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In the computer world the word icon means tiny pictures on our desktops that symbolize different applications on our computers. However, an almost forgotten definition of the word is An important and enduring symbol. To me Ed and Gerty Steward were that, enduring symbols. They were always a part of my life though not necessarily involved in my daily life. I cannot remember a time when Ed and Gerty weren't around. However, that changed recently when they both passed into eternity just nine days apart. They didn't claim perfection. They never pretended to be super pious. They never claimed to be eternal but one of the things that their lives did demonstrate was the iconic attribute of faithfulness. For as long as I can remember they were a part of my church family. Awhile back someone showed me a faded, black and white, photo of a young couples Sunday school class standing in front of the Baptist Church of Oxford. The picture must be dated around 1949 or so. In that group are: Pe

There we sat, surrounded by smelly tennis shoes, and sweaty teenagers, in awe of what was taking place. Dawn and I were in a missions conference weekend and we had been invited to participate in a Gym Night activity with the teens of the church. I had given a Bible challenge, on increasing ones faith by giving our all to Christ, when something unexpected happened that really increased MY faith! Another missionary couple was there too. His challenge was about allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us with His life giving breath so that we might serve and live for Him. His presentation was dynamic and gripped our attention. It was what happened next that took me by surprise. Pastor Steve divided the missionaries by couples and called for his teens to surround each couple. They were to place their hands on us and pray for us. As the teens were beginning to take their places I selfishly begged the Lord to have at least some teens come to us. Me being the "Old Guy" I didn't want to

Well, there's a new hitch in the GPS saga. It got bad reviews. One of the comments was the tired cliche, "You get what you pay for", and apparently $79 is not nearly enough to pay to get a good system. The thought came to me, "How much weight should one place on 'customer reviews'? I guess it depends on the product and the customer. In this day and age many of us are growing more and more skeptical about any type of information that comes from an unfamiliar source. Take the search for a digital camera for example. The unwary buyer, who knows virtually nothing about cameras, might be dumbfounded by the plethora of information about the myriad makes and models out there. Add to this quagmire of information the "Pro and Con" reviews and the picture (pun intended) takes on an even stronger Gaussian blur. At times I wonder if the manufacturers simply hire someone to write the anonymous reviews from M.I Lost in Hoboken, NJ and R.U Nuts in Okeechobee, FL.

I usually think of this blog as a ministry related extension. That is, I need to talk ministry or else don't talk. I've decided that I am going to change that format a bit and write about other things as well. It is not that my thoughts are necessarily innovative or unique but I believe that they tell a story none the less. I love stories. They tend to relate details about a person that might not be revealed in a canned speech or monthly "prayer letter" format. I love to tell stories too. If you have followed this blog at all you probably have come to that conclusion. I like to write very interesting notes. But, I have come to recognize that "interesting" like art and perfume is people specific. By that I mean that each person is interested in what they are interested in. Some like it this way some like it that, so what is interesting to me might be completely boring or forgettable to you. With this fact in mind I'll continue to write about what interest