Here's one of my favorite oft-misquoted lines. Enjoy.

I’d like to start this with a lengthy quotation that haunts me still, although I encountered this fable as a college student (more years ago than I care to admit):

A Fable

They were not overdressed, but their clothes spoke of quality, impeccable with a hint of flair—the right balance for the morning’s gathering. On this fall Sunday the four of them had just come from morning worship service at their church in the near suburbs.

One of the couples seemed in their mid-twenties, at that point where youthful enthusiasm haas merged with the air of confidence from early business success. Their companions appeared in the prime of middle age, reflecting a subdued pride of accomplishment mixed with physical well-being born of careful diet and measured exertion.

They had chosen a restaurant table near, but not next to, the tinted window, a location affording a view without distraction. After sutable study of the oversized menu, featuring samples in four-color views, each husband placed an order. In due course the diners were enjoying the cuisine, paced with relaxed conversation. They murmured proper appreciation of the dishes set before them, each laden with ample serving.

The young wife saw them first. Perhaps the two youngsters had left their customary alley route for a short cut beside the eating place. Maybe some movement among the diners caught the children’s notice. Or the seductive aroma may have beckoned them. What ever the reason, there they were, faces pressed to the window. They said nothing to each other, but stared at the tastefully set tables, the finely dressed patrons, and the heaping servings.

The pair’s color was uncertain. Perhaps brown; or black. A generous trimming of grime on each face blurred the hue. Their skin matched their clothes, dirty with a thoroughness achieved only over many days. They were not exactly thin, but their gaunt faces and the dullness in their eyes hinted at a lack of proper food.

The young wife stared, saying nothing. The sudden lump in her throat, born of a surge of pity, blocked words. She gently laid down her food-laden fork, but its soft tap against the plate drew the attention of the others at the table. Without a spoken question, they followed her line of sight. And they, too, became arrested by the sad tableau at the window.

Perhaps a dozen thoughts scampered through the young woman’s mind. Among them were words she vaguely associated with the morning’s sermon. The message, she seemed to recall, had something to do with responsibility to neighbors.

Here husband broke the silence. “Seeing those hungry faces makes this steak taste a little flat,” he ventured. The older man nodded his agreement. His wife added, “How can you look at them and not do something?”

“What can we do?” challenged her husband.

“It’s so simple, so obvious,” she answered with disdain, looking from the still-steaming food to the hungry eyes.

She pushed back from the table. With an unaccustomed directness she strode almost silently across the carpet. Straight to the window she moved, found the tassled cord dangling at the wall, and firmly pulled it. With only a sibilant swish the heavy, almost luxurious, drapery material shut out the view. The drapes swayed for a moment before their weight stilled the motion.

Resuming her seat, the young woman reached fro her fork. “There now,” she said brightly, “isn’t that much better?”

(from Endangered Species by Dunn, Loring, and Strickland, Broadman Press, Nashville, pp. 121-123)

Poverty has a face. It is a face that we would like to ignore. But if we look around us, we will find it staring through our window. Whether we are in the city, the suburbs, or even in a village such as the one where I live, poverty is with us. We must do something. Let me offer a couple of possible actions:

• Donate to a charity that focuses on iradicating poverty.
• Volunteer your time at a shelter or soup kitchen.

Whatever you do, don’t ignore the faces in your window.

Tomorrow is "Blog Action Day 2008." I'll be participating by including an article on poverty. Please take the time to respond with your thoughts on the matter as well. Or better yet, join in the action by posting your own article on poverty.



(HT: Tony Kummer)

I just received word via email that Oklahoma Baptist University has called its 15th president. I would like to be one of the first to welcome Dr. David Whitlock to OBU family. Whitlock will be moving from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, MO to assume responsibilities at OBU.

Again, Welcome, Dr. Whitlock. May God bless your work at my Alma Mater.

You can read the announcement here.

You have been waiting with bated breath, counting the seconds, and now the time is here! A Time for Miracles is available for purchase from the Loom & Wheel online store at Lulu.com.

