Days of Yore

It sure has been an interesting weekend of baseball. Friday, I worked a game between Jackson Christian School and Evangelical Christian School (from Memphis). The game was played at a neutral site (Memphis University School). Anyway, my partner was late arriving, and whenever that happens, it usually goes downhill from there. However, the game went pretty smoothly until the bottom of the sixth inning when I missed a call at first base. Joy. I asked my partner what he saw, and thankfully he overturned my call. At least we eventually got it right...lol.

Yesterday, I worked at First Assembly Christian School. We finished the last three innings of a varsity game that had been delayed due to weather, then played two JV games. My partner called me Thursday to let me know he'd like to work the plate for the shortened game, and the first JV game. I said something to the effect of, "Go ahead, Cowboy."...lol. I remember when I was young and insane, and would always do that. I always wanted to work the plate. Mostly because I felt I was the best umpire in the world, and I figured if I was behind the plate, then everything would be under control and nothing could go wrong. These days, I try to AVOID working the plate as much as I can...lol.

Working 2.5 games yesterday reminded me of the days when Mike Clark and I would often work a doubleheader in the morning at one school, then another doubleheader at a different school later that night. We used to do that all the time. Those were crazy days, indeed. Lots of fun. We may have even made a few bucks, too.

A couple of weeks ago, as I was getting ready to start a game, the outsole of my right plate shoe fell off. Just fell off. My plate shoes were 11 years old, so I guess it was about time. Anyway, I worked that game essentially with one shoe. I had been telling Michelle for three years that I needed new shoes, but it always seemed that something else would come up. So, when I got home that night, I showed her my shoe that had disintegrated, and ordered a new pair. I wore them yesterday for the first time, and I love them. They are so comfortable! I may be getting back behind the plate more often now...hehe. I also got a new pair of pants.

It was really great to be back on the field. These games were my first high school games of the year. I told the assigner back in the spring that I was not going to work high school ball at all, because I needed to be around the house a lot to take care of Michelle. I have worked several games in the middle school Christian league, and those games are nice because I get no flack from the coaches or parents, and the games only last about an hour and 15 minutes or so. However, the level of play is only slightly higher than what we used to call Little League. So, it was nice to call some competitive games again. The only reason I ended up working the games this weekend was that because of heavy rain, a bunch of games needed to be made up, and the assignor was desperate. So, he dragged the bottom of the barrel to get me. We are supposed to get more rain the next several days, so I may end up working a few more. We'll see.

The other day I caught myself thinking about how my umpiring career arc is going in the same direction as Mike's. We both had a period where we literally drove all over the country to work as many games as possible. Didn't matter when or where; have game, will travel. Then, when Mike got married and started having kids, he started traveling less and less. Finally, he got to the point where he doesn't work much at all; he'd rather watch his oldest boy play t-ball. I am no longer travelling anywhere outside of town to work games, and have really lowered the total number of games I am working. I can see myself in a few years not working much at all, and going to my son's games instead. Michelle sees me coaching his team, but I don't know about that. I'll still work the occasional game, but I no longer have the desire to work every day, or to drive all over the country to do it.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

I emailed a paper to one of my professors today, and may have been a little over-dramatic about it. In my message, I told him he could "print this out, and kill a tree if you desire, but the blood of the creation will not be on my hands!"...LOL. Before class tonight, we got a chuckle out of it.

Tomorrow is going to be a light day. Just a little work at the office, then Michelle and I are going to work on the nursery. In the afternoon, I have a high school baseball game. Speaking of baseball, Saturday is going to be crazy. Starting at 10 AM, I am working the last 3 innings of a game that was suspended due to weather last week. Then, there is a full varsity game, and the day will conclude with a JV game. That's a lot of baseball in one day. Should be fun.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

My sister turned me on to a software program called Last.fm, which tracks the music played on a computer and/or iPod. The chart below is not exactly accurate, as I did not have the iPod feature turned on, but it is a moderately decent representation of the music I am listening to these days. However, the majority of the music I listen to is via the iPod, so the chart will get more accurate when that info is uploaded.



I am going to take the Blazer to a glass shop this morning, because someone broke out one of the rear windows. They didn't take anything, so I think they broke it just to be mean. Some other people in the area have reported the same problem. Joy.

I will spend the rest of the day working on a paper for my theology class. The paper is due tomorrow, and I have not yet begun to write. It does not have to be too long, so it shouldn't be a problem. However, I have found that waiting until the last minute to do something in grad school is even less wise than it was as an undergrad. Not a good habit to be in.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Michelle seems to think I have an unhealthy addiction to the music of Avril Lavigne. Hmm...

We got some really good news from the doctor last Friday. For several months, all signs had been pointing toward a premature birth, but on Friday the doctor said she thinks it will go full-term. Given that she said this with a smile on her face, and with confidence, our spirits were really lifted. So, that was really encouraging.

We worshiped at CrossRoads for the first time yesterday. It was really great; everyone there has welcomed us with open arms. All th women were excited to talk to Michelle about the baby, and I met a guy who is a long-time football official in the local association. He showed me his state championship ring, and I told him I was working toward one of those. His son is an umpire in the major leagues, so we talked baseball for a few minutes, too. That was cool.

The youth group had its first meeting last night, and I think it went really well. The kids all seem to be really excited, so that is encouraging. I am in the process of putting together some big plans for the summer.

In the months leading up to the wedding, I started having some really crazy dreams. Which was doubly weird because I normally can go years without having a dream that I remember. So, to have several dreams over the course of just a few months or so was freaky. Anyway, I have started to have some strange dreams again. While I do not think any dream can compare in craziness to my Darth Vader/Rolling Stones dream, the one I had recently is still strange.

I dreamt that the youth group and I were playing golf at Augusta National Golf Club, and Tiger Woods was playing with us. We had a couple of visitors in our group, kids that were not regular attenders, but happened to be with us on this day. When Tiger discovered that one of his irons was missing, and the two visitors were gone, he informed me that the two visitors were suspected by the police of bludgeoning an old woman to death with a golf club somewhere in another state. I was livid that Tiger had not informed me of this before, so I started cursing him like a dog. After a while, everything settled down, and we continued our round of golf. Neither the visitors, nor Tiger's iron, ever reappeared. I told you it was strange!!

I spent the morning working at the church, and got a ton of stuff done. That always feels great. I have some work to do before ecuminism class tonight, so I need to get on that. It's hard to believe that there are only two more weeks of classes! After that, there is a reading period for one week, then final exams. My first semester is almost over! It has flown by so quickly, it is astounding.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Michelle and I attended a parenting class all day today (about 8 hours' worth!). It was really enjoyable. Probably the funniest part was the exercise where the men and women broke off into separate rooms, and listed their top ten concerns of pregnancy. The men's list included things like 'How am I going to pay for this', 'Loss of social life', 'dealing with in-laws', etc. The women's list included 'weight gain', 'heart burn', 'fatigue', 'mood swings', etc. Very interesting. We also learned how to change a diaper, and how to give the baby a bath. All in all, it was well worth the time and money to do it.

Tonight, I am going to assemble the crib, and the toy organizer. Hopefully, the nursery will start to take shape after that. Still a lot of work to go, though.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

I was at work on Wednesday, and a strange thing happened. One of the teachers from the Wesley School (a school for special-needs kids that uses the church's facilities) popped into my office, and said, "Excuse me, but don't you have a divinity degree?" I replied that I was currently in seminary, working on a M.Div. She then asked me if it was OK if she asked me a question (ostensibly a theological one). So, I said, "sure", sort of curious as to what she would think I would be qualified to help her with. Then, she asked, "Could you explain gnosticism to me?" Thankfully, it was mid-morning, and I was well-caffeinated by then. This was not anything near what I would have expected. Still, I perked up, because it just so happens that I had written an essay on the topic a couple of weeks ago. Per my norm, I prefaced my answer with a story, then told her what I knew. Then, I picked out the 4 books on the subject that I own, and offered to allow her to "check them out" (I treat my books as sort of a 'lender's library'). She stammerd a, "No thanks", as if to say she had gotten more than what she had bargained for. I just had to laugh. Still, I found my class notes on the subject, and Xeroxed them. She said that would suffice. LOL.

Yesterday, after lunch, I stopped by the guitar shop to pick up a new stand and some strings. I observed that they had an Eric Clapton signature model on the wall, so it got my attention. Clapton has 3 Martin signature models, and this one is the model that he played on the "Unplugged" album. That model had been out of production since about the mid-50s, and Martin did not know he was going to play it that night. So, he played it, the album became HUGE, and Martin offred to re-issue the guitar as an EC signature model. Cool. This led to he and Martin collaborating on two other signature modles, so EC is the only artist with 3 Martin signature models. Cool stuff. Anyway, when I saw that the guitar's price tag said, "Ask for assistance", I could not resist myself and said, "Can someone float me about 2/3 the price of this? That would be of great assistance!"

