Wednesday, February 22, 2012

A book so good I just had to tell you...

Unlike many of my blogging friends, I don't recommend books very often on this site. As a matter of fact, I'm not sure, I've ever recommended a book on this site. Which is rather odd because I LOVE BOOKS!


Big books, little books, fiction and non,
old books, new books, I love to look upon
books whose pages smell like ink,
and books that like to make me think.
plain cover books are just fine 
but something about book covers makes them sublime.
I love books!


Okay, so I'm not really a poet... but I was inspired. :)


The book that I have just finished reading and has inspired my stab at poetry is called "Heaven is for Real" by Todd Burpo (with Lynn Bryant).  "A little boy's astounding story of his trip to heaven and Back".


I don't even know where to begin to tell you how refreshing this book is. (Maybe that's why I don't write about books very often!)


Colton is a boy who at three years of age almost died from a burst appendix. While he was on the operating table he visited heaven. Yep. that's what I said, he visited heaven. Now somewhere out there, someone is reading this rather cynically. (Wait, do I have any cynics that read my blog?)  


Over a period of a couple of years Colton's parents were constantly surprised by certain things that he said about his trip, things that couldn't be faked. He knew exactly what they had been doing while he was on the operating table, he talked about theological things in simplistic language, and spoke of heavenly concepts that he hadn't yet been introduced to in Sunday school. 


My absolute favorite part of the book is the family's search for the picture that looked most like Jesus. For years his dad and mom would ask him if Jesus looked like the famous paintings that most people associate with him.  Finally, four years after his trip to heaven, he found it.  You will be amazed when you read who the artist was.   


That's all I'm saying other than to say, Really, you should read it.






L

The goal that keeps going on.... and on and on

Waaaaayyyy back in June I commented that I was getting close to my hundredth post here at "Unloading my Brain". At the time I thought I had written 97 separate pieces of literary genius.Surely it would be easy to hit that 100 mark by my one year blogging anniversary (in July)

A few days later I realized that many of the stories that I had written were never posted- only drafted- and I had further to go than I thought. No worries though, I knew I would get there sooner or later! It is now much much later. three days ago, I was getting very excited because I saw that I was about ready to write post number 98!   (YAY! Almost there, I thought) then I looked again. Once again, I had a number of drafts that I had never posted... so once again, I am looking at posting number 95.  


The good news? The A to Z blogging Challenge starts soon and I KNOW! without a doubt that I will pass that centennial mark in the month of April if not before.  (Please, please, God, let it before!)




L

Monday, February 20, 2012

10 Presidential facts that most people don't know...

Happy Presidents Day!  Here is a list of "Presidential knowledge that doesn't really matter but can be helpful when there is a lull in a conversation at a dinner" subjects.   Enjoy!

Did you know...

1. James Buchanan owned a herd of elephants?

2. George Washington founded the dog breed "American Foxhound"?

3. Taft didn't really care about being president? He really wanted to be a supreme court Justice.

4. Grant died just a few days after completing his memoir? He died almost penniless, but sales of his book helped his estate become wealthier.

5. James is the most common presidential first name?

6. Tyler became part of the confederate congress during the Civil War?

7. Tyler (10th president of the United States) still has two grandsons living right now?

8. Between 1913 and 1932, only one president (Warren Harding)  Didn't have his first and last name starting with the same letter? (Those that did were Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover...)

9. There was a 12 year age difference between John F Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy?

10. William Henry Harrison's wife didn't even get to move into the White House? She was still at home in Ohio packing their things when he died 31 days after taking office.


L

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Kids teach too!

Sometimes something happens in children's church that teaches me something new or just really refreshes my spirit. I love it when that happens.
Today, we started studying the Beattitudes. (in my 19 years as a children's pastor, I have taught this a bazillion times...) I asked the kids to tell me what they thought the word, "Blessed" means. After numerous children attempted to answer, one boy responded with this: "It means that God's favor is on us".  I thought that was a great answer. It became an even better answer when I read the scriptures using that phrase instead of the word "blessed".


The favor of God is on those who are poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 


The favor of God is on those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 


The favor of God is on the meek, for they will inherit the earth.


The favor of God is on those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.


The favor of God is on the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 


The favor of God is on the pure in heart, for they will see God.


The favor of God is on the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.


The favor of God is on those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.











Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Jealous

 Yep, that's me.
I spent Sunday night watching the super bowl at my friend, Candice's new home. Now when I say "watching" the super bowl what I mean is that I was in the same room as the 55" inch tv that was displaying the football game. (Now don't jump ahead of me! I'm not jealous of the tv or the new home, or the players who make millions of dollars each season! Keep reading!)
I was paying a little bit of attention to the action on the screen (mostly during the commercials) but honestly, I was really concentrating on the  game of Hand and Foot we were playing. Hand and Foot is a card game that is very similar to Canasta (I'll bet you're glad that I cleared that up, eh?). While we were playing, I was listening to the banter going back and forth between Candice and her mom. It was companionable and fun, teasing and sweet. If was obvious that they were friends and they really enjoyed being with each other.

I like that. I had that with my mom. I miss that. Jealous. Yep that's me.



L