Futuristic Fashions

In 1936, this is what they thought the fashions would look like in 2000.

Reformation Polka

Mr. Microphone

Funny..., I never found that "Hey good lookin'," line to ever work. Maybe I needed a Mr. Microphone!

Look Smart, Dress Sharp!

Muddy Waters-Got My Mojo Wuerkin'

I know...I know...It's only Rock-n-Roll but I like it.

Fun With the Swedish Chef

Emmylou Harris-You Never Can Tell

A remake of the song written by the great Chuck Berry!

Van Morrison-St. Dominic's Preview

When I watch this and listen to this music, I experience something like being homesick for a place I've never been.

Buck Owens-Act Naturally

Right Back Where We Started From

"Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:16

This little snippit is to me what Lewis called "drippings of grace." Are you looking forward to heaven?

Tolkien Sings!

This little ditty is called, "Troll Sat Alone on His Seat of Stone" Thanks Zach!!!

Who Wants an iphone?

I am curious. How many of you plan to get an iphone in your stocking this year for Christmas? I have heard the batteries for those little rascals are more expensive than the device! Please take my poll on the left. It's painless. I promise.

Charles Spurgeon on Water Butts

"He is great upon the ten toes of the beast, the four faces of the cherubim, the mystical meaning of badgers' skins, and the typical bearings of the staves of the ark, and the windows of Solomon's temple: but the sins of business men, the temptations of the times, and the needs of the age, he scarcely ever touches upon. Such preaching reminds me of a lion engaged in mouse-hunting, or a man-of-war cruising after a lost water-butt" --Charles Spurgeon (from Lectures to My Students)

John Piper on the Prosperity Gospel

Tower of Anor

Sing now, ye people of the Tower of Anor,
for the Realm of Sauron is ended for ever,
and the Dark Tower is thrown down.

Sing and rejoice, ye people of the Tower of Guard,
for your watch hath not been in vain,
and the Black Gate is broken,
and your King hath passed through,
and he is victorious.

Sing and be glad, all ye children of the West,
for your King shall come again,
and he shall dwell among you
all the days of your life.

And the Tree that was withered shall be renewed,
and he shall plant it in the high places,
and the city shall be blessed.

Sing all ye people!

JRR Tolkien (from the Lord of the Rings)

Let 'er Roll, I Love Lucy

My Father's House- Bruce Springsteen

This is the one of the most haunting songs lyrically I know. And it seems somewhat fitting to the pictures of my father's house below.

My Father's House by Bruce Springsteen

Last night I dreamed that I was a child

Out where the pines grow wild and tall

I was trying to make it home through the forest

Before the darkness falls

I heard the wind rustling through the trees

And ghostly voices rose from the fields

I ran with my heart pounding down that broken path

With the devil snappin' at my heels

I broke through the trees, and there in the night

My father's house stood shining hard and bright

The branches and brambles tore my clothes and scratched my arms

But I ran till I fell, shaking in his arms

I awoke and I imagined the hard things that pulled us apart

Will never again, sir, tear us from each other's hearts

I got dressed, and to that house I did ride

From out on the road, I could see its windows shining in light

I walked up the steps and stood on the porch

A woman I didn't recognize came and spoke to me through a chained door

I told her my story, and who I'd come for

She said "I'm sorry, son, but no one by that name lives here anymore

"My father's house shines hard and bright

It stands like a beacon calling me in the night

Calling and calling, so cold and alone

Shining `cross this dark highway where our sins lie unatoned

(lyrics copyright 1982 by Bruce Springsteen)

My Father's House

When they were first married, sometime in the mid-1940's, my grandparent's bought a little home in Mount Airy, NC. It was a simple log cabin. Over time, little by little they fixed it up. When I was a child it was a nice place to live. Very clean and tidy. A couple months ago it burned. The following are pictures from long ago and from my visit yesterday 12/08/07. (You can click on each individual picture to see a much bigger view.)

That's my mom on the far left. My brother John is sitting on her lap. I am second from the right in the white T-shirt with my mouth wide open. This picture was from 1974.

Here my brother and I are waking my dad on Christmas morning, 1974.

My brother John and I in bed pretending to be asleep on Christmas morning.

Daddy playing with yo-yo in the living room.

In the living room with brother John. Do we look excited? Yep!

My mom. That tree could almost qualify as a "Charlie Brown" model.

That's my grandpa Genoa with his handy/dandy pocket protector.

And this is the way the house looked yesterday.

...and the other side.

The backside of the house. My dad is in the lower right.

A shell of the same bedroom where my brother John and I woke my dad on Christmas morning so many years ago.

