00

Ozzy Osborne and Jesus have something to teach us about violence as we continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount.

2009.06.21 Jesus and Ozzy Osborne.mp3

Sermon on the Mount-The Beatitudes

2009-06-23T10:21:00.003-05:00

We begin a study of the sermon on the mount, using the beatitudes to look at what it takes to follow Jesus.

The Beatitudes 2009.06.14 Damon Parker.mp3

Style Watch

2009-06-20T09:00:00.006-05:00

My son Jackson has style. That may seem a strange thing to say about a five year old, but it is true. Lots of people have enough money to buy things that look good. Give me enough moolah and I can find a shirt and pants that match. Some people look good in whatever they wear because they are pretty or handsome. Style is something else.

Every time Jackson emerges from his room he seems to be wearing a different outfit. And not one most people would put together. Jackson is a fan of wearing socks that are so long they come up to his thighs. Like something out of an Errol Flynn epic. He matches hats to shoes and wears belts with shorts. Lately, he is growing out his hair. He is five! I never made a suggestion about my hair until eighth grade, when I asked the lady giving me a cut if she could make it look like Don Johnson. (This was the height of Miami Vice. Eventually I owned an outfit that consisted of boat shoes with no socks, teal pants tight-rolled at the bottom, a pink shirt, teal tie slung low, and a faux white linen jacket. My friend Jamal who lived down the street wore a gray suit and pulled off Tubbs to my Crockett. It is the only time besides my wedding and my mothers forced outfits for pictures that I actually coordinated what I wore with another person. For a few months I was stylish, but it was all stolen from a show, so I didn't have style.)

Jackson is especially fond of making up outfits for the occasion. If I have a softball game, he dresses like a baseball player, cleats and all. I once went to church with a grown man who did this. Every week he had a completely different look. He wore a karate outfit one week. On memorial day he wore camouflage from head to toe. He is perhaps the only person over fifteen and not in the armed forces that I have seen successfully pull off wearing a beret. He had style.

My question is "Where did this come from?" It must be genetic, because we certainly haven't taught Jackson this. I am the king of not caring how I look. Sure sometimes I look nice, but it is all an act. Jeans and a tee shirt. That's all I need or want. And while his mother is beautiful, she doesn't really have a style. No, this is something that is purely his. I don't get it or understand it. I worry a little that this will lead to him eventually putting bolts in his earlobes or tattooing the quadratic formula on his forehead. But mostly I like it. People with style make the world better by refusing to be the same. I may not understand wearing a trench coat in June, but the fact that the kid walking down my street earlier today thought it was a good look is enough for me.

So I say, make room for those with style. Don't squash them or try to make them conform. Besides, if we attempt to reel them in, where will all the actors and college professors come from.

(Picture of me in early high school. Proof that I don't have style)

Three Books for Summer

2009-06-17T07:54:00.010-05:00

Saw a report the other day about "beach books." Apparently beach books are books you take with you to read at the beach. This must be a northern thing. The people they showed were at the beach, but pretty covered up. They looked almost cold. But there they sat with the wind whipping around them trying to read a novel.

I am not a big beach person, but the beaches I have been to are hot. You spend your time doing things like getting in the ocean. Because it's hot. Never seemed like much of a time to read a book to me. All that grit. Plus, it's hot.

Anyway, I recently read these three books. If you are looking for some summer reading (beach or no), here are my thoughts.

Meltdown-Thomas E. Woods Jr. This was a simple and straight-forward look at the causes of the boom-bust cycle in our national economy. If you do not give much thought as to how economies work, you will be blown away by this book. Woods uses the Austrian economic theory (of which I am a big believer) to illuminate our current "recession." The point of the book is that the problem isn't the bust, it is the ways the government interferes with the economy to artificially maintain the boom. Of course since the boom is artificial, there must be an inevitable bust. If you are worried you won't understand the book let me assure you; the book is written in a very accessible manner. I recommend this book highly. (Make sure you get the book by Woods as there are several current books with this title.)

The Blue Parakeet-Scot McKnight. This book attempts to tackle the question of how do we read the Bible. It asks a lot of really good questions, questions we should be asking. Like why do I selectively apply rules in the Bible? Why are some things for then, and some things for all time? His goal is to get us to see that there is method to our madness (and sometimes madness to our method) of looking for answers in the Bible. Yes we all have a method. Anyone who says "I just read the Bible and do what it says" is either naive or lying. In spite of this good premise I found the book lacking. It never went as deep as I wanted. Some of that may be that a lot of this I studied in grad school. But even so, I wished for more. This is a good book, and if you are wanting to gain some new found awareness about how we study the Bible and what we bring to the table when we do, you should read this book. If you are looking for more than that, keep looking.

Twilight-Stephenie Meyer. Yes, I read Twilight. But I have not been assimilated. I do, however, get the appeal. This book (or set of books) should sell like hotcakes with teenagers, especially teenage girls. Not because it is a romance (although it is) but because of how the romance is portrayed. (Warning spoiler alert). The main character, Bella, perceives herself to be an average, if clumsy, teenager. She spends her time reading and taking care of her mother who is somewhat immature. However, her world changes when the most handsome boy in the history of the world falls for her. Doesn't matter that he is a vampire who is at first attracted to her because of her floral smell which makes him want to consume her. So now this remarkable love affair whisks her into the heights of teenage angst and romance. I won't give away any more, but let me just say I tired of the gushing (oh I will never get used to looking at him, my heart skipped a beat), and the uneven writing. However, the moral dilemmas presented are pretty good, and the story is interesting enough to pull you along. If you are looking for great writing, this is not it. But if you need to get your teenager to actually read something this summer, give it a whirl.

