Random Reflections From Tom Seagraves

Book Review of The Greener Grass Conspiracy by Stephen Altrogge

2011-04-29T17:10:00.003-05:00

This is a great book that tackles some tough questions head-on. It is a quick read, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to digest. If I had to sum up my thoughts in one sentence it would be something like this: If you’re an American then you need to read this book. I say that because it seems that most Americans (including myself) think we deserve so much. We have become spoiled and for some reason taken on this great sense of entitlement. If this is you then this book will definitely challenge you.

Altrogge does a great job handling the issue of contentment from a biblical perspective. One thing that has bothered me for the past several years are those pastors who tell us that God’s blessing includes good health and lots of money. Have they never read the Bible? Now that this book is out there those guys have no more excuses for leading people down that path.

If you’re at a place where you feel like getting your hands on one more material possession, or that “perfect job,” or the right boyfriend or girlfriend, or whatever, will make everything better for you, then I challenge you to pick up this book. Before you read it pray that God will soften your heart and then read it carefully. But be aware, you will be confronted with some tough words, and it just may change your life.

"Greener Grass Conspiracy" Trailer - Stephen Altrogge from Crossway on Vimeo.

Book Review of Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges

2011-01-30T15:44:00.003-06:00

When I asked NavPress to send me this Jerry Bridges book, I wondered to myself, “How can I possibly write a review of one of his books?” Bridges is an authority on weighty topics of the faith, and this book is no exception. One thing I love about his books though is that he takes a tough topic and makes it easy to understand. Grace is one of those things that we, as Christians, talk about all the time, but I fear we never really understand what it is all about. If you fit into that category, then you need to read this book.

Bridges begins the book by talking about the “Performance Treadmill” and how we are conditioned, as believers, to still think that doing good things is part of what grace is all about. It only takes him a few pages to tear down this myth. He uses Romans 3:10-12 to remind us that none of us are any good, none of us seek after God, and that all of us are worthless. That is a tough pill to swallow, but unless we understand this we cannot understand why we need grace.

Once he tears us down, he then begins to build us back up and explain to us why grace stands on its own. He does a masterful job explaining grace to us by using Jesus’ parable from Matthew 20 about the generous land owner. Anything I can say here will not even scratch the surface of this book. I absolutely recommend this book to everyone who says they’re a Christian. I will warn you though; you may have a hard time not being convicted while reading it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of theirBlogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Boone Dawdle, Bikes, Blisters and Bruises

2010-08-24T20:13:00.006-05:00

The True/False Film Festival made its summer debut this past Saturday with the first ever Boone Dawdle. The Boone Dawdle consisted of a bike ride on the MKT and Katy Trails fromColumbia to the Les Bourgeois Winery inRocheport (a 20 mile ride), a nice dinner at the winery, and then a showing of the documentary film, Best Worst Movie. At the conclusion of the movie the Boone Dawdlers were taken back to Columbia on shuttle buses where they were able to pick up their bikes which were magically transported back to town.

If you read my post earlier in the year about True/False, then you know that I worked as a volunteer with my friend Rob as part of his Tourniquet Team. Rob asked me to take part in the Boone Dawdle and my job was to transport all the bikes from Les Bourgeois back to FlatBranch Park in Columbia. Rob provided me with a team of people, a Penske Rental Truck, a few ideas, and the rest was up to me. I had a great team and with their help, along with several other folks along the way, we somehow transported 155 bikes from the winery to the park in about six hours. I know at some point there was some doubt as to whether or not this was even going to happen, but after a lot of hard work, a few blisters and bruises, too many bottles of water to count, and a whole lot of sweat, the mission was completed.

Saturday was a long, tough day, but it was also tons of fun. I don't know about you, but accomplishing something that seems impossible is good for my soul. I felt good when we got done and it really seemed like we had conquered something. Maybe that's my ego talking, but there was some kind of satisfaction that working this event brought to me. It was also fun to be able to do this with my wife Janice, who was part of my team.

Since Saturday, I have been trying to think of how I can "spiritualize" this whole thing. How did volunteering at this event help further God's Kingdom? How did my involvement at the Boone Dawdle help someone see Christ? I mean, I didn't stop and tell anyone about Jesus. I didn't open my Bible and read Scripture to anyone after they checked their bike in with my team. So how was my involvement a witness of who Christ is in my life?

Wouldn't you know today I received my daily email from John Fischer, an old Jesus Movement guy from the 70's who is still around singing, writing and changing the world one email at a time. He is a guy who believes that Christianity and "culture" can and should come together and he talks about this in very practical ways. He has been on this topic for awhile now and today he put out a list of what he called "10 Prerequisites for being effective in the marketplace." He also called it a "manifesto for global change." So, to avoid the risk of plagiarizing John, I'm just going to copy and paste in his whole email from today. So here it goes:

10 Prerequisites
by John Fischer

An ongoing theme of the Catch of the Day has been a Christian's place and testimony in the world. Much has been done in the last 20 years to damage a credible and trustworthy image of Christians in society. The attempt of Christians to gain an influence in culture using tools and weapons that are not of the Spirit of God has been costly to the gospel in that those who so desperately need the hope the gospel provides have been driven away by the fear and anger of those who should be carriers of that hope.

We know that Jesus did not come to condemn the world (John 3:17), but most of those who are not Christians today are convinced his followers did. We have exchanged the good news of the gospel for the bad news of a culture war, and the battle continues to rage in many sectors and in many minds. In light of this, The Catch is seeking to help advance a different worldview and redefine a Christian's role in society.

Today I share with you a work in progress-a new manifesto for global change. Reflect on it. Comment on it. Pray over it. We will be looking more deeply into all 10 of these as the days go by, but this will get us started.

"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." (Proverbs 23:7) What you think ultimately effects who you are.

10 Prerequisites for Being Effective in the Marketplace

1. A personal understanding of my own sinfulness

2. An overwhelming sense of God's grace for me, and for everyone else

3. A heart that forgives and forgets

4. An absence of agenda

5. An expectation that God is already in the world (I am joining Him there, not taking Him there.)

6. A sense of the church as the Body of Christ Universal

7. An insatiable curiosity for all that is not yet known to me

8. A belief in the intrinsic value of every human life

9. An assumption that I have something to learn from everybody

10. A deep and abiding desire for everyone to know what God has done for them through Christ

So there it is. After seeing this, everything came together. Especially number 5. Who am I to think that I can take God out into the world He created? How about I get off my duff and meet him there. Lots of people associated with True/False know that Rob and I and several others are part of Karis Church, and I know they respect what we have done for them. The fact that we can come to the table with no agenda (See #4) and work our tails off has to speak to these folks. So many believers have to "spiritualize" things instead of just getting out there and getting their hands dirty. I have even heard people say that the culture cannot be engaged. Well I beg to differ! We were engaged on Saturday.

Here is the bottom line: You will never win someone to Christ who doesn't like or respect you. I guarantee that if any of the folks we served with on Saturday ever have questions about Christianity I'll bet they will think of us if they decide to talk to someone. That is what engaging the culture is all about. As I continue on this journey I hope you will join in in some way. We live in such a great city. There are so many ways to serve. Find something that hits on one of your passions and get involved. Christ can change hearts and he can change our city and He wants to do it through us, but it can't happen if you're on the couch.

Camp CUMCITO 2009 Re-Visited

2010-07-18T18:34:00.003-05:00

I put this blog post up last year after we returned from camp. I was looking through these photos and thought I would re-post them. This is the fifth year that Janice and I have been involved with Camp CUMCITO together, and I am really missing being there. The kids will arrive tomorrow (Monday) at noon. The staff is there now doing on-site training. Please pray with me this week for the staff and all the campers. I have been told they are expecting a full camp which means 48 boys and 48 girls. There will be a total of 12 cabins with 8 kids and 2 counselors per cabin.

I will be making the trip over to camp on Thursday afternoon to spend a few hours there, but I'm already looking forward to next year when I will be able to be back there serving with Janice and all of our camp friends. As I hear news from camp this week I will try to keep everyone posted on what to pray for.

Book Review of The God Who Smokes by Timothy J. Stoner

2010-06-05T15:32:00.003-05:00

NavPress sent me this book about six months ago to read and review and I have had a tough time trying to figure out what to say about it. Not because it has nothing to say, but because it has so much to say that I don’t know how to review it in just a few words. I must say that since receiving this book I have devoured it.

Yes, this book does have a funny title by a guy named Stoner, but you will realize quickly that his play on words is serious. This is a book about how out of control God is, out of our control, that is. He is passionate, compelling and dangerous, Yes, I did say dangerous. This book reminds us that we’re in the middle of a battle, and while God is good, He is not safe.

Stoner does a great job of exposing the Emergent Church movement and reminding us that when it comes to God’s standards, there is to be no compromise. He looks at what Rob Bell has to say in his book Velvet Elvis and compares it to what the Bible says, and I think his conclusions will upset many Bell followers, but you can’t argue with Scripture.

So, do we as a church need to engage the culture? Yes. But, not at the expense of God’s standards. All I can say is that you should read this book. The fact that it is written by a lay-person and not a “theologian” was also very refreshing. This is one of those books that can change the way you think about a lot of things if you will let it.

I do have one criticism for the author. He makes a brief mention of Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill Church in Seattle. It sounds like from his footnote on page 281 that he thinks Driscoll and Bell are part of the same church, just in different cities. Make no mistake about it, the only similarity between Driscoll and Bell is the name of their churches. That is where it ends. Mr. Stoner, if you see this, please note these guys are in no way connected.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Ronald Reagan's D-Day Speech Re-visited

2010-06-05T14:35:00.002-05:00

I posted this last year on D-Day, but it is always good to see this each year to remember what our brave soldiers did. And who better to explain it than one of the greatest Presidents ever. Enjoy and remember.

FROM LAST YEAR:

Today is the 65th anniversary of D-Day. Take a look at the speech Ronald Reagan gave 25 years ago at Point-du-Hoc. No one can say it quite like the Gipper. Let us not forget the men who sacrificed all so we can be free today.

The Flight of the Stealth Bomber

2010-04-04T11:31:00.018-05:00

Last week I had the once in a lifetime opportunity to sit in the cockpit of a B-2 Stealth Bomber and take it for a spin. OK, so it wasn't a real B-2 Bomber, but it was a real life B-2 Stealth Bomber Simulator.

Only three B-2 Simulators exist in the world and they are located at Whiteman Air Force Base near Sedalia, MO. Whiteman AFB is home to the 509th Bomb Wing, which is the only B-2 Squadron in the world.

So, I probably owe you a little background on how I got this opportunity. I belong to the Whiteman AFB Base Community Council. This is a group of folks from different cities all over Missouri who come together each month and support the men and women who live and serve at Whiteman. It is an opportunity for us to come out and meet them and let them know how much we appreciate their service to the country, and we also offer support, especially to the young airmen, at Whiteman. For instance, free tickets to Cardinals games to the airmen each year. Free tickets to the MO State Fair. Free tickets to various concerts, etc. Each month a different community is featured at the luncheon and Council members from that city get a chance to go on the flight line and get an up close tour of a real life B-2. Also, four people from the featured community get to go fly in the B-2 simulator.

Now I've been a member of the BCC for about three years, and my first simulator ride was scheduled about 2 1/2 years ago. A few days before my scheduled flight the B-2 Bomber, The Spirit of Kansas, crashed during take-off from Guam as it was heading home from a training mission. When the crash occurred security was tightened for all aspects of the B-2 program and my simulator ride was cancelled.

At some point the tours and simulator rides were re-opened for BCC members, so all that was left was the waiting. Last month, Columbia was the featured community at the monthly luncheon meeting, but I was not one of the four chosen to go on the simulator ride. I did, however, go on the flight line tour and that was an amazing experience. Now if you've ever been to an air show, and you've seen a B-2 Bomber parked on the ramp, you have probably noticed that you can't get very close to it. And you can also only view it from the front. I found the reason for that is because the back of the plane is the most secret part. You may ask, "What is so secret about the back of the plane?" My answer is, I really don't know, but part of the tour I got was a complete walk around of the airplane, including the back. Now I was privileged to take this tour, as only a few civilians get this opportunity. I also got some time to talk to one of the B-2 pilots and he shared some perspectives on flying the B-2 that was very interesting to me, being the huge aviation geek that I am.

So, fast forward a couple of weeks. I sent an email to the Public Affairs office at Whiteman, which is the standard way to RSVP for the monthly meeting, and I asked if there was any way I could get on the simulator tour, even though my community was not being featured. The answer, of course, was no. I was told I could go on a waiting list, but there was little hope I would be able to go because each featured community never had a problem filling the four available spots.

A week before the April 1st meeting, I got a phone call from Public Affairs. They informed me that there was indeed an open spot for the simulator tour and they wanted to know if I was still interested. My response was, "Let me think about it for a day or two, and I'll get back to you." Now if you believe that's really what I said, then you don't know me at all. I really said, "You bet I'm still interested! Count me in!"

So after the luncheon, four of us were loaded into a van and driven to the 509th Bomb Wing Headquarters Building, which is where the simulators are located. Our phones and cameras were confiscated and we were taken through several layers of security to get to where the simulator was located. If you remember the opening from the old TV show Get Smart, that's what the security layers reminded me of. We were also introduced to Lt. Col. Dave "Super Dave" Anderson, our "Mission Commander" for our flights. Super Dave just happens to be the longest-term B-2 pilot who is flying today. He was actually part of the very first class of B-2 Bomber pilots and he was trained by the original B-2 test pilots. Super Dave was also the guy who dropped the very first "Bunker Buster" bomb in Baghdad during the Iraqi war. He also very much enjoys his job as a B-2 pilot and flying with him, I think, made the whole experience even better.

I was 2nd in line for the simulator ride, and the whole experience was really a "sensory overload." I walked down the stairs and across the catwalk to the simulator and once inside I crawled into the pilot's seat, which surprisingly enough was quite roomy. I was surrounded by all sorts of screens, gauges, switches and knobs, and Super Dave gave me a 2 minute tutorial of the ones I would need to fly this thing. I also had to adjust my seat so the rudder pedals (which really aren't rudder pedals) were at a comfortable place. The "rudder pedals" were actually one of my biggest surprises. The pedals are used for ground steering, but are not needed for flying. Look at the plane and you'll see it doesn't have a rudder, so I guess it makes a little sense. There is also no tiller for nose-wheel steering like a typical airliner. It is all done with pedals.

So Super Dave gave the simulator operator the command to unfreeze the simulation and I proceeded to taxi to the runway. I realized quickly that the pedals were very responsive and it seemed pretty easy to handle on the ground. As I pulled onto the runway I got the nose gear on the center line and I then applied full brakes. Super Dave had me hold the brakes tight and I pushed the throttles to full power. This was where I got the real sensation that the full motion simulator was just like the real thing. I could not only hear the four engines spooling up, but I could also feel the aircraft shaking as it was ready to get moving. At Dave's command I released the brakes and off we went down the runway. The realism in what we saw out the window was unbelievable. I could even feel the seams and bumps in the runway as we were performing our takeoff roll. Super Dave said not to worry about anything except to keep it straight on the runway and pull back on the stick when he gave the "rotate" command. Before long we were airborne and the landing gear was on its way up. I immediately was told to put the Bomber in a hard right turn as we climbed out. I turned about 270 degrees and we flew back over the runway we had just lifted off from. In this hard right turn I was again reminded that this was a full-motion simulator. I could even look out the window to the right and see what was behind me as we were making our turn.

The B-2 Bomber is equipped with a short stick that sits on a pedestal between your legs. The stick is easy to operate and it is all you need to steer the aircraft once you're airborne. Remember what I said about the "rudder pedals?" Each pilot also has their own throttle control on the left. Again, this differs from most airplanes with a shared throttle in the center of the two pilots.

I climbed to an altitude of about 1000 feet and kept the throttles at full power. We then proceeded to do a low high speed pass over the nearest city. That meant we went down to about 300 feet. At this point I have no idea how fast we were going. My job at this point was to avoid crashing into buildings.

After the low pass we climbed to 5000 feet and we then went looking for a KC-135 tanker so we could get some fuel. The process of getting attached to the tanker was not easy. A series of light commands on the KC-135 told us how close to get and how far forward we needed to be. Again, the realism was unbelievable. As we tucked ourselves under the tanker you could hear its engines. About the only thing visible through the windshield was the KC-135. With help from Super Dave I was able to get connected to the tanker. Once connected the task of keeping the B-2 in this small area was overwhelming. I quickly realized that I was over-correcting the airplane and tragedy would soon ensue. Super Dave grabbed the stick and got me back on track. With all his years of piloting the B-2 this was just another day at the office.

What remained of the flight was done at night as the simulator operator switched things up on us a little. It was a full moon and lots of stars present as Super Dave talked me through a touch and go back at home base. He allowed me to work the throttles and the stick and I lined it up for a final approach. He talked me through what to look for and whether to add more or less speed brake controls. It seems when landing there is not much if any throttle adjustment. You control your speed with the speed brakes. I was able to touch down on the 1000 foot mark on the runway and Super Dave said that I "greased it in."

Now that we were on the ground I had to retract the speed brakes and push the throttles back to full power, all while keeping the airplane on the center line with my feet. Super Dave called out my speed and when he gave the "rotate" command we were once again airborne. We circled back around the field and came back in for another landing. This time it was a full stop landing. My landing the second time was not quite as smooth, but it was still pretty good for a guy who had never flown a plane before.

As I was climbing out of the seat, Super Dave commented that I looked like a kid in a candy store. I told him he had no idea how great a privilege it was for me to fly the B-2 simulator. And it truly was a privilege. I'm sure there are many things I have left out of this experience, but it was such an overload of the senses that there is just no way I can do it justice here in just a few words. The one thing I do know for sure is that we have the greatest military in the world. It's good to know that guys like Super Dave are sitting in the cockpits of airplanes like the B-2. These are the guys who help keep us free and safe in the U.S. and I know I don't thank them enough.

