Brotherhood Blog

2007-10-20T14:16:00.000-04:00

UPDATE FROM BEN CRIPPS

Here in Memphis, I am serving as Assistant Pastor at South Woods Baptist Church. Jolie works as a mommy, and is a great help to me. The boys are doing great.Adoniram (Adon for short), is 2.5, and Eli is 15 Months.

benjamincripps@gmail.com
http://benjamincripps.blogspot.com
http://picasaweb.google.com/benjamincripps
http://www.southwoodsbc.org

(Sorry, I had problems uploading the photo - Josh)

2007-10-08T17:05:00.000-04:00

Not Joshin' Ya: More Info From Josh Moore

Bonnie and I had a baby on December 18th, 2006 – a healthy, growing, talking 9 month old Girl named Marianne Elizabeth Moore.

My insurance firm where I work was acquired by First State Bank (headquartered in Union City, TN) back in March 2007. I now serve as Regional Agency Manager for Weakley and Obion Counties, TN. Check out the First State Website at www.first-state.net.

I am most likely going to start getting my Masters of Business Administration from the University of Tennessee at Martin starting in the Spring Semester of 2008. I have to take the GMAT in a month. I was attending Southern Seminary for a couple semesters, but dropped that to focus on education that will directly impact my insurance career.

I am currently the Vice President of the Martin Rotary Club and will become the President of the Martin Rotary Club in July 2008. Check out that website at www.martinrotary.org.

Also, I am still the bi-vocational minister of education at DFBC (Dresden First Baptist Church). Check out our website at www.dresdenfbc.org for more information there. We are currently in an expansion project that will increase our sanctuary seating capacity to about 500.

Email change: personal email is josh.moore@frontiernet.net.

2007-10-08T16:22:00.000-04:00

Mooney Makes Headlines (In A Good News Story)

We just moved into, as William would say, a "hooose" here in Mtn. Home. The law practice is rolling along, I recently defended a teacher and the case made the state paper -thankfully we won. Rachel now outranks me as an officer in the Lions Club, but that is okay because my title of Tail Twister is funnier than Secretary.

I'm a member of the advisory board of the Salvation Army here and chairman of its Planned Giving Committee. Rachel is teaching piano to several students now and they seem to like it, they keep coming back. William is practicing for the Olympics by leaping off of furniture, climbing up ladders, and throwing everything he can reach. I now know why pet monkeys are not a good idea.

2007-10-08T12:50:00.000-04:00

Clark (Not Griswold)

Life is good here in Nashvegas. After three years of intense course study I am now billingual (English/Spanish) which has already proven useful with parents of hispanic students. - not to mention Los Portales!

Heather and I are expecting our first - a girl. We will call her Emily Morgan Clark. She is due to be born January 24th. Nursery and other asundry preperations are underway.

The band is doing well. They came in 2nd at a major competition a few weeks ago, and received excellent ratings at the Middle Tennessee Band and Orchestra Festival.

Heather is taking masters classes at Trevecca trying to get her teaching liscense to join me in the education profession. She is juggling a job, pregnancy, and college - what a multi-tasker!

That's about it for us in the Clark Clan. Life is good, and we are enjoying the American dream.

Email Adam at FieldCmndr@comcast.net

2007-10-05T07:37:00.000-04:00

West Wing Whitt?

Paul and Courtney are enjoying their new home that they had built in Jackson, TN. Is it true that the master bedroom is in the west wing of the house? :) Just kidding.

2007-10-05T07:34:00.000-04:00

Caiden Wilson - Keepin' it Cool....

Son of Chad and Sabrina Wilson

2007-06-26T12:07:00.000-04:00

Are you a Card-Carrying Member?
What's In Your Wallet?

Dan, Tami, and Zeke Shackelford have recently had prayer cards made to remind people to pray for them while we are overseas.

I am writing some of you who have already committed to pray for us and have expressed a desire to keep up with us as we go around the world. I wanted to write today to let you know about the cards so that we can mail you one if you would like us to. If you would, email me with your mailing address and we will be more than happy to send you one (tamianddan@gmail.com)

For those who haven't heard, we are leaving our church in Wynne, AR this Thursday. We're going to take a few weeks to spend some time with family before going to Richmond, VA from August 6-October 3. Within two weeks of October 3, we will most likely be on the field in Central Asia, where we will be working with refugees.

I also wanted to let you know that we're going to be visiting three churches in the next month or so and I thought I would let you know where we will be in case any of you are around and are interested in seeing us. We would love to see you. July 22, we will be at Ridgeway Baptist Church in Memphis, TN in the AM and PM service. July 29, we will be at Springhill Baptist Church in Paris, TN in the morning service and at Wards Grove Baptist Church in Jackson, TN in the evening service.

Thanks again for all your prayers as we embark on this next journey in our lives. God bless.

Grace and Peace,
Dan

2007-06-12T18:39:00.000-04:00

Jeff Ed Has Wedd!

If you want to wish him well or send him 'married man' advice: jeffedinchina@hotmail.com

2007-06-11T16:31:00.000-04:00

Yes, That Really Is Steve Moore's Real Hair

A couple of the brothers hosted a little get together to celebrate my upcoming marriage to Lindsey, when I was in town for my sister's graduation last weekend. It was terribly good to see the brothers and catch up with each of them. Special thanks to Chuck, LawDawg Whitt, and Neal Wager for hosting, coordinating, and cooking -- a great visit and special memory, thank you.

Josh

2007-06-11T10:02:00.000-04:00

Clark Clan Climbs - Adam & Heather

It's official - in January Heather and I will have our firstborn!! We're so excited about it, and hope that all of you share in our joy.

We had our first ultrasound last friday, and everything looked good according to the doctor (looked like a peanut if you ask me, but I think that is correct at this point in time.)

I am busy trying to catch up on my "What to expect when expecting," info. As has been said: "I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' no babies."

SO- we covet your prayers for a healthy & normal pregnancy. We hope you all share in our joy, and thank you for your support.

ZAX,
Bro. ClarkLZ 443
FieldCmndr@aol.com
FieldCmndr@comcast.net

2007-06-11T09:14:00.000-04:00

Prayer Request - Brian, Rachel, & William Mooney

Rachel, William and I were involved in a fairly serious car accident [on Friday]. Just north of Jonesboro, a large delivery truck slammed into the side of my car and drove our vehicle into a gas tanker eighteen wheeler.

The delivery truck was apparently trying to cross the highway from a side road and the driver said she just didn't see us. She was ticketed for failure to yield, quite naturally. But the police said that the gas tanker, if you can imagine, is what saved us (I guess since it didn't explode), and our being in a large vehicle. If it hadn't been for the gas tanker we would have probably slid off the road and rolled over into a flooded field. And if we had been in a car he said the eighteen wheeler would have run over us. So it could have been much worse.

An ambulance took us to the emergency room in Jonesboro. Rachel had a head injury from where her head hit the window, which we hope will not be serious, and William had two of his teeth knocked out and some cuts, which caused a great deal of bleeding and just terrified us as you might imagine. Standing there waiting on the ambulance as he bled on me and cried was one of the worst moments of my life, but we were fortunate to walk out of that car. We all got x-rays but William's was the worst because they made me hold him while he was screamed and bled all over me.

So far we have all been released from the emergency room in Jonesboro and my parents took us home to Memphis, but they said the worst was to come. We will probably be here several days to rest and make sure William is okay since we're around good hospitals here.

Don't feel sorry for us a bit though. We all feel very fortunate right now. If you saw the car you would know why. But a quick prayer for Rachel and William would be greatly appreciated by me.

We miss you all,
Brian
IREmoonsic@aol.com

2007-06-05T15:28:00.001-04:00

Counting On Getting Married

We're doing well-- busy with life inside the Beltway (jobs, wedding preparations, travel, church, friends, family commitments). Plans are coming along and we are looking forward to celebrating with family and friends soon, at our wedding in Virginia.
Here's an update, by the numbers.....

1 bride
1 groom
1 ringbearer
7 bridesmaids
7 groomsmen
10 days on a honeymoon
39 days until we are married
100 (or so) coming to rehearsal dinner
200 (or so) coming to the wedding

07.14.07 .....The Big Day

2007-06-05T12:43:00.000-04:00

G.I. Jeff Reports In -- Man On A Mission: Marriage!

Job at Youth Villages. It has been a great experience and practice to build a set of professional skills. I have worked with some really emotionally disturbed and neglected youth. I currently run a program that serves over 35 youth and consequently have to manager 4 master level counselors, several bachelor level supervisors and then almost 20 more bachelor level staff.

Fiancée. She is actually from Spokane Washington. She moved down here a few years ago and she actually started work for Youth Villages when I met her and started dating. She now teaches 4 years old at private school. She would like to get into international service as well. If you ask her what her mission is, she says" to hold dying babies in africa". She has a thing for dying babies. So we seem pretty well matched in career services.

Wedding. We have dated for about year and half. We are getting married on June 9th this year in Memphis. We are going to try to honeymoon up in Seattle and Canada so we can swing by her family and do a reception of some sort out there.

Take care -
Jeff Edwards
JeffEdInChina@hotmail.com

(Jeff’s explanation of why he kept his email address: If you are wondering about the email address, I am not in China anymore. I taught English in China for a while back in 04. Too much trouble to change the address to Jeffednotinchinaanymore, that just seemed pointless.)

2007-06-04T16:18:00.000-04:00

This Saturday.....Ty Ties The Knot....

Brothers of Lambda Chi Alpha,

On Saturday, June 9th, I will be getting married to Ami Culberson in Pickwick, Tennessee. You are all invited to attend. It would be great to see as many guys as possible, but I know it is a busy time of year for everyone. Here are the details:

When: Saturday, June 9th

Where: First Baptist Church - Counce, TN

Time: 6 o'clock p.m.