This Week's Sermon

2009-06-11T11:50:00.003-05:00

A look at the spiritual principle behind David's defeat of Goliath.

2009.06.07 Fighting Like David.mp3

Random Worship Thoughts (#3)

2009-06-09T22:02:00.009-05:00

I love a good worship service. Now stop right there. You might have just said, “Me too.” But the “good worship service” we each thought of is probably drastically different. You know this dilemma. All this talk about worship. Worship is important. Worship should be improved. But no one can seem to agree on what a “good worship service” should be like. So we either fight, or we are unhappy or we get our way or we leave. We congregate with those who seem to have a similar notion of “good worship.”

This all seems to miss the point. And we all feel it. So what can we do? I’m not sure. But here are my ideas for what makes a “good worship service.”

1. Since we are worshipping God, maybe He should decide what makes a good worship service. After all, shouldn't a birthday bash be judged by the birthday boy?

2. Take a look around during the service. What does the crowd look like? I don’t mean numbers, but you can make some judgements about a worship service based on the crowd. Do they all look alike? Are they all the same color? Wearing the same style of clothes? If they are, this may not be that great of a worship service. Is there a homeless man sitting next to the president of the local bank? Is there an unwed teenage mom singing alongside an elder’s wife? Are there people of different races, colors and classes and capabilities worshipping together? If the answer to these questions is yes, it’s probably a great worship service.

3. Check out the guy on the corner. You know the one you pass every week as your head from church to your favorite restaurant. Are people from your worship service stopping to talk to him? Offering assistance? Inviting him to lunch? Do I even have to say what kind of answers a “good worship service” should produce?

Random Worship Thoughts (#2)

2009-06-06T17:35:00.003-05:00

What if we spent the next century using the same amount of energy and conviction to get the poor and the outcast into our churches that we spent last century keeping pianos out?

This Week's Sermon

2009-06-03T14:29:00.002-05:00

We conclude our look at the Lord's Prayer with "Lead us not into tempatation, but deliver us from evil."

05.31.09_Lead Us Not Into Testing.mp3

Random Worship Thoughts (#1)

2009-06-02T22:34:00.002-05:00

We have spent years focusing on doing worship correctly. This meant certain acts (the five acts of worship) performed by certain people (baptized males) in certain ways (without instruments, every Sunday). Now a renewal movement is sweeping through our churches focused on…doing worship correctly. Only now correctly means certain acts (raising hands, singing with eyes closed) performed by certain people (praise teams) in certain ways (with projectors, great emotion). The common element is a belief that doing things correctly makes us spiritual and righteous. Where did we get that idea? When will we become more concerned with doing good than being right?

This Week's Sermon

2009-05-28T22:18:00.003-05:00

We continue our look at the Lord's Prayer. This week, "forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."

05.24.09_Forgive Us of our Debts.mp3

The Duke of Hazard

2009-05-28T07:49:00.002-05:00

Moral hazard is the prospect that a party insulated from risk may behave differently from the way it would behave if it were fully exposed to the risk…Moral hazard arises because an individual or institution does not take the full consequences and responsibilities of its doings, and therefore has a tendency to act less carefully than it alternately would, leaving another party to hold some responsibility for the consequences of those actions. (From Wikipedia)

Moral hazard is a term particularly used by economists, although it can be applied to all sorts of situations that are not economic. It has become one of the favorite ideas floating around in my head. I am now seeing it everywhere I look. Let me explain it a little so you can join my insanity.

Imagine I am teaching my children to play Monopoly. As their turns proceed, Madelyn makes some bad choices. She mortgages Boardwalk and Park Place to buy Baltic and St. James Place. Because of the loss of rental income she decides to sell a couple of railroads to get some quick cash rather than sticking with the steady flow of money they produce. Meanwhile, the other kids are methodically building houses on property to increase value. Then Madelyn lands on Pacific Avenue. It’s got three houses. She can’t possibly afford to pay, game over. But wait, as the banker I step in and give her a couple thousand dollars. Think about how this upsets the game (not to mention the other players). I have rewarded risky and stupid behavior. Now Madelyn will expect this every time. So she will continue with the type of thinking that got her in trouble in the first place. Even worse, what if I don’t offer this type of financial help to every player? What if I only give it to those who spend lavishly and without care? Or only to those who own extremely valuable property (Boardwalk and Park Place) but not to those who stayed within their means and bought St. Charles. I have so disrupted the rules of the game that it becomes impossible for anyone to know what they should do.

This happens in real life all the time and it is extremely destructive. It teaches a lack of personal responsibility and rewards idiotic behavior. For instance, you can go try and climb some impossible canyon out in the Mojave Desert. When you get stuck all sorts of rescue personnel are dispatched to save you. This is good, because you live. But it costs the tax payers thousands of dollars. Why should everyone else have to pay for your stupidity? And besides, by not placing the financial responsibility at your feet, we only encourage you to do it again next weekend. The rescued person should have to pay not only for the benefit of society, but for their own long-term growth as well.

