KASU celebrates 50 years of public broadcasting - News

KASU celebrates 50 years of public broadcasting - News

When I read the story published in The Herald of Arkansas State University, my mind raced back to the days I was in college back in the early 1980s. I was one of the many in my class of 1985 to have seen KASU as it was & as it is now. I started as a green Freshman attending my "Intro to Broadcasting" classes in the KASU building. It looked like a large metal building...nothing fancy...a simple peaked roof... all on one floor. It was dwarfed by the large buildings that surrounded it, one of which was the Dean B. Ellis Library.

Then we saw the construction begin on ASU's new College of Communications, which would house the new studios of KASU and ASU-TV. After it was finished, and just in time for my senior year, I had the privlege of using the new state-of-the-art studios for the 100,000 watt voice of Arkansas State. One of the bragging rights I was told by the KASU staffers was that the station was the one to depend on when severe weather hit Northeast Arkansas. Jonesboro, AR was the capitol of "Tornado Alley" & KASU stayed 10 minutes ahead of the National Weather Service with it's comprehensive weather coverage.

When I wasn't playing Music of The Masters or KASU, I was recording a news voicer for their (then) news director, Jim Cathey or I was in my dorm room listening to the soothing Classical numbers that permeated the station's airwaves.

One of my earliest memories of KASU was in my 2nd semester as a Freshman. My Radio Production Prof asked me to find Doug Rogers (KASU's chief engineer) & have him find something for class. Everyone at KASU held themselves as people who had some degree of "class" and Doug "Don't call me Mister Rogers" Rogers held the most of it. When I found Doug & made my request on behalf of my class, he studied me carfully over the top brim of his black "nerd" glasses; His round face bearing strained in concentration. He finally said, "You must be new." I responded, "Yes, this is my first year here." He smiled & said, "You're going to be mine one day!" & proceeded to retrieve what I had came after.



I learned not just the basics about broadcasting from my experience at KASU, but to respect the medium of broadcasting itself. I learned professionalism as well as the knowledge of using the "Fifth Estate" to serve the public interest. One instance involved my repeated lapse of memory in properly pronouncing the conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Each time I would intro the cut on the air, my brain would just go into suspended animation & I would say, "conducted by Leonard Bern-STEEN". In a flash, the studio phone would ring with my prof correcting me. "Bern-STINE! Bern-STINE!! Like a beer stein!" Never forgot it since.

Likewise, my prof at KASU would also invite public comment on the announcers on the air. I got a few. The critical ones were always sealed in an envelope & pinned to the bulletin board in the radio studio. The letters of praise or compliments were posted for all to see on the bulletin board. The one complementary letter I received was from a lady who was a faithful KASU listener to my Music of The Masters program. She wrote that I had such urbane speech in my pronounciation for Mozart. I correctly pronounced it as Mot-zart instead of "Mozzart, as other incorrectly did.

I had to look up the word, "urbane" since I wasn't sure she was complimenting my work.

So, happy 50th, KASU! You are the crowning jewel in broadcast excellence & a tribute to every institution that teaches broadcasting!

Siamese Twins: Resolving Christianity with Denominationalism

You know, Phil, you're more of a Southern Baptist than you are a Christian!

That critical statement was made to me as a college student at Arkansas State in the Baptist Student Center...by a fellow Southern Baptist student...over 25 years ago. I'm sure the intent of the statement was not good but I took it as a complement. Over the past 25 years, I've found that it has become more of a truth for me than ever.

I've been a bit absent in blogging over the past several weeks mainly because I've been traveling down a path in life that has required some careful navigation. To give some perspective to the situation, it should be understood that for me to fulfill the Great Commission in Matthew 28, I will need a conduit. That conduit is a local church. But beyond that, the local church needs to be under the accountability of a group of like-minded churches - a denomination.

Since childhood, I have attended a Southern Baptist church. I received Christ into my life at a Southern Baptist summer church camp. I was baptized into a Southern Baptist church on Bicentennial Sunday, July 4, 1976. I was an active part of the then (Southern) Baptist Student Union at Arkansas State & I was a member of a vibrant Southern Baptist church in Jonesboro, AR while I attended college. And it was during those college years that I wanted to really know why I was a Southern Baptist. Was it because of my parents or because of other factors...or both?

I did some personal study on what those in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) believe & why. And I asked myself if I believed this...and why. I came out of the experience with a confidence that this was the denomination through which God was leading me to serve out my part of the Great Commission. I was a Southern Baptist because "they agreed with me".

I moved from the comfort of the "Southern Baptist South" to the "barren wasteland" of the cold, unforgiving North - Pennsylvania - to pursue a job that really never materialized. Before I left my home of 23 years, I looked up the closest SBC church in my new locale. It was over 40 miles away. However, one Godly deacon at my home church encouraged me by saying that if God wanted me somewhere, He would have a church for me. I later found that this same lone SBC church had a "chapel" (a mission church) that had been started. It was in the very town I was moving into.

For over 18 years, I considered life in this town as my "spiritual boot camp" where God was shaping my life & using all of the spiritual education & knowledge I had gained while being so active in SBC life both at college & in my college church. And, applying what I had learned to real life was not a cakewalk. Yet it helped me gain more confidence in my relationship with God & with the relationship with my denomination.

Today, living almost 90 miles away from my "boot camp" and active in a "hybrid" church that is both affiliated with the SBC & the Baptist General Conference (BGC) for over 3 years, I found myself at odds with the very conduit I needed to fulfill what God was leading me to do. The church gave me a lot of confirmation about the changes I made in my approach to real life as I applied the spiritual knowledge I had gained during my college years. It also pushed the envelope to new ways to reach out to an ever-changing culture...and this challenged my conventional thought process.

However, one of the areas that I lacked was being connected to the other SBC churches in the local Association & to the State Convention (the Baptist Convention of PA/S. Jersey). It was this, combined with some other internal issues within the church structure, that was slowly causing an anemia in what I considered my "life blood" in my relationship with God. I began seeking God to see if He was leading me to another congregation.

I had this same feeling before when I was in college. I was frustrated that the church I felt led to join was not supporting the local Baptist Student Union. I was all set to move to another church - after only 3 months of membership at the present one - when I heard the pastor give some advice in his message that would alter my decision. He said that it is dangerous to practice "church hopping". A Believer should find a local church & work to become an active part of it. If there is an issue that is prompting someone to change churches, one should first try to "change the church".

That was enough for me to stay at that church & use my gift of persuasion to push for more financial support & involvment toward the Baptist Student Union. I was a member of this church for the 4 years I was in college...and before I left, that church had more than doubled its giving to the BSU.

Yet now, here I was again facing the same crossroad. When I made my intentions to change my church membership known to the pastor, that gave way to releasing other issues that had been left unresolved between the pastor, myself, & my family that I was not aware. I was asked to prayerfully stay on for another 3 months as the church goes through some re-structuring. This presented a conflict to me as I had thought I was following God's leading. Now, I'm given a new option. Was this a way God was showing me that my feeling was not shared by Him? Or was this something God allowed so as to give me yet another opportunity to lean upon His Guidance?

Needless to say, I agreed to giving it another try for the next 3 months. Even Gideon wanted to make double sure he was doing what God wanted him to do.

Gideon is often vilified for seeking such a sign of the Lord (twice!), but I
read nowhere in the scripture that God chastises him for his requests.
Gideon is not faithless in “fleecing” the Lord. What he does require,
though, is a strengthening of his faith. He has been nothing but obedient
before God, and God honors Gideon’s action in the face of fear with the
miraculous.

So in this case, I felt that I was making a fair decision about which path to take next. I haven't arrived at my destination yet.... But I know that God is the one Who is shining the light.

This whole situation caused a bottleneck in my walk with God because I believe Christianity & denominationalism are so closely linked. When I thought of that criticism that was given me back in my college days, I now can say that the two are Siamese twins...they are linked together - two of the same. To serve within the confines of one's own denomination is - or, I believe, should be - the same as serving Christ & His Church. Now, if one is serving within the confines of their denomination but has never had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, that person is no different than serving in the local Kiwanis Club or Red Cross chapter. But to serve one's denomination out of a relationship with Christ takes that service to a deeper level.

I make no apologies about the fact that I believe that the doctrines espoused within the SBC are the most accurate interpretation of the Bible than any other faith. I know there are many who do not share my belief. But that's just fine. I don't consider them wrong because I am not them. If a United Methodist believes the same way about their denomination, they should be as active in their church as I am in mine.

