Tag Archives: blogging

by | January 9, 2016 · 10:16 am

The Sun Parade

A Dream

Last night (or this morning, rather) I was awoken from my sleep by a crazy dream. It’s not that dreams are usually sane, it’s just that this dream was a little more strange than normal.

First of all, I was back in college, which wouldn’t be completely unthinkable, but in a dorm room…I never stayed in a dorm….trying to decide what kind of sheets to put on the upper bunk where I was to sleep. If the first strange thing was that I was in a dorm, the second strange thing would be that without my wife I was fretting over thread counts and patterns.

The third and final strange thing about this dream was that a man walked into my room, presumably a professor, did something to the heater on the wall (adjusted the temperature, I suppose), and spoke to me as I was putting sheet on the bunk. Well, now that I think about it, every bit of that last sentence was strange. But anyway, he looked up at me and said:

“Anthony, I read your blog, but I need to let you know that there are a lot of people protesting your post on the sun parade.”

What? They are protesting? What post? I don’t remember ever writing a post about a parade, especially one celebrating the sun. So, I woke up, rolled over in bed, grabbed my phone, clicked on my WordPress app, and searched my post history. …Nothing.

Time to Google

What do I do if I can’t find something I need? Something that is supposed to be tucked away in my memory or stored in the files of some app? I Google it.

Come to find out, there are no sun parades, at least none that I can find. The only thing that came up on a Google search was a band out of Northampton, Massachusetts called The Sun Parade.

I guess it’s time to write about them. Time to start a protest.

“My Heart’s Out”

Why did I have a dream about a sun parade? Maybe it was because I needed to. Maybe it was because I need to expose this group for something horrible, like violent, bloody videos depicting a crazy vixen eating a guy’s heart. Who knows?

Well, when I Googled the parade and found the band, I logged onto their webpage and watched an interesting, well-produced music video. Would you believe it’s full of heart-cutting, heart-chasing, heart-eating drama? Yep, it does.

Seriously, The Sun Parade is a pretty cool sounding secular band with folk-rock sound and Beatle-esque harmonies. Let’s put it this way: their sound doesn’t hurt my hears. And being a pastor and all that, that alone might be protest-worthy, you think?

Here’s the thing, people will rip out your heart, step on it, cut it, break it, throw it away, and even – perish the thought – bite it…eeewww! People can be that way. But I’d rather have a heart that’s breakable than a cold heart, or no heart at all.

For the record, I gave my heart to Christ, and His life has made me new. It sure makes it easier to love those who take advantage of us when our “heart’s out.”

 

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by | January 4, 2016 · 11:35 am

First Video of the Year – But No Monkeys

Regularity

Even though I plan on consuming more fiber, that’s not what I’m talking about when I say “regularity.” No, I am going to endeavor to post more regularly this year (2016).

If I can manage a post of some kind every day, that will nearly triple my average. However, that means not all of my posts will be super-spiritual, in-depth, near-canon-quality essays capable of lifting your soul to heavenly heights.

Some will be short, stupid, or simply for fun. Something for everyone.

Something for Somebody

So, for the first Monday of the year here is a video. It’s not for everybody, I understand. It’s violent, messy, and childish.

On the other hand, it is creative, cathartic, and…well…childish. Don’t we all need to act a little childish sometimes?

This video is specifically for all of you out there who love explosives, creating things only to destroy them, and plastic toy soldiers. It’s also a video for all of you who just need to get a little frustration out of your system.

My daughter and I made a styrofoam “concrete” building, painted it, put plastic army men in it, invited some friends over on New Year’s Eve, and fired off 144 bottle rockets.

Enjoy!

 

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by | January 2, 2016 · 8:32 pm

Reverse the Decline

Happy 2016, everyone!

I want to make 2016 better than 2015.

Looking back over the numbers I came across two disturbing statistics. One had to do with the number of visits this blog received, the other had to do with views.

Compared with 2014, last year saw a 5% decrease in views and a 7.8% decrease in visits.

My question is this: What can I do to reverse the decline?

What could I do to reach 25,000 views this year? Or more?

I would really like to reverse this decline. Leave a comment below if you have any suggestions.

Thanks a bunch! 

Anthony

(Would cute animal pictures help?)

Our Christmas granddogs

Granddogs at Christmas. One of them has the “Ohhhhhhh” part down…next is “holy night.”

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by | December 30, 2015 · 8:00 am

Should There Be Another “Daily”?

It’s not that I’m looking to busy myself with more than I can handle, for I really don’t have a lot of time to spare. However, I would like your opinion about another blog I’ve published.

i4dailySeveral years ago I started a photo blog called i4Daily. The purpose of the blog was nothing more than to give me a place to post pictures from my iPhone 4 (and 4S) and possibly share some quick, little thought.

