The Shack

"Why does God allow bad things to happen?" It's a question that will never stop being asked and one that never has an easy answer. The things that take place in our world that cause such a question to surface have also been the cause for many people to turn from God completely.

William P. Young's The Shack addresses this question as he writes about the inner struggle of a man named Mack who has had to deal with death and abuse. I'm not qualified to critique the writing style of Young, but I will say the book does a great job of addressing the question through a fable. I'll admit that it was a bit strange, but all in all he does a great job of helping readers think about how God also has to deal with evil as well. If you have dealt with some type of heart ache in life which in turn may have put a strain on your relationship with God, then I think you will enjoy this book. It doesn't have to be an experience with death or abuse. The story simply helps you handle thoughts that cause your frustration with God. Besides, the book is becoming very popular and it wouldn't hurt to know what everyone is talking about, right?

I did notice in the back of the book an ad by the publisher Wind Blown Media. It was an ad for another book they put out that I highly recommend. It's So, You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore? by Jake Colsen.

The best candy apple of my life

A coworker of mine went to a conference in Florida a few months back. He returned to work and a few days later received a package in the mail. It was from one of the vendors that was represented at the conference. The vendor took the liberty of shipping out candy apples to people who were at the conference.

So, my coworker took the apple and put it in the little fridge between our desks to enjoy later. It had been in there for a few weeks and today he opened the fridge to put something in it and I noticed the candy apple.

I said to him "When are you going to eat that apple?"

He replied "I don't know. Do you want it?"

We pulled the apple out of the box. We were amazed. It wasn't one of these kind that you'd pick up at the county fair. This thing was impressive. There was no way I was going to eat it all so I took a few bites and handed it back to him. It was the best candy apple I have ever put in my mouth.

I decided that I might buy one so I asked him where this vendor got the apples. He pointed me to Amy's Candy Kitchen in Wisconsin. Amy is serious about her apples. I began to drool over what she has to offer. Only...I don't think $15 for a candy apple is in my budget. Anyway, below is a picture of the apple I had. It was the Dunked Caramel Apple with Belgian Milk Chocolate. I'd love to try the dark chocolate one too.

Sing On Ye Joyful Pilgrims

I grew up in a small church of Christ in rural North Carolina. I can recall the size of the congregation being somewhere around 120 people, most of which were relatives. In fact, in many cases I never the difference between those who weren't actually relatives and those who were. Nonetheless, one of the things I remembered most about growing up in that little church was the fact that everyone loved to sing. Beyond any discussions of doctrine, theology, or worship practices, people there simply found pride in singing together.

In fact, I remember many occasions when a family would host a "singing night". Someone would swing by the church building, pick up a stack of hymnals, a truck load of folding chairs, and after a delicious cookout, 20-30 people would begin singing in together in four part harmony for hours.

I'll be the first to admit, I didn't always care to sing. I was much more fascinated with playing hide-n-seek, kickball, or jumping on the tramp-o-line with other kids. Still, those were nice moments in my past. I was happy. I felt safe and I knew other than my parents, there were 20-30 other people who loved me and cared for me too.

Looking back today, that was "church" at it's best. The singing may not have been anything impressive and maybe I wouldn't choose to sing the same old songs today, but every time I hear singing similar to those nights, I smile on the inside. It wasn't about the singing. It was about the time spent together. Those are memories I'll cherish forever.

Here's a song that reminds me of those days..."Sing On Ye Joyful Pilgrims."

Pet Peeving's pet peeve contest

All right Pet Peeving readers. This is your first opportunity to win a prize on Pet Peeving's first ever contest. Here's the scoop.

The Prize:
I am giving away 8 free copies of Andy Andrew's book, Mastering the Seven Decisions. The book goes on sale April 15, 2008. So, you could get a copy before anyone else!

How to Win:
Be one of the first 8 people to answer the question below by commenting on this post.

What is your biggest pet peeve and why?


It's that simple - good luck! Oh, if you are one of the first 8 and it's likely that I don't know how to reach you, please email me at ben4rest [at] gmail.com.

The Way of Jesus

The last four books I have read in the Christian genre have all been recommendations. Three of the last four have dealt mostly with the issue of "institutional church". I have to say that what I have read in the past few months has shaken the very ground from which I was introduced to my faith...but I like it.

I just finished a book by Jonathan & Jennifer Campbell entitled The Way of Jesus. The authors share a little about their journey and frustrations with "church" and reveal the path they took to discovering Jesus in a more personal way. It's a path rarely found in organized religion. The book alone is worth the quotes that are pulled out in each chapter. Still, I would place the impact this book had on me behind So, You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore? (a fable) and Pagan Christianity. I've enjoyed all three and here is where I'm left.

