ImNoBetterThanU

Easier said than done...the flesh pushes us towards being haughty consistently. It is easy as we continue on our journey of progressive sanctification that we may begin to judge others, even if it be actions that we ourselves used to commit regularly. Pride can easily be rooted and begin to grow and next thing you know we are acting as the Pharisees did thousands of years ago. Even the slightest bit of haughtiness is an ugly, ugly thing. That is why we should choose the Way. Before followers of Christ were referred to as Christians (Acts 11:26 ESV), they were called disciples of "the Way". The term, the Way, was especially used by Luke...could he foresee the future? What I mean by that is this...how many "Christians" do you know? Or have you known? (I know I used to be one). I went around and claimed to be a Christian when the topic of religion was brought up. I was saved when I was young, baptized, etc. Yet, at some point in my life someth...

Today, I am giving you a  DAILY SURVIVAL KIT  to help you each day............ Toothpick  ... to remind you to pick the good qualities in everyone,including yourself. Rubber band  ... to remind you to be flexible. Things might not always go the way you want,  but it can be worked out. Band-Aid  ... to remind you to heal hurt feelings, either yours or someone else's. Eraser  ... to remind you everyone makes mistakes. That's okay, we learn by our errors. Candy Kiss  ... to remind you everyone needs a hug or a compliment everyday. Mint  ... to remind you that you are worth a mint to your family & Me. Bubble Gum  ... to remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish anything. Pencil  ... to remind you to list your blessings every day. Tea Bag  ... to remind you to take time to relax daily and go over that list of God's blessings. This is what makes life worth living eve...

It is difficult for us as humans to understand the timing of occurrences and circumstances in our life. Our God is far above our concept of time to a point that is impossible to comprehend. One of the biggest challenges, especially when going through a rough season or various trials, is to keep an eternal perspective . We may view something over a period of a few weeks as not to our liking, but as we allow more time to unfold what we initially viewed as insufficient could in fact become overwhelming. For example, look at the stock market. Just a few months ago many individuals (even "experts") were claiming that the stock market had breathed it final breath. Well, just look at the line graph of the stock market over an extended period of time. It is cyclical in nature and (depending on how much longer we are on this earth) it will likely drop immensely again. The same thing occurs if you are running reports at your job to view trends. When the ...

Each and every one of us is a leader; we ALL touch the lives of others...no one can argue that. So in doing so should we not treat all of those whose lives we touch as sheep in our flock? Lead them, protect them, feed them, go after them when one strays, etc. Now, I know it is MUCH easier said than done, trust me, I struggle daily with the commandment of "love your enemy", but if we are not at least trying then how can we ever succeed? If you are attempting to win a marathon do you not have to try by training? If you are habitually late and you want to be early, do you not have to set an alarm? Without trying we would likely never reach any of our goals or aspirations. - Ezekial 34:2-10 Additionally, we can have an impact on each and every individual in which we come in contact with. As reading this...some of you may be thinking that you have no impact on the world. Well, it is my great pleasure to tell you that you are listening to a lie! Whether we realize it or not we ...

This is what the enemy has been doing to all of us since ancient times. Whereas the antiquity of the world is debatable the fact remains that we are being constantly attacked. Are you wearing the armor? (Ephesians 6:10-18) If not...you should be. Oftentimes easier said than done because in our flesh we try so hard to handle everything on our own (especially as men). That is really all I have at this time on the topic. I am hoping to get back to writing more often whereas I found it very therapeutic and relaxing when I did. Until next time... Peace, love, and joy!

A pastor had been on a long flight between church conferences. The first warning of the approaching problems came when the sign on the airplane flashed on: Fasten Your seat belts. Then, after a while, a calm voice said, "We shall not be serving the beverages at this time as we are expecting a little turbulence. Please be sure your seat belt is fastened." As the pastor looked around the aircraft, it became obvious that many of the passengers were becoming apprehensive. Later, the voice on the intercom said, "We are so sorry that we are unable to serve the meal at this time. The turbulence is still ahead of us." And then the storm broke . . . The ominous cracks of thunder could be heard even above the roar of the engines. Lightning lit up the darkening skies, and within moments that great plane was like a cork tossed around on a celestial ocean. One moment the airplane was lifted on terrific currents of air; the next, it dropped as if were about to cras...