I know of many who tell me they go to a "non-denominational" church. Does something like this even exist? I'm not a math scholar, but how can anything be a "non-denominator"? A "denominator" is something shared or held in common. So a "non-denominator" (which, by the way, isn't found in my dictionary) would have to be something that is not held in common, right? So a non-denominational church would be a church where nothing is in common & there is no standard. Wouldn't a church like that also be "non-biblical"?

What I believe these people mean when they say they attend a "non-denominational" church is that they attend an "inter-denominational" church. It is a church that spans several denominations.... But doesn't this make the church its own denomination? I'm confused.

A group of "Jesus People" over 30 years ago started a community in downtown Chicago, IL called "Jesus People USA" (JPUSA). For years, they were on their own...they had no allegience to any denomination. That changed in 1989 when the community, after sensing God's direction, felt they needed accountability from a larger body of Believers. JPUSA chose to unite with the Evangelical Covenant Church & have remained with this denomination since.

I truly believe one cannot live the life Christ desires apart from a local church. And a local church cannot be a healthy church apart from an orgainzed group of like-minded Believers. Call it what you want, but any group of like-minded Believers (people who share a "Common Denominator" - Jesus Christ) is a "denomination". So for someone to ask me if I am more of a Southern Baptist than I am a Christian, I would have to respond by asking, "Which came first: The chicken or the egg?"

Collect Call to Dad

Is it any wonder why on Father's Day that the phone companies say they have a record number of collect calls to dads all over the world? I think it's primarily due to the fact that we have a lot of schmucks who are trying to be fathers. Why, you ask, do I feel this way? Because I see the kinds of examples found in the dad of today's culture. There are an increasingly amount of headlines where dads are beating their infant children, abandoning their familes, or generally abusing their position as head of the household.

I was in a convenience store recently where I asked the girl who waited on me what she was doing for Father's Day. She replied with little emotion that she really had no relationship with her dad & that they both were not speaking to one another. This, sadly, is the reply a lot of children are giving in terms of how they relate to their dads. So, that's why no one should be surprised at the number of collect phone calls that dads across the country will be getting today...if they even get any calls from their kids at all.

My dad died in 2003 from complications of Alzheimer's Disease. Even though I do not have a dad with whom to celebrate Father's Day, I have no regrets because my dad was not a schmuck. My dad grew up very poor in southwest Arkansas on a cotton farm, one of 5 children. He had 1 older brother & 2 younger brothers along with a sister. He did not complete high school but instead, like my mom, contracted the dreaded disease known as the "white plague" or tuberculosis while he was a teenager. He caught TB from his father who eventually died from the disease. My dad had a relapse of TB while being treated at the Arkansas State TB Sanitorium in Booneville before being released. It was there he met my mom, married, & began an accounting firm that he owned for 42 years.

He eventually received his high school credentials after graduating from Draughn's School of Business in Little Rock. And during his accounting career eventually became a licensed public accountant, though never desiring to become a CPA. Dad was not a handyman, nor was he a hunter, or an athlete. But he did do some painting around the house, attempt at some home repair, took me target shooting using his .22 long rifle, and I can remember a couple of years that he would take me & my sister camping at Blue Mountain Lake State Park.

One thing I never grew ashamed of was my affection & my love for my dad. Throughout my school years, when Dad would drop me off, it was as second-nature as breathing, I would always plant a kiss on Dad's cheek. Yes, even as a senior in high school. And yes, I got a few "ribbings" from my classmates because of it...but I'm guessing that's because they didn't have the sort of relationship with their dad as I did with mine.

Now as I am older, more & more of Dad's frequent sayings are drifting back to memory. One that I tried to live out is that "it is easier to change your attitude toward the world than for the world to change its attitude toward you". Dad was a hopeless optimist. He would always find a way to see the brighter side of life. When I would belittle a classmate because of his economic class, my Dad would quickly come to his defense saying my classmate may not have been able to help his condition & that I should not make fun of him.

My Dad was frequently taking calls from the American Red Cross when a soldier was injured & the family was needing to be conctacted. He helped the less fortunate by serving as the Executive Director of the local public housing authority. And he was quick to look the other way when an accounting client could not pay his fee for my dad's work on his books.

Another thing Dad frequently did was to verbally tell me that he loved me. I remember him as he would tuck me in at night saying, "Your mother & I love you with all our hearts." Even as I got older & into college, my Dad would say to me on the phone, "I love you, son." Wonder how many dads would say things like that today?

When Dad died, he died with me having no regrets. When he celebrated his 25th wedding anniversary, my sister & I secretly set up a savings account at our local bank. I made the teller swear to secrecy about the account, since my Dad served on the bank's advisory board. Saving some of our allowance each week, we presented my Dad with $450 cash in the entranceway to a cataloge showroom & told them to spend it all before they left as a way to honor this occasion. When it came time for me to get married, I had little effort in trying to pick who my best man would be.

It would be my dad.

Dad did not withold his punishment if I deserved it, either. He did not give "time outs" ...no, he had a strip of an old worn out belt that was about 14 inches long. He would double that over & apply it swiftly to the backsides of either me or my sister at appropriate times. Never did I consider that this was abuse or a lack of self control.

The memories I have of my dad are those of a church leader. He used his talent of number-crunching by volunteering as my church's treasurer. He used his gift of administration by serving on the church's board of deacons. He used his gift of leadership by teaching many Sunday School classes. And he used his gift of singing by helping the bass section of the church choir.

I also learned the lesson of perserverence from Dad. I want to design a t-shirt that on the front would say, "I came from a dysfunctional family." On the back it would read, "My parents stayed married." When asked after a heated argument between my sister & my mom, "Dad, how are you able to stand it living with her?!?!?" He patiently replied that, "She was like this when I married her 35 years ago, and she was like this when I woke up in bed with her this morning." He made the choice to live out his committment irregardless of how he felt about her at the immediate time.

Yes, I miss Dad terribly. But I have peace about the fact that never have I had any regrets about how I treated him...nor of how he treated me. My dad was no schmuck. So, if you are a dad & wonder why you get so many collect phone calls at Father's Day, maybe it's because you just don't act like a dad should. There should be no reason that Father's Day could out-do Mother's Day in the number of cards bought & calls made for dear ol' Dad. But sadly, too many fathers have determined how fatherhood is being treated by the way they've treated their families.

I marvel at those who have said to me how difficult it is to be a parent these days. Being a parent is no more difficult in today's culture than it was during the culture of my father or even his father's. As times change & as society advances, so does parenthood. Each generation has its share of difficulties of parenting. But being a good father is one insuring factor how to keep parenthood from being such a dirge to the next generation.

I continually thank God for my Dad for providing me with the role model I needed to be as good of a Dad as he was. When I see him again in the splendor of God's Glory in Heaven, the first thing I'm going to do is give him a kiss on the cheek.

Religious Elites

The dictionary definition of elite is this:

–noun

1.	(often used with a plural verb) the choice or best of anything considered collectively, as of a group or class of persons.

2.	(used with a plural verb) persons of the highest class: Only the elite were there.

3.	a group of persons exercising the major share of authority or influence within a larger group: the power elite of a major political party.

–adjective

5.	representing the most choice or select; best: an elite group of authors.

Also, é·lite.

---

[Origin: 1350–1400; ME elit a person elected to office <>e(s)lit ptp. of e(s)lire to choose; see elect]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Last Sunday, my pastor spoke on righteous indignation and based his talk on the book of Mark. One of the passages he read came from Mark & as I read it, I was struck with some thoughts about how this affected me in some of my past experiences & in my own life.

The Man with the Paralyzed Hand

1 Now He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a paralyzed hand.
2 In order to accuse Him, they were watching Him closely to see whether He would heal him on the Sabbath.
3 He told the man with the paralyzed hand, “Stand before us.”
4 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent.
5 After looking around at them with anger and sorrow at the hardness of their hearts, He told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
6 Immediately the Pharisees went out and started plotting with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.
[Mark 3] (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

I remember how I used to watch people closely to see if someone would do something that I would consider to be inappropriate so I could react with an "Ah-ha! Then when it happened, I could pass my judgment upon them & expose their hypocracy.

Just as the religious leaders then anticipated Jesus to violate the religious customs of His day, many of the "religious elite", as I once considered myself, still anticipate a similar violation of what is considered "sacred behavior" today. Jesus knew what the religious leaders were up to & intentionally asked the man with the paralyzed hand to come forward, publicly.