Reception: Gilmore's Restaurant at Shiloh Ridge Athletic Club - Corinth, MS

Directions from Jackson: Take 45 south all the way to Selmer (about 40 miles from the civic center). At the main 4-way in Selmer, turn right (this is still Hwy 45). Go about 6 miles until you see Risner's Restaurant. Turn left onto Hwy 57. Go about 16 miles into Counce/Pickwick. When you see the Dollar General store on your left, take the next right, which is Preacher Drive. Take the right fork in the road, and you will be at the church. It takes a little over an hour to get there from Jackson, and it's an easy drive.

Directions from Memphis: Take Bill Morris Parkway out to 72 East. Take the Collierville exit (I think it's still the last exit before the road runs out). Take a right onto 72 east, and follow it about 65 miles all the way into Corinth, MS. Turn left onth 45 North. Go just a few miles and take the 2nd exit, Henson Road. Bear right onto Hwy 350. Follow Hwy 350 until you see a sign that says "Dorothy Garrett Girl Scout Camp." Take a left there onto Kendrick Road. Go about 4 miles on Kendrick Road and turn right onto Hwy 57. Follow 57 into Counce. When you see the Dollar General store on your left, take the next right, which is Preacher Drive. Take the right fork in the road, and you will be at the church.

Directions From Nashville: Take I-40 to Jackson, then follow the directions from Jackson.

If anyone wants more detailed directions or more information, just call me at (731) 926-6733 or email me at tyjones50@hotmail.com or tyandami@gmail.com. You can also mapquest it. The address of the church is:

93 Old Highway 57Counce, TN 38326

If anyone knows that they can come, email me at tyandami@gmail.com. It will help us get the right number for the catering.

Again, you are all invited, and it would be great to see as many of you as possible. I already know of LXA's coming from Jackson, Memphis and Nashville, so there are probably some carpooling options out there. Email me and I will try to get you in touch with some of those people. Hope to see you there.

-Ty Jones
LZ 503

2007-06-04T16:14:00.000-04:00

Hello to all! It's been quite a while since we have updated you all on our life here in Mountain Home. Brian has been working hard on developing his law practice. Rachel has been very busy keeping up with the now 14 month old William. William acts like he runs the house, telling us what he wants to do by screaching in high pitch sounds. He loves going outside, pulling all the tupperware out of cabinets, and running around all over the place at full speed. We have had our share of traveling this past month to Tennessee to see family, so it's nice to be back in good ole Mountain Home. We would love to hear from you if you have the time. God Bless!

The Mooneys

iremoonsic@aol.com

2007-05-29T14:20:00.000-04:00

Tin Man or Iron Man?

To all the triathletes out there, I competed in my first triathlon a couple of weeks ago and had a blast. It was a 400 yard swim, 12 mile bike, and a 5k run. I beat my goal by five minutes coming in at 1:15:20, finishing 34th overall. I need some work on the transitions as I almost added 4 minutes to my time, but overall feel pretty good about the tri. I am definitely hooked, but I am afraid I might be done for the year due to a recurring knee problem that might need some resting. I know some of you are competing in an Iron Man. I would love to hear how it goes.

Yours Truly,
(The Other) Michael W. Smith

mtsmith10904@yahoo.com

2007-05-24T13:27:00.000-04:00

WELCOME, Caiden Paschall Wilson!

"Sab's blood pressure spiked at week 35 after an otherwise healthy pregancy. She got put on bedrest for three weeks (good times) We decided with the doctor to induce on Wed, May 16. She surpisingly went into labor 4 hours after we got there. 8 hours later (following 2 minutes of pushing), we met Caiden Paschall Wilson for the first time.

It's been a long road for us. We are thankful that despite the challenges, God has been faithful. He always is. We are celebrating His goodness."

Chad P.

2007-05-07T16:58:00.000-04:00

Hey guys, I hope this email finds you guys doing well. This is just a note to tell you all that we have now set up a blogger account in order to help people keep up with us a bit better. If you want to see it, go to tamianddan.blogspot.com. Anyway, we're going to try to keep it updated with pictures, videos, etc. as we get ready to move overseas and once we're over there. Have a good day. Let us know what you've been up to.

Grace and Peace,

Dan, Tami, and Zeke

2007-03-12T10:54:00.000-04:00

Moving Challenge for More Madness During the March Madness Mahem!

Hey Guys,

March Madness returns, and with it comes the greatest tradition of them all, the D-6 Alumni and Friends Charity Benefit Bracket Challenge! This year, all proceeds will go to the ever-deserving 'Duesner 6 Mafia Needy Children's Fund', where each and every dollar will be spent helping a select number of deserving people do lots of cool things. Trust me. Anyway, we here at the D-6 Alumni Foundation want each and every one of you to join our ESPN.com Tournament Challenge group. Here's how:

1. Go to http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/frontpage and sign in with your ESPN.com account. (In the event that you don't have an account, take about 30 seconds and sign up. It's easy.)

2. You will have to follow the instructions to "Join a Group." Our group is called "D-6 Alumni and Friends" and it is a PRIVATE group.

3. The password for the group is "deltapi" (For those of you who are having trouble with that, it's Delta Pi, except with no spaces.)

4. You can enter up to 5 brackets, so the more the better. However, we do encourage everyone to designate one bracket as their "real" or "#1" bracket. This is, of course, optional.

Feel free to send this information to other Lambda Chi's and alums. Email me at tyjones50@hotmail.com with any questions.

-Ty
LZ 503

2007-03-12T10:42:00.000-04:00

Josh Says: "Save The Date - 07.14.07"

The wedding ceremony and reception for Lindsey Drouin and Josh Trent will take place the evening of Saturday, July 14th, at Bristow Manor Golf Club in Bristow, Virginia. More details will be forthcoming, but there will be a post-wedding afternoon reception in Murfreesboro, TN the weekend of August 4th for those in TN interested in attending. (If UU Chops outside the wedding party are interested in attending the wedding in VA or the later reception in TN, please call or email Josh so plans can be made accordingly.)

2007-03-12T10:34:00.000-04:00

If you have questions, you can reach Ty at: tyjones50@hotmail.com

2007-02-20T14:12:00.000-05:00

The Other "Michael W"

Hey guys, this is a word from [the other] Michael "W" Smith. I put together a fantasy baseball league and wanted to extend the invitation to anyone wanting to join. This is the FREE league, of course, so no worries on cost. The league (63926) name is "NYOrangeNBlue" and the password is "wright5." I think it will be a lot of fun for a bunch of guys to join and compete. I lost in Robus' football league and hope to try and take baseball. Any questions, email me at mtsmith10904@yahoo.com. It is currently set for a live draft on March 11 at 7:30 eastern, but I may change it depending on the schedules of everyone who joins.

I am living in Louisville, KY and am 2+ years into getting an M.Div. in Biblical Counseling at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I am married to the beautiful Stephanie Tocci and we've been married now for just over 2 years.

I recently accepted a job at Fitlife Personal Training as a personal trainer and am enjoying it thus far (you will soon be able to see my pretty face on their website at www.fitlife.biz under "Staff"). It is a great opportunity to serve as a witness to Christ because the clients really open up their lives to you. I am also working at Dick's Sporting Goods as the Bike and Ski Technician. Working there has been an awesome experience because I have been trained to work with bikes, which I love, and I received a free personal training certification allowing me to explore better options of employment while I attend school.

Through school, I have been given other opportunities as well serving as a Grader for a Boyce College Professor, and will also have the privilege of adjunct teaching. Life is really busy, but things are going really well and it is great to hear how many of you are doing. Thank you Josh Trent for putting this together so we all can keep in touch. Well, that is a brief summar of where I am in life right now, if anyone would like to contact me my number is 502.216.2790 or you can email me at mtsmith10904@yahoo.com. I hope everyone is doing well.

In ZAX,
Mike Smith

2007-01-25T13:21:00.000-05:00

Little William....Not So Little Any More!

Hi from the Mooney family! Now that things have settled down a bit, we have time to send out an update on our family.

Brian has started to settle in his job as a Mountain Home attorney and I still enjoy being a stay at home Mom.

As for little William, he is changing more and more every day. He crawls around the house at record speed and has four razor sharp teeth that he enjoys biting everything he can get his hands on. (including Daddy's toes)

We work everyday on standing up by ourselves and walking. He is progressing well and might be walking in a month or two! :)

We are still so grateful for the many blessings God has given us this past year, and can't wait to see what's in store for 2007! I hope all of you are enjoying the new year with your own families and would love if you drop us a note sometime!

God Bless! Brian, Rachel, and William

2007-01-25T13:14:00.000-05:00

Oh, Baby, Baby!

BORN: Jason Andrew Yaun, Jr. - January 5, 2007 at 6:57 pm 5 lbs. 6 oz. 20.5 in.

Proud Parents: Jason and Katie Yaun, jasonyaun@yahoo.com

Website: http://www2.thatsmybaby.net/BabySites/baby.php?id=094-56603

Doctor: Dr. Heather Chauhan

Nurse: Whitney

My Birth Story:

I was just a little guy in Mommy's tummy. The doctor's had to check on me very frequently to make sure I was doing all right and to see how big I was. They even made Mommy and Daddy go to the hospital on Christmas and New Year's Day! I had more ultrasounds than you can even imagine.

When my parents went to the doctor on Thursday, January 4, I had fallen below the 4th growth percentile and the doctor asked them what they thought about having a baby! Mommy checked into the hospital that night and the next morning the doctor induced labor.

Everyone was very nervous and excited. All my grandparents and aunt's and uncle's came up to see everything.

Although Mommy was progressing she wasn't moving along fast enough so the doctor advised my parents that it was time to go ahead and get me out with a C-Section. As soon as they agreed everyone went into action and I came into the world at 6:57 p.m. that night. Mommy was kind of out of it because of her medicine, but Daddy welcomed me into the world by flashing lots of bright lights in my eyes when he was taking pictures.

