HFMD -- Doesn't sound familiar? Read on...

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (or HFMD) is a common childhood illness. This is not to be confused with Foot-and-mouth or Hoof-and-mouth disease that effects certain livestock. It is, however, something my son gave me.

Yeah!!

To the right is not a picture of my hand. But it could be. Yep, that's right. Fun blisters all over my hands, feet, and the back of my throat are my main symptom.

They don't itch and as long as they aren't touched, they don't hurt. Good thing that they're not on a part of my body that I have to use, for example, to write something...or maybe...walk across the room...open a door...dry off after a shower...swallow...you get the picture.

It's caused by a virus that usually runs its course in 3 to 7 days (depending on which website you use to self-diagnose). I'm about 2 days into it (and that's being generous), and it's not much fun.


Here are ten things I've done that are not much fun, but ARE more fun than having HFMD:

10. Gotten stitches.
9. Change a poopy-diarrhea diaper.
8. Stuck a screw gun into the fatty part of my hand between my thumb and first finger.
7. Marched in a 5 mile parade wearing shoes that were one size too small.
6. Given blood.
5. Gone shopping on Christmas Eve in a large mall in Arlington, Texas.
4. Gone shopping the day after Christmas in a large mall in Dallas, Texas.
3. Inoculated goats.
2. Cleaned out a septic tank.
1. Created a slide-show presentation about sexually transmitted skin diseases for the dermatologist that I worked for.

If you would like, feel free to list something you have done that was not much fun in a comment. If I have also done this thing that you list (or have a good feel for how much fun it would be), then I will reply and let you know if it was indeed more fun than having HFMD.

A Manifesto for Church

Yeah!! I've been tagged!! My first time ever.

I've been tagged by Jeff to write about what I think a good church should look like. Here are the rules, according to Barry, who started this thing:

Rules:
1. Post to your blog on the subject "A Manifesto for Church", outlining your thoughts on what an ideal church would/should be like. Posts can be as detailed or as short as you like.
2. Include a copy of these rules.
4. Put a link to your post in the comments to this post.
5. Tag at least 4 other people.
6. What happened to rule 3?
3. Ah, here it is.


So here goes...if only it was as simple to do as it is to cut out of an online Bible and paste into a blog...

Matthew 22:34 - 40 (NIV):

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

My experience in "churches" is limited. After becoming a Christian, I bounced around between a few different churches while in college. Then I attended a church in central Texas for several years, but it was a LOOOOONG way from where I was attending college, so I never really had a sense of family there. After college, I settled in East Texas and attended the same church for 12+ years. I've since moved to Atlanta, and my wife and I have now been attending our current church for a 1 1/2.

One thing was consistent in most of the churches...they all worked really hard at the first half of the scripture above...loving God. But, I would say that most of them were less "successful" in the second part, loving their neighbor.

"And the second is like it" - you mean that loving my neighbor is like loving God? Wow!

I know this is Theology 101, but if we can't do this, how can we have a healthy "church" at all? We can have great programs, good organization, fantastic preaching, a great worship team, and even great worship...but I seem to remember something about a clanging gong and clashing cymbal...or was that a smashing gong and crashing cymbal...or maybe it was...you get the picture.

----------------

Now I am in a pickle. I am VERY new to this blogging thing, and basically Jeff is my only blog friend. He tagged me, so I don't have anyone to tag back! So I am going to ask Jeff to PLEASE tag a couple of people from my comments, if he has a few more he wants to tag.

Hooking Up Words and Phrases and Clauses

You know, there are just certain phrases people use that drive me crazy. I don't know why. I am sure it's me, not them. And, I just want to say up front, if you use these phrases, please don't hate me. I use them myself sometimes, and I don't hate me.

Without further ado:

1. "...take it to the next level..." - the only thing I want to take to the next level is Donkey Kong. Why is everything always about levels? Don't we ever just want to "improve"? There are so many better ways to say that something is getting better without resorting to this phrase. Please, don't use this phrase, or I may have to take my ranting "to the next level".


