Yum,Yum

Dale Jenkins blog has a good discussion of the best places to eat. I know I don't need to be reading it, and have threatened to boycott. He mentioned the KFC at Hamilton, AL that has a buffet and it is fine. Also, Brooksies in Jackson,TN. which I have tried and it is good. Here are my 5-

1)Dale's Southern Grill in Birmingham on Hwy 31 just below the Galleria. The most extensive menu I have seen. They are moderately priced and have so many good things. The most recent I tried was pecan encrusted trout. I love the bran muffins and carrot souffle. It is like a dessert.
2)Big Bob Gibson in Decatur- the bbq- the white sauce is wonderful(and available at Walmart) Susan and I went last week while she was out of school. We are dieting so we decided we would split a BBQ filled potato. Believe me, both of us had plenty.
3)Fish Market in Birmingham(My all time favorite.)the fish- most any kind- Lemon Pepper Amberjack, grilled Mahi-Mahi, grilled redfish magic, shark steak- my mouth is watering and I am not even hungry.
4)Niki's West- Bham-the vegetables. One of the most unlikely locations for a successful restaurant in the world- but it continues to be a favorite of so many.
5)GW's Steakhouse in Hueytown-Bacon cheesburger- This is an old place that has recently been refurbed and was the Iceberg which was a haunt of all the Nascar guys. They have a great meat and 3, but that bacon cheesburger is unreal.

What are your favorites?

Lads To Leaders 2008

Our congregation at Sylvan Springs has certainly benefit from participating in Lads To Leaders for the past 9 years. Each year we have seen our youth grow and our adults benefit from helping as well. In this picture, notice how much more hair I have than Billy and Josh.

A Merry Heart

I think this blog needs a little more humor lately. Last night was one of those moments at Sylvan Springs that you don't forget for a while. It was singing night and one of our well meaning deacons was going to brag on our singing. His comparison was that he had attended a church twice as large while visiting away yesterday morning and the singing was still not as loud or spirited as ours. Instead of saying he had been at "________ Church of Christ" which was the case, he said he had attended "__________ Assembly of God". He didn't realize what he had said, but everyone else did. I doubt I was the only one who had to wipe his eyes from getting so tickled. It was the last song before I had to extend the invitation and I told some of our folks I should receive an award for regaining my composure. I was reminded of a time when I was preaching on the crucifixion and in my most dramatic tone said, "And they placed a "thrown of corns upon his head."

Cold Camp-

March is an interesting month in Alabama. One day it snows, the next it is 75 degrees. I took these pictures at Indian Creek Youth Camp on Saturday. The last one is a picture of my dear friend and brother, L.T. Gurganus. He does mission work in Russia and Ukraine.

Ode To Mental Illness

Yesterday the house passed a bill to require insurance companies that offer coverage for mental illness to make it equal with that of physical illness. In other words, no more "coverage for a sick stomach-80 or 100%", and "Coverage for a sick mind- 50% or less" The senate passed a different version of the bill in September. This is long overdue in my opinion. People seldom, if ever, make a conscious choice to be mentally ill. It is simply ignorance to think so. While it may be true that some people bring certain things upon themselves, it is no more that way with mental illness than physical. Mentally ill people are some of the world's most needy, and often the most neglected. Here is a poem I wrote that has some food for thought.


No Man’s Land
Not understood, no helping hand,
Because I’m out in “No Man’s Land,”
I can no longer think so good,
If I had my wish, I surely would.

One breaks a leg or hit’s his head,
Friend’s come around and make his bed,
They bring a dish, they understand,
But not me, I am out in “No Man’s Land,”

I did not choose to be mentally ill,
I wish they could cure it with a pill,
Today is hard, tomorrow worse,
Some people think I have a curse.

I hurt inside, and no one’s there,
And it’s not really that they do not care,
It’s rather that they do not know,
Just how to help, concern to show.

Friend have no fear, just come and stand,
By my side, lend me your hand.
I’m still inside where I’ve always been,
Waiting for comfort from a dear old friend.

Just be there for me, as I would for you,
Be kind, soft words, loving and true.
Don’t say too much, I won’t understand,
Because I am out in “No Man’s Land.”

I may not even know that you are there,
I may not respond, as if you care,
But you will receive a crown one day,
For a “little one” you went out of your way.

You showed your love, as Jesus bid,
You helped me, more than you thought you did.
You took time to try to understand.
What it’s like to be in “No Man’s Land.”

It happens to more than just a few,
I pray it doesn’t happen to you.
Who knows just where tomorrow you’ll be,
Perhaps in “No Man’s Land” with me,

By David Courington

Weight Loss Helps

Since I broached the weight loss subject with someone else's article, I will give a few tips of my own. I have lost a lot of weight in my time. Unfortunately, I have gained back more. But one bright spot that I read some time ago is that every time you fail, you learn something new that puts you closer to success. That sounds good anyway. I have found a few things recently that have made it easier for me, so maybe they will help you. If you have some tips, leave them as a comment.

It is common to hear, "Eat Breakfast," but until recently, I have not heeded it much. One reason is that it is often inconvenient to fix something. 2 things have helped. One is whole grain cereal. When I eat granola or another whole grain type, I am less hungry later on in the day. Another is those delicious Quaker Oatmeal to Go bars. They are really moist and tasty. Great with a cup of coffee.

I have always liked vegetables but again, it is not always simple to prepare them for a quick meal. In comes the Bird's Eye "SteamFresh" line of microwave vegetables(We have tried some others that were not as good). Nothing could be simpler, they are very low calorie, and delicious.

Need a sweet snack? I have tried a lot of granola/grain bars that were supposed to be good for you, but they were not very good. Fiber One bars(I have tried Caramel and Chocolate) are unbelievably tasty. They are only 140 calories, so if you have a sweet tooth, indulge.

Grilled Zuccini is great. We have a little indoor electric grill that does a good job with it.

Salads are sometimes a great choice, but you have to watch the add-ons, especially the dressing. I got a side salad at McDonald's the other day and they gave me 2 small packets of blue chesse dressing. I could not believe they were 180 calories each(and calories do count, whether you count them or not!) 2 packets of that is a meal by itself. But now for my favorite. It didn't even sound good to me the first time I tried it, but Ken's Lite Raspberry Vinagrette is fantastic. Try it and see.

Happy Dieting!(And that is what it is and always will be. Those sophisticated, too highly educated folks who tell you that it is not a diet, but an eating plan, are off the mark. What you eat is your diet. That is why they call people who specialize in such things dieticians.)