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  NO to Good & YES to Best Monday, November 16, 2009 We talked about this in our Connection Group last night...saying “no” to the things that may be “good” so we can say “yes” to the things that are best. We were looking at the Rob Bell NOOMA, “Shells”, where he talks about Jesus’ orientation being Jerusalem. He reminded us of how he was always moving that direction and often said “no” to things that would have been “good” to say “yes” to that which was “best.” People’s expectations, people’s demands, all were things he didn’t cave under in order to stay true to his orientation. What are the “good” things we have said “yes” to out of obligation or fear? Do you need permission to say “no” to something “good” so you can say “yes” to that which is “best”? As good friend of mine used to say, “I’m an ordained minister and I’ll will write you a note...” read more... | Comments    Friday 13th Friday, November 13, 2009 13. Is it lucky or unlucky? I can never remember. I wish I could remember if The Friday 13th films capitalized on it being thought of as an eery date. Black cats. Walking under ladders. Breaking mirrors. Stepping on cracks...all interesting superstitions that a majority of people believed in years ago. Makes me wonder what things will be seen as superstitions that we believe in today... Well, I just wanted to post an update that I’m looking for a new blog host to improve the format of my blog for better posting and viewing. My iWeb has been really easy to use starting out but, I’ve outgrown it...(sniff)...I’ve been kicking around a few new ideas on Twitter (@JonnMcDaniel for you future tweeps) and I will officially “unveil” (I know you can’t wait) them in the new blog soon. I’ve been thinking about a new “theme” (hows that for vague secrecy) that I really like and am not sure what will be the best use for it....maybe a new name for my blog...maybe something else...the Peregrinate Plaid (TM) is kinda my thing though... All this rambling to say: if you are a praying person who knows what intercessory prayer is, and believes in it, please add me and all of this to your list. I sincerely appreciate it. 13. Is it lucky or unlucky? Not sure. I think I’ll continue to “roll the dice” with God and not worry so much about being lucky. read more... | Comments    Eulogies for the living Monday, November 9, 2009 I sang at two funerals last Saturday at two different locations. That’s a first for me. Now, I’ve sung at more funerals than I can remember. I’ve preached at quite a few as well. Two things amaze me about funerals: (1) People always try to work out their most unhealthy family issues at funerals. And, when I say “work out” I don’t mean in a positive way. I mean they try to stick it to someone they think is deserving of getting the nasty end of the stick. (2) I have never once heard someone say, “This is the most important thing this person has ever achieved, spoken, tweeted, written, sang, performed, etc.” People only speak about relationships and share stories of what someone actually did with them and with others. First, why do people try to work their issues out at funerals? People much smarter than I have written many books on it. But, what I think is important is that people see that someone’s actions at a funeral are something that will never be forgotten. It is one of those times in life (along with weddings) that everyone should burry the hatchet. Everyone should realize that this event is not about themselves, rather it is about a celebration of the life of the deceased. For just a few days, people should choose to simply be nice. Second, no one will talk about the book we wrote, the song we wrote or sung, the great acting performance we gave, the great tweet and Facebook post we made, the sermon we preached, the Bible study we taught, the conference we led...no. Someone will get up and maybe after mentioning that we were a singer, actor, leader, speaker, writer, etc, they will begin to tell stories of our lives. Stories that make people laugh. Stories that make people cry. Stories that they believe capture who we really were when no one else was looking, when we were most vulnerable. So, even while I post this blog entry, I am reminding myself to get off my Mac, put down my iPhone, unplug, and go be a part of someone’s story and add them to mine. Those stories are eulogies for the living. (photo: my son at his grandfather’s marker at the Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Glennville, Ga) read more... | Comments    “Help yourself to happiness.” Thursday, November 5, 2009 I just viewed a commercial for Golden Corral that included the following statement about their breakfast bar, “It’s the breakfast you’ve always dreamed of” Who are these people who “always dreamed” of breakfast?! Why are they always