What About Bob

Worship Industry

I found this video on YouTube by Brian McLaren who is a pastor, speaker, and author.  He has one excellent book he co-wrote with Tony Campolo entitled "Adventures in Missing the Point:  How the Culture-Controlled Church Neutered the Gospel.'   I couldn't agree more with the message of this video.  By making it pretty it ends up cheap.

Timber!

Texas winds took down most of my nice shade this week. Our Bradford
Pear tree split into. Bummer.

Saturday Fun

Meredith & Eli play in the backyard on a beautiful Saturday in Texas.

Gasoline Scenarios

Gas prices are on a roller coaster ride and we may think $3.50 a gallon is a great price in the future.  If crude hits $150 a barrel, we could be looking at $5 a gallon or so for the retail price of gasoline. That's based on TODAY'S $3.73-a-gallon national average and the rule of thumb that, for every $1 increase in crude oil, the pump price rises 5 cents a gallon.

If crude hits $200, the retail price of gas jumps to $7.52 a gallon. (Plus or minus a few cents) To fill my 20-gallon gas tank on my Suburban would cost $150!

Gasoline at $7.50 a gallon is something nobody should go into denial over because there are going to be big problems from prices at these levels.

Will there be any U.S.-based auto manufacturers left? The answer depends entirely on how fast they can transform their product lines. Chrysler is in deep trouble already. That probably means more stress for the Midwest.

Will there be any domestic airlines left?  This means big troubles for cities where these airlines operate hubs that generate thousands of jobs like Atlanta, Cleveland, Newark, Houston, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Memphis and Minneapolis-St. Paul.

How will big convention cities survive? Places like Las Vegas, New Orleans, Atlanta, Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Houston have thriving convention industries, all built around the capacity of airlines to transport conventioneers to and from the destinations relatively cheaply. Emphasis on the word "cheaply."

How will tourist destinations like Florida or Hawaii cope?

Sales of homes in outer suburbs are falling and not just because of the credit crunch and the subprime mortgage mess. Look at the stock prices of U.S. airlines, down 90% in the last 10 years.

Many commentators have wondered at the ability of Americans to grin and bear higher gas prices. But I'm way past grinning and bearing it. It's just gotten expensive.  I read that over the first four months of 2008 gasoline has cost the USA $757.24 million a day more than in the first four months of 2002.

That’s more than the estimated $720 million a day spent in Iraq....

Quarterback Question for LSU

I'm sure you've heard the news this past weekend about the release of Ryan Perrilloux, LSU's starting quarterback for 2008.  From what I'm hearing, this departure will not affect LSU. There are two red-shirt freshmen who are doing well in spring practice. 

Coaches are liking Jarrett Lee, a freshman from Brenham, Texas.  Lee was a class 5-A All-state quarterback  and had scholarship offers from many football powerhouse programs. Lee is a 6'2", 190 red-shirt freshman who is very smart and knows the playbook forwards and backwards.

The other guy who is doing very well in practice and giving Lee a run for his money is Andrew Hatch who is a 6'3", 214 junior from Henderson, Nevada (by way of Harvard) with a strong arm and great foot speed. Lee and Hatch both have some similarities to Matt Mauck and Matt Flynn, and LSU won national titles with Mauck and Flynn in their senior seasons at LSU.

Mothering Sunday

The beginnings of Mother's Day

Mothering Sunday, also called "Mothers' Day" in the United Kingdom and Ireland  falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent   (exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday ). It is believed to have originated from the 16th century Christian practice of visiting one's mother church annually, which meant that most mothers would be reunited with their children on this day. Most historians believe that young apprentices and young women in servitude were released by their masters that weekend in order to visit their families.  As a result of secularization, it is now principally used to celebrate and give thanks for mothers, although it is still recognised in the historical sense by some churches, with attention paid to Mary the mother of Jesus as well as the traditional concept "Mother Church".

Looking for a Mother's Day Gift?  Check out Design a Mosaic.  Take your photo album and create a work of art!

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN

The second offering from the C.S. Lewis saga promises to deliver.  Mark Johnson, who produced "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and "Prince Caspian, was quote as "I think it's a bit darker, and I think it's more complex. It's a much more sophisticated movie." " "There are a lot more liberties that Andrew and Markus and McFeely had to take than they did in 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."
It opens in one week.

The synopsis:
The Pevensie children finally get to return to Narnia, only to find out that over 1,300 years have passed in the magical land and everything and everyone they knew about it is dead and buried. The kingdom is now presided over the despicable King Miraz (Sergio Castellitto) who rules with an iron fist. So, Lucy, Edmund, Peter and Susan (Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell) must return the displaced Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) back to Narnia's throne to bring peace to the world again.

Mandles

Saw this one my friend Nathan's blog.  Looking to make your place more manly?  Get a Mandle.

The Eli Show Episode 2 - Yoda

LSU quarterback Ryan Perrilloux dismissed

Heard the news this past weekend about LSU's starting quarterback for 2008.  From what I'm hearing, this departure will not affect LSU.  There are two red-shirt freshmen who are doing well in spring practice.

Perrilloux was the Gatorade and Parade Magazine player of the year his senior season at East St John High School and was the No. 1 recruit in the nation. Perrilloux committed to The University of Texas and changed his commitment to LSU after Les Miles was hired to replace Nick Saban. Ryan Perrilloux was thought to be the best high school quarterback recruit for LSU. He probably would have made All-American at LSU if had he stayed out of trouble.

Check out ESPN's story on Perrilloux HERE.