more analysis and a preview of the sec championship game on tuesday. for now..."that'll do, pig. that'll do."
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
javy and mt. cody will get the biggest ovations this morning when bama wishes their 27 seniors so long, but i've always been a roy upchurch guy.
his career has been littered with unfortunate injuries, but he's battled back into the line-up time after time, year after year. i wouldn't be surprised at all to see him drafted late next spring and have a surprising career in the nfl.
so long, seniors.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
don't wake me just yet
i saw a comment on facebook (yes, THAT facebook) the other day made by a fellow church member. to paraphrase the comment, it was something along the lines that they believed the church (humc) was experiencing a "reawakening". i couldn't disagree more, but i am in love with the sentiment. and that, in and of itself, is cause for celebration.
tonight, i'll be a part of the first finance committee meeting following our "celebration" (pledge card) sunday. i've been quite nervous at the thought of how the events of late last year, leading into this one will affect our bottom line and how we operate moving forward. for better or worse, several "key" (read: affluent) former members decided to tuck tail and run away from what seemed very much like a (as described here) sinking ship. far be it from me to judge what i am sure were good and completely legit reasons (wink, wink) for doing so, the fact of the matter is that we will understand the financial toll of all the turmoil concerning our hispanic "ministry", blog-gate, and the departure of yet another pastor soon enough. how we react to the financial fallout will be far more telling than how we've recently dealt with the emotional blows.
how have we dealt with the emotional blows?
as i see it, fairly admirably. so, a pastor decides to leave (and make no mistake, this IS the correct choice of words). we see it as best for both parties, have a reception and wish him well. the next week, we meet his replacement. a humble individual that downplays his accomplishments and asks us to call him "brother". hmm. that's different. we wrap our arms around the change and let it happen in a very natural and non-intrusive way. hindsight being what it is, this accidental approach probably ended up being the best one.
as the transition approached, several of our members bought into using "the first 90 days" approach with our new pastor. making he/she aware of what he/she was getting into on many different levels, the new pastor would be, theoretically, much more prepared than the previous several with a working knowledge of what's been going on versus what we want moving forward. the question i was most looking forward to being a part of was the one that we will finally tackle tonight, "the situational diagnosis" conversation. the details and sub-questions of this particular conversation are fairly fascinating, but the long and short of it is this. accurately and honestly take a physical and spiritual inventory of your (our) church. right now. not fifteen years ago. not fifteen years from now. RIGHT. NOW. and right now, back in june, i was still ready for a fight. not a fistfight, mind you, but i was still quite sensitive to us being forced into another transition in the first place, let alone all the reasons for it. and i wanted to be in a room with all of the leaders in our church and call us ALL onto the carpet. this is the bed we made. not the weeds. not former disciples council chairs. not innocent bystanders. we, our church, humc did this. now, what are we going to do to fix it?
but, in this regard, the malaise that still covers our church to some degree played the calming presence opposite my wildly swinging in the dark protagonist. had we had the conversation immediately after harris' arrival, the intended consequences probably would not have taken hold. the church had just finished an active and subconscious (both at the same time) twelve round fight. we were tired. exhausted by the experience, adrenaline was the fuel that was keeping us on our feet. we were not a congregation that was full of energy, full of zeal, recharged and ready to connect with our community. we needed rest, to come to church and worship and study and fellowship and not worry about what sunday school class was ruining the world or who was running off whom. we needed a nap, and i am not terribly sure we didn't/don't need to hibernate. maybe we have been. and maybe advent will be our spring that allows us to go about our normal business and feel like a church again.
that sounds like a reawakening.
yeah, maybe, but to me it sounds like pushing the reset button. anybody that's played a videogame and is getting their ass handed to them by the computer knows what i am talking about. you shrug your shoulders, own the loss in its moment, get up off the couch and press "reset".
in my opinion, we are not reawakening. we are re-starting. we are much closer to a church plant that just so happened to start with between 200-250 active members and a flourishing daycare. we still don't know, know what we are doing in the middle of huffman yet, but we are almost healthy enough to figure it out.