Can you imagine the thoughts racing through the disciples' minds? "Oh, no. Here He goes again. He's gonna really tick off the priests! He's not going to heal this guy on the Sabbath! This is going to be so embarrassing." I'm sure Jesus put the disciples in many an uncomfortable moment during His ministry. And as predicted, the religious leaders reacted by sneaking out to plot Jesus' demise.

Jesus, however, gave the Pharisees a question that no one was willing to answer. This angered Him all the more and only fueled His intention to derail the "religion" of the religious elite. Mark said what angered Him was the hardness of the hearts of the religious leaders. They were too proud to admit that they may be wrong in their believe of holiness. So, they sat silent in their pride.

I used to react that way, too, when I knew I was beat.

Nowadays, I see so many examples of how today's religious elite sit in judgment of fellow Believers especially. It is expected that in order for anyone to come to Christ in today's religious society one should first clean up their act and then they can approach the Throne of Grace. And if you are already one of the "chosen", you are scrutinized all the more & could face alienation by the church if you buck the system.

I am reminded of a song by Chris Christian, a contemporary Christian artist of the 1980s, titled, Why Are We First (To Kill Our Own Wounded?) which asks the question why do we, as Believers, shoot first & ask questions later when dealing with struggles from our own? Why do we plot to destroy a fellow Believer's spirit by condeming them before we understand the plight they are in?

This encounter with this man who had a paralized hand came in church. Back then, if you had a condition like this, you were considered cursed by God because of something you or your parents did. You were prevented from entering the santuary of the Believers until you went through a clensing. How is this different from someone who is known child molester, AIDS patient, practicing prostitute, active homosexual, or deadbeat dad today?

It seems Christians today want their sanctuaries to be safe havens from the very people who need to be in there to find hope for their hurting lives. We have no problem going to them on street corners & "ministering to them" because it may make us feel worthwhile & important...if not superior (elite) to their situation. We come as a knight in shining armor to resuce the perishing. That's all fine & good. But what if the perishing enter into our sanctuary? Well, we get more than a little uncomfortable.

And heaven forbid that someone reaches out to them by sitting with them, talking to them, or showing any sign of comradery with them. It now becomes a blight upon our "witness" because they can take our actions to mean that we approve of their behavior or that we endorse the lifestyle they are in. And when the religious elite see that you are associating with people like this, they begin to plot with the Herodians of our day to destroy you.

Just who were the Herodians? They were a political party among the Jews, supporters of the Herodian family, and therefore to some extent in opposition to the Roman government, and also the Pharisees who were in favor of purely religious theocracy. Sound familiar to any of the "big church" style of today's religious elite? When we start messin' with the religious theocracy in our society, we are just asking for trouble.

Yet, Jesus snubbed the noses of this bunch of religious elites & intentionally asked this man to stretch out his afflicted hand. And when he did, he did it as an act of faith - but he also implicated himself by doing this because he participated in the "crime" that Jesus committed by healing on the Sabbath. This man put more faith in Jesus than in the religious leaders of his day.

Now that's a thought.

What if all the Believers started following what Jesus wanted them (as individuals) to do instead of following the drivel from the religious elite? How would this affect your church? How would it affect all of Christianity? And more importantly, how would it affect the spread of the Gospel?

"Fair Weather" Friends

Not everyone has heard of this phrase. For me however, it was a way of life during my years as a grade schooler & even on into high school. My favorite saying is that I've had so many "fair weather" friends, I should've been a weatherman. Typically, the "fair weather" friend is that friend supports you & sticks by you only during "fair weather". If life or your friendship gets the least bit "stormy"....your friend will be nowhere to be found.

I've had more than my share of "fair weather" friends. In fact, I graduated with about 80 of them in my senior class...out of a total of 81. It's no wonder why I have little desire to go to any high school reunions at my Alma Mater, Booneville HIgh School. This had its start as far back as 1st Grade. Mrs. Rogers' class. By the end of the school year, when somone needed a scapegoat, a butt-end to a practical joke, or someone to dominate, they came a-callin'.

This went on for what seemed like indefinately until my senior year. Oh, there was one bright spot: When I was pulled from Journalism class one day by a classmate for a photo. I remember the day... the classmate was carrying the camera as we walked down the hall. I finally asked why I was going along. I was honestly expecting some prank to be pulled at my expense & have it photographed. Instead, I was told that I was getting my photo taken with another classmate because we had both been voted as "Most Civic Minded" by the Senior class.

You mean I was voted for something ...?

I would've been happy with being voted "Most dorky" just so I could say that I was voted on at all. But to be voted on for something as "mature" as Most Civic Minded was indeed a shock. Could they not find anyone else to fill the category? Was I just picked because no one else wanted it? Well, whatever the reason, I was photographed & published in the yearbook... And the rest is history.

Having the first 12 years of my life blemished by "fair weather" friends, I became naturally gun shy of anyone who appeared to be patronizing me or displayed the slightest hint of insincerety. Granted, a lot of my suspicion toward friendship was abolished by many friends I met while in college at Arkansas State University. It was there that I really was able to have friends that showed me genuineness & acceptance based on who I was.

One, in particular, was Greg. He was a year ahead of me but he became my prayer partner in the Baptist Student Union. I have never let him slip from my radar. We have gone long periods where we have not communicated with each other, but that's what happens in life sometimes. Greg was a groomsman in my wedding. And I have never stopped thinking about or praying for Greg.

as a person who desires genuine friendship, I also have the tendency to give out genuine friendship. It is so against my nature to be two-faced to someone. What you see is what you get....or as the computer geeks put it, "WYSIWYG". This is why I am like a sponge to water when someone shows me the same amount of transparency about themselves as I try to do with others.

The last think I want to be to someone is a "fair weather" friend. I avoid giving this perception to others at all costs. And if I feel like I have been a "fair weather" friend to someone, I almost instantly try to alter my behavior to correct myself.

Moving into a new area has been my biggest challenge because I have to start all over again at meeting & making new friends. I feel at times I wish I could just add years of history to all the new friends I've met just so I can have the depth that comes from a long-term friendship. And these new friends have begun to develop a "history" with me which has led to establishing a bond that I long for.

There are times I wish there would be a person like me who would come up to me & treat me the same way I like to engage others. Initiate a conversation by placing their hand on my shoulder...giving hugs...asking questions that go deeper than the weather or how my job is going. I know, however, that no one can be exactly like I am... And I can find contentment in just their willingness to accept me & to receive the love, admiration, fondness, and respect I want to show them.

The 25th Anniversary of my graduating class came & went last year. It wasn't even a blip on my radar screen. However, I can say that a few of my graduating class has become a little less of a "fair weather" friend as I have made the initiative to reach out to them. One was last year when my classmate, Allan, lost his father. I read about it in my local hometown newspaper (that I still get). I made a intentional point of looking up his name online & calling him....sending flowers to the memorial service. We talked for about 30 minutes on the phone & he still asked if I was in radio. Just the fact that he even remembered what career I was in is a big deal.

It's such a shame that some must put on a costume to be able to relate to another person. It's so much effort to not be who your are...it's confusing as to why exert that much energy on trying to snow someone. Being yourself is so easy. At least it is for me because after living 12 years of my life at the expense of others' jeers & cruel comments, my skin has toughened up to the point that I don't really give a whit about what another's impression of me would be. I treat others with no assumptions or expectations...either on their part or mine.

Oddly enough, one friend who I had throughout grade school who (even to this day) has become a "fair weather" friend, wrote a quote in my senior high school yearbook when he signed his name. That quote has become my mantra...even though this friend did not follow it as far as our friendship was concerned:

"Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow.
Don't walk behind me; I may not lead..
Just walk beside me; And be my friend."

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I Don't Hate Gay People ... but --

I have always tried to live out the phrase, "While I do not agree with your opinion, I will fight to the death for your right to express it". I kept thinking this as I followed the fallout from the comments made by retired Miami Heat All Star Tim Hardaway. All of this started when Hardaway's former team mate, John Amaeche, came out of the closet prior to releasing his memoir.

Hardaway, on a live radio interview, made no bones about how uncomfortable he feels playing on a team where a fellow player is homosexual. He responded honestly to a question about how he would feel about having a gay team mate. Hardaway simply stated he would not want that person on his team. And if there was a gay team mate, Hardaway said he would distance himself from that person. Why? Because as he put it, "I don't think that is right". That's called an "opinion".