Then Daddy went and told the rest of my family and everyone got to see me. It was a lot of fun and even though I miss my old home and the lights are really bright here I am happy to be able to move around and breath air now!

2007-01-03T00:35:00.000-05:00

Another Soldier Bites The Dust.....

Josh is Engaged....Really!

Well friends, many of you have expected this for some time, and others of you thought this day would never come----but I proposed to Lindsey on Christmas Eve and she happily said yes!!

The timing of the proposal was a complete surprise to her - she was under the impression that we were headed to a ring store that afternoon to look at rings, but Ihad already picked out the perfect one (thanks to Paul, Charles, et all for assistance in researching ring options!).

We stopped at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville before (allegedly) entering the ring store, and were enjoying a walk and a cup of coffee, when we walked upon a beautiful white gazebo. The next thing I knew, I was on one knee and asking her to marry me.

She responded in tears and laughter and said yes. Then we walked next door to enjoy steak at the Old Hickory Steakhouse - built to resemble a Southern plantation, and were congratulated by the manager and led to a table for two with champagne waiting. She's said "it was all incredibly special and very well planned!"

The wedding date is still TBD, but it looks like it will probably be in the Washington, DC area early this Summer some time. For now - Josh

2006-12-29T12:24:00.000-05:00

"Service Above Self - Not Just a Motto or Mantra, It's a Mindset"
Tennessean Talks To Tennessee College Students About Public Service

Over Veterans Day weekend, I addressed the 37th General Assembly of the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature (TISL). Since 1966, TISL has immersed college students in state government and legislative procedure by using the chambers of the Senate and House of Representatives in the State Capitol for an annual fall assembly. Students draft, introduce, debate and vote on bills in a session similar to the Tennessee Legislature. Senators and representatives elect officers to guide the organization for the following year. (Many of you may remember myself, Paul Whitt, and other Chops and UU folks being involved in this organization.) Before a few weeks ago, my last time in the Tennessee State Capitol was 8 weeks after 9/11.

Much has happened in our world since then. Our nation and our lives have seen great changes. I have been out of college as long as I was in college. I moved from Jackson, TN working for a professor, to Washington, DC working for the President. As an alumni of TISL engaged in service in our nation’s capital, I addressed the students on (1) My story – from TN to DC, (2) 5 Challenges to Public Service, (3) 2 Popular Responses to Challenges, (4) 3 Lessons Learned About Public Service.

5 Challenges to Public Service

1. Globalization, Especially Through Trade
2. Erosion of American Civic Knowledge and Decline of Reading
3. Move From Porches To Portals
4. Massive Demographic Shift
5. The Bureaucracy

2 Popular Responses To Challenges in Public Service

1. Nihilism
2. Narcissism

3 Lessons Learned About Public Service- Principles and guideposts to light the way forward

1. About Others - Everyone Deserves Kindness and Respect
2. About Yourself – Be A Good Servant-Leader
3. About Your Job – Do What You Believe In

"We begin our journey public service simply: if you would serve your nation, begin with your neighbor. Make the commitment to be a contributor, not just a consumer; a citizen, not a spectator. In the end, service is the work of a person, not just a government."

2006-12-06T17:17:00.000-05:00

Ridiculously Hilarious Rush Recruitment Tool
Have you checked out LZZ's Lambda Chi Rush video online? Search on Google Video "Lambda Chi Alpha." It is out of control and hilarious. I am proud.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2900447755797383491&q=lambda+chi+alpha&hl=en

2006-12-04T08:51:00.000-05:00

Tennessean To Texas For Thanksgiving
Lins and I went to Texas for the Thanksgiving holiday. We went to the UT-A&M game and saw the fightin' Aggies "whoop" the Longhorns. We went to the George H.W. Bush library at Texas A&M -- worthwhile. This is a picture of us in front of the Alamo. About 180 men gave their lives at the Alamo, 30 of whom were Tennesseans (twice as many as any other state behind Texas). Also went to the infamous Gruene, Texas and ate a lot of good tex-mex and some good Texas BBQ while we were there. Good trip. (Want to know more about the Alamo? Check this out: http://www.tamu.edu/ccbn/dewitt/adp/history/mission_period/valero/vframe.html)

2006-12-01T14:53:00.000-05:00

Want To Help SomeBuddy This Hollieday Season?

This is Bro. Joel and Bro. Jason Polk's sister as well as Bro. Jeremy Hollie's, LZ 493, wife. Please help out in any way that you can. Bro. Bryan Hollie LZ 555

Hello, This is Rachel Hollie. I am a teacher at the International School of Kabul in Kabul, Afghanistan. Our school is host to 250 students from all around the world (16 different countries). 60% of our students are Afghan. The students at our school in the 11th and 12th grades have been presented with a wonderful opportunity.

We are hoping to take these students on an educational adventure to China. Our plans are to visit Guilin, Yangshou, Xian, and Beijing. We will experience major pieces of historical and cultural significance like the Shannxi Provincial Museum, Tiananmen Square, the Imperial Palace, Terracotta Warriors, the Great Wall of China, plus much more.

Our trip is planned for the first of June 2007, however we have already begun planning because of the magnitude of the trip. There are 25 students who are planning on going with us in June. They are so excited to broaden their understanding of the world by visiting the great country of China. Students need the chance to experience a culture outside their own so that they can develop into future leaders. I am writing you to ask for your help. I know that you are as excited as us that students from around the world, including Afghanistan, are signing up for this trip.

The total cost for each student is $2500. This price includes flight, lodging, and food. This price is too excessive for our students. Unless we receive serious financial support, we will not be able to go. I am imploring your company to support us on our journey. Any financial support you could offer our students would be greatly appreciated. The faculty at International School of Kabul believes that our students need to experience many cultures in order to develop a healthy view of the world and its people.

Please help provide this opportunity for our students. You can email me for additional information on how to help. rachelhollie@oasisis.org

Thank you in advance for your support.

Sincerely,
Rachel Hollie
International School of Kabul Kabul, Afghanistan

2006-12-01T14:29:00.000-05:00

More Mooney Material

I know this is not Mooney's blog, but he sends me good material. If you have news or photos to share, shoot me an email.

And, c'mon, the kid is pretty cute....I think he looks like Rachel.

2006-12-01T14:22:00.000-05:00

Ty To Tie The Knot.....And Ami Is His Aim

Hey Everyone,

Just wanted to send a quick message and let you all know that, as of Monday night [11/20], Ami and I are engaged. I ordered her ring about a month ago, hoping that it would be here before Thanksgiving so that she could have it when she went home to visit her family for the holiday weekend. Luckily, it arrived Saturday, so I gave it to her Monday night. I didn't have time to make any elaborate plans, but it was a definite surprise. We don't have any plans yet, but we are thinking about sometime in early June, afte she gets out for summer break. If anyone wants more details about the proposal, the ring, or anything else, just let me know and I will fill you in. I have included a few pictures, so check them out. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.

-Ty
tyjones50@hotmail.com

2006-11-17T15:06:00.000-05:00

VIR QUISQUE VIR, BROTHERS

Murph and I have recently go tinto triathlons in the last two years. We are planning to do The Great Floridian, which is an Ironman distance race. If anyone is interested in doing it with us, have them contact me at 731 697 9204. In ZAX, Nason

2006-11-06T11:39:00.000-05:00

Fabulous Family Foto For Fall Festivities - More Mooney!

2006-10-25T15:24:00.000-04:00

"President Tucker!"

Congratulations to Bro. Tim Tucker who has recently been voted to serve as President of the American Pharmaceutical Association! Tim, we are all so proud of you. What a good platform to contribute the pharmaceutical industry, providing leadership and vision. Job well done, Mr. President-Elect!

(Photo was taken in SC at Whitt Wedding - we were thinking of you!)

2006-10-25T15:10:00.000-04:00

Paul Whitt Got Married!

Charles Y., Adam S., and Josh T. made it to Central, SC (real name of the "city") to see Paul and Courtney say "I do" on September 30th.

Beautiful bride.
Beautiful day.
Happy crowd.
Happier groom.

Good times all around.

Congratulations Paul and Courtney!

2006-10-25T15:09:00.000-04:00

Preachers or Pastors Planning on MacArthur's Meeting?

Anyone planning on or interested in going to John MacArthur's Shepherd's Conference on March 7-11, 2007? Mohler, Dever, Duncan and Piper are going to be there. Info can be found at http://www.gracechurch.org/sc/default.asp

Thanks,

Chris Winkleman

2006-10-13T09:35:00.000-04:00

Greg Parsons' wife is pregnant with their second child. Greg is doing well in Dalton, GA working as a bank VP. He and his wife Cassie have one son Marcus. His email is Greg.Parsons@Firstgabnk.com.

2006-10-11T16:51:00.000-04:00

Matt Nason Update

I am working for a private insurance adjusting firm called Crawford and Company. I do catastrophe work, and insurance adjusting. I am in Atlanta right now, and have been since January. I could be going somewhere else anytime though. I work for the same company and have the same job as Murph. I pretty much work and live on the road. I enjoy it though, I mean I am trying to travel while I am still single and can. In the fall, I was in NYC in our Manhattan office for six weeks. (naterlxa@hotmail.com)

2006-10-11T16:46:00.000-04:00

Dude, Where's My Kilt?

Hello everyone! First of all, we are so excited about Dan Shackelford's and Jeff McKenzie's new babies! They are about to experience the best time of their lives. Now, it is truly hard to believe that 6 months ago we were having a baby! We can't imagine where we would be without little William Bradley.

This summer has flown by and William has become a happy, active, and healthy boy. He is constantly exploring his surroundings and is curious about every activity he does. Brian enjoys practicing law and I am teaching piano and tutoring in pre-calculus. We're very blessed to be in Mountain Home.