I was supposed to have a baseball game this afternoon, but it got rained out. Which was kinda good, since I have not felt well all day. So, Michelle and I have just been hanging out at home this afternoon. If I felt better, it would be nice. Oh well.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

I got an email yesterday from my grandmother, and the entire text read, "YOUR BLOG NEEDS UPDATING!!!!!!!!!!" Obviously, Granny still has quite a bit of spunk in her...LOL. Anyway, here I am.

Our wireless router at home died last week (it was a sudden and painless passing), so I have been having connectivity disfunction. My brother Steve sent me my old router that he broke and then allegedly fixed, although I have not been able to get that up and running yet. Joy.

Spring break last week was wonderful and refreshing. Monday was the first full day of baseball season, so I went to work early, and got home in time to see the last half of the early games, then watched the majority of a couple more throughout the night. The next day, I was talking with my dad, and he said something about the NCAA men's basketball championship game, which had also been the night before. I think I may have said something like, "Oh, really. Didn't realize that was on." LOL. I do feel a little out of my element living in a basketball town, when baseball and football are where it's at for me.

I also got a lot of important work done last week; primarily my exegesis paper that is due next week. I have a couple of shorter papers due this week that I am still working on (or thinking of working on), so I should be able to get those knocked out soon. My exegesis of the parable of the Lost (aka "prodigal", although "prodigal" and "lost" do not mean the same thing) Son is probably my best paper all semester. I am not quite happy with the opening paragraph, so I am going to revisit it before I turn it in. Otherwise, I think it's solid.

The first paragraph of the preeminent account of the first month of World War I, The Guns of August, took its author, Barbara Tuchman, EIGHT HOURS to write. Ever since I discovered that, I have taken extra pains to make my opening paragraphs better.

I remember that last year, having spent spring break in Israel, I came back exhausted. It took me probably a full week to recover, and I got a little behind on some stuff. I had a paper in my ethics class that the professor graciously gave me an extension on, but I still did not do well on it. I think I made a C or a C+ or something. Oh well. This year, I came back to class "tanned and rested", as they say in the political world.

My fellow Israel travelers are getting together soon for a reunion, but it is on a night when I have class, so I will not be able to attend. ***sadness***

I preached my last sermon at Lebanon Church on Sunday. I was quite melancholy afterward. I was sad to go, but I am very excited at the opportunity at CrossRoads church. My first full meeting with the youth is this Sunday night. I am stoked!

Since Sunday's worship was earlier than normal, and there was no Sunday School, at 10:00 AM we suddenly realized that we had the entire day in front of us. We briefly entertained the idea of rolling to Clarksville for my family's gathering, but we reminded ourselves that when the doctor said for Michelle to "take it easy", he meant it. So, she took a nap while I watched the Masters. I guess it just wouldn't be fair if Tiger won all of them. Congrats to Zach Johnson.

Nathan Wheeler, who was formerly the Youth Minister at Clarksville Church and is currently the Youth Minister at Faith Presbyterian in Germantown, led his group in a 30 hour famine last weekend. We stopped by to see them right at the very end; I think they had about 7 minutes remaining in their fast. It was great to see them, and great to hear that they had raised over $1800 for World Vision. AWESOME!

While we were eating lunch Sunday, the baby noticably dropped lower in Michelle's belly. We sort of freaked out just a little, until we did some research and found that this is normal, with one caveat. Apparently, when the baby drops like this, it tends to be born about 4-6 weeks after doing so. And, since we are at this time 11 weeks short of the due date, this means the baby would arrive several weeks early. We are trying to get as close to 40 weeks as possible, so we are a little anxious now. But, the baby will come when he wants to, and there's not much we can do about it, so we try not to worry.

I hope everyone is doing well.

"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes into hours?"--From Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"

Michelle and I were riding in the Explorer today when Lightfoot's song "Sundown" came on the radio. I started thinking about his anthem "Fitzgerald", which tells a narrative of the shipwreck. I especially started thinking about the above line, which questions God's existence. One topic many non-believers often raise is the problem of evil, with evil being defined as "innocent suffering". These people often ask why, if God exists, would God allow innocent people to suffer. I have read mnay philosophers and theologians give various explanations for this, and so far, I have not come across one that I can believe. So, I am working on one myself. When I finish it, I will let you know.

Peace,

Chris

This is so freaky, I just had to buy the album. This might just be the funniest thing I have ever seen!

This past weekend can only be summed up with a "WOW!".

We rolled to Clarksville on Friday, and it was exciting to be going back home. We hung out at my grandparents' house for a while, until my grandmother and Michelle started talking about going to Hobby Lobby. I knew I had to get out of there, so I went over to my parents' house. When I got there, my dad was setting up his latest toy. His new sub-woofer produces enough bass to make the neighbors think Ft. Campbell is shooting artillery. My mom seriously thinks the foundation of the house is going to crack...LOL.

Anyway, I Steve played my guitar for a while, and I enjoyed watching him. He is becoming a maestro. Mike Clark had begged me to umpire a single game on Friday night, and a double-header on Saturday. So, after hanging out for a while, I headed over to Heritage Park and worked an uneventful game. After the game, I picked up Michelle and we went to Johnny's to satisfy our jones.

Saturday morning, I worked my two games while Michelle literally was "showered" with baby gifts. We have so much stuff now, it is insane. The Clarksville church and Mt. Denson, under the direction of my mother and grandmother, threw her an incredible shower. Oh my. I was hoping to come by towards the end to say hello to everyone, but my games ran long so I missed almost everyone.

While we were cleaning up, Mike called me to ask if there was any way I could run over to Richview and umpire another game. There had been a mix-up due to a team scheduling a game without calling him to get umpires. Mike was already about to go out of his mind, having to schedule over 70 games that weekend. There just aren't enough umpires to cover that many games, but somehow he got it done. Another example of why we have one the best associations anywhere.

Speaking of umpires, we heard over the weekend that Jordan Ferrell got a job in the minor leagues. We are so proud of him. I remember talking to Mike about Jordan several years ago, and we both said he would go as far as he wanted to. We enjoyed working with him, helping him get get started. We certainly wish him all the best.

I also heard that Jessica Hester's Auburn University JROTC team recently won a prestigious competition. She is on a full ride scholarship, with a Marine Corps option. She will be a great Marine, and will serve the country well.

We rolled back to Memphis Saturday night, and were exhausted by the time we got here. Michelle woke up at 3:30 AM Sunday morning with her hips and knees hurting. She was still in pain later in the morning, so I went to church alone. I informed the congregation that I would be leaving after Easter Sunday. Everyone wished us well. It will be tough leaving them.

I went by Crossroads today, and moved some of my office things. My new office is amazing! I should be able to get a lot of work done in there. It's a great enviornment. The church secretary, Martha, informed me that some of the youth have already come by and given their stamp of approval. Apparently, they really like the couch...LOL. I have still got some more stuff to move in, but it won't take long.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

I changed the "Music" section of the blog to reflect the songs and artists that I have recently listened to, instead of links to artists' web sites. This will give anyone who happens to care a better glimpse into the music that is in current rotation in my world.

Michelle and I are eagerly awaiting the journey to Clarksville tomorrow. We are looking forward to a fun weekend. Normally, I write my sermon for the week on Friday, but since we are travelling tommorrow, I will do that today.

There is a luncheon for Cumberland Presbyterians at seminary today. Once again, whoever said there was no such thing as a free lunch must not have known me...LOL. The other day, I was walking somewhere on campus and a woman I do not know stopped me and said, "Hey, aren't you the new student that is a Cumberland Presbyterian?" I continue to be singled out as if I were the chosen one...LOL. It kind of disturbs me; I do not want any special attention, I just want to do my work and move along. I guess since the seminary is sponsored by the CP church, and there are not actually too many CP's around, they want to make a big deal of the few that are there. Whatever.

I also have some reading to do for tonight's class, so I am going to get on that.

We ate breakfast a while ago, so it is now getting to the baby. He is really moving around, and we can see Michelle's belly shifting as he moves. This is so cool! He really likes to eat, and gets active afterward. Today marks the beginning of week 27. This is the last week of the second trimester. Time is really moving along fast. June 28 will be here before we know. And probably before we are ready.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

I have a meeting later this morning with the professor of my Interchurch Relations class. The class is a class on ecumenism, which is the movement that promotes unity among the world's Christian churches. We will be meeting in order to discuss my semester project (each student is required to do a project of some kind). My project will be a furthering of a project I first did a couple of years ago. My project will be based on a Powerpoint presentation, showing pictures that tell the story of the Church's treatment of Native Americans. The slides are set to the music of The Eagles' "The Last Resort". After the slideshow, I will talk for about 45 minutes or so, then take questions. I have been working really hard on this, and I think it will go well. The presentation is not until April 23; Today's meeting is just so I can show the professor my progress.