almost.
tonight's finance meeting and "first 90 days" conversation will tell more about the story than this speculative post.
i'd like to think that i am right. i'll let you know soon if i am.
i saw a comment on facebook (yes, THAT facebook) the other day made by a fellow church member. to paraphrase the comment, it was something along the lines that they believed the church (humc) was experiencing a "reawakening". i couldn't disagree more, but i am in love with the sentiment. and that, in and of itself, is cause for celebration.
tonight, i'll be a part of the first finance committee meeting following our "celebration" (pledge card) sunday. i've been quite nervous at the thought of how the events of late last year, leading into this one will affect our bottom line and how we operate moving forward. for better or worse, several "key" (read: affluent) former members decided to tuck tail and run away from what seemed very much like a (as described here) sinking ship. far be it from me to judge what i am sure were good and completely legit reasons (wink, wink) for doing so, the fact of the matter is that we will understand the financial toll of all the turmoil concerning our hispanic "ministry", blog-gate, and the departure of yet another pastor soon enough. how we react to the financial fallout will be far more telling than how we've recently dealt with the emotional blows.
how have we dealt with the emotional blows?
as i see it, fairly admirably. so, a pastor decides to leave (and make no mistake, this IS the correct choice of words). we see it as best for both parties, have a reception and wish him well. the next week, we meet his replacement. a humble individual that downplays his accomplishments and asks us to call him "brother". hmm. that's different. we wrap our arms around the change and let it happen in a very natural and non-intrusive way. hindsight being what it is, this accidental approach probably ended up being the best one.
as the transition approached, several of our members bought into using "the first 90 days" approach with our new pastor. making he/she aware of what he/she was getting into on many different levels, the new pastor would be, theoretically, much more prepared than the previous several with a working knowledge of what's been going on versus what we want moving forward. the question i was most looking forward to being a part of was the one that we will finally tackle tonight, "the situational diagnosis" conversation. the details and sub-questions of this particular conversation are fairly fascinating, but the long and short of it is this. accurately and honestly take a physical and spiritual inventory of your (our) church. right now. not fifteen years ago. not fifteen years from now. RIGHT. NOW. and right now, back in june, i was still ready for a fight. not a fistfight, mind you, but i was still quite sensitive to us being forced into another transition in the first place, let alone all the reasons for it. and i wanted to be in a room with all of the leaders in our church and call us ALL onto the carpet. this is the bed we made. not the weeds. not former disciples council chairs. not innocent bystanders. we, our church, humc did this. now, what are we going to do to fix it?
but, in this regard, the malaise that still covers our church to some degree played the calming presence opposite my wildly swinging in the dark protagonist. had we had the conversation immediately after harris' arrival, the intended consequences probably would not have taken hold. the church had just finished an active and subconscious (both at the same time) twelve round fight. we were tired. exhausted by the experience, adrenaline was the fuel that was keeping us on our feet. we were not a congregation that was full of energy, full of zeal, recharged and ready to connect with our community. we needed rest, to come to church and worship and study and fellowship and not worry about what sunday school class was ruining the world or who was running off whom. we needed a nap, and i am not terribly sure we didn't/don't need to hibernate. maybe we have been. and maybe advent will be our spring that allows us to go about our normal business and feel like a church again.
that sounds like a reawakening.
yeah, maybe, but to me it sounds like pushing the reset button. anybody that's played a videogame and is getting their ass handed to them by the computer knows what i am talking about. you shrug your shoulders, own the loss in its moment, get up off the couch and press "reset".
in my opinion, we are not reawakening. we are re-starting. we are much closer to a church plant that just so happened to start with between 200-250 active members and a flourishing daycare. we still don't know, know what we are doing in the middle of huffman yet, but we are almost healthy enough to figure it out.
almost.
tonight's finance meeting and "first 90 days" conversation will tell more about the story than this speculative post.
i'd like to think that i am right. i'll let you know soon if i am.
Friday, November 13, 2009
i'll mail you in
my invisible friend was giving me shit the other day...
