What I'm reading / read

Ever since the last seminary class was finished in early June, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading a wide variety of books...mind you, these are books that I have chosen to read, not required (makes them much more enjoyable!)

As a reader I'm nowhere in the same ballpark as my lovely wife Holly. She is a reader-holic...but I do enjoy soaking in a good book. So here's what I've read since June and what I'm currently reading:

Why My Wife Thinks I'm an Idiot by Mike Greenberg
I'm a huge fan of Mike & Mike in the Morning ESPN radio Found myself laughing out loud while reading this one.

Night by Elie Wiesel A holocaust survivor's story as as teenager...tough book to read...can't comprehend how people can devalue human life

Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconelli
A great, honest, blunt book about our relationship with God. Highly recommend!

Flyboys by James Bradley Great book about American fighter pilots in WW2

Next Generation Leader: 5 Essentials for those who will shape the Future by Andy Stanley Superb book on leadership...very practical for anyone in a leadership position.

The Present Future by Reggie McNeal (currently reading) A real charge to the church that how we are doing church today...ain't working! We have to do things differently...one huge key is becoming much more "missional minded."

Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell I've heard Rob several times at different conferences over the years...good teacher and Old Testament guru. Intriguing book...kinda thinking outside the box stuff.

I'm back now

Sorry for the hiatus...just didn't have the motivation last week, sorta like "bloggers block." Anyhoo, I'm back...

Seems like lots of things have been happening over the past week or so...here's a recap of a few:

-My son Bryan started middle school a week and a half ago. That ain't quite right...last Sunday was his first official day in our youth ministry at FBC. He even went on his first official trip yesterday. It was a guy’s only paintball trip...what a hoot! My first time playing...I now have a few bruised spots and very sore, but a great time. You can check out where we played here. A great farm in Waddy, KY. a great time...I even got Bryan a time or two!

-Our house that we are building is coming right along. We all went to check out the progress on Friday. There are still framing as you can see in the pics...should be done sometime late October. Still praying for our house to sell. We have a contract on ours, but these folks have to sell their house to buy ours (the domino effect!). Holly and I were trying to envision where things could be placed...we even spent some time praying over the house and those who are building it. Exciting stuff!


-Oh yea...a huge congrats to our dear friends Geron and Lydia Brown on the birth of their little girl Cora Sophia Brown. I love that name, kinda rolls of your tongue!

-Last thing...I gotta say that I've been really enjoying the fact that I'm finished with seminary. It's been really nice having some "free" nights to do anything, but not studying. I've actually been doing a whole lot of reading, but books that I've been choosing to read. I'll share some of those tomorrow.

Just haven't been in the mood

Just haven't been in the blogging mood this week...

Bono and Bill Hybels

The following are comments from an interview that Bill Hybels (pastor at Willow Creek Church, Chicago) had with U2 frontman Bono. The Willow Creek Association has a leadership conference every year to encourage, train, teach leaders from all over. One of these days I'm going to attend...anyhoo, below are some comments from Bono...pretty stinking profound. I think he'd make a great pastor.

-"The most rewarding part of this past year? Selfishly, it is to wake up with a melody in my head and heart. But beyond my music it is the work we are doing with the ONE campaign."
-"I never had a problem with Christ...it was Christians that gave me problems...they seemed completely disinterested culturally and politically...they seemed very strange to me."
-"The world works on the principle of Karma; what you put out comes back to you...but then enters the story of grace in the person of Christ and it turned the world on it's head."
-"Duality is the mark of really great art and it's what is missing in Christian art. It's missing the tension that is missing...the attempt to wrestle truth to the ground is often absent."
-"Much of gospel music seems fake to me...pretending that everything is o.k...I relate more to the blues...that sounds like the song of David to me."
-"Jesus was either a Charles Manson - a nut case or he was who he said he was. I'm fascinated by a child born into straw poverty. The Christmas story is a remarkable story that never ceases to amaze me."
-"How in a world of plenty can people be left to starve? We think, 'it's just the way of the world'. And if it is the 'way of the world' we must overthrow the 'way of the world.'"
-"Redemption is an economic term."
-"What else are you going to do with thing called 'celebrity'...it's absolutely ridiculous that it is valued more than being a teacher or more than being a mother...but it is currency and I decided that I was going to spend mine."
-"God has made me an opportunist."
-"Great ideas are like great melodies...they are memorable and a moral force whose time has come...and there is movement behind them."
-"The reason the church has been slow to respond is that the church has historically always been behind the curve: civil rights, apartheid...the church is afraid of politics. The second reason the church has been so slow is less palatable..the church has been very judgmental about the AIDS virus...it believes that it is about people living irresponsibly. Only 6% of evangelicals felt like they were to act in response to the AIDS epidemic. But the Christ will not let the church walk away from the AIDS emergency...it is like a car crash, we have to act. AIDS is the leprosy of our age. But then something tragic happened...the church woke up and began to act...and they ruined it for me...I couldn't hate the church anymore."
-"Love your neighbor is not advice...it's a command. Should an accident of longitude and latitude really decide whether you live or whether you die? There are 2003 verses in scripture about the poor, second only to personal salvation. Jesus speaks of judgment only once and that is the passage in Matthew where we are asked: 'who clothed the naked?' and 'who fed the poor?' and 'who visited those in prison?' That defines whether you are a part of the Kingdom or not."
-"If the Christian church can lead this movement it can eradicate malaria in 10 years...and then AIDS."
-"Stop asking God to bless what you are doing...find out what God is doing - it is already blessed!"
-"This generation could end stupid poverty...we really can fix that in our generation."
-"'Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven' is a phrase that grabs me...in every detail of our lives we need to seek that."
-"The world is more malleable than you think."
-Bill has convinced me of the importance of the church as the moral force and practical infrastructure for solving the worlds problems. Open the doors of your church and make them an AIDS clinic. Your charity is important, but your passion for justice is needed. I'm asking for your voice and for you to give permission to fix these problems that are fixable. It's not a burden, it's an opportunity...it's an adventure!"

