A little help. . .

I am blessed by God with remarkable health - the last doctor I saw with any regularity was a pediatrician (Doctor Mahalahti!). Thank you Lord!!!

I have had one minor affliction that has been my constant companion however - cold hands. My hands are often ice-cold in even the hottest of weather. Now, this has never bothered me much mind you - I mean - who cares right? But given the frequency with which pastors are called upon to shake hands - I have had to endure this a z-zillion times upon shaking the hand of silver-haired and helmet-haired alike: "Whoah! You're hands are freezing John!"

I need some help - I'm running out of things to say in response. The last couple times I got it I just said "thank you" - which elicited only tilted heads and looks of concern. So, help me out here - what would you suggest I say?

It's funny cause I don't know him

Ok - here's a word puzzle I heard on public radio the other day. It's pretty tough - maybe even blog-burying.

Think of a six-letter word ending in a silent letter that if you remove the silent letter becomes a five-letter word ending in two silent letters. What's the six-letter word?

Lapidary

"Praise, like gold and diamonds, owes its value only to its scarcity."

~ Samuel Johnson

Live from Waycross, Georgia near the Okefenokee Swamp!

Once a year the pastors and delegates of the Advent Christian churches in the Georgia Conference meet to confer, I suppose, on the happenings of the previous year. Over the two days there will be reports from elected officials and church leaders, morning chapels, resolutions with a sometimes tenuous grip on reality, afternoon potluck lunches served by the ladies of the host church, spontaneous times of prayer called for by the president in response to an expressed need or challenge, a raucous sing on Friday night, lots and lots of laughter, elections without suspense, an ever-present refreshment table whose cup runneth over with homemade confections, a lively open-mic, a wonderfully thorough - and thus entertaining - parliamentarian, and lots of lore and stories.

I love the Georgia Conference and the way we endeavor together - it's a wonderfully colorful and committed group of people who often exhibit a good amount of faith in attempting to make the most of whatever opportunity we're presented from year to year. I'm really looking forward to the next couple of days with its agenda of encouragement, prayer, and potato salad.

You're so novel!

Alright - I'll provide you with a few "Tom Swifties" and then you try and complete the last one!

For example:)
"Open the soup," said Tom cannily.
"Yes, we have no bananas," said Tom fruitlessly.
"It can't be the circuit-breaker," Tom refused.
"It should have an apple in its mouth," said Tom pig-headedly.
"Are you an alto or a tenor?" inquired Tom.

Got it? Ok then - here goes!

"I just rested it on the windowsill," _________ _________.

I Will Bury this Blog

Do you employ the Oxford comma? Please comment and let me know!

"The 'Oxford' or 'serial' is the optional comma placed before the 'and' at the end of a list - named after the Oxford University Press house-style. It is especially useful for lists which might otherwise be ambiguous: e.g., 'My favourite shirts are from New and Lingwood, Hackett, and Turnbull and Asser'. Without the second comma it might appear that an elaborate Jermyn Street revolution had occured with Asser forced out on his own after Turnbull had joined forces with Hackett."

A Lapidary Use of the Language

"One cannot review a bad book without showing off."

~ W.H. Auden

I'm back home for a few weeks. . .

"God made the angels for their splendor,
animals for their innocence,
and plants for their simplicity.
But man He made to serve Him, wittily,
in the tangle of his mind."

~ Sir Thomas More