The radio interviewer pushed him in his response by asking Hardaway if he realized what he was actually saying was homophobic or even bigotry. Hardaway answered with the quote that landed him in hot water both with the general public & the NBA: "''Well, you know I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States. So yeah, I don't like it."

Then that's when everyone started jumping off the deep end.

Myself, I don't hate gay people. I know gay people & I've been in close proximity of gay people. Gay people do not bother me any more than a Democrat does. My applecart doesn't get upset by a gay person anymore that it would by an Arkansas Razorback supporter. But....

What I really don't like is taking away my first amendment.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

So, I realize Congress has not passed any legislation recently that would cause Mr. Hardaway to be arrested for his comments on that Florida radio talk show. But NBA commissioner David Stern, upon learning of the remarks, banished Hardaway from this year's All-Star weekend in Las Vegas. Well, I guess that's the price you pay for expressing an opinion.

While Hardaway, I'm sure, feels badly for how his foot got placed in his mouth on a national platform, I guess the next move for him is to be required to take sensitivity classes for homophobes. And this has also unleashed a wave of reactions from all the gay / lesbian groups. ESPN.com says, "[John] Amaechi taped a spot for PBS' gay and lesbian program In the Life. He said the anti-gay sentiment remains despite Hardaway's apology. 'It's vitriolic, and may be exactly what he feels,' he said. 'Whether he's honest or not doesn't inoculate us from his words. It's not progress to hear hateful words.'"

I understand Mr. Amaechi may be hurt ...even offended by Hardaway's words. But has he ever ran for public office? He would hear enough "hateful words" to put him in therapy for the rest of his life.

I realize this is not a famous All-Star Basketball figure, but consider these lines from a blog I read from a gay friend of mine: "I hate homophobes. Specifically, the ones of [his hometown]. ...If you are a homophobe and live in [this town] and happen to be reading this wonderful blog of me, guess what. I hate you. I said it." Whether we want to admit this to ourselves or not, this sort of expression goes on all the time around us. People have the right to say what they want to say & how they want to say it.

Frankly, I would love it if Hardaway, while agreeing he made one huge faux pas, sued the britches off of the NBA for their display of bigotry toward him over his personal opinion. Everyone has the right to have their own opinion...we are reminded of this every time a minority gets on TV. We should respect the opinions of the minority...but not the opinions of the majority.

Did I get that right?

Did the NBA have to ban Hardaway for his comments? I don't think so. Why? Because of the law of action vs. reaction. His punishment would've come (if it hasn't already) from society who reacted to his expression of opinion. He is the one who will have to live with his comments...not the NBA. But the NBA banned Hardaway for one reason & one reason only: To protect their own butt. Not specifically to "punish" Hardaway. The NBA just wants to keep their nose clean & out of the target of any special interest who might assume that they just might be in agreement with Hardaway by their inaction toward his offensive comments.

Hardaway displayed no aggression toward gay people, he never threatened any gay people, and he has not had any instance where he has done any sort of violence to gay people. What he did do, however, is voice his opinion about gay people. And I have always thought that in America, anyone can do that.

Turning 40

The Herald of Arkansas State University published a very fitting tribute to the anniversary of obtaining "University status" for the former Arkansas State College in 1967. It took a Rockefeller to finally bestow upon a once small agricultural & mechanical college the title of "Arkansas State University".

What is still amazing to me in this piece is to read how when ASU first tried to get University status, it was the University of Arkansas who put the kibosh on it. I guess it is fitting to have the razorback as a UofA mascot. They've always had a history of hogging as much as they can.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree.....!!!

We took down our Christmas tree today. It had stood, bare of any ornaments, for at least a week before I started the process of disassembly. "Process" because the tree is pre-lit & must be plugged in very particularly or not all of the sections will be illuminated.

When I was a kid, I enjoyed crawling up into the attic of my house & helping my Dad look for the boxes containing ornaments & all the other parts of our Christmas tree. I would help lower the boxes down as my Dad would hand them to me & then we'd spend a Saturday afternoon matching the paint color on the tip of the branches to the color on the pole to create a very nice tree for the holidays.

For me now, I would rather take a beating than to spend more than 30 minutes trying to erect this 250-pound, 7 ft. pre-lit tree. In the past, I would get the box, stored in our basement, and try to lug the thing (which was as heavy & awkward as a casket) up our basement steps. then lug it through the length of the house to our living room. We'd then slide the bottom, middle, & top sections into place, "fluff" the branches out, & before adorning it with ornaments, I'd spend 3 hours with my arms stuck inside the prickly branches of the tree trying to figure out the jigsaw puzzle in getting all right plugs plugged into all the right plug-ins to have all of the sections lit up evenly. I can safely say, I am not in the Christmas spirit when I finish.

Once it's up, it's a sight of beauty. I think it's so pretty we should just leave it up all year & call it a "Valentine's Tree", a "St. Patrick's Tree", an "Easter Tree", a "Veterans' Tree"....etc. Either than or put a large bag over it & slide it in a corner. Nevertheless, against my desire or motivation, it has to be disassembled & taken down. So, facing no other alternative, I begin the task armed with a roll of masking tape & a Sharpie. I am determined this year to label every plug & every section of this beast so when it's time to erect this thing in 11 months, it can be done with the least amount of frustration.

Instead of lugging the whole box back down to the basement, I choose this year to carry each section down separately, placing each in the box. My wife asks if it was "easier" to do it this way. I reply that it is never "easy" to manhandle this tree every year...but taking it down in sections did "break up the task" better.

Before the tree is laid to rest in its "coffin", all of the pre-lit leaves must be "defluffed" & then the branches folded up. The only way for the branches to stay folded up (and therefore easily stored) is to tie each layer of branches up with rope. My wife & I work to keep all the branches from falling back down while one of us finagels the rope around the section of the tree to tie up each layer of branches. None of us have enough hands to do this & basically the whole scene looks like a very bad Laurel & Hardy movie.

However, as of today, the thing is down, in its casket, & buried until after Thanksgiving. It has been labeled for the next assembly & I now plan on bringing the beast up one section & a time & plugging in all of the lights to see if they all twinkle properly. Yet as I was taking the tree down today, I noticed that there was still one plug dangling that seemed to be all alone & somehow out of place. I couldn't help but wonder if there was a section of lights that went all season long without being lit.... But at this point, I am in no mood to explore the other 57 versions of combinations in plugging in those pre-lit branches to find an answer. I'm actually maintaining a good mood today.

You Can Pick Your Friends, But You're Stuck With Your Relatives

During the holidays, typically, familes get together to reconnect & to reacquaint cousins with aunts, uncles & more cousins. In my family, we all tried to hit as many bases as we could. My dad would take us to a variety of relatives' houses each holiday season. We would usually hit a few on my dad's side during Thanksgiving...staying overnight with both his brothers living in South Arkansas, attending our annual reunion, stopping by my great-grandmother's home, then to my grandmother's sister's house & maybe some other relative living nearby.

Christmas would sometimes find us on the other end of Arkansas, visiting my mother's kinfolk... I remember one year, we stayed over a week's time & spent the night with my grandma, my two great uncles, & my mom's first cousin. They all lived within a 25 mile radius...with my 2 uncles living across town from each other. We didn't do this every year, but we tried to at least make a overnight visit or an afternoon visit pretty regular.

As a parent, I try to be as consistent in visiting relatives on my side as well as my wife's side of the family. Since my parents have passed on, I do devoutly make the annual trip to Arkansas for my Thanksgiving reunion, & try to stop by to see some of my mom's relatives in Northwest Arkansas every other year so they can see how the kids have grown. And, my mother-in-law is welcomed to our home regularly to spend a few weeks with us...and we try to make it to see her, too, as well as my brother-in-law.

However, we get a annual 2 hr. visit from my sister every year. That's it, and not much more. Her family has never spent a night at my house - ever. One year, when my parents were both alive, we had probably the last chance to have our entire family together: Me, my sis, Mom, & Dad...all over at my house for a Sunday dinner. My sis, instead chose to eat with her in-laws (who lived across town) because "Grammy" was celebrating the grandson's birthday...3 months after the fact. But she would come "watch us eat".

What's up w'dat?

Now, this year... My sis's family drive up to PA - mainly to see her in-laws & her husband's family - and can stop by to see us if it's not going to interfere with them making good time to see her husband's family.