Sorry we have not been in touch with everyone. We always LOVE to hear what's going on with you so please e-mail us!! (IREmoonsic@aol.com)

Rachel, Brian and Baby William

2006-10-10T09:22:00.000-04:00

5 Years, 5 Winks - Update from Chris and Laura Winkleman

Job - Laura and I have been living in Meridian, MS for just over 5 years now. God brought us to New Hope Baptist Church to be the Associate Pastor of Youth and Education just after graduating from Union and getting married. About a year after we moved down, the Senior Pastor left and the church asked me to be the interim pastor. God did some very interesting things during that time and after about a year of preaching, they called me to be the Senior Pastor. We just celebrated our 3rd anniversary in that position.

Kids - Meanwhile, we are having babies left and right. Our oldest, Sophie, was born just 4 days after our first wedding anniversary. Our son Isaac came along about 18 months later. And just 5 months ago, Mary Beth was born. Our house is busy to say the least, but God is providing for all of our needs and teaching us valuable lessons every day.

Wife - Laura is doing very well. She serves as the part-time Minister of Music at the church, and she is a full-time mom. The last few weeks have been particularly busy as she is starring as Belle in the community theater production of Beauty and the Beast. I have come to appreciate her more and more as I watch the 3 while she is at rehearsal.

Life is good.
(lambdazeta512@yahoo.com)

2006-10-03T17:53:00.000-04:00

Baby Boy Born - Zeke Has Arrived
Ezekiel Danley Shackelford (Zeke) was born at 1:22 in the morning on Saturday, September 23. He was 7 lbs. 8 oz. and 20 inches long. He and Tami are both very healthy and we're really excited about him. Grace and Peace, Dan

2006-10-02T16:26:00.000-04:00

"Who's Gonna Help a Brother Out?"

Bro. Russ James Compiling Master Alumni Directory - Will You Help Him?

Allow me to introduce myself: Bro. Russ James, LZ 321....Class of 1994. I was at last week's Pref Party to hear Bro. Chad Rowland speak and visit with the current brothers in the chapter.
After attending Pref last week and reflecting back on my days at Union, I wanted to contribute in some way to the ongoing success [of] the chapter!

I have started from scratch (by memory and a few Google searches) of putting together a comprehensive list of brothers in our chapter that would include: LZ #, Name, Address, phone contacts, email address, wife and family info, employer and job title info. Most of the 100 or so brothers in the list are brothers that I knew during my years at Union.

[My goal is] to distribute this comprehensive list in a few months to all the brothers of our chapter would allow for some old acquaintances to be renewed and even a great deal of networking to take place among brothers with common jobs or interests.

During my days at Union, I served as High Tau, High Alpha, and finally High Rho during my senior year. At that time, of course, there was no chapter house on campus and everyone talked of needing the alumni support to get things going. When I became High Rho, I found out how incomplete our alumni records actually were. There was little doubt why the alumni involvement was so scarce...we had no idea where about 2/3 of our alumni were! Thankfully, throughout the years, especially through the lean times in the late 70s and early 80s, a few brothers kept some connections together, such as Gary Williams, Tim Tucker, and Carlton Gerrell to name a few.

The summer that I was High Rho, Bro. Brent Housman was the High Alpha. With the help of Tim and some other local alumni, we began the research to locate as many brothers as possible. Among our primary goals was not only finding our lost brothers but also creating a network and establishing some momentum to see that a Lambda Chi House could be a reality on Union's campus.

My biggest regret looking back is that I was not able to stay in touch with the chapter like I had intended to when I left in 1994. I went back home to Paris, TN to teach math and coach basketball and coaching absorbed most of my time. I moved to middle TN in 1999 to take a coaching position at Cornersville High School. While there I met my wife, Felicia, who was from nearby Unionville where we live now. After a couple of other coaching moves, I decided to leave education and now I am employed at State Farm Insurance in Murfreesboro, TN.

In ZAX,
Russ James, LZ 321
rgjames@united.net

2006-09-27T09:06:00.000-04:00

More Morris: Memo from a Medical Resident in Memphis ...or....
Brent 'Brags' Bodaciously 'Bout Bountiful Blessings

Hey everyone,

.....We are back in the Memphis area (Olive Branch). I am doing my Urology residency at UT Memphis, to be completed June 2010. I am working hard, but really enjoying what I do. I am working at the VA medical center during the week (OR, clinic, procedures) and I take home call covering the VA and the MED (aka Knife and Gun club) a couple of nights a week and 1-2 weekends a month. It never ceases to amaze me the variety of urologic trauma that can be created by Memphis' finest. Rachel is back to work (part time) as a labor & delivery nurse at Methodist Germantown and really enjoying it. We have bought a house here that we love, but are still settling in.

Drew will be 3 on November 8. He is really into Thomas the Train and anything else with wheels. He is amazing, learning new things everyday. He stays sooooo busy. We are working on potty training and he is doing well. One of the pictures attached is of him playing in the sprinklers. As for the other, I had nothing to do with the bracelet he is wearing.

Kendall will turn 1 on October 26. She is growing way too fast. She has 8 teeth and experiments with new foods daily. Her hair has turned from dark brown a few months ago to blonde now, just like Drew. She took her first step last weekend and is crawling faster than I can walk. She has quite a little attitude (I can't imagine where she gets it) but is overall a very happy baby.

Brent (for Rachel, Drew, and Kendall)
4455 Stone Park Blvd
Olive Branch, MS 38654
(662) 890-3354

2006-09-18T16:17:00.000-04:00

Chad P. and Sabby Wilson Update

In Wilson-world Sabby and I are burning up the road to Knoxville on the weekends to see the Vols shock everyone this year. Much love to David Cutcliffe for coming home.

Sab is mentoring several Union girls this semester, as well as leading a women's Bible study that spans ages 76-26. Awesome things are happening at our church (FBC Jackson). I am leading a year long study of Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology with 10 laymen at 6:30 every Thusday morning. Sab and I are also helping lead music in a new Wednesday worship service.

Our bank (Foundation Bank) is building its first full service branch in Jackson. It is going to be a little one in the old TCBY space across from Union, on the other corner of the TJ Mulligans building. I've been thrown into the deep end of the pool with responsibility, but my head is staying barely above the water. We should be up and rolling in November some time. Still helping people manage their IRA's and investments as well.

Hope to see you peeps soon. God Bless.

Chad P. (Wilson)

2006-09-12T17:50:00.000-04:00

Making A Move From the Capital City To Virginia
After 4.5 years of living on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, I am moving at the end of the month to 941 North Patrick Henry Drive, Arlington, VA 22205. Why? More room, lower taxes, better stores, safter neighborhoods, and the 2nd amendment. Cell phone and email addresses will stay the same of course.

2006-09-12T12:16:00.000-04:00

9/11 Retrospective - Where were you 5 years ago?

How has your life changed since then?

Share your reflections or story here:

2006-09-12T07:24:00.000-04:00

Ben H. Update
Ben and his "new" wife Tabitha are in Northern California at Golden Gate Baptist Seminary. Ben's in school and Tabitha is teaching 5th grade at a school in the East Bay area. They can be reached at benandtab@gmail.com.

2006-09-12T07:13:00.000-04:00

Rob D. Update

I left Union last week to move back to Nashville. I am pursuing a job with a company called Servpro, fire and water clean up & restoration. ... It is a bit insane to quit Union without having anything gauranteed with Servpro but I feel confident that this is what I am supposed to be doing. ROB - temporary 1013 Britton St Gallatin, TN 37066 731.234.8298

2006-09-08T09:29:00.000-04:00

Update from Bro. Adam Clark, Lambda Zeta 443
(fieldcmndr@comcast.net)

Heather and I have been active members at First Baptist Church of Nashville. We joined in January after we got married, and are on our third year of membership there. Heather serves on the music committee, and we both are very involved in the youth group. We are teaching the Senior class sunday school, and we have a fantastic group of kids to work with. My brother got married the year after heather and I did, and he is working as a software and webpage designer. His wife Kelly is a dental hygenist, and my wife teaches at a college in Bowling Green and works in their financial aid department.

I think Heather is going to start classes in the spring on her masters in education.So far our adventures have been pretty fun. We went to Germany with our senior class on a mission trip, and have made some great friends across the pond whom we keep up with. We also took the gratuitous trip to Gatlinburg - woo hoo! I have been serving on the "camp planning committee" for our youth camp and this summer have been traveling around the country with our youth minister to locate a new site for camp.

Band season has been also going well. Last spring the Winter Guard program won the Gold medal at the SCGC National Championships in Chattanooga. They outscored more than 40 guards to take the title. This fall is also off to a good start. My competitions begin next saturday, and I have literally poured myself into this year's program. I anticipate fantastic results because the group sounds and looks great.

I am about 6 months away from bilingual certification in Spanish. I have been taking classes at the foreign language institue of Nashville. I love it too! Having students that are bilingual has been a challenge, but this has opened doors to them and their parents. I also look forward to seing what other doors it will open. (More than just ordering my food at Los Portales) .....

2006-09-07T14:12:00.000-04:00

Moore Information, More Moores?

This is Josh Moore, LZ 506.

Anyway, here is a little about what is going on in my world. I am living in Martin, TN with my wife Bonnie and we are expecting our first child, a girl! Our due date is January 1, and we are eagerly anticipating our new arrival! I will try to scan a picture of our latest ultrasound to share with everybody.

I am working as the managing agent at Brundige Insurance Agency, LLC in Martin, TN and also serve as bi-vocational minister of education at Dresden First Baptist Church in Dresden, TN. I am also taking my first semester of seminary course work at Union University for the Southern Seminary Masters of Divinity Program. Guess I could not stay away from Union! (joshmoore@brundigeins.com.)

2006-08-30T18:28:00.000-04:00

Neal's Deal / Rager's Wager

Congratulations to Bro. Neal Rager who successfully completed his Masters in Business Administration just yesterday.