True/False Closing Night Video

2010-03-05T21:15:00.003-06:00

True/False 2010 Closing Night Video from Boxcar Films on Vimeo.

Recap video from the 2010 True/False Film Fest. Boxcar Films worked all weekend to finish this video and premiere it before the closing night film "Last Train Home" on Sunday night. The song in the video is "Birthday Song for Bridgegirl" by Capybara.

Late Evening Ramblings of a Tired True/False Volunteer

2010-03-01T21:25:00.005-06:00

True/False Film Fest 2010 - "Miniature City" from Boxcar Films on Vimeo.

So it only took me a little over four years as a Columbia resident to figure out that the True/False Film Festival is pretty darn cool. This past weekend Janice and I were neck deep in the festival, and we had a great time.

Before this weekend if someone were to ask me about True/False I really would have no idea how to answer. I never had any idea just how engulfed our city becomes with the True/False madness, but after experiencing it for the first time, I can say now that I understand.

For those of you that don't know, True/False is a film festival that focuses on documentaries. While other film festivals have documentaries as part of their festivals, True/False has ONLY documentaries. The film makers that make documentaries prefer this environment for a couple of reasons. First, at other festivals their films are usually over-shadowed by feature films and the stars that show up at those festivals to walk the red carpet for the cameras. People will see the documentaries while they're there, but oftentimes they watch the films when there is nothing else better to do. At True/False the festival-goers are there specifically for documentaries. Second, the film makers love Columbia. They love the small town and the community that welcomes them in with open arms. They love the feeling they get when they see that over 600 volunteers are there pulling this festival together. They love walking down the street and being asked by festival-goers to tell them why they made their film.

We were recruited by Rob Gaskin to be part of the "Rob Squad." (aka "The Tourniquet Team") We were a group of nine who were ready to jump in at any venue that needed help with anything. I found myself doing everything from finding a roll of tape, to ushering people to their seats, to carrying a 300 pound projector up the back steps (3 flights!) of the Missouri Theater with five other guys. (That was the highlight of the weekend! No joke!) We were armed with radios and comfortable shoes ready to go to any venue when the call came. We worked quickly to solve problems and to use our crystal balls to see into the future to try and stop problems before anyone knew there were problems. This was the first year there was a team like this at the festival, and I think some veteran staff members were a little skeptical. But I think we impressed a lot of people.

So Rob is a friend of mine that goes to Karis Church with me. I've known Rob since we first met at Karis over two years ago. As a matter of fact, I think he was the first person I met at Karis. Rob was hired by the Festival this year to head up this "Tourniquet Team," and his thought was to staff it with Karis folks. This was important for Rob because we, as Karis, are located in the downtown area and we feel a close connection and a real love for our City, and when you love something you want to serve it, and serve it well. So what a better opportunity to serve our City by serving at the Festival.

I didn't really understand the importance of this, or really even think about it, until early Sunday morning. I volunteered to make a couple of airport runs during the festival along with serving on Rob's team. I got to pick up a film director in St. Louis on Friday evening and I got to take a festival celebrity to Kansas City Sunday morning. So, at 5:15 am on Sunday, I picked up Jonathan at the hotel so he could make his 8:30 am flight to Los Angeles. When he got in my car he immediately thanked me for volunteering to drive him two hours one way at 5am. Then he asked me, "How did you get involved with True/False and why are you doing it?" So I told him about Karis Church and the "Rob Squad." I told him that we were a group of people that loved Columbia and we just wanted to be there to serve our City. His response was probably one of the funniest things I've ever heard. At first he just sat there with his mouth wide open. Then he said, "You mean a church is out doing practical things and serving a film festival? No f*****g way! Whoops, I guess I shouldn't cuss in front of you!" He then went on to tell me about Los Angeles where he lives and how churches there are so self-focused and that there was no way any church there would ever do what we were doing. Now who knows if that is really true, but that is at least his perception. Then he thanked me for being part of a church who was not afraid to step out of our own little comfortable box. (Not his exact words, but that was what he said in a nutshell)

So I'm hoping that Jonathan got a little better view of Christianity on Sunday morning. Not that I have it all figured out, but I feel like somehow he got to see something a little different than what he is used to seeing.

The bottom line I think is this: I don't know that most of the people involved with True/False would be folks that I would normally hang out with. Many of them probably have a whole different set of views than I do in many areas. Many of them are probably much more liberal than I am, and there are probably many social issues that we wouldn't see eye-to-eye on. But, this weekend none of that mattered. All weekend we had this "we're in this together" attitude. While carrying the 300 pound projector up the narrow staircase of the theater our views about the world didn't matter. My goal was to serve these folks, and to do it well. By doing this I think a lot of respect and trust was earned and it undoubtedly has given us some credibility with many folks. Now that many have seen us in a different light this weekend, hopefully their thoughts about us are something like, "Those Rob Squad guys are from that cool church that meets in the Tiger Hotel," instead of "Who are those weird people who meet at the Tiger every week?"

These words are probably poorly written, and they probably don't make a lot of sense because after a long weekend I am very tired, but I wanted to capture some thoughts while they were fresh on my tired and weak mind. Here are some words from Chris Tomlin to kind of tie all this stuff together:

You're the God of this City
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You are

You're the Light in this darkness
You're the Hope to the hopeless
You're the Peace to the restless
You are

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater thing have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done here

787 Dreamliner Takes Flight

2009-12-16T22:02:00.003-06:00

After many years of designing, planning and building, the Boeing 787 finally took flight yesterday in Everett, WA. Here is a video highlighting a few minutes of the flight that lasted 3 hours and 4 minutes. If you want to see the flight path click here.

Here is a great article about the flight.

Book Review of The Heart of Mentoring by David A. Stoddard

2009-10-27T19:26:00.004-05:00

I must say that this book was kind of a let-down for me. I started this book with high expectations but I quickly realized that this book did not run too deep in its thoughts and it seemed to make many obvious points. I was also disappointed that a book from NavPress would lack spiritual content. It also seemed as if the author used this book as a commercial for his company which focuses on mentoring, which I guess is his prerogative as the author.

On the positive side, I will say that if you have never been involved in mentoring, either as a mentor or as someone being mentored, this book would be a great place to start as it gives the basics of the process.

I do like the way that Stoddard ends the book with his advice on how to get started with a mentoring relationship. His advice is, “Just do it.” Yes, it is simple, but some people need this kind of simple push to get started.

This book would be great to use with a group of co-workers as a way to break the ice with them if you’re interested in building relationships at the office. But, if you’re looking for some deep and meaningful discussions with a small group at church, this is not the book for you.

Fall Firearms Festival

2009-10-24T23:06:00.007-05:00

Back on November 17th I had the opportunity to attend the annual Fall Firearms Festival which is hosted by Todd Burke of Tactical Specialties. My brother Mike and nephew Jonathan came up from Tulsa and accompanied me to the event. We had a full day of training and shooting and we had a whole lot of fun.

One of the highlights of the day was shooting Todd's H&K MP5 fully automatic 9mm assault weapon. This photo shows me and Jonathan with our loaded magazines waiting for our turn to shoot it.

We went through 5 different training events and many of them we got to do more than once. Here is a breakdown of what we did:

EVENT 1 will be a static shooting line emphasizing marksmanship skills and familiarity with your pistol. This is not a scenario and everyone will begin at this event.

EVENTS 2, 3, and 4 are scenarios that simulate real-world self defense applications in your home or in a public place.

EVENT 5 will be a scenario that simulates personal defense with a shotgun.

Jonathan wants to go into law enforcement so he really enjoyed the day and he is also pretty good with his gun.

Todd had a whole group of instructors there to teach us in all the events and each one of them gave us some new insight on how to be a better shooter. I was glad to be able to attend and I'm looking forward to joining Todd for more training in the future.

Imagine (No, not the John Lennon Song)

2009-10-24T15:32:00.004-05:00

Imagine having to flee from your country because a corrupt government was going to arrest you due to your religious beliefs

Imagine fleeing to another country where you knew no one and living in a refugee camp where you were served one small meal each day.

Imagine living in this camp for up to 15 years with thousands of other refugees while you were waiting for another country to accept you as a refugee.

Imagine standing in a line each day with thousands of other refugees and only 300 per day are chosen to be moved to other countries.

Imagine being chosen one day and the next thing you know you’re on an airplane and being sent someplace you have never heard of, where you knew no one, and you didn’t speak the language.

Imagine arriving in this new city and all you have are the clothes on your back and the family members with you.

Imagine that you’re moved into a small apartment and told you have been given 5 months of rent, and after that you are on your own.

What would you do? Can you imagine this happening to you?

For a sizeable group of people here in Columbia, they don’t have to imagine this scenario because they have lived it. Most of us probably don’t know that we have a population of Burmese Refugees here in Columbia. What I have described above is the story that I was able to piece together from a conversation some of us had the other night while we had dinner with four of these families who have recently arrived in our city. Fortunately one of the guys spoke pretty good English so we were able to communicate with him. The other folks spoke no English and this gentleman was able to translate for us.

My heart was broken for these people and I really feel despair for them as I think about what the future holds for them. From what I understand the State of Missouri works with the federal government and allows some of these refugees to move into our state. But, they are only given help with rent for 5 months. They also receive food stamps and Medicaid. During this 5 month period, they are expected to get a job so they can fend for themselves. But, how do you get a job in a place where you don’t speak the language? Not to mention the fact that the job market right now is in bad shape.

So all of this begs the question, what can we do?

I think there are all kinds of ways to help out these folks, but I think we should focus on some really easy practical things. I will offer 2 suggestions:

Hang out with them and work on teaching them conversational English. This is a practical thing we can do and it will help them work toward self-sufficiency. If they know English they will have a much better chance of getting a job.

Spend time showing them around Columbia and introducing them to the culture. For instance, get them a bus pass and show them how the city bus system works. Or, take them to Wal-Mart and show them how to shop in America. Any “life-skill” you can show them would be helpful and practical.

I had lunch with my pastor and friend Kevin Larson yesterday. One of the things we discussed was “Lifestyle Shalom.” What does that mean?

At our church, Karis Community Church, we have what are known as Community Groups. Community Groups meet throughout the week all over town and share a meal, study the Bible, and pray for each other. Also, once a month, each group participates in a Shalom Project. These projects vary from group to group, but our group’s Shalom Project is meeting with these refugee families each month. But, the point of Shalom is not to do a project once a month to check off the list, but to be actively involved with a project all the time. This could mean different things for different people, but the idea is to be involved in your community in a meaningful way throughout the month. It means making Shalom part of your life.

My whole point is that we live in a city where we have several opportunities to serve and make a difference. Working with these refugees is just one way to be involved. I would urge you to find something you’re passionate about and get involved. It is easy to have fun while you’re making a difference.

Volunteer Spotlight

2009-08-07T09:38:00.002-05:00

Janice and I have been featured on the U.S. Cellular volunteer page on the company's intranet for our time working at Camp CUMCITO. Unfortunately you can't view this page since it's on our intranet, but here is what it looks like.

Volunteer Spotlight

Tom Seagraves, Business Account Executive in Missouri

This summer Tom volunteered more than 180 hours with Camp CUMCITO (City Union Mission's Camp In The Ozarks), an organization that provides weeklong summer vacations to hundreds of low-income children each year. Tom and his wife Janice have been volunteering at the camp for more than four years. "Tom truly embodies the spirit of volunteerism," said Nathan Waddell, Missouri Director of Sales. "Through his time and energy, he has given some very deserving young people the opportunity to take part in the fun of summer camp. More importantly, Tom has played a big role in helping these young people to create some very positive memories that will last a lifetime and will help them to believe in something better."

A Few Reasons We Love Serving at Camp CUMCITO

2009-07-18T21:21:00.004-05:00

Battery Swap: Is It Really That Big of a Deal?

2009-07-01T20:34:00.002-05:00

Most of you know I work for U.S. Cellular as a Business Account Executive. They are a great company to work for and I enjoy my job. Recently the company rolled out the Battery Swap Program. I really didn't think it was that big of a deal, but since the roll out all my customers have been really excited about it. Today I activated a new customer in Southern Missouri. When I was explaining Battery Swap to him he said, "You need to tell everyone about this. This is a great program!"

So, why haven't I thought it is a big deal? Because U.S. Cellular is so customer focused that I guess something this big is just another thing we do to serve our customers. It is kind of "par for the course" with all the other stuff we do.

But, after the comment I got today from my new customer, I thought maybe I need to brag a little bit about this program. So here it goes:

Check out our website explaining Battery Swap here:

Here is a copy of the press release that was issued:

Company News

U.S. CELLULAR LAUNCHES FREE BATTERY SWAP PROGRAM

Customers can switch out their phone battery in any U.S. Cellular store

CHICAGO, May 19, 2009 – Today U.S. Cellular launched its Battery Swap program, where customers can come into any store and change out a dead or dying battery for a fully-charged one, for free. U.S. Cellular is the first wireless company to offer this service.

"Our Battery Swap program is a convenience for people who depend on their wireless devices as their lifelines, such as business people, parents, not to mention heavy users who drain their battery daily," said Jay Ellison, executive vice president and COO of U.S. Cellular. "We’re offering this service to help our customers stay connected whenever they need it."

Customers no longer have to worry if they are at work, running errands or travelling and forgot their charger. If their battery starts to run low or dies, they can go to a U.S. Cellular store and swap it for a fully-charged one.

There are some things that you can do to extend your battery life that you might not be aware of. Turning your cell phone off while charging not only will help extend the life of the battery, it also acts as a reset similar to your computer. Power cycling, or turning the cell phone off and then on again, will allow your cell phone to use the optimum tower for its location and clears the cache of the phone. If you get stuck on a screen or have problems texting, power cycling often helps. If these options don’t work for you, then it might be time to swap it for another battery. A brand new battery normally costs about $40.

"This simple idea is just another way for us to give our customers that added peace of mind that their phone will always be there for them in case of an emergency, "Ellison added.

About U.S. Cellular
The 9,000 associates of U.S. Cellular believe a wireless phone enhances people’s lives and a wireless company should be in the business of bringing people together. U.S. Cellular has a wide range of monthly plans, including those with unlimited nationwide calling, unlimited free incoming calls and options to prepay. The company has a growing catalog of phones like the BlackBerry^® Curve, HTC Touch Pro and the touch-screen Samsung Delve, which offer e-mail and Web access. Based in Chicago, U.S. Cellular is the nation’s fifth-largest full-service wireless carrier, serving 6.2 million customers across the country. To learn more about the company visit one of its retail stores or uscellular.com.

Meet my Friend Antuwan

2009-07-01T20:05:00.004-05:00

This is Antuwan, a friend of mine I met at Camp CUMCITO in 2006.

When Janice and I started serving at camp back in 2006 I served as a counselor. We were working at pre-teen camp that year which is for 11 and 12 year olds, and Antuwan was one of the guys in my cabin. We had a tough week. He was the guy at camp that year that caused the most problems and he tried very hard to get under my skin.

Even though that week was tough for both of us, we have remained close. He told me last year that I have been the one of the few people in his life that hasn't given up on him. Last year I was able to stop by camp during Teen Boys week and see Antuwan for a couple of hours. Then last fall I went to Kansas City on a Saturday and took Antuwan and another guy from camp to Power Play, as well as the Camp CUMCITO fall retreat. Then again yesterday I was able to stop and see him for a couple hours at Teen Boys Camp again. This was after he called me this past Saturday night at 11pm asking me if I was going to come see him again at camp.

Antuwan is a guy with a big heart which I have seen in action several times, but he also has a hard outer shell. I have a close bond with him because of the time we have spent together, and he told me yesterday he knows I care about him. I'm going to continue to model friendship and grace to him and hopefully my friendship with him will help him as he continues his journey in life.

Introducing Vince Flynn

2009-06-15T21:24:00.003-05:00

Vince Flynn ranks as my number one favorite fiction author. Here is a video of him describing his latest book, Protect and Defend.

Another Unconventional Church

2009-06-15T19:49:00.003-05:00

It seems that unconventional is in these days when it comes to churches. Just look at my church. Karis Community Church doesn't even own a building, just a small trailer that we pack our stuff into. We meet at the Missouri Theater in downtown Columbia, unless there is a scheduling conflict and then we have to go somewhere else, like The Upper Crust. There is nothing conventional about that. But I kind of like it that way. Our Worship Pastor even wrote a blog article back in March about our church being "Portable." Check that out here.

One of the programs I enjoy watching is the CBS Sunday Morning Show. I record it each week and then watch it when I get a chance. There is always an interesting mix of stories that always seems to be interesting. A couple of weeks ago they aired a story about a drive-in church in Florida. At first I thought, "Why would anyone go there?" And, "How effective could that be?" But then I thought how great it is that someone is thinking outside the box. Maybe this is an opportunity to connect people with the Gospel who wouldn't otherwise go to church.

Take a look below and watch the story for yourself. I would be interested to see any comments you may have after you watch it. Keep in mind, this is not a venue for a theological debate. Based on some of the comments the pastor makes I probably wouldn't agree with much of what he believes. Watch this with the mindset of a new way to reach people.

Happy watching!

Book Review of The Crescent Through The Eyes Of The Cross by Dr. Nabeel T. Jabbour

2009-06-12T20:12:00.006-05:00

If I was asked to describe this book in one word I would have to say, “WOW!”

In two words, “Eye Opening!”

Dr. Jabbour did a masterful job at making me realize that I have no idea what Muslims believe or how they view us as Christians. OK, I will stop being politically correct; Dr. Jabbour busted my chops!

