by Greg | Oct 30, 2008 | Blog Posts
Earlier this month Amy, the boys and I camped somewhere in the middle of the Great Smoky Mountains. We try to camp there at least once a year and every year has a new adventure: poison ivy from the firewood; an unexpected rain coming through an unexpected hole in the tent, ants in the smores, and of course bears. Many of you have heard me recount the bear story but it “bears” repeating (sorry, I know it was an obvious pun but it begged to be written). Last year I was out hiking by myself on one of the back-country trails. The views are always glorious and the trail is nearly always peaceful. I am armed with a walking stick, some water and a pocket knife. A cell phone is not much good on such long hikes since there is no coverage, but I carry one anyway just in case there is a need to identify the body. Around mile five of the hike I began to smell the distinct odor of a wet dog and in my mind I thought, “Oh great, there is a bear in the vicinity.” The odor would not go away and so I developed a mental plan of action of what I was to do if I met a bear on the trail while so far away. I decided my first plan was to turn around and head back to camp. Still, the smell of the wet dog followed me and so I assumed was this heretofore unseen bear. As I was walking and pondering my mortality as well as my escape plan...
by Greg | Oct 8, 2008 | Blog Posts
Last weekend it was out with the old and in with the new. I am referring to my small raised-bed vegetable garden. I cleared out the old tomato vines and pepper plants and reconditioned the soil with a mixture of horse manure and organic fertilizer. Finally it was ready for my fall planting and so I set out a few cabbage plants and scattered seed for collard greens. Collard greens! I love that plant; especially boiled on a stovetop with a healthy slab of fatback or ham hocks (I am not picky). We eat them on New Year’s Day because it is tradition, but from Fall through Winter we eat them because we like them. Actually, just Amy and I like them. Neither of my boys can get past the smell. I was the same way when I was their age, but one day they will grow out of it. Collard greens may smell bed, but they are good for you and a meal unto themselves if accompanied by a generous wedge of cornbread. They are, as my daddy is fond of saying, “good for what ails you.” The best part of keeping a garden is the anticipation. Every day I walk out and look at the seeds half expecting full grown plants. Of course at the time of this writing the seeds have only been in the ground a few days. Still, the waiting and the expecting is part of the journey. Much of what we do in this world is about planting and anticipating. Too often we rush to the end result not realizing that God has...
by Greg | Sep 23, 2008 | Blog Posts
I am a newbie to the “Facebook” world, but through the persistent persuasion of our younger ministers I am now an official Facebook account holder. To the uninitiated, Facebook is an online networking site that is yet another way individuals can connect with one another through the internet. It is a version of a “blog” that can potentially connect you with millions of people, assuming you actually know millions of people. I must say I have enjoyed it in spite of myself. Through Facebook I have reconnected with friends from college days and former churches. I am also discovering that if you want to communicate with youth, Facebook is the way to go. One of the interesting things about Facebook is that a user can create a virtual identity. What I mean by that is the user can create a profile through pictures, books, music and a many other categories. In short, it can be a way to be somebody, electronically speaking. I am thinking about profiling myself as a superhero, like the Hulk or Batman. For me its most amusing feature is the notion of being a friend and inviting others to be a friend. The way a user connects with others is to ask to be a friend or a “friend request.” An email is sent making the request and the other person can accept the request, deny the request, or ignore the request. Making friends through Facebook is rather simplified. It reminds me of my days in Eatonton Grammar School when I was a first grader and asked this beautiful second grader would she be my...
by Greg | Aug 27, 2008 | Blog Posts
…Well, not really. But the pair of shoes I am currently using for jogging is in need of replacement. Over the years I have developed quite a pile of smelly, worn out shoes. Some I retire to yard work. Others are still in decent enough shape to wear casually. Still some are suitable to donate to charity. There have been one or two pairs that Amy has insisted I bury deep into the woods at an undisclosed location. Years ago my method in replacing running shoes was pretty simple: replace them when the soles are worn smooth to the point that you could see my socks or the shoe itself fell apart. I have since learned that if you wait that long to replace shoes you are doing harm to yourself. For a person my size (about 205 pounds, give or take a cheeseburger or two) I should replace my shoes every thirty hours of running. At this point the shoes are not particularly worn to the visible eye. There is still ample tread on the soles and aside from dirt and, well, the aroma of sweat, they are in decent shape. The reason they need to be replaced is that the shock absorption of the shoe is dangerously diminished. The shoe helps take in the pounding of a heavy guy like me and therefore saves my feet, knees and back from too much wear and tear. I suppose there are all sorts of life analogies that can be made: the danger of wearing others out beyond repair; guests that hang around too long stink; or save your “soul”...
by Greg | Aug 20, 2008 | Blog Posts
There are few things in the world that generates more excitement in my life than an opportunity to eat. Going on picnics is a bonus. I do not know if it is the fried chicken or the deviled eggs or chasing yellow jackets, but I enjoy a picnic. When you think about it, what is so great about eating outside? Unless you are an etymologist, few people want to eat their food in the company of ants and flying creatures. The picnics I like best are the ones that are shared in the company of others. Ten or so years ago I attended one of the most interesting picnics ever in my life. Instead of hearing phrases like, “pass the fried chicken” or, “put another hot dog on the grill”, I heard remarks like, “falafel anyone?” and, “would you like some more dumas?” The red clay and pine thicket of a campground on Lake Allatoona was transformed into a little Kurdistan. I was part of the Georgia Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s effort to resettle Kurdish refugees, and all the participating churches hosted a picnic for our guests. Everyone was invited, but our special guests were our Kurdish friends. There were more than 200 Kurds attending this great picnic. Some of the Kurdish families had not seen one another for some time because their persecution in Iraq had separated families and friends. You can imagine the joyous reunion many of them shared at our picnic. Perhaps this was a small example of what Jesus meant when he prayed, “thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” On a hot,...
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