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Showing posts from May, 2011

Where Were You On May 22, 2011?

After the attack on the World Trade Towers, country singer/songwriter Alan Jackson put his thoughts about that day in the song, "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning ". As this song depicts, that day surely seemed like the end of the world. All of us can remember where we were as that event unfolded. (Listen to the song at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvj6zdWLUuk ) This week the media has given much attention to a prophecy by Harold Camping that the world will come to an end on May 21, 2011; which is, as I am writing, tomorrow. I couldn't help but think of the contrast of Camping's prediction and the events of September 11. September 11 really happened. It had all the feel of the end of the world as we knew it. The question Alan Jackson poses is one that still resonates with us today. Camping's prediction concerning May 21 st , does not depict a real event for that day - it is a false prophecy. It has the media's attention today but will quickl

Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, and Tornados: Life Lessons from the Back of a Pickup Truck

As I looked at my feet there were literally hundreds of hamburgers and hot dogs. I was in the midst of a fast food junkies’ ultimate burger fantasy. As I stared at all this food and thought how good it would be to reach out and have one, I couldn’t help also thinking that the ones for whom they were prepared would probably much rather be sitting at their own table eating a meal of their own choosing. Last week as tornadoes ripped through much of the Southeast, my own state, Alabama was especially hard hit. As the rescue and relief efforts got under way I had an opportunity to go into one of the hardest hit areas of my home city, Birmingham. My friend Andy Jenkins had offered to take me into the staging area of the relief effort, for what he described as a “20 minute” recon trip, so I could better assess bringing in volunteers associated with my group, Crosswinds Foundation. As so often seems to happen when being with Andy, our “20 minute” trip turned into an adventure that lasted mo