TOM DAVIS: LIVING THE RED LETTERS

I met Tom Davis in Atlanta this past July. He's a great guy! Gracious and kind. And he's an extremely articular speakers. As the current CEO of Children's HopeChest, Tom sees a lot of suffering all around the world. In his new book: Red Letters: Living A Faith That Bleeds (click here to buy at Amazon.com), the stories that he has lived come alive. I think this book is a fantastic read, especially the stories and the parts about the trials that all of us experience as we learn how to leave selfishness behind and follow Jesus. Davis' conviction and passion is moving throughout, but what I love about this book is that he doesn't leave a reader feeling helpless or defeated. He empowers the reader! Red Letters offers everyone--whether you're rich or a poor or somewhere in between--a way to help the need that is all over the world. The stories that Tom shares come from the many journeys that he's taken overseas to places in Russia and Africa. His words are eye opening and at time gripping. Though there's no mincing of words about the pain and suffering that he has seen, Tom also lets you see the hope that can happen in a person's life when he or she becomes the "hands and feet" of Jesus in the world around us.

To download the first chapter of the book, go to Tom's blog!

Also, if you're attending Shane & Shane's "Pages" tour with Bebo Norman, be sure to look for Tom's video blog about the book!

IS MICHAEL W SMITH A PROPHET?

Last Friday Michael W. Smith stepped out on a limb to suggest that the residents of Tennessee begin praying for rain. (Read the story here.)

“I think we have a real emergency,” he told the Tennessean, and then according to one source Smitty began "rain dancing."

He continues:

“There are a lot of droughts in the Bible and talk about people repenting and talking to God about rain. Nobody ever talks about that. Nobody ever says, ‘Maybe we should stop and have a day of fasting and prayer.’ I feel like that is the answer."

And maybe Smitty was right; we did get a little rain tonight, and I take credit for it because I totally skipped lunch today.

“I think he has allowed the drought," he said. "I’m not going to sit here and tell you it’s because of some sort of sin."

We don't sin in Tennessee.

“I believe God plays into the affairs of mankind on probably more levels than we even think," he continued. "When you have a bit of an emergency or tragedy for so many people in this state, you have to go, ‘OK God, where are you in all this stuff and what are you trying to say?” Or is He trying to say something at all? To blow God off is a big mistake. It’s a big mistake to say, ‘It’s no big deal. This is life; this is nature.’ I don’t think that is the right answer or response.”

Texas and Wisconsin must be holy places; they've had lots of rain. Too much in fact. Maybe they should not be so holy.

The Tennessean also reported that Smith will have to sell the cattle on his Williamson County farm because of the drought.

Please join us in praying that God will allow Smitty to keep his cows. What good is having a ranch if you don't have cows? Moo.

ROBBIE SEAY BAND'S 'GIVE YOURSELF WAY'

Please do yourself a favor and buy Robbie Seay Band's new album. It's only $7.99 at iTunes!

NOW FOR THE SPOOF THAT EVERYONE (EXCEPT MISS TEEN SOUTH CAROLINA) HAS BEEN WAITING FOR!

RIGHTEOUS, DUDE!

POOR MISS TEEN SOUTH CAROLINA!

YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN THIS... (SO FUNNY)

MICHAEL VICK FINDS JESUS

Praise the Lord! Football player Michael Vick has confessed his sin of dog fighting to Jesus!

And all of those gathered in dog heaven collectively cried, "Ruff!"

APOLOGY

To anyone I might have offended with my post about Cate Blanchett portraying Bob Dylan, I offer my sincere apology. I've taken the post down. Thank you Robert for bringing it to my attention.

Sincerely.

I COULD SPEAK IN TONGUES, I THINK

I woke up this morning very happy and thankful for life.

Last night a friend of mine (JC) was hanging out with a buddy of his here in Nashville. His buddy works in one of the industrial districts here in town. They were hanging outside of his office just talking about life and pain and other things I'm sure.