I'm left with purposefully redefining what "church" is and living life that way. I've finally begun to embrace the church in it's broadest since where it is more inclusive rather than exclusive. I'm still not convinced that a gathering of people at a large building doesn't have advantages over an organic house church. However, I clearly see where the disadvantages are as well. If you are at point where you feel good about "church", then take off on this study. It will rock your world.

You tell the story

I was stumbling around a little this morning and happened across this photo at Hey Okay. It made me laugh. I once heard that a good photo is made by the story behind it and this one looks like it certainly has a story.

I don't know what the story is, but I sure would love to hear what you think it is. Do you care to share? Be creative. Keep it clean.

Churches, Easter, and Marketing

Jesus, Mii, and Wii
If you are in San Fransisco on Sunday and happen to have your Nintendo Wii remote, the Mission Bay Community Church will download a Jesus Mii character to your remote. That way you can play the Wii with Jesus.


Which Jesus said it?
Or if you are in Nashville and want to stop by the Emmaus Church they will be having a Resurection Celebration. Only, I'm not sure if it will be related to Jesus the Messiah or Jesus the Hispanic who happened to have a Lazarus experience. It's confusing because would Jesus really say this?




PLEASE...Share your thoughts!

Big night in Nashville

Last night in Nashville, there was just too much going on to follow. Some of the outcomes were good and some were not. Here are the things that were fighting for my attention.

#1: I'm a Lipscomb fan in the Atlantic Sun, but WAY TO GO BELMONT! I couldn't believe they lost in the final seconds to Duke, 70-71. It was great to hear the crowd cheering on the Nashville underdog. What a game! My wife even got excited about watching it - she did attend a semester at Belmont.

#2: I had to run back an forth between TVs to catch the latest episode of Lost while watching the final minutes of the Duke/Belmont game. The show frustrates me as usual, and I am ready for the resolution. This show has been strung out for way too long. The basketball game got most of my attention though.

#3: Predators....tough night! I wanted to see our boys make it to the playoffs, but I guess the Red Wings were too much to handle last night as they lost 6-3. It was a "must win" for the Preds if they wanted to extend the season. Maybe next year...or maybe not? Who knows? If they didn't have to deal with all of the negotiations of being sold this past year, I'm convinced they would be in the playoffs for sure. The distraction could not have helped.

#4: The US Mens Soccer Team solidified their bid to the Summer Olympics in Beijing last night in Nashville. They won over the Canadians 3-0. Sunday, I am planning to enjoy Easter by watching the championship game of the qualifying between the US and Honduras at LP field. This will be the first time I watch them live. I love this game!

The most wonderful day of the year

March Madness has arrived, making it the most wonderful day of the year! As kids it was Christmas, your birthday, and maybe a trip to an amusement park. However, as we get older we realize the more important things, like Cinderellas, last second shots, and bracket challenges.

This has been a great basketball season so far. Growing up in North Carolina, I'll be rooting for UNC. It's always nice to have your favorite team ranked at No. 1. Some would question my loyalty to the Heels, since I will also be pulling for Duke in the tourney. In one of my brackets I decided to go all ACC in the finals. I think Clemson has a good shot, but Miami is just wishful thinking.

Hold on - let's move to Tennessee since that is where I've moved to 13 years ago. With five teams from the state (Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Memphis, Belmont, and Austin Peay) it has add to the excitement of this basketball season. I'll be pulling for Vandy since it is the local favorite and I like Belmont when they aren't playing my alma mater, Lipscomb. The only downside....Belmont has Duke in round one.

Well, three years ago I didn't pick UNC to win it all because they were my team. They ended up winning it and I lost my bracket challenge. I have reservations of picking them this year, but why not? Go Tarheels!

Who's your pick to win it all?

A number not forgotton - 728b

Hymnals in churches are no longer in their prime. The day of a worship leader announcing a number, pausing for everyone to turn the pages, and then singing together has begun to fade. All the responsibility rests on one person who must make sure the next slide is projected on the screen at the exact right moment. I'm not sure how familiar my son will be with a hymnal as he grows up but I certainly was familiar with the one we used in our congregation.

The most popular hymnal used in my tradition was Songs of the Church. It contained a list of 10 commandments on how to be treated. Things like "Thou shall not use me to spank children" and "Thou shall return me to my proper place when not in use".

But what people will remember most is the hymn number 728b. There was no 728a or 729, just 728b and people wondered why. Sometimes it was referred to as the national anthem of the churches of Christ. The title was "Our God, He is Alive" by A.W. Dicus. It was a peppy song where every church had their favorite way of singing the chorus; fast or slow. Nonetheless, it was a song that brought unity to people in the CofC tradition.

