mstar1

No. I'd never ask a little old lady to move logs, a teenager to do the financial books, a recovering alcoholic to go "witnessing" in a bar or anyone to do anything that they werent inclined to do in the first place. One of the things that I especially disliked about way "service" is that it made little use of peoples inate qualities and abilities and instead tried to reform them according to someone elses mold. Im not a church goer but I do work at alot of churches around the country and see how they operate. The ones that Ive seen that seem to work imo are the ones that let people be themselves and find their own avenues of service. Not everyone wants to be the person with the clipboard, who takes attendance and tells people what street to walk--someone might but its not for everyone nor should it be. My volunteer stuff these days is at the homeless shelter, its not church affiliated at all, but all sorts of people volunteer there, some cook meals, some fix the gutters, or plant gardens, or help with fundraising or work with the clients or just answer the phone --- but the enjoyable thing about it is that there is nobody DICTATING to you what is an acceptable level of volunteering or what it is that you must do. Somehow it all works when people are given the honor to be themselves and dont have a boss telling them what to do and who they have to be.....

I know what you mean--but the profit margin on beer is too high for anyone to think an ethical move will ever be made. I hope that the WBC gets canned once and for all---DiceK, Mr. WBC MVP had his second straight horrible outing last night giving up 5 in the first--For the life of me I cant see how any team with the investments they make in these players agrees to let them play in those games.....

still-- thats a little much dont ya think

Oy---Guns and knives? TIME OUT Yea I see drunks and there always seems to be some jackass down the row who has to leave 52 times in 7 innings to grab as many beers as possible and then act like a loud obnoxious idiot throughout parts of the game---and every once in agreat while there is a pushing match-----BUT guns and knives? at a baseball game? Damn

Yea I heard about the fight resulting in a death in the stands at Anaheim, and death threats to Dustin Pedroia's family----as much as I usually do---Im not feeling the enthusiasm of this season yet...maybe its something in the air.....hopefully we'll get past all these things that are either tragic or just wrong and be able to settle into the simplicity of baseball sometime soon without the dark clouds lingering

I had one when I was about 17 for about 3 days----somehow I cant see how someone fulfills all their spiritual hopes and dreams by deciding to become:

Its been a long long lonely winter..............

Ive met my share of famous people, seen a bunch more on the street, opened a door for them or had them offer me a parking spot or just kibbitzed with them for a few minutes or something..Its not really like I "know' them all that well I had a little surprise today -I was having a conversation with my friend Ed who Ive known for about 6 or 7 years--turns out when he was a kid he lived two doors down from Norman Rockwell and was the child boy model in a lot of his paintings. My grandmother was a big Rockwell fan so Ive known these paintings well since I was about 5-- anyway... this is Ed as a child in some pretty well known Rockwell illustrations The Runaway The Doctors Office: He's in a bunch more. Now he's inhis 60's and a great handyman--if you ever need a tool fixed--Ed is the guy

Folk band Eddie From Ohio goes acappella:

these people really really need to get out more often and get a life somewhere. Sorry for laughing I know its serious to some people but when I see something like this- -I have to wonder just how pathetic someones life can get that they feel compelled to monitor internet posts to throw people out of their little dwindling group. ah yup--its the more abundant life alright

:biglaugh: :biglaugh: I'll be rooting for your folks down there. We had afurniture store up here in '04 that promised all sales through the baseball season would be free if the Red Sox won the World Series....oops...Barry and Elliot took quite a hit on that..... We're at 1-1--Ted Kennedy did a great Monty Burns impression throwing the first pitch of the season about 3 feet after Jim Rice drove him around the field in a golfcart which was just alittle too reminiscent of a scene from Driving Miss Daisy. It was good to see him up and about though... We have a great new centerfield dead on camera angle that I love for accurate balls and strikes ..Becketts stuff was sick dominating on opening day --which is agreat sign---Things will settle into routine soon....It still a little weird snowing yesterday afternnoon and then watching a game at night----it certainly beats NCIS reruns though DiceK tonight

