So, the other day I was talking with my Blushing Bride (who btw is recuperating from surgery on her wrist--torn ligaments, long story) and she said the bandage made her arm look like Popeye's. Since it was her birthday yesterday, and we go to the surgeon to get the bandage off and go to the next step (probably a cast) tomorrow, we "fixed" here bandaged arm.

I'm trying out a free new network of author websites, it's called AuthorTree and helps walk you through a process for listing your books. This is a great way for budding new authors to make use of the World Wide Web in getting the word out about your book. It looks like it will be great for guys like me who nobody knows, but we have a book or two five out there.

Click here to see my page at AuthorTree.

If you're a new writer or self-publisher, give them a try.

Thanks to Angie at Wordclay's blog.

Wordclay is now sponsoring their second writing contest. This time the prize goes for Short Stories.

Details are HERE.

It came in today's mail--my copy of Best Modern Voices: Words for the New Millennium, Volume 1. This is the Poetry Anthology made up of the top 100 finalists in the first Wordclay.com poetry contest. Recently, my mother told me that they got a copy last week. They rushed to open the package and searched through the book to find my one poem included. They found it on the last page. Some would be upset about being saved for last, but hey, the winner and runner-up got the first two spots (with judges' write-ups and everything). The rest of the finalists are buried throughout the book. Mine is the last voice that the reader will hear.

April is National Poetry Month, so why not order yours today? [from Amazon; from the publisher]

Uncle Jay not only explains the news, but does it with an immaculate vocabulary --

I really had trouble with the headline for this post--"I'm All Shook Up", "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", or what?

Anyway, we were awakened at around 4:30 this morning by tremors from an earthquake centered about 100 miles away. The latest has the level at a 5.2 on the Richter Scale. (Originally it was registered as 5.4). Plus we just felt an after shock as I got started with this post.

It is a weird feeling for this boy to feel the whole world shake literally. I think that the hardest part has been on the Blushing Bride. She had surgery to repair a torn ligament (or tendon) in her wrist just the other day, and is having difficulty getting comfortable at all. Her response to the tremor--"that's an earthquake. I hate that, I just got to sleep good." You can't hear it, but there is real anger in her voice.

(I captured the picture from KMOV.com, Mulberry is located just off the upper lefthand side of the map, south and west of Decatur.)

Here's a video of one of the things that made my Easter Great!



Puddin' n' Pie was one of five we baptized that day, inaugurating our new baptistry pool.

Not long ago, I received a poster inviting our church to attend a "Revival" meeting at another church of our denomination not too far from where we're located. I think that it's great for churches to have these extended meetings to help people build their fervor for their Lord, and to offer Christ to those who might come. I even support doing it in my own church and inviting other churches to participate if they so wish. But here's the middle of the poster:


Now, normally this would not be a problem, but the statement, "If you're hungering to hear God's Word preached," suggests that my church members don't get that on a regular basis. No wonder people outside the church culture see us as arrogant and hateful. We don't watch what we say even to one another!

Last year I was working through the Chazown journal along with Craig Groeschel’s book by that name. Just after I started, encouraging you to get the book download the journal to help you in your study, the on-line .pdf version of the journal disappeared, with the link taking you to an advertisment to buy the book.

Now I’ve found a link to get the .pdf file again, so if you’re interested in looking for a good life-planning tool click right here for the download.

Enjoy the quiet. Settle in with a good read. And most all, wander 'round the stacks to just smell the books. Nothing is more satisfying.

As in most cases, I was reminded of things literary by reading Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: It's National Library Week!

I will readily admit that when I first heard John Trent and Gary Smalley try to introduce this concept (whether it's original to them or not I don't know), I couldn't quite grasp it. Of course I was single and just drive a bus for a group going to their marriage conference in St. Louis at the time (it had to be twelve or so years ago).

Since I met my blushing bride, she has assured me that I have no problem speaking in vivid word pictures. The big problem is the pictures that my words draw are often not the ones hanging in the art gallery or even on the refrigerator door. No, the word pictures I use are most often the ones that elicit the response, "Dear!" (drip it with sarcasm).

One of my favorite word pictures comes in the form of a song I learned from a commercial many years ago. Click the link below to enjoy the commercial--this one's for you, Sweetie!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwc1GuHgF-0

The baby is talking. Sure, words like momma and dadda, bubba and water, have long been a part of her vocabulary. She knows yes, no, please and thank you, but at less than 20 months she's made her first coherent sentence.

A couple of nights ago, as we were preparing for family devotion time and everyone was getting seated on and around the couch, Little Bit walked up to me and said, "I wan' sit i' Daddy." So clear was the message that not only did I hear it, but her mother and sister also heard, "I want to sit with Daddy."

Am I proud, or what?

This past weekend, Charlton Heston passed away at the age of 84. The actor whose career was highlighted by a portrayal of Moses in The Ten Commandments, was also known as a vocal spokesman for the National Rifle Association.

Don't shave your sideburns, pastor
And let your hair grow,
too!
You'll look like Charlton Heston
If you do!

To the family of Mr. Heston, may God grant you peace during your time of loss.

In response to my friend and former English teacher's observation about adverbs, I give you . . .

Some of you noticed that I was lost in cyberspace for a few hours yesterday. Here's the scoop: I wanted to try out this new thing that blogger has called Blog List which is really cool (when you can get it to work). What it did for me was shut my blog down! Now I have to rebuild my blogroll and can't even get access to the Blog List feature that is in Blog in Draft. Maybe it'll be available soon;).

Until then, "Here where we need ya (Back here where we need ya) Yeah we tease him a lot cause we've got him on the spot, welcome back, Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back."