Disqus - Latest Comments for real live preacher

Re: Attention Writers: An Hour a Day Brings the Traffic Your Way

real live preacher — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 10:47:23 -0000

Totally fascinating stuff Marcus. I'm going to Chicago (believe it or not) to talk to some marketers of Christian publications. I'd like to ask you if I can use your info, but the truth is, I'm going to whether you say I can or not. ;-)

Seriously, Real Live Preacher has a pretty hefty little network going, but I couldn't sell very many copies of the book I published myself. Lost money on it. Now, I did act like a major publisher - did it the real way and not through a vanity press. But I had to fork out for a LOT of copies. Hard lesson to learn.

I'd like to see you talk about what takes place in that hour a day.

Re: Finding Faith in Secular Scifi

real live preacher — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 10:03:02 -0000

You're a science fiction reader two!! I knew I liked something about you. For me, science fiction is like candy. I can't exist on a steady diet of it, but I read selected works. Normally I stick to novel that either won the Hugo or Nebula, or were nominated. Truly, I count all the ones nominated in a year as equal.

Charles Stross is my latest find. He has the ability to imagine futures that are so unique...and scary. Glasshouse (Hugo winner 2007) is about as interesting a sci-fi book as I've read this decade. Truly great. I'm putting Spin on my list.

Re: Espresso Book Machines Won’t Write Good Sentences for You

real live preacher — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 11:50:01 -0000

LL, I wish I could believe that quality sustains sales. Maybe you can help me understand what that means. My experience says that marketing sells books. And apart from marketing, most books don't sell, no matter how good they are.

Another problem is that a whopping lot of people in our culture don't know what a good book is, don't know what good writing is, and don't really care to know.

The print on demand thing is interesting. Right now the price of these books is sky-high. I have a friend who did this. His paperback book is $39.

Re: Espresso Book Machines Won’t Write Good Sentences for You

real live preacher — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 15:18:27 -0000

My book is a collection of essays from the first two years of my blog - Real Live Preacher. I was actually contacted by Eerdmans to do the book, which was flattering and I now understand somewhat unusual.

http://eerdmans.com/shop/product.asp?p_key=9780...

Re: Editing with the Heart of a Teacher

real live preacher — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 12:01:53 -0000

Man, I didn't know this about you. You might have told me in one of our conversations, but it didn't stick as being such a huge event in your life.

My friend Milton is the same way. He taught in inner city Boston for a number of years. He was imagining Dead Poet's Society. It didn't turn out that way. Not only were the kids much harder than he had imagined, the bureaucracy ate him alive. Many things that he could have done - wanted to do - to help, the teacher's union or some obscure rule prevented.

He's now a chef.

Re: Firefish: An Editor Evaluates the Whole Book Based on One Page

real live preacher — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 15:09:18 -0000

Fascinating to watch your editor's mind work behind the scenes. Editors can often articulate what writers do by instinct.

Re: Disappearing for a Bit

real live preacher — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 18:28:32 -0000

Hey man, rest hard.

Re: We Don’t Need More Christian Writers.

real live preacher — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 11:18:14 -0000

I'll join LL in welcoming you back. And contrats on the senior editor thing! I'm pretty sure they know what a gem you are.

Speaking of the subject of the essay, we could ask the question if we EVER should have allowed the word Christian to become an adjective. I don't think so. Of course, we can no more stop the development of words than we can control fads or wipe out terrorism among people for whom that is the only perceived option.

But I don't like using it as an adjective. I think the minute you do that, there is a deadening effect, spiritually. I resist it when possible.

Re: The Return: Judging a Book before Page One

real live preacher — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 17:04:38 -0000

Yoiks, you editor guys know your stuff. I'm on the opposite side of the spectrum. I frequently finish a science fiction book and can remember neither the author nor the title.

You laugh. I'm serious. I'm not proud of it; I don't know what it means; but it's true.

Re: The Return: Judging a Book before Page One

real live preacher — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 10:36:15 -0000

Marcus,

I read Spin, on your recommendation. Enjoyed it. Nice idea. I would have rather had a more thorough dealing with the science & phenomenon of the Spin itself than so much personal stuff about the characters, but that's just me.

I can't remember the author's name either. ;-)

Re: The Return: Let’s All Review Page One

real live preacher — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:04:12 -0000

Well, he immediately sets up a fascinating science fiction scenario. Right away. I mean, who doesn't want to find out what kind of life they have found on Mars?

