[In case you missed Part 1, you can go HERE. Below is where my brain was going with that portion of this post...] Of late, I've read where bloggers are a bit disconnected from the reality of "facts". Bloggers really shouldn't be writing about the things on their minds or challenging anyone for almost anything--especially if their opinion differs from one published in a bonafide news outlet. To do so is as silly as a "journalist" writing and talking about President Obama's birth was in Kenya instead of Hawaii. Oh. Wait a minute. That is what the news media has been talking about ad … [Read more...] about Bloggers, Journalists, and Other Verbose Writers (Part 2)
Bloggers, Journalists, and Other Verbose Writers (Part 1)
So, according to Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, a journalist "is a : a person engaged in journalism; especially : a writer or editor for a news medium b : a writer who aims at a mass audience." So, what exactly is a journalist, friends? Help me out. You see, I don't really consider myself a journalist. I see myself as a woman who writes devotional, inspirational, "stuff" about my life, with the main emphasis on my faith in Christ. One dear friend of mine says I'm a "scribe". That sounds so much better than a journalist, don't you think? Yet, if you think about it, most … [Read more...] about Bloggers, Journalists, and Other Verbose Writers (Part 1)
URGENT, a book review by Hariette Petersen
Profoundly moving. From the first sentence to the last, "URGENT" gripped my heart and mind. It penetrated my spirit and touched my soul. With heartbreaking clarity and honesty, author, Joe Donahue, shares the emotional, physical, and sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of his father. "Urgent" is an accounting. Donahue gives an account of the sin of his father, and how those sins nearly destroyed him. He writes: "Like Bartimaeus, I was just a blind beggar...covered in whatever filth I had been crawling through...blind at heart...worn out clothes wrapped my shivering body during cold … [Read more...] about URGENT, a book review by Hariette Petersen
More Than His Robe
Hundreds of years. Long before Jesus was born of a virgin in a lowly manger stall in the city of Bethlehem, the psalmist pens a prophetic song sharing details of the Messiah's death. "All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment." Psalm 22:17-18 Jesus hung naked upon the cross, scourged, battered, near lifeless. The crowd mocked Him as His clothes lay at the foot of the cross. Some gloated and tauntingly demanded that He "save Himself". Soldiers siezed the opportunity to cast lots, roll the dice, for his … [Read more...] about More Than His Robe
GUEST POST: Young-Preachers- Finding a Place to Preach
[First posted by David Brumbelow, at Gulfcoast Pastor] When I attended college, I was surprised to meet young preachers who had never preached. They had felt God’s call to preach. They had surrendered their lives to the ministry. They were being educated to follow that call. Yet they had never had the opportunity to preach. Others I met had only had the chance to preach once or twice. Part of the blame goes to their home pastors. Pastor, if you have a young man who surrenders his life to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ - give him the opportunity to preach. Let him bring a devotional in a … [Read more...] about GUEST POST: Young-Preachers- Finding a Place to Preach
Blogging, Networking, and Purpose
I sat at my computer today and cringed. In light of the recent (uh, hmmmn), blog competition in which I failed, I was forced to wonder about my writing. Not because I did not make it to the next round of competition. No. Actually, I received a record collection of votes for a little old grandma from the plains of Oklahoma. All the more a marvel, since my competitors are well-known, highly educated men of God in the theological and religious world. Competing in the "Madness" was more for recreation and frivolity. I knew I stood no chance. I had fun badgering my Facebook buds who had … [Read more...] about Blogging, Networking, and Purpose
What Must We Do To Be Relevant
With all the problems in the world, we often question who to help and how to help them. We worry about giving and having our hard-earned money being mis-spent. As a child I learned that the money Baptists give to missions is one of the best ways to give and be assured the assistance we give makes all the difference in the world--the difference between clean water and filthy contaminated water. Southern Baptist have been digging wells, stocking streams with fish, and teaching agriculture skills to get more bountiful crops for decades. We have annual offerings for all kinds of things. … [Read more...] about What Must We Do To Be Relevant
PRIORITY ON PRAYER AND PROCLAMATION
Ever been reading your Bible and a phone rings, a baby cries, a doorbell chimes? Ever find your prayer time interrupted by similar things? Ever plan to do a particular ministry and find yourself bombarded with demands of equal or more pressing priority? Ever start to share Jesus with someone and chaos rips into the conversation? Take heart; interruptions, impediments, chaos, and confusion are mere tactics to undermine your mission as an ambassador for Christ. In Ambassadors On Mission, The Priority Of Prayer and Proclamation, author, Dr. Dan Crawford*, shares how Christians are "first … [Read more...] about PRIORITY ON PRAYER AND PROCLAMATION
Working Things Out For Good
Yesterday Haylee, six, asked to make some sugar cookies. Being the doting grama that I am, I waddled out to the kitchen to find a recipe. Haylee pulled up a stool to the counter. Soon Kinsey, four, decided to "help" make cookies, too, and dragged a stool of her own to the counter. They were so close to me, I couldn't get the mixer out of the cupboard. After some adjustments, collecting untensils, and gathering ingredients, we set about making our confectionary delights. Haylee got to measure 2 and 3/4 cups flour into a bowl. Then I showed her how to level off a half-teaspoon of baking … [Read more...] about Working Things Out For Good
MY SHEEP WILL HEAR MY VOICE
"I had a neat story that happened today," my friend wrote in her email. First of all, it is not uncommon for my friend to have a story to tell me. Something is always happening in her life. I think it goes along with a person who yearns to walk in a very real way with Jesus. Rarely does she email that she doesn't have something similar to the story below to relate. I find her one of the most refreshing friends I have...I digress. "I was in the check out line at Wal-Mart," she continued, "and it was one of those days where they didn't have enough checkers (happens a lot here), and all … [Read more...] about MY SHEEP WILL HEAR MY VOICE