The Baptist Way - How to Really Screw Up Your Hard Workers

If you're a Southern Baptist, I'm sure you've had one of those moments when you say, "haven't I been here before?" "Haven't I experienced this before?" The answer is that you probably have. Southern Baptists seem to be scared absolutely witless about the whole idea that they might have to confront controversy head on. Oh, as long as the controversy is some social issue that we can rail against, we're just as happy as a pig to wallow in it. Bring on the gay marriage, pro-abortion, etc. debates. We don't mind those at all.

But the second there is a hint of a controversy within the church walls, well, HORRORS! HEAD FOR THE HILLS! We can't have controversy in the church. Shhhhhh, maybe if we find a neutral solution we can keep everyone happy.

Oh, but if we find a neutral solution, then we're straddling the fence and not really finding a solution. We're just papering over the issue and not dealing with it. Maybe if we stick our heads in the sand it will go away. Is there enough paper to cover this up with? Where's the Baptist cat? We need her to put on her big claws and REALLY cover up this mess. Sorry if this seems overtly satirical but I've seen this sort of thing all of my life in the Baptist church and it begins to wear a bit thin.

As a Southern Baptist and someone who is definitely OCD, I don't do anything in half measures. If I'm going to do a job, it is going to be done not well, but superhumanly, insanely well! So, I've worked my heart out in Baptist church after Baptist church. And then, when I put myself forward to do more work, a monkey wrench is thrown into the works. We need a neutral party! Neutral party schmarty! We need to develop some cojones!

If Jesus had taken the approach that Southern Baptists take to controversy, well, let's just say the moneychangers would be making a killin' in the temple! Wow, how good it feels to just let the satire roll! And even let it roll in stream-of-consciousness style! So, as a Southern Baptist, I'm not gonna take it anymore. I'm not going to give and give and give and then get trampled on anymore. God called me to work, but he didn't call me to be used as a doormat, front door carpet, or worse yet, a urinal mat (EEEEWWW!!!!! where did that come from?). I guess you can say I'm a rabid Southern Baptist with a cause. Hear me roar! When God says get in the work and do the work, he means you to do that. So now I just need some time to figure out where that work is taking me because I'm not so sure that this work can be done in a church that flouts God's leadership. Oh wait, I forgot, what would the ostrich do?

Rainy Day in Flat Rock

Just arrived at work for what appears to be another rainy day! When I saw the news this morning, I was somewhat glad I'm not at the CollegeNET user's conference in Portland, Oregon, this summer. The temperature today is slated to be 106 degrees which is just unheard of out there. Normally, the week of user's conference is in the 70s and feels wonderful in comparison to our sultry summer weather here in the south.

Currently, I'm wading through a PHP program that is 23 pages long trying to figure out what each piece does. If you write computer code, please DOCUMENT what you do. Comments really help the person following you save time as they search the process and steps of what you are doing. You know, the proverbial bus could hit you!

On the hospital front, my mom continues to recover from her double-knee replacement surgery. One day after surgery she was up doing the "mummy" walk (yes they have her legs wrapped in bandages) and last night she called me at home to tell me they were doing physical therapy at 9:30 PM. I guess you don't get any rest in the hospital!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

The Calm Before the Commencement Storm

Wow, what a whirlwind week and weekend! It all started with decorating the church for VBS last Sunday evening from roughly 2-7 PM. Then, we had this manic week with enrollment growing to 180 by the last night and attendance averaging around 137 per night. We did not have a single night where attendance dipped below 130. To top things off, we had 9 young souls who chose Christ as their personal savior and one rededication. Even though I am exhausted as I start to change to go to VBS commencement for the picnic and the actual close of 2009 VBS - Boomerang Express, I know it was worth every bit of energy that we all poured into it. VBS is definitely a team effort. I have been blessed with a great team!!!

The Last Night of a Very Successful VBS

VBS 2009 is over except for our annual picnic and commencement exercises on Sunday evening. These five nights have flown by while we have experienced evenings that have surprised me beyond any of my wildest expectations. If anyone had told me that by the last night I would have 180 enrollments, I would have told them they were nuts!

Am I tired, OH YEAH! I'm absolutely exhausted. Working, driving, being excited for and with the kids, and managing all of that for a week has been a challenge. But nothing worth doing is worth doing halfway! I will be posting pictures soon for folks to see our week in VBS. I may even do a flash or PowerPoint slide show. I haven't decided which I want to do this year. The best part of this evening was watching our young former Abercrombie model let the kids paint his old beater truck, nicknamed "Stepchild". Those kids wrote testimonials, scripture, and words of wisdom all over that truck. Tony is going to be a driving witness. It is absolutely an amazing thing to see the transformation that has taken place in this young man's life. He is an inspiration to me!

And to think, we end this week with 9 more young souls who will join us in a joyous celebration in heaven. You just can't beat that feeling.