Neal said it was "quite exciting, especially in light of the fact that the last class fell on the same day as the final day of orientation and the conclusion of my 80+ hour work week."

What should Neal do with his free time now? Post your answers here.

2006-08-22T10:58:00.000-04:00

I Ran, You Ran, We All Want Away From Iran

Iran on Tuesday handed over its reply to an incentives package by world powers aimed at allaying Western fears that Tehran seeks to build atomic bombs, Iran's state-run Arabic-language Al-Alam television reported.

Ali Larijani, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, gave the response to foreign envoys representing the six co-sponsors of the package in Tehran.

Al-Alam gave no details of the reply which Iranian officials have already indicated is unlikely to address a key demand by the U.N. Security Council that it suspend uranium enrichment work by an August 31 deadline or face the threat of sanctions.

The world's 4th largest oil exporter insists it will not abandon what it calls its right to enrich uranium for use in nuclear power stations.

Refusing to suspend the work, which Iran says is aimed only at generating electricity but which the West sees as a disguised bid for atom bombs, would be tantamount to rejecting the package of incentives offered in return, Western diplomats say.

A rebuff would not yet trigger immediate action by the U.N. Security Council, which passed a resolution on July 31 giving Iran a month to halt enrichment or risk sanctions.

Big Question Of The Week:

a) What should the U.S. do short-term to deal with the Iranian situation?

b) What is the best long-term strategy for dealing with Iran?

2006-08-14T10:43:00.000-04:00

This week's Big Question:
Seeing this past week's interrupted terrorist plots in the UK and US....
(a) do you think the American public over/underestimates the threat of terrorism in the U.S.?
(b) do you think we are winning the War on Terror?
(c) how concerned are you about terrorism inasmuch as it would/would not directly affect you and your family?

2006-08-03T19:00:00.000-04:00

Can YOU Handle THIS?

I started afantasy football league on Yahoo for UU chops. The league name is UU Challenge, password: chops, and league ID is 216609. There are 10 or 12 spots so sinn up soon. There is a live draft the night of August the 15th. If you can not be online for the draft you can rank your players and the computer will draft for you. Come and play, talk some smack, and get dominated.

Robus
(rohnnyjobus@sbcglobal.net)
2006 UU Challenge Champion

2006-08-02T17:32:00.000-04:00

Welcome to a new feature on your friendly neighborhood Brotherhood Blog: "The Big Q." The Big Q is an opportunity to interact on a current event or news story. So, to get started.....

Who do you predict as winners in Tennessee's primary elections this week?

2006-08-02T17:26:00.000-04:00

Whitt to Wed Wonderful Woman; LawDawg Lands Lovely Lady

It's almost here - Paul Whitt will marry Courtney Brock on September 30, 2006 in South Carolina (Greenville/Clemson area). The couple is registered at Macy's, Bed Bath & Beyond and Lowe's.

2006-08-02T16:04:00.000-04:00

Political Pontificating or Purposeful and Personal?
Former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan offers a helpful critique and analysis of the demands on today's political leaders. Do you agree with Peggy? http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110008644.

2006-08-02T15:52:00.000-04:00

Special Sneak Zeke Preview
Hey, some of you have already seen these pictures, but most of you haven't. For those who don't know, we are having a baby boy, Ezekiel Danley (Zeke), in October of this year. We had a 4-D ultrasound done a couple of weeks ago. These are a couple of the pictures from that. We hope you are all doing well. We're still looking to head to the mission field sometime next year. We'll keep you updated on that. God bless. Have a good day. Grace and Peace,
Dan and Tami Shackleford
(tamianddan@gmail.com)

Any advice for the soon-to-be parents? Post it here.

2006-08-02T15:21:00.000-04:00

Blog Is Back
After a period of dormancy due to my job change and the activities related to the new job, the blog is back! Have some updates or news to share? Let me know...

Bringing Americans Back From Lebanon
No doubt you've been following the news about the crisis in Lebanon, particularly as it relates to thousands of Americans fleeing the violence to return home to the U.S. Well, my office is responsible for helping facilitate the provision of assistance to our returning fellow countrymen, so it has been an extremely (!) busy 2 weeks. Without going in to details in this venue, I can say it has been a great experience and a successful operation. Over 12,000 Americans haver returned safely home, coming in on over 60 flights at 4 airports in the Eastern U.S. Though in senior leadership, I am not "in charge" (error), but this piece will give you sense of things:
(http://washdateline.mgnetwork.com/index.cfm?SiteID=wsh&PackageID=46&fuseaction=article.main&ArticleID=8676&GroupID=181)

REPATRIATION PROGRAM FOR AMERICANS RETURNING FROM LEBANON
The Federal government’s repatriation program is run by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The program assists with the reception, temporary care and onward transportation of American citizens to their final destinations.

The U.S. Department of State first identifies individuals who are eligible for repatriation from abroad due to destitution, illness, war, threat of war or a similar crisis. The State Department is responsible for the transportation of such individuals to American soil. Once individuals arrive, ACF/ORR is responsible for working with state, local, and non-profit partners, such as the American Red Cross, to provide a host of services.

On July 19, ACF/ORR and its partners began serving repatriated Americans returning to the U.S. from Lebanon. Each repatriation site is staffed by several dozen staff and volunteers. The effort is designed to provide necessary services to eligible individuals after they clear Customs in the United States.

Services may include:

Medical Care: Physicians, pharmacists, paramedics, counselors and nurses are on site to provide assistance to anyone in need;
Temporary Lodging: Temporary accommodations are arranged and provided for those who lack the resources to pay for them and shuttle vans or buses are provided for travel to identified accommodation;
Transportation: Individuals are assisted in booking flight and rail reservations to ensure they arrive at their final destinations safely and efficiently;
Cash Payments: Individuals in need are provided small amounts of cash to meet shortfalls in paying for specific items;
Other Goods and Services: Food, water, clothing, toiletries, communications and other products and services are provided as needed.

ACF, working with relevant states, has been serving individuals arriving from Lebanon into Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. On July 26, the U.S. Congress passed legislation raising the $1 million cap on repatriation funding to $6 million for fiscal year 2006. On July 27, the President signed this legislation into law.

What do YOU think about the violence in Lebanon and Israel? Be a talking head and share your opinion here.

2006-07-06T12:11:00.000-04:00

Sizing Up the SEC...

As the lazy days of summer set in, and we all try to maintain our respective productive measures (whether billable hours, sales figures or consecutive episodes of the Surreal Life), I submit that the best way to get our productive (and competitive) energies flowing is to begin talking about that one topic that exceeds all others, and for which we yearn its return: SEC Football.

Yes, gentlemen (and perhaps the occasional female passer-by), it is just about that time of year again. That time where young ladies and young men, dressed to the 9's, gather at their respective tailgating grounds (whether it is the Grove in Oxford, Denny Chimes in Tuschaloosa, the Cockabooses in Columbia or the Vol Navy in Knoxville) for their Saturday (and sometimes Thursday evening) pre-game libations. That time where the world seems to stand still and the greatest games ever played commence. Oh yes, that time of year where even those strange folks from Louisianna and Arkansas get to join in the games played by the refined folks of Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida and Mississippi. And yes, even a school from a pure border state--Kentucky--gets to join in. However, I am sure that if you ask Kentucky fans, they would rather that their SEC Football season was traded in for 12 extra basketball games, or maybe this past year, 12 extra baseball games. And finally, it is that time of year where the Head Ball Coach (formerly the Ole Ball Coach), Steve Spurrier, begins poking fun at his round bellied buddy, Phat Phil. (Note, I am fond of old Phil and the Vols, but it is darn funny to see Spurrier get Phil madder than a wet hen with a simple offhand comment).

Therefore, I suggest we submit our respective picks for the upcoming SEC Football season. Preferably, each pick should be broken down by division (East and West), and should contain a pick for the SEC Championship Game as well. While there is no pecuniary prize, there is good old pride on the line.

So, gentlemen, start your picks.

(My picks are forthcoming).

W. Paul Whitt

2006-07-05T14:35:00.000-04:00

So, Any New News?
After a job transition, being out of town a week in TN (great visits, btw, seeing some brothers), and celebrating the Fourth here in Washington, DC, I am back to attending to our blog. Any new news to share?
Discussion starters?
Comments on Will's post?
Pictures or updates for me to publish here?
Let me know.
Josh

2006-06-15T18:27:00.000-04:00

Moving To Help Resettle Refugees
After almost three years in the WH, Friday 6/16 will be my last day. I am leaving to work in the Office of Refugee Resettlement at the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. ORR assists refugees, Cuban/Haitian entrants, and asylees establish a new life in the United States (check it out: www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr). I am honored and grateful to have served our President and help recruit and build his team - look forward to continuing to serve on the his team at HHS. - Josh

2006-06-08T09:45:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking about the interaction of Christian faith and politics lately, and I've written a little bit about my thoughts.

I would like to presume that the reason so many people in our society tie “Christianity” and conservative/republican politics (or democratic politics, or any other political party or movement) together is because it is difficult to see faith and politics for what they really are. But I won't pretend to know what others are thinking. I still can, however, let my ideas run their course in a hopefully fruitful manner. Politics is about the preservation of society, assuming that the welfare and opportunity of society is the goal (or some basic variation of this wording; semantics is not my point here). Obviously the political world can be an amazing service with excellent goals. But it is important to realize that there is a distinct difference between these goals and those of God's kingdom.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we regard the physical wellbeing of ourselves as nothing next to our salvation in Christ, the building of his kingdom, the spread of the Gospel message, the needs of the oppressed and the helpless, the unity and discipleship of God’s Church, and the worship of God. (Furthermore, Christ followers must regard all of these things as our only pursuit in life, certainly not emphasizing one at the expense of the other, but that is another issue for another time.) Thus, we regard economic opportunity, moral legislation, holding political office, etc. as of worth only to the extent that they serve God's kindgom.