It went well for a while, but then other iPhones came out, the resolutions kept getting better, and I was left with jealousy in my heart. The result was that I only published 2 pictures in all of 2015!

In either January or February I will be getting a new iPhone to replace my cracked and worn 4S (yes, it still works). My question to all of you is this: Should I resume taking pictures?

Here’s another question: Should I rename the blog?

Below are links to some of my more favorite posts from years past. Let me know what you think.

January Sunrise

Trash Can

Terminal Lights

Cold Day, Hot Coffee

New Hair

Delta Queen Staircase

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by | December 9, 2015 · 9:00 am

Proverbial Reminder

If you are new to this blog, then you may not know about my other blog, Proverbial Thought.

proverbial thought pictureSeveral years ago I called upon several trusted friends from two continents and started a daily devotional which addressed every proverb in the book of Proverbs. After 2 years we completed the task, and now I am in the process of re-posting it all.

Why not check it out? Nearly every morning I re-post an entry. You could even use it as part of your daily “quiet time.”

Today’s post (December 9) deals with the dangers of bringing up the past. Fortunately, there’s nothing wrong with bringing up the good stuff 😉

God bless, and have a wonderful day!

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by | November 25, 2015 · 5:47 pm

Sharing Is Caring (Especially for Bloggers)

Gift Ideas

Do you want to know what to give me for Christmas? Well, besides a Walther CCP, a flight in a WWII era bomber or fighter, dinner for two at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, or an upgrade to my LOGOS Bible software, let me suggest something simple and cheap…share one of my posts!

photo (74)That’s right, if you want to give a simple gift to your favorite blogger, share one of his posts with others on your blog and/or social media! It cost’s nothing, and all you’d need is to wrap it in syrupilly-sweet words of praise as you ask others to check it out.

Simple and cheap! What could be better?

The Challenge

So, this is my challenge, and request:

Share (a post), and share a “like.” 

This is time of year when many bloggers see lower-than-normal visits to their sites, driving many to drink, seek professional help, or yell at their dogs. Therefore, why not take just a moment and share some posts you’ve liked with your friends? Doing so will help maintain a poor, lonely blogger’s stats during the cold and dreary months of the year.

And remember, what goes around comes around.

Also, the next time you read a decent, well-written blog post, don’t forget to “like” it. Even better, why not leave a comment? Sometimes a nice comment could mean the difference between a bad day and a great day. You just never know how far-reaching and life-altering an encouraging word can be. And that’s no joke.

Bloggers are people, too.

Now, if you do have access to a P-51 Mustang or want to treat me to an expensive steak dinner, then who am I to refuse? But if you can’t, a simple “like” and share will make my day!

Sharing is caring :-)

photo (74)

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by | November 21, 2015 · 7:58 pm

A Sight Worth Visiting: Fallen Pastors

Hey everybody!

Listen, I was doing some reading and came across a blog I think more people should read. It’s called Fallen Pastor (Finding Restoration In a Broken World).

Maybe you’ve known a pastor or minister who has fallen, who has walked away from ministry, because of some moral failure. Sadly, there are more than people think. Maybe it happened to you. Fallen Pastor has something for everyone in any ministerial position.

For that matter, Fallen Pastor has some strong advice for everyone.

Seriously, I was scrolling through the list of posts on Fallen Pastor and was shocked that there were not more “likes.” As a matter of fact, Fallen Pastor has been around for several years, and yet there are barely 100 subscribers! That is sad!

Ray Carroll, the blog’s author, was a pastor who “fell from grace” because of an affair. But instead of walking away from God, as many do in these situations, Mr. Carroll has taken the opportunity to help and challenge others.

Consider this sampling of posts from Fallen Pastor:

So, my friends, go check out Fallen Pastor; there’s a lot of good stuff posted there.

Consider subscribing, too. We need to encourage our pastors, even those who have made mistakes.

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by | October 29, 2015 · 9:37 pm

It’s Your Choice

I don’t have enough time, with all the other stuff going on this weekend, to write about everything of which I have an opinion. There’s just too much in the news.

Therefore, I want YOU to decide on what I write about next! You know, it’s sorta like a reverse of Fox News’ “We Report. You Decide.”

You decide. I will report.

Now, if you would like a few suggestions, just consider what has been in the news over the last few days and weeks. Maybe one of these topics would interest you.

  1. The Republican and Democrat Presidential debates in America.
  2. Policemen jerking unruly punk kids out of their desks in school.
  3. Policemen getting killed for being policemen.
  4. China ends one-child-only policy, but only ups it to two.
  5. Miley Cyrus and her upcoming naked concert.
  6. A football coach getting fired for praying after games at the 50-yard line.
  7. School shootings and gun-free zones.
  8. NCIS and Gibbs’ new look.
  9. Chinese and American tensions in the South China Sea.
  10. The possibility the Russians are going to cut internet cables in the Atlantic.

