bosalisbury.com Posts

Published December 21, 2015 by

Star Wars: The Force Awakens • A Review

Star_Wars_The_Force_Awakens

I saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens, last night, in 3-D.

I am not a Star Wars, Sci-fi or fantasy geek. I have been an audio geek and a Bible nerd, but I don’t know if geek or nerd are appropriate labels, if you are enthusiastic about one of the most popular and lucrative entertainment franchises in the history of the world. I tend to associate geeks and nerds with outsider movements. Anyway, I’ve been pretty hard on hardcore Star Wars fans in the past (see my take at Star Wars: It Really Matters What You Believe). But, I’m no hater and have the greatest love and respect for the franchise. … Read the rest

Art • Design • Culture Film

Published December 19, 2015 by

How to Improve Penmanship | The Art of Manliness

Many men wish their handwriting was better and I’m one of them. This primer, How to Improve Penmanship, at The Art of Manliness, “will teach you everything you need to know about improving your cursive penmanship.” At least, that’s their claim. I have this notion that by training my mind, eyes, and hands to improve my penmanship, other skills I’m cultivating will follow. There are indications that writing by hand improves your cognitive abilities, but I’m hoping my art and creative writing will also benefit. We shall see. One specific writing skill I would like to acquire is the draftsman or architectural style of writing.… Read the rest

Art • Design • Culture Blogging Just Plain Fun

Published December 2, 2015 by

Confession: I’m Not A Coffee Drinker

12314707_10156495045285314_7032931350319123767_oThis past week, I came to the realization that I’m probably not a coffee drinker. I like coffee drinks or drinks made with coffee, but not coffee by itself… black. Denise roasts beans for us and does a great job. We have electric and hand burr grinders, a french press outfit, a pour-over device, an Aeropress, and a Cuisinart drip coffee maker. Until recently, we had a Krupps espresso maker. So, there’s no excuse for my not being a true coffee drinker — I have only my own taste buds to blame.

How did I come to this shocking realization? A couple of weeks ago, I decided to start drinking my coffee black and enjoy the essence of the bean without admixture or adulteration of the ebony nectar by dairy products and sweeteners.… Read the rest

Food Just Plain Fun

Published November 28, 2015 by

A Lifelong Process

This week I’ll be heading back to the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine Center to consult with a plastic surgeon on the skin ulcer over the tendon on my foot. A couple weeks ago, I was leaning toward a full-thickness skin graft to cover the area and get some more tissue over the tendon. Now, the wound is healing well and I’ll be surprised if the plastics man will suggest a graft. It’s looking good.

For those of us with extensive injuries from necrotizing fasciitis, this is part of a life-long process that can often be discouraging or downright depressing.… Read the rest

Life After NF Treatment

Published November 28, 2015 by

Boy Battling Flesh-eating Bacteria Going Home

Here’s another inspirational story about a young man, who just wouldn’t quit.

Giancarlo Gil, 14, began feeling sick Sept. 19, and doctors later had to amputate his right leg up to his hip to stem the spread of necrotizing fasciitis. He underwent 11 surgeries and was listed in critical condition until late last month, according to the hospital.

Source: Boy battling flesh-eating bacteria close to going home | FOX5 San Diego – San Diego news, weather, traffic, sports from KSWB… Read the rest

Diagnosis Life After NF Media Coverage Treatment

Published November 15, 2015 by

Skin Graft?

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a wound I have on my tendon. I visited my GP and he did a bit of minor surgery and wound care on the hole over my tendon. It’s looking really good. But, he’s consulting with a plastic surgeon to see if I may need a full-thickness graft over the area. If I do have surgery, it would be the first since I left the hospital back in 1998. I had amazing results in the reconstruction of my leg and didn’t have to return to cover problem areas or releases on the keloid scarring around my joints.… Read the rest

Life After NF Treatment

Published November 11, 2015 by

Why Do So Many Writers Love to Run?

I have to concur with the writer, that “racking up mile after mile is difficult, mind-expanding, and hypnotic—just like putting words down on a page.” But, it’s also energizing and freeing to be out on the road, around town or through the woods, working out ideas and problems, step by step, mile by mile.

Freedom, consciousness, and wildness: Running offers writers escape with purpose. When confronted with “structural problems” in her writing as the result of a “long, snarled, frustrating and sometimes despairing morning of work,” Joyce Carol Oates would ease her writing blocks with afternoon runs. For Oates and many other writers, running is process and proves especially useful for the type of cloistered, intensive work they do.

