I’ve had a very stressful couple of weeks with work, balancing duties, charting the course of our Church while dealing with the never ending refinancing of the church building.

I’m always humbled after a Sunday Service that God is doing an amazing thing of growth and attraction in our midst. I really am awed that I get to be a part of The Landing.

With all that constantly goes through my mind (and I do mean CONSTANTLY), I find it harder and harder to just sit back and enjoy the view from where I am, without refocusing my vision constantly to where we, and I, are going.

I don’t like sitting still, but when I do thoughts turn back consistently to the people who are in my life, and those that have helped shape my life. Both groups are precious and unfortunately distance doesn’t permit much interaction with the latter.

There are the tasks that require our attention to live and work, but those things should not rob us of our passion for those gifts of God given to us that breathe faith, hope, and love. Only those, those gifts given to us and for us, deserve our passion.

To my Savior, wife, children, The Landing, my staff, the Horsemen (you know who you are in that party), my Christian Mafia people (you know who you are in that guilty group… LOL), my partners, Youth Group friends, High School Friends, Mentors, and all those teachers who have imparted to me knowingly and accidentally… my passion has been shaped by you, and is directed to you!

Thank you for your passion, and my passion is reflected to you!

I personally love the process of using a fountain pen. They are beautiful instruments of writing that seem to require me to use more concern and deliberation when writing. I own several, a few of which are inexpensive. One is priceless to me.

It was given to me by my Grandmother, Granny Vaughn. I was probably around 10 or 11 at the time, and I thought it was the greatest of gifts. Not only was it from her, but it was a bladder type pen. (If you don’t understand what that means, you are unfortunately ignorant of finer writing instruments.)

What I didn’t know at the time was that the pen was broken. The bladder that held the ink was ruptured and couldn’t be refilled. I couldn’t have cared less. I would dip it into an ink well and write. It was an “old school” pen that looked every bit the part of the 30’s to 50’s before ball point pens invaded the earth. Eventually I found someone to repair the pen and I use it joyfully.

Fountain pens require much more deliberation when writing. If you write too fast the ink smears and you have a mess on the paper and possibly your clothes. It never fails though, whenever I use one, and it doesn’t matter which one I use, I always walk away from writing with ink on my hands, and sometimes on my clothes. People make jokes about it, but I love it. It shows me that I was writing, and that is something that gives me joy. The power of creation is in my hand when I have a fountain pen… deliberate creation.

I use a computer to write also, and am doing so now. I don’t enjoy the process nearly as much. I do enjoy auto-correction of errors, but in signing documents, or writing a personal note, nothing beats a fountain pen.

Although, it’s a requirement of the times to use a computer keyboard for sending an electronic document, or upload a blog post, I want to give a few reasons why you too should switch to using a fountain pen as opposed to a ball point pen (even though ball point pens, are cheaper, quicker, cleaner, and safer):

1. Ball points and computers are not as pure as the foundational writing implements that have been used for centuries.
2. Your Great-grandparents used fountain pens, and you should honor their heritage by using one.
3. The early documents of the United States Government were written with quill type fountain pens. If it is good enough for them, it should be good enough for you.

Those three arguments are the same basic arguments that have been given for any change that comes around to society.

Could you imagine me requiring my children to use the pens of my grand-parents (their great-grand-parents)? That is however what we do with aspects of life that we personally do not gravitate towards.  We create reasons why society and others should stay with our preconceived notions.

If you use a fountain pen, use it for your pleasure, but not as a precondition of the acceptance of someone else.

Personally, I’ll always use a fountain pen when given the option to write a note of love to someone; but if placed in a situation, I’ll use any pen available to write the message that God loves them; Christ died for them; and I love them.

People don’t care what instrument was used to write or share that message with them… they just want the message shared!

Some goals do just that; take you down.This one will take her down to her grave quicker also.

If you intend on having a goal… have one that lifts you, and also others!

To read the full story click here.

While there has always been debate as to which computer system is better, FOXNews.com recently published a great article about the main differences. Click here to read the article.

I’ve been a PC owner since 1985 with a Commodore 64, then an IBM XT (moving at the whopping 4.77 hertz) and so on. I’m still a consistent PC user, mainly in the long run due to the early years of a PC costing $1500 to $3000 or a MAC costing $3000 to $5000. When you are young and need money guess which one wins over…

Interesting point in the article is the choices and considered quality issues between the two. Read the article, it’s not exactly what I thought…

First, a Rolex increases in value. Secondly, its value rises especially high when owned by Steve McQueen.

Lastly, men should always wear a classic time piece that is as classic as they value themself. The value of a watch, is like the heart of man – completely in the eye of the beholder. I believe Steve McQueen was a classic… and that Rolex he had was too!