This occurs with athletes who have been passed from grade to grade regardless of their academic standing. They come to believe that they are above the normal consequences and therefore responsibilities of life. It happens with children who are allowed to behave in whatever way they see fit, and whose parents seem held hostage by this behavior. Eventually, when a teacher or employer brings severe consequences for such behavior the child is enraged. They thought the rules didn’t apply to them.

And of course it happens financially. If I know you are going to bail me out, then why worry about how well I perform? When people are allowed to commit stupid or risky acts, and then someone else shields them from the consequences, it often creates an environment that only perpetuates that behavior.

The rub for Christians is that we have been shielded from the ultimate consequence of our actions. This is wonderful, yet also creates a moral quandary. Paul asks the Romans “should we keep on sinning so grace will abound?” That’s the moral hazard. Since Christ’s love and forgiveness and grace are offered in place of our sin, then by sinning I get more of God’s grace. Of course Paul’s answer is “certainly not.” We should not continue the behavior even though our experience of God’s grace is a good thing.

So we must wisely meet the dilemmas of our day. We extend God’s grace. But we also recognize that to allow people to continue in risky or stupid or sinful behavior is detrimental to them and everyone around them. It is not grace to pass a kid on to the next grade even though they can’t read. Nor is it Christian to allow people to starve because of a stupid mistake. Wisdom is not easy.

Best Restaraunts In Abilene (no arguing)

2009-05-26T09:35:00.006-05:00

In my last post I mentioned the first time I ate at Perini Ranch Steakhouse. Someone asked me if that was my favorite restaurant. Honestly, I'm not sure. But it got me thinking. So here are my top ten favorite restaurants in the Abilene area. (Abilene area meaning someone could call me to go to dinner at six and I could be at the restaurant by seven. So, while I love Underwoods in Brownwood, it is too far to make the cut.)

10. Farolito- Good Mexican food in with an old style feel. The first Mexican food restaurant I remember eating at was the old Monterrey House in Tyler, TX in the late seventies. Farolito stole their decor.

9. LaPopular- Three words: Dollar Burrito Day.

8. Harold's- There is probably better barbecue in Abilene. But nothing can top their chopped beef sandwich. Everything else may be terrible, but I don't get anything else.

7. Sonic- How could a greasy fast-food place make the list? Simple. Lemon-Berry slush, the official drink of Damon Parker

6. Beehive- When I need chicken-fried steak.

5. Clyde Pizza House- Food is good. Entertainment is amazing. Can go from wonderful to topping the unintentional comedy charts and back in just a few minutes.

4. Szechuan- Don't get me wrong, I love Chinese buffets. But the best cuisine is to be had at this order off the menu joint.

3. Los Arcos- Becoming my favorite Tex-Mex in Abilene. I just wish they were open on Monday evenings.

2. The Homeplace- Amazing way to spend an evening with friends and family. The food is tremendous, the atmosphere wonderful, and on a nice evening there is nothing better than to sit outside after dinner and talk while the kids run around. If the dessert was better, this would probably be number one.

1. Perini Ranch Steakhouse- Only been there three or four times. It's a little bit of a drive, and it's not cheap. But the ranch roasted rib-eye...good gravy we will be eating that in heaven.

Book (and movie) of the Week

2009-05-21T19:35:00.005-05:00

After my sophomore year in college I interned at a little church in Canton, Texas. I somehow convinced the church that they should send me and a bunch of high school kids mountain climbing in Colorado. So a van-full of us headed to Wilderness Trek. As we made the long journey, somebody popped in a CD they recently purchased. It was not the music you would expect from a teenager. It was the soundtrack to the movie Last of the Mohicans.

This music became our theme music for the week. It felt like "in the woods adventure music" (which is probably what the music was intended to feel like). We latched onto the soundtrack even though most of us had not seen the movie, and I'm pretty sure no one had read the book. So the day after we returned from Colorado, we gathered to watch the movie, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
(you can listen to a song from the soundtrack while you read the rest, go ahead, it's really good)

Hadn't really thought about it since, until a couple of weeks ago when I started reading Last of the Mohicans. The book is a great adventure novel, with wonderful dialogue, and an extremely interesting philosophical perspective. If you love history, or need to learn a little, the book provides a glimpse at a formative time in U.S. development. There is also a priceless exchange about the desirability of christian virtue. The book is almost worth reading simply for that moment.

The most interesting part of reading the book was that I had already seen the movie. This is a rarity for me as I make a point to read a book before catching the film. However, I saw this movie some fifteen years before reading the novel. Yet it still colored my reading of the book.

I expected the book to be somewhat different, but was blown away by how far afield the movie actually went. As I read the book I kept waiting for a particular character to die a heroic death (he never did) and was utterly surprised by the death of another character who survived the movie. The love interests were even different. Reading the book after seeing the movie had no effect. I went in truly knowing nothing. Or even worse, being completely misled.

Now, a movie that I thought I really liked, I am repulsed by. They shouldn't even be allowed to call the movie "Last of the Mohicans." It should be something like "A Movie Using the Character Names from the Novel Last of the Mohicans."

