1. OK, I admit it, I like to read Ann Coulter and Annie Dillard.

2. The downside to losing more than 25 lbs is so little of my clothing fits. So no, that is not a pirate shirt or MC Hammer pants I am wearing.

3. Breathing in the cold Birmingham night air is free.

4. Even a thread of hope was enough to get me through the past week. Good to know.

5. Anyone else think we sometimes use spiritual language (‘for the gospel’, ‘to the glory of God’, etc.) to cut off honest discussion and to back off from making hard decisions?

6. We Reformed theological types may have much of the doctrine of Calvin but we have all the methodology of the Arminian. Which means we need more of the former so as to have none of the latter.

7. This and this are linked.

8. Have you ever realized you have a knack for something after years and years of being able to do it without realizing it? Because of a love of words, I can remember precise words and word usage and I notice subtle differences in sentence construction. For the most part it is a useless skill. And I just realized I have it.

9. This.

10. Is it OK to not want to be a part of a movement you think is good?

1. An underlying theme in While You Were Sleeping is “falling.” Throughout the film people and objects are falling down: ice-skater during opening, Lucy’s tree, Peter onto the tracks, kid on bike, Joe Jr. in Lucy’s closet (x2), vase in Peter’s apartment, Lucy and Jack on the ice in front of her apartment, Ashley Bartlett Bacon almost falls in the hospital hallway, Nurse falls when Peter asks Lucy to marry him.

2. My 4 year old son asks if he can open presents every morning when he gets up.

3. We – my family – have already listened to ‘Must Be Santa‘ by Bob Dylan 7435 times.

4. Christmas lights should be year-round.

5. If you are wondering why I know all this about number 1 above, my wife and I have a tradition of watching it every year.

6. Food as gifts. Genius.

7. My favorite part of the Christmas story is Mary’s ‘Magnificat.’

8. It’s true that people are trying to do away with Christmas in the ‘public square’ but it’s also true you are very likely to hear The Bare Naked Ladies Singing about Jesus this time of year.

9.  My kids have already broke three ornaments.

10. I watched Charlie Brown Christmas instead of the Iron Bowl on Saturday.

1. John 13:34 is the fulcrum for the leverage of the gospel in relationships.

2. The question is whether it is best to be held fast uncomfortably in the hands of a loving father or released with no troubles whatsoever.

3. Repentance cannot bloom except in the fertile soil of humility.

4. We don’t know it because of all the access we have to preaching through the internet, but there may be no more public place of vulnerability than the pew.

5. In the ICU is the juxtaposition of the genius of man and his fall into sin.

6. Christians should be the last to accept the conventional wisdom.

7. If I can run 5K three times a week in 6 year old LL Bean trail-running shoes with holes in the seams, the church can function without all the audio/visual bells and whistles we think are so necessary.

8. The use of business principles in the church makes me want to vomit.

9. Everyone wants to talk as if business principles fit well in the church…that is, until a pastor asks for a raise.

10. The answer never seems to be prayer. This is why the question is rarely asked.

1. I live in one of two not-so-distinct realities. Either I am reading Witness by Whittaker Chambers or just thinking about it.

2. Everyone I know who rails against the ‘American Dream‘ lives in a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house (or better) and can pay their bills because they have a job.

3. Can’t we all just be honest and admit that we all have racist thoughts and say racist things sometimes so we can stop being shocked about it?

4. I have yet to think of anything edible not improved by bacon. (I would appreciate my Jewish readers referring back to #3.) Update: No offense intended…just New Covenant/bacon humor. Update 2: Wait…I have Jewish readers? Which one of my 5 readers is Jewish?

5. I think it makes perfect sense for Pelosi to remain the face of the Democratic Party. Mind you, it is not necessarily her face.

6. In the story of the Tax Collector and the Pharisee, we want to be seen as the former while still talking like the latter.

7. Why would anyone ever buy a Fleetwood Mac Greatest Hits album when you can hear one of their songs on the radio at any point during the day?

8. If a tree falls down in the woods and no one is there to hear it, ESPN would report that Cam Newton pushed it down.

9. So I will not forget the curse, I am forced to always have a car in the repair shop.

10. Nick Fairley pushed down that tree…leading with his helmet.

Over a month ago I took a break from facebook and Twitter. I did not get rid of my accounts, I still respond to most messages and I use them both to publish posts from my blog. But my presence their is almost at nil. I don’t read other people’s status’ (stati?) or post a status on facebook. And my only tweets on Twitter are links to my blog.

The decision to do this was not made in a vacuum. For months, I had been going back and forth about some kind of change. For the most part, neither form of social media was enjoyable like it had been. And I began to be jealous of those who were not using Twitter and facebook. And can I be a little honest? I got a little weary of almost everyone who added me on facebook and Twitter thinking I was someone else.

