Author Archives: Anthony Baker

About Anthony Baker

Husband, dad, pastor, artist, and musician. Time Magazine's Person of the Year in 2006 (no joke!). Loves coffee (big time), good movies, and sarcastic humor. Holds a Doctorate in Ministry. Most importantly, a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. All glory belongs to Him! Matthew 5:16

by Anthony Baker | September 23, 2016 · 12:46 am

Another Face-to-Face

Let me think for just a moment… How many bloggers has it been that have come through and visited with my family and me?

Let’s see, there was the cute couple of the century, Daniel and Caitlin Klem, who came through before Christmas a couple of years ago. There’s been James and Lydia Neff who’s been by a few times, which was always an encouragement. The Fry’s (Wally & Heather) and their daughter came through while on vacation last year, and that was fun. And how can I forget Heather, Everette, and Emerson?

Myself and Jessie Jeanine. Photo by: My wife, Valerie.

Well, this last week another long-time blogging friend paid a visit. Last Tuesday Jessie Jeanine decided to swerve through on her cross-country (and half-way back again) search for a place to re-settle (that’s a long story in its own right). She loved it so much here that she stayed over a week! How cool is that?

I will never get over how bloggers can be a part of a community without ever meeting in person. But it is awesome when people who are friends online can meet face-to-face, confirming the reality that there has always been a genuine person on the other side of the computer screen.

Jessie was one of the first bloggers who really encouraged me to keep writing – because she actually replied to my comments and then followed my blog! For a new blogger that was a big deal, especially considering her story (one of horrendous abuse, working with the FBI, and even being a friend to Hollywood stars). To me Jessie Jeanine was a blogging celebrity, and a celebrity I highly respected. That was like 5 or 6 years ago.

However, this past week Jessie ate with us, worshiped with us, and even asked me to work on her car. What’s more, she got to spend enough time with us to see a few of our bad sides. Yet, real friends stay friends even when they are transparent and vulnerable. Real friends being real, that’s all.

We had a great time just hanging out, watching TV, doing dishes, playing board games, talking church, faith and religion, and dealing with a little bit of family drama.

But every good thing must come to an end. My wife and daughters and I will always be grateful for the time we got to spend with her. Needless to say, there were a few tears shed when it came time for her to leave.

May God bless her, protect her, and provide for her needs during this huge cross-country transition in life.

Oh, and eventually we’re all going to pay David Welford a visit in England! Woo Hoo!

So, any more of you guys coming through Chattanooga any time soon? I know a great coffee shop 🙂

12 Comments

Filed under blogging, Christian Unity

Tagged as blogging, Family, friends, Friendship

by Anthony Baker | September 22, 2016 · 11:46 am

How to Motivate Volunteers Like Jesus

Getting help from people in my congregation to visit and do evangelism outreach in our community is not easy. Of course, I’m not the best leader in the world, either.

All of us need to improve in our own right, and this post from Keith Haney can help.

Becoming Bridge Builders

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This is a famous fable about four people in the church whose names were Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.

The church had financial responsibilities, and Everybody was asked to help. Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it. But you know who did it? Nobody. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

Then the church grounds needed some work, and Somebody was asked to help. But Somebody got angry about that, because Anybody could have done it just as well and, after all, it was Everybody’s job. In the end, the work was given to Nobody, and Nobody did an excellent job.

On and on this went. Whenever work was to be done, Nobody could always be counted on. Nobody visited the sick. Nobody gave liberally. Nobody shared his faith. In short, Nobody was a very faithful…

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The Aging Mr. Potato

The Gift

Last year for my birthday our foreign exchange student from South Korea took it upon herself to make me a present. Because of the resemblance between my bald head and a potato, she hand-crafted a Mr. Potato Head from a REAL potato.

Being Sentimental

Because I am a sentimental kind of guy, I hate getting rid of gifts, especially the hand-made kind. Therefore, even though the birthday gift was made from a potato, I just couldn’t toss it; I let it lie on my computer desk on top of some CD cases.

A few months later I took the following picture.

People never thought a potato would simply age without rotting, but mine did. And not only did it age without stinking, it did something I have not been able to accomplish with age…

…grow hair!

