What's with the hair?

When I see guys with hair like this I always think they're in a band--like I can see them with their guitar leading music at North Point. In fact, this guy does--he's Steve Fee. They look really cool on the stage, but they seem so out of place when they're out in public. I wonder where those guys shop for their clothes and if they go to the same salon to get their hair done.

New Baptist Hymnal

I'm a traditionalist, I admit it. I grew up in a Southern Baptist home where we went to church Sunday morning--that was when what we call "connect groups" today was called Sunday School, Sunday night--Training Union (that doesn't exist any more) and worship service, and Wednesday night prayer meeting. Today, some churches don't even have a Sunday night service. One of the things I enjoyed about Sunday night was we usually had a hymnal sing. People from the congregation would raise their hands and request a favorite hymn. We'd turn to page 162 and sing "The Old Rugged Cross," or turn to page 92 and sing "He Lives." On Sunday morning, the choir director (not worship leader) would ask everyone to stand and turn to page 100 in their hymnals, found in the back of the pew, and sing together "Victory in Jesus." I'm glad LifeWay is publishing a new Baptist hymnal. I wonder where the churches are that are using them? They're certainly not in my little world of Alpharetta, Georgia. We've visited several churches--none used a hymnal--didn't even have them there TO use. I miss singing from the hymnal. You can see the music and notes and actually sing a part, I like alto. I'm not knocking praise songs shown on big screens, but I'd love to crack open the hymnal and sing a stanza or two of "Blessed Assurance." And in case you're wondering, I'm in my 40's.

Is it real?

Do you think I'm out in a bar smoking a slim cigar? Sure looks like it doesn't it? Perception vs. reality. This happened to be the theme for the Baptist communications conference that I, along with two other colleagues, was attending out in Arizona. We went to this fake western town for some routin' tootin' cowboy fun. While our fellow conferencers were riding the mechanical bull, listening to tales of the Lone Ranger, and watching a western shootout, we were at the steak house enjoying some tasty red meat and salmon. I had the red meat and it was good! BTW, the Lone Ranger show didn't live up to our expectations, the mechanical bull had shut down by the time we were finished with dinner, and the shootout was fairly entertaining. Back to my dinner tale, for desert we decided to split a piece of decadent chocolate cake. It came with two rolled "cigars" of chocolate--one white, one dark. I took the dark. I couldn't help myself, it looked so much like a cigar and being as we were there for a Baptist conference, I had to risk it! Call me a rebel, but that stick of chocolate needed to be smoked!

Told my teen

So today I told my teenage daughter that I was starting a blog. She didn't think it was uncool!

Why right or left?

Because I still don't know right from left. I've had this problem since kindergarten and it's stayed with me all my life! I can't tell you how many times I've given out wrong directions because I said turn right, when they should have turned left.