Dr. Jabbour was born in Syria, grew up in Lebanon and lived in Cairo for fifteen years, so he has a deep understanding of Muslim culture and religion. Dr. Jabbour created a fictional character, Ahmad, which was the culmination of many of the Muslims he has known over the years. Through Ahmad, Dr. Jabbour puts together a case for the Muslim faith. While building this case he points out how we as Christians do not understand Muslims, and as far as I’m concerned he hits the nail on the head.

Here is one of the points Ahmad makes that really blew me away:

“If a young Palestinian man who is an American citizen leaves this country and goes to Palestine and uses his only available weapon, his body, to defend his occupied territory, you perceive him as a terrorist. When you read in your Bible how Samson died, do you perceive him as a terrorist? Do you blame Samson for using his only available weapon, his body, to kill innocent civilians?”

Now don’t misunderstand the point. Ahmad was not condoning suicide bombing, but just saying that our position on it is inconsistent. We see Samson as a hero because he died for what he thought was right. Don’t the suicide bombers die for what they think is right?

I think the biggest effect this book had on me was it showed me that I do have some prejudices toward Muslims that are unfounded and wrong. Christ died for them too. They need the gospel just like I do. They are people with souls and hearts, and many of them are searching for something real. If we are ever going to begin reaching out to Muslims effectively this book should be used as the starting point.

Upon completing this book, Dr. Jabbour gives you the opportunity to contact him directly and he makes more resources available to you free of charge. This guy is the real deal and this book is a must-read!

Wings Over Whiteman Photos

2009-06-11T20:17:00.023-05:00

As you saw from my last post, we attended Wings Over Whiteman last weekend and got to see some great airplanes. Here are some photos and videos that Janice took while we were there. We had a great time with Aaron and Maureen. We'll be going again in two years. Maybe you can join us.

Janice and I standing in front of the B-1 Lancer

The B-1 is the only supersonic bomber in the world. Another cool feature is the sweepable wing. The wing will move back and forth while in-flight as the pilot decides how fast he wants to travel. It works much like the now retired F-14 fighter that was featured in the movie Topgun. We were even able to climb the ladder and see inside a little. Because of the top secret stuff inside the bomber we were limited on what we could see.

At the top of the ladder to the right is the seat for the Navigation Officer. He is responsible for keeping the plane on course as well as monitoring all systems of the aircraft while in flight.

At the top of the ladder to the left is the seat for the Weapons Systems Officer. He is responsible for all weapons and defense systems on-board the aircraft. He is also responsible for dropping the bombs when the time comes.

At the top of the ladder and straight ahead is the flight deck of the B-1 Lancer. This was as close as they would let us get. Much of what is contained in the cockpit is classified so entry was prohibited.

B-2 Spirit Bomber Chopper built by Orange County Choppers

This bike was featured on a recent episode of American Chopper on TLC

T-38 Talons Open the show at Wings Over Whiteman

T-38 Talon Trainer

The T-38 Talon is the jet trainer for the US Air Force. Whiteman Air Force Base is home to a squadron of these aircraft and it is the place they use to train our pilots that move on to fly fighters and bombers. This is one of the planes we saw flying in formation in the photo above as it taxied by us after landing.

FM-2 Wildcat

This is the aircraft we saw fly that later had to make an emergency landing due to a broken landing gear strut. The pilot was OK, but the plane had to be removed from the runway as the right landing gear collapsed upon landing. The runway was located behind the hangers that you see here in the background, so we did not actually see the emergency landing.

MiG-17F

MiG-17F

This is the MiG-17F we saw fly during the air show. It was a very impressive display and it made me realize why our pilots in Vietnam were nervous when they took to the skies.

B-2 Spirit of Texas and F-22 Raptor

These 2 planes are so top secret this was as close as we could get. What you can't see in this photo are the armed Security Force Guards stationed around these airplanes. Nobody was going to get close with those guys around.

C-21

This is the flight deck of the C-21 which is the Air Force version of the Learjet 35. This airplane is used to haul Generals around. It can also be used for medical transport and light cargo duties.

B-52 Stratofortress

This is the bomber of all bombers. This airplane is known for its "carpet bombing" capabilities. There were stories that came out of Iraq after Gulf War I, that many Iraqi soldiers would crawl out of their foxholes with bleeding ears and noses and with raised hands of surrender they would be muttering, "Please, no more B-52's!"

B-25 Mitchell "Pacific Prowler"

Here is an original World War II classic bomber. What an honor to see it fly.

The Aeroshell Aerobatic Team Flying the World War 2 Trainer, T-6 Texan

Aeroshell Aerobatic Team

Watch the videos below to get an idea of what these guys did. I love the sound of these old radial engines.

World War 2 Fighter, P-51 Mustang

Another classic and so much fun to see fly.

P-51 Mustang

The F-15E Strike Eagle

This jet was hard to catch on video because of the speed. This shows the beginning of his final maneuver, which was a vertical climb. Janice did a great job capturing this video. He was probably flying at about 300 to 400 miles per hour in this clip.

Here the F-15E Strike Eagle does a 360 degree turn in front of the crowd. In this turn the pilot was experiencing 5 to 6 's.

F-15E Strike Eagle
F-15E Strike Eagle

Afterburners Engaged

F-15E Strike Eagle

A-10 Thunderbolt II

aka, "The Tank Killer"

It's ugly, but deadly. This plane is built around a 30mm Gatlin Gun.

A-10 Thunderbolt II

Here he passes overhead in slow-flight

Heritage Flight

This was one of the coolest things to see at the show. A Heritage Flight is when they match up a retired airplane with a plane that is currently in service. They usually only contain 2 aircraft, but we had the privilege of seeing a Heritage Flight with 3 airplanes. Here the P-51 Mustang flies with the F-15E Strike Eagle and the A-10 Thunderbolt II.

Heritage Flight

Heritage Flight

This was the end of the flight. The A-10 peeled off up and left, the F-15E went up and right, and the P-51 went up straight. It was an amazing sight.

B-2 Spirit Bomber

aka, "The Stealth Bomber"

The B-2 Spirit Bomber closed out the show with a few fly-by's. This airplane is one of the most incredible sights ever. It is so hard to see. If you look away for a second it is hard to put your eyes back on it again. It seems like it just disappears into thin air.

B-2 Spirit Bomber

Wings Over Whiteman Airshow Review

2009-06-07T17:36:00.013-05:00

Yesterday Janice and I, along with Aaron and Maureen Harris, attended Wings Over Whiteman. Wings Over Whiteman is the airshow that is held every two years at Whiteman Air Force Base which is about 20 miles west of Sedalia, MO. We had a great time watching several aircraft fly, and we also had the chance to see several static displays. Here is a brief review of some of the highlights. These are stock photos I'm using below. Janice took lots of pictures and I will get them posted sometime soon:

Performing Aircraft:

MiG-17F

The Russian MiG-17F was the primary enemy aircraft in Vietnam. I was surprised at how small and quiet the plane was. It was also a lot more maneuverable than I expected. This particular aircraft is owned by a company out of Texas called Fighterjets, Inc. This jet was a lot of fun to watch fly. Check out this website to learn more about this plane.

FM-2 Wildcat

The FM-2 Wildcat was one of the premier fighters in the early part of World War 2. It played a big role in many battles including Midway. We saw a great performance from this airplane yesterday including a dogfight with a Japanese Zero. When the performance was over the pilot had a broken strut on his right landing gear. He ended up making an emergency "dead-stick" landing and his right landing gear collapsed. It took a few hours to get the plane off the runway. The pilot was not injured and the plane was not too badly damaged. We were not able to see this landing as the runway was behind the B-2 hangers so we had to go by what the announcer was telling us.

North American B-25, "Pacific Prowler"

The B-25 was one of the great bombers of World War 2. It was the airplane used on the famous Doolittle Raid on Tokyo that took place a few months after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. To learn more you should read the book, 30 Seconds Over Tokyo. You can also visit this website to learn more about the Pacific Prowler.

Aeroshell Aerobatic Team Flying the AT-6 Texan

The Aeroshell Aerobatic Team performed at the airshow. They fly the AT-6 Texan, also known as "The Pilot Maker." This was the trainer that was used in World War 2 to prepare pilots to fly fighters. If you saw the move, "The Tuskegee Airmen," you would have seen some of these in action. These guys did a great job of flying close formation aerobatic maneuvers, and those big radial engines made a lot of noise. Check out the Aeroshell Aerobatic Teams website here.

F-15E Strike Eagle

The best performance of the day was from the F-15E Strike Eagle. This dual-role jet has been around for several years and is designed for air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. For much of the performance the pilot had the afterburners engaged and this was one performance where ear plugs were required. The last maneuver for the F-15E was a high-speed fly-by and when he was right in front of the crowd he went vertical until he was just about out of sight.

Other planes we got to see perform were:

P-51 Mustang

A-10 Thunderbolt II

Yak 52TW Russian Trainer

Heritage Flight which included the P-51 Mustang, A-10 Thunderbolt II, and the F-15E Strike Eagle. I will be posting some pictures of this flight later.

Static Displays

F-22 Raptor

The F-22 is the Air Force's newest fighter. It has stealth capabilities, unbelievable maneuverability as well as supercruise, which allows it to fly at well over the speed of sound without having to use afterburners. This plane is so new and so top secret we could see it but we couldn't get very close to it.

B-1 Lancer

The B-1 Lancer is the world's only supersonic bomber. It is a large airplane that can carry a huge bomb payload, but it handles much like a fighter jet. It is equipped with 4 engines and has a movable wing that sweeps back much like the now retired F-15 Tomcat, which was featured in the movie Topgun. We were able to get on this plane, which amounted to climbing the ladder and sticking our heads into the back crew compartment where the Weapons Officer and Navigator sit. The cockpit was off-limits. It was still very cool to be able to see as much as we did.

RC-135V/W Rivet Joint

The RC-135 is a reconnaissance aircraft that delivers real-time on-scene intelligence collection. This aircraft is built on the Boeing 707 airframe and has been in service with the Air Force since the 1960's. It has undergone major renovations over the years including new engines and avionics systems.

B-2 Spirit

The B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, is a multi-role bomber that can deliver either conventional or nuclear weapons. Whiteman Air Force Base is the only B-2 base in the world. All missions the B-2's are dispatched on are always flown from Whiteman. Many missions for the B-2 last for 40 to 50 hours, and that is 40 to 50 hours of continuous flying. With a 2-pilot cockpit and the capability of in-flight refueling, the plane can fly as long as there are no mechanical malfunctions. The hardest part of being a B-2 pilot is having the endurance to fly the long missions. Much like the F-22 Raptor, this plane is so top secret we could not get very close to it. There was a B-2 that did a series of 3 fly-bys to close the airshow. I will post some of those photos later.

Other Static Displays included:

F-15A

C-21 (Air Force version of a Learjet 35)

KC-135

B-52 Stratofortress

F-16 Fighting Falcon

L-39 (Russian Jet Trainer)

C-130

This is not a complete list of everything we got to see, but I have covered the highlights. It was a full day and it was a lot of fun to be able to see all the airplanes. Janice got some great photos and a little video also. I will pull all that together and post that later for you to see. Thanks to Whiteman for opening the base and letting an aviation fanatic come out and have a great time yesterday. Hopefully we will do it again in 2 years.

D-Day Plus 65 Years

2009-06-06T22:14:00.003-05:00

Sol House In The Missourian

2009-06-05T20:13:00.005-05:00

Sol House is the place that my Karis Community Group goes each month to help teach the kids how to cook a meal. The Missourian did a story about the House and the kids that live there. I think they did a great job. Please take time to read this and learn what's going on over there. It's pretty cool!

Sol House provides transitions for homeless Columbia youths

Friday, June 5, 2009 12:01 a.m. CDT

BY SARA SHAHRIARI

Zach Smith and Danielle Dement, center, share a quick hug while hanging out with Sol House residents Carl Lewis, left, Heather Brown and Sol House's evening supervisor, John Paul Perez, right, before the weekly house meeting and life skills class at the Sol House in Columbia. ¦ STEVE REMICH

COLUMBIA — The temperature dropped to 16 degrees the first night Tyler Caldwell slept outside at a Springfield truck stop. The second night was a bit warmer — 24 degrees. By the third day, the 18-year-old knew he needed help. A phone book and pay phone led him to a social worker that led him to Boys & Girls Town of Missouri, which finally led him to Sol House.

And Sol House eventually led him back home to his family in Michigan.

How to help a homeless youth

National Resources

1-800-RUNAWAY

www.1800runaway.org

Columbia Resources

If you know a struggling Columbia teen who is couch surfing or who says it is not safe to go home, here are some options.

If a person under 18 says that he or she has been kicked out of the caregiver's home, ran away because of abuse or is currently a ward of the court, you can call the state Child Abuse Hotline at 800-392-3738 to discuss services within the Children's Division.

If a person under 18 says he or she ran away but denies a history of abuse, you can call the Columbia Police Department at 874-7652because the caregivers may have placed a missing persons report. Then law enforcement take the youth into custody and contact the juvenile office and caregiver.

Encourage youths ages 16 to 21 to call Sol House at 449-0182 to consult about possible services or housing.

Emergency Shelter

Salvation Army Harbor House, 602 N. Ann St.

Provides shelter and serves free lunch daily.

Dinner and Resources

Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen and Interfaith Day Center, 616 Park Ave.

Serves free dinner daily. Provides showers, phone for job-related calls, referrals for work and medical assistance, clothing and help obtaining IDs.

573-875-0826

Job Training

Job Point, 2116 Nelwood Drive

Provides skills training in office technology, custodial/building maintenance and construction, supported employment, career planning and education and literacy.

573-474-8560

Youth Empowerment Zone, 1204 Rogers St.

Provides job-search training to youths and advising on life skills.

573-256 - 1896

Related Media

Sol House is Columbia’s only live-in shelter exclusively for teens and young adults, ages 16 to 21, and is based on a growing concept in psychology and social services: Some young people aren't ready to live successfully on their own.

But Sol House seeks to do more than put a roof overhead. As a transitional living program, it works to help residents gain an education, jobs and independence.

Twenty-seven youths have cycled through Sol House’s eight beds since it opened in November 2007. Many come from families where, for reasons ranging from drugs to anger to abuse, instability was the norm.

They come toting a haphazard array of possessions and a challenging slew of problems. Zach Smith has been diagnosed with depression and attention-deficit disorder. Micah Schafer struggles to stay away from marijuana. Temperance Hayes has been a chronic runaway since she was 12.

Sometimes Sol House works, and residents leave with the tools needed to start building a life. After two months at Sol House, Tyler reunited with his family. He has moved into his own apartment as he waits to begin training with the National Guard.

Sometimes it fails, and the bricks and mortar patched together at Sol House crumble under the pressure of all that came before. Micah now sits in prison in Fulton for marijuana possession.

But as long as these young people have a home where they aren’t welcome or aren’t safe, and as long as they follow the rules, Sol House gives them a chance.

Tyler's Story

After failing the entrance exam to a military school in Pittsburgh, Penn., last December, Tyler just couldn’t face going home. He caught a bus to Missouri, where he planned to stay with an old friend. When the plan fell apart, he found himself sleeping outside a Springfield truck stop.

“I was a good kid, and I come from a good family,” Tyler said. “If I really wanted to go home, my mom would help me. But I didn't want to go home and have my Dad say ‘you're not good enough.’”

Once Tyler found Sol House, he used his time there to shake off the tensions of home — a strained relationship with his father, an alcoholic brother — and make plans for his future. Unable to find a job, he volunteered at the Oakland Plaza Senior Center. In April, Tyler signed on to the National Guard; he plans to complete basic training this summer and afterward return to high school. He also began to reconcile with his father.

“From what I hear, he's changed a lot since I've been here,” Tyler said.

Tyler quickly became a leader among residents of Sol House. He talked a newcomer into sticking with the program when she wanted to leave, made his roommate’s bed in the morning to help him keep up with the house rules and brought an easy laugh to most situations.

“I see what anger has done to my Dad and my brother,” he said, “and I don't want to end up like that, so I turn everything into a laughing matter. I listen to music, let the steam blow off, turn it into something good.”

By late April, Tyler was ready to try it out in the world again. He embraced Zach and John Paul Perez, Sol House's resident assistant, packed his bags into a friend's trunk and headed north to Michigan.

Homeless teens go uncounted

There is no accurate count of homeless youths in Columbia. The Columbia School District identified 33 homeless students in grades eight through 12 in the 2006-07 school year, including those with and without their families.

That number is probably low because it relies on teachers to identify teens as homeless, or on the teens or families to identify themselves, said Donna Cash, homeless state coordinator for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Some homeless youth who are 18 or older end up in traditional Columbia shelterssuch as the Salvation Army Harbor House. Many never enter a shelter, perhaps sleeping outside or, most commonly, “couch surfing” at the homes of friends or relatives.

“Teenagers are hard to nail down because they don’t want that stigma that goes with being homeless,” said Cash. “They don’t want to be found, so they’re good at hiding.”

Cash said that since December she has had an increase in calls from schools statewide reporting homeless students.

But Dahne Yeager, director of the Interfaith Day Center, said the number of homeless teens he sees in Columbia seems to have decreased over the past two years, possibly because of Sol House. "It gives them a purpose; it gives them a positive thing,” he said.

Two years ago, Sol House director Heather Windham was working as shelter clinical coordinator at Rainbow House, a Columbia children's emergency shelter, child advocacy program and clinic. She heard stories about teens under 18 who were too young for traditional shelters, or teens who needed longer-term housing than Rainbow House could provide. “There was a real gap in services,” she said.

In March and April 2007, Rainbow House teamed with other Columbia social service agencies to form the Boone County Homeless Task Force, which tracked 17 homeless youths aged 16 to 21. That gave Windham the documentation she needed to secure funding to start Sol House, which is a branch of Rainbow House.