Followers of Christianity sometimes do as well -In this country its mostly children who walk into schools or disgruntled church goers who walk into churches and start blasting away and do suicide shootings instead of suicide bombings--I cant see keeping them all out of the country because of isolated incidents. Im sure if I dug into the news I could find murderers and psychopaths from all religions but its not really balanced to judge an entire religion or ethnic group based on the deeds of a small few. There were Nineteen (19) hijackers on 9/11, the last I read the total number of Al Qaeda is approxiamately 2,500. Im not suggesting anyone allow terrorists, or criminals, or undesirables in the country, but a small handful of extremists in no way accurately represents the billion other people that claim Islam as their religion anymore than Hitler represents all Catholics, McVeigh and Jeffrey Dahmer represents all Americans, or Jack the Ripper all Episcopalians. 99% of Catholics, Episcopalians or Americans you meet will be interesting people to one degree or another, relatively harmless and want to play by the rules, the same goes for muslims and people of any religious group. Violent extremism is an abberration and not the norm IMO People should be viewed on their own individual merits

Im not a huge fan of show tunes but Im even less of a fan of waiting in some train station with nothing to do. Someone decided to make it a little more fun. This happened a few weeks ago in Antwerp

Too many links to review this early in the morning-Maybe I'll get to it when I have more time. The bottom line seems to be an intense fear of anyone that is different. That's something that I cant ever agree with or understand. My ancestors were ostracized in this country in the 1630's because they were Quakers (o the horrors). Every wave of immigrants since then has signalled the end of the country in one way or another to the alarmists--the Irish, the Jews, the Asians, etc.. --The alarm is now its focussed on Mexicans and Central Americans Somehow the country has always adjusted, moved past its prejudices, been OK and the vast majority of immigrants have assimilated and become good citizens and neighbors. Its always been a melting pot here and probably always will be..I personally like it that way. I live in an area that is multicultural and wouldnt want it any other way...I really cant understand what all the fear is about

Let me say first I am not a fully paid up dues paying church going Christian, I tired of what you call pop or american christianity a long time ago which to me had about as much depth and substance as a shamwow commercial. The question you posed is sort of sticky, I still hear christians from time to time talking about their growing in christ but that doesnt mean it is not their own desire that they are talking about. To some iit seems like some badge of honor or proof that they are 'growing" if they 'talk' about it-jabber jabber jabber on--and my only thought is -- let me out of here. Ive heard all the talk , I know all the scriptures-I dont need to be banged over the head with them anymore. If Im impressed at all its with what people DO, their actions, and their service which speak much louder than words.

I still have all of mine that I used during the way years -- for better or for worse it was a part of my life. I rarely look through the one that is all marked up or the Bullingers anymore. , If for some reason i want to read the Bible I read one that was left to me by my grandfather after I left TWI..Nice and clean, big print no eyestrain, no tripping over notes

OK---you're going for 'experience and credibility'.....lets try this one......The President of The United States (remember him?) gave a speech yesterday in Ankara , Turkey

Its Dr. House!--- Yup feel that way all the time --actually being an employer its like this alot:

I'd like to hear anyone who has insight into this process.... DWBH? anyone?

Sorta sux having opening day cancelled here until tomorrow--Its sort of like rushing downstairs on Christmas morning, finding nothing under the tree and seeing a note that Santa got sick and will be here tomorrow..... Are the Rangers still in first?....I dunno how long they can keep up this pace...

It was a little spooky running into that corn! .....as for me I got a shot of eternal youth out of the deal--(although I may have already had that anyway..) :) ---It is pretty cool , the place did bring up alot of things that I was deeply connected to... Its in Dyersville Iowa --if you are ever anywhere near there its worth going... I keep a vile of dirt from that infield right here at my desk, in fact its in my hand as I type.

hmmm....... under indictment in two countries and banned from several others as an undesirable (The UK) offers credibility? Thats a new one on me :) You could offer some David Duke if you wanted a view on white separatism and he wouldnt have half of the baggage

Geisha--I got up and went to work early so's I could come home in time for pregame---The temp dropped about 15 degrees between 7:30 and 9AM --and its SNOWING now. One of these years I might have to join Tommy Strange, Hiway, or Simon and Rock in more sunny climes---hopefully they'll get the game in but its just damn cold out there today.... Good Luck to those stRangers --if they can pitch and field half as well as they hit---they'll make a run at the West The AL East is gonna be tough all the way around maybe that was me......something about that movie hit home to me-- I drove about 500 miles out of my way to go there once on a whim. I was surprised that people were playing when I got there---people from all over the country who had just shown up for no particular reason except that they were drawn there....a lot of interesting people from all walks of life with great baseball stories who mostly turned back into kids for that one afternoon... ..The locals told me it happens all the time....I hopped right in and played for about 4 or 5 innings and hit a triple.

Cool In all likelihood I wont find myself in a synagogue on the 8th--So I found the readings and the service HERE.