The point being I liked the movie, until I read the real deal. How often does this happen in life? Growing up my family never really ate steak. A couple of times I had some "steak-like" thing at home. Then I went to Perini Ranch. Holy Cow! (No I mean it, I believe the cows they are serving at Perini Ranch are set apart and unique, and the first time I went there was definitely a religious experience.) We think we've had good chocolate cake, and then discover The Great Wall of Chocolate. Or closer to the heart, I thought I was busy with a lot of responsibility in college. Then I had children. I had no idea! Or we date somebody and think they are pretty great. Then we meet the one, and we immediately wonder what we were thinking.

Now, all this can be skewed to mean the grass is always greener, or don't settle, or there is no contentment. But really that's not the truth. The truth is that we often do settle. We become unwilling to try something new, we stick with the same old routine, and we never experience amazing things right around the corner. Now, we all have our comfort zones. But renting the same movie again and again means that we miss the possibility of something great. Sure, we avoid renting a stinker, but is that really worth it?

We have no idea what we can accomplish, if we would just try something new. Why not try the sushi, try a different kind of book than we typically read, go for it at karaoke, attempt the job our self instead of calling in a repair person, rent a movie we never heard of? Or even better, send in the resume for the job we think we can't possibly get, go back to school, give up our job to be a missionary, or open our hearts to an adopted child. If we would give up the fear of failure, how high could we sore?

I remember when I was young my Dad decided to take our family to a movie. This was unprecedented. I can count the number of movies I've been to with my father on one hand. This is one of two I believe he suggested. So we were really excited. But he was taking us to some movie none of us had ever heard of. I know that I griped about this, maybe others did too. But I was overruled. So we went and watched the movie. Turned out, it wasn't bad. Good plot, good acting, good directing. I enjoyed it so much I have probably seen it twenty times since. It was a little movie called "Raiders of the Lost Ark".

This Week's Sermon

2009-05-18T12:55:00.002-05:00

We continue our study of the Lord's Prayer. This week the focus is "Give us this day our daily bread."

Click the link below to listen or download.

http://www.box.net/shared/o40fepo6dt

Two Kinds of People

2009-05-08T22:15:00.017-05:00

Is there anything better than a great vacation? The only thing I can think of is gloating about it to people who have to stay behind and work. So allow me a moment of self-indulgence. What a great week!

Spent the week on the Carnival Ecstasy. Would get up (whenever we wanted) and head to a glorious breakfast where I ordered pancakes with sausage and a side of Lucky Charms. Spent the morning by the pool, cavorting with the kids on a huge water slide, and hopping in the hot tub. Then there was the lunch buffet.

In the afternoon we would take a dance lesson, play bingo or trivia (won at trivia, lost at bingo), and even gamble. That's right, I took twenty bucks to gamble. I played blackjack, which I never have before. Walked away after an hour and a half with seventy-one dollars.

(This brings me to an aside: there are certain people you don't want to go on a cruise with. The first is the party pooper-someone who complains about it being too hot by the pool, gripes constantly about the service, spends much of their time in their room watching TV. The second is the moralizer-they constantly point out the drinking, gambling, and old men in Speedos, as if they didn't know this was a cruise, and don't tell them about the twenty dollars you brought for blackjack. Finally, there is the financial analyst-every activity, meal and moment is compared and contrasted with the amount of money spent to determine its' value and a constant judgement is rendered about whether you are getting your money's worth. I'm not saying these aren't good people, or can't be great friends. These are simply the kind of people that could turn a wonderful cruise into a complete drag. So pick your cruise buddies wisely. This is the kind of stuff you think about when ordering the complimentary room service at midnight and eating your fourth dessert of the day.)

In the evenings our kids went to these really cool activities with other kids while we enjoyed an elegant dinner. Our good friends Chuck and Lauren Sparks joined us for many of these meals. The waiter we had was wonderful because he always brought me extra appetizers and a second dessert. Then we would enjoy a show, or karaoke, or live music. By the way, all of my description leaves out most of what we did as I am only trying to paint a picture.

Sounds wonderful right? The only problem was we couldn't get off the boat. Our cruise was to take us to Progresso and Cozumel. But we happened to have cruised during international swine flu week. The height of government fears about this disease occurred right as we were headed into ports in Mexico. So, we were forced to stay on board.

Now, I didn't like this for two reasons. One, my natural distrust of media and government "crisis" talk was going off like a siren. I knew this couldn't be as bad as they were predicting, and sure enough the week we return, swine flu goes from a "crisis" to barley being mentioned. The second and bigger reason was I wanted to go to Progress and Cozumel. I wanted to walk the beach and eat authentic Mexican food. I wanted my kids to have their first visit to a foreign country. I wanted to barter for little trinkets and vanilla. But it was not to be. The cruise line refunded our port fees and any shore excursion you may have purchased. And we sailed out to find sun and good weather in the gulf of Mexico.

On board there appeared to be exactly two reactions to the news that we would not be landing in Mexico. One group of people were upset. The wanted to get off. They felt disappointed. Then they moved on and made the best of it. They enjoyed the great weather and all the amazing food. Visited the midnight buffet, learned to line dance, and generally had a really good time.

The other group was also upset. However, they never got over it. They yelled at the cruise director, almost as if Carnival had intentionally infected Mexico with swine flu simply to ruin their vacation. They constantly mentioned that we should be getting off the boat. And when we ported back in Galveston a few hours early, they got off rather than enjoy the remaining meals and entertainment (which they had already paid for).