To give you a snippet of background information... JC's wife died from leukemia in February. It was a weird thread of the cancer. They thought they had beat it. They praised God. Two days before Christmas 2006 it came back in full force. She lived 40 some days. Since then, my friend has been doing his best to hang on, raise his two daughters, and find some kind of life. He hasn't always been perfect at all of that, but his intentions have always good. Eh, I think he'd probably say mostly good.

Anyway, while he and his friend chatted, an unknown vehicle approached. It drove away. And then it came back. Drove around a bit. Drove away and then came back.

Two men got out of the car. Pulled guns. Made JC and his buddy get down on the ground. Held guns to their heads.

All JC could think about was getting home to his girls. About not wanting them to lose two parents in one year. About fighting for his life. He says he begged and pleaded with the two men not to kill him... they ended up leaving with credit cards, an iPod, and some other things.

Life is strange. God is stranger.

But I am thankful.

MOTHER TERESA'S FAITH CRISIS

According to this Time article, the faith and hope of Mother Teresa was a lot more troubled than what we've read or heard prior to now. The new Double Day book called Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light will hit stores in early September.

From the article:

"Jesus has a very special love for you," she assured Van der Peet. "[But] as for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great, that I look and do not see, — Listen and do not hear — the tongue moves [in prayer] but does not speak ... I want you to pray for me — that I let Him have [a] free hand."

"That I let him have a free hand..." What a beautiful prayer.

UGH...

I just spent two hours writing a blog post and than blogger messed up. I will try to update this in the morning! I hope everyone is doing well.

mpt

ANNE RICE IS PRO-LIFE AND PRO-HILLARY!

In her own words...

To my readers:

Some time ago, I made an effort to remove from this website all political statements made by me in the past. Many of these statements were incomplete statements, and many were dated. And a good many of the emails I received about these statements indicated that they were confusing to my newer Christian readers. I felt, when I removed the material, that I was doing what was best for my personal vocation --- which is, to write books for Jesus Christ.

My vocation at this time remains unchanged. I am committed to writing books for the Lord, and those books right now, are books about His life on Earth as God and Man. I hope my books will reach all Christians, regardless of denomination or background. This has become my life.

However, I have come to feel that my Christian conscience requires of me a particular political statement at this time.

I hope you will read this statement in a soft voice. It is meant to be spoken in a soft voice.

Let me say first of all that I am devoutly committed to the separation of church and state in America. I believe that the separation of church and state has been good for all Christians in this country, and particularly good for Catholics who had a difficult time gaining acceptance as Americans before the presidential election of John F. Kennedy. The best book I can recommend right now on the separation of church and state is A SECULAR FAITH, Why Christianity Favors The Separation of Church and State, by Darryl Hart. However there are many other good books on the subject.

Believing as I do that church and state should remain separate, I also believe that when one enters the voting booth, church and state become one for the voter. The voter must vote her conscience. He or she must vote for the party and candidate who best reflect all that the voter deeply believes. Conscience requires the Christian to vote as a Christian. Commitment to Christ is by its very nature absolute.

My commitment and my vote, therefore, must reflect my deepest Christian convictions; and for me these convictions are based on the teachings of Christ in the Four Gospels.

I am keenly aware as a Christian and as an American that the Gospels are subject to a great variety of interpretation. I am keenly aware that Christians disagree violently on what the Gospels say.

I am also keenly aware that we have only two parties in this country. Only two. This point can not be emphasized enough. We do not have a slate of parties, including one which is purely Christian. We have two parties, and our system has worked with two parties for generations. This is what we have.

I feel strongly that one should vote for one of these two parties in an election. I suspect that not voting is in fact a vote. I suspect that voting for a third party, when such parties develop, is in effect voting for one of the major parties whether one wants to believe this or not.

To summarize, I believe in voting, I believe in voting for one of the two major parties, and I believe my vote must reflect my Christian beliefs.

Bearing all this in mind, I want to say quietly that as of this date, I am a Democrat, and that I support Hillary Clinton for President of the United States.