I also have a short response paper I need to write for my research class today. I am going to do that after my meeting.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Michelle was having some serious pains Saturday morning, so called the doctor and were told to go to the E.R. So, after spending a few hours there, we were sent home with an apparent U.T.I. I know she was miserable, and in a lot of pain. A funny thing happened on the way home, and it gave us a chuckle.

We dropped her prescriptions off at Walgreens, and then went to Sonic so she could take care of her corn dog jones (this week's craving). After we ordered, and while we were waiting for the food, I kind of almost dozed off. When the waitress came with the food, I was about 30 seconds from being fully asleep. So, I did not have a tip ready, and didn't think about it until a few minutes later. That was about the same time that I realized I had not ordered anything to drink, so I made a second order for a drink. A different person brought my drink to me, and I gave him a tip, and money for the first waitress. I asked him if he would give that part to her. He said sure. A couple of minutes later, the original waitress came outside, and kind of peered around the corner of our car. She was completely freaked out. I lowered the window, and although she did not come real close, she was within hearing range. She said something to the effect of "Uh, what's up? Why did you give me money via that other guy?" So, I told her I had been half-asleep and wanted to make sure I tipped her. She had a quizzical look on her face, and was just freaked out. I think maybe since she was about 15, she thought a greasy old man was trying to hit on her. Idunno. It was hilarious.

Today, we interviewed a childcare provider for the baby, and we came to an agreement with her. So, that is exciting. She keeps just a few kids, in her home in Germantown. We are really comfortable with her. She lives about 10 minutes from CrossRoads, so that will be convenient. After we spoke with her, we went by the church so Michelle could see the inside. I showed her around, and she met the church staff. I think she is really going to like it there. We are both excited.

It looks like I am going to have a meeting with the parents of the youth this Sunday, and probably start working full-speed the week after Easter. I have been busy getting some ideas together, and trying to formulate a plan. I remember when I started at Mount Denson, I had absolutely no experience, no materials, and no plan. It all seemed to work out, though. LOL. This time, I would like to have a plan, though.

We joined Blockbuster video's online program back a few weeks ago, and are really enjoying it. We have watched several really good movies that we ordinarily would not have had time to see in the theatre. Last night, we watched "Fast Food Nation". While some of it hyberbole, for sure, it makes me sick to think of what goes on in the meat industry. Special interest groups purchase the lawmakers in this country (on behalf of ALL industries), so it should not be too surprising to know that the rules are set up in order for corporations to make the quickest buck possible, regardless of the consequences. When it comes to the meat we eat, I will always remember how my biology teacher in high school told us that after taking a bacteriology class in college, she ate no meat for several years. I have enjoyed cutting back on my own meat consumption; I just feel better.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Do these two albums look similar? Sure they do. I heard that 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Patti Smith's album "Horses" has been a big influence on KT Tunstall. Tunstall's song "Suddenly I See" was reportedly directly inspired by Smith. Cool.

Michelle and I just found out that there was a shooting at a restaurant that I had once eaten in. When I went there, sometime last summer, neither of us had ever been there, and we didn't know what it was about. I quickly found out. I walked in, and soon observed someone asleep on the pool table. As I was eating, the phone rang, and someone brought it to him and woke him up to take the call. He never sat up, just mumbled into the phone for a few minutes and then went back to sleep. Typical Memphis.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

When I saw this car a couple of weeks ago, I almost freaked. This is a 1976 Ford LTD. Back in the day, my dad had a car almost exactly like this. I think his may have been a 1977, and I remember it being either silver or light grey. Ah, the memories.

The last couple of days have been insane. I essentially locked myself in a hole in order to study for my Theology mid-term last night. Unfortunately, I am not sure it did much good. Anyway, I am glad it's Friday. Today, I am going to do some reading for my exegesis paper, then enjoy the Friday. I'm planning on watching some of the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational this afternoon. I also need to write my sermon for Sunday. I already kind of have it in my head, so I just need to get it down on paper.

Tuesday night, I got a call from Crossroads Church, and I was offered the position of Director of Youth Ministries. I immediately accepted. This is an incredibly exciting time for me, and Michelle, too. I am working out an exit strategy with the Potts Camp church, but it looks like I will start at Crossroads the week after Easter. I am going by there this morning to fill out paperwork and stuff, and to meet the office staff. Oh, boy. I am so excited. I think this will be a great opportunity.

Michelle and I are looking foward to being in Clarksville next weekend for the baby shower. I was originally going to umpire some baseball games, but I decided just to chill with my friends and family instead. It will be nice to be back home.

Last night, we went to Babies R Us, and ordered a crib. It was kind of exciting to do that. I look forward to putting it together. I hear a lot of dads complaining about how they do not like to put stuff together on Christmas Eve, (The "Some assembly required" label being a bane of society) but I look forward to that. Those opportunites seem to be some of the fun parts of being a dad.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Today has been essentially worthless. I got up at about 4:30 this morning, and read for a while. Then I watched the movie "Crash", which was really good. After that, Michelle and I went to the grocery store to re-stock. We looked like we were preparing for Y2K when we walked out...LOL. Since then, we have just kind of lain around all day. I have class at 5:30, so I imagine I will get a burst of energy in a while.

Speaking of imagining, I read today where there is a tribute album to be released soon, featuring various artists covering the songs of John Lennon. The proceeds from the album will benefit Amnesty International's campaign to end the Darfur genocide. Willie Nelson is doing "Imagine", so there is the connection. Michelle and I drive each other crazy making wild jumps in our conversations without announcing the connections...LOL.

Anyway, speaking of music, tonight the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's class of 2007 will be inducted. We were able to visit the Hall in 2004, and it was great. However, until Kiss, Rush, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Yes, Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, Styx, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest are ALL elected, the Hall is a bit of a fraud and carries with it a tremendous defiecientcy. There are probably some other artists that have also been snubbed, but those are the ones I can name off the top of my head. Are The Police in? Sting as a solo artist? They should be.

Michelle and I were greatly saddened over the weekend to learn of the death of Brad Delp, the lead singer for the band Boston. Boston is one of our favorite bands, and Delp's passing came as a shock to us. Boston was supposed to release a new album soon, with a summer tour this year. That would have been a great show.

My second interview with Crossroads Church yesterday went quite well. It was a grueling interview, as I had questions being fired at me from about 12 different people. It was tough, but I thought all the questions were relevant and fair. So, I left encouraged. I should hear something back from them by tomorrow.

Michelle and I were watching a show about newborn babies on TV earlier today, and the grandfather of one said that he had made an investment in his own son, and being able to hold the grandson was the dividend. That was tremendous. I know my parents made a tremendous investment in me, so I am glad that will also see a return on that investment. I know that there are many returns on such an investment, but having a grandchild must be one of the better ones.

We were wondering earlier today how the grandparents will act when they get the word that we are heading to the hospital for the delivery. We both felt that all of the grandparents would probably jump right into their cars and hit the road. If that's how it works out, that would certainly be great. We want to share our excitement with everyone, that's for sure. But, if people cannot make it into town for a while, that's cool too. We'll see how things work out.

When we were on our way to church yesterday, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Michelle was rubbing her belly. I smiled and asked her if it seems surreal to have a living creature moving around inside her. She started laughing and said it certainly does. I know it seems surreal to me just to think about her having a baby inside her.

Lazing around on a Saturday morning...

Michelle and I are going to Babies R US later for the gear and gadgets special. It should be a lot of fun.

The ink cartridge in our printer went dry, and it's been a big inconvienience. I didn't realize how much I used the printer until now. We gotta get a new cartridge.

We have a mound of laundry that could block the view of Manute Bol. Gotta get on that today.

Last night, we enjoyed a wonderful night out. We went to dinner at a nicer-than-normal place, and it was cool that we had a buy-one-get-one-free coupon. Whoever said there is no such thing as a free lunch didn't know me. Anyway, it was great. It was nice to dress up a bit. Afterward, we went to Build-A-Bear, and made a bear for the baby. We dressed him in a baseball uniform, and he looks great. He even has a fielder's glove, ball, and a bat. LOL.

Michelle noticed that one of the brake lights in the Explorer is out, so I am going to replace both of them today.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

You have probably noticed that I have made some changes to the blog. It's a work in progress.

I am the library today, working on my Theology mid-term. The great thing about being at the library on Fridays is that, since there are no classes all day, the library is a ghost-town. Library etiquette has completely gone away (at least in my own experience), so trying to get any work done during the week can be an exercise in futility. But, on Fridays, it is joyfully silent.

Michelle is baby-sitting the younger boy that she used to nanny for. I am going to meet them around lunch time; it will be neat to see him.