"dude. you've been mailing it in on the blog for, like, a month now. all you're doing is linking to other's people work and adding a picture to go along with it to act like you can take some of the credit. hell, sometimes, you are posting their picture too. other times, you are just posting pictures with weak-ass captions. what is wrong with you? are you a hack now?"
first of all, screw you, invisible friend.
second of all, i have always been a relative hack.
third of all, i will count you among those that never got around to reading the fine print here on this miserable waste of ether. whether it's my destroying your soul with my mindless rambling or linking to something that i think is cool/funny or just putting up a picture, there are two and only two reasons i spend time here. a) because it makes me happy. b) at some point, my girls are going to get a hold of this and know me on some level that they didn't before mommy e-mails them this address and says, "happy birthday/merry christmas/you need this in your life right now". "that's it. that's the list (thanks, tk)".
am i naive'? of course i am, but not in the regard that i don't fully understand that i am publishing this "for all the world to see". fair or unfair, that's the part that makes my narcissistic side happy. i can rail on twitter and facebook nation (of which, now, i am a card-carrying member) all i want, but, shoot, i was vain way before it was cool and/or progressive to be vain. color me whatever color that tints me and color you late on the joke. so, what does that make me? a bastard? sure. disrespectful? at times. honest? not always. biased? predictably, yes. wrong? well, no. not really. for all the collateral "damage" some have been interested in arguing that has taken place in and because of these parts, my guess is that equal amounts of truth and good has been established too. that's just my spin, my this is my spin-full zone. this is not fair and balanced. quite the opposite.
it is what it is. (man, i am so ready for that phrase to go the way of my diseased kidney)
most of "you" didn't come here looking for this every so year reminder. most of "you" don't need it. really, it's just my invisible friend that's being a little bitch.
honestly, though, i'm the one that needs the reminder, because i am the one that stresses out every time i think about "mailing it in". if i give it enough critical thought, though, the space in between every one of these posts, whatever they end up being, will tell their own stories. the longer the pause, the more to wonder about. if i was able to do HACAM for a living and gave "you" shit umpteen times a day, it would get tired. it would feel like work. and it would be worth even less of my and your time. i'd be telling them the story, instead of letting them figure it out for themselves.
right?
rationalization 101 or the rules of my game. you decide. it doesn't really matter anyway.
"so, does this mean you're gonna start writing again soon?"
it sounds like you missed the point.
but, to answer your question, in the short term, i'll be posting the coolest picture i've seen yet of the best running back in the country.
toodles.
my invisible friend was giving me shit the other day...
"dude. you've been mailing it in on the blog for, like, a month now. all you're doing is linking to other's people work and adding a picture to go along with it to act like you can take some of the credit. hell, sometimes, you are posting their picture too. other times, you are just posting pictures with weak-ass captions. what is wrong with you? are you a hack now?"
first of all, screw you, invisible friend.
second of all, i have always been a relative hack.
third of all, i will count you among those that never got around to reading the fine print here on this miserable waste of ether. whether it's my destroying your soul with my mindless rambling or linking to something that i think is cool/funny or just putting up a picture, there are two and only two reasons i spend time here. a) because it makes me happy. b) at some point, my girls are going to get a hold of this and know me on some level that they didn't before mommy e-mails them this address and says, "happy birthday/merry christmas/you need this in your life right now". "that's it. that's the list (thanks, tk)".
am i naive'? of course i am, but not in the regard that i don't fully understand that i am publishing this "for all the world to see". fair or unfair, that's the part that makes my narcissistic side happy. i can rail on twitter and facebook nation (of which, now, i am a card-carrying member) all i want, but, shoot, i was vain way before it was cool and/or progressive to be vain. color me whatever color that tints me and color you late on the joke. so, what does that make me? a bastard? sure. disrespectful? at times. honest? not always. biased? predictably, yes. wrong? well, no. not really. for all the collateral "damage" some have been interested in arguing that has taken place in and because of these parts, my guess is that equal amounts of truth and good has been established too. that's just my spin, my this is my spin-full zone. this is not fair and balanced. quite the opposite.