The Christmas tree was in front of this window where my mom stood with her blue suit, my brother and I looked so excited and my dad played with the yo-yo. Now-nothing but charred memories.

The front porch where I sat with my mom and neighborhood friends. Now-it's something from a nightmare!

My dad, wife-Laura and daughter- Lorien look at me through the remains of the house.

"Where would we be without hope in our hearts."

100 Movies, 100 Quotes, 100 Numbers

Thanks to my good buddy Kev for this one! I can watch it over, and over, and over...Well, I could watch it for at least 100 times!

Dave Barry on Cholesterol

"It is a scientific fact that your body will not absorb cholesterol if you take it from another person's plate." -Dave Barry

A Big Bite of Beef at Christmastime

When I was 14 years old we had a big Christmas dinner at my home. My mom and dad invited several family and friends to our small apartment. We did not have an official dining room. There was a tiny table in the kitchen. It was packed with scrumptious food, and there was barely room to sit. My brother and I inhabited the low rung on the food chain, so we ate on the floor in the hallway beside the kitchen. [side note: I used to keep a stocking cap permanently attached to my head in those days. Keep this in mind for the upcoming scene.] We had many good things to eat: Dressing, green beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potato pie and a suculent roast and many other tasty morsels.

Gifts were opened that morning, people came to visit. Little time had been left to eat, so when dinnertime rolled around, my brother and I were quite hungry. We sat on the floor and stuffed our faces!

About halfway into the first plate of food, I took an exceptionally big bite of beef. I gave the lucious lump of meat a few quick chews and swallowed. Unfortunately, the hunk of meat got stuck just as it started to go down. I found this quite curious and decided to tell my brother about it. In a nano-second, I experienced the awkward sensation of not being able to speak! I learned something very valuable and I am not sure the thought had ever crossed my mind before: A person needs air not only to breathe but also to talk! And I was unable to because of that big bite of beef stuck in my wind pipe!

Panic soon had me in its snare and I stood up from the floor with stocking cap still on my head. My brother saw fear in my eyes and followed me into the kitchen.

The guests were talking and eating and having an all around festive time when I walked in. Their faces turned to me with jovial anticipation. I had a wild look on my face and my mouth was moving up and down, but no words came out.

My brother soon appeared behind me and with a mighty blow, lowered a clinched fist down onto my back. This caused the big bite of beef to eject from my mouth onto the middle of the table where it landed with something like a ker-splat. This all happened so quickly that folks were still removing forks from their mouth when it struck. I'm not sure if they were more surprised at my choking or the fact that a person could actually swallow something so large!

The sound of that meat smacking the table was music to my ears and the feel of air rushing into my lungs was exhilerating!

Since then, I have chewed my food with a little more caution, especially when I eat roast beef!

Mitt Romney Speech on Religion and Politics

Mitt Romney gave a speech today where he said if elected he would not let the Mormon church dictate how he ran the country. However, he also said he would not "separate us from the God who gave us freedom."

This speech comes at a critical time. I believe Mr. Romney is beginning to realize that Mr. Huckabee might be force to reckon with when it comes to conservative Christians in America.

What do you think....? I am not going to ask if you are going to vote for Romney, but what I would like to know is Could a Christian vote for a Mormon for president with a clear conscience? I am curious. What is your opinion?

Springsteen on Charles Starkweather-Nebraska

The recent killings at an Omaha shopping mall reminded me of the song Nebraska by Bruce Springsteen. The lyrics are based upon the story of serial killer Charles Starkweather. There was also a move made in 1973 called Badlands starring Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek. Both stories are tragic chapters in the history of America.

"Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” -Genesis 4:8-12

Nebraska by Bruce Springsteen
I saw her standin' on her front lawn
just twirlin' her baton
Me and her went for a ride sir
and ten innocent people died

From the town of Lincoln, Nebraska
with a sawed off .410 on my lap
Through to the badlands of Wyoming
I killed everything in my path

I can't say that I'm sorry
for the things that we done
At least for a little while sir
me and her we had us some fun

The jury brought in a guilty verdict
and the judge he sentenced me to death
Midnight in a prison storeroom
with leather straps across my chest

Sheriff when the man pulls that switch sir
and snaps my poor head back
You make sure my pretty baby
is sittin' right there on my lap

They declared me unfit to live
said into that great void my soul'd be hurled
They wanted to know why I did what I did
Well sir I guess there's just a meanness in this world.

lyrics copyright 1982 Bruce Springsteen

Virgin America Safety Video

For those of you who find the stewardesses who try to explain how to buckle a seat-belt yawningly boring, this video is for you! Check out the nun with the laptop at the end. Hilarious!

Futuristic Technology from 1967

This is a real video from 1967. This was their vision of 1999. Check out the flat panel monitors, purchasing online concept, and email! I verified it on Snopes.com.