Frankly, I just feel like tellng her that we really do not need the "obligitory" visit if it is such an interruption into visiting her family.

Yeah, I don't have any of my family living anywhere near Central PA...but I do have some wonderful friends in my church & my neighborhood. And, the family I do have that lives mostly down South, are closer to me than my own sis...mainly because I see them annually & remain in touch with them on a fairly regular basis.

Do I regret it? Not really. Will my sister? Time will tell, I guess.

I just spend the night with a friend of mine who lives in Northwest PA (where I lived for 18 years after moving out of Arkansas) & felt so connected with this friend & his family that I really do not have any regrets about the dis-jointed relationship I have with my sis. I just wonder if, in 20 years, she will wish things had been different.

I look at this past year & see how God has blessed me with some awesome experiences with friends I feel close to. I look at what is in store in the next year & feel excited about where God is leading me & who He will use in my life. We're ringing in the new year with the family of a friend of my oldest son. Another chance to connect to a new friend who will become a new member of our ever-growing extended family.

Twelve Inches

I read this devotion this morning and felt not only to repost it, but to add some comments & lyrics to a very deep song.

By Os Hillman
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. - 1 Samuel 3:7

Samuel was born to Hannah, a woman who had a deep commitment to God. She was
barren, but she cried out to God for a son. The Lord gave her Samuel, whom she
completely gave to the Lord for His service. After weaning him, she took him to
the house of the Lord to be reared by the priests. Eli was the priest of Israel,
but he was not a godly leader. He had allowed much corruption, including the
sins of his sons, in God's house. God was not pleased with Eli and later judged
him and his household.

Samuel grew up in the temple serving God. He also
grew up seeing the hypocrisy of Eli's household, yet this did not change the
young man. God was with him. We learn that even though young Samuel had a belief
in God, he had not yet experienced a personal relationship with Him. God called
to Samuel three times, but Samuel thought it was Eli, the priest, calling him.
Finally, Eli told him to say, "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening" (1
Sam. 3:9b). This is what Samuel did, and God began telling Samuel important
things to come.

Many of us grow up in religious environments. We go to
church every week. We have a head knowledge of God, but we do not recognize
God's voice in our lives. There comes a time when we must recognize God's voice
for ourselves. God does not want us to have a religion; He wants us to have a
two-way relationship with Him. Samuel was never the same after this encounter.
He would know God's voice and would respond to Him in obedience.

Do you know God's voice? Can you recognize it when He speaks? In order to hear God's voice, you must be clean before Him and listen. Listen to God's voice today and follow His plans for you.

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So many of us have a head knowledge about God...but will miss eternal life in Heaven by twelve inches....the distance between your head & your heart.

Veteran musician Larry Norman said it best in his spoken word composition called, The Tune:

Once there was a tune and everyone knew how it went
But as time went by, people began to forget
Until at last no one could remember.
And there was hatred, and wars, and death.

Then one day somebody said, "How
does the tune go?"

"There is no tune, there never was; it's only a
myth."
These were the philosophers.

"You mean there's no tune at
all?"

"Well, it doesn't really matter what tune you play
As long as you play something."
These were the religious leaders.

And so the world played on.
And there was hatred, and wars, and death.

Then one day the people became weary of this song
And they all sat down on the side of a hill
And suddenly they heard a very strange voice
And somebody said, "That sounds like the tune."

"There is no tune, there never was, there never will
be."

"Well, it doesn't really matter what tune you play
As long as you play something
And you don't hurt anybody - especially me."

But the people listened
And a man appeared before them
With a smile on his face
And a sad look, too,
And he was singing the tune.

And some of the people began to sing along.
And the people who loved Him
Decided to follow him,
But the people who hated him
Decided to kill him.
And they did.

And when it was finished,
They went back to their houses of philosophy and religion
And they sat down to their tables to eat and drink.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a familiar voice
And they ran to their windows and looked outside
To see who it was.
It was him.

And they became confused and afraid
And they wondered how they could be rid of him
Once and for all.
And while they were watching him,
Something very strange happened.

"How did he do that?"
"I don't really know, but he's gone...
And when trouble goes, you don't ask where.
He'll never return again. I hope."

Yet again they were interrupted.
This time they ran out into the streets to lay hold of him
But they couldn't find him.
Just a lot of people smiling, and they all know the tune.

And when the people made a mistake
They stopped and they listened.
That's how they knew the tune,
Because they listened.

And if you listen, you'll hear it.
It's all around you.

Just listen to your radio,
Watch television,
Listen to your leaders, to the authorities,
To the governments, to the experts.

But if you really listen,
You can hear another tune,
But you have to listen quietly,
And you have to listen every day.

Treats or Tricks?

Oh the wailing...the crying...the gnashing of teeth!

A moment captured in time as my two boys tried to wolf down their supper so they could hit the streets begging for candy, Trick-Or-Treating this year. Daniel, had no problem. Cameron, on the other hand, was having a meltdown because he got a note sent home from his teacher -- again -- saying he was goofing off during classtime & was unable to finish his classwork. The rule in the house is that if you are given your classwork to take home because you were goofing off in class, then it must be completed before any "fun" takes place.

In this case, "fun" was spelled, "H-A-L-L-O-W-E-E-N".

So, Cameron was trying to gobble up his supper so he could leave for trick-or-treating when his younger brother, Daniel, did. But the peanut butter bagel was not helping him to this very fast. The more he bit off, the harder the job got. The gaping mouth full of goo was just too good to pass up for our friend, David, who was to be handing out candy at our house while all of our family walked around the neighborhood with our two "super heroes". He had to snap a commemorative photo of the tantrum which we now will be using as soon as Cameron is old enough to date.

Parenting is so much fun.

Baptizing my first born

This month, my oldest son felt led to take the step of following through with getting baptized. He wasn't baptized as an infant because I do not believe in infant baptism. We did have him dedicated at our church in St. Marys, PA...we dedicated him to the Lord to be Godly parents & to bring him up in a home where Jesus is at the table as well as the rest of the family.

He was so excited about doing something that Jesus Himself did & encouraged His Followers to do. I tried to make sure he understood that while this would be a time everyone would be happy, it was not a "pool party"...that it was a ceremony that depicts his inward faith through an outward expression.

The ceremony went well. It was hard not to have my eyes wet especially when our friend (and Elder in my church) prayed over my son just before he baptized him.

Now, when it comes time should my youngest son be baptized, I want to make certain that it does not go down like this:

Indians pull off Memphis Miracle - Sports

Indians pull off Memphis Miracle - Sports

What an incredible story for one incredible football team! I have spent the whole weekend reading all the newspaper articles about this miracle in Memphis. This just reinforces my pride in being an Arkansas State INDIAN fan!

Family Portraits

The thought of yet another sitting that involved trying to convince my youngest boy to cooperate with the photographer so that we could have some portraits to send out with Christmas cards only created more anxiety. Every time we would enter the Sears Portrait Studio for our sitting, Daniel would instantly transform into this kid who would respond completely opposite to the way he would be told. If we tried to discipline this behavior, he would instantly well up & bawl his eyeballs out. And we know how lovely this makes for a photo.

Once at a Sears sitting, 19 different takes were shot before we could get a pose from Daniel that did not look like he was mad at someone or that he had red rings around his eyes from all the squalling. Daniel would want to play with the props instead of posing with them. When he could not, he would go limp & the poor photographer would have to contend with a limp ragdoll to try to prop up in order to get a photo shot.

My wife would leave the photo shoot in a straitjacket.

The photographers started asking for overtime...in advance... when they'd see we had made an appointment.

However this past weekend was a welcome change. We decided to pay for the services of a photographer (who also was the sister of friends of ours) to take shots as we posed in the local park in town. Plenty of backdrops ranged from park benches to waterfalls, autumn leaves to lattice, bridges to trees, and the like.

We had started a week early with Daniel - preparing him that we were going to get pictures taken. Only this time, it would not just be photos of he & his brother, as it had been in the past. This year, we would take the risk & have portraits made of the whole family! My wife drilled it into the 4 year old's head with bribery, promising Daniel a "surprise" if he smiled & cooperated.

When we started getting settled in our first pose, Daniel was asked to sit next to Mommy. But Daniel wanted to sit next to Daddy. And we were off to yet another disasterous photo shoot. But the photographer's husband began an animated display of entertainment which rapidly changed Daniel's attitude.

So, believe it or not, we were able to get many very good poses of not just the family...but of the two boys...and we all had a lot of fun out of the experience.