Though I deeply respect those who disagree with me, I believe, for a variety of reasons, that the Democratic Party best reflects the values I hold based on the Gospels. Those values are most intensely expressed for me in the Gospel of Matthew, but they are expressed in all the gospels. Those values involve feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, visiting those in prison, and above all, loving one’s neighbors and loving one’s enemies. A great deal more could be said on this subject, but I feel that this is enough.

I want to add here that I am Pro-Life. I believe in the sanctity of the life of the unborn. Deeply respecting those who disagree with me, I feel that if we are to find a solution to the horror of abortion, it will be through the Democratic Party.

I have heard many anti-abortion statements made by people who are not Democrats, but many of these statements do not strike me as constructive or convincing. I feel we can stop the horror of abortion. But I do not feel it can be done by rolling back Roe vs. Wade, or packing the Supreme Court with judges committed to doing this. As a student of history, I do not think that Americans will give up the legal right to abortion. Should Roe vs Wade be rolled back, Americans will pass other laws to support abortion, or they will find ways to have abortions using new legal and medical terms.

And much as I am horrified by abortion, I am not sure -- as a student of history – that Americans should give up the right to abortion.

I am also not convinced that all of those advocating anti-abortion positions in the public sphere are necessarily practical or sincere. I have not heard convincing arguments put forth by anti-abortion politicians as to how Americans could be forced to give birth to children that Americans do not want to bear. And more to the point, I have not heard convincing arguments from these anti-abortion politicians as to how we can prevent the horror of abortion right now, given the social situations we have.

The solution to the horror of abortion can and must be found.

Do I myself have a solution to the abortion problem? The answer is no. What I have are hopes and dreams and prayers --- that better education will help men and women make responsible reproductive choices, and that abortion will become a morally abhorrent option from which informed Americans will turn away.

There is a great deal more to this question, as to how abortion became legal, as to why that happened, as to why there is so little talk of the men who father fetuses that are aborted, and as to the human rights of all individuals involved. I am not qualified as a student of history to fully discuss these issues in detail. I remain conscientiously curious and conscientiously concerned.

But I am called to vote in this, our democracy, and I am called, as an American and a Christian, to put thought and commitment into that vote.

Again, I believe the Democratic Party is the party that is most likely to help Americans make a transition away from the abortion crisis that we face today. Its values and its programs --- on a whole variety of issues --- most clearly reflect my values. Hillary Clinton is the candidate whom I most admire.

I want to say something further. I am aware as a Christian writer that making a political statement like this is not a particularly wise marketing move. But my Christian conscience compels me to make this statement. My Christian conscience demands that I not lie in order to sell books. Lying to sell books, pandering to a Christian market --- these things would mean the deepest betrayal of my vocation to live for and write for Jesus Christ. I repeat: I won’t lie to sell books.

I have felt a certain pressure of late to express my feelings here; that pressure is mounting. That pressure has come from watching political debate on church and state in the media, from private emails from strangers and friends concerning these issues, and from conversations, often heated, with my fellow Christians and Americans.

My commitment to Christ compels me to respond to that pressure and to speak out on issues that I think are of crucial importance: whether or not we vote, and how we vote, and how our vote reflects our deepest moral concerns.

I repeat: I am a Christian; I am a Democrat. I support Hillary Clinton for President of the United States.

If I receive emails on this issue, I will do my best to answer them.

Anne Rice
August 10, 2007

CH, CH, CH, CHENEY... (I'D NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE)

GOD'S WARRIORS?!? FOR THE LOVE...

CNN is airing this little televised ditty next week... ugh...

It's a three-part series called "God's Warriors." There is a Jewish segment, an Islam segment, and a Christian segment.

Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my!

The Christianity version of it stars John Hagee, who is literally trying to "hurry up" the end times by praying that Israel and the USA will go to war against Iran, and Ron Luce, who seems to be make Jesus seem about as cool as Joseph Stalin.

She also interviews Jerry Falwell (his last interview before his death) and Jimmy Carter. And thankfully, CCN also interviews Greg Boyd, the guy who refuses to make patriotism and politics required spiritual gifts of the Christian.

