The Craw

 The sky is dark and heavy with a burning smell and the sound of water dropping aircraft reverberates through the neighborhood. The Sylmar fires have jumped the mountains and are about a mile from our home. I could see the leaping flames from the top of Lyons Avenue.

How often have you seen a guy wearing a good quality shirt and trousers but his shirt is spilling out over his waistline? Here's some tips on looking tight:

 Here's what happens to churches when the heterophobes come to town.

Psalm 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

The quickest (and most inexpensive) way to give your suit some pizazz and class is to wear a pocket square. Don't wear something cheap like a single color square and stay away from "pizza grenade" squares as well. I find paisley works best. Here are a couple of online shops where you can get some decent pocket squares: here and here. And here is a video to teach you how to wear your square.

I'm Reformed, wear clericals, and also wear a pectoral cross. Why do I wear a cross? Because I live in Southern California where there are numerous clerics of other religions and cults that also wear distinctive clerical clothing. When I wear a clergy shirt without a cross people say things like, "You're some kind of religious guy, what religion are you?" So I started wearing a cross and this cleared up that problem pronto.

Now, another question I often get from pastors is, "Where can I get a good pectoral cross?" The answer? EBay! Don't get some weird looking cross or crucifix if you're Protestant. Here are some examples of ones that are a nice size and that are reasonably priced here and here.

Now we get to see the real homosexuals: haters of women (not just her Christian faith). Where are some real men? Some fellas should have crashed through that pathetic claque of sub-humanity, delivered a beatdown on dudes who attack old ladies, and escorted the older lady out.

I recently had some shoes re-heeled and it got me to thinking . Being a pastor is one of those occupations where people look you up and down and want to know, "Is he competent?" Having a cheap pair of shoes on (or flip-flops) might get some booties in seats on Sunday but it won't increase the amount of serious community a church should have. Serious community where a parishioner thinks of going to the church first when he's having trouble. Shoes can help.

Good shoes tell a person that you are serious and that you care to look mature and professional. You're a man not a boy who buys cheap shoes on a whim.

Its hard to find good shoes anymore. Good shoes have leather soles that are welt-stitched (the leather sole is stitched not just glued to the upper). They can be re-heeled and re-soled numerous times so they can literally last a lifetime, saving you a lot of money. My shoes have already lasted me nearly 10 years.

I have 4 pairs of good shoes. One pair of Allen-Edmonds, one pair of Brooks Brothers, and two pairs of Florsheim Imperials. The investment I have made in these shoes has paid dividends numerous times. You can acquire a good pair of new shoes (normally $300-$500) on EBay for $150-$200. Here's some good makers that still manufacture welt-stitched shoes:

Alden, Florsheim (Imperial Kenmoor), Allen-Edmonds, and Brooks Brothers.

Clothes make the man and shoes make the clothes.

  The first time I saw the film West Side Story it was already almost 20 years old. The music was a little corny, the choreography was (and is) still fantastic but the violent overtones seemed so tame. A knife fight? It was now the early eighties and the Cocaine Cowboys were going crazy butchering each other down in Miami. But I remember reading a review of how crazy, fresh and ka-pow! the original West Side Story musical was when it hit London in the mid-fifties. And it was. Mambo!

But that was then and this is now. We live in a day where gays riot because they're not allowed to get married. Fatherless gang members roam our city streets in irresistible packs (they're packin' a nine not a switchblade) and our academic institutions are busily trying to throw our society down a black hole. It makes one long for the wild, wild days of West Side Story where Officer Krupke corrals the Jets and Sharks with a billy club and zip guns are exotic accessories.

My oldest turned 10 yesterday.

 

Our smallest said, "Eh, my sistah, she duh beeg kine wahini now!"

My response to this protester: "Uh, the law changed so that they can only have one. Kinda like this clarification of the law."

In addition, a lack of clarity on what constitutes a marriage is exactly what muddied the waters with what to do with the Mormon separatist polygamists down in Texas. Prop 8 provides some clarity.

I like using Redfin to track real estate prices in my area but the real estate agent on the right of the home page is giving me gender clarity consternation.

Instead of fighting with other Christians...Kudos Sir Douglas

 

Sensing an Obama victory some days ago, I shined all my shoes and had them re-heeled. I hung up my suits and steamed them out. I'm feeling more conservative and want to look it.

The Obama victory last night was wonderful and disturbing all at the same time. On the one hand, a black man in the White House is a wonderful thing. What a country that we live in! On the other hand, we elected a man who is completely raised in socialism and seems to default to legal remedies for everything. He also has a disturbing streak of indecisiveness born of inexperience.

But its also a new day in our little corner of creation here in Santa Clarita, CA. There are families to grow, a church to build, a community to transform, a kingdom to expand. Its time for us to get busy with the work laid before us.

Romans 13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.