And it's Mars. Life on Mars. Taps into the most primitive of Science Fiction scenarios. That's were it all began. Wondering about life on the planets of our solar system, back before we had rovers and other ways of showing how impossible that is.

And I think he did this with a nice minimal approach. Hardly any words and we're right into the story. We don't have to be told that they have been watching this approaching glint for some time. We get that with the sudden appearance of analysis - Three days tops.

Honestly, I might be unable to put this down. At LEAST I would skim ahead to see what was up.

THAT SAID, I really hate that it has come to this. It used to be that a great writer would build to this, and we would be willing to take the journey with him or her. And I still am.

But I do recognize the skill it takes to do this, and I do recognize how attractive this would be to people who are looking at the bottom line. Will people read this?

Re: Poetry Friday: The Picasso of Pancakes

real live preacher — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 10:20:06 -0000

Okay man, tell us about gabcast. How did you do that?

Re: Real Simple Syndication Made Simple

real live preacher — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 12:19:22 -0000

It's a cool concept. It's going to be one of those things (I think) that people will use without understanding it. The next generation will do that. Kind of like my daughter using the Internet and not really understanding what it is.

Re: Evangelicals, Fundamentalists, and Emergents, Oh My!

real live preacher — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 09:30:51 -0000

you know the whole idea of inventing labels and cramming people into them OR (in this case) throwing out a label and making a broad statement about who is or isn't among those the label describes is just such a bunch of....well, I can't think of a nice word.

Re: Anatomy of a Blog Tour - Startling Stats from Mary DeMuth’s 6 Week Tour

real live preacher — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 10:59:03 -0000

Marcus,

I recently wrote on my blog that I was going to write personal notes inside books purchased through the blog, and even include silly little gifts. It's part of an effort to see the relationships in blogging and to take them seriously. To try to avoid the impersonal nature of book sales and marketing.

The most successful thing I've ever done, in terms of sales.

Re: The Death of Blogs? Let’s Not Be Melodramatic.

real live preacher — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 11:00:57 -0000

I think what we're really seeing is the death of pontificating in major publications. People don't trust these kinds of things anymore. So you have to be more and more extreme in what you write. I don't think anyone's listening. And there will be no accountability when it turns out to be wrong, and it will.

Re: Practice Is an Art

real live preacher — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 09:53:00 -0000

You're brave to post poetry. Very brave. That scares me so much I've only done it maybe three times. And you're good at it, so the bravery isn't going to come back and bite you.

;-)

Re: Remember the Universe Is a Really Big Place - only then can your house be blessed

real live preacher — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 14:40:54 -0000

My goodness, you're becoming positively mystical in your old age.

love it.

Re: HighCallingBlogs Meet AdaptiveBlue

real live preacher — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 14:41:28 -0000

Looking forward to learning more about this thing.

Re: Daring Book for Girls

real live preacher — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 10:20:05 -0000

I couldn't get the dang thing to play. Oh well. My kids are mostly grown now. We're counting on therapy to fix whatever we broke.

Re: Blogs, Books, Mags Compete Equally on the Same Device

real live preacher — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 15:37:48 -0000

I did some e-book reading using my old PDA. I loved it. You HAVE to get something that is formatted to look like a real page, but if you have that, the ability to bookmark and to carry multiple books around with you is amazing.

but yeah, too expensive for now.

Re: Why People Buy Cookbooks (and why you need to know)

real live preacher — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 15:38:59 -0000

I love the food network too. I like...watching people cook stuff. But I never do, nor do I often go places to get fancy foods. But watching it fascinates me. I'm drawn to it somehow.

Re: Page One Review - Stephen Lawhead’s Scarlet

real live preacher — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 10:36:36 -0000

Dang it. Now I have to read this book. Stop doing that to me!!!

Re: Praying With My Eyes Wide Open - Theology for Preschool Through First Grade

real live preacher — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 20:00:51 -0000

man, you're a great father. You have all the signs of it.

Re: My Three Year Old Sings About Rum and Rock Monsters

real live preacher — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:56:05 -0000

Our family were big fans of the Veggie Tales stuff in the early days. The kids are older now and less interested, so I've gotten out of touch. I remember when the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything was one of their silly songs. Wow, not it's a movie.