… Read the rest

Blogging Books • Literature

Published October 25, 2015 by

Torn Flesh, Rejoicing, Giving Thanks, and Praying

IMG_1133Denise has always wanted to visit the garden island of Kauai, in the Hawaiian Islands. So, we flew over earlier this month. I thought I would try paddle-board surfing while we were there and Hanalei Bay is ideally suited for a first timer. However, a day or so before we went north, I put on my fins to swim around Salt Pond Beach Park near Port Allen. When I left the water and pulled off my bootie, I found that the scarring over the tendon at my ankle had torn and I was trailing a lot of blood. This had never happened before while swimming, body-surfing or sponge-riding. … Read the rest

Christianity • Religion Necrotizing Fasciitis

flesh-eating bacteria necrotizing fasciitis

Published October 25, 2015 by

Overcoming Necrotizing Fasciitis: It’s A Process

IMG_1133Surviving the flesh-eating bacteria is an ongoing process. Once you make it past the initial 72 hours and find yourself still in the land of the living, dealing with the sometimes devastating effects can be challenging, whether the wounds are great or small. Often, I’ll post stories about those who have overcome incredible loss from this disease and, in light of their challenges, I see my wounds as being on the small end of the spectrum.

Denise has always wanted to visit the garden island of Kauai, in the Hawaiian Islands. So, we flew over there earlier this month. I thought I would try paddle-board surfing while we were there and Hanalei Bay is ideally suited for a first timer.… Read the rest

Life After NF Treatment What Is Necrotizing Fasciitis

Published October 5, 2015 by

Benny Hinn, Ma and Pa Kettle, Beautiful Eulogy and the Trinity

Christianity • Religion Humor Wacky • Weird

Published September 28, 2015 by

Lifelong Learning

One of the advantages of my defective and desultory education is a lifetime of discovery and learning! Kudos to the California educational system of the 60’s, leftist news organizations of the 70’s and the vacuous popular culture of the 80’s. (I suppose I should admit that I wasn’t a very enthusiastic learner in those days — it’s not like I was a total victim)

Along the way, I learned that , contrary to nearly everything I was ever taught on the subject of race or saw editorialized in the pop-press, that in the 26 major civil rights votes since 1933, Democrats opposed civil rights in 80% of votes, while Republicans joined the majority in favoring civil rights in over 96% of the votes.… Read the rest

Art • Design • Culture

Published September 21, 2015 by

Accidental Providence

la-le-me-mary-grace-canfield-jpg-20140217Our family lived in Maine from 1993 – 1997 and the area we lived in was ripe with chance meetings of fate, because so many celebs and power people vacation or retire there. Here’s just one example. More will follow and fans of the old TV comedy, Green Acres, will want to check out this post.

Most people who flew out of our area to the rest of the United States and the world would leave on the 6AM flight out of Bangor International Airport. It was a large plane, flying to Logan International in Boston, where connections were made with the rest of civilization.… Read the rest

Film Just Plain Fun Maine: The Vista From Away Wacky • Weird

Blue Hill ME Casper Weinberger Green Acres Maine Mary Grace Canfield

Published September 13, 2015 by

Sermon Notes

IMG_6290I’ve watched boys writhing in the pews and struggling to pay attention for years, as the preacher plows through the text, turning over the soil of the soul. Sometimes the man behind the music stand or pulpit is me.

Other boys get down on their knees, but not to pray. They face a chair with a pencil up and press their noses down close to a piece of paper or a flyer for some church event or a bulletin or a sketch pad, rendering caricatures of superheroes or Transformers or stock cars. Older boys may read an appropriate novel. Some do their homework, while others game away on a device of some kind.… Read the rest

Art • Design • Culture Christianity • Religion Just Plain Fun

Published August 29, 2015 by

6 Counterfeits that Lead Away From the Biblical Gospel

Christianity • Religion Gospel-Centered

church False-Gospel Gospel Jesus

Published August 22, 2015 by

4 Tips For Dealing With Procrastination and More!

So, I came across these 4 Tips For Dealing With Procrastination @ Challies Dot Com. Funny, I’ve never thought of myself as one of those slugs who can’t seem to get around to getting around to begin to start to get rolling on accomplishing some work. But, since retiring from two careers at roughly the same time in order to begin doing all those things I’ve always wanted to do… well, it’s been a bit more of a challenge to get going than I’d like to admit.

I’m happy to report that I’m finding myself on task and in the zone far more than I was a year ago and I have Tim to thank for this.… Read the rest

Leadership Planting

Productivity stewardship work

Published June 29, 2015 by

Peacefakers

If you haven’t already read it, this is a fine book about cultivating healthy, Gospel relationships within the Church. I read Ken Sande’s first edition of The Peacemaker years ago and have to say this revised and updated Third Edition is greatly improved. I skimmed over my highlighted copy about a month ago and was pleasantly surprised to rediscover this gem, buried among so much treasure:

People who use escape responses [to conflict] are usually intent on “peace-faking,” or making things look good even when they are not. (This is especially common in the church, where people are often more concerned about the appearance of peace than the reality of peace). 

… Read the rest

Books • Literature Christianity • Religion Gospel-Centered Leadership Missional Communities Planting

church discipline Jesus love Peacefakers Peacemakers reconciliation Well-Intentioned Dragons

Published June 18, 2015 by

The Church Is In Post-Christian Exile – But Should We Really Respond Like It’s a War?

While I appreciate the emphasis on humility, I think Karina Kreminski’s take is predictably defensive and thin. Here’s the post: The Church Is In Post-Christian Exile – But Should We Really Respond Like It’s a War?