dreaming of breakfast? What must this breakfast be like that they have yet to experience? Breakfast at grandma’s house, breakfast made by mom’s loving hands, breakfast at I-Hop, Waffle House, etc...each one has left these people feeling empty, each left them dreaming of a breakfast out there that would put all of these to shame. Wow. Obsession is an amazing thing. Then the commercial had the following tag, “Help Yourself to Happiness” Whatie?! Only in America could “happiness” be equated with food. I was speechless and actually had to view this commercial a few times just to make sure I was hearing and reading everything right. This got me thinking about the church and what “tag lines” does it have and what tag lines should it have. How many churches could say a similar thing as the sacred trough--the Golden Corral? How many churches could say that their church is “The church you’ve always dreamed of!”? What are those things that are keeping it from being “the church you’ve always dreamed of”? While I’m sure there are people who might just take a chance on the breakfast that boasts this, I’m sure there are people who might just take a chance on church if they heard that it was this, too. What should you being doing to make your church less of what people think it is like and more of what it could be like? And, what about the tag, “Help yourself to happiness.”? Could the church say that? Now don’t think I’m preaching the prosperity Gospel here. I’m just saying that if one believes that a relationship with God is a relationship with the Source of true “happiness”--true joy--and that relationship is freely there for the taking, then shouldn’t we be advertising that a little more than the Golden Corral? Life isn’t always about being happy. Faith isn’t always about being happy either. But, maybe, faith is about knowing the Source of true happiness, true joy, true contentment, true peace. If that is true, may we all help ourselves to happiness. read more... | Comments    This is Halloween... Saturday, October 31, 2009 Today is Halloween. It is one of my favorite “holidays” and it is by far during one of my favorite times of year--Autumn. I have always loved Autumn. I have always felt it was a time of renewal. A time of new beginnings. A time a crisp Fall air and where change is proclaimed as the theme through leaves and weather. I have learned that my feeling of this new beginning is hardwired in my DNA. For, my peeps have a holiday that turns out is what Halloween is based on. It is Samhuinn. The highlights of this celtic holiday are a celebration of the end of the year where people stock up on food for the winter. It is the day before the first day of the celtic new year and because everything is dying, the border between this world and the Otherworld is thin and the dead are allowed to reach back though the veil between the dead and the living. People lit bonfires to ward away the evil spirits and wore costumes to better blend in with the evil spirits for the day. Samhag (turnips) were hollowed out and faces carved in them to make lanterns and ward off evil spirits from houses. As you can see, most of how we celebrate Halloween today is based on Samhuinn. Just one of the many wonderful holidays brought to you by the Scottish! You’re welcome. read more... | Comments    Is hate against the law? Thursday, October 29, 2009 Yesterday President Obama signed into law the Hate Crime bill which “makes it a federal crime to assault an individual because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity.” (click here to read full CNN story) I am ambivalent about this. Wait! Don’t go crazy yet. Please let me explain. First and foremost, it is MOST important that I clearly state how I am glad that people finally have protection from abuse directly related to their sexual orientation or gender identity--it is LONG overdue. Cases like that of Matthew Shepard are too numerous, too disturbing and unacceptable. I have read that certain conservative Christians are concerned that opinions spoken from the pulpit against homosexuality will become illegal. But, the bill that the president signed clearly states that it is only in the assault against an individual that this becomes illegal. So, why are certain Christians upset? Part of this is probably due to seeing their hold on the culture in America slip away. Part of this is probably genuinely due to fear of loosing their right to free speech. Part of this is probably due to ignorance in not understanding the need for this law or the actual wording of the law itself. Whatever the reason, I firmly believe that this small faction of Christians who make anti-homosexuality their banner, have every right to believe as they wish and every freedom to speak what they feel about it. My ambivalence centers around the big question that people fail to ask about