...that is exactly what today was here in north Texas. It was truly amazing how the first day of Autumn brought such cool weather that I can assure you was welcomed by most. After the storms last night and the cold front that moved in today the weather was phenomenal.

First, I want to thank Brad for the opportunity that he gave to me to be a guest blogger. This was the first time I had been asked to do so by anyone and I was honored to do so. With that being said, let us dig right in. One of the most important aspects of Leadership to me is serving others. Did I lose some of you? I know that in our society oftentimes when one thinks of being a leader hey think of having all the power, delegating responsibilities, and having others serve you. Is that really what it is all about though? I think not. I believe part of the foundation of Christ's teachings was caring for others and being compassionate servants to those that not only need our support, but to those that need our leadership. ( Matthew 20:26-28 ) I think as believers we would all agree that Jesus was the ultimate leader throughout history and he served and eventually even died for us all. ( John 10:11 ) Another very important part of leadership while serving oth...

I have to be honest...more often than not I do. What will it take for us to learn? Personally, I believe I need another trip to a third world country as I did when I was 13 and I went to Peru. We get caught in this fictitious reality that the world is as WE see it. We have to realize that in the time you will read this post someone died from lack of clean water, someone else is waking up in their home because it is raining on them due to having no roof, someone else is being beaten (possibly to death) because they chose a religious view contradictory to what their government feels is "acceptable"... All of this being done while companies and organizations that could help to solve and/or eliminate these problems spend millions (and some billions) of dollars advertising in hopes of making more profit. It simply does not make sense to me....but some of you will say "who cares". I do... Additionally, while you are reading this there are Americans  putting their lives o...

honestly I can not count how many times I had "quit" smoking in my life prior to the most recent, which was a few months ago. However, this time there is something different. Previously (if brought up in conversation) I would say, "I am trying to quit, it has been [fill in the blank] days, weeks, months, etc." The difference this time is that for the first time in over fifteen years, I actually think of myself as a nonsmoker! It happened a few days ago when I was the gym and my mind was wondering and covering all kinds of topics (as it always does 24/7). It was at that moment that the thought went through my mind that I am actually a nonsmoker. Now if I could only get back into the habit of consistently exercising...

Let’s talk about tomorrow—today. What will your tomorrow be like? Tomorrow could bring death. From the moment we’re born, we’re dying. Someone has said that death is one appointment you may postpone, but can’t cancel (see Psalm 89:47-48). Tomorrow could bring about sickness (Job 14:1-2). We desire a healthy life. But we have to deal with the fickleness of life and our fragile bodies. Tomorrow could bring about trouble and suffering. Our days are filled with pain and grief (Job 5:7, 7:1; Ecclesiastes 2:23). We live with frustration, disappointment, and bitterness (Psalm 90:9-10; Ecclesiastes 5:17). Tomorrow may of course bring no change. Just the mundane grind of sameness. Tomorrow is just like yesterday and the same as today (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Tomorrow could bring about success and rewards. (Ah, finally something positive!) A promotion? Good profits? Life is good and you can’t wait for tomorrow to come (Isaiah 56:12). But what about the next tomorrow? Will tomorrow’s tomor...

"But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries" (1 Cor 16:8-10). Angie and I entered the airport when suddenly she began to feel sick. "Honey, I don't think I can go. I feel awful. I was fine driving down here," she said. We stopped and prayed. She didn't feel any better. She decided she would not go. Sadly we said goodbye to one another. About thirty minutes later I was sitting at the gate when Angie comes running up to me. "I am coming with you," she said. "What happened?" I responded. "I asked the Lord if I was to go and He said 'Yes.' So, I am coming, despite the way I feel." We got onto the airplane and it was only a few minutes into the flight when she turned to me and said, "I feel fine now. I can't believe how much better I feel." Angie and I began to recognize a consistent pattern of this happening whenever we would go o...

