points in my world.

• Well, it is Memorial day today. And yet I will be spending most of my day at the Ball park for a double header of my son's Baseball team. Lathering up the sun screen, and Bob is putting up the canopy. But yesterday, Bob and I put together a picture board for Memorial day and invited others to do the same. I'll see if I can get them together to show you later. It was very moving.

• It was Pentecost Sunday yesterday, and the person bringing the announcements told them I would explain Pentecost to them. I used the children's sermon to tell them about Pentecost and the Holy Spirit, and explain how the Holy Spirit helps us to become Christ Like which tied into my sermon. I wasn't preaching Pentecost lectionary passages. We are doing a series on the Purpose Driven Life to go along with the Book Study. We are at the third purpose of "Becoming Christ Like". I have to tell you after attending the Festival of Homiletics, listening to the "Rock Stars" of the Preaching World, I really felt humbled about my preaching. And I got the idea from what the Bishop said in his lecture on the last day about preaching, that he didn't care for the Purpose Driven Life or the style of preaching that Rick Warren preached. I really felt anxious. But the Bishop said something that I do agree with, that when the Holy Spirit shows up it is awesome, disconcerting, powerful, well we don't have the words to describe it, at least I don't. But I think God is there in the church and its us who don't always show up, or we may come to church physically but not in the whole. Our minds and hearts are often elsewhere, including myself sometimes. My prayer was that I showed up and that we showed up to receive the word we needed to hear.

• Yesterday, we said goodbye to our Youth Director. It was sad. We gave her a gift card and a gift. She tried hard to work with our youth. She tried different means of working with them. But in the end it did not work. But we wanted to thank her for her time with us and our youth and ministering to them. So we said goodbye and thank you. We prayed over her and for her future. She is getting married, and finishing her graduate degree. Anybody in our area looking for a youth director? I can recommend one. We have a different youth group. We have some members of our church who are youth. Then we have youth whose parents don't go to church. We also have the young men from a local children's home. Good boys at heart, but boys with lots of needs, lots of pain, and no parents around. It makes for a hard youth group. So, Abi is working with the youth along with another man, Bob and some other people who said they would help until we decide what direction we are going in.

• Last night we came home from Sunday night church to see our beautiful male cat, Prince Aiden on the side of the road. Yes, we lost another cat. He was breathing but not really responding. Bob took him to the emergency clinic and they put him to sleep. Bob brought his body home so we can bury him and have a little burial service for him today. The girls were just in tears as was I. He slept on Kate's bed, and was one of the most loving male kitties I have ever had. The Vet told Bob that our street was known as "death road" for pets. We have a fenced in yard, but that doesn't keep the cats in, except for big cat. We have a pet door for the dogs to go in and out. I guess we may have to think about getting rid of the pet door, and just let the dogs in and out. I don't know.

• But the truth is, a pet's death is not a human death. It is not the same. It is grievous, but not the same. And it is not the same as the sacrificial deaths of our military. So today we take time to remember our military and those who died in war. I have a great Uncle who died in WWI. Bob has an Uncle who died at war also. Probably there are others, I don't know. I think Grand dad told us his brother died in the Spanish American War. Here is a link to a Memorial Day prayer that I like. Did you know that there are this many US deaths in Iraq:
• U.S. Deaths Confirmed By The DoD: 3441
• Reported U.S. Deaths Pending DoD Confirmation: 14
• Total 3455 from IC website.
• This doesn't include contractors, journalists, other nation's military(here are British Numbers), nor does it include the Iraqis' deaths.
• And let's not forget we got another war going on, that has heated up again, Operation Enduring Freedom.
• Here is a list of American War Casualties for all wars.
• I think it is important to put a face to the number, go to the Washington post for that.
• Whether you agree or disagree with the present administration and it's policies, take time to remember those who have died for your right to agree or disagree.

• And last point in my world. yesterday the local paper talked about the KKK coming to Tuscumbia on Saturday(You can't read the article anymore if you don't have an account, but you can see the pictures.). I didn't know about it, nor did I go, I was at the ball park all day and had a spend the night friend over for the girls. (That's another story.) They were there to talk about illegal immigration and their usual topics. What was neat was that there were protests about them being there. They say there were a lot of young faces in the crowd of protesters. The protesters were nonviolent and held up signs that said "Love thy Neighbor", and "God's Love is Colorblind". They had to cancel the cross burning due to the Fire alert we are under. In the end they had to leave due to the crowd who were gathered singing a few verses of "Jesus Loves the Little Children". Can you imagine it was the singing of that sweet little children's hymn that forced them to leave. In light of what the Festival of Homiletics theme was on, "Preaching for Transformation", a sermon was preached yesterday. Don't be fooled by their talk about illegal immigration, they still spew hatred, and racism. Instead pray for them, protest them with nonviolent protests, love them as the Bible tells us too, and sometimes sing that sweet Song; "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, including the KKK...."

Visionary Art; A Man who Quilts

I loved living in Wadley, Al. Several of my members were quilters, and good ones at that. One of them had her own quilting room that her son built her. She made some of the prettiest quilts. The church I served in Columbus, GA had a quilting group that made their quilts to sell, and their proceeds would go to Missions. I love those women, they would quilt in the room across the hall from me. I loved going in there to see what they were quilting, and what the latest buzz was. They made some nice quilts. Bob's mom was a quilter, and quilted a quilt for each child and grandchild getting married. She was amazing and made some fine quilts. I am not a quilter and don't even remember one of my relatives being one either. I just admire the gift to do one, and one when they are done. Today, I want to introduce you to a man who is a self taught quilter.

