Head Trip

This will mess with you...(click on pic)

so tired...

i have phone calls to make, e-mails to send and blog posts to publish, but none of that will happen tonight. there is still a touch of light on the horizon but i can't my eyes open long enough to see it.
going to bed.
last night i fell asleep around 4:30 this morning. with my alarms beginning their dance with me at 6:30 it made for a tough morning and a long day.
hence the early bed time....night.

"Arrrgh...I'm fulla angry"

Saw this tonight and am I'm still laughing....

I still need to see the actual movie. Anyone interested in going to see it with me?

Crazy Spaghetti

This is a unque video:

2008 Home Run Derby - prediction

I forgot to post this earlier, but wanted to quickly make this prediction before the Home Run Derby started the second round. In an e-mail earlier I predicted that Josh Hamilton would win the Home Run Derby.
I think it will be a slug fest between him and Lance Berkman.
Texas will take on Manhattan.

Rapidly Growing

The Top 10 Fastest Growing Cities

(I believe this list is limited to cities with over 100,000 people)

1.       New Orleans, LA

2.       Victorville, CA

3.       McKinney, TX

4.       N. Las Vegas, NV

5.       Cary, NC (I used to live here)

6.       Killeen, TX

7.       Port St. Lucie, FL

8.       Gilbert, AZ

9.       Clarksville, TN

10.   Denton, TX

Just in case you having trouble counting that’s three (3) cities in Texas.

 

The Top 10 Cities with the greatest numerical increases

1.       Houston, TX

2.       Phoenix, AZ

3.       San Antonio, TX

4.       Fort Worth, TX

5.       New Orleans, LA

6.       New York, NY

7.       Atlanta, GA

8.       Austin, TX

9.       Charlotte, NC

10.   Raleigh, NC

4 of the top 10, 3 of the top 4 cities are in Texas.  Despite the nations opinions of Texas, they sure seem to like living here.  (And I honestly am not a die-hard Texan, just giving credit where credit is due.)

 

Click HERE for link where I found this info.  This is helpful stuff if you’re interested in church planting or home buying. 

 

The saddest aspect of all these facts, is despite San Antonio’s (and let’s throw Austin in this to as they will soon be synonymous, like Dallas/Ft.Worth) continued numerical growth they do not have a major pro baseball or football team. 

 

 

Politcally...

...Inept? Visit this site...

How To Pretend You Care About The Election

Surfing

This game isn't addictive, it's just that you keep thinking that you can possibly do better with just one more try
http://www.scuzzstuff.org/secondsofmaddness/

Discussion Starter

This video below is rather interesting (both astronomically and theologically) and could be a great discussion starter for some small group activity.



Questions dealing with God's omni-presence to God's love for us, to creation vs. evolution.
Enjoy the discussions.

Why So Serious

Someone tagged one of the movie theaters here in San Antonio. (I'm thinking it was an inside job). It was hard to get a picture cause those stupide trees in the way...darn you nature! I thought it was pretty cool.
The movie comes out this Friday. Are you planning on seeing The Dark Knight?

Twitter Lately

I've been Twittering a whole lot lately. Thought you might enjoy reading some of the Twits (what do you call these? post doesn't feel exactly right? i like twits.)

• buying fresh fruit - just makes me feel better about myself about 2 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison quick trip to HEB - groceries at home depleted about 3 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison good service - very few technical glitches (amazing!), looking forward to randy's leadership, music sound great/energetic about 3 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison randy - "we are breaking camp to reach one neighbor at a time....it's time to break camp...when they say no way we say Yahweh" about 3 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison randy "when they say 'no way' we can look back say 'Yahweh'" about 3 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison randy - "but for the light to shine the vessels must be broken. claypots to crackpots." about 3 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison randy - "the same God that _______, is the same God that is in us...he resides in these jars of clay." about 3 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison whenever God wants to do something big He almost always stakes the odds against His goal to shoe His glorly - randy about 3 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison randy - retlling the story of gideon, commander of the army against the midianites about 3 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison randy - paul shared why (2 corinth 4:1 & 7) "6od's mercy placed in us, jars of clay, treasure God's pressence for his own glory not from us about 3 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison randy - why does God allow us to be a part of all this? about 3 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison randy frazee - the why questions are often difficult about 3 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison sounds like it's raining but it could be the air conditioning about 3 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison annointing of oil - symbolic of the holy spirit's pessence about 3 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison elder comission the church body in max's new role as minister of writing and preaching about 3 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison elder recomissioning max as minister of writing and teaching about 4 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison max - giving comission to church body to randy's leadership about 4 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison max - giving a great calling to randy as new senior minister about 4 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison max - base camp has been good, but with randy's leadership let's start climbing" about 4 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison max "pursue partnership not patismship (sp?)" about 4 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison max - "no good old days talk - cause the good ol' days weren't all that good and better days are to come..." about 4 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison max lucado - "randy is the right man at the right time in the right place" "are our hearts in the right place?" about 4 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison max lucado - introducing randy frazee as the new senior minister of oak hills church - willow creeks loss san antonio's gain about 4 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison max lucado - "we are a debt free church" - "one audit showed us as one of the fiscally sound churches" about 4 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison max lucado - sharing about "a time of base camp" - a place of regrouping for the final push about 4 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison talia singing a couple of songs during communion - beautiful voice and beautiful songs about 4 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison confession - i have hope but no song - the far country seems really far about 4 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison less than a year ago i played pool right here with students grinding/dancing and drinking - now a worship center about 4 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison steve dye with good reminder that exciting builds can bring God glory - kinda what i was hoping to hear tonight about 4 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison what does it mean when nothing gets you realy excited anymore - worshipping with about a 1000 others and just feel empty - ready to go home about 5 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison finally in new sanctuary - looks good - really packed tonight - lots of extra people - trying to hide in corner about 5 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison downplaying the building seems to be a big deal - something odd about that about 5 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison 10 minutes 'til and doors still not open...??? about 5 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison 15 minutes 'til grand opening service and doors aren't opened...what's that about about 5 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison mental note: sometimes downplaying something only builds it up more... about 5 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison does anyone like it when your waitress (or waiter depending on your gender) calls you "sweetheart"? about 6 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison readin cormac mccarthy's the road...different book, real creepy, creepy pacing, should be a good movie (if done right) about 7 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison pancakes slightly under-cooked, but i don't want to complain kimmy's already had a bad day (burnt arm and all) about 7 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison i'm sure i pissed some people off today but i'm enjoying this leisurely sunday... about 7 hours ago from mobile web
• tsharrison late brunch at i-hop...kimmy the waitress...she burnt herself pretty bad and warned me that she isn't having a good day about 7 hours ago from mobile web