Spud Mirroring Life

Is it “life mirrors fiction,” or “fiction mirrors life”? I don’t know. But one thing I do know is that potatoes evidently mirror my life.

As potatoes age they grow hair, but the hair seems to come out of places other than just the scalp. That’s a lot like real life…like my life. Between my nose and ears I could replace what disappeared from up top.

Another way the aging potato mirrors real life is in the way it shrinks. Even though the mid-section around us guys may increase, over time we all shrivel up into the wrinkled raisin-like reflection of what we used to be.

Aging is not always a pretty thing to watch, but it is something that is happening all the time. We start off young, but we get old. We start off with a whole life ahead of us, then we find ourselves contemplating the look of our tombstones. For some it only takes a short time, like with Mr. Potato; for others it takes multiple decades.

The results are always the same…we wither and fade away.

For all flesh is as grass [or potatoes], and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: – 1Peter 1:24

But there is hope!

But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. – 1 Peter 1:25

Now, do I bury the poor tater? Or hold on to him another year? You tell me.

2 Comments

Filed under Christian Maturity, Life/Death

Tagged as aging, death, life, maturity, potatoes

by Anthony Baker | September 20, 2016 · 8:03 am

A Lesson Learned

Living in a house full of women has taught me one thing, if nothing else. It’s almost impossible to get in the last .

– Anthony Baker

The Better Question

When looking for answers to our problems, many times we ask the question, “What would Jesus do?”

A better question might be, “What did Jesus do?”

“But we preach Christ crucified…” – 1 Corinthians 1:23

2 Comments

Filed under Christianity, current events, Theology

Tagged as Christianity, God, Jesus, questions

by Anthony Baker | September 17, 2016 · 11:03 am

I’ll Whine If I Want To

All I know of the lyrics to the old song is, “It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to, cry if I want to, CRY if I want to. You would cry too if it happened to you.”

Well, it’s my birthday, and I wan’t to cry…sorta.

Maybe more like whine.

The Negatives

First, I had been planning to attend a preaching conference today. It is sponsored by New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is being held just outside of Atlanta. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t bring myself to get out of bed on a Saturday – on my birthday – at 5:30 a.m. and then drive. I haven’t gotten a lot of sleep in the last few days and I have a knee that’s really hurting, so it wasn’t a good morning to be hitting the road dark and early. So, I’m missing out on something I really wanted to attend. That’s sad.

Secondly, my dadgum knee is killing me! Well, maybe killing is a little extreme, but it hurts to go up stairs, down stairs, use the gas peddle or brake, move it, etc. What did I do to it to make it hurt? Nothing that I know of – other than get older.

Third, after I had regretfully resigned not to go to the conference and sleep in, Jack the dog – which my wife so mercifully let into our room during the night – made it very clear he needed to go outside. So much for sleeping in.

Everyone else is still in bed. Wait, did I hear movement upstairs?

The Positives

First, I woke up, was able to get out of bed with one good knee, and made it outside where the air was fresh. I was able to make it down stairs, make my own coffee, and see and hear the falling leaves that are finally ushering in the fall season.

Second, a dear blogging friend (Jessie Jeanine) is here visiting with us! Because of having to do several other things, including drive a school bus for a football game last night, I’ve been unable to take her to my favorite coffee shop here in Chattanooga, Rembrandt’s. But now that I’m not going to the conference in Atlanta, we can go get some coffee!

Third, I get to spend a little more time in study for tomorrow’s sermons. And really, that’s a good thing; I’ve been a little stressed with finding the time to just sit and meditate on the passage I’m going to be covering…

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. – Luke 12:32

And, you know, I have to make a good impression tomorrow, too. I asked Jessie to tell me if there were any differences between the real me and the person I convey over the internet. She replied, “Wait till after I hear you preach on Sunday.” Pressure!

Incidentally, I want to thank our exchange-student-daughter, Vivian, for giving up her room for a few days and sleeping with Haley so that our guest could have a bed. However, I don’t know what German kids think about southern hospitality at this point – I think they think we’re crazy.