Anyway, my intramural team in college all chose weird numbers for our jersey's like 3.14, 1², and 728b. That number has played a significant role in the life of many. In fact 728b.com is "coming soon", although I don't know who is bringing it or what it will be. I can only guess they too were impacted by the song. There's also a cool band that has embraced the number - they're called 728b. You can also buy some church of Christ items in the 728b store at Cafe Press.

So if you want to know how old school church of Christ a person is, ask them if they know about 728b.

My new favorite TV geeks

First there was Screech from Saved By the Bell, but now keeping with the entourage trend there is a new group of geeks on TV that we love. The CBS show The Big Bang Theory has made the list of shows I watch regularly now. It's about four socially challenged geeks who live across the hall of a beautiful girl. Sheldon's character, played by Jim Parson's is my favorite. You'll also recognize Johnny Galecki from Rosanne and Kaley Cuoco from 8 Simple Rules.

Below is a YouTube clip taken from last night's episode. During the show, reference was made to this clip on youtube and the poster was also mentioned a few times. I think it is neat when a show tries to blend into reality. This is like NBC's The Office making Dwight's Shrute Farm a hot spot on one of the travel Web sites.

Anyway, I hope you watch the show and enjoy it. I hope it stays around awhile.

Happy St. Paddy's Day

I've participated in the "wearing of the green" today so I wouldn't be deserving of a pinch. Hopefully you're having a happy Saint Patrick's Day.

Here are some of my favorite things related to the Irish theme.


1. My wife and I enjoy a local Irish pub in Franklin, called McCreary's. I like the fish & chips. I doubt we go today, but perhaps you'll enjoy it sometime. It's located on main street in downtown Franklin.

2. I like green. With a name like Forrest I should huh? So what if the name is English and not Irish - it's not like they don't get along with each other.

3. Far and Away - I know Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman are no more an item, but I remember watching this movie in Mrs. Ramsey's theater class in 11^th grade to learn about Irish accents. That was the best class ever.

4. Irish Songs - Why can't Americans sit around and sing fun ditties together? Spare us the karaoke and let's all sound horrible together.

5. Lucky Charms - It's still one of my favorite cereals. My best memory is when they added the purple horseshoe.

What's your favorites?

Comcast, WKRN, and a lost episode of 'Lost'

It's been awhile since I had a good 'ole fashion pet peeve. So here it goes.

Comcast is a joke and there is nothing "comcastic" about it. I think they know it and we all know it, but I wish WKRN, the ABC affiliate in Nashville, knew it. Here's my dilemma.

When Comcast installed my cable, they told me that channel 2 might be a little a fuzzy. It had to do with something about a tower. I don't know. Anyway, the picture wasn't perfect, but it wasn't awful either. We've lived with it this way for over 2 years now but like I say, it's not a big deal. Until...

Last night we turn on the tv to catch Lost. All the channels were working great accept for channel 2. We were watching the ant races. You could not see a picture and you could faintly hear the audio. We tried watching the HD channel on the television through the antenna, but it was so digitally disrupted that we could only hear every other word while watching a serious of digital boxes freeze and unfreeze across the screen.

I still don't know who was at fault but by my suspicion is that it was Comcast. We missed Lost, but I can watch it online. So, Comcast if you are reading this....oh never mind, we all know you don't really care.

Awareness Test

This is a great public service announcement done to raise awareness for cyclist in London. However, the application of this little test could be used far beyond the world of cycling.

Programmers and Marketers

I am not sure who said it, but the following statement is very true. If you know the source, please comment.

"If you make a general statement, a programmer says, 'Yes, but...' while a designer says, 'Yes, and...'"

Would you agree?

Back in the saddle

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of an old friend coming into to town to visit. We enjoyed the snow. It was my son's first big snow and he seemed to have fun. He wasn't sure why his mom and dad were throwing that white stuff at each other but when it was time to go in, he wouldn't have it. Then as the weekend came to an end, my 2/3 of my household became sick and I was one.

I'm better now, and it's nice to be back in the saddle. So, before you think this post is pointless, I just wanted to jot down my experience from this morning's devotional at work before I forget.

We had the honor of hearing Dan Miller author of 48 Days to the Work You Love (which is a great book) and radio show host speak to us this morning. Dan also provided each of us with a copy of his latest book, No More Mondays which I will read in the next few weeks and let you know what I think.

