A good movie

I saw a good movie last night. Maybe you have seen it.

It was about a wonderful person with some unorthodox interpersonal skills and communication methods who helps a group of troubled teens. There was a lot of drama in the movie about the personal lives of the kids and the adult who was there to help them. There was also a lot of friction between the kids - at least at the beginning of the movie. But, alas - the wonderful main character breaks through the defenses of these troubled kids - wins their hearts and unites them like a family. Together they overcome insurmountable odds and achieve unheard of success.

Have you seen that one?

Maybe I am just a softy, but I love that movie. I can watch it again and again.

I think movie producers realize how much I like it as well. They keep releasing new versions of it. A couple of times per year I can watch a new take on the same story. Sometimes the setting is sports (like Hoosiers and Remember the Titans), sometimes it is the classroom (like Stand and Deliver, Dead Poets Society and Freedom Writers - the movie I saw last night). Usually, they are pretty good.

Freedom Writers was excellent. But, when I think about it - it really is (essentially) the same movie as all the others - with different characters, a different setting and different plot twists. But, at its core, it is the same essential plot. And, I love that plot.

What is it about that plot that I like so much?

I love the redemption of it all. I love the idea that an ordinary person can make a radical difference (for good) in some one's life. I love that one person's effort can be multiplied into many people and that the impact of that one person can be felt in future generations.

I love that.

Deep down, that is what I want my story to be. In the movie of my life I long to be the main character who leads ordinary people through the power of God's Spirit - and together we see the extraordinary take place. And people who didn't like each other before end up loving each other. And timid people become bold people. And a divided church becomes a united church. And marriages are healed and families restored and brokenness is mended and an old, old story of Jesus and His love becomes new and fresh and powerful outside the walls of the church. And an entire culture feels the impact of the community of faith.

Wow! That would make a great movie.

I'm an encouragement to my wife

Kelly said so herself.

My blog along with Karen Horn's blog (http://hornherd.blogspot.com/) have encouraged her to start her own. Kelly is a wonderful writer. I am excited about anything that causes her to write regularly.

Check it out - it's http://www.kellyrandomgrace.blogspot.com/

Dog + electricity

As many of you know we had a beautiful Golden Retriever named Annie. I say "had" because she died about 6 months ago from kidney failure. She was 4 years old. It was a sad time in the Holmes household.

We enjoyed having a dog around though, so not long after Annie died we started making plans for what kind of dog we would have next. We did a bunch of research on breeds and then threw all that info out the window and picked up a mutt from the Humane Society. We still don't know what kind of dog she is. I am not quite sure what we were thinking.

Our new dog is... how shall I say this?... not a very good dog. She is in need of some intense behavior modification.

Enter electricity.

We got a shock collar. We put it on her for the first time a couple of days ago. We tested it out - had to see what level of shock got her attention. It is a disturbingly powerful feeling to have that remote in your hand. Bzzzz. Bzz. Bzz. Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

She responds to it quite well to it - as you might imagine.

We're hoping that the equation is: Bad dog + electricity = good dog.

We'll see.

Texas food

I need to give my buddy Ross credit for this one. He told me about a cool blog that he found called Homesick Texan.

http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/

The author is an expat Texan living in New York city. She writes primarily about the food of Texas with some awesome recipes.

For all those Iowa folks that had to put up with 7 years of my complaining about the food, here you can find what Texas food is all about - Cheese Enchiladas, Sopapillas, Barbecue, Chicken Fried Steak with cream gravy, sheet cake... oh my goodness... I'm getting light headed. She even has the recipe for gingerbread pancakes from one of my favorite restaurants in Austin called Magnolia Cafe. I have had those pancakes. They are out of this world - I can't wait to make them.

-

Just thought I would share the wealth.

Blogger tag

I think I got blogger tagged. The reason I say "I think" is because I am not quite sure if I am the right "Greg" that was supposedly tagged. I am sure this is very confusing for you, so let me esplain... no, it's too much. Let me sum up.

Evidently somewhere someone started this thing called blogger tag with the following rules.

1. Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged write a blog post about their own 8 random things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your post you need to tag 8 people and include their names.
4. You may need to leave them a comment and tell them they’re tagged and to read your blog.

Well, you see - here's the rub. I was reading Drew's blog and he was talking about being tagged. He listed his 8 random things and then listed some names at the bottom. One of the names was "Greg". Is that me? I'm not quite sure. How many Gregs does he know? I could call or email I suppose, but that could be awkward don't you think? If it wasn't me? "Hey, are you talking about me at the end of your blog?" Answer - "Well... um... sure."