Fourth and finally, “This [is] the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” – Psa 118:24 NKJV

God has been good to me, far more than I deserve – ’cause I don’t deserve anything, really. He even gave me this wonderful day at home to answer the phone, read emails and Facebook, study, drink coffee, and feed off the sympathy of others as my knee aches.

So, forgive me if I whine just a little…but it IS my birthday, after all 😉

13 Comments

Filed under current events, General Observations, Life/Death, Thanksgiving

Tagged as birthdays, blogging, Celebrations, knee pain

by Anthony Baker | September 16, 2016 · 12:39 pm

Fun and Quirky Me

In a recent email from Tishia at Faithful Bloggers I was asked to list some fun and quirky things about myself. She said…

“When is the last time you shared something fun or a little quirky about you? I encourage you to create a post like this. Your readers will love it! It’ll let them connect with you on a more personal level as you give them a ‘glimpse’ into who you are by sharing some of those silly things.

Therefore, in the second post I’ve written in just one day, I will share with you 10 fun and quirky things: things to love; things to use as a connector; and things to give you a “glimpse” into what makes me the quirky, funny, unusual, and almost-committed person that I am.

I don’t have a clean desk, either around my computer in the kitchen or in my office. A clean desk is an invitation to break out books and paper and clutter. A messy desk is a reminder I have too much to do, so I don’t do too much more.

The main reason I love iPhones more than any other kind of phone is iMovie. I will be getting the iPhone 7 this year, and I don’t care about the haters; it’s the first phone I’ve gotten in 5 years – and Saturday is my birthday.

I shave in the shower – and I never cut myself (which is good for several reasons).

I like candy corn, even in the summer.

Sometimes I eat dry Capt’n Crunch Cereal when I study. I’ll put it in a bowl and munch on it. It’s what I call “brain food.”

I stop by the Mapco gas station every day and make my own iced coffee. It only cost me $.99 instead of $2 billion at Starbucks (which I can’t stand, anyway).

I sneeze every time I eat anything (at least 90% of the time)…anything at all… at least three times in a row. No, I don’t know why I do it. It doesn’t matter what I eat, and it varies when the sneezing happens.

I get emotional in the butterfly exhibit at the Tennessee Aquarium.

I weigh 215 pounds.

One of my greatest wishes is that the Pop Tart people would make a pop tart that had no filling… because I enjoy the edges of pop tarts more than the inside.

So, there you have it… fun and quirky things you probably never knew about me. Do you feel closer? More connected? I hope so 😉

I also have a pet puppet monkey who thinks he is real – he even has a pet banana.

4 Comments

Filed under blogging, General Observations, Monday Monkey

Tagged as blogging, funny, lists, Personal, self

by Anthony Baker | September 16, 2016 · 11:29 am

Another Sitter Strikes Again

Tripping While Scrolling

Have you ever experienced it? It’s that moment when you about break a finger when you see something as you’re scrolling through recent news articles.

It’s that wait-a-moment! moment when you stop scrolling down on your smartphone and try to quickly go back up and find the story you think you saw, but it took a second to register in your mind.

Well, this morning during a break between school bus routes I came across one of those scrolling moments. I was scrolling down through recent news stories, reading the headlines, and then said, “Wait a minute!” I had to go back and read further.

Solidarity for Sitters

I don’t see how, but maybe you are unaware of all the hullabaloo surrounding people who choose to sit during the singing of the National Anthem or recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. If so, then maybe you didn’t hear what State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, a St. Louis Democrat, recently did.

According to an article in The Blaze and the local news from which it got the story, Sen. Nasheed refused to stand during the pledge to the American flag out of her desire to stand (ironically) in solidarity with a certain football player which shall remain nameless.

According to reports, she said:

“I decided to not stand for the Pledge of Allegiance today to stand in solidarity with the cause of injustice that ~~Colin Kaepernick~~ has shined a bright light upon. I am not anti-America, and in fact, it is because I love this country that I take this stand… I am doing so not because of past transgressions by America, but to call attention to current injustices here in this state and country.”

