With the economy the way it is and job lay-offs going on all over the RTP, didn’t know if this job opportunity would help anybody. The Morrisville Chamber of Commerce is looking to hire an Office Manager. If interested, contact the Chamber or you can ask me about a few more details.
Okay, so let’s get past the fifth grade jokes about “toot n tell” and let me tell you what you’re missin’! The Toot N Tell is a restaurant in Garner, NC that has the best breakfast you will ever find, if you’re a southerner. Before I say anymore about the breakfast, let me explain the name.
I’m told that the name came from the fact that when the restaurant began, it had a drive through window (they still do I believe) and people would drive up, “toot” their horn, and “tell” their order. Voila – “Toot n Tell.”
Anyway…I love the Toot n Tell and regret the fact that it is way out of my way to go there. You pretty much have to know how to get there in order to find it. It’s off the beaten path, and you can’t get there from here. And the breakfast is out of this world. It’s not that other’s couldn’t cook the same things, it’s just that it is somehow better at the Toot n Tell.
Anyway…my breakfast of choice is the two egg special. Two eggs, over easy, grits with red-eye gravy, toast and fatback. When I first started going to the Toot n Tell, I believe the special cost 2.80. It eventually went to $3.20. I don’t know what it is today (didn’t pay attention when I went yesterday) but I do know my total bill, including coffee, ws $5.35!!!
Okay, so let me explain “red-eye gravy” and “fatback” since I know many of you non-southerners have no idea what I am talking about. Red-eye gravy is made by cooking country ham and leaving the grease residue in the pan. Then, the cook pours coffee into the pan which mixes with ham residue and there you have it – red-eye gravy! And it is sooo good. Fatback. Also known as “salt pork” and “streak of lean.” To me, it’s like bacon on steroids. It is basically pig fat with a small “streak of lean” meat running through it that is heavily cured in salt and fried like bacon. It is a heart attack waiting to happen but I would eat it every day if I could. Most people know fatback more from being used to season green beans. The Toot N Tell is the only place I know that you can order fatback, which is good, since it is so unhealthy to eat it.
Anyway…I’ll post a couple more pictures below. Let me know if you want to make a breakfast run to the Toot N Tell!
Well my goal of reading (or finish reading) 52 books this year is going pretty well! I just finished “The Shack” today and I’ve also got “Power from on High” by Charles Finney done as well.
Anyway…more on The Shack. I had read about 75% of it last fall, and finally picked it up today and finished it. The Shack has caused a lot of controversy among Christians, but that’s expected. We Christ-followers don’t agree on much, much less on books that don’t toe the standard party line. I don’t want to give away the plot to The Shack, but I would really recommend reading it. So many people I know would not make that recommendation, for fear that people don’t have sense enough to distinguish truth from error on their own, but I have a little more faith in people and in God’s ability to help people search for truth.
If you do read The Shack, be warned – it’s a tear jerker. Keep a box of tissue nearby if you are prone to tears. learn more about The Shack at http://www.theshackbook.com/.
I’m attempting to read or complete the reading of 52 books this year. And by “complete the reading” I mean that I am often known to be reading several books at once and never make it all the way through many of them.
Anyway…Just reread the book “Between Heaven and Hell – A Dialog Somewhere Beyond Death with John F. Kennedy, CS Lewis and Aldous Huxley” by Peter Kreeft. Kreeft is a professor of philosophy at Boston College. Incredibly smart dude – www.peterkreeft.com. The book is Kreeft’s imaginary conversation between these three men who all died within a few hours of each other. They meet in the afterlife and discuss where they are and where they might be headed. If you are a CS Lewis fan, you will no doubt love this book. Lewis plays the part of the Christian theist, Kennedy the modern humanist and Huxley is the Eastern Pantheist. In Kreeft’s words from the prologue, “The trialog centers on the Center, the hinge of our history: its main question is the identity of Jesus.”
It’s not light reading. It aims to challenge the thinking of the skeptic. Hope you’ll pick up a copy.