I read an article in USA Today yesterday about a new book titled Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know--and Doesn't by Stephen Prothero. Prothero is the chair of the religion department at Boston University. In his book, Prothero points out that the vast majority of Americans hold a stunningly low level of knowledge about the world's religions. He reminds us that being ignorant of these matters prevents us from truly understanding many of the world's events, and argues that a religiously knowledgeable society is a better one.

Included in the book is a 15-question quiz, which he says his students fail every year. Michelle and I took it, and we did "OK". Which is to say that we passed.

If you like, take it and see how you do. Check your answers here. Add up your total points, then multiply by two for your final score (as a percentage of 100).

1 point each: Name the Four Christian Gospels.



1 point: Name a sacred text of Hinduism



1 point: What is the name of the holy book of Islam?



1 point: Where according to the Bible was Jesus born?



1 point: President George W. Bush spoke in his first inaugural address of the Jericho road. What Bible story was he invoking?



1 point each: What are the first five books of the Hebrew Bible or the Christian Old Testament?



1 point: What is the Golden Rule?



2 points: "God helps those who help themselves." Is this in the Bible? If so, where?



2 points: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God." Does this appear in the Bible?



10 points: Name the Ten Commandments.


4 points: Name the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism.



7 points: What are the Seven Sacraments of Catholicism?



1 point each: The First Amendment says two things about religion, each in its own "clause." What are its two religion clauses?



2 points: What is Ramadan? In what religion is it celebrated?



7 points: Match the Bible characters with the stories in which they appear. Some characters may be matched with more than one story or vice versa.

CHARACTERS:

Adam and Eve

Noah

Paul

Moses

Jesus

Abraham

Serpent


STORIES:

Exodus

Binding of Isaac

Olive Branch

Garden of Eden

Parting of the Red Sea

Road to Damascus

Garden of Gethsemane

Last week, I got a welcome package from the Alumni Association. It consisted of an ink pen, a lapel pin, a window sticker, and my membership card. It still feels weird to see the "University of Memphis Alumni" sticker on the car. Makes me proud. One day, I might have a "Memphis Theological Seminary Alumni" sticker on the car. Or, one that says "clergy". That will be REAL weird.

I keep threatening to "out" Michelle's whereabouts to the Austin Peay Alumni Association, but I don't think she would ever forgive me. She cannot stand that place.

This morning, Greg Walker was featured on the ESPN radio show, "Mike and Mike in the Morning". Greg's epic radio broadcast of the last few seconds of Austin Peay's loss Saturday to Eastern Illinois has drawn national attention. Absolutely epic.

Peace...

Last night at about 9:30, I got a call from the head of the Staff Parish Relations Committee from Crossroads Church, saying that the full committee wants to meet with me this Sunday afternoon. It sounds like I made a really good impression on the sub-committee that I met with this past Sunday. So, I spent a night in restless quasi-sleep, wondering what is going to happen. If the church calls me to the position, I still do not know if I will accept it. It's all so strange and surreal. I inquired about this position long before I had even heard about Lebanon Church, and at that time I was VERY excited about it. I did not hear anything from Crossroads for several weeks, and by that time I had preached at Potts Camp for a couple of weeks and fallen in love with it. I really feel a strong calling there, so I just do not know what I am going to do.

I say that, but maybe that's not really true. Michelle pointed out last night that if it is weighing this heavily on my heart, then it must be what I truly in my heart want to do. Idunno. I'm going to stay in prayer over it all week, and hopefully I will figure out the direction I am supposed to move in. Trying to discern God's will is a difficult task, indeed.

Mike Clark keeps talking about how Lily will still not sleep through the night, and how that is driving him crazy. I am hoping that our little one does better, but I doubt it...LOL.

I am studying for my New Testament mid-term tonight, and just got kicked out of the library. It closes every day at 11:00 for chapel services. So, I am going to go to chapel, and then come back and get some work done.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Michelle and I met with a pediatrician this morning, and we both were impressed. So, we decided to go with this one. We are also in the process of choosing a nursery, so we should have a decision made on that in the next week or two.

My interview at Crossroads church yesterday went very well. I was told that a decision was going to be made in the next couple of days, and that I should expect a phone call Tuesday night to let me know of their decision. If they call me, I will have a big decision to make. Still do not know what I would do.

There is an interesting summer class being offered at MTS. It is a two-week intensive course entitled, "Gonna Change My Way of Thinking": Bob Dylan on the Bible, Sin & Virtue. "Intensive" means that it meets every day, for about 4 hours each session.

The course description is:

"The course proposes to look at how Dylan used Biblical references in his lyrics as an artist, his vision of sin, and his understanding of virtue. Special consideration will be given to his "Christian albums" for their soteriological content. A multimedia approach will be taken, utilizing musical recordings, documentaries, and taped interviews. Class participants will also be encouraged to prepare musical performances of Dylan's works."

Michelle is encouraging me to take it, although it will be during the last two weeks before the baby is due. I cannot imagine being able to concentrate during that time. Registration is at the end of this month, so I still have some time to think about it.

I need to finish a powerpoint presentation that I will be giving in my Interchurch Relations class tonight. I only have about 4-5 more slides to go, so it is almost done. I also have a mid-term in New Testament class tomorrow night. I am almost ready for that.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

So much is going on these days, it's crazy. But I embrace the insanity. Most of the time. LOL.

I had a job interview with Cingular Wireless earlier this week, and it went really well. I was told to expect a second interview, so I am awaiting that call. I also have an interview this Sunday afternoon at Crossroads United Methodist Church in Collierville, which is looking for a Youth Minister. I applied for that position before I had even heard of the church at Potts Camp. I have really come to think of myself as being called to the church at Potts Camp, so if I am offered the position at Crossroads, I don't know what I am going to do. There are also a couple of other things that I am looking into that would allow me to continue preaching at Potts Camp.

My first mid-term exam (New Testament class) is next Tuesday, so I am getting ready for that. It counts for 40% of the grade, so I need to do well.

Due to me taking on more work, I decided to drop my Church History class. This will allow me to maintain my sanity.

On Wednesday, I went to the dentist for a cleaning, and ended up having two teeth pulled. So, my mouth has been sore the last couple of days, but it feels better this morning. I am going to try to resume eating normal food today.

We toured a day-care center yesterday, and today we are looking at another one. We also have an appointment with the OB. Tonight, we are baby-sitting. So, it will be a full day today.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

This has been the craziest week ever. I have been sick all week with a sinus infection, and as a result, have not slept more than a couple of hours each night. Kind of hard to get to REM stage when I can't breathe. Throw in major stress about employment, and life just gets miserable.

I woke up this morning feeling kind of blue (with a nod to Miles Davis). I chilled on the couch for most of the morning, not moving much. Michelle mentioned that the bathroom needed cleaning, so I took that as an opportunity to get moving. Actually, I sort of went manic in there. I cleaned the shower with a bottle of Tilex and a toothbrush. It looked great when I was done. After that, we ran some errands and that took up the rest of the afternoon.

I got out of my blues, but still see no relief in sight from this sinus infection. I only have 2 days of meds remaining, so I hope I feel better by Monday.

We are just hanging at the house tonight. We are going to watch Little Miss Sunshine. It seems like it should be really good. Today is National Banana Bread Day, so we made a batch. It should be out of the oven soon.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Michelle's dad called this morning to say that he was passing through town, so we met him for breakfast at Cracker Barrell. That was really nice.

Yesterday, we spent the majority of the day in various doctor's offices. Michelle was having some concerns about her situation, so she went to see the OB-GYN. Whilst she was doing that, I was seeing my doctor about my sinus infection. After we got done, we met for lunch, then went to have a specialist look at Michelle. I skipped Church History class to go with her, and emailed my paper to the professor. The doctor came up with a diagnosis, and prescribed some meds for her. Even better, he gave her free samples of her meds. Whoever said there is no such thing as a free lunch did not know me. It was cool that he and Michelle had both attended MTSU. He also knew about Clarksville, since he is from Nashville. That was neat.

After that, we dropped off my prescription at Walgreens, and came home. After I took a nap, I put some chicken in the oven for dinner, and right about that time Michelle kept asking me if I was going to go pick up my prescription. I said probably not until after dinner. She then said, "but if you go now, you can get me a taco from Taco Bell before dinner." So, that is what I did. Nothing like a taco appetizer before a chicken dinner...LOL.

I read a little last night, and started working on ideas for a sermon. Actually, I started working on ideas for a whole series of sermons for the Lenten season. I also had a great conversation with my primary contact at Lebanon Church. He advised me that the congregation is really enjoying my sermons and is glad I am there. I told him I have enjoyed being there as well. It looks like we have a good match. We talked about doing an earlier (not exactly sunrise) service on Easter Sunday. Later I thought it might be nice to have a service on Maundy Thursday, so I think I will bring that up this Sunday and see if anyone is interested.

I am feeling a little better this morning. My face is slowly getting decongested, but my throat is still raw. So, it is difficult to talk. I imagine those around me are enjoying the quietness...LOL.