It should be an interesting series...

I wonder which religion will end up looking the craziest. Anybody care to guess?

(Picture: Ron Luce, he's the one without the machine gun. Or at least, he's not show his.)

WELCOME...

To everyone who is visiting my site through RelevantMagazine.com, welcome to my little blog. I hope you feel at home.

peace. everywhere.

MY 'RELEVANT' CONVERSATION WITH ROBBIE SEAY BAND

Hey! I interviewed Robbie Seay Band for RelevantMagazine.com. Check it out.

STUFF I LIKE NOW

Here's another list of things that I love right now.

1) Waiting For Birdy by Catherine Newman. The book is a lovely and humorous memoir about the ups and downs of having a baby.








2) Give Yourself Away by the Robbie Seay Band. This new album by the Texas threesome is by far the best worship music I've heard in a very long time. It's in stores on August 27.







3) You Suck by Christopher Moore: This is a kooky book about vampire love. You can't take it seriously; if you tend to be the literal kind of person who doesn't have any sense of humor, you should just go back to reading Ted Dekker. (Not that there's anything wrong with Ted Dekker.)




4) Time Magazine (the current one with Billy Graham on the cover)

TEN SPOTS LEFT

I've got ten "free book" spots left! So, if you're a blogger and you want a free copy of How To Ruin Your Dating Life to review, send me an email at MatthewPaulTurner@gmail.com.

My copies are going fast.

OH, LIFE...

I spoke with my mom this morning. Today, she and Dad began a trip that they have been planning since, well, as long as I can remember. They're traveling across the country for a seven-week jaunt that will take them from the lakes of Minnesota to Redwood Forests and then down to Grand Canyon and than home through Texas.

As we talked, I felt like I was living the beginning of a very humorous movie about three old couples (my aunt and uncle as well as some friends of theirs are traveling with them) who trek across the United States in RVs. You know, in a National Lampoon sort of way. Mom and Dad are living the life, I guess. I'm just happy that the trip still happened. My dad suffered a heart attack back in May, something that still feels very surreal since I wasn't there when he was in the hospital and haven't been able to see him since.

I'm praying that they see the bigness of God in all of the sights and sounds of nature. There's a part of me that's sort of jealous; I have always wanted to visit Glacier National Park in Montana, near the Canadian border. They pictures I have seen look like that acreage might be some of the beautiful in the world.

Mom had very mixed feelings about leaving this morning. On Tuesday evening, a family in their church lost a 19-year-old daughter in a horrible car accident. I didn't know her. But I do know the family. The young man who was driving survived the accident. Strangely enough, I remember him when he was just two or three; I worked with his mother at a bookstore in my hometown. He was such a cute kid. Mom says he's very much a great guy (has a beautiful singing voice), but was driving too fast on a winding road, lost control of the car, and ran head on into a tree. He was thrown from the car.

I can't imagine the heartbreak that each of the families are experiencing right now. One is crushed by the weight of losing a daughter. The other is consumed with the weight of living in the aftermath. There are few words that can remedy such pain, but perhaps the Psalmist came close when he wrote, "Of course, goodness and mercy is going to be with me in the happiness and sadness of this life, and then one day, my soul will dwell in God's house for all eternity." May those be the words that guide both families through this awful tragedy.

FREE MUSIC!

You can now download two songs from Robbie Seay Band's forthcoming record Give Yourself Away by visiting www.FreeRSB.com. One of the songs is perhaps one of the most uplifting, worshipful, songs I've heard in ten years. "New Day" is amazing. Check them out.

MATT BRONLEEWE'S FIRST BOOK RELEASES

You might know the name Matt Bronleewe. He was one of the original members of Jars of Clay prior to the pop/rock band hitting it big, and he's also one of the most respected music producers in the Christian music industry. Now, Matt has written his first book, an action-adventure title called Illuminated. I haven't read the book, so I can't tell you what it's about, but the cover is really nice. And trust me; it's better seeing it in person. I met Matt at ICRS in Atlanta--great guy. It was fun chatting with him about his excitement for writing and creating. So please, if you're a fiction reader, check out Matt's work.