A basic principle of life was writ large on that boat, a lesson for which I need constant reminding. We are not in control of many of the circumstances in which we find ourselves, but we are always in control of how we respond. Swine flu did not ruin any one's vacation. We were not sick, we were safe, and the closest we came to swine was some smothered pork chops and bacon. But many people's vacations were ruined, but only by themselves.

Imagine if I told you that I had planned for you the week described above. Most people I know would say "sign me up". But how many things have to not go perfect to ruin it for us. The only disappointment comes when what we want, and especially what we think we deserve, doesn't come to pass. Then we become selfish, rude and pretty sorry to be around.

But what did I do to deserve any of this. Do I deserve this wonderful family? Did I invent and design and build a cruise ship for myself? What did I do to even merit an extra dessert? Nothing. So I should be thankful, grateful, pleased as punch with what I got. Could the cruise have been better? You bet. But it could have been worse. Rather than being on a cruise enjoying myself, I could have been in a hospital in Mexico watching someone I love die from a mysterious illness.

So this week I sail on in life, a little more tan, a little bit heavier, and a lot more grateful.

This Week's Sermon

2009-05-06T15:58:00.004-05:00

This week is a look at the first line of the Lord's Prayer. Our Father in Heaven.

Just click on the link below.

http://www.box.net/shared/ep8okt19yv

This Week's Sermon

2009-04-22T20:45:00.009-05:00

We began a series on the Lord's prayer this week. This sermon covers Jesus' teaching on prayer in Matthew just prior to "The Lord's Prayer." Hopefully, this will be a particular help for those struggling with prayer.

http://www.box.net/shared/ddo6cdahgd

Compassion vs. Guilt

2009-04-20T09:32:00.031-05:00

I recently watched the movie Seven Pounds. I actually liked it (most unusual for me, seems lately I find fault with every movie I see). For once I believed the two people could actually like or even love each other.

Anyway, without giving away the movie, its' theme is guilt and attempts at redemption. After watching the film and then discussing it with my wife, I was reminded of something I wrote several years ago, while I was still in grad school. So here it is.

I attend a Christian university that recently raised over one-hundred million dollars to ensure its future. I preach at a church where many people aren't sure if they will have enough money this month to pay the rent on their rundown apartment. And I feel guilty.

I go to class in a multi-million dollar teaching facility, carrying hundreds of dollars worth of theological textbooks. I teach the high school class at my church, and kids beg me to take them by McDonald's afterwards because there is no dinner waiting at their house. And I feel guilty.

I watch churches spend millions of dollars on buildings that are used less than a fourth of the week. I see kids from my church who live in two bedroom homes that house 8 people. And I feel guilty.

To be honest, this guilt is part of the reason I do what I do. (You can only say no the "Homeless, Please Help, God Bless!" signs so many times.) Eventually, you either stop looking, or you feel guilty enough to hand a couple of bucks out the window. That's me, the guilty one with the hand out his car window, holding up traffic.

Guilt is a highly underrated motivator. Guilt makes people sponsor children in Africa. Guilt gets Dad home from his office in time for dinner. Guilt increases the offering at church. Guilt can get things done.

But in spite of its effectiveness, I praise God it wasn't guilt that prompted Jesus to leave the Father's side, come to earth, and take on flesh. Had it been guilt, not long after his arrival he would have left, with us to fend for ourselves. Guilt can only take you so far. Jesus might have left his home in heaven because he felt guilty that he had it so good while we had it so rough. But it wouldn't have taken long for him to see that we are to blame for so much of the pain and hurt around us. Seeing us as we truly are would have dried up the guilt. A couple of good deeds would have soothed his conscience. Guilt may heal a few sick people and feed a few poor people, but guilt won't take you to the cross.

Compassion will.

Compassion lies at the intersection of love and people. Compassion is not about your lack and my wealth. Wealth and lack are only the surface. Compassion is not interested solely in the surface. It is about deeper things. Compassion sees people, not positions. To compassion that's not a homeless man, it is a person. A human being. Created in the very image of God. Loved by the Father. The Son gave his life for just such a person.

Guilt is about me. Compassion is about you. Guilt may give two dollars. Compassion gets out of the car for a conversation. Guilt can't see past the moment at hand. Compassion sees the big picture of a person's life and soul. Guilt desires relief. Compassion desires goodness. Guilt cares about making me feel better. Compassion cares about the ultimate good of the other.

Recently, a woman stole some money from my wife's purse. We have no doubt she took it, but we can't prove it. This has been very difficult for my wife. You see, this lady goes to our church. This lady stole the money at church. And she has stolen from others, we are sure of it. My wife was extremely angry and hurt. Again and again we have helped this woman financially. Then she does this to us. Trust me, we feel no more guilt about this woman's situation. So how do we respond to the woman now? What do we do next time we see her at church? I'm not sure what the perfect answer would be, but I know that guilt will not longer cut it.

This week I looked over and my wife was handing our four month old son to this very same lady. The woman was smiling and cooing at our son. Our son was smiling back. My wife was smiling. Was it the exact right way to handle the situation? I'm not sure. But I am sure of this; at the moment when my wife handed this woman our son, the One who left heaven because of his compassion for us became flesh once again.