As with my original novelettes (Something Special at Leonard's Inn and Just a Simple Carpenter) I've fictionalized the story of a biblical character -- in this case John the Baptist -- hoping to expose more people to the Gospel message. Reuben, the narrator, tells of all the miracles that he witnesses surrounding the birth and life of John the Baptist. Ultimately, Reuben is introduced to the real miracle, Jesus Christ.

I've released this story in time for you to order plenty of copies for your friends and family at Christmas.

Publish-on-demand (POD) orders for the book with the traditional cover art by Jane Potter can be made @ Loom & Wheel [ISBN 978-09677668-7-4]

Those interested in the "black" cover can order (POD) from Wordclay.com (production may be slightly delayed because of WordClay's readiness to print). [ISBN X-00000039706]

Our oldest turns seven today. She's been so excellent in learning to tell time, she received her first wristwatch. Happy Birthday, Sweetie. You've got to love the "Princess Crown" Cake from the party on Saturday.

Fans of old movies and salad dressing will be mourning for the next few days. Actor, racer, entrepreneur Paul Newman has succumbed to a long battle with cancer. Remembered for roles in movies starting in the 1950s. One of my favorite roles from Paul was in Cool Hand Luke, especially the egg scene.

Paul also wowed his fans by active involvement in stock car racing, then he offered up "Newman's Own" in our grocery aisle. Good-bye to a true Renaissance man. (Read an obituary here.)

I haven't linked a good quiz in a long while. Hope you enjoy this one (tipped to me at Taran's place):

I could survive for 1 minute, 22 seconds chained to a bunk bed with a velociraptor

Saturday was a really enjoyable time for the family. We went with some friends from church to Carmi, Illinois to enjoy the Baptist Children's Home and Family Services' (BCHFS) annual Family Fun Day and Quilt Auction. The kids enjoyed all the booths and clowns and such, as well as several turns at the slid on the playground. My mom donated a quilt (at my request), and it performed well--not as well as I thought it should, but it was in there with the rest of them.

Sunday morning I woke up sounding like Barry White. The mallady included sore throat, and progressed as the day went on. Preaching in both Sunday morning and evening services didn't help any, so that by the time the evening service was over I had almost no voice at all. One of my kindly church members suggested a cure for me:

Two parts rum
One part honey
One part lemon juice

If this does not work in two days, do away with the honey and lemon juice.

I figured that this kind of remedy would certainly work, and if it didn't I wouldn't care anyway.

Have a good day.

--Speechless in Mulberry Grove

Q: What is a pirate's favorite fruit?

A: Arrrrrnges, ye scurvy knave.

"Hey, Barnacle Bill, let's get something to eat. Where do you want to go?"

"I'm thinkin' Arrrrrrrby's!"

You only have one day to prepare for Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19, 2008). So, I thought I'd share some basics from the guys who brought us this festive time.

Ahoy! - "Hello!"

Avast! - Stop and give attention. It can be used in a sense of surprise, "Whoa! Get a load of that!" which today makes it more of a "Check it out" or "No way!" or "Get off!"

Aye! - "Why yes, I agree most heartily with everything you just said or did."

Aye aye! - "I'll get right on that sir, as soon as my break is over."

Arrr! - This one is often confused with arrrgh, which is of course the sound you make when you sit on a belaying pin. "Arrr!" can mean, variously, "yes," "I agree," "I'm happy," "I'm enjoying this beer," "My team is going to win it all," "I saw that television show, it sucked!" and "That was a clever remark you or I just made." And those are just a few of the myriad possibilities of Arrr!

As an aside--since TLAP Day falls on a Friday this year, why not consider an extended weekend celebration.

I struggled to put a category on this album offered by the family praise group iPrayz. This collection features the voices of three members of the group. Husband and wife Eric and Jennifer Hagen and Amy Propst (whose husband Perry has worked as the groups worship painter and technical director) almost deliver a sound that is country with hints of bluegrass, but not really either of those. I was introduced to the group at a recent meeting hosted by our church. Live they show just as much enthusiasm for the music and the message as you hear on the CD.