So I pretty much quit. And I have not missed it at all. This surprised me. I imagined waking up in the fetal position for the first few weeks and needing a 12 step program. But it was easy, really. The desire to post every clever thought was with me for a couple of weeks. (You would not believe how many clever thoughts I have.) But that is gone for the most part.

The main result is that I find myself reading more. I’m back to knocking out 2 or more sizable books a week. I look into the eyes of my wife and kids more. And I have fewer regrets about saying something worthless for hundreds to read.

Let me add, I do not look down on anyone for not following me in this decision. I make no judgments about those who use facebook and Twitter. I don’t even think they would necessarily be happier if they gave ’em up. I have not shown more self control. I have not shown more spirituality by this. It is simply my decision and mine alone.

1. We live in a world where the same people who think it is wrong for adult children to be financially dependent on their parents think welfare is a good thing.

2. How many times does this have to happen before supposedly brilliant people stop calling Palin ‘dumb’? You see, I think this issue (everyone calling her dumb) is bigger than Sarah Palin. It betrays the hypocrisy and misogyny of a liberalism that purports to be about the rights and dignity of women but only if those women are in lock step.

3. Did you hear? Cam Newton is now the main subject in a terror probe.

4. The most significant moment of my life happened about 2000 years before I was born.

5.  I saw two of my former students yesterday and I would have had to have been their Dad to be more proud of them.

6. There is nothing so common as leaves. But they are full of wonder.

7. Wait. I was wrong.

8. My friend Anita has a good blog that keeps getting better.

9. Mission?

10. I don’t miss facebook or Twitter. At all.

The argument goes like this:

The suburbs are full of materialistic people who are living as if they believe God is there to bless them financially while they ignore the plight of the poor and the downtrodden.

If it is true should we not then…

1.) Send missionaries to those enclaves of false religion?

2.) Ask young people to pray about having a heart for the suburbs?

3.) Ask families to pick up and move into the shadow of that blight on the suburban landscape: the strip mall?

4.) Start having conferences about the need for risking our reputations in the suburbs?

It is an accepted maxim these days that all politicians are dishonest, regardless of party affiliation. This may or may not be true. But let’s assume it is. Let’s assume that all politicians have trouble with the truth and therefore cannot be trusted. Let’s assume you know this but you still feel it is your constitutional right, privilege and responsibility to vote for one of these dishonest dealers.

Now voters take for granted that politicians are no good, and such ads are just more polluted water going over the waterfall. The biggest long-term loser: liberalism. If all pols are sleazoid crooks, then why would people want to give them more governmental power to order our lives? The implicit message of two generations of negative ads: Vote conservative, limit the reach of the thieves.


I’m OK with confessing Christians voting differently than myself. But let’s do it for good reasons that flow from convictions which reject naive pride, understanding we are all made in the image of God and all have the same sin problem.

1. I almost bought a cup of coffee at Starbucks the other day. Almost.

2. When a book is made into a movie (Aren’t they all now?), do the people who make the movie ever actually say, “This story is stupid. And all the people who like it are stupid. I’ll change it.” Or do they just think it?

3. We act like it isn’t the case – like it’s always been a part of the lingo, but aren’t we, evangelicals using the word ‘mission’ a whole heck of a lot nowadays? Is it the new shibboleth? Do I need to say it more?

4. I’m running regularly now. I’ve lost almost 20 pounds. I look awesome. You should see me.

5. “Mission.”

6. Do people who want to pay higher taxes ask to pay more than their total bill at the grocery store?

7. My favorite comment that I have gotten as a blogger is, “Tell Satan hello for me. When you join him.” I know that doesn’t sound very nice but he at least left the address to his blog.

8. And just like that, I want a Happy Meal.

9. ‘Obamacare’ sounds like a hair care product.

10. Can you think of anything that could not be paired with bacon and taste better? I cannot.

1. If Cher calls you dumb, then you are most likely presidential material.

2. I have a theory. The same ‘thing’ (weltanschauung?) which causes people to want to be labeled ‘independent’ is the same as that which causes Christians to not want to identify with a particular church, denomination or theological position. They are above the fray.

3. Contrary to what some may think. It is not true there is a link between the increase of welfare and the reduction of abortions. California has the most on welfare and the most abortions. They have now elected a dead person to Congress. They also make most of the movies we watch. Crap.

4. I am in the middle of reading this thanks to Doug Wilson. It’s incredible. A long read but well worth it so far. Much of it sounds like a lot of what is happening in the evangelical church right now. I’ll explain more when I am done. Bated breath, I know.

5. This. Was. Awesome.