Easter Sermon

2009-04-16T11:59:00.016-05:00

Click on this link to hear this week's sermon.

http://www.box.net/shared/sxm475r8ap

end of an ERa

2009-04-14T14:39:00.008-05:00

Last week my wife and I watched the last episode of ER. We do not watch much TV, especially since we only receive local, over the air, free channels. (By the way, not having cable has probably saved us about $7200 over the course of our marriage, and has probably saved our marriage since we don't have ESPN.) But we typically have one show that we routinely watch. Early in our marriage it was ER, then X-Files, The Practice, now Lost. ER has always been our old standby.

For the first three or four years ER was tremendous. Over time it became very good with moments of greatness. Eventually it settled into routinely good. And, as I mentioned, we have watched the show off and on. As good as it has been, I am no longer particularly attached to it. So why was I so emotional when it ended?

The last show was well done, but nothing spectacular. The producers brought back several fan favorites, but only for cameos. The show was good, but what I felt went beyond quality television programming.

After contemplating this, it finally hit me. I started watching ER my senior year in college. (Okay, my first senior year in college.) My roommates and I would actually sit down together on Thursday nights and watch. We watched from the very first episode. We watched because two of us actually worked part time in a hospital. We watched together as some sort of roommate commitment.

At the end of that year both my roommates graduated and moved to DFW. I ended up in a house by myself, trying to finish school. It was the beginning of the rest of my life. But I still watched ER.

You know the feeling when you go back home, even as an adult, you feel like a child. I know I had that childish feeling going home even after I got married. I never felt like a real adult until we had children. I remember about six months after my oldest was born, it suddenly dawned on me, "Oh no, I'm an adult." Yes, it had been ten years since I left home for college, since I went out on my own, but in that moment I went from childhood to adulthood.

The same thing happened the other night with ER. The show ended and instantly I felt something change. If you look through my clothes I no longer have any t-shirt I picked up in college. No "Beach Bash '93", or "Search for the Holy Grub". I have long since graduated, and actually managed a Master's Degree. There is nothing left of my college days. Save one thing:ER. It was the last vestige of university life. And now it is gone.

The feeling which overwhelmed me from nowhere the other night was simply this: "Oh no, college is over."

No Woman's Land

2009-04-01T21:48:00.007-05:00

My brother and his wife found out this week that they are having a boy. So let me say, "Welcome, baby boy Parker! Welcome to no woman's land."

Now, that is a little bit of a stretch. Obviously there are Parker women (somebody has to give birth). But just look at the numbers. My paternal grandparents had nine grandchildren. Only one girl. My maternal grandparents had five grandchildren. One girl.

I grew up in a house of four boys (my Father still acts like a twelve year old). Living in a world like that does something to warp your worldview. I remember one night when I was still at home, there was a knock at the door. This was later than we typically had visitors. A couple of us went to answer the door when my mom yelled for us to go away. All four of us, my dad included, were lounging about in our underwear. Not boxers, whitey-tighties. None of us understood what the big deal was.

There are distinct advantages to this kind of world. Hurt feelings are quickly dealt with (usually with some mixed martial arts). There is always someone to mow the yard. Zero spending on beauty supplies (although I did use mousse for awhile in the late eighties, and my cousin Micheal once got a perm).

Admittedly there are drawbacks. The smells (feet, under-arms, bathrooms). The inability to keep food around. The constant using of logic to prove that your feelings are completely ludicrous.

My cousin Michael has three children, two are girls. He is now the only one with more girls than boys. Subtly, we all think something must be wrong with him (the perm probably did something to him). That's how you think, when you grow up in no woman's land.

But, in the end, it is the only world I really know. I have three boys, one girl. She's praying for a sister come September. But history tells us we all know what's coming.

Here is a classic exchange from Seinfeld that fits perfectly.

ELAINE: Why do they call it a wedgie?
GEORGE: Because the underwear is pulled up from the back and ... it wedges in..
JERRY: They also have an atomic wedgie. Now the goal there is to actually get the
waistband on top of the head. Very rare.
ELAINE: Boys are sick.
JERRY: Well what do girls do ?
ELAINE: We just tease some one 'til they develop an eating disorder.

It's Time to Be Honest

2009-03-26T09:11:00.004-05:00

Sex. Got you didn’t I. There’s something about that word. Some of you were shocked just now. Others embarrassed. Somebody out there thinks it was a sin just to write it. But don’t worry, they’re still reading.

The church has to get a handle on sex. We don’t know how to talk about it or deal with it. It can destroy those who keep their failings a secret, and we can destroy those who choose to confess. So what do we do with sex. Here’s a few ideas.

1. Talk about it. If the preacher can’t mention sex in a sermon, how in the world is the church supposed to deal with it in a healthy way? So let’s stop being scared. Mentioning sex at church is not going to make our teenagers jump in the back seats of their cars. As a matter of fact, they might listen for once because the church is willing to be honest and relevant.

2. Keep it in perspective. Perhaps it’s just me, but I have always felt that sexual sin is way worse than any other sin. The only people I have ever seen disfellowshipped were participating in sexual sin. There is a perception (that I think is rampant) that sexual sin is so much worse than any other sin. Because of this, people are afraid to share their temptations or failings. And their sin grows and grows until it consumes them. Then they either leave the church or we give them the boot.