Current Injustices

The following are the list of injustices Sen. Nasheed says America is currently guilty of, and thereby deserves to be protested.

• The injustice of police brutality — the refusal to mandate police body cameras;

• The injustice of poverty — the underfunding of our public schools;

• The injustice of voter suppression — passing Voter ID laws;

• The injustice of not having health care — not expanding Medicaid;

• The injustice of unlivable wages — refusing to raise minimum wage and the right-to-work attack on labor;

• The injustice of unequal pay for women;

• The injustice of mass incarceration; and

• The injustice of economic disparity.

May I just address each one of the injustices mentioned in light of my recent trip to Zimbabwe? Thank you.

• The injustice of police brutality — the refusal to mandate police body cameras;

I’m sorry, but I’m sick and tired of this “police brutality” business. With few exceptions, the police in this country are angels compared to the police in so many other places. Brutality? Maybe she should visit the Sudan or Iraq. Why not compare our supposed brutality to that of the cops in Iran? Ever been to an eastern European jail?

You will actually stay seated during the pledge because of the refusal to mandate police body cameras, and you call that brutality? Seriously?

• The injustice of poverty — the underfunding of our public schools;

The injustice of poverty? Underfunding our public schools? Seriously, how is being poor an injustice when the poor in this country are infinitely more wealthy than the majority of people in Zimbabwe? And did you know that in many other places school is not free?

So, our poor are actually wealthy, they get free education, and it all comes from the government – yet it’s unjust. Right. And how much more funding do we need to give these schools, huh? How many more billions?

• The injustice of voter suppression — passing Voter ID laws;

So, it’s injustice – as opposed to being just and lawful – to require that a person placing a vote in an election actually show proof he/she is a legal citizen of this country? Do you even understand the definition of “justice”?

If people in other countries will stand in line…lines that are being bombed and shot at…just so they can have one chance at placing their vote…you think it’s unjust to require that people here acquire an ID? How spoiled are the people you represent?

• The injustice of not having health care — not expanding Medicaid;

I’m sorry, but didn’t your president pass his signature legislation called the Affordable Care Act? Is that not working for you?

And you talk about not having health care… Have you ever been to a village where children are literally dying because of sinus infections, all because they can’t afford to buy medicine that we can get over the counter here? And you call our health care unjust?

• The injustice of unlivable wages — refusing to raise minimum wage and the right-to-work attack on labor;

Honestly, you’re complaining about how much money people are not making, yet they are making money – they have jobs. Ever been to a country like Zimbabwe where the unemployment is near 90%? You won’t stand for the pledge to the flag of a country, even though that country offers unemployment benefits, housing, healthcare, food stamps, schooling, day care, pre-natal care, cell phones, and even internet to those who don’t even want to work? How’s that unjust??? Except maybe for the taxpayer.

Again, a minimum wage that’s not high enough? I’ve seen people selling WORMS on the side of the road for pennies, and you complain about people not being paid enough to work at McDonald’s? Unbelievable.

• The injustice of unequal pay for women;

This is a load of absolute baloney and you dagdum know it. Please, somebody show me jobs where women get paid less just because they’re women.

• The injustice of mass incarceration; and

I suppose letting drug dealers, rapists, muggers, etc. back out on the street just because of their skin color would be the best choice?

• The injustice of economic disparity.

I’m sorry, Senator, but you are actually serving in the wrong country and under that wrong Constitution. Here in America we have a form of government that is supposed to reward hard work and ingenuity, not punish it by spreading the wealth around and making everything “fair.” I think you’d be more happy under a dictatorship or Communism. That is what you really want, right?

Please forgive me for going on a rant, but I’m just tired of all the stupidity these days. I had to say something.

8 Comments

Filed under America, politics

Tagged as injustice, Kaepernick, Nasheed, Politices, Solidarity

by Anthony Baker | September 15, 2016 · 6:30 am

Bumper Stickers

The following was first published in November of 2010. I do miss having my own “Ride.”