Windham, 36, came to social work unexpectedly, through journalism. In the late 90s, while working for E! Entertainment Television in Los Angeles, she read a newspaper article on Navajo teenagers in New Mexico who join gangs. Her curiosity grew, and Windham later moved to New Mexico to film a documentary about the lives of Navajo teens living on a reservation. The resulting film, "Growing up Navajo," aired on PBS in Albuquerque and was shown at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 1998.

“All the elders were talking about the teenagers, but nobody was listening to them,” she said of the experience. Inspired by the teens and the problems they faced, she went back to school and earned a master’s degree in social work from UCLA. When Windham moved with her husband and stepson to Missouri to live closer to extended family, she brought her passion for working with teenagers to Rainbow House and now to Sol House.

Sol House is made of three nondescript townhouses that sit side-by-side near downtown Columbia. The address is kept confidential to prevent people from showing up to demand emergency housing and to protect residents from old acquaintances they want to distance themselves from.

The young people who qualify for a room at Sol House can’t be pregnant or living with children. Applicants are evaluated to determine if they have ambitions Sol House can help them meet, and the motivation to stick with the program.

Once accepted, residents create a “transitional living program” of individual goals: basic things like attending school, finding a job, saving enough money for an apartment or staying off drugs or alcohol. Each resident has to spend 40 hours a week on productive activities both inside and outside Sol House to earn a weekend pass for nights out.

People who break the house rules — no drugs or alcohol, no unauthorized visitors, no violence— are asked to leave if they don't take steps to change. The only set of house keys is kept in the office so that the staff can keep track of the residents’ comings and goings.

“You’d be shocked at how much life-skills discussion there is, and how many conversations can be had about locking a door,” said resident assistant Rachael Whearty.

Windham said residents can stay for a total of 21 months, though most move up – or out — long before that. Although one resident has been there more than a year, the average stay is three months.

“We hope that we're planting some seeds that they can become contributing members of our community, and not depend on welfare or transfer into the penal system,” Windham said.

Zach's Story

Zach Smith doesn’t lack family. His mother and father both live in Columbia. His parents separated when he was 6, and he was put in his father’s custody. Behavioral problems kept him bouncing from school to school until his father decided to teach him at home. When Zach turned 16, he said he wanted to attend Hickman High School and live with his mother, who he says is less strict than his father. Although Zach and his father still communicate, however infrequently, he adores his mother.

But the two soon found that, no matter how much they loved each other, they couldn’t live together. “We’d had yelling matches, and she was like, 'You could move out,'” Zach said.

So at 18, he found himself living on a relative's sofa.

Zach’s mother, Suzette Miller, tells a more complex story. When Zach moved back in with her after 10 years with his father he wanted to have his way and act like a father to his two younger brothers, ages 4 and 12, she said. Mother and son had different ideas of his role in the house. The pressure of suddenly living with two young children and of being back in the school system left Zach unable to control his temper — and left Miller in fear.

"This one particular day I had to call the police because I couldn't get him to calm down,” she said. “That's how out-of-control he was; I just couldn't continue with that."

Rather than throw Zach out, Miller said, she arranged for him to stay with a cousin. With a referral from Burrell Behavioral Health, a psychiatric service provider funded by the Missouri Department of Mental Health, Zach moved into Sol House two months later.

He’s been there for more than a year, making him Sol House’s longest tenured resident, Windham said.

At 19, Zach still has a cherubic face. He is slowly putting his life in order. He landed a part-time job at Wendy’s after 10 months of searching for work, graduated from high school and began attending classes at Moberly Area Community College. One day he’d like to design video games for a living. Miller longs to see him graduate from college.

Zach smiles whenever he talks about his mother, which is often. She cries when she remembers his high school graduation and thinks about the progress he's making at Sol House. Zach sometimes mentions moving back in with Miller, but she says that the space Sol House gives them is what they need.

“I think that separation was best for our relationship,” she said. “It opened up eyes and hearts and minds to what was going on."

The cost of homelessness

Many social safety-net programs don’t kick in until a situation is dire. For example, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which funds many homeless assistance programs, doesn’t count someone who is couch-surfing as homeless, said Phil Steinhaus, chief executive officer of the Columbia Housing Authority.

“I think that's because there's such a lack of resources, so they don't consider those people homeless,” Steinhaus said. “But they are.”

Sol House is different because it is funded not through HUD, but through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services with a grant that supports transitional living programs. The goal at Sol House is to teach people skills that can prevent them from reaching rock bottom and demands that participants create and follow a plan to self-sufficiency.

“Most of our social programs are reactionary and not preventive,” said Windham, Sol House’s director. “But it is swinging toward becoming preventive."

The social and financial costs of homelessness are high. A study of homeless youth in the Midwest 10 years ago found that between one-fifth and one-third of them report being robbed, physically or sexually assaulted, and a 2005 study sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice found that homeless women are far more likely to experience violence of all kinds than women with stable homes. A 2005 article in theAmerican Journal of Public Health reported that homeless people are arrested at higher rates than the rest of the population.Conversely, people who have been imprisoned are more likely to become homeless than people who haven't.

Windham said homeless youths have a lower rate of graduation from high school, which lessens their chances of finding stable employment and makes them more likely to end up on public assistance. Drug and alcohol use are major contributors to teen homelessness and have played a part in the lives of many Sol House residents, she said. Meanwhile, high rates of drug and alcohol abuse among the homeless often translate into high prison or treatment expenses for the state.

According to the Missouri Association of Drug Court Professionals, in 2008 it cost Missouri $14,538 to incarcerate one person for one year, making the relationship between homelessness and incarceration an expensive cycle.

Sol House has eight residential beds, four full-time and four part-time staff members and costs a little more than $200,000 a year to run, Windham said. About 70 percent of the funding comes through a five-year federal grant from the Department of Health and Human Services and the rest comes from donations, which Windham says are down this year.

Sol House stretches its budget by having residents buy much of their own food, often using food stamps, or eat at soup kitchenssuch as the Salvation Army Harbor House.

"We try to encourage them to get a job and make their own money," Windham said. "Though we hook them up with government assistance, our hope is that they don't become dependent on them long term.”

John Paul Perez, the Sol House evening resident assistant, views the program as a win for taxpayers and the residents. Without Sol House, he said, “about 60 percent of them would live off the government for as long as they possibly could, transition into some assisted-living program and never get a chance for their independence.”

Micah's Story

Micah Schafer walks down the road to the gas station with the other guys after a community meeting in the Sol House office. It is cold outside, but inside the office it is warm, dim and sleepy. Temperance Hayes, a fellow resident, is sitting on the sofa in the living room saying she doesn’t have enough money to buy cigarettes, but she should have given the guys some change to pick her up a snack. Because she looks so young and has the nervous energy of a child, it’s hard to imagine her smoking, fighting or living the life she remembers.

When the guys breeze back in the door, they smell of smoke and have sodas and snacks in their hands. The rest walk past Temperance into the kitchen, but Micah stops and drops a bag of chips into her lap.

Micah first came to Sol House in September of 2008 after four months in jail for violating probation. The year before he arrived at Sol House he was found guilty of possession of marijuana, property damage and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident. After three months at Sol House, Micah had enough saved from his job as a dishwasher to move out and get his own apartment, but his trial of independence lasted just a few weeks. In January 2009 he was back at Sol House after being arrested on charges of growing marijuana.

“I had my own apartment, I had my own girlfriend,” he said. “I lost a lot when I messed up this time.”

It’s just the latest in a long history of using and selling drugs — a history that Micah is finding hard to leave behind.

Micah was raised a Jehovah's Witness and home-schooled from a young age. When he entered Columbia’s public school system in junior high, the transition was rough. He said that as a shy teen whose religion discouraged him from playing sports and making friends, finding a social groove seemed impossible until he found pot.“I started selling marijuana in junior high, and I liked it. I fit in, I made a lot of money,” he said, putting the figure at over $12,000 a year at its peak. “Both my parents kind of turned their heads to it and said ‘He’s making his own decision,’ and rightly so. I mean, I was making more money than my mother.”

The occasional fine for marijuana possession was little more than an annoyance. “I just went crazy using it, using it in public,” Micah said. “You could see this kid, 14, 15 years old, smoking marijuana, and I thought, 'What are they going to do, give me a $200 ticket,'... I just paid the fine and kept on going.”

Micah said he never sold or used anything harder than marijuana. But he also let the lifestyle override everything else. He lost friends and, when he turned 18, his parents told him he had to move out. “They said, ‘We’ve done the best we can for you, but you gotta do what you want.’” he said.

Like the other youths in the house, Micah still speaks with his parents; he doesn’t blame them for his problems. “I can’t tell you how many times I see someone who gets a misdemeanor drug conviction and the parents completely disown them,” he said. “I was lucky I had parents who cared about me.”

Although he didn't succeed after his first stay at Sol House, Micah said it jump-started an attempt to change. “It was like I had brothers, I had sisters, that all cared about me,” he said. “It was another family that could do stuff for me my family couldn’t.”

In March, a few weeks after his return to Sol House, Micah was waiting for a court date on the latest marijuana charge. Even though he was already on probation, he hoped the steps he’d taken since returning to Sol House, such as attending therapy and volunteering at the senior center, would keep him out of prison.

They didn't.

Micah is now serving a four-month sentence at the Fulton Reception and Diagnostic Center. He hopes to complete a rehab program while serving the sentence and get out in July. When released, he'll be 22, too old to come back to Sol House, and will face finding employment and a place to live with little money saved and a criminal record.

Learning to Live

Under Missouri state law, parents aren’t required to support their children once they turn 18. The foster care system terminates many services at the same age.

But that doesn’t mean all 18-year-olds are mentally, emotionally and financially ready to take care of themselves.

That’s especially true of young people who have experienced trauma — through violence, drugs, crime, joblessness, indifference, instability or sheer accident — or who lack strong role models in the adults around them.

Pheonix Programs Inc., a drug treatment program in Columbia, runs Apex, an outpatient treatment program for people 12 to 21. An internal survey in 2008 found that 15 percent of Apex clients began using drugs or alcohol before age 10, and 75 percent began between ages 10 and 14. Apex project director Heather Harlan said the teenage brain is particularly susceptible to long-term damage from these substances.

Not all the trauma to a brain that Harlan sees comes from alcohol and drug use. Much like the stress of war can damage the brain of a soldier, the stress of homelessness affects the mind, too: Just being homeless is a trauma that can affect a young person's personality, mental stability and success in school, she said.

People who save money, know how to compromise in an argument, brush their teeth every day, run a washing machine and follow up on job interviews do so because someone taught them it was important and how to do it. For someone like Zach, who needs to be reminded to lock the door when he goes out to work, these are monumental skills, and their absence can cripple a life.

The many roles Sol House fills are evident in the center-building office, which feels like a family home, a dorm room and a fifth-grade classroom rolled into one. The television, often tuned to security cameras that watch the doors to the separate boys' and girls’ buildings, is the only sign that there is another layer to life here.

Paper cut-outs shaped like people are glued to the office wall by the front door. Each bears a resident’s name and adjectives describing that person. Zach is honest, dependable and outgoing. Carl is awesome, loving, friendly and cool. Shelves in the hallways hold folders stuffed with job applications and forms. A dry-erase board in the kitchen is covered with lists of residents' goals. Upstairs are two offices for the staff; someone is on-site 24 hours a day.

Courtney Engel and Chris Radigan, both master's students in the MU School of Social Work, are completing a semester-long practicum at Sol House. They run Sol House’s Tuesday-night community meetings, where residents come together to give progress reports and make plans. At a March meeting Radigan reminds the residents to turn in their weekly work sheets — 35 hours to earn weekend outings or visits by friends.

“We figure if you’re not being productive during your week, you can’t have weekend privileges,” Radigan said. “If you’re productive with your time, it counts -- laundry, schoolwork, homework, meetings, cleaning, job applications.”

He is interrupted by Temperance, who is in her first week at Sol House: “I can’t do laundry; I don’t know how.”

Engel jumps in: “That’s OK, we’ll teach you.”

The residents themselves run portions of the Tuesday meetings. One recent week it’s Zach’s turn. He must teach a life-skills lesson as punishment for being late to earlier meetings. His topic is making the best use of your time. The conversation soon shifts to motivation.

"What motivates me a lot is family,” Micah said. “I consider Sol House a family. They give me so much encouragement, and that's the motivation I need.”

Despite that motivation, Micah's stay ended with his current imprisonment.

That type of gain and loss comes with the territory at Sol House. Windham says 70 percent of the teens who have come through the program move into stable homes, but many slide out of Sol House and back into their old lives. Windham survives because she finds satisfaction in small victories.

“Sometimes, I know my staff have been frustrated,” she said. “They don't see the kind of progress that they hoped when they started working here, so I have to remind them to revel in the baby steps.”

A baby step is someone who has skipped school for five days getting up and going to class, a first trip across town on the bus or three job applications filled out and returned.

While it’s too early to know what good the program will do for the long haul, staff members remain committed to their hope that arming young people with some basic life skills will give them a better chance for the future.

For example, Radigan did a previous practicum with homeless psychiatric patient addicts. He said working with young adults at Sol House “is almost like doing a time warp.”

“Everything that my past clients describe, my current clients also describe,” he said. “If they weren’t here now, they could be homeless for (the next) 30 years. We hope this short stint is all they have to see.”

Temperance's story

A rainy Saturday in April finds Temperance Hayes in Flat Branch Park at Festa Palooza, a celebration of Columbia kids that Windham helped organize. Temperance, 19, helps kids strap themselves into a harness, then throws them a beanbag as they run along a bouncy track trying to make a basket.

She laughs and smiles and no one watching could ever guess at the cruel, disjointed life that brought her here. Her story is the stuff of tragic cliché; physical abuse, sexual violence, family members in and out of jail, a well-earned reputation as a runaway.

“I started running away at the age of 12, running away from trouble,” she said, then paused. “I was raped at the age of 5.”

Temperance said when she was 18 she left her house in Columbia after she hit her half sister. After three weeks at the Harbor House shelter, she came to Sol House in February.

Temperance winds tighter and tighter as she talks about the past. Then, suddenly, she is blank. “When I was 14 or 15, I had my first boyfriend who was 18, and I started going out with him,” she said. “Guys scare me a little, but I still used to let them do what they want with me.”

Life at Sol House provided patches of stability but so far none that have stuck for good. Two weeks before that April afternoon in Flat Branch Park, Temperance got drunk and the police were called to Sol House. As punishment, she was asked to leave Sol House for the weekend. Angry, she took off without a change of clothes or a toothbrush, calling later to say she was on her way to Arkansas with a man she just met.

The next week, Temperance was back as suddenly as she had left, cooking dinner in the kitchen with the whole group, joking with Perez and resident Tyler Caldwell. There was a sense of relief about her return, but it didn't last. She met a guy at Columbia's Earth Day celebration in Peace Park the next weekend and moved in with him that same afternoon. No one at Sol House has seen her since she came to pick up her clothes.

The 2009 F's Annual Memorial Day Reunion

2009-05-24T14:48:00.004-05:00

Here is the photo of the six of us together on Friday evening. This is the first time that all six of us have been together on Friday. We also figured that the first Memorial Day Reunion occurred in 1994, so this is the 16th year we've gotten together on Memorial Day. We also recalled that myself and Warren are the only two who have never missed a reunion. All of us at one time or another were roommates while we were living in Lynchburg, VA. At different times we all attended Liberty University in Lynchburg which is the school that was founded by Jerry Falwell.

From right to left here is the breakdown of the above friends:

Dale Johnson, married to Marienne. They live in Richmond, VA where Dale works for the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention as a Youth Specialist/Teacher. Basically he is the youth pastor to missionary kids.

Kevin Smith, married to Susan (yes, I introduced them to each other when I was Susan's Adult Bible Fellowship Teacher at Heritage Baptist Church in Lynchburg, and they were married one month after Janice and I). They have 2 kids, Nick and Darby. Kevin is a pastor at Washington Heights Grace Brethren Church in Roanoke, VA. He also works part time as a philosophy professor for the Distance Learning Program for Liberty University.

Warren Wagner, married to Martha. They have 2 kids, Tyler and Caleb. Warren is a Virginia State Trooper who works in the Motor Carrier Division of the Virginia State Police. We usually meet at their house in Manassas Park, VA for the reunion as it is the central location for most of the guys to travel to and they have room for everyone.

Thomas Smith. Tom lives in Myerstown, PA and works for Teen Challenge as a Counselor/Instructor. Teen Challenge is a residential, long-term, drug and alcohol treatment center. Tom also volunteers with On Fire Ministries in Myerstown as a teacher for the junior high kids. On Fire is a para-church ministry that reaches out to un-churched kids in the Myerstown area.

Ken Lightner, married to Amy. They also live in Myerstown, PA and Ken works for T.W. Ponessa and Associates Counseling Services as a Counselor/Therapist where he works with youths and there families that have behavioral issues. He also volunteers with On Fire Ministries in Myerstown where he teaches the high school kids.

Book Review of Invitation To The Jesus Life by Jan Johnson

2009-05-24T14:11:00.003-05:00

What caught my attention when I first saw this book was that the foreword was written by Dallas Willard, author of The Spirit of the Disciplines. As Willard points out in his remarks, this book takes the question of, “What would Jesus do?” and expands it to, “How would Jesus do what Jesus would do?”

Chapter by chapter Johnson takes several topics that are relevant to us today and she gives us substantial answers on how we can practically live like Jesus. Some of these topics include:

Being an attentive listener
Having compassion that flows
Cheerfully going the extra mile
Being a hidden servant
Dying to self

The way that Johnson walks us through these topics shows us that transformation in our lives is possible and when we live a transformed life we will have an effect on those people around us.