Then there are other things that aren’t in the news, but are nevertheless important – at least to some:

  1. Portlandia.
  2. NCIS compared to Castle.
  3. My DVR is full and erasing things I want to see but don’t have time to watch.
  4. Candy corn.
  5. How to keep trick-or-treaters away from your front door.
  6. The American public education system and Asian exchange students.
  7. Sharing the news of a missing pet on social media.
  8. Posting embarrassing photos of your teenage children when they were young.
  9. The horrors of being in the driver’s seat at a drive-thru with 6 other people in your minivan trying to tell you what they want, and all of them being females who can’t keep anything simple.
  10. Camera phones and legalism.
And then there's this.

And then there’s this. Aren’t you curious?

 

What do you want me to write about (excluding ending sentences with a preposition)?

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by | October 24, 2015 · 10:36 am

2,500 Followers and Bacon

Saturday List

Before I write anything else, I must warn you that my wife has a long list of things for me to complete, such as clean the windows, scrub the floor, clean of my computer desk, and make sure there’s nothing left on the china cabinet but dishes that we never use.

I just wanted to tell you about the list that awaits me because I am typing as fast as I can, all in the attempt to get this post written before my wife finishes breakfast and begins staring daggers through me.

Bad Bacon

Bacon. Yes, bacon.

Bacon. Yes, bacon.

Here’s a totally random question. Bacon…if it’s past the expiration date and slightly turned in color, but doesn’t smell bad, does frying it, thereby causing it to sit in sizzling grease, kill any bacteria or germs? In other words, can carbonized bacon make you sick?

Well, I just ate some. We will see.

Followers

Now, to the point of the day: 2,500 followers.

Do I really have 2,500 followers? Technically, no I do not, for as of this writing I am 20 followers shy of the mark. But the real question I have is how many of those followers are actual followers? How many of those nearly 2,500 people actually come behind me, watch my steps, and then walk in the path I am blazing? One? Three?

If the truth be known, many of those called “followers” are not really followers of me, or my blog. Many have only subscribed in order to get me to follow their blogs. Many have subscribed in haste after reading only one interesting post, then never come back. Others follow my blog and what I write in order to find fault, gather evidence, or get a laugh.

So, as I digest my bacon, what is the point I am frantically trying to make before my blogging time for the day is up? I don’t know, really. However, here are a few thoughts…

  • I am glad there are not 2,500 people looking over my shoulder
  • It would be nice if I could manage 2,500 views a day
  • If I really had 2,500 followers, more would question why I take certain paths
  • There is no way on earth I can write something without offending hundreds – if they actually read what I write
  • I want to be a better follower of Christ than I am a “follower” of someone’s blog

No Cross Required

If you want to know what it means to be a REAL follower – a disciple – then be a follower of Jesus Christ. But if you want to follow Jesus, please note that He requires more than a click and an email address.

“…If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Matthew 16:24

I am not asking you to give your life to me; no cross is required to follow The Recovering Legalist. But if you do follow my blog, I certainly hope you pick up on Whom I am following, and choose to do the same.

If you’d like to learn more about following Jesus, why not click HERE? 

Time to get on that to-do list my wife has for me. The bacon hasn’t killed me… yet.

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by | October 21, 2015 · 10:22 am

Check Out the New Archive!

In case you haven’t noticed, there is a new tab featured at the top. It is an archive of sermons that I have preached both at church and on the radio. They will start with the most recent and work back – at least to when I started recording (and I might leave a out a few). I will keep adding older ones as I have the time to upload and link them.

It's not easy writing with a mouse.

It’s not easy writing with a mouse.  Click on the real tab at the top of the home page, not the highlighted part in the picture (in case you were confused).

If any of these sermons are a blessing to you, feel free to share them as you like. Of course, I always welcome feedback of all kinds (as long as it’s not hateful), including questions, comments on delivery, etc.

Why am I doing this? Well, it’s hard to ignore the obvious opportunity of getting the preached Word of God out into the world. For crying out loud, when might I ever get to physically expound the Bible in most of the places from which I have readers? This way what I preach from the pulpit in Chattanooga can be heard in nearly 130 countries!!

That is AWESOME!

I am not the greatest preacher, nor will I ever pretend to be. Quite frankly, it could be argued that my writing is better than my speaking (at least I think so). However, some people respond differently to different styles of delivery and personality. Maybe at least this way someone will hear the Truth of the Gospel in such a way that it might stick when it only bounced off before.

Most of the recordings you listen to were simply recorded on my iPhone placed on the pulpit. One day I would love our little church to have some more high-tech recording capability, even video, but it is what it is.

Oh, and by the way, happy Back to the Future Day!  If anyone would like to take me for a ride in a DeLorean, I’m all for it 🙂

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