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.

An Historic Day

As I sit here in my home and take in the day that has past, I am amazed at what I see transpiring on the television screen. America has proven to the world that we have matured as a people. And, we have proven the great promise that our nation offers to all of her citizens, the promise that all her sons and daughters can grow up to be whatever they aspire to be. I would never have believed this possible even a year ago. To quote the scriptures, "my heart runneth over" at this moment.

All reports seem to appear to be leading the nation towards an Obama electoral college victory of somewhere in the range of 367 electoral votes. After the long dark night of eight years of an inept presidency that cloaked itself in secrecy, the people's house will be returned into the light of a greater and brighter future. President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden will face many challenges. We all need to resolve to join our new leaders in a spirit of unity to work hard for the improvement of our nation and the support of our fellow citizens less fortunate than we are. It is said that much is required to those who have been given much. That statement is truer tonight than at any other time in our nation. May we all resolve to unite and build a brighter future for ourselves and our nation.

Just Hours Until Election Day 2008

It was a long first day back to work after a week spent in sunny Florida. As the day progressed, I found my attention span sinking farther and farther away from what was going on at work and more on the historic nature of Election Day 2008. If someone had told any of us in 2004 that George W. Bush would be re-elected and that four long years later we would be on the cusp of electing the first African-American President in the history of the United States, we would have likely laughed at them as delusional.

Indeed, even just two years ago, the prevailing wisdom was that this election would be between yet another white male Republican and Hillary Rodham Clinton. However, 2008 turned out to be the year that would break a number of barriers with both the first serious female contender for a major party presidential nomination and the first African-American contender who has been able to stitch together a coalition of white and minority voters unlike this nation has ever seen before. What many dismissed as nothing more than soaring rhetoric has grown into a movement of unheralded performance. The next president will face challenges that a national leader has not seen for many years, probably not since the Great Depression. I believe that next president will be Senator Barack Obama; and, he will need the support of all Americans.

So, in the morning, let us all go out, cast our ballots, and enjoy the amazing democratic experiment started by our founding fathers so many years ago. I have to believe that our founding fathers would look proudly on at the success of their experimental new approach to governing a great nation. Does our nation face problems that seem daunting? Yes. Are we divided in so many respects than ever before? Yes. But despite our problems, our divisions, and the stain to our national image by a Republican presidency run amok, we may yet still serve as "that shining city on a hill" to the world.

My First Blog

I have often considered opening my own blog but never seemed to take the time to do so. With two days of this presidential election left, I decided this was a great time to start. Welcome to The DemoZone (short for The Democratic Zone). I am an avid Democratic political activist and will be looking forward to sharing both my political views and other activities that I am involved with. As I travel a fair amount for work, I will include restaurant suggestions in areas where I travel as well as details about these locales.

This weekend I had my first opportunity to canvass for a political candidate. I have been involved in Democratic Party activities for most of my adult life having served as both Third Vice Chair and Treasurer of my local county party. I also got the experience of a lifetime serving as a Gore delegate at the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. And yes, I believe firmly that Al Gore won that election and that the Supreme Court of the United States subverted the collective will of the voters. Canvassing for Senator Barack Obama this weekend in rural North Carolina reaffirmed my joy in working politically to change our great country in so many positive ways.

I encourage everyone to get out and vote on Tuesday (if you haven't already voted in early voting). I also strongly encourage you to vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden to be the next President and Vice President of the United States.

Welcome to my blog and stay tuned for more.