At the conclusion of each chapter, Johnson gives us a list of things we can do that she titles, “Experiments In Connecting With God,” which is where she gives even more practical advice on how to achieve a life of living like Jesus.

I would recommend this book for a personal/devotional read, but it could also offer up some great discussions in a small group setting. This book is a welcome addition to my library and I expect to reference it many times in the years to come.

The Release of Khan

2009-05-23T16:27:00.003-05:00

On May 9th, Janice and I went to Hartsburg to see Khan released back into the wild. Khan is a bald eagle that was found in the Hartsburg area in February. He was unable to fly due to some muscle damage and he was covered in a thick, sticky substance. After a few months at the University of MO Raptor Rehabilitation Program, he was ready to return to his home along the Missouri River in the Hartsburg area.

This video was taken with my BlackBerry, so the quality is not great. Even though we couldn't get that close and the actual release only lasted a few seconds, this was one of the coolest things I've ever seen.

Along with the release, the program had several of their permanent residents there at the release that we were able to see. The permanent residents are birds that cannot be released due to injuries they have. Included among these birds was a Red Tail Hawk and a Great Horned Owl.

Jerseys Jerseys Everywhere!

2009-05-08T23:06:00.005-05:00

Today during my travels in the Macon area with my co-worker Heather, we had a few minutes to kill before a lunch meeting. We stopped by a doctor's office to see Heather's sister where she works as an MRI technician. In the office the doctor had numerous autographed sports jerseys on the walls. It was a collection better than many museums. I took a few pictures of some of my favorite players. Here they are:

Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers. Did he really have to go play for the Jets?

John Elway, the great Denver Broncos quarterback. I know as a Chiefs fan I'm not supposed to like the Broncos, but Elway was one of the best ever. I even saw him whip up on us once at Arrowhead Stadium.

It's not that I'm a huge Casey Wiegmann fan, but he is a Kansas City Chief so I had to take this photo.

Tom Brady of the New England Patriots. OK, again not a huge fan but my buddy Ken will be jealous when I show him this picture.

Marshall Faulk of the Indianapolis Colts and later the St. Louis Rams. One of the great running backs and someone I always liked to watch.

Wayne Gretzky. Need I say more? This is a Phoenix Coyotes jersey that he has signed. He has never played for the Coyotes, but he is their General Manager. I was fortunate enough to see Gretzky play in North Carolina against the Hurricanes when he played for the Rangers, and I also got to meet him and see him practice in 1986 when he played for the Edmonton Oilers.

The Man in Black in the Fischtank

2009-05-03T21:22:00.004-05:00

Even if you're not a country music fan you know who Johnny Cash is. His life is an interesting story and this past week John Fischer had an interesting story about him in one of his daily emails. I thought it was worth sharing so here it is. I also included Johnny's last video he did before he passed away. It was a cover of a Nine Inch Nails song called Hurt. This song has quite a message to it and to hear Johnny sing it and to see this video is pretty incredible. Read the column and watch the video and let me know what you think.

Catch of the Day

Johnny's dogs
by John Fischer

Yesterday's mention of black and white Christians reminded me of an interview Johnny Cash gave in Rolling Stone magazine after his "American Recordings" came out in 1994. Towards the end of the interview, Johnny turns the tables on the interviewer by asking him, "Don't you want to ask me about the dogs on my album cover?" The cover is a black and white photograph of Johnny standing out in a field with a dog on either side of him.

"Ah… yeah… sure, Johnny," said the interviewer, "tell us about the dogs on your cover!"

"Well, you'll notice that one is mostly black with a little white on him, and the other is mostly white, with a little bit of black. That's because even the worst of us has a little bit of good in him, while the best of us still can't seem to shake that bad streak. That's why we all need to be redeemed."

What a simple way of pointing out that our relative goodness or badness is irrelevant to our need for salvation. And what a great way to show how the gospel puts us all at the same level.

It's not how good we are. It's never how good we are. What unites us all is simply our need for Jesus. There are no black and white Christians. Only Johnny Cash's dogs.

Camp CUMCITO Here We Come

2009-05-02T15:44:00.005-05:00

Last Saturday a group of us met in Overland Park, KS for Camp CUMCITO (City Union Mission's Camp in the Ozarks) 2009 Supervisor Training. This is one of the steps we take in the Spring to prepare for camp every summer.

This summer I will once again serve as the Staff Director for pre-teen camp from July 12-18. The Staff Director is responsible for the counselors. I will be serving 6 counselors and 6 assistant counselors for the week. Each cabin will house up to 8 boys ages 11 and 12. It is my job to serve the counselors by keeping them motivated, informed and sane during the week as well as making sure they are getting their 2 hours off each day. We try hard to protect their time off as they are on duty 22 hours a day.

Travis Bradburn, the guy in the red shirt, is the Camp Director and he works full time for City Union Mission. He ran our Supervisor Training last Saturday.

Janice will be a counselor this year for the first time. This is the 4th year we have served together at camp and she has done a different job each year. She is nervous about going into a cabin, but I know she will do great.

If you are at all interested in serving at camp with us please let me know. The application process takes a few weeks and you would need to get started fairly soon. Be on the lookout for updates as we get closer to camp. I'm sure I will be posting several photos when we're finished with our week.

And Tomorrow's Forecast Is...

2009-04-20T21:26:00.003-05:00

Jamel and I visited KMIZ this evening during the 6:00 newscast. Thanks to my friend Curtis, News Director at the station, who gave us a tour of the station before the news and then he let us sit in on the set for the first 10 minutes, then he took us into Master Control for the rest of the broadcast.

While in Master Control, he let Jamel listen in on the "behind the scenes" stuff, and the director even let Jamel give time cues to the news anchor over the headset. Needless to say Jamel had a great time.

When the news was over, KMIZ Chief Meteorologist Sharon Ray had Jamel come into the Weather Center and she showed Jamel how she uses the green screen to show people at home the weather. He even got to deliver a weather forecast and she even let him use the remote control to switch from one screen to the next.

Part of what being a Big Brother is all about is giving Jamel a variety of experiences that he would otherwise never have. The great thing about this visit to KMIZ is that in about an hour he was able to see about four different career opportunities. I am truly grateful to everyone at KMIZ that took the time to show Jamel what they do and to take the time out of their busy schedules to spend a few minutes with him. I think this experience will stick with him for a long time.

Shalom at Sol House 2.0

2009-04-17T20:05:00.003-05:00

This past Wednesday our C-Group made its monthly trip to Sol House for dinner with the teens. This time they turned the tables on us. Normally we take food over and prepare dinner with the teens. This month the teens decided they wanted to cook for us. They worked together and went out and purchased all the items and put the whole thing together on their own. John Paul, who is the evening Resident Director, worked with the teens in planning the menu and organizing the shopping. When everything was said and done, we enjoyed pasta with chicken and a really cheesy alfredo sauce, broccoli, salad, and garlic bread. John Paul also made a home-made chocolate-cherry cheesecake for dessert.

One of the residents was really the one responsible for putting this together for us. He is leaving May 3rd as he is joining the army. Last month during our dinner he had the idea of the teens cooking for us as a "thank you" for us coming over to cook with them. This was important for him as this month was the last time he would be there for our monthly visit.

I also found this video from today's Pepper & Friends as I was posting my previous entry about Big Brothers. On today's Pepper & Friends, Sol House was highlighted. This video is an interview with Zack, one of the Sol House residents that we have gotten to know during the last few months. I'm unable to be specific about Sol House residents in my blog entries and I can't post any photos because of confidentiality issues. But, since Zack did this interview on KOMU it is public and it can be shared.

We have enjoyed our time at Sol House so far and we are looking forward to our upcoming dinners there. These teens have a lot of potential and the more we can stand beside them and the more we get to know them I believe their chances of success in life are increased.

Pepper & Friends Talks About Big Brothers

2009-04-17T19:30:00.003-05:00

Mary Sloan from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central MO asked me a couple weeks ago to be interviewed on Pepper & Friends for the monthly Kids Corner segment that focuses on her organization. She wanted this months interview to focus on mentoring and I was honored to be chosen to represent the local mentors.

Due to the Pepper & Friends set being remodeled at KOMU, the show has been temporarily moved to a shed (I'm not joking, it really is a shed) on the Mizzou Farm located right off Highway 63 and New Haven Road.

I had a lot of fun describing some of the experiences I've had with Jamel and when the interview was over James (the person who interviewed me) asked if Jamel and I would come be on the show sometime together. I think Jamel would have fun being on TV. I'll keep you posted on how that goes.

Book Review of Uncompromised Faith by S. Michael Craven

2009-04-13T20:18:00.002-05:00

This hard-hitting book is a must read for anyone who is interested in engaging today’s culture with the gospel. Craven pulls no punches from the very beginning. Less than 2 ½ pages in he says:

"In comparison with past achievements, it is safe to say that evangelical Christianity is in a pathetic state of decadence and decline in the West. It is, to a large degree, fragmented, watered down, and retreating from relevancy”

Craven then goes on to discuss some very important and even some controversial cultural and social issues including postmodernism, homosexuality, marriage and feminism. As part of his discussion of these topics, Craven does a great job in offering solutions to the problems. In his discussion on postmodernism he offers this advice:

“The evangelical opportunity created by postmodernism lies in the resultant desire for recovering a connectedness to other people and to spiritual meaning."

While this book can be looked at by many as controversial, I think it is a much needed call to action for Christians who are looking for a way to get out on the front lines and make a difference. In the Epilogue, titled “What Are We To Do?, Craven offers these words:

“…retreat is not an option the Lord has given to us. God, in His providence, has placed you and me in this very place, in this very time, and the call of Jesus Christ remains Follow me!”

If you’re looking for culturally relevant and scripturally based answers to many of today’s cultural and social issues, this book is for you.

Sorry Sir, Broadway Is Closed, You'll Have To Turn Around

2009-04-12T16:14:00.005-05:00

Those are the words Jamel and I had to say several times yesterday while we worked as Traffic Control Volunteers for the Columbia Police Department. The big event was the Central Missouri Humane Society Zootoo Parade. It's amazing how people listen to you when you have on the orange reflective vest. We were stationed at 8th and Broadway and with the help of traffic barriers we had to keep people off Broadway for almost an hour while the parade was in progress. It was something different and Jamel had a good time. We had to meet at the police station and got a quick tour inside before getting our assignment and then hitting the street.

When that was done we went to Billiards on Broadway for a burger (which was one of the best I've ever had) and a game of pool. We both need to work on our pool shooting skills.

Jamel asked to go see the columns downtown, so we took a walk down to 8th and Walnut and took a look at them along with the war memorials. Jamel said he was going to do some research at school to find out when the building burned down that used to be attached to the columns.

We ended the day with Andy's Frozen Custard thanks to a coupon we got when we did the Bowl For Kids' Sake event a few weeks ago. This Tuesday evening we're planning on going to KMIZ to watch the 6:00 news in the studio. It's not completely firmed up yet, but hopefully will be tomorrow.

Target Practice

2009-04-05T19:24:00.005-05:00

I went to Paris on Saturday and got some practice in with my new Mossburg 500 12 gauge shotgun. I met up with my co-worker Heather and her husband Dave. Dave is the Sheriff of Monroe County. This video shows me shooting my first rounds from the gun. After some practice at the Monroe County Gun Club Range, we then went back to Heather and Dave's house where we shot some trap. This was the first time I had ever shot trap and I shot right around 40%. I was told that wasn't bad for the first time. After shooting around 150 rounds through my new shotgun I ended up with a nice bruise on my shoulder.

This video is me shooting the MP-5 that the Sheriff's Department owns. It is a fully automatic .40 caliber gun with a 40 round magazine. I shot the first few rounds in single-shot mode, then I moved the selector to fully automatic to finish the magazine. I was surprised this gun had almost no recoil. Later, Dave put the suppressor on this gun and I shot it without ear protection. It didn't completely silence the gun, but it made it no louder than someone clapping their hands lightly next to your ear. The Sheriff's Department uses this gun when they do drug raids.

Loaves & Fishes 2.0

2009-04-02T21:06:00.004-05:00

Jamel and I hung out this evening with the Ballou Community Group over at Loaves & Fishes. We were able to help serve dinner and wash dishes. This is an activity we did back in January and Jamel asked me last week if we could go do it again. He once again enjoyed himself while serving other people.

Jamel did a great job working hard in the kitchen and then he was able to enjoy some of the tasty soup that the Ballou people cooked up. When we finished there we went and picked up a thank you card for Jamel to send to Roger at the Columbia Tribune thanking him for the tour he gave us last week.

Looks like we'll be going to a Mizzou Baseball game soon.

By the way, these are the first photos I've taken with my new BlackBerry Curve. So far I'm liking the new handset.

AutoText and Other BlackBerry Tips

2009-03-31T21:19:00.003-05:00

BlackBerry AutoText

One of the greatest features on the BlackBerry is the AutoText feature. Not sure what it is? Start composing an email and try typing in the following:

cant

then press the space bar.

Did you notice the apostrophe was automatically put in there for you?

Try typing wer and press the space bar. It should have changed to we're automatically.

So AutoText is great to help you with shortcuts when you're typing out emails. But, you can also go in and set up your own AutoText words or even whole emails.

So you may be asking, "Why would I ever need to create my own AutoText?"

Here's one that I use a lot:

Anytime I go visit a potential customer for the first time, as soon as I leave their office, I immediately want to send them an email thanking them for meeting with me. I have an AutoText set up with the word meetme. When I type meetme in the body of an email it automatically enters a pre-typed email that thanks the person for meeting with me. The email also gives them some websites to view as well as a couple of current customers contact info that I use as references. I can usually have an email sent to the person I met within three to five minutes after leaving their office. I've even had a couple of people call me and ask how I was able to get them an email so fast. It creates another opportunity for me to talk about BlackBerry and another face to face meeting with them.

To set up your own AutoText do the following:

Go to Options
Go to AutoText
Press the Menu Key
Select New
Fill in the "replace" and "with" fields however you wish
Press the menu key
Select Save

Other BlackBerry Tips

Did you know you can add up to 10 email accounts to your BlackBerry smartphone? This means you no longer have to log into your hotmail, gmail, or yahoo accounts ever again. With push technology your emails will find you and staying connected has never been easier. The phone provider you use will determine how you need to set up your email accounts on your BlackBerry.

When scrolling through messages:

• press space to move page up

• press shift and space to move page down

When typing an alphanumeric phone number (ex.1-800-FLOWERS)

• hold down the alt key to input letters into a phone number

Friday With Jamel

2009-03-31T20:28:00.004-05:00

Jamel was out of school last week for spring break so we hung out for a while on Friday.

We started out by having lunch at Bandana's BBQ and then we went over to the Columbia Daily Tribune for a tour of the printing facility. They are one of my customers and Roger was kind enough to take Jamel and I through the plant and showing us how they print the daily paper and get it ready for delivery.

After that, I had to go visit a customer in Jeff City. We had a little time to kill so we went inside the capital building and took some time to look around. Jamel had never been inside before and to see inside the rotunda for the first time is a cool experience. There is a lot of artwork inside and the murals are fantastic.

After my customer visit, we ended our visit to Jeff City by enjoying a scoop of ice cream at Central Dairy. Central Dairy is another cool Jeff City experience that everyone should try sometime.

It looks like we'll be heading over to Loaves & Fishes on Thursday evening to help the Ballou C-Group serve dinner. We did this back in January and Jamel asked me last week if we could do it again. We've also got a trip planned to KMIZ-TV to watch them do a live newscast. We don't have a date for that yet, but it will happen sometime in the next couple of weeks.

My AIG Quandry

2009-03-17T21:52:00.002-05:00

For the past day or so every time I turn on talk radio the only thing everyone seems to be talking about are the AIG bonuses. I've been confused on why so many congressmen are so upset about it, when they agreed to these bonuses as part of the AIG bailout. If there is one thing I can't stand it's someone who is wishy-washy on issues. I even heard Senator Chuck Schumer say today that he was going to get the law changed so that these bonuses could be taxed at 100% if the recipients did not give them back voluntarily. (This is my loose paraphrase of what he said.)

I have been totally against these bonuses, but when I heard his comment today I started thinking that if congress can do this with AIG bonuses, what would stop them from taxing my quarterly bonus at 100%? Then I started thinking, these folks that got these bonuses, did they earn them based on some contract they had and lived up to? No one on the news has answered that question.

Basically, what it boiled down to by the end of the day was confusion. Then this evening I watched Glenn Beck on TV. He broke the whole thing down in a very logical and easy to understand way. This video is not his complete presentation, but it explains a lot about this whole mess.

The last half of his presentation, which unfortunately is not included here (maybe it will be on his website later), drove the point home that the $165 million for bonuses is a drop in the bucket compared to the billions of dollars the government has given to AIG, including billions that were funneled to other countries through AIG. So the government is using this bonus fiasco as a diversion to keep our eye off the real issue of the AIG bailout debacle.

I'm so frustrated that these guys in Washington can make decisions that are bad, and then cover them up by turning our focus to something else. Just listen to Barney Frank over the past year. He's flipped-flopped so many times I'm surprised he can keep everything straight. They don't even seem to feel bad that they don't take responsibility for their actions. I just don't get it! What have we become that this behavior has become acceptable?

Community Services Advisory Commission

2009-03-14T21:35:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I accepted an appointment by the mayor of Columbia to serve as a commissioner on the Community Services Advisory Commission. So what exactly does that mean?

The City of Columbia gives close to $1,000,000 a year to local non-profit organizations to purchase services that those organizations provide which mainly focus on low-income residents. The commission puts together a proposed budget on how this money should be spent and then they send it to City Council for approval.