I don't always post them like this, but please feel free to follow me at Twitter, my username there is "tsharrison". You can also read the current "twit" in the right hand column on this blog.

Twitter you later.

Quick Read

Steve Garvey's come out with a good little book that I would recommend to all baseball fans, as well as people who appreciate good values.

My Bat Boy Days: Lesson I Learned from the Boys of Summer
Here are a few chapter titles:

• The Leadership of Pee Wee Reese
• The Dignity of Gil Hodges
• The Honesty of Carl Erskine
• The Passion of Jackie Robinson
• The Persistence of Duke Snider
• The Compassion of Roy Campanella
• The Faith of Sandy Koufax
• The Fortitude of Mickey Mantle
• The Perfection of Al Kaline

This will only take you a quick afternoon to read (about a week and a half for me).

Enjoy!

All-Star Break

This year’s MLB All –Star selection process has had its share of controversies, which I believe will be there no matter how the players are chosen.
But I was driving home, I think Friday night, listening to a Astro’s game on the radio (against Pittsburgh) and they were talking about the quality of the Pirates outfield.
So I did some leg work and wow we’re they right.Except for Hits, the Pirate outfield tops both starting league’s All-Star outfields.

Player-----H-----HR-----SLG------AVG

Pirates Outfield

Nate McLouth-----97-----17-----.529-----.280

Jason Bay-----93-----17-----.530-----.292

Xavier Nady-----91-----12-----.534-----.322

AVERAGE-----93.67-----15.34-----.531-----.298

NL All-Star Outfield

Ryan Braun (MIL)-----101-----22-----.548-----.284

Kosuke Fukudome (CHC)-----88-----7-----.417-----.285

Alfonso Soriano (CHC)-----60-----15-----.547-----.283

AVERAGE-----83-----14.66-----.504-----.284

AL All-Star Outfield

Josh Hamilton (TEX)-----109-----19-----.544-----.301

Manny Ramirez (BOS)-----88-----17-----.500-----.280

Ichiro Suzuki (SEA)-----113-----3-----.544-----.309

AVERAGE-----103.33-----13-----.530-----.297

That really impressive.

Quotable

Everything that's beautiful is cracked, that's how the light gets in.

-Leonard Cohen

Suggested Reading List

Found this link that suggested a reading list for 1st grade to 12th.
Then there are some additional suggested books.
Here's the basic list, but go visit the site and see all that is suggest?
Then come back and tell me what do you think you would add (or subtract).

Obviously the list is created by someone who cares very deeply about a well organized doctrine...but the idea of having a list like this is a good idea.

When would you introduce Harry Potter?...that's important as well.