I think the title of this post is how well we believe what is rightfully ours. We are given the following: Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-control . We get so caught up in the meaningless things of this world we lose focus and forget what we have been promised; it is ours for the taking! The need and desire to fill every moment of time completing a task has made us lose sight of taking time to enjoy our life while we are here on earth. Do we know how to rest? In these days it seems that we have lost the ability to do so (generally speaking). We have all of this technology that is meant to make us work more efficiently and get more done in less time. So why do we work longer hours? Why do we focus more of our time on things that waste our time? Why do we have less time to rest and relax? To go into even more depth...why do we not trust our God to do his part so that we may relax and enjoy the important things in life. Importan...

A lot has happened in my life (and within me) over the last 18 months. It has been truly amazing. When initial change is confronted is can be scary. Change inspires fear, creates discomfort, and requires taking new risks. However, change also takes us to the next level. When we reach that new level we are rewarded greatly. When we look back at the point we were facing fear it is hard to not laugh at how minor it truly was. Please try to remember that we have to stay focused on the big picture and not allow ousleves to become overwhelmed with current events!

God closes doors no man can open and God opens doors no man can close.

I challenge you all to watch this video. It is about fifteen minutes long. Now before you say you do not have time; think about the individuals that sacrificed their time to be on the side of the road throughout the trip. More importantly think about Sergeant First Class John C. Beale who gave his life not even two months ago so that you and I can have the freedom to use the internet to be watching this. This makes me proud to be an American, want to praise God for this great nation in which I live, and to send many prayers and much gratitude to those that serve to protect our freedom. P.S. - is someone cutting onions around here...or is there a fan on high?

Look back and thank God. Look forward and trust God. Look around and serve God. Look within and find God!

God's accuracy may be observed in the hatching of eggs. For example, the eggs of the potato bug hatch in 7 days; Those of the canary in 14 days; Those of the barnyard hen in 21 days. The eggs of ducks and geese hatch in 28 days; Those of the mallard in 35 days. The eggs of the parrot and the ostrich hatch in 42 days. (Notice, they are all divisible by Seven). God's wisdom is seen in the making of an elephant. The four legs of this great beast all bend forward in the same direction. No other Quadruped is so made. God planned that this animal would have a huge body, too large to live on two legs. For this reason He gave it four fulcrums so that it can rise from the ground easily. The horse rises from the ground on its two front legs first. A cow rises from the ground...

The Lord is my Shepherd ----- that's a Relationship! I shall not want ----- that's Supply! He maketh me to lie down in green pastures ----that's Rest! He leadeth me beside the still waters -----that's Refreshment! He restoreth my soul ----- that's Healing! He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness --that's Guidance! For His name sake ----- that's Purpose! Yea, though I walk through the vall ey of the shadow of death--that's Testing! I will fear no evil ----- that's Protection! For Thou art with me ----- that's Faithfulness! Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me -----that's Discipline! Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies------that's Hope! Thou annointest my head with oil ----- that's Consecration! My cup runneth over ----- that's Abundance! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life----that's Blessing! And I will dwell in the house of the Lord -----that's Security! Forev...

The Lord is my real boss, and I shall not want. He gives me peace, when chaos is all around me. He gently reminds me to pray and do all things without murmuring and complaining. He reminds me that He is my source and not my job. He restores my sanity everyday and guides my decisions that I might honor Him in all that I do. Even though I face absurd amounts of e-mails, system crashes, unrealistic deadlines, budget cutbacks, gossiping co-workers, and an aging body that doesn't cooperate every morning, I still will not stop for He is with me! His presence, His peace, and His power will see me through. He raises me up, even when they fail to promote me. He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens to let me go. His Faithfulness and love is better than any bonus check His retirement plan beats any 401k there is! When it's all said and done, I'll be working for Him a whole lot longer and for that, I BLESS HIS NAME!!!!!!