Re: A Widget for Writers

real live preacher — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 10:42:51 -0000

You're always up on the latest stuff!!

Re: Speaking of Widgets, How Is This Possible?

real live preacher — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 22:39:23 -0000

Okay, I remember the first pong game. My friend Steve got one in the mid 70s and all went over to his house to watch two little paddles bop a pixel back and forth.

boop
boop
be boop

We knew a whole new world had come.

Re: I’m Not a Brand and Neither Is My Blog

real live preacher — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 22:41:45 -0000

Amen dude. There is a ironic truth that applies in much of cyberspace. Whatever you're trying to do you probably won't be able to do. You'll be too late to the game. Instead, just write! Write write write write write. Let your words speak or not speak. If you're a serious writer or blogger, you probably won't have time to do very much branding work.

Re: Ignite the Average Joe, One Slob at a Time

real live preacher — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:06:03 -0000

I've done a lot of musing on this subject - how trends start. If you watch flocks of birds or schools of fish, I think it must be rather like that. One bird turns and suddenly the flock turns. But lots of birds are turning. What causes one to be the tipping point? Maybe it isn't just one. Maybe it is a moment where the collective unconscious comes together. I don't know.

But I do know that if this is true, our network is more powerful than we thought because we are more powerful than we thought.

I also visualize this as a hammer trying to drive a nail into a piece of plywood that is held in someone else's hands. It doesn't matter how big the hammer is, that nail is NOT going in. The blow is absorbed by the breadth of the plywood and the movement backwards when the person can't hold it still.

But there are times when our collective energy comes to a point and forms a base behind the plywood. And in that moment, even a small hammer can drive the nail home.

What I'm saying is, it doesn't matter how big the blogger if he or she isn't saying the right thing at just the right time. On the other hand, even a relative nobody who says just the right thing at the right time can become a 15 minute star.

Re: Intentions Matter More than Law and Culture

real live preacher — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 15:53:03 -0000

What I find fascinating about the entire story from Joshua all the way to the end of Chronicles, is the sometimes ambivalence about worshipping in the high places. Sometimes it is a terrible thing. Most bad kings have that listed along with their other sins. Other times a good king is listed as occasionally having worshipped in a high place. Like sometimes it was terrible and other times not so much.

Re: Time Is Relative, So Why Shouldn’t Faith Be Relative?

real live preacher — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 10:46:36 -0000

As a person who spent 18 months as a chaplain in training and has wife with 20 years as a hospital chaplain, I'd like to make a couple of observations. I don't want to suggest that I have the answers, but there were things in this video that need addressing.

1. Every serious chaplain knows how to handle patients like this. He is angry and out of control. A good chaplain would not sit there and feed anyone like this a set of answers or non-answers. He or she would take a lot of time to listen to what the person is saying. If the person was enraged by the chaplain's very presence, he or she would leave immediately.

2. Most serious chaplains do have a strong Christian faith and stand ready to offer forgiveness by faith in Christ and pray with people who ask for it. Christian denominations share this truth. It's a question of whether or not they push it. That said, there are some pretty inept chaplains out there. I know, my wife has worked with them.

Regarding relativism. Hmm, I guess I would say this is not an either or situation. You're either for relativism or not. Some things are relevant even for the staunchest fundamentalist. The way the Holy Spirit works with people for example, in ways relative to their personality.

We all believe in some level of relativism. I guess the question is, what does it look like when you line up your absolutes? Can you write down our absolute truths and live with those that may have relative applications.

If we admit that we all have both, then we are listening to each other and discussing things. Which is what would have been nice in this clip, though the man in bed wouldn't allow it.

3. In an entire career, you might get someone like this a handful of times. On the other hand, thousands of times you'd be there at just the right time and able to offer a listening ear

Re: Finding God in Heifetz and Porcelein Life Jackets

real live preacher — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:10:45 -0000

Thanks for the links. I'll check them all out today while I'm reading. I saw your dad's poem title, but haven't gotten there to read it yet. What an amazing title.

Re: Looking for Inspiration? Writers Take Note

real live preacher — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 10:13:30 -0000

Writing is so myserious. Attempts to explain it almost always seem to end up in these maxims that, which sounding good and even being good, are hard for people to actually put into use in a real writing life.

Let's face it. It's hard for writers to explain this strange process of following the words that come spilling out of both your mind and your gut.

