POT POURRI

REMINDER:  AOL Journals/Blogs are being discontinued effective Oct. 31, 2008.  I plan to continue writing a blog using another service with (obviously) a new URL address.  I have not finalized any of the details of that at this point.  Any questions please e-mail to  revrbaril@aol.com

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do,  do all to the glory of God."
(I Corinthians 10:31)

"Pot Pourri" pronounced "poe- POURRIE!"  is often a category on the Jeopardy television show.  Ironically, I FIRST heard the term used by the late comedian Dick Martin on ANOTHER television show, "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" way back in the late 1960s.  It pretty much means an ecclectic mix of a bunch of stuff! So today's posting is a Pot Pourri of stuff I'm musing about.  Incidentally, I think this is the first time I have ever listed my mood as "mellow" and NO I didn't use illegal drugs to achieve a mellow mood!

1.  ABOUT THE BLOG CHANGE-  I've read various "stuff" on-line and realize I was not the only AOL blogger who was unhappy with the news that the AOL Journals/Blogs will end at the end of this month.  Some people are upset because their DEAD relatives used to have AOL blogs which they can still access and read and they assume these will soon be gone forever.  Some are upset because (apparently) AOL made this decision in July but just decided to tell us now.  They feel it was not enough notice.  (Actually, I DO think it was enough notice.  It would have been much worse if they'd have only given 24 hrs. notice!)  I now realize it's not all bad.  I get a chance to completely start over with a blog.  AOL is offering present AOL blog writers a way they can switch all their archieves to their new blogs wherever they go. My understanding is that information will become available on Oct. 7.  Some AOL blog writers are deciding to just jump to someone else and forget about the archieves.  I have not made a final decision, but I am leaning that way.  My wife and a few others have been critical of the way at times I've written a lot of negative stuff which they feel did not reflect well on me as a person or as a minister.  It's a chance for me to leave that stuff all behind.  I've also recently toyed with dropping the description "eccentric" and when I go to a new blog with a new service I may drop that.  So, it may all work out for good for me!

2.  ABOUT MY BLUE COLLAR PROJECTS-  For those who ask "What do you DO all day?" my life could be a reality T.V. show!  There was enough of a break in the weather on Tuesday morning for me to do some "prepping" for painting as far as the white trim work I have to do.  I plan to take most of tomorrow to DO that white trim touch-up painting.  I hope within the next week or two to get the gray porch floor done and to get some other stuff done.  I had originally planned for all this stuff to be done before Labor Day.  (For those of you who are falling asleep...SORRY, please grab your coffee and read on!)

3.  ABOUT TONIGHT'S DEBATE-  There are some Christian friends and ministers who LOVE when I discuss politics and there are some Christian friends and ministers who HATE when I discuss politics.  SO, I am about to make 50% of you mad....well maybe I will make 100% of you mad.   I did NOT catch most of the McCain/Obama debate last week.  It was on at a very bad time for me and I did not record it.  I DO plan to watch the Palin/Biden debate tonight.  How do I feel about Sarah Palin?  I will admit, I've been one of those middle-aged Republican guys who has really admired her, but I HAVE been nervous by her media interviews.  Honestly, even if she is completely stupid (and I hope she ISN'T) I'd still prefer her any day to Obama or Biden.  Biden has also made some very regrettable remarks, such as saying that F.D.R. was President in 1929 and that he addressed the nation on T.V. at that time!  Most of the media is biased to the left and so that is downplayed as no big deal.  Obama like Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick is a very nice guy.  The problem is he's a far leftist who makes Hillary Clinton look somewhat conservative and even Bill Clinton look quite conservative.  He has all sorts of starry-eyed dreams for America which will cost a fortune and I don't think he has a clue how it will all be paid for.  All that said, this economy thing has hurt McCain badly.  I know some time ago on this blog, I predicted a huge McCain win in November.  I will vote for McCain /Palin, but I'm bracing myself for an Obama win.

4.  AT CHURCH-  This past Sunday I preached one of the strongest sermons EVER and I used no notes.  We've had several very powerful Sundays at church.  ALSO, last night we had another very powerful Wednesday night prayer meeting...the 4th in a row.  I have been praying for the growth of attendance on Wednesday nights and THAT IS HAPPENING.  We continue to have many challenges at our small church...yes finances are tough, but somehow we're getting by financially.  Preachers have a tendency to exaggerate, but I'm not doing so.  God is doing something powerful at our church.  I'm actually a bit scared about it.  When nothing is happening but you feel comfortable, that's not scary.  When God is moving in surprising ways, it's exciting but it's scary.  That's how it is.  Last Sunday an Assemblies of God minister from Rhode Island (that I don't know) was visiting in the service.  He phoned me yesterday.  He was blessed and impressed by what he saw.

That's my pot pourri for now!