this law, or any law: “What are the unintended consequences of this law?” When a law is passed there are all too often unintended consequences that arise which create other legal issues that must be addressed. I could list many examples, but here is one: The 18th Amendment to the Constitution, or the “Prohibition Act.” This law prohibited the sale, manufacturing or transportation of alcohol. The unintended consequences were the rise of underground alcohol sales through bootleging and speakeasy clubs. The government did not have the resources to combat these or the desire to do so. Eventually, people realized that bringing an alcoholic beverage into a State was not unconstitutional and therefore needed repealing. (note: I’m not comparing these two laws on their merits, I’m speaking here of unintended consequences of laws.) What will be the unintended consequences of this Hate Crime law? Will it be that uneducated people use their ignorant understanding of this law to say that thoughts and opinions are illegal? Will it be that people of faith will show their ignorance of the necessity of this law in such a way that it keeps people from entering in a relationship with God? Regardless of where you stand on these issues, let’s make sure people are still free to speak their mind (especially those with whom we disagree) and let’s make sure people are no longer assaulted (verbally or physically) because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Is hate against the law? Only in a perfect world. Wow. I really hate hate. related blog: “Freedom From Speech” read more... | Comments    Georgia Boy Choir Saturday, October 24, 2009 I am chaperoning the Georgia Boy Choir Fall retreat at Camp Hope in Dahlonega, GA. These pre-pubescent boys (usually called “tweeners” now) are being taught music history, music appreciation, music theory and musicianship as the young boys in the Intermediate and Concert Choirs rehears their Christmas concert music. Mr. White also instills in the boys to “be the best boy you can be”. He does this by expecting a lot out of them and intentionally teaching them life lessons about manners and being gentlemen that they fail to get anywhere, barring home...and too many homes have forgone this teaching, as well. His philosophy is that boys do not do exceptional things because we do not expect exceptional things out of them. It is amazing to see these boys learn music that I didn’t sing until college and hear them perform it perfectly. Thank you Mr. White for the level of integrity you have and for establishing a legacy of excellence with these boys. Thank you, Georgia Boy Choir, for helping my son to be the best boy he can be! read more... | Comments  D3F6444C-CBC3-4CBB-8FA9-3B32B2671E67.htmlhttp://www.robbell.com/http://nooma.com/D3F6444C-CBC3-4CBB-8FA9-3B32B2671E67.htmlD3F6444C-CBC3-4CBB-8FA9-3B32B2671E67.html#comment_layer5185233C-3689-4CE2-AC09-523CC03DE710.html5185233C-3689-4CE2-AC09-523CC03DE710.html5185233C-3689-4CE2-AC09-523CC03DE710.html#comment_layer0DBC4426-AE1D-48DB-B0E7-5947134CCB66.html0DBC4426-AE1D-48DB-B0E7-5947134CCB66.html0DBC4426-AE1D-48DB-B0E7-5947134CCB66.html#comment_layer06A384B7-8407-45B7-B6A7-23039C9F1795.html06A384B7-8407-45B7-B6A7-23039C9F1795.html06A384B7-8407-45B7-B6A7-23039C9F1795.html#comment_layerFC12502F-EE4F-4702-8719-BFF74461B068.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SamhainFC12502F-EE4F-4702-8719-BFF74461B068.htmlFC12502F-EE4F-4702-8719-BFF74461B068.html#comment_layer86DD4F9D-F828-410D-BA70-A82BA4418AF3.htmlhttp://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/28/hate.crimes/http://www.matthewshepard.org/site/PageServerhttp://www.popmatters.com/pm/article/conservative-christians-oppose-hate-crimes-bill/4E81A993-F5A8-4EF3-A0E0-0CD7E79BFFEB.html86DD4F9D-F828-410D-BA70-A82BA4418AF3.html86DD4F9D-F828-410D-BA70-A82BA4418AF3.html#comment_layerA58C6C84-3AF0-4145-8089-85B9E27E0C46.htmlA58C6C84-3AF0-4145-8089-85B9E27E0C46.htmlA58C6C84-3AF0-4145-8089-85B9E27E0C46.html#comment_layershapeimage_2_link_1shapeimage_2_link_2shapeimage_2_link_3shapeimage_2_link_4shapeimage_2_link_6shapeimage_2_link_7shapeimage_2_link_9shapeimage_2_link_10shapeimage_2_link_12shapeimage_2_link_13shapeimage_2_link_15shapeimage_2_link_16shapeimage_2_link_17shapeimage_2_link_19shapeimage_2_link_20shapeimage_2_link_21shapeimage_2_link_22shapeimage_2_link_23shapeimage_2_link_24shapeimage_2_link_26shapeimage_2_link_27
Peregrinate Plaid blog ...is a place I openly share stories, ideas, questions and discoveries from my own journey. Feel free to share from your own, too. It is in each of us sharing from our own story and learning from the stories of others that we get a clearer understanding of truth and real faith. (go to Peregrinate Plaid begins in blog Archive.)FF0B0FC8-C4E3-4530-BF0E-2E748C079E91.htmlArchive.htmlshapeimage_3_link_0shapeimage_3_link_1