“The Ride”

My wife will not let me put a bumper sticker of any kind on her car. Even if she was driving a rusty Chevy Vega which desperately needed the qualities of something with adhesive properties to keep her bumper stuck to her car…no bumper stickers. Not so with my Ride. I don’t need no stinkin’ sticky things! Just staples and zip ties, thank you. Really, what I mean to say is that “The Ride” is not too good to advertise TheRecoveringLegalist.com, even though my wife thinks her car is too special. HA!

Bumper stickers are something akin to free advertisement…

…They promote whatever you want other people to know about you and what you think, or for that matter, how well your kids think. Plastered to the back of a rolling billboard, they catch the eye of total strangers who have the random chance to find themselves behind you and I in traffic, or who catch a glimpse in a parking garage. Some people, I have come to realize, are advertizing more than they know, for some bumper stickers betray a hidden (at least to the owner of the car) stupidity.

There are so many bumper stickers that scream “MORON!”

Here is one that I saw. What a profound question. Why do we kill people that kill people? Could it be that we don’t want them to killpeople again? Could it be that they deserve to die for taking an innocent child’s life? Could it be that there are those out there on parole who would love to shoot your stupid…..(calm yourself, Anthony)…..well, they would love to steal your car and leave you beside the road in a ditch, then drive away with your false advertisement on THEIR bumper.

The one that I would have to say gets me the most, maybe because I see it the most, is COEXIST. I just love all the little symbols that are used to make up the happy little plea for love and harmony. Too bad what it tells me is that the owner of the car is a blooming idiot, at the very least, or somehow an ostrich has learned how to drive with his head in the sand. The message behind the little sticker is really, “Hey you Christians! Can you quit being so narrow-minded and hateful? Don’t you know that we all just want to get along, but you keep screwing it up?” All religions are the same, you know, or that’s the idea. We are all worshipping the same god, just by a different name. All paths lead to heaven, it’s just that some choose to take a shortcut by blowing themselves to Allah in the name of Jihad…is that so wrong?

Tell that to the “C”

I like the following verse. Psalm 107:2 says, “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy…” As Christians, we should be speaking out about the goodness and mercy of our God, not trying to seek favor with false gods by “COEXISTing” in perfect joy and mutual admiration. People in this country have the right to free speech and to freedom of religion, but if you haven’t noticed, we are in a real religious war. The “C” doesn’t like the “T” in that bumper sticker. If you’re going to put something on your bumper, make it something that points people down the narrow road, not the wide one that leads to destruction. Show your intelligence and advertize your faith…just don’t be tacky and weird about it…or then we get back into the looking-like-a-moron thing that my wife so desperately wants to avoid.

Now here’s an idea for the “perfect” bumper sticker!

5 Comments

Filed under America, Apologetics, Christian Living, Christian Unity, General Observations, Uncategorized, World View

Tagged as Bumper sticker, Stickers

by Anthony Baker | September 13, 2016 · 6:25 am

Simply Spoiled

I just want to illustrate how spoiled we are with a simple story.

One morning not too long ago I woke up a little late and had to get ready to go to work. Because I woke up late, I didn’t have time to fix any breakfast, not even a cup of coffee. Needless to say, that made me a little irritated.

I was short with my wife, who I woke up shortly after me, because I couldn’t find her purse. I needed at least a dollar or two to buy cup of coffee that morning, because, I mean, seriously, it was going to be another two hours before I could get a cup of coffee at home. All I was asking for was a cup of coffee…not breakfast…I could eat breakfast in a couple of hours.

So, a little later there I was, sitting on the school bus, waiting for my next route, knowing it was going to be a couple of hours before having a cup coffee, or anything to eat… and I was irritated.

How do I know I was (and am) spoiled? I was acting all upset when I should have been thankful!

A Family in Zimbabwe.

I woke up.
I was able to get out of bed.
I woke up in a house, not a box.
My wife is alive and still living with me.
I had running water.
I’m fully dressed.
I have a job.
I have a bottle of clean water to drink, which is more clean water than a lot of people see in a lifetime.
I only had to wait two hours for a cup of coffee and some food when some people may have to wait two days…or more.
I’m writing all of this on a computer. I have a computer with internet, unlike millions of people. I don’t have to take a crowded bus into town just to use the internet.