You can also check out his MySpace page.

[A LITTLE MORE] ABOUT SEX

The following is an excerpt from What You Didn't Learn From Your Parents About Sex

It's Not Good For Man [or Woman] To Be Alone

God made this statement, not me. For a long time, much like I misunderstood sex, I didn’t truly “get” my need for a woman and a woman’s need for me. For some reason, the very thought of my needing a woman made me feel dependent.

I guess I should explain, though, that I certainly did understand part of my need for a woman—I’m like any normal guy—but I had hardly scratched the surface. However, now that I’m married, I’m on a journey toward understanding it, embracing it, and making it core in my everyday life. And my wife is on that same path.

Before marriage, every time I would hear a preacher or biblical teacher mention, “It isn’t good for man to be alone,” I couldn’t help but think of those three words Tom told Renee in Jerry Maguire: “You complete me.” Such a cheesy line, but boy, in 1996 when that movie first released, that line made me cry like a blubbering fool.

The words were sweet.

They were tender.

They seemed almost true.

But one day I realized they weren’t true.

Man and woman don’t complete each other; they were never meant to. But they do need each other.

I think when some people, both men and women, hear this God-statement, they tend to focus on the fact that God only mentioned man. This is a flawed perspective, I believe. Consider this: According to a seminary buddy of mine, several of his professors believe that in Hebrew, the word used for “man” in this statement is a sexless reference to “humanity,” not to a masculine being. [Think mankind.] In Hebrew, the word used for “man” when referencing man and woman changes to one with masculine connotations. God’s statement has implications for both men and women, even today. In these eight simple words, God captures the mystery of marriage, sexuality, and his ideal plan to perpetuate life, goodness, and passion on earth.
I may upset a few of you with this statement, but I’m going to say it anyway:

You NEED a helpmate!

In other words, it would seem that according to God’s original plan in Genesis, a helpmate is hugely important, an essential part of God’s plan for your life. Yes, I know helpmate is a rather old-fashioned word. But it’s the best word to describe this girl-boy union that God finds so irresistibly perfect. [PLEASE NOTE: Some Jesus-followers are indeed called to celibacy, but to me, the celibacy calling does not contradict or negate God’s original plan for the union of man and woman. It simply means that those who feel called to celibacy are called to something different, and that’s okay.]

I know some of you think you’re quite capable on your own, that you’re completely perfect and at God’s best without a guy or girl [husband or wife] in your life. However, God says you’re not. He says it’s not good for you to be alone.

BUT WAIT! Don’t get frustrated just yet.

It’s extremely important for us to recognize what God didn’t say, too. He didn’t suggest here that a guy sucks if he is not married. He didn’t say a woman’s a failure if she is not married. He didn’t say a person should act like an idiot and date anyone and everyone possible until he remedies his “not married yet” problem. He didn’t say that any combination of man and woman was divinely appointed. And he didn’t say that simply being married to a great Christian person would instantly fill the need.

He said, “It’s not good for you to be alone.”

Here’s a question: Do you live your life with this God-given need in mind?

Before you answer this question, think.

A lot of people within the Christian culture are tempted to try to pursue self-sufficiency. Whether married or single, young or old, we often pursue becoming fulfilled on our own. Some of us look for fulfillment in things such as hobbies, our career, education, friends, church, luxuries, unhealthy habits, pornography, random hook-ups, and other areas of human interest. It doesn’t matter if they are good or bad; God didn’t ordain any of these earthly things to aid us in becoming who we were meant to be. We, the culture, have deemed these things important and fulfilling; we’ve deemed them sufficient to complete us.

Sure, some of these things are indeed important. That’s not my point. I know we need education, church community, and friends. These things bring enrichment, nourishment, and communion to our lives. But only a helpmate, within the context of marriage, can fulfill the need God described in this statement.

