New Wife, New Life, and Summer Reading

Greetings! I know it's been a while since my last post, but I've been busy. I was also taking a break from the blogging world. Some of you like my friend Tim have requested that I start posting again...so allow me to begin the matters of this post.


If you know me personally or if you have read my last post, you should know that I got married in May to the former Miss Amy Hunt (now Mrs. Amy Leverett). After the honeymoon, we found an apartment in Bedford, Texas (that's in the HEB area between Fort Worth and Dallas). Marriage is great, and I love my wife!

My new life began the day before I got married. On May 11th, I graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with a masters degree that took three and a half years (it's a 97 hour program). That day marked moving from the world of a student. Now don't get me wrong, I beleive you should always be a student learning as much as possible. No, what I mean is this: no longer will I enjoy those flexible schedules, no longer will I pay outrageous prices for text books, no longer will I be able to greet my professors and fellow students in the hallways, and no longer will I have to write fifteen page papers on subjects of little interest to me. As I search for the place where God will lead me to serve, I am installing windows for Pella (that's a window and door company).

It's also been a while since I've posted what I've been reading. The following are the books I have read since May.

1. A Brief History of Hawaii - George Armitage. I picked this little book up on the Big Island because I wanted to know a little bit of the history of our 50th state. This small reference book highlights the major historical events in Hawaii's history from the original settling of the islands by voyagers in Polynesia to Hawaii becoming a state in 1959.


2. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel - Juliette Cunliffe. I wanted to read this book to get the scoop on our two pooches, Obi and Jack. This book goes into topics such as training, heath care, puppy care (handy because Jack is a puppy), everyday care, facts about the breed, etc. It is a comprehensive guide to owning and caring for our CKCSs.


3. The Most Important Year in a Man's Life: What Every Groom Needs to Know - Robert Wolgemuth & Mark DeVries. This one was helpful because I am a new groom. I gave this book to my friends Shannon and Amber Lane as a wedding gift, and I saw a copy of it later in a bookstore, so I bought it. Incidently, Robert and Mark's wives wrote the other half of the book, The Most Important Year in a Woman's Life: What Every Bride Needs to Know. Amy can read that one. I recomment this book to newlyweds because it goes into hot topics like money, communication, sex, and conflict.


4. Bringing Your Faith to Work: Answers for Break-Room Skeptics - Norman L. Geisler & Randy Douglass. Excellent book! Part one is about being salt and light in the workplace. Part two discusses the hot topics around the watercooler such as "Did humans evolve?", "If there is a God, why is there suffering in the world?", and "Is there only one way to God?" This book is a great resource of apologetic material for the Christian faith. Don't be intimidated, there are good answers to the tough questions people ask.


5. Heretics, Orthodoxy, and The Blatchford Controversies - G. K. Chesterton. This three-in-one volume was given to me by one of my best friends and groomsman Ben Joiner. You may recognize Chesterton's name because he is often quoted my many writers and speakers. He was a true genius who wrote about the paradoxes of life and Christianity. This was my second time reading Orthodoxy, and it is found on my top 25 books of all time list.


6. The Master Plan of Discipleship - Robert E. Coleman. This book takes a look at Acts and gleans principles of church growth through evangelism and discipleship. This is Coleman's follow-up book to his The Master Plan of Evangelism, for which Dr. Roy Fish wrote a study guide.


7. The Rick & Bubba Code: The Two Sexiest Fat Men Alive Unlock the Mysteries of the Universe - Rick Burgess & Bill "Bubba" Bussey. Humerous, honest, and deeply Southern!

The Final Countdown

Seven. That's the number of days I have left until I marry the most beautiful, caring, wonderful girl in the world. Words fail me. I'm so excited!

Amy and I will be wed next Saturday at 6:00 pm at the Parson's Table in Aledo, TX. From there we will spend a couple of nights in the Arbuckles in Oklahoma and seven nights in Maui.

Some People Are Dumb

The following is an actual advertisement for a so-called church in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram printed on April 1, 2007.

One church.

Many beliefs.

At Pathways, we believe

there is more than one path to truth and

meaning. We find inspiration in the Bible,

world religions, nature, ethics, and

humanism, the life of Jesus, and more.

Pathways is for people who want to

decide for themselves what to believe.

Wow! That's an impressive mixture of contradictory ideas and worldviews. Is that even possible? I think not! This Unitarian Universalist group tries hard to make all these things all-inclusive. However, each religion, especially Christianity, is exclusive by nature. For example, Jesus said that He is "the way, the truth, and the life" and that no one can get to God except through Him (see John 14:6).

