Vote Libriarian

People keep saying that this is the most important election in history. To quote Napoleon Dynamite "like anyone can even know that!" But since it seems so important, I gave it a lot of thought today as I was mowing the lawn.

At first I really liked a lot of what Ron Paul had to say, but as it turns out He's lame. I could say a lot about Obama and McCain but its all already been said over and over ad nauseum. Instead id like to point out the party I think is most ready to lead this country. The librarian party. No, I dont mean libertarian...we are not ready for that much freedom. I mean your local librarian.

Really, what better choice can one make? Librarians are very smart. Typically they can read and write and they have a world of knowledge at their disposal. Foreign policy, economics, war, health care, the environment..no problem! What subject has not been covered by at least a million and one books? I would be willing to bet that the majority of library's out there have a copy of The Constitution...something most legislators and judges are unfamiliar with. Besides if you can figure out the Dewey decimal system you can handle D.C..

Thats about when the mower ran out of gas...energy crisis, yet another problem any decent librarian would know how to fix.

Dont See This Movie

I like Indiana Jones. In fact, in highschool I wanted to be an archaeologist after growing up on Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom and the Last Crusade. We finally got around to seeing The Crystal Skull. How bad was this movie? I mean really, this has to be embarrassing to Harrison Ford, Stephen Spielberg and George Lucas. The story line was lame. The action scenes and special effects were horrible. Luckily we only paid $2.50 to see it. In Highschool $2.50 bought you a nasty hot lunch and a chipwich. Compared to this movie, it was money well spent.

Atlanta

We just completed a working vacation to Atlanta. The following is a summary of our trip.

Day 1:
We got up before the sun to get to ATL mid morning. We had no agenda the first day, so we go to the three star hotel that makes me wonder what 2 or 1 stars look like. Hey, at least it had cable TV and a microwave (two amenities you wont find at our home in Texas). Saturday night we showed up late to Perimeter Church in north Atlanta. The pastor preached the Gospel and they ended with my new favorite hymn Before the Throne of God Above. I cried.

Day 2:
Our busiest day. We started by going to a hipster church called Trinity Vineyard. The worship was fantastic. The demographic was mostly short haired white kids just like us..looking for a little more diversity, but overall we enjoyed the service. Next we went to the Atlanta Aquarium. My main mission here was to find the very rare and exotic "scribbins fish"


Mission Accomplished!

From the Aquarium headed to Southeast Atlanta. We attended a worship service in an old methodist church abandoned during a period of "white flight" to the suburbs. The congregation was a combination of locals, intentional neighbors, and at what appeared to be several homeless people. It was warm and inviting and followed up by a family style dinner. Afterwards we drove one of the members home and he showed us around his neighborhood. I really cant put to words all the thoughts I had that night. I got almost no sleep counting the cost of moving to a neighborhood like that.

Day 3:
After a sleepless night, I sat through 8 hours of ground school. I managed to get through it before meeting up with Mandy's friends from Florida in Atlantic station. This was pretty much the complete opposite of where we ate the night before.

Day 4:
The most uneventful day of the trip, managed to catch up on some sleep.

Day 5:
After work we met up with a handful of couples who are living and working in the city. We hear about the mortgage crisis in the news but until this trip I had not actually seen what it has done "to the least of these." I would guess that on the street we ate that night about half of the houses were abandoned. It was a good evening of food and fellowship. We got to ask a lot of questions and meet some wonderful people. I didn't want to leave.

Day 6:
The Chizzlewicks go home... at long last.

Overall we had a great trip. It was exhausting both mentally and physically. We certainty don't have anything sorted out, but intend to keep asking, seeking and knocking.

Of First Importance

Ive been a Christian now for about four and a half years and somehow during this time I have never been able to nail down a good definition of the gospel.

Uh...you know Curt this is like the most essential part of being Christian?

Really? You wouldn't know this by going to most churches, watching Christian TV or listening to Christian music.

Good Point.

The Gospel has been defined by many people in many ways. But I like what Paul says best:

"That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day"

In your own words please Curt.

Ive never had an original thought but here goes:

The Good News is that my sins are not counted against me. Because God is Just, He must hold me accountable. Fortunately, God himself paid the necessary and due penalty for my sin when He came to Earth. God, in Jesus, was wrongly accused, beaten to a pulp and nailed to a tree by those for whom He came to save. The last part of Paul's definition is the evidence of God the Father accepting God the Son's sacrifice. The resurrection.

Common man lets not talk about sin, blood and guts its offensive and gross

If its not offensive and gross its not the gospel.

Fine then, what else is the gospel NOT?

Despite what I may try to make them the gospel is not:

Bible study, prayer or fasting
Calvinism, Armenianism or anything in between
Health, Wealth and Prosperity
Politics or Religion
Anything I can work for, earn or think I might deserve.

More recently, its not moving to the Inner City or serving the poor, hungry and destitute.

The gospel is also not:
My son Andrew or My Marriage or me being liked.

All of these things may be well and good but they are not the gospel.

Sheesh, Why dont you just go back to worrying about your fantasy baseball team?

Ok.

Friday Night Fever

There I was hanging out in Saint Simon Island minding my own business when John Travoltas 707 goes rolling by. That little speck in the background is his refurbished Boeing in Quantas colors. For just a second I felt like a celebrity pilot so I donned my rock star shades.

UPDATE:

Rich thought it be cool to make me into something im not by switching my seats (see comments) im down with that all he has to do now is photoshop another stripe on my shoulder and add $$$ to my paycheck!