Of course, some of us believe that God provides self-sufficiency. But I believe the Bible shares several areas in life that God cannot or chooses not to fulfill. Yes, God can do everything and anything. But consider this: When God made the first human being [Adam, of course], he could have looked at him and said, “I am always going to be enough for you. I am going to fill every need you will ever dream about. I am sufficient for your time on earth.” But he didn’t say that; for some God-reason he chose not to and instead chose to bring man and woman together to fill a human, God-designed need. That was his plan—to make part of himself become manifested through the union of man and woman.

Unfortunately human logic, based on some pretty convincing arguments and experiences, has seeped into our culture’s belief system. This logic might lead us to think:

• Relationships get in the way of being all I’m meant to be.
• I don’t want to think about dating until I’m out of college.
• I can’t handle the temptation now.
• People who get married at twenty are losers or from the South.
• Marriage stops you from becoming who you’re meant to be.
• I want to live my own life before I settle down.
• Jesus is my boyfriend right now [he’s all I will ever need].
• I can be absent within my marriage and still make it work.

I include this particular truth in this book because any of this thinking can directly or indirectly affect your sexual lifestyle. If we’re not actively pursuing life with this need in mind, this need still gets filled, but in an unhealthy [and usually unholy] manner. Some of us look to pornography. Some of us jump in and out of relationships. Some of us fill it with work. Some of us have random hook-ups. Some of us are addicted to masturbation. Some of us are engaging in “online sexships.” You might not know this, but within your actions, somewhere in this thing you call life, you’re trying to fill this need. And honestly, some of us are quite creative in this area and have made ourselves believe we’re completely fulfilled.

It’s my hope that this will encourage and validate those of you who long to be married or are experiencing a serious relationship—your need is real. Of course, I don’t think unhealthy dating habits are cool. And some people [myself included] have done a lot of stupid things in pursuance of being married. But I want you to know that thinking about and desiring marriage at nineteen is not ALL bad.

Some of us have a huge desire to be married and hate being in a predicament where we’ve seemingly been called to temporary celibacy until the right person comes along. Let’s face it: In a lot of ways, this sucks. Consider a thirtysomething woman who has a very real desire for a married relationship. How is she to think? Sadly, many Christians will say to a person in this predicament, “God wants you to be content with the fact that you’re single before he’s going to put a man in your life. He’s not going to give you something when you’re not okay with where he’s put you.”

Umm, okay, I have a problem with this type of thinking. I am well aware that God wants us to be content in everything; however, I don’t believe this means that we’re required to become satisfied in our singleness before he will provide a helpmate or allow us to find the love of our lives. You’ll go crazy thinking like that! And also, it’s certainly possible to pursue being content and still really, really want to get married. In fact, I highly recommend it. Just learn to have a little grace with yourself; God does.

Now, for those of you who tend to resist thinking about this need or try to bury it or fill it with other stuff, I’m hoping this section will help you take a moment to refocus the way you view this God-instilled necessity in your life. It’s important that we ask God to allow us to feel this need in a way that he would desire us to.

Nearly every day, my wife and I look at each other and say, “I need you.” This might sound rather simple to you [or make you a little sick to your stomach], but when we say these words, we are acknowledging that together we are stronger. This is true in every aspect of life, which of course includes our sex life.

To God, the union of man and woman is of utmost importance; it’s his design. God doesn’t view marriage as the end of independence or freedom or as “settling down.” In fact, he believes it to be just the opposite. I think God views marriage as another step toward fulfilling his dreams for you.

Okay, that was just a little too Dr. Phil.

WORLD'S TALLEST MAN SAYS HEIGHT IS GOD'S PUNISHMENT

He's 33--my age--and he's still growing. Standing 8 feet, 5.5 inches, his name will appear in the 2008 world record books, but that's not necessarily a blessing. The man suffers from a tumor on his pituitary gland, a condition that causes the body to never stop producing a growth hormone. The condition usually causes those who suffer with it to die early.

Very sad.

This is the same condition that many scholars believe Goliath--the giant King David killed with a stone and sling shot--suffered from, and ultimately how the impact of a stone right between his eyes would have killed him. That is just speculation.

