Blake Thompson daht NetI'm just saying….

So Wednesday night when a friend was at VBS with her Nikon D80, I was able to try it out. Liked it. I’d held one in the store before. And a friend in Clinton had had one and I snapped a few pics one time with theirs too. But this was the first time I was actually able to walk around with one for a bit. It further fueled my itch to get a DSLR soon.

But for some reason I keep looking at the Canon’s more. I really don’t think there’s a bad decision to be made. But the Canon 40D is where my heart is I think. It’s a touch heavier/bulkier than the Nikon D80, but is a step above better camera too I think.

If/when I take the dive, it will be with a bit of financial commitment, but I think I’m going to love it. I can spend hours on Flickr if I’m not careful. And I’ve found a few photography forums too.  Great resources, all of them. And some great places to show off your work and get help and critiques .

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The other night at VBS a friend wo is a local photographer took lots of pics of the kids. At the end we got her to take a pic of my famikly since our pic on the church’s website was really old and only had four of us in it. It turned out really good!

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Surely you’ve seen the Where the He** is Matt video right? Where the guy traveled around the world and had videos of himself dancing in tons of major international landmarks?

Well Matt decided he wanted some company. This video is amazing. Check it out.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

I wonder how many frequent flier miles he has racked up?

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I had heard about the 40 Day Fast last year and was seriously interested in it. This year is is starting back for the second year, and I’m going to be a part of it. Here’s the lowdown: a group of 40 bloggers (actually this year it’s two teams of 40 bloggers each) compose a schedule. And for what ever day the blogger is assigned they will blog about an area of need in the world (either a cause or a country) and an organization that strives to meet that need. And they will also fast and pray that day for that need and that organization.

The purpose behind it is to give people an opportunity to:
1. Experience a bit of need
2. Learn about the need in the world
3. Do something about it

So be checking out the widget over on the right side. There will be a link to who is fasting for the day. Be sure to check them out. Do a little thinking. and some praying as well. And if you’re interested in participating as well (the 2nd team isn’t completely full yet) let the organizers know.

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Vacation Bible School @ The Orchard starts up tonight. It’s out first one. We’re pumped. And I’m in some sort of skit that I still don’t really have a clue about.

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Butch Thompson has been named the new pitching coach on John Cohen’s staff for Mississippi State Baseball. I think it’s a great hire. Butch has been the pitching coach at both the University of Georgia and Auburn University for the last 6 or 7 years. He’s produced 20 drafted pitchers and very highly rated recruiting classes.

Butch is from Amory like me, so I’ve kept up with he career a little. I was hoping Ron Polk would have brought him to Starkville when Ron came back a few years ago. But it took a little longer than that. But Butch is glad to be back closer to home since his dad has been recently diagnosed with some illnesses.

This is a great hire for the Bulldogs. [And there is no relation between Butch and me.]

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I’ve worked in/at churches for over a decade now. So that’s all my children have come to understand. When I went to the office, I would drive to the church building. When we went to a church service, it was at the church building. And for the last 3 years before moving to Oxford, the church building was the big stone building across from Newk’s on Hwy 80 in Clinton. That was church to my daughter.

But now our Church in in Oxford. But we don’t have a building of our own. So when I go to the office, it’s in a building over on Molly Barr Road. And we have church in The Powerhouse which is the community arts building here in town. So when my 7 year old says “are you going to the church”, I try to explain that I’m going to church, but not “the church building”, but that we meet as a church in The Powerhouse. After a few rounds of repeating that every time she said “what do you mean” I realized I needed to change tactics.

To her, “church” is a building where you meet and do stuff “churchy”. She’s not grasped the concept that “The Church” is really people following after Christ. That we, as the Church, are His body. But I don’t think my 7 year old is alone in this. I think that it’s quite the common mindset of a lot of church goers that we “go to church” and even “do church”, but quite often are not near as focused on “being the church”.

Does that make sense at all? God loves for us to gather in one place [maybe a building] and worship corporately together. But we should be “the Church” even when we’re at the ball fields and in the cafeteria and out on the town.

So as I try to show my own children that being the church is just as important [more?] as going to church, I’m asking God to show me the same thing as well.

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This was a note my 7 year old wrote. It says:

“Dear Tooth Fairy,
My tooth isn’t here because my sister droped it in the grass will you give me a treat please?”

The day after Addie’s birthday her tooth came out. She let her little sister hold it and it was immediately dropped in the grass out back. Never to be seen again. So this is the note she left under her pillow.

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It’s Sunday afternoon. I’m sitting on the couch with Ella watching Finding Nemo. Time to unload some stuff.