It has been a hectic weekend...shoot - it's been a hectic month! I have had stuff going on for weeks! And now with barely 10 hours of sleep over the past 48 hours, I am keeping from going cross-eyed as I record some of my thoughts.

Life is busy...unpredictable, and tiring. But in the midst of the challenges that I face, I still feel God is in control...even when it comes to chaotic family portraits. I often wonder if I have a life that is detatched from reality - that I am wondering lost without a clear direction except for what I consider to be the "right way". Yet I look at others & realize my life is not that much indifferrent from the next person's.

A lot can be read into the subjects who pose in family portraits. I believe that looking through all the distractions & challenges that our family faces each day, I can see that God is certainly smiling down upon our family.

Now, I can't write anymore... I need to take a nap.

Help me to understand

It never ceases to amaze me how purely stupid some ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ can be.

Yeah, I said ministers. Preachers. Pastors. I really think some people think that because they have a degree from "cemetary"...er, I mean seminary, they can poke their noses into the business of anyone they jolly well please. Even total strangers.

Take one such busybody....a preacher who contacted a board member of a Christian radio station I volunteer at once a week to do a rock show. He felt it was his calling to Google people who was there. Okay, fine. It's a free country. Well, he Googled me & for some unknown reason, he got a link to my Frapper page. Yeah, so it's just another page to "network" with people online.

Well then he got his sanctimonious nose out of joint when he saw that ~gasp!!~ I had a pipe in my mouth. But even that wasn't as big of a deal except that in my description I had also mentioned that my radio show was on this station. Okay so now he thinks this is an issue.

I say, "Get a life."

It just frosts me when shallow people who get a little "spirituality" and think God has called them to control another person. I have said before that my spirituality, my relationship to God, or my eternal destination is not solely wrapped up in what I wear, what I say, what I put in my mouth, or any other picky-unish little splinter someone wants to find (using a magnifying glass) in my eye.

And, the same should also apply to anything I am associated with (yeah, I know my participle is dangling...but I'm just a bit horked off at the moment).

Now, thankfully the board member at the station was cool about it.... Thank the Lord there IS some reason in the world. And, for the sake of this pompus preacher who is "bothered" by this "offensive" photo, I took it off my page and removed any reference to the radio station. But good grief... I wonder if he'd be just as accomodating if someone was critical of him or one of his sermons? Or someone at his church? Or what he watched on TV when no one was looking?

You know what's even funnier? The man who founded Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX smoked a cigar and had the thing painted into a portrait of him that is displayed at the school.

Well, it was displayed at the school for years until....

...some fat-headed pharisee got their knickers in a twist about seeing the founder of the seminary posing with a fat cigar between his fingers. So the school had it painted out!!

And the conservative Christian community are the ones crying "foul" when the secular humanists try to rewrite history in our schoolchildrens' textbooks.....

Get real people. It's not about what you smoke, eat, drink, or wear. It's about Jesus.

I'm not much into football, but. . .

I have never been the athletic kind to start getting the heebie-jeebies about this time of the year. The time when the "2-a-days" start on the practice field & folks are making sure they have their season tickets bought for the upcoming football season.

I live in Nittany Lion Country...Happy Valley, PA...the home of Joe Paterno & Penn State. People around here just go stupid crazy over football, and it's going to be an ever more stupid-crazy fall this year since Penn State won a bowl game last year. Already, freshman enrollment is up 25% - higher than in the school's history. The University is encouraging incoming freshment to consider living in apartments instead of on campus.

I dread going to Wal-Mart on a day of a home game.

But I should not be all that worked up because my childhood is grounded in Friday night football traditions. And, yes, I get a little stupid-crazy over the twice-State Champions - the Booneville Bearcats - even before they make it to the play-offs in November.

Every Friday night my family would set aside anything else on our agenda & we would battle the lines of cars to Bearcat Stadium where we'd sit on splintery, old bleachers & shout ourselves hoarse for the town's only football team. And that town needed no other. Hardly a store was open, hardly a car was seen on Main & Broadway, and hardly were there anything going on in town except at Bearcat Stadium.

There, nearly 90% of Booneville's 3,200 residents jammed into the home stands to make enough thunderous noise to scare the britches off anyone from an opposing team long before the umpire blew the first whistle to start the coin toss.

I remember chilly evenings where I huddled over my cup of hot chocolate, watching to see if the Bearcats would inch that ball into the end zone. On the less intense moments, my lack of interest in athletics was seen more prominently as I would be running under the bleachers or goofing off with my friends who were playing in the pep band.

Yet I had to be in Bearcat Stadium every Friday night...and I had to be on the bus my church would take to attend every "Away" game, too. And, when the Bearcats would come away with another victory, I had to join in the blaring of horns as the dozens of cars filed out of the parking lot into town. It was such a rush to just lay on the horn for blocks on end & watch as folks would cheer from the sidewalks knowing that the mighty Booneville Bearcats stomped another victim.

Now, since I live 12,00 miles away from Bearcat Stadium, I must simply read about the thrill of the game or the agony of defeat in my weekly newspaper from Booneville that I get in the mail every week. And I read with a strange twinge within me as I see names I am very familiar with...names that used to be my classmates - except that they are the children of my old classmates. And they are keeping the spirit alive by wearing those colors of honor: The Purple And The Gold.

Now, where's my hot chocolate & popcorn?

Analyzing my temperment, personality, & gifts.

So many have given their "assessment" on my personality & character, I thought I would just go online for a quick, unofficial, analysis of just what makes up me. Some results were actually pretty revealing...

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SPIRITUAL GIFTS TEST:

Administration/Ruling - 15
Discernment - 16
Evangelism - 17
Exhortation - 20
Faith - 19
Giving - 7
Helps/Serving/Ministering - 10
Knowledge - 10
Mercy - 10
Pastor/Teacher - 11
Teaching - 13
Wisdom - 14

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MOTIVATIONAL GIFTS SURVEY:

The Perceiver: 70%

The Server: 25%

The Teacher: 55%

The Encourager: 85%

The Giver: 30%

The Ruler: 50%
Showing Mercy: 36%

The Greek root word for encouraging is "paraklesis". The scriptures show that the gift of encouragement will 1) edify and exhort 2) give peace to a troubled mind through speaking a message of encouragement and 3) bring joy and comfort.

Encouragers have the ability to call forth the best in others through encouragement and motivation. Thus naturally, people with the gift of encouragement feel comfortable around people and tend to have extraverted personalities. Anecdotal research shows that encouragers not only encourage others but also like to prescribe practical advice. Encouragers want to see people improve and succeed. They have an ability to bring new life to people who have lost their determination and feel burnt out.

Encouragers are good with every personality and gift. However, because encouragers are considerate of the feelings of others, they can easily be offended when people are not considerate toward them. Encouragers love to "fix" things and make the world a happier place!

The first motivational gift in Romans 12 is the gift of perceiving. The Greek word for this gift is "propheteia". In scripture, we can see specific traits and behaviors of the gift of perceiving. They are: 1) the ability to interpret scripture, 2) to reveal information to others, and 3) an ability to speak the mind of God.

Perceivers have a keen sense of right and wrong. This is a form of discernment that we have seen in Christians and non-Christians alike. It is because of this sense of right and wrong that perceivers hold very high standards. They tend to be perfectionists because of their high standards and often become their own worst critics. In some cases, perceivers do not realize their gift and they can become very critical of other people or situations, which emerges as a pessimistic attitude.

The primary function of this gift is to reveal information the perceiver has discerned in a way that will help others. This information is not always positive and well received. As a result, perceivers sometimes appear direct, blunt, or inconsiderate of the feelings of others particularly when sharing this information with people possessing different motivational gifts. This is a classic case of the gift being misunderstood because their real intention is to help people.

In contrast, at times the primary function of the gift is not to reveal the information the perceiver has discerned – in these cases, God has allowed the perceiver to discern such things so they can pray about them. Often when people do not understand the purpose of this gift, they can feel (and become) judgmental instead of prayerful. Make no mistake about it, this information is purposefully shown to the perceiver for a reason!

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From the ADVISOR TEAM:

Guardians are the cornerstone of society, for they are the temperament given to serving and preserving our most important social institutions. Guardians have natural talent in managing goods and services--from supervision to maintenance and supply--and they use all their skills to keep things running smoothly in their families, communities, schools, churches, hospitals, and businesses.