I am going to do my reading for class tonight, and maybe start working on my Church History paper for next week.

Some of my fellow travelers to Israel are planning a 1-year reunion soon. That will be nice. it is hard to believe it has been almost an entire year. The year sure has gone quickly. Actually, the whole time since Michelle and I met has been a big blur. So many things have happened, it's hard to keep up. Time does indeed fly sometimes.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Earlier tonight, I twice tried to go to sleep, but could not. Something about not being able to breathe. So, I decided to try to write my paper for Church History class, which is due this afernoon. I finished it a few minutes ago, although I will probably proof-read it later this morning, because I am quite-bleary-eyed now. I am quite confident that I will be able to sleep at this point. Good night.

Peace...

Sunday morning, I woke up with a scratchy throat and a bit of a headache. By yesterday morning, I was completely wrecked with sinus pain, stuffy nose, severe headache, sore throat, and a general sense of being mad for being sick. I got my hair cut on Saturday at Sportclips, and there were about 15-20 kids there with their dads, and I think I may have picked up something there. Anyway, I feel a little better this morning, but not much. I am grateful that lat night's class was cancelled, so I was able to just chill at home.

I am at school now, although I did not go to my first class. The fourth week of a semester may be the earliest I have ever skipped a class, since I rarely ever miss anyway. I have New Testament at 5:30, so I am going to read and do research until then. I have to write an exegetical paper for that class, which was the most difficult type of paper for me to write as an undergrad. The one I did in Ethics class last spring, I only got a C on it. I am going to need to do better this time.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

"Let's say it's late October of 1999, and you are in what should be baseball heaven, sitting on the couch watching the fourth game of the World Series, Yankees vs. Braves.

Suppose for a moment that you are a Minnesota Twins fan. You have been a baseball fan all your life, grew up playing the game, once got Rod Carew's autograph at a Little League clinic, spent your eighth birthday at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, and your fifteenth at the Metrodome in downtown Minneappolis. You played baseball in high school, took a summer vacation in college to Cooperstown, and once joked that you would not leave the country between September 1 and the end of October because you could not stand to miss the end of a pennant race or the playoffs.

But tonight you find yourself watching the Series not because you are passionately rooting for either the Atlanta Braves or the New York Yankess. Instead you are watching mostly because, well, watching the Series is what you have done every October for as long as you can remember (save for that lost fall of 1994).

So you sit there and contemplate the Atlanta Braves, a team the Twins vanquished eight years earlier in perhaps the greatest Series ever. And you wonder about the fortunes and forces that, since then, have sent your club into a decade-long financial and competative tailspin, while the Braves have been in the playoffs every full season since. The two cities are roughly the same size, and, competetive factors being equal, Minnesota has supported the Twins at least as well as Atlanta has supported its team. Yet in the weird logic of late-90's baseball, Atlanta is a big market and Minneapolis-St. Paul is a small one. While our team still plays in the depressing dome, Atlanta has a new state-of-the-art facility with natural grass, good sight lines, a cozy retro feel, and all the modern amenities.

When you look across the field at the New York Yankees, you just shake your head. It is hard to work up the old "Damn Yankees" antipathy these days. Partly because of Joe Torre, and partly because baseball's proudest franchise seems to be playing in a league, if not a sport, entirely different from your own. They got your best player two years ago, even though the Twins' owners would have paid him a team-record contract to stay in Minnesota. He wanted to go to another club, Chuck Knoblach said, because he wanted to play for a title. You recall that as a rookie Knoblach had won a World Series ring. He was a Twin, and it was your team's second world championship in five seasons. You were sure then that Knoblach would be a Minnesota fixture.

But these days, you know better. No player of All-Star quality is going to remain in Minnesota throughout his career. And yet just this summer, you watched George Brett--who played as recently as 1993--inducted into the Hall of Fame. Brett played his whole career with the Kansas City Royals, passing up bigger offers elsewhere. Not that he wasn't well-compensated, both financially and competitively. His Royals were perrenial contenders, and won the AL West six times. He was happy to stay. Yet if he came up today, his competitive nature would make a move not just probable, but mandatory--not because of greed or disloyalty, but becuase teams like Kansas City and Minnesota can longer even hope to compete.

Now back to the Yankees. After winning their second Series in three years, with a payroll that was already four times that of the Twins, they began the 1999 season by trading for the Cy Young award winner, Roger Clemens. He's a pitcher you have long respected, but one who has bewilderd you in recent years: Hadn't the Texan Clemens said he wanted to be closer to home after leaving the Red Sox in 1997? So, didn't his decision to sign with the Toronto Blue Jays belie either a disingenuous streak or a staggeringly bad grasp of geography? But Clemens can pitch, so he proceeded to win two straight Cy Young Awards for the Blue Jays. Then Clemens demanded a trade in '99, because, he said, he wanted to play with a contender. And you wondered, "If a team like Toronto--which had won back-to-back World Series in '92 and '93, and only recently drew 4 million fans for a season to a new ballpark--can't qualify as a contender, what does that tell you?" And all through the '99 season, as the pitching-shy Blue Jays were fighting toward the brink of contention on the bats of talented young sluggers like Carlos Delgado and Shawn Green, you couldn't help wondering how good they might be if they still had Clemens pitching for them.

After Clemens closes out the Series in Game 4, with a vintage, overpowering performance, you wonder if all this means the same thing to him as it would have if he'd stayed with Boston and they'd somehow won it all. Or if it means anything like what it meant to Kirby Puckett, who took less money to stay in Minnesota, whe he won world championships in 1987 and 1991.

In the weeks ahead, instead of the normal shake-up of off-season action, the rich get richer, and the ranks of those who can no longer compete grows to include what were once considered "middle-market" clubs. Seattle has a brand-new stadium and a string of sell-outs, but they are convinced they will have to trade Ken Griffy, Jr. and/or Alex Rodriguez. Toronto is working on deals to ship away Green and Delgado before they bolt for free-agency.

You still call yourself a baseball fan, and you still get out to the Metrodome a few times a season. But the game seems more distant today than it did only a few years ago. You can't follow pennant races anymore--because there aren't any--and the wild card seems hard to get excited about. The media characterizes the game as "on the way back", thanks largely to Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. But even at its most epic, the '98 home-run race seemed somewhat disconnected from the season it was part of--less a highlight of the season itself than a thing unto itself (through no fault of the particulars), or a substitute for the plain fact that when the last several baseball seasons began, you knew that your team had no living chance to contend for a pennant.

No, the rising tide has not lifted all boats. And as you watch the games from your living room now, you realize that something essential has changed. You are not nostalgic for the "old days", as much as you are for the more recent ones, when the fact that you had one of the best managers and farm systems in baseball was a crucial advantage. When star players wanted to be with the Twins. When the Twins' owners weren't eyeing other cities. And when you could greet April with the belief that your team had a prayer.

But as you sit and watch the Yankees celebrate, those days seem far removed. You might wonder if anyone on the other side of the screen is feeling the same way".

--From Bob Costas' book, Fair Ball.


As pitchers and catchers begin to report this week for Spring Training, I come to the sad realization that although my team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, is a large-market team, due to years of corporate mis-ownership, it has no living chance to contend for a pennant. Baseball is important to me, and the fact that it is still in existence, despite the way it is operated, is a testament to its greatness.

I wonder if anyone else is feeling the same way.

Peace...

It's Here!

When we got home from the Doctor's office today, there was a note on the door saying there was a package at the apartment office for us. Much to my delight, it was my diploma! It's great to finally have it. We are going to get Daphne Kimmel to frame our diplomas, and do them up nice. Woo-hoo!

Peace,

Chris

By yesterday afternoon, Michelle had had enough of this bedrest stuff, so we broke her out of the house. We went out to Bartlett to do some light shopphing, then got some early dinner. The little one got real active on the way home, ostensibly because he was so happy to be out of the house...LOL.

One of my fellow graduates received his diploma in the mail a couple of days ago, and I have not yet received mine. I am feeling quite envious. Hopefully it will arrive soon.

Yesterday, I did not make any headway on my history paper. However, I did get my sermon written, and I read some for New Testament class. And I did some research for a paper in that class (due in April).