3. Face the truth. This one is the toughest. It’s time we admit that our secrecy about sex is killing us. Tons of men in our churches are addicted to pornography. Some women in our churches use sex as a weapon to get their way with their husbands. Yes, teen pregnancy, date rape, pedophilia, sexual abuse, etc… don’t stop at our front doors. It’s time to pull the covers back, so we can all get better.

Only The Good Die Young

2009-03-22T21:30:00.007-05:00

Saturday night my beautiful wife and I celebrated our anniversary by driving to San Antonio for a concert. Billy Joel and Elton John. Some of you who are reading this now believe you have irrefutable proof that I am ancient. "Of course he's old he went to see two old fogies in concert." Others may see this as evidence that I am some young whippersnapper who would go pay good money to listen to that new-fangled rock and roll (this is less likely because for this to happen requires the use of a computer and the Internet). Nevertheless let me say I went to the concert (proof that I am young), found it to be a little to loud (old), during the nearly four hour concert went to the restroom only once (young!) but was tired by the end (old). All this adds up to one thing: I'm middle aged.

The concert really did cause me to reflect on aging. Joel is 59, while John turns 62 this week. Yet they both performed with passion and energy. Joel was especially vibrant, resembling a rambunctious teenager as he bounced around the stage. Watching them overwhelmed me with a singular feeling: I hope when I am their age I am still as passionate and energetic about work and life.

In one of M. Scott Peck's books he talks about working with some senior citizens. They were all retired but relatively healthy. The played golf and traveled and such. But they were no longer interested in growing, maturing, learning or changing. I do not want that to happen to me. If I am lucky enough to grow old, I hope I die working on the next sermon or writing a book. I do not want my life to move from purposeful existence to plain existence. I may retire (it would be nice to vacation and travel for a few weeks) but then I hope to take up new adventures that require growing and learning.

Sometimes we are guilty of writing off the wisdom of those who are older. We no longer live in a society that seems very interested in what our elders can teach us. But we also live in a society where many "elders" are not interested in sharing wisdom. They claim to have done their time, raised their kids, and now it is their time. Which means I now am free to be selfish.

If you are older, have tried to learn and grow throughout your life, I want to hear what you have to say. But if all you can teach me is how to fix the slice in my golf game, I've got more important things to do.

Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2009-03-16T18:06:00.009-05:00

Without a doubt, Thursday is my favorite day of the year. Don't get me wrong, I love holidays as much as the next guy. Thanksgiving weekend is such a tradition in my family, that even though the same things happen almost every year, it is still fantastic. I love watching my kids at Christmas. Right now I can almost feel the cool night air and the smell of Frito pie as I think about late October high school football games. It is all fun, beautiful, and makes life worth living.

But it can't compete with Thursday.

On Thursday I will head to my annual destination about 11:00am. I will sit down where I can see four gigantic screens. I'll order a hamburger and a Coke. Then I will watch as the best annual drama in existence unfolds. I will spend the next 3 to 4 hours watching four basketball games at once.

Now don't get me wrong, some of the games will be blowouts. Huge state schools with multi-million dollar athletic budgets and future NBA players will run roughshod over smaller colleges you've never heard of. But somehwere along the way...it will happen. A team that has no business even staying close to a basketball powerhouse will do more than stay close. They will make a miracle three at the buzzer and all heaven will break loose. For that's what it is, pure unadulterated bliss. It is "do you believe in miracles?" and David slaying Goliath all in one. And the wonderfful thing about it is that it happens every year, but it is still a suprise every time.

So Thursday at 11:00 I will be at Buffalo Wild Wings, brackets in hand. I will gather with other devotees, complete strangers that within an hour I will be high-fiving. It may not make any sense to you, but hey, that's why they call it march madness.

(By the way here is a link to a great article about watching March Madness, really gives you a feel for what goes on in the minds of true sports fans.)
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/020313a

The Circus of the Greedy and Moronic

2009-03-11T15:10:00.003-05:00

The news media is saturated with coverage of the birth of octuplets in California. Rightfully so, as already these eight children have, as a complete group, survived longer than any other group of octuplets born in America. Yet most of the coverage is no longer about this amazing birth. Rather it is focused on the mother and her right to have these children.
By now some of the basic facts are well known. The mother, Nadya Suleman, already was a single mother with six kids. All of her children have been conceived through IVF (). She spent the past six years on disability. She currently does not hold a job.
All of this has created outrage across the country. Shouts of “How could she” and “She must be nuts” echo the landscape. I watched on television as person after person griped vociferously about taxpayers being forced to shoulder the financial burden for these children.
I too am outraged. I find this situation to be close to reprehensible. But I am equally outraged by the overwhelming response condemning this mother. Not because it isn’t warranted, but because it is hypocritical.
This case only stands out because of the number of children. But single women constantly conceive children in this country that they cannot possibly provide for financially. In fact, some young girls attempt to achieve pregnancy knowing it will lead them to be emancipated from their guardians and provide them with numerous government services including housing and food.
We live in a country where you can smoke for fifty years and then Medicaid and Medicare help pay for your cancer treatments. You can buy a 500,000 dollar home you can’t possibly afford, and then declare bankruptcy when the inevitable happens. Even now the government is contemplating spending nearly a trillion dollars (an amount incomprehensible) of taxpayer money to bail out industries and individuals, many of whom are in financial straits because of their own greed.
All of these are by-products of the same problem. A huge chunk of Americans, from the government, to the wealthy, to the poor seem to believe it is okay to live beyond your means. We no longer seem to be a people who can delay gratification. We must have it, and we must have it now. Do whatever you want, and someone will come bail you out. In fact we have come up with ingenious words to make it all sound palatable.
Instead we should call these things what they really are. To go into debt never planning to pay it back is not bankruptcy, it’s stealing. To expect your neighbors and fellow citizens to take care of you no matter how you treat your body is gluttonous and greedy. To reward citizens for making horrible moral and ethical choices by providing them increased government services is incestuous. And for an individual, business and especially a government to recklessly spend beyond its’ income is absolute moral failure.
I’m not saying I have the answer to these problems. I just wish we would talk about them more honestly and consistently. So if we are going to complain about taxpayers having to foot the bill for one mother and her fourteen children, we should complain anytime the government foots the bill for greedy and moronic choices. That would at least be consistent. Problem is most of us don’t have the kind of time it would take since the government tends to be the ringmaster in the circus of the greedy and moronic.