Guardians can have a lot of fun with their friends, but they are quite serious about their duties and responsibilities. Guardians take pride in being dependable and trustworthy; if there's a job to be done, they can be counted on to put their shoulder to the wheel. Guardians also believe in law and order, and sometimes worry that respect for authority, even a fundamental sense of right and wrong, is being lost. Perhaps this is why Guardians honor customs and traditions so strongly--they are familiar patterns that help bring stability to our modern, fast-paced world.

Practical and down-to-earth, Guardians believe in following the rules and cooperating with others. They are not very comfortable winging it or blazing new trails; working steadily within the system is the Guardian way, for in the long run loyalty, discipline, and teamwork get the job done right. Guardians are meticulous about schedules and have a sharp eye for proper procedures. They are cautious about change, even though they know that change can be healthy for an institution. Better to go slowly, they say, and look before you leap.

Guardians make up as much as 40 to 45 percent of the population.

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The JUNG TYPEOLOGY TEST:

Your Type is ENTP

Extroverted

Intuitive

Thinking

Perceiving

Qualitative analysis of your type formula
You are:

• moderately expressed extrovert
• moderately expressed intuitive personality
• moderately expressed thinking personality
• moderately expressed perceiving personality

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Extraverted iNtuitive Thinking Perceiving
by Marina Margaret Heiss

Profile: ENTP
Revision: 3.0
Date of Revision: 26 Feb 2005

"Clever" is the word that perhaps describes ENTPs best. The professor who juggles half a dozen ideas for research papers and grant proposals in his mind while giving a highly entertaining lecture on an abstruse subject is a classic example of the type. So is the stand-up comedian whose lampoons are not only funny, but incisively accurate.

ENTPs are usually verbally as well as cerebrally quick, and generally love to argue--both for its own sake, and to show off their often-impressive skills. They tend to have a perverse sense of humor as well, and enjoy playing devil's advocate. They sometimes confuse, even inadvertently hurt, those who don't understand or accept the concept of argument as a sport.

ENTPs are as innovative and ingenious at problem-solving as they are at verbal gymnastics; on occasion, however, they manage to outsmart themselves. This can take the form of getting found out at "sharp practice"--ENTPs have been known to cut corners without regard to the rules if it's expedient -- or simply in the collapse of an over-ambitious juggling act. Both at work and at home, ENTPs are very fond of "toys"--physical or intellectual, the more sophisticated the better. They tend to tire of these quickly, however, and move on to new ones.

ENTPs are basically optimists, but in spite of this (perhaps because of it?), they tend to become extremely petulant about small setbacks and inconveniences. (Major setbacks they tend to regard as challenges, and tackle with determin- ation.) ENTPs have little patience with those they consider wrongheaded or unintelligent, and show little restraint in demonstrating this. However, they do tend to be extremely genial, if not charming, when not being harassed by life in general.

In terms of their relationships with others, ENTPs are capable of bonding very closely and, initially, suddenly, with their loved ones. Some appear to be deceptively offhand with their nearest and dearest; others are so demonstrative that they succeed in shocking co-workers who've only seen their professional side. ENTPs are also good at acquiring friends who are as clever and entertaining as they are. Aside from those two areas, ENTPs tend to be oblivious of the rest of humanity, except as an audience -- good, bad, or potential.

Some Famous ENTPs:

Alexander the Great
Confederate General J. E. B. Stuart
Sir Walter Raleigh

Fictional:

Mercutio, from Romeo and Juliet
Horace Rumpole, from John Mortimer's Rumpole of the Bailey series
Dorothy L. Sayers's detective Lord Peter Wimsey

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A Functional Analysis -- by Joe Butt

Extraverted iNtuition

ENTPs are nothing if not unique. Brave new associations flow freely from the unconscious into the world of the living. Making, discovering and developing connections between and among two or more of anything is virtually automatic. The product of intuition is merely an icon of process; ENTPs are in the business of change, improvement, experimentation.

The attraction Extraverted iNtuition has toward the real and physical amounts to a cosmic non sequitur: theory is drawn to practice. Such encounters are clearly puzzling. Both parties--the intuitor and the realist--are aware of a xenic quality in their meeting, with reactions ranging from recoil to reverie.

Introverted Thinking

Thinking is iNtuition's ready assistant, an embodiment of the sort of logic found in laws, boards and circuits. Thinking's job is to lend focus and direction to iNtuition's critical mass. The temporary habitations of changeling iNtuition are constructed of Boolean materials from Thinking's storehouse. Ultimately, Thinking is no match for iNtuition's prodigiousness. Systems lie in various states of disarray, fragmentary traces of Thinking's feverish attempts to shadow and undergird the leaps of the dominant function. One can only suppose that Thinking must continue to work during REM sleep pulling together iNtuition's brainchildren into integral wholes.

Extraverted Feeling

To the extent that Feeling is developed, ENTPs extravert Feeling judgment. As a result, it is not uncommon to find affability and bonhomie in members of this species. Tertiary functions are potentially utilitarian. Their limitations appear in their relative underdevelopment, diminished endurance, and vulnerability. ENTPs may harness Feeling's good will in areas such as sales, service, drama, humor and art. ENTP loyalty often runs high and can be hooked by those the ENTP counts as friends.

Introverted Sensing

Like a tail on the kite of iNtuition, Introverted Sensing counterweighs these beings drawn to nonconformity and anarchy. These shadowy sensory forms, so familiar to SJ types, serve as lodestones which many ENTPs employ Herculean measures to escape. "Question authority! (then do exactly what it tells you)" sums up the dilemma in which ENTPs may find themselves by attempting to best the tarbaby Sensing. Occasionally acknowledging awareness of norms and abnormality could, in theory, be potentially freeing.

Additionally, I've noticed that ENTPs have the need to have areas of expertise/excellence/uniqueness in which one is second to none. I've never beaten an ENTP at his/her own game--not in the final analysis. (e.g., just tonight, my neighbor who is recuperating from an illness received a call from an ENTP friend offering his special recipe for tea. The instructions required only the finest ingredients, a particular brand of orange juice, tea made with a ball--none of those horrid teabags--..., which will of course make the best tea of which he himself drinks 50 gallons each winter!)

A Few More Famous ENTPs

U.S. Presidents:

John Adams, 2nd US president.
[Adams appears to have been competing with
Thomas Jefferson to see who would live the
longest. ("Jefferson surv...")]

James A. Garfield (who could reportedly write Latin
with one hand and Greek with the other, simultaneously)

Rutherford B. Hayes

Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt

Thomas Edison
Lewis Carrol, author (Alice in Wonderland)
Julia Child
Suzanne Pleshette
George Carlin
Valerie Harper
John Candy
John Sununu
Weird Al Yankovick
Marilyn Vos Savant
Alfred Hitchcock
Tom Hanks
David Spade
Céline Dion
Matthew Perry, Chandler ("Friends")
Rodney Dangerfield

Fictional Characters:

"Q" (Star Trek--The Next Generation)
Shirley Feeney (Laverne and Shirley)
Bugs Bunny
Wile E. Coyote
Garfield the cat