Featured on this album is a mix of excellent new worship songs penned by Amy and Eric and sometimes coupled with some of the great old hymns of the faith. The title cut is a fine example of the voicing and the message of the group. Their arrangement of Fanny J. Crosby's old standard "Blessed Assurance" is top-notch.

You can order this from iPrayz's website or from Amazon.com. You won't be disappointed.

I rate this album with 4 out of 5 discs.

Lest you fear that my birthday was really a bad thing 10 days ago, I thought I’d let you in on a secret. I am loved. My mom made a point to plan the Weaver Family Reunion (which she hosted) to land on my birthday because mine was the central August birthday in the family (I think there were about seven of us there that had b-days in August), and it fell on a Saturday when everyone could get away.

Also, when we did get back to IL from the great state of Texas, my children showered me with my gifts—I’d told them it could wait until we got back. I know that I’m loved because I received Batman Pez® and the giant 7 oz. package of Red Hots®. Now if I could only swing enough dough to get real Dr Pepper® instead of DR. THUNDER.

Have a good one, y’all!

Tripping through the nostalgia that is former friends and relationships can bring fond memories, and often does. Then you have a week that is bittersweet. Through the miracle of on-line networking I've made contact with several of my buddies and buddettes from yesteryear. Recently I found a couple of old debate friends and they mentioned another of our cohorts to know if I had heard from him over the years.

I had to admit that, while his name crossed my mind from time to time, I had no contact whatever with this one-time better of my friends since our high school days. The reason for their question was that they had indeed had contact with our friend and wanted to let me know that he had succumbed to a battle with a rare form of cancer. He'd been apparently a successful journalist in his own right, and left behind a wife and two children. I regret that I found out too late to read any of the entertaining movie reviews that had been his bread and butter for his last seven years. So here are some belated thoughts. You can read if you like, this is for me.

I remember Bill. He was funny. He was fun. He was my friend. I'm sorry that I did not keep in touch once I traipsed off to college and parts beyond. From everything that I've found to read about him (written in eulogy) his success as a journalist and film critic were an extension of the Bill that I knew. I'd love to read some of those well-worded reviews. I know that they would bring back the humor that brought a quick smile to everyone who knew him. For his wife and children I pray for comfort even at this late date. May their memory of him be as fond as mine--if not reached from as many years' passing.

I must report that my computer virus (caught by downloading an entirely different program but attaching itself to said program) is now gone. I am once again able to write, email and yes blog with confidence.

Here's what I got for turning 45:

• A great family reunion with my Mom's side of the family. :)
  
• A sorry virus of some sort that attacked as far as I can tell only the Office Suite--so I can't check my e-mail through Outlook and I can't do any of the Word document processing necessary for my work--Hope I can get it corrected as soon as I get back to Illinois. :(

Have a nice day now, y'hear!

Trot on over and give Bill a hard time. It's his birthday and he needs to know he's loved. BTW, Bill happens to be one of my favorite writers (he specializes in mystery and is always engaging to read), and one of my fondest memories of Howard Payne University--I took two classes under his watchful eye. He is also blogerific just read EQMM.

So I'm reading my new copy of Christian Ethics Today Journal and find the box that shares this little tidbit of information

Eighty-seven percent of Americans believe in the concept of sin. what counts as sinful behavior? Here's the percentage of Americans who view certain activities as sinful:

• 81% Adultry (sic)
  
• 74% Racism
• 65% Use of hard drugs
• 56% Abortion
• 52% Homosexual activity
• 52% Underreporting income30% Gambling
• 29% Telling a "little white lie" (from Ellison Research/RNS - March 14)

Of course, we've gone to ranking sin and ordering how sinful sinful behavior is, but I wonder what percentage of us would mark such things as gluttony, legalism and arrogance as sin. I also wonder if Christ would have an entirely different list.

Today we said so long to the youngest/oldest of the Golden Girls. I was not a big fan of the show, but she was my favorite when I did catch an episode or two. Read an obit here.