The short answer to the question she poses in the title of her essay is, Yes. If we take Jesus and the apostles at their word, standing on the shoulders of the prophets and patriarchs, we are in a war. The Bible uses colorful language, simile, metaphor, and other figures of speech to describe or illustrate the Christian life. Jesus followers are both in exile and at war. … Read the rest

Christianity • Religion Eschatology Religion Revelation

Apocalypse Culture Wars Eschatology Jesus Revelation

Published June 14, 2015 by

Why Do I Blog?

Why do I blog? There are a number of reasons, I suppose. francis4

I came across a quote which answers that question and may give you some insight into why I do whatever I do:

Our calling is to enjoy God as well as glorify Him. Real fulfillment relates to the purpose for which we were made, to be in reference to God, to be in personal relationship with Him, to be fulfilled by Him, and thus to have an affirmation of life. Christianity should never give any onlooker the right to conclude that Christianity believes in the negation of life. Christianity is able to make a real affirmation because we affirm that it is possible to be in personal relationship to the personal God who is there and who is the final environment of all He created.

… Read the rest

Blogging Christianity • Religion Gospel-Centered

image of God missional Schaeffer Story of God

Published June 7, 2015 by

Stand Firm

SP11Occasionally, I provide pulpit supply, filling in for a pastor who needs a break for whatever reason. I’ve only done this a few times over the years, but always enjoy it.

In July, I’ll be talking about the Gospel and Paul’s reminder to Christians at Corinth to stand in/on the Gospel message or “word” he had preached or “proclaimed” to them, years earlier:

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. (1

… Read the rest

Gospel-Centered Leadership Planting

Published June 3, 2015 by

Expert: Flesh-Eating Bacteria A Rare Danger 

I thought this was a short, informative article to kick off the summer with. And, please notice that I’m leading off with this pull quote:

These infections are extremely rare,” said Amy Kirby, an assistant research professor at Emory University’s Center for Global Safe Water. There were only 88 cases of necrotizing fasciitis recorded in the U.S in 2013.

Whatever you do, please don’t give in to fear. It’s important to remember that, although the bacteria is common, necrotizing fasciitis and other diseases resulting from exposure to these bacteria are rare and, to some degree, preventable. If you will be swimming this summer, as I will be, remember to bathe afterwards, clean and disinfect any wounds you may have.… Read the rest

Media Coverage Resources

prevention wound care

Published May 25, 2015 by

Retro Posting

This was something I posted back  in 2005 and I thought it might be worthwhile to look back to where we’ve been and see how far we’ve come.

It has long been a dream of mine to redecorate our home in a modern theme, but it looks like that will have to wait for another 5-10 years. In the interim, we have decided upon a retro look and have been scouring thrift stores, garage sales and eBay for furniture and accessories from the same era as the ribbon-cutting on our home, i.e. 1961.couch

Today, Denise, and I were leaving a disappointing garage sale, when we happened upon a young gentleman (who happpened to be from New Zealand), standing in the driveway of his new home, next to this sectional.

… Read the rest

Art • Design • Culture Blogging Just Plain Fun Vintage • Retro • Kitsch

Published May 21, 2015 by

Portland Dad: I survived flesh-eating bacteria

Diagnosis Life After NF Media Coverage

Published May 20, 2015 by

God Is So One-Sided

Have you ever noticed how one-sided your relationship with God is? You would almost get the impression that it’s all about Him. I was thinking about this today and, as it turns out, it’s probably more accurate to speak of His relationship with me. Consider this:

  • God took the initiative. We love because he [God] first loved us. (1 John 4:19 ESV) I wasn’t consulted, when the Lord first loved me. Nor, was I even around when He decided to embrace me (we’ll talk about that in a moment).  I’m not eternal, contrary to the fantasies embraced by some religions. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
… Read the rest

Christianity • Religion Gospel-Centered

atonement Gospel Jesus justification

Published May 18, 2015 by

New Experiences, New Challenges and New Frontiers

This past week was the celebration of the 17th anniversary of our battle with necrotizing fasciitis, the flesh-eating bacteria. I was moved to remember and reflect on some of the new and different experiences the disease brought with it. Here are just a few highlights:

  • I had the blessing of saying my final farewell to three of four family members and survived to remember it, urging them to look to Jesus! I hope to be able to do the same the next time around. Camille was sorta freaked out, because she had finals and wondered if she should go to school or stay with me.
… Read the rest

Christianity • Religion Necrotizing Fasciitis

Published May 12, 2015 by

Robert Frost Took Me Down A Road I’d Never Travelled

I don’t recall memorizing, reciting or reading Robert Frost’s poems in school, while growing up in Southern California. That may seem unusual for anyone my age or older, because he was the nation’s poet laureate and all the rage in the early ’60s. He wrote a poem for John F. Kennedy’s inauguration, which bound him inextricably to the times and events that many baby-boomers cling to as their coming of age.

I had, in the words of one Richard Baxter biographer, a defective and desultory education. I think it was more my fault than any deficiencies in the educational system or my teachers.… Read the rest

Books • Literature