Re: Public Prayers, Professions of Faith, and Good Ol’ Fashioned Evangelism

real live preacher — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 12:51:17 -0000

For me - Live authentically. Be yourself and have integrity. This assumes that you are a serious Christian. Stand ready to talk pleasantly about your faith when asked or when it is appropriate.

People will come to you wanting to talk. They really will.

Re: Mount Hermon Christian Writing Conference 2 - Who I Met

real live preacher — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:50:50 -0000

It's Monday an I'm going to run through your whole experience, starting now.

Re: Mount Hermon Christian Writing Conference 2 - Story of the Day

real live preacher — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:52:55 -0000

Sounds wonderful. Be like Thoreau, but don't grow a beard like his. ;-)

Re: 4 x 4 - Farmers, Ferries, Fools, and Faithless Chihuahua Dogs

real live preacher — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:32:08 -0000

"I apologize a lot. sorry."

you so funny. I can see your face as you would say that.

Re: Gotta Love Google

real live preacher — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 10:38:57 -0000

lol,

Well, I want to send email forward in time. Maybe to the year 2065. I'll be dead but my daughters will hopefully still have the google accounts I setup for them. (so they could have their names. We all have "ourname@gmail.com"

So I could drop in some "from beyond the grave" emails just to mess with them. They would laugh and say, "That was so dad."

Re: High Concept Means Death and Flying Ninjas

real live preacher — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:58:16 -0000

LOVED hero. Absolutely beautiful. Like Opera for the eyes.

Re: Bloggers Can’t Be Trusted

real live preacher — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:12:18 -0000

You know, whenever people make comments or observations about large groups of people - especially experts - one wonders what value it has. If one person lives to be a hundred and another dies at birth, does it help to say their average age is 50?

If someone makes an observation about a group of a million people, does it have anything to say to me, an individual within that group? Probably not much.

What is our concern about how "bloggers" are seen? What? What kind of a group are we? We aren't a group at all. We are a cross section of society, so vast and varied that comments about us are inherently...well...ignorant. Sorry but that's the truth.

I'm with you man. The trust we have in fellow bloggers is hard earned and hard given. And just as in real life, some people are wise with granting trust and others not so much.

Re: NarniaWeb Picked up Our Interview!

real live preacher — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:11:17 -0000

Congrats!

Re: My Take on Writing - a poem for Friday

real live preacher — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:23:11 -0000

LL, Marcus,

I think I know what Marcus means.

Yes, poetry must be useless, in the sense that we Americans use that word. For me, poetry is pure writing. Just for the sound of it. Well, there is meaning but the sound is so paramount. In that sense, the poem is above use.

But of course, pure art has its uses, so you can't ever say something is without use.

Marcus, do you know what the French phrase "little death" means? Did you intend that?

Don't know if you did, but it works.

Re: Nobody Wants to Advertise Next to Crap

real live preacher — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:02:18 -0000

This revenge of the experts stuff sounds like crap to me. It sounds pretty desperate. It sounds like a bunch of "experts" who wonder if they say something loudly enough and over and over, we'll believe it.

Why not? That's what traditional media has been doing for years. It's called spin and the pros do it better than anyone else..

So the quote stands true, but perhaps not in the way they intended.

real live preacher's last blog post..If Only

Re: My Son Reads the Pirate Gospel

real live preacher — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:37:37 -0000

Whatever you do, don't give him the idea that you're worried about this. I'm laughing thinking about it. My middle child was a little OCD about things. She got stuck on Tigger and we lived with Tigger and talked about Tigger and watched Winnie the Pooh stuff until we all thought we were going to just puke from the horror of it.

Then one day she was like, "Tigger who?"

real live preacher's last blog post..Looking Carefull at Ourselves

Re: I Just Want God to Cut Through the Crap

real live preacher — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:45:53 -0000

Honest and straight. Yeah. me too.

real live preacher's last blog post..Looking Carefull at Ourselves

Re: Retreat and Find the Glory of Creation

real live preacher — Wed, 07 May 2008 11:15:08 -0000

So, what is your connection to this place? This cemetery? This man? What brought you there?

real live preacher's last blog post..Reaching for God

Re: And we have a winner!

real live preacher — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:50:28 -0000

LOL

real live preacher's last blog post..And We Have a Winner

Re: Twitter Church, I Love Your Stinky Kind of Beauty

real live preacher — Thu, 15 May 2008 23:29:05 -0000

The editor comment - lol. That's the sort of thing we all just toss off. Kind of a conversational thing. But then it's online. At least it was your own comment.