Chris Clark has become one of the South's most admired visionary artists. Born in 1958, he began making and painting "story" quilts in 1987. He sews the quilt pieces together and then paints Bible stories and other scenes over the quilt. He says his Grandmother and others that he first showed the quilts to discouraged him from making them. They simply couldn't understand why anyone would want to make a quilt that you hang on a wall instead of using for bed covers. But Chris persisted in his work moving on to painting children at play and other "happy images". He also makes "spirit sticks" from found objects and paints on suitcases and furniture. As a young man, Chris served in the Army then held a variety of factory jobs until he started losing his vision. His eyesight would come and go; he was sure he was dying. Later he was diagnosed with severe diabetes. After treatment and months of recovery, his eyesight began to stabilize. He first sold his quilts in a nearby flea market but soon came to the attention of folk art galleries. He is a regular participant at many art festivals and is a featured artist in the books,. REVELATIONS and SPIRITS OF THE CLOTH.

Chris Clark, started quilting in the late 1980s after a bout with diabetes put him in the hospital. It was a craft at which his grandmother and great grandmother excelled. But rather than simply sew together pieces of fabric, Clark painted pictures on them as well. His grandmother scoffed --but changed her mind when one of his big quilts sold for $1,000. Like many self-taught artists, Clark uses “found’’ objects – discarded furniture, buttons, soda cans, beads, machine parts – to create paintings, pastiches, hats, sculptures and his signature quilts. Many are reflections of dreams and childhood memories. Chris has his own website also: http://www.chrisclarkart.com/

Alabama off Road Folk Art

Cross Garden: Hell's Warning Label

as mentioned in Roadside America.com

I have not been there, nor did I know it existed. But it sounded interesting, and so like Alabama folk art. I guess, I'll have to go see it on one of my beach trips down 65. Sadly in 2004, W. C. Rice, the artist, died. Here's how to get there; On Hwy 82, N of hwy 14. past Country Club, go up hill. On downslope, watch for a paved Autauga County Road 47/Indian Hills Rd on the left. Crosses are just ahead, on both sides of road.
The article says this: "If W.C. Rice's stark Cross Garden doesn't save you, there's no one to blame but yourself. His frightening jumble of white crosses cling to hills on either side of a curving county road next to a trailer park. Rough wooden crosses and peeling hand-lettered signs bearing Bible scripture fragments are nailed to fences, trees, and each other. Everywhere, whitewashed signs explicitly warn -- in blobby black paint -- "You will DIE," and "HELL IS HOT HOT HOT.""

I have included some pictures from the Cross Garden.

There are some other pictures here at this blog post; Best Use of a Junk Car.
She got permission to use those pictures from Cecil Bridges, they are worth the look.
Folk Art can be very interesting. And if you have seen any you know it often has religious images.

Alabama knows Bible

Well it has been reported that most Alabama residents say they have a religious faith and a majority in a new poll showed they have a basic knowledge of the Bible.

For example, nearly 70 percent of respondents to last week's Press-Register/University of South Alabama survey correctly named all four Gospels.

"They don't call it the Bible Belt for nothing," said Keith Nicholls, a political scientist and director of the USA Polling Group, which conducted the poll.

The poll showed Alabama residents know more about the Bible than other Americans.

Most Americans can't identify even one of the four Gospels, according to polls cited by Boston University professor Stephen Prothero, who has received national acclaim for his recent book titled "Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know - and Doesn't."

More than 70 percent of the Alabama respondents knew the location that the Bible identifies as Jesus' birthplace — Bethlehem.

Only 16 percent, however, knew that President Bush was making a reference to the biblical parable of the good Samaritan when he cited the Jericho Road in his first inaugural address.

Hey can you top that? At least we Alabamians are good for something and know a thing or two about the Bible, we just not sure about it when it is used in political speeches.

Still, he said, he was troubled that 30 percent of respondents attributed Benjamin Franklin's adage "God helps those who help themselves" to the Bible.

What's wrong with you people, of course its in the Bible. Franklin just borrowed it from the Bible. I am going to look it up my King James as soon as I can find it under all that dust and stuff. You can read the rest of the article here.And don't be messing with my Bible or my religion or my Football.

It isn't American Idol, but it is Nashville Star

Two people from Florence, actually brother and sister, have made it to the top three of Nashville Star, of the USA Network. I had no idea that it existed at all until the Shoals area has gone Nashville Star crazy for the Hacker siblings.

Thursday is the final. I don't know these people, who are these people. But apparently they are famous around here, and were country before this happened.

Angela Hacker is from Muscle Shoals. Her child goes to school with my daughters. I didn't know it until I saw it on the school's outside sign. One of the things she says in her profile in response to the question "What are you afraid of?", is that she is afraid of nonbelievers. UH? Now that I don't get. She says her biggest hero is Jesus. Well if your hero is Jesus, what do you have to fear? Perfect love cast out fear. OH well.You can listen to her vidoes at the contest here.

Zac Hacker is from the Lagrange, AL and is her brother. You can see his videos here.

One thing for sure whether they win or lose Nashville Star, they have helped their cause and will move beyond Florence. Although yall do know that the Shoals is known for its music tradition, ranging from W.C. Handy, the “Father of the Blues,” to recording pioneer Sam Phillips, to numerous No. 1 hits recorded in local studios.

But then again we are also known for where Goober Pyle has a film festival every year known as the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival.