Category Archives: clothing

by Anthony Baker | September 17, 2018 · 6:00 am

Happy Birthday to Me!

Starting Over

Today is my birthday! I’m excited.

Actually, I’m not as excited as I was last night, because last night was when we actually celebrated my birthday. Today I just got older.

Well, that’s not completely true. You see, my wife and daughters baked a cake for me and decorated it, but the only candles we had were a “1” and a “2.” Even if we had had 51 little candles, I would have hated blowing them out! And they would have melted the icing!

So, I decided the “1” candle would work (I had to blow out something), and that made me think…instead of turning 51, I’m starting over!

Now, if I could only live to my 20’s or 30’s I’ll be in good shape 😉

Birthday Gifts

Last night my family presented me with a few gifts, and I was very pleased. Each one was evidence they had really thought about me, for each one took some thought.

And that’s the way gifts should be, you know? Gifts should give the impression you care, not that you were fulfilling an obligation.

But if money and reality were no object, I would like to add the following to my birthday present list. If any of you out there would like to check any of them off, be my guest 🙂

One of those really nice, calfskin-covered, high-dollar new Bibles. You know, something like an Allen or a Cambridge with a wider margin for making my own notes.
A couple of new suits that actually fit.
A Breitling watch.
An iPad pro.
A ride in a WW2-era bomber or fighter.
To drive an exotic supercar, like a Cobra, Ferrari, or Porche 911 turbo. A Dodge Demon, 2019 Mustang GT, 2018 Corvette would be nice, too.
A trip to the holy land.
Another mission trip either to eastern Europe or Africa.
A Gen4 Glock
A trip to Washington, DC, to see the new Bible Museum.

But the love of my family is worth more than any of the items on my list. Sure, the things on the list would be really cool, but I’m infinitely blessed beyond measure to have a loving wife and 3 daughters who love the Lord.

Happy birthday to me!

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Filed under clothing, Family, Vacation

Tagged as Birthday, Family, gifts

by Anthony Baker | May 23, 2017 · 11:47 pm

You Might Be a Sinner If…

I’m Sort of a Redneck

Yes, I confess. I am a redneck, especially considering how burned my neck is after standing out in the sun for five+ hours. Which leads me to ask a question of myself…why do I never remember sun screen unless I go to a beach?

And I also know that I am a redneck because Jeff Foxworthy told me so. If you remember, Foxworthy’s comic routine made famous the line, “You might be a redneck.” Here are some that I know have applied to me at least once over the 45 years of my life (as of tomorrow, the 17th).

I prefer old trucks to new ones. (No, this one’s not mine)

You might be a redneck if…

You read the Auto Trader with a highlight pen.
Every socket in your house breaks a fire code.
The taillight covers of your car are made of red tape.
Directions to your house include “Turn off the paved road.”
Going to the bathroom at night involves shoes and a flashlight.
You use the term “over yonder” more than once a month.

I’m a Sinner

Unlike a whole lot of people in this world (and in a world of their own), I can admit that I am a sinner. The only difference is that once I confessed my inability to change my nature, I traded my “filthy rags” for the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:9). Now, I’m still a sinner, but I’m am a saved sinner.

So, based on the actions of Adam and Eve in the third chapter of Genesis, I took a cue from Jeff Foxworthy and came up with my own list of “you might be’s.” From that list I preached a message entitled “You Might Be a Sinner If…”

You might be a sinner if…

You have ever talked to a Serpent – and taken its advice (v. 2).
You know the difference between “Naked” and “Necked” (v. 7). Side Note: If you consider fig leaves appropriate attire, you might be a sinner.
You feel like running when the law shows up (v. 8).
God is searching for you, and not the other way around (v. 9).
You feel self-conscious or defensive about anything you’ve ever done (v. 9-10).
You ever play the “blame game” – Others, “The devil made me do it” (v. 11-13).
You were born (Romans 5:12).

Change of Status

Some people try on their own to change their status in life. Sometimes rednecks move away from Redneckville in order to become a different person. But what they find out is that Redneckville never left their heart. They still have those same desires to grill Spam and fish with dynamite.

In the same way, many people think, once they finally realize they are sinners, that change can come with a simple change of atmosphere, or the turning over of a new fig leaf.

The fact is that sinners don’t become “saints” on their own. It takes outside intervention.

If we confess with our sins, he is faithful to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9

So, what are you?

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Filed under Christian Living, Christian Maturity, clothing, Humor, Preaching, salvation, self-worth

Tagged as Christianity, faith, Jeff Foxworthy, Jesus Christ, Redneck, Religion, Sin

by Anthony Baker | May 11, 2017 · 7:14 am

Helping Me Lose Weight 5/11/17

Let’s get serious…

It’s 5/11 and yesterday I picked up my new 5-11 tactical uniform pants (for the Sheriff’s Office – I’m a chaplain). They are a size 36 waist, and they barely fit.

On top of that, my new uniform shirt, which is an XL, fits ok, but I still need to wear a vest underneath. But I have a beer gut, just without the beer.

This morning I weighed myself after my shower… 222.4 pounds. 222.4!

Now it’s 7:04 a.m., I’m in between bus routes, and I can’t tell you how much I want to go inside and get a cup of coffee and a honey bun!!

You guys have GOT to give me some encouragement!

I’m too much of a man to look pregnant!

20 Comments

Filed under clothing, fitness, Food

Tagged as exercize, Food, Health

by Anthony Baker | April 14, 2017 · 2:44 am

Size Shaming? Or Just a Lie?

Ticked Teen

Colossians 3:21 (KJV) says, “Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.” Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, I try not to make my youngest daughter, Haley, mad at me.

Not only do I not want to see her discouraged, but she has a grudge-holding characteristic comparable to an elephant with an attitude – she never forgets, so neither will the offender. Maybe it’s just a female thing.

Anyway, Haley would be upset with me if I didn’t follow through with a promise: a promise to write about the craziness of the same size of clothing being labeled as different sizes. Here’s the post, Haley…I’m writing it.

4 Pants, 4 Sizes

Haley came into the office area where I was sitting at my computer. Draped over her arm were four garments; each one was a pair of pants, all the same length, and all having the same circumference around the waist. Man (or woman), was she ticked.

“Would you look at this!” she huffed. “Why do they do this?” she asked. At that point she held up the four pair of pants, waist to waste, and then asked, “Do these look any different?” Well, honestly, to my male-chromosomed ocular orbs they looked exactly the same, which worried me. Should I answer, or not?

“Well,” I began cautiously, “they all do look to be the same size, I suppose.”

“Exactly,” Haley replied, “but now look at this!” She then proceeded to show me the various tags attached to the inside of each garment, and I’ll be dang if every one was different!

Haley was frustrated, and I can understand why. Let’s just say somebody asked what size of pants a guy wears. If he answered “36,” you could go to just about any clothing store and find a pair of jeans, size 36, and the waist circumference would be comparable to any other brand or make of pants for men in the same size. For guys a 36 is a 36, end of story.

Not so for women’s clothing. Why is that?

Perception is Reality…Change the sizes!

As best as I can surmise, women don’t like to be called “fat.” Therefore, the larger the number attached to the size of a garment, the lower the self-esteem, especially when asked what size she wears.

When I asked my wife about this, she informed me that women’s sizes today are a lot larger, but the numbers have stayed the same. In other words, if we were to compare a size 8 from today to a size 8 from 20 years ago, we would find today’s size 8 a lot bigger than the 8’s of the past.

To put it another way, if it makes you feel fat to wear a size 24, then fitting into a size 12 will make you feel like you’ve lost 150 lbs. It’s all about perception.

One big problem with this kind of thinking, however, is that no matter how often you redefine something, the objective standard of the bathroom scale never changes.

And neither does God’s Word.

2 Comments

Filed under clothing, General Observations, Relationships and Family, World View

Tagged as clothes, fashion, Marriage, transgender, women's clothing

by Anthony Baker | April 5, 2017 · 7:00 am

A Question of Dignity

Much is said about how people should dress, like “dressing down” and dressing for success.” But how should a minister, a pastor, a “reverend” dress? For that matter, how should a pastor behave in public? How should his position affect his demeanor? Ever thought about that?

It’s a question regarding the appropriate level of dignity exhibited by those in ministry.

Differences

Some of you may disagree with me on this, but I do believe that there is something to be said about the differences between pastors and the congregation. If you are Catholic or main-line Protestant this is probably a non-issue, but it is an issue in other circles, specifically in evangelical churches.

Many of us are well aware that Scripture teaches that there is no essential difference between one believer and another: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Furthermore, many of us treasure the biblical doctrine of the “priesthood of the believer” that confirms all Christians have equal access to God, not needing the intercession or mediation of an earthly priest (Ephesians 2:18, 3:12; Hebrews 4:14-16, 10:19; and 1 Peter 2:5). Some folk, especially many of my Baptist brethren, even refrain from using terms such as “clergy” and “laity” because, in essence, we are all the same.

The “official” me.

However, if we are all the same, if there is no difference at all, no difference in expectation or qualification, why then do we have such passages as 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9? Why would Paul have instructed Timothy and Titus to ordain godly men to the work of “bishop” in the first place if there were no need for men of distinction?

The truth is that there is a biblical mandate of conduct for the role and specific offices of pastor, bishop, elder, teacher, and deacon. Those persons should be known as set apart, qualified, mature, devoted, and serious about the work (Titus 2:7).

I Struggle

I will admit, I struggle with this issue from time to time. You may not think it’s a big deal, but I think it is. The thing I don’t want is to be legalistic, prideful, arrogant, or aloof and never fun, accessible, down-to-earth, and humble.

But where does one draw the line? At what point can one say, “That [activity] is not appropriate for a person in that position” without coming across as elitist?

The “ice cream” me.

Let’s face it, when it’s time for a fall festival or children’s activity, every one wants a pastor who is not afraid or too proud to look like a fool for the sake of a smile. It was Jesus who had little children running up to him, sitting on his knee, and enjoying being in his presence. The pastor who never laughs, never takes a shaving cream-pie in the face, or dresses up like a farmer for Vacation Bible School will never win the heart of a child.

On the other hand, the one dying in a hospital (or on the side of the road) wants more than a clown or a hip public speaker to kneel by his side or take her hand.

I struggle with where to draw the line, where being like everybody else must give way to the demeanor of one elected to lead. Sure, context is always going to make a difference, but is there no place for gravitas in the modern church?

Grace and context. …Grace and context. That’s the only way I know to approach this.

I’d love to read what you think! Where do you see the line between dignity and doofus?

2 Comments

Filed under Christian Maturity, clothing, General Observations, legalism, ministry

Tagged as attitude, Church, Clothing, culture, maturity, Ministry, ordination, Pastor

by Anthony Baker | August 29, 2016 · 10:27 pm

A Bible and a Belt

Just doing some scrolling through Facebook, that’s when I came across the following video by a wonderful couple, the wife now gone on to be with the Lord. I think it’s worth watching.

You see, I am from a different time…a different era…a different generation. I came along before “seeker friendly” was a thing, and when “time out” was only something you took between work …or between rounds.

We look at our communities these days and wonder what to do. As I drove my school bus this afternoon I can’t tell you how many gang signs and hand shakes I saw exchanged. There wasn’t a single respectful word returned in exchange for anything I said, not even when I said, “Good morning.” And all I hear talk about is more programs and tax dollars.

We’ve got a victim-minded society that is rearing self-indulgent, over-entitled, spoiled, angry, unloved, snotty-nosed brats with no moral compass and a hatred for anything wholesome. Then, when one of the little darlings doesn’t get his way we blame the gun he uses in the crime he commits and attack the cop who arrested him.

What’s wrong? Maybe we should quit depending on the village to raise our kids and get back to using a Bible and a belt. It worked for my generation. It’ll work for this one.

1 Comment

Filed under America, clothing, General Observations, Life Lessons, music, Parenting, Relationships and Family, Uncategorized

Tagged as Bible, discipline, Music, Parenting, spanking

by Anthony Baker | January 12, 2016 · 1:19 pm

Honor the Court, but Not God?

The Courthouse

This morning I went to the county courthouse. No, I was not in any kind of trouble; I was turning in some paperwork needed for me to be a chaplain with our Sheriff’s department.

Unfortunately for me, I am having difficulty locating physical proof of my high school education! I have no idea where my diploma went, and I don’t have any transcripts. I mean, once I got accepted into college back in the mid 1980’s no one suggested that I keep all the high school stuff. Go figure.

Anyway, inside the courthouse there are several elevators (we have those in Tennessee). Inside the elevators is posted a sign which informs those going to court what NOT to wear.

photo (2)

The Church House

There are many churches that have similar signs – maybe not posted where everyone can see, but implied and enforced. For example, when I was younger the following NO’s were common…

NO Long hair (as in touching the ears and especially the collar) on men and boys.
NO Pants on women or girls.
NO Wire-rimmed glasses.
NO Neon-colored clothing of any kind.
NO T-shirts with the names of secular OR contemporary Christian music groups.
NO Casual clothing of any kind on Sunday morning…or evening…or at Wednesday night prayer meeting…or on visitation…or to a singing…or to a revival…etc.

Yes, there were some strict dress codes in my earlier years, even up until my 20’s. But were dress codes really that big of a problem? Or was it just the fact that so many judged each other’s spiritual fitness by what they chose to wear?

As I see it, we have now gotten to a point when dress codes mean nothing, from the pew to the pulpit. Frankly, what seems to be the norm these days is that whatever would least pass the muster in a courtroom winds up being the most desirable fashion statement in a worship setting!

The Heavenly Judge

I’ve written about this stuff before in “What to Wear to Church”; what you wear to church or other religious gatherings is totally between you and God and your conscience. Your style of clothing shouldn’t be used as a gauge of your spirituality – that’s legalism.

However, should it not concern us when the world outside the church has more respect for secular courtrooms than where we meet to hear the Holy Word of the Heavenly Judge of all mankind proclaimed?

Just a thought. We have those in Tennessee, too.

3 Comments

Filed under clothing, General Observations, legalism

Tagged as Church, Clothing, culture, dress codes

by Anthony Baker | February 21, 2015 · 3:09 pm

Remembering a Whoop’n

A Whoop’n

In case you are from a liberal society or background which prohibits whoop’ns, you might not know what I am talking about. Therefore, let me tell you what a “whoop’n” is.

A whoop’n (the abbreviated form of “whipping”) is a spanking, a tail thrashing, a belt to the rear, a switch’n, a “rod of instruction to the seat of discipline.”

Whoop’ns are not abuse. I survived many, and I’m thankful for every one my mom and dad gave me. They administered them in love.

Holy Wood Shed

The reason I am telling you all about “whoop’ns” is because God gave me one four years ago today. Yes, the Lord took me to His heavenly wood shed all because I acted like a hypocrite.

My daughter with Building 429

You see, four years ago a group called Building 429 came through town and I made of fool of myself in front of God and everybody, including my family and a bunch of guys who love Jesus. I judged them based on what they looked like – the very thing I preached and wrote against on this very website.

If you’d like to read the original story, just click on the link below. You’ll get a laugh out of it.

“Recovering Legalist Meets Building 429”

But even though I learned a lesson, there are still times when I have to “check myself,” as my wife says. That’s why I call myself a “recovering” legalist.