Now I love the editors I work with (ahem), but I must say that there are different editorial philosophies. And you ought to agree on which one you are using. Are you writing as an essayist or a journalist? But in my experience, editors are almost always right within the boundaries of their philosophy. I love working with editors. It makes the final product better. And the work is all that matters.

real live preacher's last blog post..Teach Your Daughters Well

Re: Happy 125 Years, Brooklyn Bridge. This Poem’s For You.

real live preacher — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:29:06 -0000

Wow, what a cool thing to read. Whitman writing to me. Amazing.

real live preacher's last blog post..Listening: One of the Hardest Things You Will Ever Do

Re: Do You Have the Courage to Teach?

real live preacher — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:00:34 -0000

Connectedness. Yeah. You know, it seems that almost every job is made fuller and richer and more complete if we allow ourselves to become connected to those around us. It's easy to stay distant and safe.

Isn't that part of the deal with social media? The walls have come down and now we interact with the ones we read. And they listen to our feedback. Hurts sometimes. Also creates something worth doing.

Re: What I Learned from Animals - A Boy Becomes Like God

real live preacher — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 01:24:47 -0000

Ouch. How old were you?

Re: Colbert and Wright Go Head to Head on Heaven

real live preacher — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:44:19 -0000

pretty brave to get in the ring with Colbert.

Re: My Blog Was Lost But Now It’s Found!

real live preacher — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:11:44 -0000

It was so great having you there, man.

real live preachers last blog post..How Are You Dealing with the Cost of Groceries?

Re: All Your Barns Are Belong to Us

real live preacher — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:07:59 -0000

Ha, very funny stuff. Too bad he felt he needed to explain the "All your barn are belong to us" quote. I feel, as a geek, that you never explain that one. Just let the insiders chuckle.

There's a cussing problem for Christian writers? I must not have gotten the memo. No WONDER my book was such a gigantic gzbr failure!

real live preachers last blog post..What if You Don’t Like Your Job?

Re: The Horror, The Horror

real live preacher — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:40:47 -0000

Well, I'm sure there is plenty wrong with you Marcus, but just run of the mill stuff I'm sure. For me, I could care less what the subject of that film is, that is INCREDIBLY COOL AND CREATIVE STUFF. I was totally hooked. Such a great gritty, dark, comic book world. How wonderful to be able to deliver that with a bunch of pieces of paper.

loved it.

Re: All Your Barns Are Belong to Us

real live preacher — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:42:56 -0000

Randy, you have my sympathy. Editors! Took a great line and ruined it. Typical editor way of....

oh...

sorry Marcus. Present company excluded of course.

;-)

Re: Happy 4th! Sing. Dance. Celebrate.

real live preacher — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:56:04 -0000

Yeah, I love this clip. Perhaps the best one is the demilitarized zone in North Korea with no one dancing and just a guard there.

Re: I Want to Pray Like the Oak Ridge Boys

real live preacher — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 01:01:00 -0000

I'm always touched by how questions like that can be answered exactly in the opposite way depending on who asks and what season of life we are in. There are seasons when you need to talk to God like God is your friend. And there are seasons where that sort of thing is not the way you need to see prayer. Perhaps you've been seeing God a little too much as your best friend. I like the interaction with you and your daughter. Very nice. Very authentic.

Oakridge video...not so much but that's just me. ;-)

Re: Do We Really Want Our President on Twitter?

real live preacher — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:27:53 -0000

After this presidency, my standards are low. I'm looking for a president who won't take us to war for reasons that turn out to be wrong and then never admit it and keep us in the war anyway, at the cost of thousands of lives and over a trillion dollars. And one that will consider a national health care system.

So Obama can twitter, tweet, hoot, blog, whatever he wants.

Re: Ahoy, It’s Blog Like a Pirate Day!

real live preacher — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:30:59 -0000

Have a GREAT time man.

Re: Headed into BlogWorld Today - Why Do I Apologize for My Faith?

real live preacher — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:40:49 -0000

My response is to become very childlike. "Why yes, I am one of the God bloggers." It's kind of a spiritual discipline to let people think what they will think until they get to know me, which they can choose to do or not.