Copyright © 1996-2005 by Joe Butt and Marina Margaret Heiss

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Phil Leslie
Spiritual Gifts	Strength
Evangelism	15
Prophecy	15
Teaching	11
Exhortation	17
Pastor/Shepherd	18
Showing Mercy	12
Serving	11
Giving	7
Administration	12
About Your Spiritual Gifts Spiritual gifts are tools God gives Christians to do the work of the ministry -- to fulfill the Great Commission to reach, baptize, and teach and to minister to one another. Every Christian receives at least one gift at the moment of salvation. Spiritual gifts are not rewards, are not natural talents, are not a place of service, are not an age-group ministry, and are not a specialty ministry. They express themselves through various ministries which, in turn, accomplish a variety of results. A spiritual gift is the primary channel by which the Holy Spirit ministers through the believer. It is a supernatural capacity for service to God -- and He gives you a supernatural desire to perform the duties of that gift. Spiritual gifts are tools for building the church. They are a source of joy in your Christian life and influence your motives. A spiritual gift is a divine calling with a divine responsibility, because what God has gifted you to do, He has called you to do, and what He has called you to do, He has gifted you to do. There are three categories of gifts: The Miraculous Gifts, generally known today as Charismatic Gifts; the Enabling Gifts which all Christians have the ability to develop (faith, discernment, wisdom, and knowledge -- qualities possessed rather than activities performed); and Team Gifts which are activity, service, or task-oriented. The Team Gifts are functional and involve speaking or ministering. Chances are, you have several of these gifts that vary in different degrees and intensity. In many cases, spiritual gifts even complement your secular employment. The Spiritual Gifts Analysis you took identified your dominant TEAM GIFTS which will help you find your place on the team in your church. Prayer and serving God will also help you see where God wants you. This profile gives you a simple bar graph showing how all the gifts relate to you and to each other, but analyzes indepth only your dominant and secondary gifts which are the ones that will have greater influence in your life. Your dominant gifts are Pastor/Shepherd, Exhortation The results of your Spiritual Gifts Inventory indicate that your number one dominant gift is PASTORING/SHEPHERDING! The Greek word "poimen" means pastor. In Paul's spiritual gifts listing in Ephesians 4:11, this term is translated "pastor." Although the word "poimen" is translated pastor only one time in Scripture it is used sixteen additional times. The remaining sixteen are all translated "shepherd." Therefore, we are actually discussing the GIFT of shepherding, not the POSITION of pastor. Though a good pastor must have the gift of shepherding, everyone who has the gift of shepherding is not called to be pastor. The gift can be used in many positions in a church. As a gifted shepherd, you have the Spirit-given capacity and desire to serve God by overseeing, training, and caring for the needs of a group of Christians. You are usually very patient, people-centered, and willing to spend time in prayer for others. You tend to be a "Jack of All and Master of ONE," meaning you are usually dominant in one of the speaking gifts (evangelist, prophet, teacher, exhorter) as well. You are often authoritative, more a leader than a follower, and expressive, composed, and sensitive. Your pleasing personality draws people to you. You have a burden to see others learn and grow and are protective of those under your care. You want to present the whole Word of God and do not like to present the same materials more than once. You are willing to study what is necessary to feed your group and are more relationship oriented than task oriented. You are a peace-maker and diplomat - very tolerant of people's weaknesses. You tend to remember people's names and faces. You are more concerned with doing for others than others doing for you. You are faithful and devoted and may become a workaholic. You can become an all-purpose person in order to meet needs. People with the gift of shepherding make the best Sunday school teachers and group leaders because their desire is to go beyond just teaching or leading, to shepherd and minister to the daily needs of their students. The position of Sunday school teacher or group leader is an extension of the pastoral ministry in the church. These groups should be shepherded on a small scale the same as the pastor shepherds the whole congregation on a large scale. Be careful to involve other people; don't try to do it all yourself. Work on making people accountable. Do not be overly protective of your "flock." Because of these potentially weak areas, other people may think it is your job to do all the work; they rely too heavily on you. You may be expected to be available at all times, know all the answers, and be at every function. Learn when to say no. Beware of Satan's attack on your gift. He will cause discouragement when the load gets heavy, and pride because your "sheep" look up to you. You may develop family problems because of too little time and attention. You may become selfish when "sheep" feed in other pastures. HOW CAN YOU USE YOUR GIFT? This gift is a great help in many areas. You may serve as a Sunday school teacher, small group leader, pastor or assistant pastor, bus captain, special ministry leader (such as youth, children, men, etc.), nursery worker or as a half-way house or other type shelter volunteer. You may consider serving as a dormitory leader in a college, orphanage, children's home, etc. Scout troops would appreciate your assistance as a den leader. The results of your Spiritual Gifts Inventory indicate that your second dominant gift is EXHORTATION! The Greek word "parakaleo" means to admonish, to encourage, to beseech. You are a "how to" person. You have the Spirit-given capacity and desire to serve God by motivating others to action by urging them to pursue a course of conduct. In a teaching position, you are able to explain how to apply God's Word. Your goal is to present material that enables the Holy Spirit to promote change in the student's life. You reach out and help Christians become more mature. As an exhorter you are a very practical person, a good counselor, tolerant of others, serious-minded, orderly, and usually impulsive. You are expressive in a group setting; the group listens when you speak. You are comfortable working one-on-one or in groups. You are enthusiastic and talkative and enjoy encouraging others. You are burdened to show how Scripture relates to conduct and have a desire to unify people by using practical rather than doctrinal issues. You likely place great importance on God's will and believe that His Word has the answer for every problem. You tend to make decisions logically rather than on feelings and are very orderly. Be careful not to interrupt other people; your enthusiasm sometimes makes you guilty of this. Others may think you don't use enough Scripture in teaching because you tend to use Scripture to support what you are teaching rather than starting with Scripture. Unlike teachers, you have the willingness to teach the same material again and again, updating and perfecting it as you do. As a counselor you usually have the ability to leave other people's problems "in the office" rather than letting them drag you down. Beware of Satan's attack on your gift. He may cause pride in your motivational abilities. He may influence you to lose sight of people because of program emphasis. Don't become discouraged when results are not evident. Be careful not to encourage others to do the wrong things through your persuasive abilities. HOW CAN YOU USE YOUR DOMINANT GIFT? You may use your special gift in many areas. You may want to be a leadership trainer. You could certainly serve as a counselor in church or in a counseling center. You could teach in church training or seminars or even small groups. You would make a good telephone ministry worker and would be a tremendous volunteer to follow up with new converts. You would work well as an encourager with those who are discouraged and as a counselor in a drug or alcohol program, rescue mission, poverty program, half-way house or runaway ministry or in a shelter for abused women and children. You could also use your gift in organizing or serving in a Men's or Women's Ministry. Building an effective team in your church depends on putting the right people in the right places. The best way to determine what place each person belongs in is by determine everyone's spiritual gifts. But, just discovering your spiritual gift is not enough. Here's the real challenge. Many Christians are asking the question, "What is my spiritual gift?" When in reality they need to be asking, "What is a spiritual gift?" They do not understand the relationships of spiritual gifts. That is, they don't understand how a spiritual gift relates to their life, how it relates to the will of God for their life, how it relates to the lives of those around them, how it relates the local church, or how it relates to the body of Christ as a whole. To give John J. Christian an additional name and make him John J. Exhorter Christian is only doing him an injustice. Having a new name or title does not make you a more effective, more fulfilled, or a better Christian, nor does it give you any more understanding of yourself or those around you. Most contemporary material written on spiritual gifts does an adequate job in helping you recognize, discover, and define what your spiritual gifts are. Also, many do a fine job of teaching on the individual parts of the body, but few complete their teaching by assembling the body, thus showing how church members can work as complementing, effective, and efficient team. Thus, teaching a person only what their spiritual gift is without teaching them what a spiritual gift is, is like giving someone a new tool without giving them the operator's manual. They will never understand it fully nor will they be able to use it to its maximum potential. The same is true with your spiritual gifts. Now that you have taken this inventory and know what your spiritual gifts are, we encourage you to study the principles that revolve around and relate to spiritual gifts. These principles combined with recognizing your gifts have been proven to dramatically change lives AND build churches. We have many resources available to help you better understand your gifts and how they relate to all areas of your life. Plus, we have resources to equip and assist you in teaching spiritual gifts and biblical team building to others. Furthermore, we have teachers who can come to your church and teach private seminars for you group. For additional information on resources or seminars just click on the appropriate button below.
How do you compare with the rest of the Body of Christ?
Laity Most dominant gifts of 511,272 people surveyed Evangelism 3.14% Prophecy 1.46% Teaching 8.45% Exhortation 9.66% Pastor/Shepherd 19.83% Showing Mercy 32.91% Serving 5.63% Giving 2.33% Administration 16.58% Pastors Most dominant gifts of 72,770 people surveyed Evangelism 5.44% Prophecy 1.81% Teaching 11.79% Exhortation 6.74% Pastor/Shepherd 32.17% Showing Mercy 15.78% Serving 2.54% Giving 1.45% Administration 22.29%

Analysis of Comparison Charts Could the results from these comparison charts be skewed? Probably to some degree. Two factors to consider are 1) Results are not compiled from the Christian public at large but only those who are Internet users. 2) On the laity side, a much larger percentage of those taking the spiritual gifts inventory on-line are women (63.7%). Women tend to score high in the Gift of Shepherding because the characteristics of the gift of shepherding are very similar to the God-given instincts of mothering which comes natural to most women. Although many women have the gift of shepherding and it manifests itself in many areas of service, we believe women should consider this factor when evaluating whether or not they actually have the dominant gift of shepherding. They may want to also look closely at their second dominant gift.

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Hmmmm.... I had no idea I was such a complicated person. I guess, to know me is to love me.