From a first time blogger, thoughts about life from an American missionary now living in the US after years in Russia and doing a lot of back and forth. Family stuff, Christian content, sports innuendo and lots of quotes from good books.

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

The Five People I Will Meet in Heaven but Wish I Had More Time on Earth With

This idea came to this past week as I was again traveling around some old and some not so old stomping grounds of mine. As a man always looking for other men to sharpen me (in a Paul and Timothy sort of way, I mean), let me list these five people that, try as I may, I just don't get to spend enough time around:

1. Roger Massey - missionary in Croatia and a guy whose newsletters I put down Sports Illustrated and John Grisham to read.

2. Chris Guild - humility personified. People like me need people like him to rub off on people like me.

3. Jamey Miller - The 5 minutes of conversation we've shared the last 5 years have me looking forward to an eternity in heaven of just listening to his heart.

4. Pat Bennett - great in his business, better in his family, best in his desire to know God above all else.

5. Philip Browne - he who was once just my little brother is now a man who I would love to be like when I grow up.


God has me in a place of being Paul to a lot of Timothys right now. That's fine but I long to be a Timothy sometimes as well. It'd be an honor to be a Timothy to any one of these brothers...

Thursday, February 03, 2005

Yankee Don't Know No Better

I love reading the near sane mutterings of a guy named Bill Simmons. He is a Boston bred writer stuck in L.A. trying to make a living. He writes regularly for ESPN Page 2 which is my start page. Right now, he is in Jacksonville, FL, getting ready for SuperBowl 39. I think he hates it there and cannot wait to get home to SoCal. Even so, his latest blog from the J'ville made me think things are looking up for him:

Best House Specialty: Sweet Tea
I know I've done my share of complaining about Jacksonville, but finding out about Sweet Tea made it all worth it. First, they make a batch of hot tea. Then they heat up sugar in a pan. Then they pour the hot sugar into the hot tea and let it caramelize. I'm telling you, this is the greatest drink of all-time -- like a combination of iced tea and heroin. I drank two glasses at Gene's Seafood on Tuesday, then went outside and picked up a Pontiac Firebird over my head.

Being the southern born and raised man I am, nothing do I take for granted more than the presence of sweet tea (is there any other kind) with my meals. Poor Yank just don't know what he's been missing his whole life.