Grits pic

For some reason I couldn't get the Grits pic on my last post...so here it is!

Catch Up Blog Time...

Whew...busy, but great week here at the Prosser house hold...typically I keep a list of "things to blog about" around the computer...I'm kinda behind, so here's a quick recap of a few things from the week:

MONDAY, AUGUST 7th
August 7th...one of the most important days in my life! It was mine and Holly's 13th wedding anniversary. Woo-hoo! What an adventure and what a Godly woman that I have in my life. And 13 years of honeymooning! Here's to 13 more Hollybird!

AUGUST 8th-9th
Staff Retreat at Country Lake Retreat Center in Indiana. Country Lake is a ministry of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY. We had a great retreat...thinking, planning, visioning, dreaming, praying, laughing, playing as we all serve together at FBC Richmond, KY.

AUGUST 11th-13th
Newsong Music Festival in Leitchfield, KY. A great weekend of bands and worship. This was the last "hoo-rah" of the summer for our youth ministry. Our son Bryan (who as of next Sunday will be "officially" in our youth ministry), came along with me. He is a music junkie...we enjoyed moshing and dancing together. My favorite band of the weekend...Toby Mac. The dude can put on a show! We got no sleep and no showers...got home around 2pm today. Bryan came in and went straight for the bed...he's still out.

Bryan's favorite band...Grits. We even got to meet them afterwards. Check out the pic below! That's Coffee, Bryan and Bonifide. MCJP was taking the pic.

Man I love my son...there's nothing quite like jumping up and down together, screaming and hollering while Grits or Toby Mac are playing...another father/son moment!

Dad & Lad Day

On Friday Holly, Bryan and I were at Hobby town in Lexington. Bryan scored on some cash from his recent hospitalization and the money was burning a hole through his pocket.

We checked out the rocket section of the store. I have always wanted to try these things out, even as a kid. So I halved the purchase with Bryan and later that day we headed to the EKU intramural fields (wide open space) for "the launch."

We got everything in place...even followed all the directions! The box said this rocket would go 1,000 feet...I was a bit leery of that claim. Bryan started the count down and boom! 1,000 feet had to be the minimum height! We were high fiving each other jumping up and down like kids (well, I was acting like the kid, Bryan was acting normal).

The rocket kept going and going...then a gust of wind began and we then said good-bye to our rocket. Apparently we didn't go out far enough in the fields...the rocket, I think is somewhere on the top of the Exide building on the EKU bypass. So we got one great launch. But I couldn't let our rocket adventure end there!

I went to Wal-Mart and bought another rocket...by that time it got too dark to launch, so the next day we all came out to the fields. We made 5 successful launches...they were all pretty incredible to watch. I again was hootin' and hollerin' like a kid...what a day!

In honor of Discovery's "Shark Week" (which I really dig), here's a taste of a great white shark munching on a seal...
Shark attack

Shark Week

Update on Bryan

Just a quick update on Bryan...

His surgery went very well last Thursday. He was in the hospital until Sunday...the fine folks at UK children's hospital took excellent care of him.

We are recouping here at the house this week...Holly was home with him on Monday and I'm home with him the rest of the week. He's doing great...we even got out yesterday to Barnes and Noble. Bryan racked up on gift cards and cash while in the hospital and to spend it!

Thanks for your prayers and please continue those prayers...

Prayer Request

Hey all...I'm a believer in prayer and would covert your prayers over my son tomorrow morning. He's having surgery at UK children’s hospital...we've been there all day today doing prep work for the surgery. Pray for the surgeon and nurses who will be taking care of my precious son. The surgery has to do with his colon...I'll keep you posted. Blessings.

My wife...the hero

Friday morning while in Florida my lovely wife Holly set off for her usual morning walk...as she was returning back to the condo she heard a man hollering for help. She went to see what was going on and she found this 80 year old man whose wife was in need. She was choking on something and turning blue...Holly immediately started doing the Heimlich maneuver to this lady. After 10-12 minutes of this what ever was stuck finally came out...her color came back and she was okay. An ambulance was called and came to aid her. Holly proceeded to walk back to the condo and told all of us what had happened.