Part of what we have to do is meet with these non-profit groups in our monthly meetings and listen to their proposals on why we should fund their organization. In order to approve their plan we have to determine if their service fits a need the city is looking for. The important thing I have to keep in mind is we don't do this to support these non-profit groups, we approve their proposals because they will fill a need the city feels is important and it's something the city doesn't have the resources to provide.

Whew! I'm confused just trying to explain this. The bottom line is this: I have been given an opportunity to help make a difference in our city. I met with Steve Hollis yesterday. He is the guy that works for the city's Health Department, and he is the guy that is responsible for overseeing this commission. According to him, he feels like this commission is the most important one in the city. This is due to the number of people we're able to help based on the dollars we give to these non-profits.

Needless to say, I'm excited about this opportunity. My first meeting is this Tuesday evening, and between now and July is the busy time of year for this commission, as we have until then to get the budget sent to City Council. I have been appointed to a 3 year term, so this is a long-term commitment.

If you'd like to learn more about this commission click here. This will send you right to the city's web-page that gives all the details. So if you're having trouble sleeping one night, just read some of this stuff and before long you'll be sleeping like a baby.

I'll try to keep everyone posted as the commission meetings progress and I try to get up to speed with exactly what I'm doing.

Bowling for Kids' Sake

2009-03-14T18:39:00.003-05:00

Today was the biggest fundraiser of the year for Big Brothers Big Sisters; Bowl for Kids' Sake. My Match Support Specialist Chris Keller asked me earlier this week if Jamel and I would come and bowl the first balls to kick off the Saturday afternoon round. I was honored that he asked us and when I mentioned it to Jamel he got really excited.

Once we bowled the first balls we started our game, and a few minutes later a bunch of Mizzou football players showed up and started bowling with us. What a surprise that was! They couldn't have been nicer and we had a great time hanging out with them. Jaron Baston even spent time giving Jamel some pointers on how to bowl.

When we were finished they took some pictures with us and even autographed our t-shirts. They also invited me and Jamel to come join them at the Spring Black & Gold Football game next month. During the event they bring the little brothers down on the field and run them through some drills. Jamel is excited about going to that.

Thanks to Big Brothers Big Sisters and Chris Keller for putting on a great event and for inviting me and Jamel to take part. Thanks also to the Mizzou Tigers Football Team for supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters and for coming and hanging out with me and Jamel. It will be something Jamel will never forget.

Stimulate Columbia MO Press Conference

2009-03-12T21:43:00.004-05:00

We kicked off our Stimulate Columbia project yesterday with a press conference held at Harbor House. I have posted some photos from the press conference as well as a transcript of my opening remarks below. We're excited about bringing some great local non-profit groups together that already do a great job of helping people in our city. Our goal is to stimulate our local economy by investing our money in people who just need a little help. By helping get these people to a place where they can be self-sufficient will help our economy in the long-term as they become contributing members of society.

KOMU came to the press conference and they did a great job of getting the message out to the city. You can see their report here.

Here are my opening remarks from the press conference:

Good morning, and welcome to the kick off of the Stimulate Columbia Project. My name is Tom Seagraves. A couple of months ago, President Obama spoke these words at his inauguration:

"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility...(one) that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task."

This new era of responsibility that President Obama spoke of is one we should take seriously as citizens of a nation that is made great, not by a government, but by its people. This responsibility should begin in our homes as we raise our children to be people of character. And from there it should be focused locally as we reach out together to help people in need. Helping people in need is the root of our project, and we believe that by helping people in need, right here in Columbia, we can stimulate our local economy for the long-term.

As one of the organizers of the Stimulate Columbia project, I speak for all of us when I tell you that we are passionate about loving our city and we only want the best for it. That’s why we hand-picked a few local organizations that already do a great job of helping people right here in Columbia. We thought that by bringing them together, they could help and influence more people. These non-profit charities that we have chosen focus on three very important groups of people: at-risk youth, low-income families and unemployed workers.

We already know that Columbia is a giving and generous place to live. A recent survey done by the Voluntary Action Center found the following:

116 local agencies said that 90,324 people volunteered in Columbia last year. Those people gave over 2.7 million hours. Had these agencies had to pay for those hours the cost would have been over $53 million.

As amazing as those facts are, there is still more work to be done, and there are still people here in Columbia who are sitting on the sidelines who need to get into the game.

Allow me to share the vision that the organizers of Stimulate Columbia have put together:

These unprecedented times have citizens and politicians alike searching far and wide for ideas to save our economy. The government, for months, has been wrestling with how to spend our money, and in the mean time, people are losing jobs, families are running out of money, and the next generation is losing hope.

Instead of waiting for Washington or Jefferson City, organizations across Columbia are banding together, working to save more than the economy; working to save our community.

As local layoffs increase, we’re giving our money freely to non-profit groups who work to rehabilitate those who have lost their jobs.

As low-income parents struggle to provide for their children, we’re giving money freely to local charities who work to make sure no one is left without the bare necessities of life.

And for those in the next generation, our children, who are losing hope, we’re giving our money freely to organizations who work with at-risk youth.

We believe the answer is not government; it’s small communities of people banding together to take care of their own. People like you and me right here in Columbia. We are responsible for our city, so let’s take this burden together and help lighten the load that many are now carrying.

I challenge every citizen in Columbia to give in one of three ways in the next 30 days:

1. Plan to give a portion, or all of your tax refund to one of our partner organizations.

2. Give 10% of your next paycheck, or your next 2 paychecks, to one of our partner organizations.

3. Give some of your time to one of our partner organizations.

We have set up a website where you can easily learn more about our partners, and also donate to them directly. The website address is stimulatecolumbiamo.org.

We are also hosting the Stimulate Columbia MO Expo, this Saturday, March 14th from 9am to 1pm at the Cherry Street Artisan in downtown Columbia. The Artisan is located on the corner of 9^th and Cherry. This will be an opportunity for Columbia residents to meet our partners face to face and ask them directly, “How will a donation to your organization stimulate the Columbia economy.”

One thing I can tell you with certainty; the people standing before you this morning love this city and the people in it. They work hard every day to make a difference here. They only want the best for the people they help and their goal is to help change these peoples’ lives so they can move on and be contributing members of our community.

Each one of our partners will now take a couple of minutes and give you a brief overview of how a donation to their agency will stimulate the Columbia economy.

Flight of the Concorde

2009-03-12T18:59:00.007-05:00

It's no secret that I'm an aviation enthusiast. So, when I came across this video I had to put it on my blog. Mainly so I would always have it to see whenever I desire. The Concorde was the only supersonic passenger aircraft that has ever been in service. It was flown only by British Airways and Air France. The few that were in service were grounded and retired a few years ago after one of the Air France Concorde's crashed during takeoff in Paris.

This airplane was on the top of my list of airplane's I wanted to fly on, but now that will never happen. So, the next closest thing is watching some video from the flight deck. Even though this aircraft flew at supersonic speeds, the cockpit was anything but advanced. It was designed in the 60's and was never really updated over the years. It flew with a 3-man crew until it was retired.

This video starts at 57,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean with the Concorde flying supersonic. It shows the crew slowing the plane down and descending into New York City for a landing at JFK. It is very cool video and a great piece of aviation history. Enjoy!

Stimulate Columbia Goes Live This Week

2009-03-08T14:51:00.002-05:00

After much planning and many changes, we're going live this week with the Stimulate Columbia MO project. Our partners are ready and so is the media, so Wednesday at 9am we will kick the project off with a press conference at the Harbor House, one of our partner locations. The press release went out on Thursday, and on Friday I had a few calls and pre-press conference interviews on the phone. So far the media is reacting well and I think we will have a strong presence there for the event.

The website is almost complete. Chad will be putting a few final touches on it this afternoon. Take a look and see what you think.

On Saturday from 9 to 1 we will be having a Stimulate Columbia MO Expo at the Cherry Street Artisan in downtown Columbia. This will give the public an opportunity to meet our partners. The partners will be able to tell people exactly how a donation to their organization will stimulate our local economy.

So come out on Saturday and support your community and stimulate the local economy by grabbing a hot cup of coffee and by giving some of your time and money to some great local charities.

Grace From the Fischtank

2009-02-24T08:25:00.002-06:00

John Fischer is one of those guys I've been reading for many years. I discovered him several years ago inside the back cover of CCM Magazine. Since then I have become the proud owner of several of his books. He's a self-proclaimed radical from the 60's who never looks for the easy way out or the easy answers. The cool thing about John; I had a question last week so I e-mailed him. He responded within a couple of hours. The following is from today's e-mail that I subscribe to from John. Take a look at what he had to say about grace. It is a whole new perspective on a familiar passage of scripture.

Catch of the Day

The glorious inequity of grace
by John Fischer

"But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." - Jesus Christ (Luke 6:35)

If you want to get a little taste of what God is like, try loving your enemies, lending money to those you know won't pay you back, and then try being kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. What does this do to one's sense of justice and fairness? What could this possibly be about? Jesus can't be serious about this, can he?

Here's what I think. I think Jesus is getting us to think this way because he wants us to see something important about ourselves.

After all, what are we thinking here… that we are God's friends, that we always pay back what we borrow, and that we are most certainly grateful and holy, and that's why it's so hard for us to understand why God would ask us, the holy ones, to be kind to all these wicked and ungrateful folks? Gee, somehow we're going to have to find it in ourselves to love these awful people. But I suppose that if God can do it, we can too. It will be a stretch, but we will try… Is that what this is about?

Hardly. Here's what I think it means:

There is relatively little difference between the most ungrateful, wicked people I can think of and me, and I had better be deeply grateful that God is, in fact, "unfair" in this way, because otherwise there would be no hope for me. I know this is what Jesus is saying because the very next verse is: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful [to you]." And that is followed up with: "Do not judge and you will not be judged." See where He's going with this?

When you look at it this way, it changes the whole picture.

Love your enemies and be kind to those who, like you, have received the kindness of God when you didn't deserve it. And if you are ever tempted to think of God as being unfair, then go all the way and rejoice in the glorious inequity of grace that has made unlikely room for you and me, and in that same spirit of "unfairness," make room in your heart for others.

To subscribe go to www.fischtank.com.

Fat Glenn

2009-02-23T19:38:00.002-06:00

Here is a video from Glenn Beck's TV show on Fox News. Here he does a great job of explaining how we have gotten into the financial mess that were in. I have to admit, I enjoyed Glenn a lot more before he started running around saying the sky is falling, but everything he says makes a lot of sense. I feel like that there is not much hope left for America. I don't think we'll recognize this country in 5 years. Good thing that as a Christian it really doesn't matter.

Shalom at Sol House

2009-02-19T17:21:00.003-06:00

Last night my C-Group from Karis went over to the Sol House and had dinner with the teens that live there as part of our Shalom project. Sol House is a transitional living facility for homeless teens ages 16 to 21. It is operated by Rainbow House in Columbia. They are always looking for people to come over and spend time with the teens and to encourage them by teaching them life skills. We had a great time and we worked with them in cooking a great meal. We also worked with them after the meal in cleaning the kitchen, which the staff at Sol House appreciated. I feel like we connected well with the teens and we are looking forward to going back next month. I want to send a big shout out to Amy Larson for putting together a great meal plan and bringing all the stuff we needed for the meal. She did a great job with the planning and the prep.

Beauty and the Beast

2009-02-13T22:11:00.005-06:00

Me, Janice and Jamel went to the third annual Beauty and the Beast gymnastic & wrestling event at the Hearnes Center tonight at Mizzou. It was an interesting event as there were gymnastic events and wrestling matches going on at the same time. It was hard on deciding what to watch. Unfortunately, our wrestling team didn't do so well tonight.

Jamel had a great time and he was excited that he got to take a Mizzou wrestling poster home with him.

The most interesting thing that happened was a conversation Jamel and I had on our way to pick up Janice. Somehow the subject of Michael Phelps came up. He asked me why someone who was a world record holder and a great swimmer would smoke marijuana. I had the chance to talk to Jamel about how we all will be faced with choices. Sometimes the choices will be easy and some will be hard, and at some point we will all make the wrong choice. The important thing is to learn from those mistakes and to take responsibility for them. We talked about how Phelps didn't make excuses, he took responsibility, he didn't whine about consequences, he took his medicine. It has probably been a difficult couple of weeks for him, but he did the right thing.

Jamel really seemed like he understood, and he even said it was like when he took responsibility for his dog chewing up his library book. I think he got it. He is a smart kid.

He told me on the drive home that he likes hanging out with me and he is glad I'm his Big Brother. Our relationship continues to grow and the conversations continue to get deeper. Not bad for only 2 months.

Camp CUMCITO 2009 Begins

2009-02-08T15:21:00.003-06:00

This Saturday Janice and I will be heading to Kansas City to meet with the planning team for Pre-teen week at Camp CUMCITO 2009. I can't believe that it's time to start planning again for another year. Camp CUMCITO (City Union Mission's Camp in the Ozarks) is operated by City Union Mission in Kansas City. This will be the 4th year Janice and I will be involved together with camp. We have served at pre-teen camp each year except for 2007 when we served at junior camp. Here is a link to a video that was made during our week at Junior camp in 2007. Pre-teen camp is for boys and girls ages 11 and 12. I will be the male staff director for the second time this year. Janice may be working in a cabin this year but she is still not sure. Last summer my niece Katlin from Tulsa came and worked with us at camp and she will be coming back this summer. She wants to work in a cabin this year.

Camp CUMCITO is an opportunity for inner-city kids to get away from the environment they're used to and put them in a place where they can see that there is something different out there. The motto of camp is, "An Opportunity For A Changed Life." Of course, the only way life can truly be changed is through a relationship with Christ. So, we try to let them see Christ for a week. Most of these kids go right back to bad situations, so we try to offer them a glimpse of something they will remember.

Camp seems to be more exciting each year especially now that we are involved in some of the planning. It helps to build some anticipation for the week we will spend there. Take a look at the video and maybe you'll want to come serve with us this year. We can always use more help.

The Katy Trail...In February?

2009-02-07T19:42:00.006-06:00

It reached 70 degrees today so Jamel and I hit the Katy Trail in Rocheport for a little hiking action. We visited the Rocheport train tunnel and we hiked to the top of the hill on top of the tunnel overlooking the Missouri River. Jamel is not a big "outdoor activity" kind of guy, so this was a new experience for him. It definitely wore him out. As soon as we left and got back on the road he promptly fell asleep. He said he enjoyed it and he wants to spend more time on the trail this summer. This Friday we will be going to the Beauty and the Beast Gymnastics/Wrestling event at Mizzou.

Integrity

2009-02-03T21:10:00.002-06:00

With everything going on in Washington these days, namely all the folks who haven't paid their taxes either getting into, or almost getting into, cabinet positions, I have been thinking about the importance of Integrity. Today Janice sent me this quote she got from a daily email she receives:

Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.
Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

Then, this evening I saw this small article in the news from the New York Post:

FRESNO, Calif. -- Hero pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger is now every librarian's hero, too.

When the US Airways pilot's plane ended up at the bottom of the Hudson River on Jan. 15, so did a book he had checked out from the library at California State University, Fresno, through his local library near Danville.

Sullenberger contacted library officials and asked for an extension and waiver of overdue fees because the book was in the airliner's cargo hold.

Fresno State library officials said they were struck by Sullenberger's sense of responsibility and did him one better: they're waiving all fees, even lost book fees, and placing a template in the replacement book dedicating it to him.

The book's subject? Professional ethics.

I'm not sure how to wrap my mind around this whole thing. It seems to me that Sullenberger should be the guy going after one of these cabinet positions. Not because he landed a plane in the Hudson. He was supposed to do that. He was trained to do that. But because he's reading a book on professional ethics. I think the above quote applies to him. He has the integrity, and probably the knowledge. Plus he is still trying to get more knowledge. Then he calls the library to say he won't be returning the book! I bet he would have paid any fees had they not waived them and he would have done it without complaint.

I'd like to see what these guys in Washington are reading.

My point is this: I think most of us are more like Sullenberger than these Washington clowns. We're just regular Joe's out there working hard trying to make an honest living. How does it even make sense that any of those guys in Washington can make decisions on our behalf? How do they know what we need or what's best for us?

What can we do? Uncle Ted (Ted Nugent) said it best. I heard him interviewed a few weeks ago. He said we need to make our opinions known to our congressmen and senators as often as possible. Let them know we are not politicians, we're just regular people. Scream loudly and often and make them listen. Be nice, but always share your opinion. Get involved in your community and help make changes at the local level. Make a difference in your community. Volunteer. Serve. Help others. Be part of a community. Have a stake in something.

I feel like this whole posting is a bunch of rambling, but only we can make a difference. We can't give up. Our nation depends on it.

Imprimis

2009-02-02T21:09:00.003-06:00

Several years ago I heard Paul Harvey on the radio talking about a newsletter that you could get a free subscription to. It was produced by Hillsdale College in Michigan and it was called Imprimis. I made the phone call and since then I have been enjoying the newsletter. It arrives monthly and it features a printed version of a recent speech that was given by various people at different venues around the world. The reason I mention this now is because I just read a great speech last night from the November 08 issue by Dinesh D'Souza. D'Souza is a great Christian thinker and the author of the recent book, What's So Great About Christianity. The book made some waves in the mainstream media when it came out a few months ago.

Anyway, in his speech in the November issue of Imprimis, he gives some great insight on America being founded on Christian principles. Hillsdale College archives Imprimis online, so click here if you want to read his speech.

If you like what you read, you may want to sign up for your free subscription to Imprimis.