1st Grade:
The Lightlings, R.C. Sproul
The King Without a Shadow, R.C. Sproul
The Child’s Story Bible, Catherine Vos
The Gospel for Children, John B. Leuzarder
The Big Book of Questions and Answers About Jesus, Sinclair Ferguson

2nd Grade:
Dangerous Journey, John Bunyan, Ed. Oliver Hunkin
The Child’s Story Bible, Catherine Vos
Grandpa's Box: Retelling the Biblical Story of Redemption, Starr Meade

3rd Grade:
Against the World, Henry Coray
The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History, A. Kenneth Curtis, et al.
Heroes of the Reformation: Life-Changing Lessons for the Young, Richard Newton
Training Hearts, Teaching Minds, Starr Meade

4th Grade:
Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis (box set)
Luther the Leader, Virgil Robinson
Ten Boys/Ten Girls Who Changed the World (box sets), Irene Howat
Training Hearts, Teaching Minds, Starr Meade

5th Grade:
The Young Peacemaker: Teaching Students to Respond to Conflict God's Way, Corlette Sande (Kit, grades 3-7)
Visible Saints: The History of a Puritan Idea, Edmund S. Morgan
Survey of the Bible, William Hendriksen
According to Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible, Graeme Goldsworthy

6th Grade:
Adventures Of Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe
The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom
The Gospel for Real Life, Jerry Bridges

(Interim Recommended Reading: Shelf Life: How Books Have Changed the Destinies and Desires of People and Nations, George Grant; Read Any Good Books, Sinclair B. Ferguson; and Invitation to the Classics: A Guide to Books You've Always Wanted to Read, Eds. Louise Cowan & Os Guinness)

7th Grade:
The Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan
Church History Plain Language, Bruce L. Shelley
Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations, Alex & Brett Harris
Chosen by God, R.C. Sproul
The Holiness of God, R.C. Sproul

(Interim Essential Purchases: Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem; Concise Theology, J.I. Packer; and How to Read Slowly: Reading for Comprehension, James W. Sire)

8th Grade:
Crown & Covenant Trilogy, Douglas Bond
Confessions, St. Augustine of Hippo (Ed. Henry Chadwick)
The Heidelberg Catechism: A Study Guide, G.I. Williamson
Knowing God, J.I. Packer

9th Grade:
The Screwtape Letters & Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis
The Peacemaker (Student Ed.), Ken Sande
Humility: The True Greatness, C.J. Mahaney
Living the Cross-Centered Life, C.J. Mahaney
Basic Christianity & Cross of Christ, John Stott

10th Grade:
The Bondage of the Will, Martin Luther
Christianity and Liberalism, J. Gresham Machen
The Sovereignty of God, Arthur W. Pink (Baker Books edition)
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, J.I. Packer
Pursuit of God, A.W. Tozer

11th Grade:
Hostage Lands, Douglas Bond
Reading Between The Lines, Gene Edward Veith Jr.
Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography, Iain H. Murray
The Great Exchange, Jerry Bridges
The Truth of the Cross, R.C. Sproul
The Atonement: Its Meaning and Significance, Leon Morris

12th Grade:
Paradise Lost, John Milton
John Owen on the Christian Life, Sinclair B. Ferguson
Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
The Reason for God: Belief in God in an Age of Skepticism, Timothy Keller
The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross, Leon Morris

Hey Deuce!....

...who does this remind you of?

Taking Off Masks

Shaun Groves had a great post this week about his family's relationship with some neighbors, specifically an incident involving loud expletive music.

Worth the couple minutes of reading.

Who knows, maybe you and I will be challenged to share our lives with our actual neighbors.

Endorsement

Got my new issue of Rolling Stone this week.

Question: Does anyone know which candidate they are backing?

In typical guy fashion, I'm failing to pick up on their subtlety.

Not sure what your political opinions are (nor my own), but got to admit, it's gotta be pretty cool having the cover photo for Rolling Stone...especially when you have nothing to do with entertainment.

(feel free to post your comments about the Rolling Stone cover - Barack Obama's photo - I don't particular care to hear about political opinions at this moment...let's save that for another post)

Site Recommendation: The Rabbit Room

I love visiting the Rabbit Room and think you will too. Stop by occasionally, or add the blog to your reader list. The Rabbit Room is a gathering place for artists (writers, musicians, thinkers, etc...) to creatively express...well their creative expressions (I know, I know...I should be included with those writers...with words like that.)

FYI - The Rabbit Room was the room in the English pub Eagle and Child where the Inkings (a group made up of C.S. Lewis, Tolkien and others) met.
One of the cool features is the Song of the Day. The Proprietor (Andrew Peterson) will often post a song and give some personal insights to the song (always cool to hear a song writer's impressions on a song...even others songs). Plus he post the song so you can even get a listen...

Here are some past Song of the Days:

• Andrew Osenga - New Beginnings
• Sandra McCracken - Thy Mercy, My God
• Allen Levi - Where the People Walk Backwards
• Andy Gullahorn - Give It Time
• Jason Gray - Everything I Own
• Randall Goodgame - From one his tributes to the Peanuts
• Jeremy Casella - Distress Signal
• Derek Webb - Rich Young Ruler
• Ben Shive - '97
• Jill Phillips - The Door
• Eric Peters - Tomorrow
• Andrew Peterson - All Shall Be Well (I love this song!)

and many more...

go on now...

read and listen...

A New Kinda Worship

This is from a worship Service at Mars Hill's Ballard Campus.

'Send Me' - Live at MHC | Ballard from Mars Hill Church on Vimeo.

What do you think?
Would you, could you, worship like this?
Is this the next wave in worship's musical revolution?