This scenario, however, is by no means clean-cut. “Faith” and “politics” are not separate “realms” in life. Politicans and voters have beliefs that (whether they like it or not) influence their decisions and actions. In this way, Christ followers ought to support political ideas and movements which advance freedom, opportunity, and welfare for all people, but we must remember that a free world will never spread the Gospel for us. Neither should government legislate ethical beliefs greater than those most basic to freedom, opportunity, and welfare. Grey areas will always be trouble, and we all should take time to think about and discuss which ethical issues are "most basic" and should be legislated and which are not. We should not be after government to enforce our whole Christian ethic, but we should be after all people to embrace the God who loves them. Christ followers do not feed off the land. Not here, not now. We are on the move. Christ followers do not wait for politics to support them. We are waiting only for the return of Jesus Christ. We must preach that Christ followers do not and will not sit on America’s sustenance and enjoy themselves. Furthermore, we should not be appalled when the advancement of the Gospel message is met with resistance, even in a politically free world.

We Christians must, however, push for the worldwide acceptance of freedom, opportunity, and human welfare, but only secondarily to the worship of Jesus Christ and the advancement of his kingdom. Why do Christ followers resist political institutions in the Middle East, in India, in China? Because they enforce oppression against women and children (or all people not in political power), because they label some people outcasts and others deserving, because they claim that the laws of their gods are the laws of the land. These practices do not make for a free world. However, we ought not call for the end of a religion because of a few practices of a few members of that religion. Our focus is not on ending the other religions around the world, but on spreading the news of Jesus Christ. World governments should call for the reform of those members and the reform of the beliefs causing the unjust actions. The world community must respect all beliefs that advance the causes of human welfare and opportunity, but it must defend against those beliefs which seek to practice the opposite.

Furthermore, I claim that the Christ follower should not align himself with a political party in a principled way. To say that the structure of government inherently works best in a republican or democratic way has never been proven over thousands of years. Christ followers ought to support political effort to enforce justice, more than political theories. Political theories are certainly important, but not enough for a Christ follower to align oneself in a way which rivals our faith in Christ himself. We ought to be much more passionate and active about our faith in Jesus Christ than about our opinions about governmental structure and fiscal policy. Instead of following the political party which adopts the stance we take on certain issues, Christ followers ought to encourage all political parties and movements to support these issues. We ought to depend solely on Christ and on each other. Our only allegiance is to Jesus Christ and his church. I claim that we also ought to de-emphasize any national allegiance and press for the adoption of justice and freedom in every county of the world as Christians and not as Americans (or any other nationality). Not that we should be hostile to nationalities, but we belong to God's kingdom. Christianity does not belong to America. We must not become ensnared in the idea that America is, or was, or should be a "Christian nation." There is no such thing, and the Bible certainly does not endorse the idea.

Let me know what you think. [Post your responses below]

Will Trautman

2006-06-05T09:39:00.000-04:00

Triathlon Troopers

Well brothers, I thought it fitting to let you all know how Ben and I did in our recent triathlon. By the way, he got married this weekend in Florida, and we who went had a blast. I'm sure someone will post some pics (Bennie looked sexy).

Ben and I finished the Memphis in May Mountain Bike Triathlon in 1 hour and 51 minutes (.5 miles swim, 10 mile mountain bike, 3 mile run). The water was freezing, so it took a while for our bodies to adjust - but we finished the swim in a not so clean lake in 17 minutes. We hopped on our bikes nice and wet, and finished that part in 58 minutes. By that time, I didn't have alot of juice left. But Ben was faithful to hang with me and keep me encouraged. We kept a steady pace and finished 30 or so minutes later. Great times. Highly recommend anyone interested in good cross training to try one. Lord willing, this won't be my last. Be sure to tell Ben congrats for having enough love to stick with his slow training partner.

God bless fellas! - Chad P

2006-06-01T16:13:00.000-04:00

James Taylor Crowley or Crowing Crowley?

Hey fellas - Here's my music page on myspace if y'all wanna give it a listen and download some songs: http://www.myspace.com/taylorcrowleymusic

Taylor

2006-05-23T06:23:00.000-04:00

Rohnny Jobus....or, uh, Johnny Robus
Here is a picture of Leslie and I after my graduation this weekend. I finished classes at Saint Louis U. in December but they had the ceremony this weekend. I am working as a trader for a money management firm here in St. Louis and really enjoy my work. Leslie and I are in the process of looking for a house up here as we think we will stay here for a few years at least maybe even permanently! ....We hang out alot with Trey Otey and his wife here, kind of strange because Trey and I were never great friends while he was at Union. Just shows you the power of LXA I guess.

John Robus email: rohnnyjobus@sbcglobal.net and web page at http://www.robus.blogspot.com/.

2006-05-21T17:14:00.000-04:00

Anchors Away, Anchors Away
Saturday I toured the U.S.S. Mischner, a U.S. Navy Destroyer that is 9 stories tall, 505 feet long, and home to 300 brave men. Pretty interesting to see the heli-pad, the Trident missle silos, talk with the crew, see the WardRoom, and put my hand on the wheel (photo above). I have a lot of respect for what our men and women in uniform do.

Is there anyone in uniform (friends or family) that you especially appreciate? Post their names below. Top on many of our lists I know is Bro. Jeff Edwards.

If you are interested in learning more, check out: http://www.mitscher.navy.mil/

2006-05-21T16:58:00.000-04:00

Dan Shackleford Update....
A couple of things updating my life.
1. I graduated from Seminary last Friday night.
2. Tami and I are looking to go to the mission field about this time next year. Until then, we'll be staying in Wynne, AR, working at the church here.
3. The other thing is that we found out yesterday that our baby is a boy!
Anyway, have a good one. Talk to you later.
Dan

2006-05-21T16:56:00.000-04:00

I just finally got the link to the blog through my old email account. It's great to hear such great things are happening to brothers, and scary to hear Mooney has a kid. New email: dustinmccord@insightbb.com. In ZAX, Dustin McCord "DIRTY" LZ520

2006-05-19T08:35:00.000-04:00

Glee Club Remarks - Service, Honor, Stewardship
This past Wednesday night, I spoke to the U.S. Naval Academy Men’s Glee Club Annual Dine-In. The Dine-In is an annual military tradition – think “military + choir + fraternity.”

Since the Academy is home to some of our nation’s best and brightest students, they often have occasion to hear from some of our nation’s best and brightest leaders. Knowing that, I was admittedly surprised I was asked to join them. In my time with them, I pointed to 3 dynamics that we share in common, 3 characteristics that are areas where we can learn from each other as we prepare for the adventures and challenges ahead.

1. We share similar dynamics in our service - perceived public realities about our jobs are not realities; real service is not what the public thinks it is.

2. We demonstrate honor when as we quietly fulfill our duties. Quietly doing our duty without pomp and circumstance is honorable. What is honorable and respectable is a call faithfully answered, a charge kept - in quiet, unnoticed service.

3. We are both called to be good stewards. With great power comes great responsibility. Too whom much is given, much is required.

President Teddy Roosevelt said “a good Navy is not a provocation to war; it is the surest guaranty of peace.” As former Assistant Secretary of the Navy, he understood America must have a forward-looking strategy for freedom. The service of the men at the Naval Academy is part of our strategy. Their honorable duties quietly fulfilled make America steadfast in a world of challenge and change. Their good stewardship of this moment gives pause to our enemies and strength to our allies.

2006-05-16T17:06:00.000-04:00

Attended the Arrival Ceremony today for Austrailian Prime Minister John Howard on the South Lawn of the WH. PM Howard gave a stirring address without any notes that I thought you might enjoy. You can read it here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/05/20060516.html

President George W. Bush, Prime Minister John Howard, Mrs. Laura Bush and Mrs. Janette Howard wave from the South Portico of the White House during the State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn Tuesday, May 16, 2006. White House photo by Paul Morse

2006-05-08T10:04:00.000-04:00

Do you have ideas of what YOU want to see on this blog? Email me your ideas. Of course, your submissions of pictures, updates, discussion-starters, questions, ideas, memories, stories, etc. are always welcome!

2006-05-04T16:54:00.000-04:00

FYI
Adam Clark changed his email address that he's had forever and notified the world with a blast email last week. His new email address is FieldCmndr@comcast.net. He is wrapping up another school year of teaching high school band (there's a calling!) and over all enjoying life in the Nashville area.

Adam, you should respond with an update if you have time.

2006-05-03T15:32:00.000-04:00

What's Da Deal With Da Vinci Code?

As you know, the Da Vinci Code movie is released on 5/19/06. I am personally interested in the development and distribution of film, art, and media that celebrates and commends the good, the true, and the beautiful. I am not someone who slips down the slope of fundamentalism into the mire of boycotts, cynicism, and withdrawl. That said, I will not be seeing the Da Vinci Code. The basic premise and story of the film challenges and contridicts the doctrinal foundations of Catholic and evangelical [read historic orthodox] Christian belief. I would encourage you to do 3 things:

1. EDUCATE YOURSELF about the viewpoints asserted in the film so you can have smart, informed conversations with others about it. Look here www.thetruthaboutdavinci.com and look here
http://www.redeemer2.com/webuploads/RedeemerNewsletter-2004-03.pdf for some information.

2. VOTE AT THE BOX OFFICE with your dollars on 5/19 by going to see another movie. Opening weekend is to Hollywood what the first Tuesday in November is to politicians. Your dollars are your votes.

3. POST YOUR FEEDBACK here to share what you learn, think, know, ask, observe. Disagree. Challenge. Concur. Add. Suggest. Let's think about together how we should learn from this moment in our culture.

