On the Front Page

So proud of how the cover looks on the front page of the Palestine Herald Press this morning. Cheril Vernon did a great job with the story. Kudos!
Here's the story online: PalestineHerald.Com.

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Liar, Lunatic or Lord

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God." This is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -- on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.

  -- C. S. Lewis, "Mere Christianity", page 41.

Piatagorsky Concert

It was such a pleasure to hear these guys and then get to visit with them. They are amazing, world-class musicians and it was a joy to hear them in person. The cello player is Evan Drachman, and the pianist is Richard Dowling. They tour with the Piatigorsky Foundation, providing more than 200 concerts each year. They performed at Brushy Creek UMC Sunday afternoon. I took this photo at Northside Primary Monday. Evan says this cello was built in Italy in 1720. He told us that the horse hair in the bow is real horse hair and comes from horses that live in Siberia, where it is really cold, which makes the hair thicker and stronger. Evan began playing the cello when he was eleven. Richard began piano lessons at age five. I told him if he would just practice a little more, he might get pretty good!

Gaylord Texan Thanksgiving Trip 2012

Mt. Vernon UMC Trunk or Treat 2012

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Galveston Trip 2012

Here's the view from our room at Galveston. Jodi and I went on what I hope is our first annual fall trip. Click here to see more photos.