Re: How to Edit Poetry and Meter

real live preacher — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:45:16 -0000

Seems like many great poets will shatter so many rules. What would editors have done with Emily Dickinson, for example? That's the part I've never understood. I suppose if the poet said, this is the meter and rhyme I want and you found that she missed it. Otherwise, what if she wants it kind of bumpy and halting sounding in parts?

Re: 21 per cent of atheists believe in God

real live preacher — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:59:38 -0000

I can't see religulous...however you spell it. Bill Maher is, in my opinion, mean. A very mean man. There is meanness in his humor and his attitude. It makes me feel bad. And I don't mind listening to honest opinions against the church. If they are funny and right, I'll even chuckle and say, "Mea Culpa." But Bill is just mean. I don't like that about him. I still watch his show sometimes, but I think given who is producing the movie, this is going to be ugly.

Re: Disqus Comments, Lijit Search, Better Sidebars and Lederhosen

real live preacher — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:21:08 -0000

Cool man, lots of comments. Lederhosen? Eh, why not.

Re: Possess the Origin of All Poems

real live preacher — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:16:54 -0000

Sorry to hear about your Uncle and Aunt. Will they be able to return, or is their home gone?

Re: What I Learned from Government - it’s time to stay engaged

real live preacher — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:57:07 -0000

I did not know that! thanks.

Re: A Dozen Great Halloween Books - Defending Spooks and Zombies and Halloween

real live preacher — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:51:34 -0000

We had a small faction of anti-Halloween folks at our church back in the mid 90s. None are still with us, and I try not to be too overly thankful about that. But in a conversation with some church leaders, one of the men - a man named Jerry - became passionate and animated. He pounded his fist on the table and said, "By Jove, we won't have any pagan celebrations and worship at our church."

And for once I not only thought of the best response, but was able to give it on the spot. I said, "Now see this is a good example of what I've been saying. Jerry just swore by the name Jove, a Roman god. But we all know that Jerry doesn't worship false gods. It was just an common expression and its original meaning isn't important in this context. That's what I think is going on with the kids and Halloween. They just like to dress up and get candy. They're not paying homage to Satan or pagan gods."

I wish I could say that my "brilliant" response won the day. I'm not even sure that Jerry knew what I was talking about. They remained solidly against Halloween while most of us were for it. That year we had a "Hallelujah" party at the church where the kids dressed up, played games, and got candy. (No use offending people for silly reasons. The kids didn't care what we called the party.) A few years later, after Jerry and friends had left for other reasons, we had a Halloween part where the kids dressed up, played games, and got candy.

Re: Some Hard Questions about God for Thanksgiving

real live preacher — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 20:25:07 -0000

I love your honesty. I always try to remember that the easiest cover for having no relationship with God and no idea how to have one is to claim a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and then stand there looking smug. "I said it. I called it. So I have it. So leave me along."

I'd much rather talk to someone who has a sense of the Holiness of God and is rightly afraid and uncertain.

Re: Thanksgiving, Coffee and The Squanto Hop

real live preacher — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 21:24:12 -0000

Please don't call yourself middle aged anymore. Because if you are, what am I? ;-)

Re: Should Good Deeds Pay the Bills?

real live preacher — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:23:02 -0000

Maybe what we have is a nuanced continuum and not an either or situation.

Best - Doing very good things for selfless reasons

Good - Doing good things with some thought to yourself because you're human and can't help it.

Still good but perhaps less deserving of praise - Doing good things, even very good things, but doing them in ways that also help and serve yourself.

Good but not deserving of any praise - doing a good thing completely out of self interest.

Bad - Doing a bad thing with good motives. Dangerous as hell.

Worst - doing bad things out of self interest.

Evil - doing bad and awful things to people with a sadistic self interest - taking pleasure in the suffering of others.

Re: 12 Lists of Christmas - 5 Pirate Phrases

real live preacher — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:25:11 -0000

Absolutely hilarious! Tell me you made these up yourself. If so, count me very impressed. Especially with the pg-13 one.

Re: Questions asked and answered

real live preacher — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 12:30:27 -0000

I'm not going to be voting for a Republican, but I will say that Huckabee surprised me. When I've seen him speaking or in a debate, he is usually the most well-spoken and seemingly intelligent one involved.

Re: 7 Things You Never Knew About Me!

real live preacher — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 21:27:19 -0000

Well, whaddya know. Nice to know more about you. ;-)