Thinking Blogger Award?

Thinking Blogger, ME? Not really. I guess Silken was just in a hurry to post the blog to announce that she had won the award herself! But I have been tagged, so here are some bloggers that always make me think, though I refuse to tell you what they make me think!

Pinhole

Malcolm, the Mythrider

MaudConstance (aka CT or Betty Cotton)

djbtol

Hatrus



(*Should the bloggers choose to participate, please make sure to pass the rules on to the next Thinking Blogs you tag.)

The participation rules are simple:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.

2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.

3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn't fit your blog).

This award was began by ilker yoldas at The Thinking Blog . I'd love to see this Award going to all the great bloggers out there who make us think.

That I'd like to see.






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Perspectives on Treasure

The front page of the Houston Chronicle today has a story and a picture of the recent discovery/recovery made by the Oddessey, with their deep sea vessels and robotics. They have retrieved over 17 tons of sunken gold and silver coins from the 1600's!

The details of what ship and where it is located were not released, as legal procedures are finalized. An archaelogist that was brought in to view a sampling of the coins said that the coins will bring from hundred to perhaps hundereds of thousands of dollars EACH, and there are hundreds of bins of coin in the photo. According to the stroy, the coins are in better condition than most from that time frame. The value of the treasure is sure to be astronomical!

When I showed my six year old grandson, who is really into pirates right now, his reaction was, "Wow, will they give that money to poor people?"





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Texas Marriage Licenses!

The governor is about to receive a bill that is stirring some discussion in the state. The cost of a marriage license is "proposed" to be "wed" to pre-marital counseling. If the couple has gone through an eight hour counseling course on how to be good mates, the license is free. If you reject the counseling, the cost will be $60, twice the current fee!

What do you think?






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Growing Pains

Our congregation has grown to the point that we are expanding the size of the auditorium. The construction project is to begin this week, so we had to move everything out of the auditorium yesterday. We set up our fellowship hall with chairs, song books, communion table and such. But the hall will not hold all of us in one assembly, so we are having a worship service at 8 and another at 10:15. In between we will have our Sunday School session, at 9:15. I will preach the same message twice each Sunday morning for the duration of the construction, projected to be four months.

The more work for me and the inconvenience for all of us could be a time of complaining and inactivity. Or it could be a time of anticipation and busy-ness. The ground breaking could, and I believe should, be life changing for the congregation. We should realize the potential for improved service and meaning in our community. We should be aware of the blessings we have been given.

I have made the decision to be upbeat and see the blessings and opportunities instead of letting the inconvenience making me grumpy and lazy.

(You can check with the congregation in a few weeks to see how I am doing in my commitment!)






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Missing Old Friends

I was just preparing for the funeral for my friend Chuck Burns. had known Chuck for about 35 years and really admired him. I want to say just the right words tomorrow at the memorial service. I'm satisfied that the things I will say will be meaningful, just disappointed that I can't say enough.

Just as I was finishing my thoughts for tomorrow, I came online to check out the village. To my great joy I saw that the free radical was one of the online users. I went over to his site and read his post titled, "Awesome". It was a fun read. It was fun just knowing he was back in the village.

But it caused me to began to think about Lisa Dreamer, Dekat, DivaJamaicana, Ethan Mawyer, Veenus and others we don't see around much any more. The old saying is "outta sight, outta mind." That is true, till something sparks a fond memory and longing for renewal.

I expect to see Chuck again, but not around blogville!





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Day Tight Compartments

A few weeks ago I heard a man speaking to a group of senior citizens, (yes I was attending a meeting of a group of senior citizens from our congregation -- -- I'm not actually old enough to be there, but some of my friends snuck me in). His presentation was about avoiding anxiety and stress. He was an entertaining speaker, and he used a phrase that I had never heard before that I liked. I told him on is going to use a phrase, maybe in a sermon, but surely as a blog title.

He told us that his dad had a philosophy that everything ought to be kept in Day Tight Compartments. The idea is that you only deal with today's problems today. You don't fret about the things are on the horizon; you don't worry about things that are in the past. It's a good philosophy, and very biblical

Paul wrote to the Philippians and told them, "and nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." And he told the Corinthians, "I would have you be free from cares."

. In the Sermon on the Mount as recorded in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7 teaches addresses anxiety. After telling people not to worry about what to eat or what to drink or what to wear, Jesus finishes the thought with, "take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

That sounds like Day Tight Compartments to me!





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Book Discussion--Mists of Avalon

About a year ago one of my favorite bloggers began a Book Club Discussion group. She has moved to her blog and her discussions to blogspot and all of us who participate would like to have you come by and put in your two cents. The book in focus this month is The Mists of Avalon.





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Jenny and Frienspeak

I heard about Friendspeak. It is an outreach program that was using the Bible to teach English in foreign lands. In order to copy of their guidebook, as well as extra booklets, because we have a lot the Spanish speaking neighbors in the apartment next to the church building. I was seeking ways to open doors there.

When the book arrived, I spent a couple of days reading them. On the afternoon I finished reading the books, and young lady stuck her head and said my office and asked, "do you have any classes to help people improve their English?" My response was, "We're about to start one".

I got her name, and told her what I wanted to accomplish. I also found that are scheduled. The ladies name was Ginny, and she is from Quito, Ecuador. I called a friend to see if she would be my co-teacher with Jenny. She agreed, and we began to meet once a week with Jenny.

Jenny was staying in the home of her sister. She she was a bright student from a college graduate with a degree in international business. When divided her to worship, and she began to come; even bringing her sister and her niece.

11 weeks later, Jimmy was about to return to her native Ecuador. We talked with her about her need for salvation three days before she left, she was baptized into Christ. Three days after Ginny had returned home, we were able to begin a home Bible study with Jenny sister, Monica, and her brother-in-law, Jimmy. Monica and Jimmy continued to come to worship services, and eventually Monica was baptized also. Monica has become my co-teacher in other studies with our Spanish-speaking neighbors who want to learn to speak English better.






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