For more about Leonid Stadnik's story from an older post, go here.

For more information about "giants," go here.

WHAT THE FA LA LA LA LA? MICHAEL W. SMITH MAKES ANOTHER CHRISTMAS RECORD COMING!

The editors of the "What You Didn't Learn From Your Parents About" series talk Smitty!

We know, We know. You can't contain yourself now that you know Michael W. Smith is releasing another Christmas record, huh? So you've gone back into your CD collection and pulled out Smitty's first holiday record (yeah, the one he made in the 80s!) and also his god-awful second holiday record (it makes a great holiday coaster!) and you're listening to them again and realizing what you really knew all along: You did not need to hear Michael W. Smith sing "Away In the Manger" or "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas."

We (the editors) agree.

Smitty,

We love you, but...

Come on, W: The Not-So Great Singer! We hate to break it to you, guy, but Christmas is so not your season. Stick to singing worship songs in church services! As long as you remain behind your piano and NEVER do those karate kicks during "Secret Ambition" ever again, there will always be an audience who really cares. We promise we'll totally be there, man! With signs!!!

We know you want to be cool, so here's some advice. Take it or um, go west, young man...

1) NO MORE KARATE KICKS! EVER! (We know we mentioned this before, but just in case you forgot once again that you aren't Bono, we thought we'd mention it again.)

2) TWO WORDS: INSTRUMENTAL ALBUMS! ("Freedom" rocked, man. Yes, it was little like Yanni, but man, we like us some Yanni once in a while. Heck, maybe you could even grow the hair out!)

3) LEAVE LEELAND ALONE. (You're not his dad. And we don't want you influencing him until he's a little bit older and wiser. You're not his dad, right?)

4) REALITY TV SHOW, MAYBE? (Hey, it's worked for a lot of people; go on VH-1 and live with other celebrities and play board games! We'd watch! Heck, we already do.)

5) STOP DROPPING THE PRESIDENT'S NAME. (We know you and Dubya play golf and chat about music together and then talk Iraq strategy, and back in 2003, we thought that was almost awesome.)

PS: And we hate to say it, but you can't act, Smitty. Just thought we'd throw that out there. No more 'second chances."

Merry Christmas! (from the editors)

A 'GOOD' THING

Good Magazine is a new favorite. Love everything about it.

FREE COPY OF 'HOW TO RUIN YOUR DATING LIFE' FOR BLOGGERS!

Attention bloggers!

If you or a blogger you know would like to receive a free copy of my upcoming book--How To Ruin Your Dating Life--to review on your web site, please send your name and address to MatthewPaulTurner@gmail.com.

I'll make sure you get on the list!

Thanks.

WELL...

Good news!

A publisher has been found (and it's a big one). Unfortunately, I can't say which one just yet, but will report all of that as soon as I am able to. Thank you to all of you who have been praying; your support of what I do means so much...

mpt

THE SIMPLICITY OF MS. OBAMA!

Apparently, according to the Chicago Sun Times, Mrs. Barack Obama (her name is Michelle) is a stunningly beautiful woman who isn't afraid of going out around town without makeup on. Gasp! And yes,I think it's sad that this is considered newsworthy by somebody's standards! In other news, Jesus of Nazareth says people should spend their time feeding the poor and taking care of sick people.

Eh, and for the record, I don't think he wore makeup, either...

Just a thought...

LONGBRAKE

I met up with a songwriter/photographer/writer/blogger named Joshua Longbrake last evening at a small coffeehouse named Fido (here in Nashville). We chatted about God and stuff related to God for almost two hours. And then Josh was on his way to hang out with some "bigger names."

I love the community that can develop because of the blogging world.

Josh and I met randomly--when Jerry Falwell died. I made a comment on his blog and we became "gmail" buddies. Josh is a good soul. Raised in rural Indiana, he's now heading west to Seattle for seminary. He'll be making stops in Dallas, Denver, L.A., and a few other places on his way out to Mars Hill. His love of Jesus, people, humility, and good coffee makes him someone I hope to stay in touch with for a long time...

