Woke up in a bad mood this morning

Of course that is because I went to bed in bad mood last night at around midnight est. Yes, I stayed up to watch the heartless Mavs loose four straight games and loose the NBA Finals. I had gotten my hopes up way too high. They beat the Spurs and the Suns and all they had to do was defeat so team from the Eastern Conference. That should be easy right. They beat two of the best teams in the NBA already, they also won the first two games handily. But in the third game I saw it with my own eyes. In that hotel in NC I saw the heart get ripped right out of the Mavs and then two more times, including that 20 something beat down in game 4.

The Mavs had the better team. Evident by the fact that after game three they stayed close in 5 and 6. But D-wade is the best player in the NBA hands down and the pour Mavs had no answer for the guy. Maybe next year...maybe never! I keep thinking maybe the Rangers will when the World Series also!

Just Me

Still in NC

As a family we are staying till Friday, so we decided to go the NC Zoo in Ashboro today! What a wonderful time. God has created som truly amazing things. God is a creative God. Here are some pics in honor of Steve McCoy whose grandmother had a stroke on Tuesday of the convention. He always has a Phriday is for Photos, so here are some of the ones that I have taken today here in NC!

The End is Near

Actually it is the end. My family and I are back at the hotel after another day at the SBC. For the most part things went well. Had the privilege of hearing Condolezza Rice speak and she is a very engaging and thoughtful speaker.

Frustration had hit me! We have taken and added to what John in Revelation told us NOT to add to! The SBC adopted a resolution that was amended and that basically now goes beyond the biblical mandate of not being drunk to abstinence from Alcohol being a biblical. Wade Burleson does a wonderful job explaining the problems as well as sharing an opportunity of when drinking a glass of wine opened the door for him to share the gospel message and that person responding, well worth the length of the story.

Let me first state I have had three sips of alcohol in my life. When I was a teenager I took a sip of beer and spewed it out all over the place. I drank some Champange on my honeymoon and nearly had the same reaction. In college I tried some kind of lemonade and I really didn't like it. In fact I was telling my dislike of the taste to my mom one day and she said to me, "That's because all your life I have prayed you would hate the taste." When my mom prayers as usual it works. I just wished she had prayed that I dislike Dr. Pepper that much. Which she could not do that because she likes it almost as much as I do! My like for DP is a whole other story about how many times I have been to the Sonic down the street from my hotel, since we don't have any in Maryland. I love a good Sonic Cherry/Vanilla Dr. Pepper!

My question for this convention is where is the resolution on gluttony? Or the one for refraining from Caffeine? Or as others have brought up that sexual addiction is a problem so we should tell everyone to stop having sex. I don't drink coffee but I am sure if we took all the coffee pots out of the churches in America because caffeine is addictive and can be harmful that the Sunday School attendance in the SBC would drop dramatically. I also walked around the convention hall this week looking at the waste lines of the SBC knowing that we would not hear a sermon or a resolution on gluttony. I guess I need to start working out more and I will write the resolution for next year!

When are we going to start majoring on the majors and minoring on the minors. As the old Texas Proverb says, "Life is to short especially when you are stupid!" Or as another saying I like goes, "The enemy is before us and they are looking in a mirror!" For those of you who don't get that think to the Revolutionary War and the phrase, "Don't shoot till you see the whites of their eyes."

I am all about tearing every human barrier that I can that keeps people away from understanding the good news of the gospel. I pray we have not as a convention erected another barrier that people will just look at and say, "Well that is just too high a standard" and walk away!

When are we going to learn to engage the culture with the truth of the inerrant word of God instead of turning off the culture with our bad interpretations of that word?

With that said I want to say that I am glad the Resolutions Committee was wise about one that concerned me. I am glad for Resolution 10 on the Public School System. It is sensible and speaks in a positive manner to help encourage those who teach and send their kids to public schools. I will be one of those people who sends their children to public schools. My daughter starts kindergarten in the fall at the school a block from our house. In fact I got an email from the principal tonight with a list of school supplies for each grade and the number of under privilged students in each grade to see if we can help out with some of their supplies.

My hope and prayer is that God would do great things through the SBC in spite of oursleves and most of all inspite of me!

We Made It!