What kind of inspiration do they find in the Bible? Better yet, what inspiration do they find in the life of Christ? Their teachings make no sense whatsoever.

Jesus said he is the only way. The Bible agrees with this fact. Pathways, however, says that there are many ways. They claim inspiration in the life of Jesus, but they also claim that Jesus is a liar. Are they actually teaching people to be inspired by someone they believe to be a liar?

Somehow, I don't think the people who attend Pathways are really allowed to decide for themselves what to believe because they are not being presented with the whole truth about reality.

Unfortunately, Pathways isn't the only crazed so-called church in Fort Worth. Westside Unitarian Universalist Church advertises:

Different faiths.

Varied traditions.

One church.

A fellowship of justice, compassion, and respect.

The problem is most people do not do their own thinking. Many people don't even bother making an effort. As my good friend Todd says, "Some people are dumb!"

20/365

Aside from it being Fire Day (Josh), today is Poetry Day.

Your task is to help me create the world's longest poem by submitting one line in iambic pentameter (ti-tum ti-tum ti-tum ti-tum), in which each of the ten syllables trip off the tongue effortlessly. William Shakespeare wrote mostly in iambic pentameter.

Here are the first two lines for you to go on:

Mercy, cried the popinjay to the pope,
Who threw him out of the second window...

Truth Museum

"Here, we see the word 'evolution' evolving into its true meaning."

Accountability Questions

Here are some accountability questions that my accountability partner and I are using in order to keep us living a godly life. Feel free to use them as well.

1. Have you spent daily time in Scripture and in prayer?
2. Have you had any flirtatious or lustful attitudes, tempting thoughts, or exposed yourself to any explicit materials that would not glorify God?
3. Have you been completely above reproach in your financial dealings?
4. Have you spent quality relationship time with family and friends?
5. Have you done your 100% best in your job, school, etc.?
6. Have you told any half truths or outright lies, putting yourself in a better light to those around you?
7. Have you shared the Gospel with an unbeliever this week?
8. Have you taken care of your body through daily physical exercise and proper eating and sleeping habits?
9. Have you allowed any person or circumstances to rob you of your joy?
10. Have you lied on any of your answers?

Ledbetter is Tacky

In the March 19, 2007 issue of Southern Baptist Texan, Gary Ledbetter offered this tacky piece of journalism:

"Arlington pastor Dwight McKissic, who is black, issued an apology to board Chairman Van McClain of New York, who is white."

Mr. Editor, are these labels really necessary? Anyone familiar to any degree with the Southwestern Trustees/McKissic news are well aware of the said persons' skin colors.

Cha Cha Cha

This past Tuesday, Amy and I (along with our friends Egbert and Dia) began ballroom dance lessons. Learning the Cha Cha isn't the easiest thing I've ever done, but it was fun and enjoyable. Besides, it gave me another opportunity to dance with my lovely fiance.

I know what you're thinking. "Baptists don't dance." We do, but for some reason we don't like to talk about it. I once asked a pastor friend of mine, "Why are [Baptists] so against dancing?" He never gave me a good answer.

Some say it's because dancing leads to other things. You know what? They're right! Dancing leads mostly to tired feet and blistered toes. Seriously, I had a blister on my left big toe.

Tomorrow is Easter, the day when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is risen! He is risen indeed! Take time to thank Jesus for His love and for His death and resurrection.

9/365

Today, my task was to do something before breakfast. As any peasant worth his salt will tell you, the early morning is the best part of the day, so set the alarm for 5 o'clock and rise and shine.

I chose to do my Greek homework before my Friday morning coffee. There's nothing exciting about it, but I accomplished my task.

Here's some suggestions for early morning activity:

• Watch the sun rise.
• Go for a five-mile run.
• Call a friend and express surprise they're not up yet.
• Find out what's on TV at this hour.
• Lick morning dew off a leaf.
• Milk a cow.
• Spend time with God.

8/365

Today is Addiction-Free Day.

The Bible has the following to say about the body:

• 1 Corinthians 3:16 - "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?"
• 1 Corinthians 6:19 - "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?"
• 2 Corinthians 6:16 - "What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God."

As a Christian, your body is God's temple. Cut out addictive substances for the day, week, year, the rest of your life, and see how much purer you feel.

I plan to have no Dr. Pepper all week...so far, so good!