Another Library Visit

2009-02-02T20:58:00.003-06:00

Jamel and I made another trip to the library this evening. When I picked him up he was a little upset that his dog had chewed up one of his library books. The cool thing was that he knew it was his responsibility to pay for it. He was afraid he would be in trouble because he didn't have any money to pay for it today. I told him when we got to the library he would have to tell them what happened and then he would have to work out how he was going to pay for it. Fortunately, the people at the library were very cool about the whole thing. Jamel explained what happened and he worked it out. I was very proud of him. When he told the man that he didn't have money tonight, he was told that he could go ahead and check out more books tonight and pay for the book next time he came in. On the way home we had a great conversation about being up front about things. He explained to me that he knew trying to hide it was not the right thing to do. He also said he learned a lesson about keeping his books away from his dog.

Looks like we're going to try and hook up again Saturday.

My Review of the Canadian Brass

2009-02-01T22:11:00.003-06:00

Janice and I had the opportunity Friday evening to go see the Canadian Brass at Jesse Hall at Mizzou. I had never heard of them so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I got was a nice surprise. The concert started with the quintet walking down the aisle playing the old hymn, Just A Closer Walk With Thee. Then they played a wide variety of songs from J.S. Bach to a musical opera by Peter Schickele for their closing number. They also did some great jazz tunes as well as some Glenn Miller selections. I think my favorite song of the night was their encore selection. They played an arrangement of Handel's Messiah mixed with When the Saints Go Marching In. I know what you're thinking, "How could that ever work?" Well, it worked great! I also never thought I would hear a french horn sound "cool." But their french horn player could really blow.

They also mix a lot of humor into their show. Chuck Daellenbach, their tuba player, had a great sense of humor. His introduction to each selection was almost as great as the music. They played one song where they said it was a custom for the instrumentalists to locate themselves in different places in the auditorium. Chuck took his tuba and found an empty seat in the middle of the hall. After making several people stand up so he could squeeze in, and then having the lady in front of him hold his music, he played the song flawlessly.

We also found out that their trombone player, Gene Watts, is a native of Sedalia and a graduate of Mizzou. Recently he even received an honorary doctorate from Mizzou. So this concert was sort of a homecoming for him.

The group has been around since 1970 and Daellenbach and Watts are the two original members still part of the group. I had never heard of them before this concert, but I really enjoyed the show and would not mind having some of their music handy. So, if you ever get the chance to see them it would be well worth it. Check out their website and listen to some of their selections.

Mizzou BBall With KPL

2009-01-31T21:15:00.003-06:00

I got the chance to go see a Mizzou Basketball game with my pastor, Kevin Larson tonight. Mizzou laid the smack down on Baylor in an almost packed house at Mizzou arena. There were a few moments of worry as Baylor went on a few runs and almost took the lead, but in the end Mizzou prevailed 89-72. It was great spending some time with Kevin, especially since he is a true tiger fan. If any of you ever have any tickets and you don't know what to do with them, pass them to Kevin. He will gladly go, and he will appreciate it too.

Inconvenient Debt

2009-01-31T21:02:00.003-06:00

The government has decided to print money...lot's and lot's of money, to try and "stimulate" the economy. They are also in the midst of passing a huge "stimulus package" which many of the politicians in Washington think will fix everything. This is actually very scary. Check out this video from Glenn Beck. He is someone I have listened to for a long time on the radio. He now has a TV show on Fox. Sometimes I think he's a little nutty, but all this money printing is making me nervous. Glenn's take on it is very interesting.

Senator McCaskill, Honesty & Atlas Shrugged

2009-01-28T21:23:00.004-06:00

Today I decided to call my congressman and senators to voice my opinion on a few issues. By the way, I would encourage everyone to do the same. It's easy to save their numbers in your cell phone, and it only takes a few minutes to leave your opinion. Anyway, I called Senator Bond and McCaskill's offices to voice my opinion on the confirmation of Eric Holder for Attorney General as that vote was taking place this afternoon. I told both senators that I regretted not calling last week and voicing my opinion about Michael Geithner, President Obama's pick for Secretary of the Treasury. Who, by the way, was confirmed earlier this week. After extending my regret for not calling earlier, (please note, I did not share my opinion on how I felt about Geithner at this point) I asked how each senator would be voting for Holder's confirmation. The lady who answered the phone for Senator McCaskill immediately flew off the handle and angrily said that she didn't know how she would vote. I asked her to calm down and not treat me in this rude manner. She immediately yelled at me and insisted she was not being rude. I then told her that seeing as how my tax dollars paid her salary, she should really reconsider how she was speaking to me. To make a long story short, the conversation only went downhill from there.

So, Senator McCaskill, if you by some miracle happen to read this blog, please help this young lady learn to be happy in her work. Maybe she needs a vacation. Or maybe, she's a closet conservative who needs to be rescued from this liberal senatorial office.

So why do I mention honesty in my title? Because I'm really concerned that so many people think it's OK to put people in these leadership positions (Geithner & Holder) who have integrity issues. Even Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, who is typically quite conservative, voted for Geithner in the confirmation vote. Why? Because he says it's more important to get someone like Geithner in place so he can start working on the bailout of the economy than to start another confirmation process all over again. WHAT!?!? Why is it OK to place someone in a leadership role who has integrity issues. This should never happen! Under no circumstances!

This is not about left vs. right. This is about right vs. wrong! My grandpa, who was a farmer his whole life, was the smartest man I ever knew. This was a man who couldn't even read or write. He also had more integrity in his little finger than anyone else I've ever met has in their whole body. I spent a lot of time with him as a kid. He used to tell me, "Honesty is like pregnancy; either you are or you aren't." So there's no middle ground here. These guys have integrity issues. Period. These things will not change now that they are in these high level positions.

So do my senators care that these guys have integrity issues? Does it matter to them? I hope so. What can I do? Keep calling, even if the response to my question is rude, I will continue to call.

I then got an email from a friend who sent me this great article by Stephen Moore. He's an editorial writer for the Wall Street Journal. I've seen him in several interviews and he always seems to have a good head on his shoulders. He talks about Ayn Rand's book, Atlas Shrugged. I've got this book in my library and I've never gotten around to reading it, but now it seems I need to. This book was written over 50 years ago, but in this short article I was amazed at how this 50 year old text is so applicable to us today. So, even though this blog entry is already really long, take a few more minutes and read this article. It will make you think.

'Atlas Shrugged': From Fiction to Fact in 52 Years

By STEPHEN MOORE

Some years ago when I worked at the libertarian Cato Institute, we used to label any new hire who had not yet read "Atlas Shrugged" a "virgin." Being conversant in Ayn Rand's classic novel about the economic carnage caused by big government run amok was practically a job requirement. If only "Atlas" were required reading for every member of Congress and political appointee in the Obama administration. I'm confident that we'd get out of the current financial mess a lot faster.

Many of us who know Rand's work have noticed that with each passing week, and with each successive bailout plan and economic-stimulus scheme out of Washington, our current politicians are committing the very acts of economic lunacy that "Atlas Shrugged" parodied in 1957, when this 1,000-page novel was first published and became an instant hit.

Rand, who had come to America from Soviet Russia with striking insights into totalitarianism and the destructiveness of socialism, was already a celebrity. The left, naturally, hated her. But as recently as 1991, a survey by the Library of Congress and the Book of the Month Club found that readers rated "Atlas" as the second-most influential book in their lives, behind only the Bible.

For the uninitiated, the moral of the story is simply this: Politicians invariably respond to crises -- that in most cases they themselves created -- by spawning new government programs, laws and regulations. These, in turn, generate more havoc and poverty, which inspires the politicians to create more programs . . . and the downward spiral repeats itself until the productive sectors of the economy collapse under the collective weight of taxes and other burdens imposed in the name of fairness, equality and do-goodism.

In the book, these relentless wealth redistributionists and their programs are disparaged as "the looters and their laws." Every new act of government futility and stupidity carries with it a benevolent-sounding title. These include the "Anti-Greed Act" to redistribute income (sounds like Charlie Rangel's promises soak-the-rich tax bill) and the "Equalization of Opportunity Act" to prevent people from starting more than one business (to give other people a chance). My personal favorite, the "Anti Dog-Eat-Dog Act," aims to restrict cut-throat competition between firms and thus slow the wave of business bankruptcies. Why didn't Hank Paulson think of that?

These acts and edicts sound farcical, yes, but no more so than the actual events in Washington, circa 2008. We already have been served up the $700 billion "Emergency Economic Stabilization Act" and the "Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act." Now that Barack Obama is in town, he will soon sign into law with great urgency the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan." This latest Hail Mary pass will increase the federal budget (which has already expanded by $1.5 trillion in eight years under George Bush) by an additional $1 trillion -- in roughly his first 100 days in office.

The current economic strategy is right out of "Atlas Shrugged": The more incompetent you are in business, the more handouts the politicians will bestow on you. That's the justification for the $2 trillion of subsidies doled out already to keep afloat distressed insurance companies, banks, Wall Street investment houses, and auto companies -- while standing next in line for their share of the booty are real-estate developers, the steel industry, chemical companies, airlines, ethanol producers, construction firms and even catfish farmers. With each successive bailout to "calm the markets," another trillion of national wealth is subsequently lost. Yet, as "Atlas" grimly foretold, we now treat the incompetent who wreck their companies as victims, while those resourceful business owners who manage to make a profit are portrayed as recipients of illegitimate "windfalls."

When Rand was writing in the 1950s, one of the pillars of American industrial might was the railroads. In her novel the railroad owner, Dagny Taggart, an enterprising industrialist, has a FedEx-like vision for expansion and first-rate service by rail. But she is continuously badgered, cajoled, taxed, ruled and regulated -- always in the public interest -- into bankruptcy. Sound far-fetched? On the day I sat down to write this ode to "Atlas," a Wall Street Journal headline blared: "Rail Shippers Ask Congress to Regulate Freight Prices."

In one chapter of the book, an entrepreneur invents a new miracle metal -- stronger but lighter than steel. The government immediately appropriates the invention in "the public good." The politicians demand that the metal inventor come to Washington and sign over ownership of his invention or lose everything.

The scene is eerily similar to an event late last year when six bank presidents were summoned by Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson to Washington, and then shuttled into a conference room and told, in effect, that they could not leave until they collectively signed a document handing over percentages of their future profits to the government. The Treasury folks insisted that this shakedown, too, was all in "the public interest."

Ultimately, "Atlas Shrugged" is a celebration of the entrepreneur, the risk taker and the cultivator of wealth through human intellect. Critics dismissed the novel as simple-minded, and even some of Rand's political admirers complained that she lacked compassion. Yet one pertinent warning resounds throughout the book: When profits and wealth and creativity are denigrated in society, they start to disappear -- leaving everyone the poorer.

One memorable moment in "Atlas" occurs near the very end, when the economy has been rendered comatose by all the great economic minds in Washington. Finally, and out of desperation, the politicians come to the heroic businessman John Galt (who has resisted their assault on capitalism) and beg him to help them get the economy back on track. The discussion sounds much like what would happen today:

Galt: "You want me to be Economic Dictator?"

Mr. Thompson: "Yes!"

"And you'll obey any order I give?"

"Implicitly!"

"Then start by abolishing all income taxes."

"Oh no!" screamed Mr. Thompson, leaping to his feet. "We couldn't do that . . . How would we pay government employees?"

"Fire your government employees."

"Oh, no!"

Abolishing the income tax. Now that really would be a genuine economic stimulus. But Mr. Obama and the Democrats in Washington want to do the opposite: to raise the income tax "for purposes of fairness" as Barack Obama puts it.

David Kelley, the president of the Atlas Society, which is dedicated to promoting Rand's ideas, explains that "the older the book gets, the more timely its message." He tells me that there are plans to make "Atlas Shrugged" into a major motion picture -- it is the only classic novel of recent decades that was never made into a movie. "We don't need to make a movie out of the book," Mr. Kelley jokes. "We are living it right now."

Mr. Moore is senior economics writer for The Wall Street Journal editorial page.

Branson Airshow!

2009-01-21T22:00:00.003-06:00

So there is some exciting news coming out of Branson. They're having an airshow in May. Click here to see the website that give all the details. It will feature the USAF Thunderbirds, US Army Golden Knights, and stunt pilot Patty Wagstaff. They are doing this to kick off the opening of the new Branson airport.

Beef Jerky

2009-01-18T21:41:00.003-06:00

Today I made my second batch of beef jerky, and I hit the bullseye. I'm going to post the recipe below mainly so I will have it for future use. I used to work with a guy in Pennsylvania who made his own jerky, and he once gave me some he made with Maker's Mark Bourbon. It was some of the best jerky I had ever tasted. So, I did a little research and concocted my own Maker's Mark recipe. I went to Hy-Vee again for the meat. I have used their top round roast now twice and it works well. They have a cut with very little fat and they will slice it for you. This time they did it thinner than the first time. It's a little too thin for me, but it still worked great. Here is the recipe:

2 1/2 pound top round roast sliced thin

8 oz. can tomato sauce

2 1/2 Tbsp. of curing salt

2 Tbsp. of brown sugar

1 tsp. of cayenne pepper

4 Tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce

4 oz. of Maker's Mark Bourbon

Mix the ingredients and marinate sliced meat at least 12 hours in refrigerator. Make sure you brush the marinade on. You want the meat wet but not soaked in the marinade. If it's too wet it will not dehydrate properly.

Dehydrate the meat for at least 4 hours and enjoy!

If you're lucky enough and you ask nicely I may even let you try a piece. You should hurry though because it won't last long.

Paul Blart, the Library, and Honesty

2009-01-18T21:08:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was a full day with Jamel. We originally were going to the Mizzou Basketball game, but we had to change the plans at the last minute. To begin the day we had a great conversation about honesty. A situation occurred even before I went to pick him up and the topic of honesty was staring us in the face. This was the first opportunity we've had to have a real tough discussion. When it was over, he understood the importance of honesty, and he now knows that no matter what he tells me, I'm not going anywhere.

We then decided to go by the library. Jamel got his first library card which he was very excited about. He has had a real interest in the World Trade Center since I've known him. Not only about how it came down, but also how it was built. I told him that we should go to the library and find some books on the subject so he could learn about the towers. We found a great kids book about how the terrorists brought down the towers. It explained everything on 9/11 from start to finish, and it was age appropriate for him. We also found a great book about how the towers were built. So, he was pretty excited. The scary part was that on the way to the library, Jamel told me he had one of his teachers tell him that George Bush is the one who made the towers collapse. How do you deal with that? I told him he needed to do some research on his own and then he could make his own decision on what happened. I was glad to find that book!

We decided to go see the movie Paul Blart: Mall Cop. It was pretty corny, but it had its moments. It was definitely a good movie for kids to see. If you liked Kevin James in King of Queens, then you'll like this. It was his typical brand of comedy. It also had a pretty good family message in it. The middle of the movie got a little boring. Jamel even took a nap for a while.

All in all, we had a great day. I'm enjoying the Big Brother thing, and I'm looking forward to the next 11 months as we continue our relationship.

Stimulate Columbia MO Partnerships Finalized

2009-01-11T18:30:00.003-06:00

We're down to the wire on the planning of Stimulate Columbia MO. We have made contact, interviewed, and approved our partners for the project. They are as follows:

At-Risk Youth:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central MO

Rainbow House

The Intersection

Low-Income Families:

Voluntary Action Center

Central MO Food Bank

Love INC.

The Unemployed:

Harbor House

Boone County Community Partnership/Re-entry Program

Salvation Army

Our website will be live by the end of the week. Now we just need congress and President-Elect Obama to follow-through on their promise of the economic stimulus package. Our media campaign will begin as soon as the announcement is made that the bill has been passed through congress.

Central MO Aviation

2009-01-11T17:17:00.009-06:00

Today Jamel and I visited Central MO Aviation at Columbia Regional Airport. We were very fortunate to run into John, a flight instructor at the airport. He spent time with us explaining lift and drag, and all the stuff that makes airplanes fly. He even took us out to his Cessna 150 and gave Jamel an inside the cockpit tour. Jamel has never flown or been near any kind of airplane, so he was very excited about this opportunity. John explained to him how easy it is to fly and how anyone can do it. He even encouraged Jamel that in a few years he can start flying lessons if he wanted to. Jamel was an eager learner as he sat in the cockpit and asked John question after question. He walked away from the airplane saying that he was sure he could fly after all the information he had been given.

After our Cessna tour, the linemen at Central MO Aviation let us walk down the flight line and look at the airplanes that were parked. There were several airplanes there of all different varieties. We even got to see a couple of large business jets depart and a couple different small airplanes land.

On the way home Jamel commented to me that this was one of the most fun things he's ever done. He also asked me if I could come visit him at school sometime and eat lunch with him. So, this will be something we will try and coordinate soon. It also looks like we'll be going to another Mizzou basketball game this Saturday.

BlackBerry Media Solutions

2009-01-05T21:03:00.005-06:00

If you use your BlackBerry's media player, and you use iTunes, then you need BlackBerry Media Sync. It allows you to copy your iTunes playlists right onto your BlackBerry. It's fast, easy, and free. Click here to go get the free download.

To get the most out of your music experience on your BlackBerry, try using the MOTOROKR S9 Bluetooth Stereo Headphones. This is great to use at the gym or when you're walking, running or biking because there are no wires to get in the way. And, it still works for phone calls at the same time. If you receive a call while listening to music, the BlackBerry automatically pauses the music while you take the call. I've actually had this item for quite sometime and I love it. It also is a great thing to use when you fly because it is small and easy to throw in a carry-on. It is a quality item and it takes the same car charger as your BlackBerry.

I have recently been testing the MOTOROKR T505 Bluetooth Speakerphone. I was skeptical at first, but this has proven to be a great product. This Bluetooth includes a digital FM tuner so you can not only listen to music from your BlackBerry media player through your car stereo, but you can also listen to phone calls in stereo through your car speaker system. The quality of the call is so good that the person you're talking to doesn't even know you're using a speakerphone. If you spend a lot of time behind the wheel, then you want this product. This item also uses the same car charger as your BlackBerry.

