Kudos Norman, OK!

As a former resident of Norman, I commend this article with the highest regard.
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2008/snapshots/PL4052500.html

#6 Best Small Cities to Live. Norman, OK

In the fall, OUs football stadium is Norman's defacto town center.

WINNER

Top 100 rank: 6
Population: 102,800
Compare Norman to Top 10 Best Places

Sit down for lunch at Café Plaid in Norman and you'll see a little of everything: mothers with babies, students with laptops, and out-of-towners visiting the University of Oklahoma across the street. People flock to Norman from around the world to study and teach - and then to stay and raise a family.

The university not only helps draw educated workers here but also serves as a major source of entertainment. When the OU Sooners play football against longtime rival, the University of Texas, Norman schools are almost always closed on Friday (you read that right) and the town packs the stadium.

If you don't love all things gridiron, console yourself with the campus' world-class art museum, which houses works by Degas, Monet and Renoir. Affordability is another plus: Starter homes go for about $135,000. While Norman hasn't had huge run-ups in housing prices, the city has also been spared the devastating downside.

Global Warming Got To Us Today

It was the coldest 4th of July in my life - 69 degrees in SW PA. I noticed that Oklahoma was in the low 90s, too. Normally, it's triple digits. While I support smart conservation, reducing waste, taking care of creation, etc; I think we need to stop taking ourselves so seriously when it comes to our power to alter the climate. Don't forget in the 1970s, they were talking about global cooling and the coming ice age.

Other than with Jen

I think I'd like to spend the 4th of July at a picnic with Andy Griffith. It'd be fun to sit at a picnic table, talk with him, listen to some homespun country wisdom, and have him belt out some old gospel songs. Maybe we could talk about the myth of Mayberry or Matlock's court record. It's be great as long as there was some watermelon and homemade ice cream.

What prompted this thought was seeing him in the new Brad Paisley video, Waitin' On a Woman.
You can watch it here.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvKgnkIN8C8

Oil and Washington

I don't get political very often because too many people do that with their blogs. But in this case, I think this video is pretty telling.

A Big Change

Many of you know that I'm the "youth director" at our church while working at WVU and studying as well. Obviously, I would like to serve in the pastoral ministry at some point and last week, I am happy to say, that some point is coming soon. I got a promotion of sorts, from youth director to assistant pastor of youth. It is still part-time, which is perfect for our situation, but the key is that I will take ordination exams in the coming few months, and if I pass, I will be ordained as a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America.

There's a lot of hard work that goes into this. To show that I understand hermeneutics, I need to repolish and turn in an exegetical paper and a theological paper from my seminary days. In addition, I will take five written exams: theology, English Bible, church history, church government and sacraments. After that, I will meet with a committee of pastors and elders, who will give me an oral exam, mostly based upon questions I didn't do so well on in my written exams, and in other areas. If I do well enough, I will go before the Presbytery for a "floor exam," meaning anyone out of the 40-100 pastors/elders there could ask me a question. After that, they will be subjected to a 20 minute sermon by me, and then (hopefully) approve me. Then, a few weeks later, we will have an ordination and instillation service at church and I will officially be Reverend Bobby G. ., though I will still be the same person and could care less about the title.

I realize that many may read this process and think it's too cerebral. Why should anyone be tested so thoroughly because ministry is about people, not knowledge. To that I say that I understand, but the exams will not simply be academic, but also have many, many ministry type questions. Saint Peter said that we must be ready to answer for the hope we have in Christ. I think a vetting process like this is a good process. I know pastoral work isn't about who is the smartest, but I also think that if we want our accountants, attorneys, doctors and mechanics to be "tested," shouldn't we want the same from our ministers? It seems reasonable to me that a minister should be tested for their knowledge, not to show off, but to insure they can answer basic questions concerning the Faith.

OU-Texas can be dangerous and expensive!

UT Fan Sues OU Fan & Restaurant

A football fan who says he was attacked in an Oklahoma City bar after being heckled for wearing a Texas Longhorns shirt is suing the bar and an Oklahoma Sooners fan for more than $100,000.

Brian Thomas alleges in a suit filed Thursday that he was left with "serious, painful and potentially permanent" injuries after Allen Michael Beckett grabbed his groin and refused to let go in a bloody skirmish last year.

Beckett, 54, is scheduled to go on trial in December on a felony charge of aggravated assault and battery. He maintains he was defending himself from Thomas at Henry Hudson's Pub in June 2007.

One of these days

I'll actually attend the PCA General Assembly. Maybe next year? Who knows? I've had such a hectic work schedule over the past 4 years that it's been improbable. Until then, I'll watch it on the live webcast when I'm not at work.

Note to Self

Don't take 3 summer classes at the same time while working two jobs.