2. "...get on the same page..." - there's nothing intrinsically bad with this phrase. It just bugs me. Maybe because at times there is the connotation that "Hey, I'm on the right page, why don't you get on the same page as me?" I guess it is just pride yelling.


3. "...that's a __________ question." - This phrase is fine if the blank is filled with words like: stupid, brilliant, ignorant, redundant, or tactless. But don't put someone's name in the blank! Please just say, "That's a question for ___________".
   

Rambling to a Point

It's actually been the better part of a week since I've blogged. I really started thinking about why that is. I've decided it just overall laziness. In regards to most things, I tend toward laziness.

I would love to be a virtuoso musician...but not quite enough to practice. I think being a much-read blogger would be neat-o...and would take a lot of thought and time on the PC. It would rock to have abs of steel...but that takes discipline and time in the gym. Winning the next Pulitzer prize would rock...but books don't write themselves.

If you read my "About Me" or my profile, you'll see that I say:

My interests range from movies to construction, from comic books to religion, and from relationships to technology.

I find people to be very interesting.

People are about that the only thing that holds my attention for very long. I do love to read, but even that comes back to people, though they may be fictitious.

I guess that explains why I was a pastor for a dozen years or more. I didn't do it for the fun trips, because I loved playing football with the youth, or the money (haha!), I did it because it was about relationship. Growing up, everyone always came to my house. My house was where everyone got together. As a kid, my friends usually spent the night at my house, and I was the one that usually threw the plans together when groups of us would go out.

"Religion" as a whole has been boring to me for several years. However, Jesus as a person (not to mention Saviour), and my relationship with Him still fascinates me. My pastor finished a series a couple of weeks ago about relationship. One of the main points of his last message was cautioning us to be wary, and to not let our relationship with Jesus devolve into religion.

He said something along this line:

I have a one year devotional Bible that I started this year...it's May 11th...and I am on January 3rd...and I'm okay with that. Because the health of my relationship with Jesus is not determined by whether or not I do my "daily reading".

(Hopefully I didn't put words in his mouth, but that's what I brought away.)

You mean I don't have to jump through a series of religious hoops for Jesus to love me? So when the Bible says that God is love, it means it? Wow!

It's funny...I had spent a pretty good amount of time beating myself up because I didn't conform to the "religious standards" of the type of church that I attended. And here is my pastor telling me that he's like me! Double wow!! I've never been the most disciplined in prayer, or Bible reading. I tend to say goofy, un-spiritual things. I don't always think to pray first in every situation. And I don't witness to every person I meet. What a failure!

Am I saying that a real spiritual walk with Christ requires no discipline? Uh...no. And for those that have a very "disciplined" Christian walk, more power to you! However, I will say that I've met some pretty mean Christians that had a great "devotional life". My friend Jeff made that his second point in his blog about "Why Are Christians Mean?" a few days back.

All cynicism aside, I feel like the discipline required to eat right and lose 100 lbs is, to me, a different type of discipline than what is required to walk in a healthy relationship with someone. Whether that person is your spouse, friend, co-workers, family member, or Jesus. I don't really know how to quantify the differences and to put words to the intangibles that are involved in relationships, but in my heart, there is a difference.

I guess the one is all about my actions, the other is all about my heart.

I may have to post on this again...when I know better what I am trying to say...and when I'm not feeling quite as lazy.

;)

American Idol (aka I told you so!)

Well, Season 7 is all over and David Cook reigns supreme. I told you so. I predicted it weeks ago. Last night when all the judged where gushing Archuleta from their eyes, I stood by my prediction.

Then, as the day went on, I knew my prediction was going to come to pass. Every person I talked to, heard on the radio, or saw on televesion said the same thing:

"I like David Cook better, but I think Archuleta is going to win."

It didn't take me long to see the prevalence of that sentiment. Apparently, 50-something% of the people that voted felt the same way. They liked Cook better, and they voted Cook.

And I for one, am glad!