Ben Stein's Answer To The Bad Economy

2009-01-02T15:18:00.002-06:00

Ben Stein is someone I admire and respect. He is a great conservative thinker and uses logic in his commentaries. You may remember him from his role in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (Bueller, Beuller). But, that's not all he's done. He was a speechwriter for Richard Nixon and he was part of Reagan's economic team for a while. He also put out a movie recently that I highly recommend. It's titled Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. It was released on DVD a couple of weeks ago. He recently had a commentary on CBS Sunday Morning which I thought was great. You can read it here. In the second to the last paragraph he talks about stimulating the economy by donating money to charity. This is exactly what we want to do with Stimulate Columbia MO. WE can help get the economy going by donating money locally. Government is not the answer. I think if Ben knew about the little project we had going on, he would get behind it.

Loaves & Fishes

2009-01-01T19:00:00.007-06:00

Jamel and I joined the Ballou Community Group from Karis this afternoon to serve dinner in downtown Columbia at the Loaves & Fishes Soup Kitchen. It was fun hanging out and serving dinner with some folks from Karis, and Jamel told me on the way home that he had a great time. He asked a lot of questions about Loaves & Fishes, so it was a good opportunity for some great dialogue. He wanted to know where the people came from that were there to eat dinner, and he also asked why so many of us were there to help serve. Jamel pitched in and worked hard along with everyone else, and with so many there the work was not too difficult. The Ballou Community Group serves at Loaves & Fishes the first Thursday of each month, so I would encourage anyone who is interested to go help them if you can.

Jonathan On Ice

2008-12-31T14:02:00.003-06:00

This is a video my nephew Jonathan sent me. This is what he was doing during a recent snow day from school. At least he was in a vacant parking lot and not out on the street somewhere.

Mizzou Basketball

2008-12-31T13:13:00.004-06:00

Thanks to the University of Missouri donating some tickets to Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Jamel and I were able to go see a basketball game last night in Mizzou Arena. We had a great time. Mizzou beat Centenary 80-52. Jamel and I enjoyed the game and we got a chance to become a little better acquainted.

Our next activity is scheduled for New Year's Day (tomorrow). We will join some folks at Karis in serving dinner at the Loaves & Fishes soup kitchen in downtown Columbia. This is an on-going project for one of our Community Groups at Karis as they try to meet the needs of some of Columbia's homeless residents. Jamel seems to be excited about serving with us tomorrow. He asked me the question last night, "Why are we doing that?" I got to explain to him that helping people who need it is a really good thing to do. I'm hoping that over the next year I can show Jamel how important it is to serve others.

By the way, he told me last night that his mother and brothers really enjoyed the sugar cookies that we made last week.

Airbus A320

2008-12-29T19:57:00.003-06:00

Janice and I flew home from Florida this morning. We had an early morning flight from Tampa to Memphis on an Airbus A320 with Northwest Airlines. I've only flown on an Airbus a couple of times, and me being the aviation enthusiast that I am, I asked the captain for a cockpit tour once we arrived in Memphis. He was very accommodating and even offered me a seat in the first officer's chair. I was able to grill him pretty hard on Airbus A320 details. He told me it has been his favorite airplane to fly by far. He said he has flown just about every Boeing airliner there is, and he said nothing Boeing has can beat the fly-by-wire system that Airbus has. He said he also never wants to go back to a yoke after using the side joystick that Airbus uses.

I was very impressed with the quietness and roominess of the Airbus. It seemed the aisle was wider than any other plane I've been on, and there was also a lot of overhead room, even under the overhead compartments. We got lucky on this flight also by getting to sit in an exit row, so we had plenty of legroom.

We also flew in and out of Columbia for the first time. Northwest recently started service from Columbia to Memphis with Saab 340 turboprop aircraft. These are 34 passenger planes and they are also a pretty comfortable ride. Our flights both coming and going were pretty full, and with Northwest offering competitive pricing, it sure beats driving 2 hours to St. Louis or Kansas City.

Busch Gardens

2008-12-27T17:21:00.006-06:00

Today Janice and I got to go to Busch Gardens in Tampa for a few hours with Bonnie, Eliana and Mikayla. We had a great time, and the most fun was just being with the kids and watching their reactions to the different experiences they had. This picture is Janice and Mikayla visiting with the dragons that walk around the park. These were people on stilts with these long dragon necks and heads that they could bend down with to get at the level of the kids. They were a little scary for the kids.

Bonnie and I got to ride the roller coaster Montu, which was a lot of fun. It was a floor-less coaster with 7 different loops. Top speed was 65 miles per hour and up to 3.85 g's. What a rush.

The weather down here was perfect for visiting an amusement park. As you can imagine, being the Saturday after Christmas, it was very busy.

Our time down here is almost over. We have one more full day left before we head back to Columbia. I will post some photos later from the trip.

Christmas In Florida

2008-12-26T12:58:00.007-06:00

Janice and I are in Florida for the Christmas holiday. We're staying with Janice's sister Bonnie and her family which includes two of the coolest niece's (as I do have other cool niece's) in the whole world, Eliana and Mikayla. Eliana is 4 and Mikayla is 2, and for some reason they love their Uncle Tom. Yesterday I got to show Eliana how to act like a monkey which was something that was enjoyed by all. I'm working hard at not showing them anything that will get them in trouble, which for those of you that know me, is kind of hard to do.

We're here until Monday which is when we have a VERY early flight out of Tampa. I think we have to leave for the airport at 4 am!

I hope everyone is having a great Christmas holiday. Hopefully everyone is remembering why we celebrate Christmas. It's a great time to visit family, give and receive gifts, and eat lots of good food, but Christ is really why we're able to celebrate. Have a great weekend and I will write more later.

Karis Community Church

2008-12-24T12:11:00.004-06:00

Someone was reading the blog and asked me about Karis. So, in case you are wondering about it, take a look for yourself.

Merry Christmas!

Chili and Sugar Cookies

2008-12-24T08:34:00.004-06:00

Jamel came over Monday for dinner and we enjoyed some great Chili that Janice prepared. We then made some Christmas sugar cookies that Jamel took home to give to his mom. Great fun was had by all! We also worked on mastering a motocross computer game, which we still need work on.

We will be attending the Mizzou basketball game on the 30th. Big Brothers/Big Sisters secured some tickets from the Mizzou athletic department for this game and we will get to sit in the student section. There will probably not be many people there as most students are home on Christmas break, and we're playing Centenary, whoever that is. But, it will still be fun.

Then, on January 1st, Jamel and I will be serving dinner at the Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen in downtown Columbia along with others from Karis Community Church. Keep checking back for more updates!

Ronald Reagan and Christmas

2008-12-21T21:47:00.008-06:00

This article was emailed to me from one of my customers who shares my high regard for Ronald Reagan. This is one of the many stories about him that show the kind of man he was. Enjoy!

President Reagan's Favorite Christmas Gift
By Floyd and Mary Beth Brown
December 20, 2008

"Christmas has always been a very special day for as long back as I can remember," Ronald Reagan once wrote in a letter. "Maybe this was due to my mother and her joyous spirit about the day."

Although President Reagan could have spent his White House Christmases with family at his beloved ranch in Santa Barbara, Calif., he instead stayed in Washington, D.C. His sacrifice allowed Secret Service agents and other aides to spend Christmas at home with their families. He was a thoughtful person.

Reagan grew up in a desperately poor family. His father was a shoe sales clerk who had trouble keeping a job, partly because he was an alcoholic. "There were very few decorated trees in the years of my growing up. But never defeated, my mother would with ribbon and crepe paper decorate a table or create a cardboard fireplace out of a packing box. And she always remembered whose birthday it was and made sure we knew the meaning of Christmas."

His mother Nelle was an optimistic Christian woman who always looked for the positive side in every situation. President Reagan explained, no matter how bad things were for their family, his mother was always finding someone worse off than them. Reagan's most vivid early memory of his mother was of her with a covered dish taking it to a needy family. Nelle was always helping others.

Perhaps those lean years are one reason why Ronald Reagan once said a particular Christmas gift was especially memorable for him. It was his favorite gift and it came from his brother Neil. He called it "a gift truly in keeping with the spirit of the day." Neil had been struggling to find a suitable gift for his brother; they both were middle-aged adults and both men had successful careers.

Neil solved his dilemma by writing a letter. In the letter, Neil told his brother he had found a truly needy family with small children "who wouldn't go to bed with dreams of Santa Claus in their head." Ronald Reagan recounted how his brother Neil changed that and "became Santa
himself, providing a Christmas from tree to turkey plus toys and gifts for all." Included in Neil's letter was a very detailed blow-by-blow account describing the "joy of the children and the grateful happiness of their mother."

This act of charitable giving by Neil reads like the end of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" and became President Reagan's most unforgettable Christmas gift. He called it "a gift that will never grow old," as he would re-read the letter or think about the family's reaction to Neil's generosity.

Helping and serving others gives true joy and happiness, not only to the recipient but even more so to the giver. Maybe Neil's gift was particularly touching to Reagan because he knew what it was like to go without.

Today, there are still families out there who are in difficult circumstances and they face a bleak Christmas. A gift like Neil's may be the perfect gift for you to give to that someone in your life who has everything. Your church or locally based charities such as the Salvation Army are aware of needy families. You could make a difference and receive special Christmas joy by giving to a family who has hit hard times. Then write a letter similar to Neil's describing
the family's reactions and give it as a gift. This is the true spirit of Christmas.

On Christmas Eve 1984, speaking to the nation, President Reagan said, "families and friends across America will join together in caroling parties and Christmas Eve services. Together, we'll renew that spirit of faith, peace, and giving which has always marked the character of our people."

At the end of his tale, Dickens writes, "it was always said of [Scrooge], that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May this be said of all of us. And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!"

Merry Christmas!

---

©2008 Floyd and Mary Beth Brown. The Browns are bestselling authors
and speakers. Together they write a national weekly column distributed
exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate. For more info call
Cari Dawson Bartley at 800 696 7561 or e-mail cari@cagle.com.

Meet Jamel

2008-12-20T23:25:00.005-06:00

Here is Jamel, my little brother. Today was our first time hanging out. We didn't do anything real exciting. We washed my truck inside and out, went to Staples and Sam's Club, and stopped by my office to drop some stuff off. We even dropped by the house for a while and played some computer games. We had a great time getting to know each other. The great thing was that he asked a lot of questions about me, so we had a lot of conversation. We're going to get together Monday evening for dinner so we can hang out one more time before Janice and I go to Florida for Christmas. We even made plans for some stuff after Christmas. So, my year with Jamel has begun and I think it will be fun. I'll keep you posted.

Introducing......

2008-12-19T21:46:00.002-06:00

StimulateColumbiaMO.org

No, the website isn't up yet, but it will be. So, what is it? A few weeks ago Rob Gaskin and I were discussing the next stimulus package that congress has been talking about giving us. We both agreed that we are against another stimulus check, but since you can't opt out of getting it our thought was we should just give it away. Then we started taking the idea a little further. What if we started some kind of organization that would direct people to give their money to local charities and invest in our community. Instead of going to Best Buy and getting that TV you don't really need, what if you took your money and gave it to an organization that would truly keep the money local. Here's an example:

You donate your money to Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Central MO which is based here in Columbia. They take the money and recruit more mentors for local kids. A kid that is mentored through their program has a greater chance of staying in school and doing something with their life. So, with that kid staying in school, the school gets funding from the federal government for that kid. So that's more money coming in to the local economy. Also, when the kid gets older he/she gets a job and pays taxes which is more money in the local economy. It also is a chance for that kid to not be on welfare, which is then less of a burden on us.

When you buy that TV the money may be spent locally, but then it's gone, never to be seen again. By giving your money locally it could have long-term effects on our local economy.

So, we have decided to focus on three groups of people: at-risk children/youth, low-income families, and the unemployed. Our idea is to have 3 or 4 local charities for each of these categories that we can focus peoples' giving to. This way a larger impact can be made by focusing on just a few charities. We are currently in the process of putting all this together. We have recruited some help from several people at Karis Community Church and a few others. We are currently building the website, crafting a vision statement, choosing and interviewing local charities, and building an advertising campaign. Our goal is to be up and running on January 5th. We want to be ready when the announcement comes from congress that the bill has been approved. The goal of congress is to have the bill ready for President-elect Obama to sign on inauguration day. When the announcement is made that the stimulus is official we have to have the campaign ready to go, as people will spend that money in their heads when the announcement is made.

We are excited and we have a lot of work to do, but we feel like this can make a huge impact on our local economy and our community. Assuming that we get $600 each again, if 10,000 people donate half of that here in Columbia, we would have $3,000,000! It can happen!

So, what do you think? Are you willing to help? Do you have any ideas for local charities we should consider? Any feedback you have would be appreciated.

Postponing Reality

2008-12-19T08:52:00.003-06:00

Here is a short article by Thomas Sowell where he talks about the upcoming bailout of the big three automakers. G. Gordon Liddy calls Sowell the smartest man in the world. I don't know if that's true, but he is very wise. I find this very interesting and full of truth. Let me know what you think.

Postponing Reality

By Thomas Sowell

December 17, 2008

Some of us were raised to believe that reality is inescapable. But that just shows how far behind the times we are. Today, reality is optional. At the very least, it can be postponed.

Kids in school are not learning? Not a problem. Just promote them on to the next grade anyway. Call it "compassion," so as not to hurt their "self-esteem."

Can't meet college admissions standards after they graduate from high school? Denounce those standards as just arbitrary barriers to favor the privileged, and demand that exceptions be made.

Can't do math or science after they are in college? Denounce those courses for their rigidity and insensitivity, and create softer courses that the students can pass to get their degrees.

Once they are out in the real world, people with diplomas and

degrees-- but with no real education-- can hit a wall. But by then the day of reckoning has been postponed for 15 or more years. Of course, the reckoning itself can last the rest of their lives.

The current bailout extravaganza is applying the postponement of reality democratically-- to the rich as well as the poor, to the irresponsible as well as to the responsible, to the inefficient as well as to the efficient. It is a triumph of the non-judgmental philosophy that we have heard so much about in high-toned circles.

We are told that the collapse of the Big Three automakers in Detroit would have repercussions across the country, causing mass layoffs among firms that supply the automobile makers with parts, and shutting down automobile dealerships from coast to coast.

A renowned economist of the past, J.A. Schumpeter, used to refer to progress under capitalism as "creative destruction"-- the replacement of businesses that have outlived their usefulness with businesses that carry technological and organizational creativity forward, raising standards of living in the process.

Indeed, this is very much like what happened a hundred years ago, when that new technological wonder, the automobile, wreaked havoc on all the forms of transportation built up around horses.

For thousands of years, horses had been the way to go, whether in buggies or royal coaches, whether pulling trolleys in the cities or plows on the farms. People had bet their futures on something with a track record of reliable success going back many centuries.

Were all these people to be left high and dry? What about all the other people who supplied the things used with horses-- oats, saddles, horse shoes and buggies? Wouldn't they all go falling like dominoes when horses were replaced by cars?

Unfortunately for all the good people who had in good faith gone into all the various lines of work revolving around horses, there was no compassionate government to step in with a bailout or a stimulus package.

They had to face reality, right then and right there, without even a postponement.

Who would have thought that those who displaced them would find themselves in a similar situation a hundred years later?

Actually the automobile industry is not nearly in as bad a situation now as the horse-based industries were then. There is no replacement for the automobile anywhere on the horizon. Nor has the public decided to do without cars indefinitely.

While Detroit's Big Three are laying off thousands of workers, Toyota is hiring thousands of workers right here in America, where a substantial share of all our Toyotas are manufactured.

Will this save Detroit or Michigan? No.

Detroit and Michigan have followed classic liberal policies of treating businesses as prey, rather than as assets. They have helped kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. So have the unions. So have managements that have gone along to get along.

Toyota, Honda and other foreign automakers are not heading for Detroit, even though there are lots of experienced automobile workers there. They are avoiding the rust belts and the policies that have made those places rust belts.

A bailout of Detroit's Big Three would be only the latest in the postponements of reality. As for automobile dealers, they can probably sell Toyotas just as easily as they sold Chevvies. And Toyotas will require just as many tires per car, as well as other parts from automobile parts suppliers.

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Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305. His Web site is www.tsowell.com.

It's Official, I'm a Big Brother

2008-12-18T21:42:00.000-06:00

I met Jamel tonight along with Megan, the Match Coordinator with BBBS. He was a very friendly kid and he was excited to meet me. I also got to meet his 2 brothers, ages 12 and 8, and his mother. Both of his brothers are also in the Big Brother program. We set our first "hang-out time" for this Saturday at 1:30. I don't really have anything planned other than just running some errands with Jamel. I will try to keep you posted as I get to know him better.

Tomorrow Is The Day!

2008-12-18T00:33:00.000-06:00

After a frustrating evening at the Holiday Inn Express in Farmington (the hotel WIFI has been going off and on all night and I had to get caught up on my US Cellular work), I finally finished my work for the day, at 10:15! Anyway, before heading to bed, I decided to check out the Karis Website (our church, http://karischurch.org/). I linked over to Seek Shalom (http://seekshalom.org/) and I saw Ryan's new post about Big Brothers/Big Sisters (http://seekshalom.org/?p=298). It reminded me that tomorrow evening I meet my little brother for the first time. All I know right now is that he is 10 years old, and his name is Jameil (spelling?). My commitment is to spend 2 to 3 hours a week with him for the next year. The Match Coordinator, Megan, from BBBS of Central MO and I will be going to Jameil's home tomorrow to meet him and his mom. The meeting is set for 7pm. So, please pray it goes well, and pray that I don't get stuck in Farmington tomorrow with freezing rain. My meeting with Jameil has already been postponed from this past Monday as Megan had the flu. I'm excited and a little nervous.