• I think Pixar should make a squeal to Nemo. Call it Finding Coral. They’d get info that Marlin’s wife might still be alive and they have to find her.
• Running at 3:30 in the afternoon is hot. I hope it make one tougher.
• Burkley has been a good dog since the move to Oxford. I actually want to keep him.
• Thursday night we went to eat w/ some friends in Tupelo. I graduated high school with them both. It was really good to share the evening with them. And our girls and their girls played well together. Found a lot of bugs in the back yard.
• There were TONS of kids at church today. It was crazy. But crazy cool.
• Does something happen to girls when they turn seven? It’s like an emotional roller coaster.
• Oxford has lots and lots and lots of road construction going on around town. Frustrating sometimes.
• My old church is in Costa Rica right now. I went the last three years. I miss it. A lot.
• I missed the trip to BigStuf too. But everyone said it was both very fun and very impactful. That’s a great combo.
• I’ve been watch The Office on DVD. It makes me laugh a lot.
• Pixar is awesome.
• I watched a lot of NBA Playoffs before the move. Now no cable = no NBA Finals. I think that’s why the Lakers are losing.
• The Dentist in Finding Nemo just told his patient in the chair he had to go see a man about a wallaby.

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Here are some good questions to ask yourself now and then. I found then stuck away in my Bible from a meeting. But I realize I need to look over these very frequently. And these are good to share with a friend as well.

• How is your prayer life?
• How is your personal Bible study, scripture memory?
• How is your obedience? Following Jesus closely; any sin you love more than GOD?
• How is your LOVE life? Pure; loving others in Jesus’ name?
• How is your character? Is the Holy Spirit evident? Are you tired – or resting in Him?
• How is your lifestyle evangelism? Told any about Christ lately? Would they believe you?
• Counted the cost of commitment to follow Jesus? Is Jesus first in all relationships; above all and in all? is Christ more important that your possessions?: Are your personal goals under his Lordship?

Are there any you think need to be added?

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Here’s what I think happened and why things blew up:

Years ago Polk retired. He’d had an associate coach on his staff who he named as head coach: Pat McMahon. Polk went to a different office on campus and became an Asst. AD
A couple of years later Polk takes a head coaching job at the University of Georgia.
A couple of years after that McMahon get an offer from the University of Florida and takes it. He wants to bring long time MSU assistant Tommy Raffo with him
Raffo decides to go to Florida with McMahon.
Larry Templeton (the AD at MSU) hires Ron Polk to come back to Starkville as the head coach of MSU.
Ron Polk has a meeting with Tommy Raffo (who is planning to go to Florida with McMahon) and convinces him to stay in Starkville.
[And here is where I think the turning point is] I THINK that Polk promised Raffo if he would stay at MSU, then Polk would set him up to be the head coach of the MSU Bulldogs when Polk retired. Raffo said “okay.”
But then there’s a new AD. And then there’s a very sub par season. And then it doesn’t look like Polk is able to name his successor like he did before.
Someone else gets hired. And that made Ron Polk become very pissed.

Now who knows if that is really how it happened. But it makes perfect sense.

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The search ended a little earlier than some expected, but John Cohen is going to be the new head baseball coach at Mississippi State. He was a favorite candidate of lots of fans. But one who did not want to see him get the job was newly retired Ron Polk. He had made it clear months ago that he wanted current assistant coach Tommy Raffo to get the job. And when that didn’t happen he got pissed.

Polk threw a fit like that guy telling people to leave Britney Spears alone. Here are some of his words taken from Gregg Ellis’ blog:

Unfortunately, our new athletic director slapped me in face and punched me in the stomach. He also slapped Tommy Raffo in the face and punched him in the stomach after 15 years of loyalty to Mississippi State.

I want my name taken off the stadium and in the concourse until Greg Byrne is fired. And if they don’t do it, I will. And as soon as I get back to Starkville, I’m going to make sure the MSU Foundation is taken out of my will. And that’s a lot of money. I’m going to ask former players who give to quit.

Greg Byrne [new athletics director] doesn’t know anything. Well, he’s about to find out what my name means.

I love John, he’s a former player, but he knew how I felt. And when he walks into his new office, there will only be a desk and chair. No papers on the players or anything.

With this hire, Greg Byrne has thrown 15 years away of Tommy’s coaching life and the four years he has played here. Is he the best candidate, I don’t know. I say give him four years. If he doesn’t get the job done, then fire him.

Wow, does that not sound like someone with some major anger issues? Ron Polk has done tons for MSU Baseball and College Baseball in general. But I’m afraid of what this is going to do to his legacy.

But on the other hand, I’m excited about Cohan. Are you? Is it a good hire?

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