My sermon is entitled, "Jesus Loves Me, This I Know". With everything that happend last week, I felt like I was going to go out of my mind. I was majorly over-stressed. I was still feeling that way as of this Wednesday. In fact, while driving to class, I suddenly realized I had missed several turns, and was kind of lost in a area of town with which I am unfamiliar. I was so wound up about everything that is going on, I couldn't even get to school! So, I started to make a concerted effort to get my mind right. Toward that end, I started thinking about the basic things, and being thankful for all the blessings I have. Later that night at home, I started singing the familiar children's song, "Jesus Loves Me", and I told Michelle that I was just trying to get back to the basics and trying not to take myself too seriously. So, I wrote my sermon in that mindset. I think it's a pretty good sermon--I'll be talking about how God loves us after we are born, and even before we are born. So, my mind is now right. I feel great.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

I have re-vamped my strategy for writing my Church History papers. For the first paper of the semester, I worked hours and hours on it, and was quite proud of it. I only got a B+. Boo-hoo. For the second paper, mostly because we spent the weekend in the hospital, I started working on it at !0:30 PM the night before it was due. On this paper, I got an A. YAY! So, I have decided to make minimal effort on all my papers for the rest of the semester. Not. LOL. It reminds me of the time in freshman English where I wrote an essay in the van, riding back from a church skiing trip. When I submitted that paper, I just knew it was so bad that I would be told to never come back to class. As it turned out, I was the only person in the class to make an A. In fact, the professor made a point to say that in 20+ years of teaching, that was the first time she had ever given an A on a paper. Hyperbole, I am sure. But, it felt good nonetheless. Anyway, work on my next paper starts this morning.

I turned in my paper for theology class last night. The bulk of the paper is something that I wrote a couple of years ago, even though it was not an assignment. I had some ideas on the subject (the dangers of scriptural literalism), and wrote a couple of pages. I worked on it some more later, and stretched it out a bit further for this assignment. It's a bit strange to think of turning in a project that started over two years ago. However, when I started it, I had a strong feeling that I would be able to use it somewhere at some point down the line. This topic is one that I am greatly interested in, and I anticipate revisiting it again. I would like to continue working on this paper, and developing it even further. Maybe to the point where I could present it at a conference. We'll see.

Michelle felt really horrible yesterday, we think because the baby is growing. She felt him kicking up higher than ever before. By the time I got home last night, the sickness had dissipitated, and she was craving a meatball sub. So, I made a Subway run.

Last week, there was a blood drive at school, so donated a pint. A few days later, I found out that my cholestoral has dropped from 176 to 163 since the last time I gave. YAY! That was cool. I think drinking soy milk instead of cow's milk, and eating a largely vegeterain diet probably contributed to the drop. Also, I encourage everyone to give blood. It is a great way to help your fellow humans. When I gave this last time, I qued up the video for Train's "Drops of Jupiter" on the iPod as I was being hooked up to the equiopment. When that song was over, I qued up the video for Tom Petty's "Saving Grace", and when that was over, I was done giving blood. The nurse told me my total drainage time was less than 4 minutes! That was funny.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

I see that my uncle Don has put a link to this blog on the Nashville Presbytery website. So, I would anticipate a slight trickle of traffic coming from there. For those that may be new to this space, I hope you find it to be a window into my world.

Hopefully, I will not write anything that will get me excommunicated from the church...LOL.

Peace...

Last night's timeline:

8:35 PM

Me: Hey Michelle, I'm out of class now, and heading home. I called to see if you needed anything.

Her: No, I'm fine.

Me: OK, see you in a while.

9:30 PM

Her: I sure would like a hot dog from Sonic. Will you go get one? Also, we are out of milk, so we have nothing for breakfast in the morning.

Me: Uh, remember that phone call a while ago? I was calling to see if you needed anything.

Her: Yeah, but I didnt know we were out of milk. And I wasn't hungry then.

9:45 PM

Her: I want a hot dog from Sonic. Please go get one.

9:55 PM

Her: I want a hot dog from Sonic. Please go get one. Please.

10:05

Me: Boy, I sure am tired. It's been a long day. It feels good to be in bed, and have my eyes closed. I'll be asleep in 5 minutes.

Her: Please go get me a hot dog from Sonic. Please.

10:10 PM

Her: Please go get me a hot dog from Sonic. Please.

Me: OK.

Her: I love you so much. I love you. I love you.

Me: I wish your love was based on faith instead of works. It's easier to get to heaven than to be married to a pregnant woman.

Her:

(Quoting Proverbs) It's better to sleep on the roof than in the house with an angry wife.

11:35 PM

Me: Boy, I sure am tired. It's been a long day. It feels good to be in bed, and have my eyes closed. I'll be asleep in 5 minutes.

It was a big wake-up call this morning when I realized how I had gotten almost no work done this weekend. While I was hanging out at the hospital, I got some reading done, but not much else. So, today, I had to get down to business.

I wrote a paper that was due for tonight's class (Interchurch Relations), and it probably wasn't too bad. I also finished a paper that is due for Thursday (Christian Beliefs). I still have a paper for Church History on Wednesday, although I have completed the reading for that. I just need to synthesize some thoughts on it. And I still need to do some research for research class...how ironic. I need to come up with ideas for projects for history and relations classes.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Michelle was cleared to come home yesterday, so it's nice to hve her back here. The source of her pain was never really determined, although the doctores did say specifically that her pain had nothing to do with the baby. So, that was really the best news we could have hoped for.

Michelle originally had an appointment with her OB today, so we are double-checking to see if we are still supposed to go in. OK, we just found out that we do not have to go in today. The doctor told her to take the week off from work, and she will be re-evaluated next Monday.

My experience in Potts Camp yesterday was wonderful. The name of the church is Lebanon Church, and although it was originally a United Methodist Church, it is now non-denominational. It's a tiny church, even smaller than the Dotsonville Chuch of Christ, where my mother went for many years. There were about 15-20 people there, and they all treated me very nice. They asked me to come back, so it looks like I will serve there long-term.

After worship, one family took me to lunch, and we had a nice time. After that, I went back to Memphis, and hung out at the hospital with Michelle until she was ready to go home.

Once again, we really appreciate all the calls, emails, visits, and text-messages. Your support means so much.

Peace,

Chris

Michelle's episodes of pain have become further apart, which is a good thing. We still do not know exactly what is causing the pain, so that is a bit troublesome. She is going to have some blood drawn in a few minutes, and then some more at 6 AM tomorrow. There is a chance that she will get to come home tomorrow, but I am a little pessimistic about that. We'll see.

The surgeon basically told her that she is not to go back to work, so our plans have changed. We had been planning on switching roles, with me going back to work, in about a month or two. Uh, looks like it needs to be sooner. So, I am agressively pursuing gainful employment. I have a couple of good leads already, so hopefully something will work out.

I ran home for a bot to get something to eat, and am going back over to the hospital in a little while. I was able to get some good reading done this afternoon, while it has been quiet. I am going to spend some time tonight in prayer, and then I will be ready for tomorrow.

We have had several calls, visitors, and text messages. We really appreciate the well-wishes.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

The surgeon came in a little while ago, and gave some good news: He no longer thinks it is appendicitis. He is inclined to believe that her pains are just from stuff inside her moving around (baby growing larger). Her white blood cells and body temperature both look good, so these are signs of there NOT being any kind of infection. Dr. Payne (I am not making that up) said that she may get to come home tomorrow, but it is too early to tell.

Michelle's parents came into town last night, but got here too late for visiting hours. So, they are in her room now. I came home for a few minutes to get a shower and pick up some things. Elizabeth Smith called earlier and said that she and Edward would like to visit, so it will be nice to see them.

The phone number directly to Michelle's room is: 901-227-9217. Feel free to call if you would like. We appreciate everyone's prayers and support.

A funny thing happened yesterday just as we got to the hospital. I ran into Ben Morton, whose wife Melanie had just given birth a few days ago to their son Nathan. Ben and Melanie went on the trip to Israel last year. They are great folks.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Michelle was admitted to the hospital earlier today, due to acute pain in her abdomen. Originally, the doctor thought she was having contractions, but now has ruled that out. The doctor now thinks it may be appendicitis, and we are currently awaiting blood work results and a surgeon's consultation.

The good news is that whatever the problem is, it is NOT related to the baby. That is the best we could have hoped for.

So, please keep us in your prayers.

I will try to make occasional updates here; If that is not good enough, then call the cell @ 901-569-6868.

Peace,

Chris

Oh boy. The last couple of days have been event-filled, to say the least. First, the important stuff, then the funny stuff.

Wednesdy night, Michelle started having some pains that she thought felt like contractions. she was in a lot of pain, and did not rest well. When she got up Thursday morning, she was still in pain, and having the contractions. So, we went to the hospital. She got poked, prodded, and looked at in almost every conceivable way, and was miserable. We were quite worried for a while that we would lose the bay right there. I was not prepared for that possibility, and tried to keep my wits about me. The only thing I could do to keep my mind off it was to inspect the hospital room's houskeeping. It sort of comes naturally, since that is what I did when I worked in Houston. Anyway, I was driving Michelle nuts, so I decided to go across the street to the Apple retail store. More on that in a minute. The verdict with Michelle is that she is now on bed rest, until at least Monday when we go back to the doctor. I am serving her every need, as best I can. Although at this instant, I am at school, supposedly writing either of two papers that I need to do. One of them is almost finished, so that's cool. The other, I have not started.