Josh, I pray your journey is full of discovery and light... be safe.

(The photo is one that I stole from his blog at TheLongbrake.com)

NOW AMERICA'S PETS ARE FAT, TOO!

UPDATE: MY NIECES EMMA AND SIERRA

A SHORT UN-EDITED EXCERPT FROM: JESUS NEEDS NEW PR

"Jesus Snacks" from the chapter currently known as Jesus Is A Registered Trademark:

One Sunday morning, Jenny, a friend I knew from the Christian school I attended, came prancing into our third-grade Sunday school class carrying a red-and-green plaid tin. It was quite large and it was decorated with a multi-patterned orange and pink bow.

Jenny seemed to be on a mission. It was obvious by the way she held on to her tin that she wanted everyone to see it and wonder what was inside. Her grip was tight, as if at any moment she believed someone might try and steal it from her.

Due to her rather unhealthy attachment to that tin, I halfway expected Jenny to burst into a full-on wail when I told her the colors in her bow disastrously clashed with the colors in the tin. Much to my surprise and even more to my disappointment, my comment didn’t make Jenny cry, not even for an instant. It seemed Jenny was hardened to my critique, so much so, that she laughed at me. Instead of breaking down, her demeanor was stiff, like she had walked into Sunday School prepared for my words, as if her mother had told her to wear combat boots and a shield across her chest that morning because she knew that someone at Sunday school would try and steal away the joy she was feeling about her homely tin.

I don’t think I was a mean-spirited child, just perhaps a little too honest at times. Like a lot of third graders who aren’t ready to buy into the idea that humility would bring me the name recognition I craved among my peers, sometimes there was this conniving side of my personality that thoroughly enjoyed being the center of attention. And whenever that attention came at the expense of others, it was an added bonus for the ole ego. But despite Jenny not being interested in my ability to match colors, that didn’t stop me from telling her that my Mom thought velvet clashed with wool.

“Matthew, guess what?” she asked, setting down her coat.

“What?” I asked, praying to God that the contents of Jenny’s tin would be a gift for me.

“My mom made the entire class cookies! Would you like to see em?” Before I could say yes, Jenny was already tearing off the mismatched bow. “Look!” she said, opening the lid so I could peek inside.

“Wow! Your mom made cookies that look just like Jesus!” I said.

As I looked at the twenty or so large Jesus-shaped cookies, I found it hard not to pick one up so I could smell his face; I’d never seen the face of Jesus look delicious. I’d seen it look peaceful, patient, happy, and once, when an evangelist came to speak at church about sodomy, I’d pictured Jesus with an angry face. But I don’t believe I had ever craved him with milk. But up until that day, I’d never seen the face of Jesus made out of sugar cookie dough, either.

“Mom found Jesus cookie cutters in a Christian catalogue,” said Jenny, placing the lid back on the tin so her Jesus snacks wouldn’t get stale. “The frosting is homemade, but Mom had a hard time making the color brown, and that’s why his kind of looks purple.”

Now that she mentioned it, the cookies did kind of resemble Tina Turner more than they looked like Jesus.

“Jenny, do you think Mrs. Snover will let us eat Jesus?” I asked, wondering if it would be against our religion to digest the Son of God.

“Daddy wondered the same thing,” said Jenny, “but Mom told me to not to worry about it. She said Catholics eat Jesus every Sunday during communion.”

“Catholics eat Jesus?”

“Yeah, my mom used to be Catholic; she told me she ate Jesus all the time.”

“That’s gross,” I said, crinkling up my face, “I guess we should be happy we’re Baptist. I don’t think I’d want to eat Jesus every Sunday.”

”But you will love my mom’s Jesus cookies; he tastes yummy, I had him for breakfast.”

“Would you please stop talking about the cookies, Jenny; you’re kind of making me want to eat one of him right now.”

You know, my friend Jenny was right; those purple-haired Jesus cookies tasted very good. Since I was not Catholic, that day was the first time I ate Jesus, but it would not be the last.