An oxymoron is, as we all know,  a rhetorical figure in which incongruous or contradictory terms are combined, as in a deafening silence and a mournful optimist. (dictionary.com). You have likely had a list of oxymorons delivered to your email box. Phrases like jumbo shrimp, working vacation, and my personal favorite…Microsoft Works. But I would suggest the most incongruous oxymoronic term would be the title of a book by Dr. Constance Ahrons, psychologist and professor emeritus at the University of Southern California, called The Good Divorce. “Almost 80 percent of the adult kids of divorce were doing fine and had made some peace about their parents’ divorce,” says Dr. Ahrons, author of We’re Still Family: What Grown Children Have to Say About Their Parents’ Divorce (Harper Collins), which expands on her previous book The Good Divorce (HarperCollins). Forgive my skepticism but making “some peace” is not exactly a ringing endorsement of the so called good divorce. If “some peace” is
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If you could keep this post away from the charming Mrs.Burchett I would be grateful. I plan to add still yet another book to my burgeoning collection and she might question the wisdom of that. Something about the forty-seven books I have lined up to read next. But a title may have jumped to the top of the pile which is now accessable only by step stool. I came across a book entitled God’s Got a Problem. As the author of When Bad Christians Happen to Good People I can appreciate a title that smacks you up the side of your head. The premise is intriguing. This excerpt comes from WorldNetDailey.net. Clampett’s provocatively titled book, “God’s Got a Problem,” makes the case that the church today is headed in the wrong direction based on an upside-down belief system. And it proposes the emphasis of specific solutions based on the one prayer Jesus Christ taught his followers to pray. “God’s Got a
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Sorry about the late post today. I had to email Pat Robertson to revoke his speaking privileges. So far…so good. Perhaps I need to copy Mayor Ray Nagin on that no speak, no headlines directive. Yesterday the controversial Mayor of New Orleans had to issue an apology for his remarks on Martin Luther King Day. “I apologize to any resident in this city that may have been offended,” the mayor said. “That was not my intention.” Nagin seemed a bit surprised at the uproar over his comments that New Orleans would remain “chocolate” (predominately African-American) as the city rebuilds from Hurricane Katrina. Explaining his remarks today, Nagin said, “Unfortunately, everything I say today is scrutinized to the nth degree.” I don’t understand how Mr.Nagin or Mr.Robertson or any celebrity can be surprised about their remarks being scrutinized. While I have been more than a little dismayed at some of Pat Robertson’s shoot from the hip comments I do respect that
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The Associated Press reported that New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin believes that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and other storms were a sign that “God is mad at America” and at black communities, too, for tearing themselves apart with violence and political infighting. “Surely God is mad at America. He sent us hurricane after hurricane after hurricane, and it’s destroyed and put stress on this country,” Nagin, who is black, said at a ceremony for Martin Luther King Day. I had addressed this question in an earlier blog but I decided to repost it with a bit of polishing since Mr. Nagin has reopened the topic. So here we go… Is God judging New Orleans for it’s rather obvious bent toward debauchery? Should we cancel all travel plans to San Francisco and Las Vegas just in case they are next? Some Christians seem to think so. A group called Repent America appears fairly confident that God spoke when Katrina ravaged New Orleans. “Although the loss of lives is deeply saddening, this act of God destroyed
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Three oddly related news stories captivated me last week. While driving from Dallas to scenic Stillwater, Oklahoma I digested news reports about Roger Keith Coleman, William Harrison, and Samuel Alito. Only the last name may immediately register with you. My radio journey began with the Alito story. I listened to Judge Samuel Alito being grilled about his views on abortion. Senator Dick Durbin incredibly and misleadingly said,  “I’m concerned that many people will leave this hearing with a question as to whether or not you could be the deciding vote that would eliminate the legality of abortion, that would make it illegal in this country.” Durbin knows that overruling Roe would return the decision to states, not make abortion illegal in this country. His comments were misleading at best, outright deceptive at worst. When they began to play clips of Senator Ted Kennedy lecturing Alito on his poor choices earlier in life (does he have a mirror in his house?) I became concerned about my
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If you ever need a time for extended reflection I recommend the drive from Stillwater, Oklahoma to Dallas. I finished that trek yesterday and I had much time to listen to music and think. The group “Casting Crowns” has recently been resonating with me. Let me take that a step farther. Their lyrics have been kicking my butt all over the field. One song in particular stuck in my mind, heart, and soul during that long drive. The song is called “Stained Glass Masquerade” and the title says it all. This song speaks powerfully to the all too human desire to be phony at church so that the others (who are also acting phony) will not think less of us. To have an impact in this culture we have to be genuine, real, authentic. Young men and women have a phony detector that is tuned to pick up the smallest deceit. I am tired of the phoniness. I am tired of
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Here is one of my core principles. You never want to have USA Today lead a story about you with the word “embattled”. For example, in todays issue the paper reports that “embattled author James Frey defended his best selling memoirs on Larry King’s CNN talk show Wednesday.” Embattled and having to talk to Larry King? How much can one man endure?  Frey is the author of the mega bestselling book “A Million Little Pieces”. As I type these words the book is the number one seller on Amazon.com. The Barnes and Noble website review called Frey,  “Prodigiously talented, poetic, unflinchingly honest, and relentlessly present. A lot to live up to? Not if you’re James Frey, whose memoir Pat Conroy calls “the War and Peace of addiction.” As Frey will unapologetically assert, he’s an Alcoholic and a Drug Dealer and a Criminal.” (caps his). But a problem has arisen with that little “unflinchingly honest” phrase in the B&N review. It appears that Frey has been a bit
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