February 2012
15 posts
Stranger than fiction
News from the UK Guardian (here is a link):
A Florida church has caused outrage by turning away children from its popular Sunday services to cater to a pastor who is a registered sex offender.
The decision to allow convicted child molester Darrell Gilyard into the pulpit has angered neighbouring pastors and members of the congregation of the Christ Tabernacle Missionary Baptist church in...
Farewell to a pop icon
In memory and in honor of Davy Jones, who died of a heart attack this morning in Florida, here is a copy of an article I wrote about him that was published in January, 2010:
Davy Jones knows why fans buy tickets to his concerts and he doesn’t make them wait to get their money’s worth. “One of my first tunes is going to be ‘Daydream Believer’ or ‘Last Train...
T.S. Eliot on Ash Wednesday
Here is a link to T.S. Eliot’s poem, “Ash Wednesday”: http://bit.ly/DMdic
And President Obama offered these words:
Statement by the President on Ash Wednesday
Today, Michelle and I honor Ash Wednesday with Christians around the country and across the world. This is at once a solemn and joyous occasion, an opportunity to remember both the depths of sacrifice and the height of...
Not so bad after all
If you’re feeling down about life, a visit to a homeless shelter might be just what you need.
Last night, a small group from my church went to the Sparrow’s Nest, a homeless shelter for women that is operated by Cherry Street Mission Ministries. I brought my guitar and stumbled through a few songs, then my colleagues led a few short devotionals. We passed out candy, cookies, hot...
Jesus looking in the window?
I received a phone call at work yesterday from a kindly old man who said he had a big story for me: the moment his wife died in a hospital, he looked up at the window and saw the face of Jesus, clear as day, looking in. “I think the world should see this, to know that Jesus is alive today and cares for us today,” the 89-year-old caller said. His son, who was with him at the time, raced out to...
Not quite the same, is it?
This photo doesn’t quite work like the one we all know from The Beatles’ Abbey Road album.
This website shows some other outtakes from the photo shoot for the album cover, and explains that the photographer caught the Fab Four in their now famous pose as they were just casually strolling across the street, returning to the studio.
Scandal at Duke
“60 Minutes” tonight reported that one of Duke University’s star cancer researchers, Dr. Anil Potti, fabricated the data in his highly publicized work developing cancer treatment linked to each individual’s DNA.
Dr. Potti also forged credentials that he was a Rhodes scholar.
The exposé is painful for all Duke associates and alumni, including me, but while it is a black...
A lesson in tragedy
The tragic death of Whitney Houston should serve as a reminder that wealth and fame don’t bring happiness. She was one of the greatest singers of our generation, and deserved the accolates and earned her fame and fortune. I still get goosebumps when I hear her majestic voice on “I Will Always Love You.”
But too many people think that if they make it big, if they win the lottery,...
New name for Gulf of Mexico?
If a Mississippi lawmaker gets his way, the Gulf of Mexico will become the “Gulf of America.” Mississippi State Rep. Steve Holland, a Democrat, has introduced a bill calling for the part of the Gulf of Mexico that is bordered by Mississippi to be renamed the “Gulf of America.” The measure, known as HB 150 and introduced to the state House Marine Resources Committee, says the body of water will...
'Who knows what's good or bad?'
Taoist story, from Ravi Zacharias’ new book, “Why Jesus?”:
A farmer’s horse bolted from the barn and took off. He went to his neighbor, who said, “Oh, that’s too bad.” The farmer stoically replied, “Who knows what’s good or bad?” The next day, the horse returned and brought six wild horses with it. When the farmer told his neighbor the news, the neighbor said, ‘Oh, that’s so good!” “Who knows...
Bruce Wilkinson's Toledo visit
I went to see author Bruce Wilkinson give a talk tonight at Westgate Chapel, a benefit for the Pregnancy Center of Greater Toledo.
Dr. Wilkinson is a gifted speaker and a sharp theologian, and he is devoting this year to supporting pregnancy centers cross the country, seeking to raise $100 million for the pro-life cause.
Wilkinson, who has written 68 books including the phenomenally popular...
Storm is still brewing over HHS mandate
Obama admin. defends birth control order as Boehner calls for broader conscience exception
By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — On the defensive, the White House scrambled Thursday to explain its requirement that church-affiliated employers cover birth control after House Speaker John Boehner called it unconstitutional and demanded immediate reconsideration.
Under...
Busy but interesting day
Head of Jesus by Rembrandt van Rijn
First, a little trivia question, courtesy of National Geographic, to shake those cobwebs from your brain (answer will be at the end of this blog):
What Saharan country bordering on Mali and Chad has a population growth rate of more than 3.5 percent a year?
First thing I did today was jump into a story about the national Susan G. Komen Foundation cutting...
Jazz great gets a lot of love, help in time of...
Claude Black says a few words of appreciation to friends, fans and colleagues who attended a fund-raiser Tuesday night to help pay his medical bills.
The jazz world is like a family — everybody knows and cares about each other, especially in a city the size of Toledo.
And like a family, there is a lot of love, for both the people and the music that brings them together.
Tonight,...