Stupid Thought of the Week

2009-03-08T22:18:00.005-05:00

Micky Rourke recently starred in the critically acclaimed movie The Wrestler. I haven't watched wrestling in years, and have no interest in seeing the movie. But a little addendum to the story caught my eye.

Apparently, Rourke did such an amazing acting job that he caught the notice of the WWE. Now, he will be participating at Wrestlemania.

My question is: What do you call this? We use the phrase "life imitating art" but is that what this is? I mean, wrestling is fake, so it isn't life. Wrestling is fake-life. So the movie was art imitating fake-life. Therefore this stunt by Rourke of participating in Wrestlemania is something like fake-life (wrestling) imitating art(the movie) which was imitating the real lives (professional wrestlers) of those who participate in fake-life (wrestling) which imitates real life (fighting) but in such fake ways (hitting each other with metal chairs and still getting up) that it doesn't resemble real life except that now people video themselves actually doing this stuff to each other in their backyards.

Book of the Week

2009-03-06T15:44:00.003-06:00

I recently finished reading "The Man Who Was Thursday" by G.K. Chesterton. Chesterton is an author that I have quoted numerous times, but I have never actually read one of his novels. Feeling guilty I finally picked one up.

The other night I tried to explain the book to my wife, but I couldn't make any sense. That's the thing about this book, and I think any really good novel or joke. You can't explain them, they must be experienced.

Whether "The Man Who Was Thursday" is a really good novel I have yet to determine. I still am not sure exactly what happened in the story. I mean, the plot made sense, but there was more going on than meets the eye. Days later the book is still rolling around somewhere inside me, and will be for some time. That is usually the sign for me of profound writing.

What I can say is that the book is a farce, a joke, that pulls you along. And the ending is really worth it, even though I am still sorting out what it means. I cruised through the book in just a few days, quite unusual for a book considered a "classic." Part of it is the short length, but also the way it is written makes you suspect that something really important is coming, and you want to get there.

I don't want to give it away (again it must be experienced), but I would highly reccomend the book to anyone who is interested in good literature that takes spirituality seriously. And for those who have never read much of this type of literature, this novel is short and to the point, so it is a good place to start. I would love to discuss the book with anyone who has read or is willing to read it.

First Attempt at Putting Sermons Online

2009-03-03T19:10:00.003-06:00

If you click on the link below it should allow you to hear a sermon. When I asked it to open, it took a minute, then starting playing in itunes. See how it works for you and let me know.

This sermon was done several months ago.
Prodigal Son.m4a

Elder Ordination

2009-03-02T23:07:00.003-06:00

This past Sunday we ordained four men to shepherd our church. We eschewed the formalities of a typical ordination service (this would just not fit our church, I mean come on we meet on Sundays at 5pm). For me the moist poignant moment came when all four stood facing the church, and listened as various members read to them from scripture. I almost lost it when I watched them stand arm in arm as my son, who is eight, read to them about Jesus asking Peter to "Feed his lambs."

It seems to me that the beauty of leadership is often lost in the formality of it. What most of us need in life is not a well-put together budget presentation or constant communication from those who lead about where we are all going. Those things are good. But they only seem truly important when real leadership is missing. Real leadership is four guys willing to take their cue from a child reading scripture. If they truly "feed the lambs", they have done their job.

First Post

2009-03-02T22:27:00.000-06:00

I feel I should say something profound. After all, why would anyone want to read this unless I waxed eloquent or questioned life in an enlightened philosophical manner?

Except of course my mother. She will read this no matter what. Even if it is no good, pointless, self-absorbed drivel. And because it is no good she will worry that no one else will read it, or that people will say rude, mean-spirited things to her well-meaning son. But she will not mention these fears to me. No, no. She will be ravaged by worry, and she will slyly ask something like "Do you really have time to do this blogging thing?" All in an effort to save her son from perceived persecution. What a good mom.

Nevertheless, I will risk both mine and my mother's well-being by placing words before the world. Or at least that portion of the world who either loves me enough to read this, or pities me enough. Those may essentially be the same people.