Man, what a wife...a true hero in my book of life.

Sand Castle: Part 2

So today I started adding on the sand castle I made on Wednesday...it's sorta like the Northern / Southern Kingdom thing. I think I spent a total of four hours working on this...too bad it won't last forever, but it sure was fun making...I couldn't stop.

What a day...so far!

-Woke up this morning (not sure what time it was)...
-Went to the Frog Pond and had this incredible banana fosters waffle...














-Built me a sand castle...



Going out for seafood tonight...

Tough day! (man, I love vacation)

What a schedule

Okay there is wireless access here in the condo...a great place...a great view...I can hear the ocean even as I type, do you hear it too?

The past couple of days...
-I've eaten haddock, pollock and white fish (our condo is right across from Crabby Bills, some serious fresh seafood)
-Been a "beach bum"...Sunday and Monday...not too red yet, just getting primed for the savage tan.
-Played a few rounds of rummy...I'm in second place as of last night.
-Watched two sunsets...last night was beautiful. We were in Clearwater
-Finished one book and started another.
-Been to the Frog Pond once (a great breakfast place!), going again tomorrow.
-Slept in everyday...
-Built one sand castle...not a great one, but hey it's only Tuesday.

More perhaps later in the week...if only I can get the sand out of my toes (that's for Jessie)

Getting away tomorrow

Tonight me and the fam are driving to Louisville and then in the morning we are flying out for Florida. Ever since my dad died back in August of 2000, my mom has desired that we all vacation together...and what a time we have with mom and my sister's family (8 of us in all). Here's a break down of the schedule for the week:

-wake up (no specific time, just whenever you wake up)
-roll out to the pool...then roll out to the beach...then come back to the pool
-while we are at the pool/ocean we decide where to eat dinner that night
-eat dinner
-maybe some putt putt golf, go up to the Clearwater pier, etc.
-play rummy at the condo
-then go to bed and start do the same the next day

I'm planning on doing a little more reading on the beach and of course I'll be building several sand castles...I love building sand castles.

Anyhoo...no blogging will go on until we get back...talk to you then!

This is kind of fun...

Are you an abstract painter? Go here

I think I could do this...

I was truly touched after watching this...even teared up.

I went to the dentist yesterday...

I have a great fear of going to the dentist. Before I type anymore let me explain…I’ve had this fear since I was a kid…not sure where or why it started. Maybe it’s the sound of the drill…the grinding and burning smell of teeth…perhaps that little suction, slurpy thing that sucks the inside of your mouth off…don’t know! I just know I have a fear (Dentophobia- fear of dentists…to go along with Algophobia- fear of pain).

I’ve been putting this off for sometime now. When I had my knee surgery back in March at one point during the surgery they had to intubate me. When they were finished they began to pull the tube out of my throat and I clamped down on it like Mike Tyson clamping down on Holyfield’s ear. So they YANKED the tube out and in doing so broke my front tooth above the gum line.

So for the past several months I’ve been eating with the side of my mouth because of the stinking pain of this tooth. Earlier in May I went to the dentist and they made a partial mold and even going to that appointment was tough enough.

Alright, long story longer…went to the dentist yesterday…it was d-day. My dentist numbed my mouth…it felt like a Fat Albert lip…he kept on saying you won’t feel a thing, just pressure! I saw the pliers/torture device go into my mouth and bingo…my tooth was extracted, pulled, yanked, etc. He slapped the partial tooth in (going to get a bridge in a few months) and I was out the door. I think the whole ordeal took 20 minutes. I made a mountain out of a mole hill. No pain…just pressure!

One of my teenagers at lunch yesterday, suggested I get a gold tooth…he said I could "bling" while I was preaching. I declined on the gold tooth…and NO, don’t ask me to pull my tooth out.

I still have a fear of going to the dentist.

A tender father / son moment

I love my son Bryan...he really cracks me up. He has this great dry sense of humor...and comes up with stuff that really takes me off guard. Like the other night...he's in the bed and we are getting ready to say prayers together.

Before we started to pray he says outta know where..."I wonder if we all talked in fart language what that would sound like? I mean how would certain words sound?" "Well...I guess it would be pretty loud and smelly." So for the rest of our conversation he was speaking to me in "fart" (with the use of his arm and mouth, not an actually passing...you understand.) He had a distinct short "fart" sound that was to answer "no" and a more drawn out sound for a "yes", etc. etc.

This particular conversation lasted about five minutes...then we prayed together...not in the "fart" language.

I love the mind of a ten year old boy!

Another update on Shane Noakes

This afternoon I went and saw our buddy Shane. We had a good visit together along with his mom...the plan is for him to go home next Tuesday. As I was sitting there talking to him I couldn't help but think back to the day he almost died...it's still very surreal to think about that while looking at him. He still has some memory loss, but he's getting better and stronger everyday.

He told me he had lost about 20 pounds, but was having fun putting it back on!

Keep on praying for him and his family. I witnessed him walking today, so now I can say this...he is a walking miracle.