it is what it is. (man, i am so ready for that phrase to go the way of my diseased kidney)
most of "you" didn't come here looking for this every so year reminder. most of "you" don't need it. really, it's just my invisible friend that's being a little bitch.
honestly, though, i'm the one that needs the reminder, because i am the one that stresses out every time i think about "mailing it in". if i give it enough critical thought, though, the space in between every one of these posts, whatever they end up being, will tell their own stories. the longer the pause, the more to wonder about. if i was able to do HACAM for a living and gave "you" shit umpteen times a day, it would get tired. it would feel like work. and it would be worth even less of my and your time. i'd be telling them the story, instead of letting them figure it out for themselves.
right?
rationalization 101 or the rules of my game. you decide. it doesn't really matter anyway.
"so, does this mean you're gonna start writing again soon?"
it sounds like you missed the point.
but, to answer your question, in the short term, i'll be posting the coolest picture i've seen yet of the best running back in the country.
toodles.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Sunday, November 01, 2009
to be published in the upcoming humc advent devotional booklet
(please forgive all the annoying capital letters)
Accepting the Special-ness of Advent.
Scripture: (from the Message) 1 Peter: 13-16 "So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that's coming when Jesus arrives. Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn't know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, "I am holy; you be holy."
Truth be told, Advent is just like every other part of the year…except that it’s not.
Each January, we promise and pledge to carry the “Christmas spirit” with us throughout the New Year. It sounds exhilarating. It sounds easy. We just celebrated the birth of our Savior. We just opened many wonderful gifts. We just spent invaluable time with our family. “Everyday will be Christmas!”, we proclaim. So, we power through another list of self-improvements with every genuine intention to make “this year” better than the last.
And then something funny happens.
Mid-January comes and we stumble over or out of our first resolution. February comes and we realize that work is no more a happy place than it ever was. We should be happy that we have a job, but we are not. March comes and we’ve already started to fast-forward our time and our lives in the hopes of that one or two weeks of summer vacation when we can get away from this world that we were so ready and willing to attack just three short months ago. The vacation isn’t as great as we wanted. It rained at the beach. We come home, and life hits in the face again. A friend or family member is sick. A loved one passes. “Why am I yelling at my children all the time?”
Truth be told, Advent is nothing like every other part of the year. As Christians, we need Advent like the bunny needs his battery. It is a season to recharge. It is the feeling of renewal. It is the promise of hope in a life made in relationship with Jesus Christ. It is special.
And that’s OK.
(please forgive all the annoying capital letters)
Accepting the Special-ness of Advent.
Scripture: (from the Message) 1 Peter: 13-16 "So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that's coming when Jesus arrives. Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn't know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, "I am holy; you be holy."
Truth be told, Advent is just like every other part of the year…except that it’s not.
Each January, we promise and pledge to carry the “Christmas spirit” with us throughout the New Year. It sounds exhilarating. It sounds easy. We just celebrated the birth of our Savior. We just opened many wonderful gifts. We just spent invaluable time with our family. “Everyday will be Christmas!”, we proclaim. So, we power through another list of self-improvements with every genuine intention to make “this year” better than the last.
And then something funny happens.
Mid-January comes and we stumble over or out of our first resolution. February comes and we realize that work is no more a happy place than it ever was. We should be happy that we have a job, but we are not. March comes and we’ve already started to fast-forward our time and our lives in the hopes of that one or two weeks of summer vacation when we can get away from this world that we were so ready and willing to attack just three short months ago. The vacation isn’t as great as we wanted. It rained at the beach. We come home, and life hits in the face again. A friend or family member is sick. A loved one passes. “Why am I yelling at my children all the time?”
Truth be told, Advent is nothing like every other part of the year. As Christians, we need Advent like the bunny needs his battery. It is a season to recharge. It is the feeling of renewal. It is the promise of hope in a life made in relationship with Jesus Christ. It is special.
And that’s OK.
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