2006-05-03T14:56:00.000-04:00

Good Brothers and Good Times

Despite short notice and some fits and starts in planning, several of us did end up gathering together for dinner this past weekend in Nashville. So good to see the brothers!

Saw pictures of Chuck and Naomi's house...and what is left of their neighbors' homes. Amazing. (Chuck, want to post any of those?) Congrats goes to Charles on his new job at Bank of America. Sounds like a good opportunity.

Great to see Steve and Brandon both doing well in their first year of marriage to Cassie and Nikki respectively. Brandon gets ordained next month - congrats Brandon!

Clint Verner and his fiancee tie the knot in June.....Paul and Courtney in September.

Maybe living in a major metropolitan area has spoiled me, or maybe we were all just a bit full after dinner, but you can see our post-dinner festivities weren't exactly rowdy, rambunctious, or really just that engaging at all.....haha!

2006-05-02T11:24:00.000-04:00

William Bradley Mooney - Awwww

2006-04-27T16:49:00.000-04:00

Communicating Truth in Our Work and World
Here are my comments I shared with the Baptist Communicators Association.

Intro: Our common mission – communicating truth in our work and world

3 Losses That Are Challenges To Our Mission

1. Loss of Responsibility - lost of accountability because of our invisibility
2. Loss of Reflection – we are media-blitzed and have no margin
3. Loss of Roots and Realism – we live in urban tribes and bowl alone; values have replaced virtues and celebrity has replaced character

2 Cultural Responses to These Losses

1. Nihilism - “Nothing means anything” – the age of “Whatever”; George Barna conversation
2. Narcissism - we love ourselves - I am everything (perverted stewardship) – our marketing celebrates this and encourages this

6 Christian Responses to These Losses
Let’s examine a few practical Christian responses to these 3 losses that might point the way forward

View Others In The Imago Dei - We need to remember everyone we interact with in the office is made in the image of God.
Be a Truth-teller - How can I be strategic and honest, without being transparent? Compromising the truth may the easiest sins to commit. We follow the One who is Truth and must be marked by truth. Be a Servant - We all want to be a servant until we are treated like one – but being a servant is our call to answer and our duty to fulfill.
Be a Good Steward - What kind of steward are you of your opportunities? Do you realize that being a good steward of our opportunities is harder in modern times? We have so many choices - economic, geographical, educational. Luke 12:48:“To whom much is given, much is required” – Pray about, discuss, and wrestle with how to leverage our gifts, experience, personality, time, energies, and opportunities for His glory and others’ good.
Be Excellent - We must be excellent in all we do. St. Francis of Assisi said “Preach the Gospel at all times; when necessary use words.” Of course it is necessary to use words to share the Gospel. But people will hear our words and see our works. The witness of our lips and lives should be consistent and excellent.
Ask Questions – We learn as we listen and it helps others learn. Jesus and Paul both used questions effectively to challenge assumptions and instruct other. Questions are revealing. If they are situation-specific and fit the audience, they can clarify reality and provide space for people to decide. How you answer specific questions is telling about you and your organization and your view of life. What would you learn about your perception by looking at your answers? What would your colleagues learn about you or the organization?

2006-04-21T18:31:00.000-04:00

Who Gave Steve Miller Moore?

I thought I'd pass on some great news via our uulxa blog. Today, my wife Cassie got her results and passed the Tennessee Bar exam on her first try! I'm incredibly proud of her, and grateful for those of you who were praying. Cassie had an overwhelming sense of peace as we anticipated the results, and we are both thankful. She hopes to work for the state and defend children who have been neglected or abused. We are trusting the Lord.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Gratefully,
Steve Miller Moore

2006-04-18T10:29:00.000-04:00

The Bunny Diaries
I will spare you many of the details, but suffice it to say that the person portraying the costumed critter pictured above is well known to you - yes, yours truly. Amazing opportunity to stand on the South Lawn of the White House and wave to thousands of kids while standing behind the President and First Lady as the President kicked-off the egg roll festivities yesterday. The suit was terribly hot and it was hard to see where I was going, but it kept off the drizzle. (Thanks for your help Tim).

2006-04-11T10:53:00.000-04:00

More Mooney....or should I say.....Mini Mooney?

From B Mooney: "I wanted to let you know that last Tuesday, April 4th, Rach had a big fat healthy baby boy [William Bradley] at 3:20 in the afternoon. He weighed in at 8 pounds and is 22 and 1/4 inches long. He is great, keeps us up all night, but is really wonderful. Its more work for sure, and extra hard to make it to class, but well worth it. There is nothing like it in the world and its true that it will make you see the world in a whole new way. We are both excited ....."

2006-04-10T10:31:00.000-04:00

Tornadoes in Tennessee: Tragedy and Trying Times

April 7th 2006 is a day that will be remembered in Tennessee for years to come. Friday’s tornadoes caused 12 deaths, 167 injuries and left as many as 3,000 buildings damaged in their wake. This storm came days after twisters touched down in West Tennessee — making it the deadliest weather system to whip Middle Tennessee since 1974, when 22 people died in Lincoln County and more than 50 were killed statewide. (from www.tennessean.com)

Chad Cossiboom's parent's home in Gallatin was heavily damaged.

Charles and Naomi Yewell's house was damaged in Gallatin. Chuck says that everyone is ok, but that it will be a while before they get back in their house.

Just wanted to let you all know so that you could keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

2006-04-03T10:55:00.000-04:00

B-Ball Brackets
Did anyone predict the final head-to-head match-up of University of Flordia and UCLA? I bet even Neal Rager did not call this one. Who would have guessed LSU would upset Duke? Who are you rooting for? Share your thoughts here.

2006-03-29T11:12:00.000-05:00

Moonie Update

Brothers! I have one month left here at Cumberland Law School in Birmingham, AL. I would call the experience slightly more successful than college (at least romantically and academically). For those who don't know I got married in July to Rachel Wood (now Mooney) and she was due to have our first baby yesterday the 28th of March. He has decided to wait for a while, but otherwise is a big fat boy named William Bradley.

Rachel graduated from nursing school at Union and now works at a pediatric clinic here in Birmingham, AL. I am ready to graduate. Right now I'm tenth in my class, an associate editor for the law review and a Fellow for the Center of Biotechnology, Law and Ethics. Currently Rach and I do not have much time for any sort of hobbies, but when we do we attend the Birmingham Astronomical Society meetings or events at a place called Chandler Mountain, or we both get ready for baby by building ridiculous amounts of heavy plastic furniture. And yes for those who don't know much about babies, this new furniture is the type that will play baby short bars of atonal classical music while flashing colored lights in his face. This is supposed to be good for him and for some reason many babies seem to enjoy this.

But anyway we are huge nerds and Baby Willy will probably also be one as well. We hope everyone is doing well and posts info on this blog. Good idea Josh.

2006-03-27T19:04:00.000-05:00

Baptist Babble or Pepperdine Ponderings?
I am speaking April 21st to the Baptist Communicators Association who will be in Richmond, VA and Washington, DC for a conference and some meetings. (Yep, surprised me too.) What do you think it is important for Baptist communications professionals to know about from our generation's perspective? What do you wish you could tell communications leaders at LifeWay, Baptist colleges, First Baptists, etc? Would be interested to get your input.

I am also speaking this week to a group of Pepperdine college students who in town studying public policy. Anything from a public policy or government-involvement-in-your-life perspective you have learned since graduation that you wished you knew while still in college? Share your thoughts here.

2006-03-27T14:10:00.000-05:00

Coming to a City Near You...
Calling some Jackson and Nashville fellas -- you know who you are -- I will be in the Nashville area April 28-30 to run the Country Music 1/2 Marathon. Lindsey will be with me and I'd like to introduce her to you and let her meet you. Schedule--at this point--includes the race Saturday morning, dinner and hanging out Saturday night downtown. Would love to meet up with you for some time if you are in the area. If your schedule might allow, give me a call or shoot me an email. To Infinity and Beyond.... Josh

2006-03-23T11:14:00.000-05:00

Want To Change Our Culture?
You can - for just the price of 1 movie ticket each month.
Imagine: a creative renaissance that illumines the good, the true, and the beautiful through excellence and artistry for the glory of the Master Artist, the service of neighbor, and the renewal of culture.
Brewing Culture is a faith-based, 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to creating, commissioning, and celebrating transcendent works of art and media.
A- Building a creative and creating community that desires to explore and express the good, the true, and the beautiful in and through art and media.
- Commissioning original works of art and media.
- Celebrating works of art and media that affirm the good, the true, and the beautiful.
- Developing the necessary capital and organizational structure to achieve the mission with excellence and integrity.
More here: http://brewingculture.org/faqs.html

2006-03-22T17:53:00.000-05:00

Write Stuff?
Do YOU read this blog?
There are two options for its future.

(1) No one responds, posts their comments, offers feedback, or sends me materials to post and our clever blog idea dies a slow death as it fades into oblivion. That would be incredibly sad.

Or....

(2) YOU offer comments, feedback, and send me thoughts/pictures/personal news updates/stories/etc. to post so our brotherhood and connectivity increases.

I am happy to help facilitate our postings to increase communication and connectivity, but I cannot just post updates alone. I need your input. VIR QUISQUE VIR brothers.

2006-03-20T11:08:00.000-05:00

What Is The Emerging Church?

The best summary from Dr. Don Carson here: http://www.modernreformation.org/dac05emerging.htm

Also, a helpful 2 article summary from Dr. Al Mohler at Southern: http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2005-06-29.

And another take by Doug Baker, president of The Veritas Group: http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=21152.

Perhaps one of the most basic critiques of the EC movement is that while it presents some helpful critiques of the church's dependence on Modernism, instead of insisting that the church return to biblical moorings, many EC leaders overreact and suggest the church build on a PostModern premise.

What do you think? Share your thoughts here.