So, anyway, the funny stuff. When I got my Apple iBook a couple of years ago, one of the first things I noticed was that documents are stored in quite a different way than with Windows machines. It was some time later that I realized I had been storing my documents in two places at the same time, wasting hard drive space. I straightened out the way the iBook saves documents, and decided to clean up the multiples at a future time. Which never came, until Tuesday. As time has gone by, hard drive space has become more and more limited. In fact, my hard drive was completely full, until I pared some music off of it. That freed up a few gigs, but I figured if I cleaned up those multiple documents, I would free up another gig or so. So, Tuesday, I finally decided to do that. Except that I made one mistake. When I did deleted all of the "Documents" folder, I did not realize that ALL of my music was in there. Pictures, too. Videos, as well. The pictures and videos, and some of the music, I had backed up onto Michelle's Gateway, so that was no big deal. But the vast majority (90% or so) was lost. Except, that it was still on the iPod. Cool.

So, now all I had to do was figure out how to get the music from the iPod to the iBook. This is where the trip to the Apple store comes in. Thursday morning, before Michelle got up, I had been trying to get the two computers to see each other on our network, so that I could move the stuff that was on hers, back to mine. But, I could not get them to work together. So, I scheduled an appointment at 10:00 at the Apple store's Genius Bar for some help. Then Michelle got up complaining of pain. A little before 10, we were still waiting for the doctor to come, so that is when I decided to go across the street to the store. The guy there helped me a little, but when I got back home I could not duplicate what he had done. I spoke with my brother Steve, who is more familiar with my router than I am, but we could not figure out what the problem was. At least, we think it was in the router, because I had been able to move documents around in the past, before he broke my old router and I got a new one (different brand). So, I still had no solution.

For those who do not know, let me explain how iPods work. Each iPod can be synched to one computer, and one computer only. When an iPod is synched to a computer, anytime the two are connected, any changes or updates made on the iPod, or the computer's iTunes, is reflected on the other unit. So, at this point I had an iPod with music, and my iTunes was empty. Since the iTunes had been completely erased, it no longer saw the iPod as its mate. The iPod thought it was synched to a different computer. If I had synched the two at this point, that would have erased all the music off the iPod. That is not what I wanted.

So, I poked around online and found a third party application for doing things such as this. So, after downloading and installing the application, I decided to give it a try. So, I moved all the stuff from the iPod onto the iBook. Then, I needed to synch the two, which required that delete the entire contents of the iPod, which was a scary situation. But, I forged ahead and did that. Then, I synched the two, which took several hours. So, while I was in class that night, I tried not to think about my sick Michelle, or my sick iTunes...LOL. When I got home, Michelle was a little (just a little) better, and my iPod and iTunes had all my music. Except for my Beatles stuff. I have no idea where that went. I will just have to re-burn those CDs. No biggie. That was crazy. Anyway, deleting all those documents freed up a ton of space, and I now have just over 8 gigs of empty space. It may be time to buy some more music...LOL.

So, Michelle and I have been trying not to stress too much. Although, we would sure appreciate your prayers. I think her mom might come down next weekend to help out around the house. That will be nice.

I start preaching at Lebanon Church in Potts Camp, Mississippi this Sunday. I hope that goes well. I have most of my sermon completed, so that is a good feeling.

I also posted some of my pictures from Israel on Facebook this morning, so if you would like to see them, they are available.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Thoughts on Music

Steve Jobs
February 6, 2007

With the stunning global success of Apple’s iPod music player and iTunes online music store, some have called for Apple to “open” the digital rights management (DRM) system that Apple uses to protect its music against theft, so that music purchased from iTunes can be played on digital devices purchased from other companies, and protected music purchased from other online music stores can play on iPods. Let’s examine the current situation and how we got here, then look at three possible alternatives for the future.

To begin, it is useful to remember that all iPods play music that is free of any DRM and encoded in “open” licensable formats such as MP3 and AAC. iPod users can and do acquire their music from many sources, including CDs they own. Music on CDs can be easily imported into the freely-downloadable iTunes jukebox software which runs on both Macs and Windows PCs, and is automatically encoded into the open AAC or MP3 formats without any DRM. This music can be played on iPods or any other music players that play these open formats.

The rub comes from the music Apple sells on its online iTunes Store. Since Apple does not own or control any music itself, it must license the rights to distribute music from others, primarily the “big four” music companies: Universal, Sony BMG, Warner and EMI. These four companies control the distribution of over 70% of the world’s music. When Apple approached these companies to license their music to distribute legally over the Internet, they were extremely cautious and required Apple to protect their music from being illegally copied. The solution was to create a DRM system, which envelopes each song purchased from the iTunes store in special and secret software so that it cannot be played on unauthorized devices.

Apple was able to negotiate landmark usage rights at the time, which include allowing users to play their DRM protected music on up to 5 computers and on an unlimited number of iPods. Obtaining such rights from the music companies was unprecedented at the time, and even today is unmatched by most other digital music services. However, a key provision of our agreements with the music companies is that if our DRM system is compromised and their music becomes playable on unauthorized devices, we have only a small number of weeks to fix the problem or they can withdraw their entire music catalog from our iTunes store.

To prevent illegal copies, DRM systems must allow only authorized devices to play the protected music. If a copy of a DRM protected song is posted on the Internet, it should not be able to play on a downloader’s computer or portable music device. To achieve this, a DRM system employs secrets. There is no theory of protecting content other than keeping secrets. In other words, even if one uses the most sophisticated cryptographic locks to protect the actual music, one must still “hide” the keys which unlock the music on the user’s computer or portable music player. No one has ever implemented a DRM system that does not depend on such secrets for its operation.

The problem, of course, is that there are many smart people in the world, some with a lot of time on their hands, who love to discover such secrets and publish a way for everyone to get free (and stolen) music. They are often successful in doing just that, so any company trying to protect content using a DRM must frequently update it with new and harder to discover secrets. It is a cat-and-mouse game. Apple’s DRM system is called FairPlay. While we have had a few breaches in FairPlay, we have been able to successfully repair them through updating the iTunes store software, the iTunes jukebox software and software in the iPods themselves. So far we have met our commitments to the music companies to protect their music, and we have given users the most liberal usage rights available in the industry for legally downloaded music.

With this background, let’s now explore three different alternatives for the future.

The first alternative is to continue on the current course, with each manufacturer competing freely with their own “top to bottom” proprietary systems for selling, playing and protecting music. It is a very competitive market, with major global companies making large investments to develop new music players and online music stores. Apple, Microsoft and Sony all compete with proprietary systems. Music purchased from Microsoft’s Zune store will only play on Zune players; music purchased from Sony’s Connect store will only play on Sony’s players; and music purchased from Apple’s iTunes store will only play on iPods. This is the current state of affairs in the industry, and customers are being well served with a continuing stream of innovative products and a wide variety of choices.

Some have argued that once a consumer purchases a body of music from one of the proprietary music stores, they are forever locked into only using music players from that one company. Or, if they buy a specific player, they are locked into buying music only from that company’s music store. Is this true? Let’s look at the data for iPods and the iTunes store – they are the industry’s most popular products and we have accurate data for them. Through the end of 2006, customers purchased a total of 90 million iPods and 2 billion songs from the iTunes store. On average, that’s 22 songs purchased from the iTunes store for each iPod ever sold.

Today’s most popular iPod holds 1000 songs, and research tells us that the average iPod is nearly full. This means that only 22 out of 1000 songs, or under 3% of the music on the average iPod, is purchased from the iTunes store and protected with a DRM. The remaining 97% of the music is unprotected and playable on any player that can play the open formats. Its hard to believe that just 3% of the music on the average iPod is enough to lock users into buying only iPods in the future. And since 97% of the music on the average iPod was not purchased from the iTunes store, iPod users are clearly not locked into the iTunes store to acquire their music.

The second alternative is for Apple to license its FairPlay DRM technology to current and future competitors with the goal of achieving interoperability between different company’s players and music stores. On the surface, this seems like a good idea since it might offer customers increased choice now and in the future. And Apple might benefit by charging a small licensing fee for its FairPlay DRM. However, when we look a bit deeper, problems begin to emerge. The most serious problem is that licensing a DRM involves disclosing some of its secrets to many people in many companies, and history tells us that inevitably these secrets will leak. The Internet has made such leaks far more damaging, since a single leak can be spread worldwide in less than a minute. Such leaks can rapidly result in software programs available as free downloads on the Internet which will disable the DRM protection so that formerly protected songs can be played on unauthorized players.

An equally serious problem is how to quickly repair the damage caused by such a leak. A successful repair will likely involve enhancing the music store software, the music jukebox software, and the software in the players with new secrets, then transferring this updated software into the tens (or hundreds) of millions of Macs, Windows PCs and players already in use. This must all be done quickly and in a very coordinated way. Such an undertaking is very difficult when just one company controls all of the pieces. It is near impossible if multiple companies control separate pieces of the puzzle, and all of them must quickly act in concert to repair the damage from a leak.