Remember when you were in school and someone waved at you and you waved back only to realize they were really waving at the person behind you?

Yea, that feeling.

Well, enough of this. Whether or not I am the "Greg" in question, I am in the game. Here are my 8 random things.

1. I am not as boring as everyone thinks I am.

2. I am fascinated by the art of things. The art of food; the art of furniture design, the art of communication through paint or pencil or the written word; the art of preaching.

3. I can't operate in clutter, but I also can't seem to keep things organized. It's a vicious cycle. I usually end up "piling". I put all the clutter in one big pile which makes the rest of the room look nice and clean.

4. Raiders of the Lost Ark is still my favorite movie

5. I really like Lost but I was bummed that they killed off Mr. Echo. He was my favorite.

6. I don't know what I am doing. I am a husband, father and pastor of a church. Usually I feel like I am just making it up as I go.

7. I have decided to audition for American Idol. Just kidding. Actually, I do wish I had more singing and/or musical ability. I love music. I feel like I am a musician trapped in a non-musical body.

8. The wind in Kansas is about to drive me batty. It... just ... never... stops... blowing.

Here's the people I tag:

Jenna, Ashley Nicole, Stephen, Greg L, Ross (It's time, bro. You need to start your blog. This could be your first post), Matt.

Notice I didn't mention any last names. Why should I be the only one living in ambiguity?

Quote of the Day - June 7

"If the world is sane, then Jesus is mad as a hatter and the Last Supper is the Mad Tea Party. The world says, Mind you own business, and Jesus says, There is no such thing as your own business. The world says, Follow the wisest course and be a success, and Jesus says, Follow me and be crucified. The world says, Drive carefully - the life you save may be your own - and Jesus says, Whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. The world says, Law and order, and Jesus says, Love. The world says, Get, and Jesus says, Give. In terms of the world's sanity, Jesus is as crazy as a coot, and anybody who thinks he can follow him without being a little crazy too is laboring less under the cross than under a delusion. "We are fools for Christ's sake," Paul says, faith says - the faith that ultimately the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men, the lunacy of Jesus saner that the grim sanity of the world."

Frederick Buechner, The Faces of Jesus.

Update - June 6

It has been about 2 weeks since I have written anything on this blog. I keep waiting for creative inspiration for some really great blog posts.

Nothing.

Oh, well - here's what's been going on in my life over the last couple of weeks.

The Bachelor. Kelly and the girls were gone for a week. I survived on leftovers, cereal, ice cream, and the kind generosity of people who felt sorry for me and brought me food. I started a new woodworking project while they were gone. I am building a new bed for Kelly and me. One of my first furniture projects 10 years (or so) ago was bed. I had very little idea what I was doing. Now, that bed is kind of squeaky and rickety - not a good thing. I will tear that old bed down rebuild it as a twin size for Gracie. I am building the new bed out of black walnut. It is a beautiful wood, but I have no dust collection system in my garage, so now everything is coated in brown dust. And, every night after working out there I have to clean out my nose of dark chocolate boogers. (That would be a good name for a band, don't you think? - Dark Chocolate Boogers)

Luke is eating my lunch. Or, I should probably say that Jesus is eating my lunch. I am preaching through Luke and over three consecutive Sundays I have covered the Good Samaritan (10:25-37), Mary and Martha (10:38-42) and then Jesus' teaching on prayer (11:1-13). Wow. I have studied these passages before - many times. But, looking at them again - afresh and anew - it's kind of hard to take. I have a long way to go.

Board retreat. This weekend we are having a board retreat with our elders and deacons. I can't wait. So much of church leadership revolves around "management". It's sort of a necessary evil. The church is a fairly complex organism and "management" is just part of it. It's not the fun part, though. At least from my perspective. The great part of church ministry is "the mission" that we are called to fulfill. Like all churches, however, it is easy to begin with a sense of mission and then get hunkered down with the details of management. Periodically we have to lift our head - see the bigger picture and remember why it is we are doing what we are doing. I, especially need to know where we are going and that we are indeed getting there. This weekend, we (as a leadership board) will breath the country air, we'll pray together, study together, reflect on Biblical mandates - together. In light of those mandates we will assess where we are as a church and where we need to go in the future. We will develop action items and a fresh prayer list of things we desperately want to see God do in our midst. I am hoping and praying for a great weekend.