2006-03-20T10:48:00.000-05:00

GO Trips - From Jackson to Juniper to Japan
Just a reminder that this week is Spring Break for the Union community. Will and Valerie Trautman are leading a trip to Boston, MA. Chad Cossiboom is leading a trip (not GO Trip) to Matamoros, Mexico as part of his work with college students. Would be good to remember the many students and staff who are on GO Trips in our thoughts and prayers.

2006-03-16T09:50:00.000-05:00

Former LZZ President Chad Hodges recently moved to the Washington, DC area with his new wife, Andrea. Chad is now serving as an assistant at the SBC's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (http://www.faithandfamily.com) at 505 Second St., N.E.Washington, DC 20002, (202) 547-8105. His work email is chodges@erlc.com. He and Andrea live just across the Potomac in George Washington's old neighborhood, Alexandria, VA. Andrea has also found a job in the area and the couple is getting settled in.

2006-03-14T08:44:00.000-05:00

Invisible Children, Visible Challenge

When Brody was in Uganda (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ug.html) for several months this past summer, he met 3 Christian guys --Jason, Bobby and Laren-- who have done something pretty bold, clever, and daring worth knowing about.....and participating in.

The story begins in the 1980s with a man named Joseph Kony, who used the influence of a former anti-government resistance leader to begin his own movement with the Acholi people. The movement became the "Lord’s Resistance Army," and initially, a lot of people joined. But when he failed to keep them in the army, he started abducting children to train as soldiers. For the past 20 years, children ranging in age from 8 to 14 have been kidnapped, brainwashed and taught how to kill. Many are brutally beaten, raped and forced to kill others, often their own families. Those who survive are severely psychologically damaged. Since the war in Uganda began, an estimate of children who have been abducted is more than 30,000. Every night, upwards of 25,000 children, fearful of being abducted from their rural homes while they sleep, walk into the cities to find refuge for the night. Many of these children have lost their parents to war or AIDS. These are the children that Jason Russell, 27, Bobby Bailey, 24, and Laren Poole, 22, are asking the world to see.

The three friends from California traveled to Africa in 2003 and captured their story on film. Their documentary Invisible Children (http://www.invisiblechildren.com) will be shown all across the U.S. in the coming months.

Upon returning from their visit to Africa, Jason, Bobby and Laren started an organization called Invisible Children, hitting the road on Feb. 1 to bring the film to the U.S.The filmmaker’s young perspective (there’s a fire, a snake and puke in the first 10 minutes) has inspired a movement led primarily by youth and spread primarily by word of mouth. Now, the group has seven RVs rolling into 150 cities over the next three months.

Brody and I had dinner with the guys when they were in town last week to lobby folks in Congress about sending an envoy (similar to Sen. Danforth who went to Sudan) to try and negotiate peace. Funny, interesting, genuine, beach guys from southern California lobbying Congress about Uganda. Ironic. Neat. Brody can tell you more, but I encourage you to check out their website.

2006-03-14T08:37:00.000-05:00

Who Runnin'?
All right all you triathlon or half-marathon trainers. It's time to put your money where your mouth is - time for a progress report. Post how you're doing here.

2006-03-08T13:33:00.000-05:00

STEVE "PHIL-A" PHIPPS UPDATE...
I’m currently living in Memphis (have been here for almost 8 years). I have been married for almost 3 years to Elizabeth (a beautiful Mississippi woman) [Trent: are there any other kind?] and we have a little boy, Joshua, [Trent: must be a smart, good-looking, well-rounded little guy]who turned 1 in January. I’m the owner/operator of the Chick-fil-A at Oak Court Mall & we attend 1st Evangelical Church. Elizabeth & I are both training for the full marathon in Nashville (we’re training w/ Team in Training – www.teamintraining.org). That’s life here in a nutshell. My email is runningstp@bellsouth.net & cell is 901.219.0188.
In ZAX,
Phipps
LZ 417

2006-03-08T11:02:00.000-05:00

Masters and Maytag and More
God has blessed us here in a special way recently. I began working at the Maytag plant here in Jackson as an engineering intern in the research and development department (this Maytag plant is the only Maytag dishwasher plant in the world). I'm working between 20 and 30 hours a week and learning a lot. School is a lighter load this semester due to a cancelled course and a dropped course (only 12 hours now). The Maytag position will last through the summer, and if I feel comfortable, through the fall semester and January of 2007 (the fall will be a heavier semester). Valerie is still plugging away at her master's degree and working at Union. (She's our straight A student!) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and his kingdom is our life. - Will

2006-03-07T18:09:00.000-05:00

Just remembering some of the good times....
(Rob, what are you doing?)

2006-03-07T17:34:00.000-05:00

Who Runnin'?
Several brothers are running the 1/2 marathon in Nashville at the end of April. Paul Whitt is. Josh Trent is. Chad Wilson should. Brad Horner should. Others are, but have not yet publicized their participation. C'mon brothers, do this for your health and well-being. Then we should all meet up. Who's in?

2006-03-06T10:47:00.000-05:00

A House Divided....Or Underfunded....Cannot Stand
Consider supporting LZZ's house with your monthly pledge or one time gift. Send checks and a voided check to: Lambda Zeta House Fund, C/o Michael Johnston, 25 Amanda Cove, Jackson, TN, 38305. Write the amount of your monthly pledge and when you want your withdrawal, the 4th or 15th of the month.

2006-03-06T10:46:00.000-05:00

CALLING OUT ALL CARD SHARKS
The 1st annual LXA Alumni Poker Tournament is now in the works for Friday night April 21st at the chapter house. There will be a grill-out before the tournament at 7:00 so show up hungry. Putting your pride on the line will be your "buy in" but there will be prizes for the winners. Prizes will most likely consist of various knickknacks and expired products from City Drug/Huntingdon, free legal services from Rainey-Kiser, and free E+ Broadband for life. The event will be televised by the Travel Channel for World Poker Tour so please dress accordingly. The current seniors from the chapter will be invited to join us for the tournament and several actives will be the dealers. We scheduled it far out so that you can put it on your calendar and make it a priority.

*Please pass this along to any other alums that you think might interested. It would be great to get a headcount so if you plan on coming email/call the Rho, Jon Abernathy, at S270140@uu.edu or 615.400.9655.*

2006-03-03T13:14:00.000-05:00

Faith@Work.com
Ministering in the Marketplace

"We do a great disservice to the Christian cause whenever we refer to the pastorate as the 'ministry'. For by our use of the definite article we give the impression that the pastorate is the only ministry there is, much as medieval churchmen regarded the priesthood as the only (or at least the most 'spiritual') vocation there is…..Nowadays, whenever somebody says in my presence that 'So and so is going into the ministry', I always ask innocently, 'Oh, really? Which ministry do you mean?' And when my [friend] probably replies, 'The pastoral ministry', I come back with the gentle complaint, 'Then why didn't you say so?!' The fact is that the word 'ministry' is a generic term; it lacks specificity until we add an adjective." -- John Stott

Chad Wilson is addressing Union's chapel (end of April) on the topic of intergrating Christian faith with one's vocational work - specifically from his vantage point as a Chrisitian businessman. He has a general framework using several Proverbs, but he might benefit from you sharing anecdotes about challenges you have faced in thinking Christianly about your work. Josh spoke last Saturday to a group of InterVarsity seniors from three DC-area colleges about the same topic of following and obeying Christ at our work (outline below).

Too often Christians, even good Union grads who should know otherwise, dichotimize the 'sacred' and the 'secular,' splitting their understanding of ministry. You've probably heard folks say:

“God does not really care about what you do. Just make good money, provide for your family, serve in your church, give money, support missionaries, and be a nice guy. C’mon, the only work that really matters eternally is church work. It doesn’t matter what work you do. I mean, seriously, it’ll all burn in the end anyway, right?”

Working as a missionary, teacher, or pastor is essential and honorable. But it is not the only kind of work that matters to God. People who say otherwise have a split in their thinking and support a two-tier mentality by dividing jobs into sacred and secular, high and low, holy and average. This is a proposal that is not Biblical. This is a truncated, abbreviated Gospel. People who purport this view operate out of a faith that is overly- privatized, personalized, and devotional - it has little to say about how they work, what they do, why they do it. But since ministry just means "service" and Jesus is Lord of all, we can serve God by ministering to others through our work.

Interact:
What challenges to you face in thinking Christianly about your work at the office? How do you intergrate your Christian faith and vocation? What models or examples biblically have been instructive and helpful to you? What do you think Chad could say that would help students think about this? Post your comments, counter these points, or start a discussion here.

Outline
1. Problems with Work (2) Ditches - Errors Into Which Christians Fall
a. Work Matters Too little
b. Work Matters Too much
2. Purpose of Work Path - A Biblical Theology of Work
a. God is a Worker
b. Has Given Man Work Before the Fall
c. Man Works Unto God
d. All Work Can Be Ministry
3. Practice of Work Progress - Practical Ways to Follow and Obey
a. We must care for others who are made in God’s image
b. We must be truth-tellers, no matter the cost
c. We must be good servants, at all times
d. We must be faithful stewards, in all things
e. We must be excellent, unto him

2006-02-28T11:34:00.000-05:00

Update From Brent Morris

I am a general surgery intern (first year resident) at Vandy. This is a one year position and I am applying for a residency position in anesthesiology (hopefully here as well). I will know the answer on March 16, so please keep us in your prayers.

Rachel (RN) has not worked since we moved here because her pregnancy was fairly complicated and then she had the baby to take care of, not to mention Drew. She is actually interviewing for part time jobs this week with the NICU and the Labor & Delivery folks at Centennial. We will hopefully have an answer soon and she will start working a day or two per week or PRN (as needed). As you can imagine, she stays rather busy with the 2 younguns, but we are having a tough time making ends meet for a family of four on a resident's salary.

I'll keep you updated on what we find out. I haven't really been including info in my updates because there are so many things still up in the air.

Talk to you soon - Brent