It was a long day and it just about did us in, but we did it! It's monday morning and we are in our hotel in High Point, NC. Yeah, it is not Greesnboro, but that is a whole long story in itself I will not go into at this time. We got in about 10 PM last night after leaving the metro Frostburg area at 1:30. I am learning better what it means to travel with kids. I am one of those, get on the road and go until you absolutely have to stop. With an almost 1 year old and almost 5 year old that means about every two hours. For me a meal would be drive thru and back on the road, with kids it is sit down for an hour. I guess my dad spoiled me on getting there quick.

A few highlights of the trip: God's beautiful creation! We took our trek through West Virginia first and then a little of Virginia and the NC. God never ceases to amaze me at how creative a God He is. The valleys that we passed over and the rivers were just awesome.

I love trips also for the interesting things you see, like signs. We are in West Virginia near Beckley I think and there is a sign of a BBQ place, "Dirty Ernie's Ribs-Gifts." I told my wife, "Only in WV."

We also passed over the largest Arch Bridge in the western Hemisphere over New River.

This morning we are going to get ready and head over to the Pastor's Conference and attend some of the interesting sessions.

My five year old is laying next to me as I blog this morning!

Oh yeah! One more awesome thing....HOW BOUT THOSE MAVS!!!!!!

SBC in Greensboro

I guess I am a glutton for punishment. I am taking my family to the Southern Baptist Convention this week. This will be my second venture in the national conventions main stage. The last time I went to Dallas in 1997 and spent the day there mainly visiting with friends. Had lunch with Calvin Miller who gave me some great pastoral advice, I will not dispense with it here but it had to do staying away from over aggressive women.

I am almost more excited for my 4 almost 5 year old daughter and the fun she is going to have in "Rescue 911." My wife grew up Methodist so this is her first venture into SBC, besides what I update her on in the 6 years we have been married.

I am biblically conservative, which means the direction that the SBC has gone in regards to the bible I strongly support. I have no personal friendships or acquaintances with any of the leadership. I did serve as Second Vice President and First Vice President of the Baptist Convention of Pennsylvania/South Jersey. I am now in the Maryland/Delaware state convention and serve in no capacity at this time. I am concerned with some of the things that are going on in the SBC. I have tried to keep updated with events over the years. Which means that I have been reading some blogs. I have read Wade Burelson, Marty Duren, Steve McCoy, and many others. I constantly read BP.

I am concerned that the SBC has lost its direction and focus to seek personal agendas clouded in what is best. This is not a new revelation. I have always felt that way.I was there when Russell Dilday was fired at SWBTS. I understand the reason and agreed he needed to leave, I did think it was handled improperly. I enjoyed Ken Hemphill, took his 1 Corinthians class and enjoyed it immensely.

The problem is, I believe, is that the convention has become a cult of personality. Though the majority of the churches in the SBC are under 75 in attendance we keep promoting these mega church pastor's for the presidency. Page, Sutton, and Floyd I am sure are Godly men and are doing great things for the kingdom of God for their ministry, but do they understand the struggles, hardships, and headaches of a small church pastor. I don't know if any of them have ever served in a small church atmosphere. I remember in seminary that almost every pastor who spoke in chapel was from a large church. I don't remember a small church pastor coming. Could be my bad memory.

Who will I vote for as President. I will not vote for Floyd. I have had two friends that have served on his staff and they rave about the man. I went to college in Arkansas and have an acquaintance with his ministry. I have seen some of his sermons and appreciate him as a pastor, but the CP giving bothers me and I believe that should matter. If the people of our churches are urged to give 10% then the church should move in that same direction. My church gives 8% of undesignated to CP causes.

As for Page and Sutton I don't really know. Page seems to be a nice guy and his church gives a strong percentage to CP, as does Sutton. I met Sutton at SWBTS when I was a student. He seems like a genuinely nice guy as well.

My hope for this convention is that we would move back to be a convention of the common Southern Baptist. I want to see us continue to stand strong for God's word and the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ without alienating ourselves from people and hurting the cause of Christ more.

By the way, why isn't someone standing up and making a resolution that the people of the SBC to stand up and pray for the school's and teachers of nation instead of alienating ourselves from teachers and parents that we are trying to reach. Our church is adopting the school down the street. We are providing school supplies for underprivileged children as well lunch for the teachers during their first day back to school in August.

I am looking forward to meeting some old friends, making some new ones and listening to McManus and Searcy again at the Pastor's Conference. I am also looking forward to hearing Casting Crowns again as well on Wednesday.

Why I Like Mark Driscoll

I have written about why I like 24 before and here is Mark talking about some of the reasons I love the show.