Apple has concluded that if it licenses FairPlay to others, it can no longer guarantee to protect the music it licenses from the big four music companies. Perhaps this same conclusion contributed to Microsoft’s recent decision to switch their emphasis from an “open” model of licensing their DRM to others to a “closed” model of offering a proprietary music store, proprietary jukebox software and proprietary players.

The third alternative is to abolish DRMs entirely. Imagine a world where every online store sells DRM-free music encoded in open licensable formats. In such a world, any player can play music purchased from any store, and any store can sell music which is playable on all players. This is clearly the best alternative for consumers, and Apple would embrace it in a heartbeat. If the big four music companies would license Apple their music without the requirement that it be protected with a DRM, we would switch to selling only DRM-free music on our iTunes store. Every iPod ever made will play this DRM-free music.

Why would the big four music companies agree to let Apple and others distribute their music without using DRM systems to protect it? The simplest answer is because DRMs haven’t worked, and may never work, to halt music piracy. Though the big four music companies require that all their music sold online be protected with DRMs, these same music companies continue to sell billions of CDs a year which contain completely unprotected music. That’s right! No DRM system was ever developed for the CD, so all the music distributed on CDs can be easily uploaded to the Internet, then (illegally) downloaded and played on any computer or player.

In 2006, under 2 billion DRM-protected songs were sold worldwide by online stores, while over 20 billion songs were sold completely DRM-free and unprotected on CDs by the music companies themselves. The music companies sell the vast majority of their music DRM-free, and show no signs of changing this behavior, since the overwhelming majority of their revenues depend on selling CDs which must play in CD players that support no DRM system.

So if the music companies are selling over 90 percent of their music DRM-free, what benefits do they get from selling the remaining small percentage of their music encumbered with a DRM system? There appear to be none. If anything, the technical expertise and overhead required to create, operate and update a DRM system has limited the number of participants selling DRM protected music. If such requirements were removed, the music industry might experience an influx of new companies willing to invest in innovative new stores and players. This can only be seen as a positive by the music companies.

Much of the concern over DRM systems has arisen in European countries. Perhaps those unhappy with the current situation should redirect their energies towards persuading the music companies to sell their music DRM-free. For Europeans, two and a half of the big four music companies are located right in their backyard. The largest, Universal, is 100% owned by Vivendi, a French company. EMI is a British company, and Sony BMG is 50% owned by Bertelsmann, a German company. Convincing them to license their music to Apple and others DRM-free will create a truly interoperable music marketplace. Apple will embrace this wholeheartedly.

"Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you."--From Kahlil Gibran's "The Prophet"

I really should be writing my paper that is due tomorrow, but Newton's first law of graduation (A grad student in procastination tends to stay in procastination unless an external force is applied to it) is in effect.

Peace,

Chris

Was there another Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction?

The newspaper USA Today and the TV show Good Morning America teamed up to pick the seven New Wonders of the World. #6 on the list is the "Old City" of Jerusalem. The following is the text of the article:

By Jerry Shriver, USA TODAY

Mankind's capacity for wonder is profoundly expressed in Jerusalem's Old City, which has served as a spiritual nexus for the world's three major monotheistic faiths — Judaism, Christianity and Islam — for millennia.

Our six experts chose the ancient city as one of the seven New Wonders of the World for its central place in religious history and struggles for tolerance.

The idea of religious co-existence "captivates the world right now," said panelist and best-selling author Bruce Feiler (Walking the Bible).

The very notion — that definitive events in the history of three major faiths could occur within the same walled city of about 1 square kilometer — seems almost too incredible to comprehend. Yet for centuries, pilgrims from all over the world have traveled to Jerusalem to reaffirm their faith. Chris' note: As we traveled throughout the land, I never forgot that I was walking on ground that had been traversed by Jesus and the earliest disciples and apostles. It was a powerful feeling indeed. I promised Michelle that I would bring her and our children here one day, so that they too may experience the spiritual power of this holiest of holy cities.

That has made the Old City not only a holy place but a battleground as well. Empire after empire, including the Canaanites, Hebrews, Babylonians, Persians, Romans, Arabs, Crusaders and Ottoman Turks, has fought to control the area. Even today, there is no general agreement as to the city's political status. Chris' note: It seems ironic that the word "Jerusalem" means "city of peace" in Hebrew. While there is little political peace, spiritual peace is in abundance.

Remarkably, many of the significant historical structures inside the Old City's eight gates have withstood the ravages of time and warfare, including more than 200 synagogues, churches, mosques and other holy shrines. Among the key sites:

The Dome of the Rock. This spectacular example of seventh-century Islamic architecture is topped with a golden dome and adorned with ceramics and mosaics. It protects the Rock, which is recognized by all three religions as the place where God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Most Muslims also believe this is where Mohammad left on his journey to heaven.

The Western Wall. Though the Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70, this remnant endures and has become the most symbolic spot for the Jewish people. It is a center of mourning over the Temple's destruction and Israel's exile. Chris' note: Frequently, the media refers to the Western Wall as the "holiest place in the world" for Jews. This is incorrect. The fact that Muslims control their holiest site (the Dome of the Rock) in no way lessens its importance to them.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Christians revere this as the place where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. A church was built there in the fourth century, but it was destroyed and rebuilt several times. The current structure dates to the 12th century and houses the site of Christ's tomb. Chris' note: Full of gold, pomp, and circumstance, I felt this was a gross display of excess. I felt no connection whatsoever to the Church I know. Quite honestly, I wanted to puke while I was inside. With all the ornate decorations, it seemed the antithesis of what Christ stands for. The lowlight of the trip for me.

These sites and dozens of others are why the Old City is considered to be among the world's holiest places by "half of the humans alive today," Feiler said. "It passes the 'wonder' test."

Perhaps the best "Get A Mac" ad yet. It points out how Vista's annoying security checks pop up whenever the user wants to do just about anything. LOL. (Apologies to my Windows-loving brother Steve).

"He said, I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that kool?
I’m your buckaroo; I want to be like you.
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.
We like fixin’ things and holding moma’s hand
Yeah, we’re just alike, hey, ain’t we dad.
I want to do everything you do; so I’ve been watching you."


--From "Watching You", by Rodney Atkins.

I suppose every little boy wants to be like his dad. I know I find myself becoming more like my own father every day. I cannot count the times that I ask myself, "What would Dad do here?" The night before my college graduation, my dad told me he was proud of me, and that was one of the best moments of my life.

Peace...

Earlier today, I ironed out an agreement to preach regularly at a non-denominational church about an hour away from Memphis. It is for an indefinite period of time, while they do not have a full-time minister. I am really excited about this opportunity. It is a really small country church, and it will be some great experience. Wish me well.

Peace,

Chris

I forgot to mention that the #2 rule in picking a game is: When one team has a hall-of-fame quarterback, and the other team has a quarterback that sucks, take the hall-of-famer. Every time. Oh well.

IT'S A BOY!

I suppose almost everyone who reads this blog has already heard the news, but for the sake of posterity, I will retell the story.

Friday morning, we went to the OB to get an ultrasound. The tech first tried to see if the baby is a boy or a girl, but the cord was in the way, so she could not tell. So, she checked the heart, bladder, stomach, brain, and spine. Everything is healthy and looking good. She tried several times to check the gender, but the cord stayed in the way. Just as the tech was about to give up, the cord moved and the little one showed all HIS glory! So, we are having a BOY!! Right now, he weighs about 9 oz., and is just a few inches long.

We were relieved to finally know, because the wonder of it was starting to drive us crazy. As soon as we left the doctor's office, we made all the requisite phone calls, and I sent out two global text messages to spread the news. We'd both like to say thanks to all the well-wishers; we appreciate your support.

After lunch, we took off for Tullahoma so Michelle and her mother could descend upon the Murfreesboro malls on Saturday. Of course, the first song we qued up on the iPod was John Lennon's "Beautiful Boy". How appropriate.

While they were getting their mall fix, Michelle's dad and I put new shocks on the Explorer. While doing that, we discovered that the sway bar link on the right side was broken, so we repaired that as well. After an oil change, the Explorer was road-worthy once again. I'd have to say that the way it rides now is "shockingly" good...lol.

We are gonna watch the Super Bowl here, and then roll back to Memphis tomorrow. I guess everyone has his or her own theory of how the game will go, so here is mine. The first rule when trying to pick an NFL game is when everyone on earth is picking the game one way, you should go the other way. So, since everyone on earth except ESPN's Bill Simmons, is picking the Colts, I am going to pick the Bears. Simmons uses the same philosophy I do, inasmuch as we go against the grain when everyone else is going the same way. So, I say the Bears win, 27-24.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...