Ex-Korn Guitarist Finds Jesus

This is an interesting article about Ex Korn Guitarist Brian Welch and his conversion to Christianity, or perhaps more accurately, his coming to know to Jesus. Welch was baptized in the Jordan River in 2005 and isn't too in-love with the "church" in general:

All of the man-made religion crap in this world has to die . . . All that prideful, controlling religious crap is what drives young people away from churches.

Of course, this is no secret... that organized religion often does an awful job of showing the love of Christ to a hurting world. Welch, a founding member of one of the most successful and of the heaviest of metal bands, now sports tattoos that read:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matt 11:28)

and...

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (Matt 5:8)

It seems Brian Welch gets what the gospel is really about.

Square Dancing

dad 058
Originally uploaded by Tim Morgan

About eight or so people in my family (including my mom, dad, sister, and I) were regular square dancers. I loved it. Though I was ashamed of it at times -- especially, as a teenager, with people around my own age.

Dancing together as a family was unlike anything else in bonding us together. It's hard to explain, but I would say we were definitely stronger because of the van rides together to far off dances and the exhausted, bumping-into-each-other do-si-dos. Laughter and touch was a big part of that no doubt.

Our family was known by dancers in much of northeast Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas, as we were of the youngest and largest of families involved in it. But around graduation or so, after going off to college, I quit dancing with my family. And they eventually quit, too. As I look back, I wish we would have kept it up.

Some of my best memories of Dad were at dances. He was very animated and enthusiastic about every opportunity to get on the dance floor. For a man who mostly worked from dawn till dusk, dancing was a chance for me and my sister to see the loving and lighter side of him shine through.

Square dancing is probably a dying art. I don't have any hard numbers, but based on completely unscientific evidence (such as a Google search for local clubs), I'd say that the 300 year-old folk dance is going the way of the family dinner. In an era where families no longer sit at the table each evening, square dancing is regarded as old fashioned in much the same way.

It's sad, really. I'd hate to see such a wonderful folk art form be lost to the history books of American past.

The Stump With Rocks In It

dad 132
Originally uploaded by Tim Morgan

In this picture: me on the left, hunting eggs; dad sitting with legs crossed as he usually was, watching.

While I don't remember this particular Easter hunt, I do remember the stump that sat next to the pool for so long. It served as a convenient seat, a launching point for toy cars, and other purposes I'm sure.

It had a hole in the middle, in which my sister and my cousins and I would drop toys and rocks and such. I think Dad ruined a few chainsaw blades from the numerous rocks inside once he finally decided to rid our yard of the stump's presence.

He joked about that stump on occasion, and the frustration he endured in removing it. Ahhh, memories.

Ron Paul : When in the course of human events...

Mackenzie's Blog

Mac has her very own blog now (does that really surprise you?). You can keep up with all our daughter's latest developments at mackenziemorgan.com.

Seth's Blog

Our good friend Seth Hutchins is writing some insightful stuff over on his new blog. His thoughtful posts make me want to pick up my half-read copy of The Screwtape Letters and start again. I think Lewis' words would ring true with me right now.

More Sales Taxes?

From Bates Line, sounds like we'll be voting October 9th on yet another Tulsa sales tax increase to fund river projects. Oh, and by the way, we're already paying for the river improvements with Vision 2025.