This past Christmas, our church teamed with many others in joining what’s called the Advent Conspiracy. We attempted to worship fully, spend less, give more and love all (and generally recapture Christmas from it’s secular grip). We also set a goal of collecting $15,000 for our Christmas offering. Last year we set a goal of $10,000 and contributed a total of $20,000. This year our offering was to be divided three ways – 50% to international missionaries, 25% to help provide clean water for the world, and 25% to start a fund to help support Christian families in the adoption process. I am very pleased to report that our church has donated $19,820 this year! I am really proud that our church is going to be able to contribute these funds to help these different causes! Thanks for your generosity!
Oh, and definitely click the Advent Conspiracy link above and watch the video about Advent Conspiracy!
Wow. I’m so overjoyed at the report below. Can’t wait for ya’ll to read it! This is straight from Kristi’s page on Carepages.com.
Friday 1/2 11:45am
Kristi came home from the hospital late yesterday. She was very
excited to be home, having now spent the last three holidays,
Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years at Western Wake. We are removing
Valentines Day from our calendar. She was able to receive Herceptin and
Navalbene (chemo) treatments before she left. Her lab work revealed that
platelets are up a bit and Bilirubin levels are almost back to
normal. We praise God for those positive numbers.
One of the blessings of being in the hospital during the holidays was
that Dr. Graham was able to spend a lot of time with Kristi which
allowed him to understand her case even better. We know that God
created the circumstances to allow Dr. Graham to be responsible for her
treatment. He has been fantastic. One of the best moments of her stay,
maybe of the 10 weeks since Zane was born, was a conversation between
Anne, Kristi and Dr. Graham late Tuesday night. When asked what the
improved numbers regarding the cancer cell count meant, Dr. Graham
explained that those numbers represent cancer cells per some unit of
blood. This measurement is based on cutting edge technology that he
uses. Her reduction from 421 to 6 means that her cancer is very
responsive to the chemo treatments she has received. The most powerful
thing that he said about that result is that he has a profound belief
that Kristi can live. He told them that he would not have said that if
he didn’t believe it.
You must know that we haven’t heard those words from anyone before
Tuesday nite. We have been praying for a God sized miracle and those
words let us know that God has been working in powerful ways through Dr.
Graham, his team and the medicine that God provided. We praise Him for
that gracious blessing of encouraging words and the good report on
treatment status. We know Kristi has a long way to go and that trials
will be ever present, but what a New Year’s gift to hear a positive
report!
We’d like to ask our friends to join in prayer for another young woman,
Sydney Gaylord, who delivered her third child on December 1 and was told
December 27 she has a brain tumor. Sydney is being treated at Duke and
awaiting results of a biopsy. We are touched by the similarities to
Kristi’s story and pray for the treatment of her disease, her recovery,
and her family. Her story is on Caringbridge.org if you care to learn
more about her. Thanks for praying for Syd.
Mike Winters
Apparently, someone tried to break into our church office sometime last night. The picture below is not the clearest, but it is evidence of our once complete door handle to the back door of our office. Someone really did a number ripping the handle off. Fortunately, despite a valiant effort on the perpetrators part, they were unable to breach the perimeter. They didn’t get in. Sadly, our broken door is evidence of our broken world. (FYI, a quick look at the behind the scenes life of this pastor would be evidence of our broken world as well!) Let’s commit ourselves to being formed into the likeness of Jesus as light to this broken world. Our world is broken, and there are lost and hurting people wanting to be made whole. May God use us to bring his hand of healing.
As per us usual, not that I sit around and surf the web for funny videos, but that I receivced both of these links in my email today, here are two funny videos.
This first link is to a video entitled, “Why the Printer Won’t Work.” And don’t worry, no cats were harmed in the making of this video!
This next video link is a humorous look at the man/woman relationship, particular about the gift giving part of the relationship.
Enjoy! Merry Christmas!
Well, out of being a part of two college fantasy football leagues (among friends), I managed to win one and place third in the other! Today was my victory lunch for winning the one league. The guys surprised me with a trophy and Ed got a trophy from Carl for a side wager (pictured below). Also pictured below is Guy with his last place gift. Thanks for the victory lunch guys!
The Bridge’s Annual Christmas Party was this past Saturday night. I want to thank Tina, Debbie, and Lauren for all the time and effort they put into planning it. And thanks to everyone who brought food! Incredible! Here are a few shots from Saturday:
MikeWindley.com 