This morning Dan spoke about opportunity. He gave several good examples from his line of work as a personal coach. I'm not going to spend a lot of time telling you all of the examples, but I do want to remind you that if you are in a work situation (or other life situation even) that appears to have very limited options or you don't like the options available, there are often other options available that you overlook. Exercise some patience and resist the knee-jerk reactions to a bad situation. Whether it is a layoff or you simply don't like your job, there are more opportunities to your situation than you might think about.

Here is a blog post on Dan's blog about opportunity.

Bowling is fun!

It had been awhile since I last bowled. Let me clarify. Not counting the Wii, it's had been awhile since I last bowled in an actual bowling alley. In the past week I have had the pleasure of bowling 4 games. Last Friday I went out with the guys and today I went again during lunch with our team at work.

Today was a moment I'll not soon forget in my bowling career. In the first game it came down to one guy finishing up at 151. The next guy finished up at 152. Then it was my turn. As I entered the tenth frame, I needed a minimum of a spare and strike to win. I rolled, I waited, it was a seven. I picked up the spare and then the pressure was on to get a strike in order to pull out a 153. Everything was on the line...the pressure was on...the crowd was silent...I rolled....good release....the ball crashed through the pens and 9 of them exploded at the end of the lane. There was one pen left...it wobbled...then fell! I had won, the crowd went wild.

Then the second game came around. The competition was fierce. One other guy ends the tenth frame with 3 strikes to finish at 167. Then it was my turn. I once again had to pick up a spare so I could roll three in the last frame. I did it. I was only down by 7. I just needed to knock down 8 pens to win. The scene was a familiar one. I had been here before. "Everything was on the line...the pressure was on...the crowd was silent...I rolled....good release....the ball crashed through the pens". This time I didn't get the strike. As the pens went down I left a 4/6 split giving me a 1 pen victory twice in the same day.

I'm pretty pleased with my last 4 games of 151, 148, 153, & 168 (156 avg). Bowling is fun.

All About the School Bus

My 1 year old has become fascinated with buses. Every morning my wife and son will walk me out to the car as I leave for work and at about the same time, the school bus will come through the neighborhood. It stops at the end of the street, the children jump on, and the bus turns around and heads back out in the same direction it came from.

My son knows exactly what is about to happen when the bus begins to turn around, he will start saying "beep beep beep", in anticipation of it backing up. Whenever we head outside the first thing he says is "Coo Bu" (school bus) or if we see one while were driving around town it's "Coo Bu" and he gets so excited.

So, my wife was at our church's baby consignment sale last night and she found a little school bus. We got home kind of late, but my son saw the bus and insisted on playing. So, against our better judgment we decided to let him play with it while we got ready for bed. Then it came time for him to go to bed and that's when we had a breakdown.

This might be the first toy he has ever loved this much. We know he loves it because he woke up this morning asking for the "Coo Bu." He drives it up and down the hall and anytime he drives it backwards, he always says "beep beep beep".

Nintendo Wii is fun for all ages

I've discussed in the past about how much we like our Nintendo Wii. I have also talked about how the Wii is very popular among senior citizens, especially in retirement homes. Then, today an email with the following video clip came to me. It's the first time I have seen it, but it just proves that the Nintendo Wii really is fun for ALL ages.

The Reason for God

A few posts back I mentioned that I was reading The Reason for God by Timothy Keller. The book was sent to me by a new friend in NYC who has what many would say is an unbelievable story of survival. However, as I read this book it occurred to me that his story isn't so unbelievable when you believe in God.

You see, Keller's book deals with the whole issue of skepticism and having faith in God. The book was wonderful. It handled the subject of apologetics in a very clear and concise way. It isn't over your head theology. It's not a "Bible beating" approach to prove the existence of God. More than anything, the book helped me to appreciate my faith in God and gave me a greater confidence to live a life in Christ. It takes a practical look at both sides; Atheism and Christianity.

Every chapter challenged my critical thinking and has pushed me to think further. It's also caused me to consider more about how religion can be a very dangerous weapon, especially against those who do not believe in a faith. I was reminded that Christianity can carry a certain arrogance if you're not careful. If anything Christianity should bring a greater awareness of humility which sets it apart from other religions, but it often does not.

It's a great book, and is a wonderful supplement today for Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.

Thanks for the book Brian!

How about a virtual haircut?

It's been awhile since I have heard this but I came across it again this morning. I can't recall who originally did this but it is really cool. There's no video...just audio.

If you have a quality set of headphones, turn up the volume and enjoy. If you have cheap headphones, you'll wonder why this is so cool because you won't be able to experience it. Good headphones will make you think that someone really is about to shave off your hair. The guitar in the background gets me every time.