Will the Church Really Prevail?

"The principle problem here is not the fact that evangelicals adopted Calvinism and consequently lost their zeal for evangelism, but rather that postmillennial Calvinists abandoned their postmillennialism and consequently lost their conviction that the gospel would go forth into the world, conquering and to conquer" -Douglas Wilson (Mother Kirk)

Healthy Toy Alternative- ESV Children's Bible

With so many unhealthy toys out there imported from foreign countries that have less than perfect standards when it comes to that little element called lead, why not give your child A wonderfully safe gift this Advent season? The (click here) ESV Children's Bible is on sale at Westminster Bookstore for $14.94. (by the way, that's 40% off of retail!)

There are over 200 color illustrations and the cover can be safely chewed upon. We know the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword, but this one has no lead!

"How sweet are your words to my taste,sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Psalm 119:103

Who Was It?

Who was the guy in the picture with the grey suit?

It was my dad, Dennis Griffith, circa 1972.

D. W. Griffith, born in 1948 now lives at large, in the greater Mount Airy, NC area.

Some say he bears a striking likeness to the guy who played the father on the hit 90's TV show The Wonder Years. Do you see a resemblance?

Huckabee on Immigration

"Securing our borders must be our top priority and has reached the level of a national emergency." -Mike Huckabee

Is it possible to not like a guy who plays the bass guitar?

If She Were an Angel- A Parable

Once there was a little girl who could hardly wait for Christmas. It was honestly all she could think about. Now there was nothing wrong with this, of course, because all of us should be thinking about the Lord’s appearance as one of us. All of us should remember the Lord’s Incarnation, the Lord becoming a member of His covenant people. All of us should be excited about the prospect, yet again, of living in the midst of a people who are celebrating something they don’t quite understand, but who are celebrating it in a way that makes it easy for us to talk to them about it.

At any rate, this little girl was excited about Christmas for all the wrong reasons. She was sick of school, and wanted vacation to start so she could lie around the house all day and fuss about helping her mother. She wanted to eat a lot of fudge. She wanted to open her glorious presents in her mind a thousand times before Christmas day. Her obligation to give presents to others was a necessary nuisance to the whole business, and so she scarcely thought at all about what she would give the others in her family. There were always the old stand-bys—a necktie for dad, cheap perfume for mom. In short, she was very selfish little girl, and though she was celebrating Christmas, she was holding it upside down and backwards.

And then one night, right near the beginning of Advent, she had a terrible dream. Actually, it was a wonderful dream, but she certainly thought it was a terrible dream. In her dream she saw her parents sitting in front of a desk, like they were getting counseling or something, but behind the desk was an angel. And he wasn’t a happy-looking angel either, but had rather a severe look on his face. He was pushing a collection of papers across the desk, and he said, "I am afraid that you have been spoiling your child. Some in the heavenly office here have gone so far as to say you have been spoiling your child rotten. These papers show exactly what your daughter’s attitude toward everyone else at Christmas is. Pretty grim reading, I can tell you that. Now here are your instructions—we want you to treat her in just the same way. It is all in there. Exactly the same way . . . Got that?"

Her parents had an awful look on their faces, a look the daughter knew very well. They did not want to do this at all. She recognized the look—that’s how she could play them so well. But this time it was different; an angel who looked like a drill sergeant was telling them to get her a cheap tie for Christmas.

So of course she woke up in a panic. She was very quiet at breakfast, and her mother even asked her if something was wrong. But nothing was wrong; she was just thinking hard about it. And as she thought, and as she thought some more, she gradually came to realize that a real angel would never tell her parents to do anything like that. That’s only how she would talk if she were an angel, and for the first time in her life she realized how awful it was.

by Douglas Wilson (from Blog and Mablog)

The Church- By Edmund P. Clowney

In his book The Church, Edmund Clowney examines various aspects of and defines what it means to be "the Body of Christ." Clowney is a seasoned theologian and knows his stuff when it comes to writing about this subject. In this book he talks about what it means to be a part of the holy, catholic church. He examines the marks of the true chruch. He looks at the mission of the church in the world. He takes on Wayne Grudem in his examination of the prophetic movement. He also gives a good critique and counterview of the charismatic movement.

Overall the book was good. I love the subject matter, but I found Clowney's style of writing to be a little long winded. I kept looking forward to the end. Again, not because of the subject matter, but because of the writing style. I give it 4 stars out of 5.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town- Springsteen

I really do not believe he is, but hey, I like the song nonetheless. The saxaphone solo in this song is one of the best!

Extreme Skydiving

Okay, I'm ready! When do we go?