Whatever happens, dear brothers and sisters, may the Lord give you joy Philippians 3:1 (NLT) A man once told me that he'd broken up with his fiancé because she didn't make him happy enough. Mind you, he was happy with her; she just didn't make him as happy as he felt a future wife should. What this man told me gives memorable insight into how some people view happiness: They believe happiness is dependent upon the people, the things, and the circumstances that surrounded them. Yet, the Bible says don't settle for happiness; aim for joy. Joy comes from within; joy is not dependent upon the people in your life, or the possessions you accumulate, or what's happening at this point in your life. God says you'll find joy, when you trust that he's in control and working to use the good and the bad of your life for a greater purpose. The apostle Paul understood this, writing about joy while in prison, chained to a guard, alone in a foreign city: Whatever happens, d...

This beautiful story was written by a doctor who worked in Central Africa. One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive; as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator). We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates). 'And it is our last hot water bottle!' she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst ...

"Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son" (Gen 22:10). There are times in our lives when God brings a test to see if we are ready to put to death the very thing that God promised we would have. Such was the case in the life of Abraham with Isaac. Isaac was the promised son. Yet, God said to raise the knife to sacrifice him in obedience to God. When God brings such a test into our lives we usually have a choice. Neither choice is attractive. One choice will often salvage some aspect of the vision. The other choice will totally kill the vision from our perspective. However, that is the faith decision. That is the only decision from God's perspective. If we choose the faith decision that kills the vision - we will witness the resurrection of the vision supernaturally by God. Our own faith will be launched into a whole new dimension. He will raise us up in order to speak through our lives in that experience. God often brings that person into a very pub...

I ran across this today and thought that this was an awesome prayer. It truly fits into my life on this day as well. I just wanted to share... Dear God, Thank you for being my Father and my greatest Friend. You listen when no one else does. You love me unconditionally. You correct me when I'm wrong, in whatever way you know I will respond. You comfort me when I grieve. You encourage me when I am discouraged. You lead me when I am confused. You carry me when I am weak. You are awesome! Please help me to be that kind of friend to others. I pray that I will be sensitive to other people's feelings and life situations; that I will be a true friend who speaks the truth in love. I pray that I will be alert to signs that cry out for help. I pray that I will be available when needed. I pray that I will laugh with and have fun with my friends, rejoice with them as well as hold and comfort them when the time comes. May I be consistent in every season of life. May I share your love and shi...

I am grateful for my mother who has always been there for me and continues to show her support through all my times of need. I am grateful for my sister who despite our many differences has always shown me love and is the best sibling I could have hoped and dreamed of having. I am grateful for all my family who has stuck with me through all of my trials and tribulation sin life. I am grateful for my friends who show support when it is needed and are there for me to vent to. I am grateful for the mother of my son who has been an amazing mother and raised a bright, happy boy that will grow into a strong man. I am VERY grateful for the healthy son that I have been blessed with and regardless of the past I now have a bright future whereas I can be an example for him to become a great man that lives the life all men should. I am grateful for GOD for having the grace to let someone with my wicked past live a great life from this day forward so that I may do my part to make this world a bette...

Hello people...I realize that I have not been around here. Things are getting run down. I know. I know. Well, I am trying to get back into the mode of writing again. Not only is it therapeutic but it is thoroughly enjoyable as well. Anyway all I have is this which was shared with me by my mother. Enjoy the Ride!

Many Americans have a predilection to enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning. Well, those that work where I do are no different. However, due to working for a company that is a hybrid combination of two of the worst industries in our nation (at this juncture). They are doing all they can to cut costs whereas we are a sinking ship. The best analogy out there would be in the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" film where Captain Jack Sparrow's ship was sinking and just before it went completely under he stepped off onto the dock. I am just hoping the dock draws near before the ship goes under so I can make it to dry land. Anyone that knows me well knows that swimming is not my strong suit! LOL I digress... Below I have attached portions of an email that we received at my place of employment two weeks ago. Quite amusing if you ask me. "In a continued effort to minimize costs in 2009 we are looking at all areas of our building where we can save money... As a result ...

Experiments from jarrett on Vimeo .

This will be another one of my dream entries....I will do my best to provide as much of it as I can remember.  I was the second vehicle in the caravan we had going to dinner. Not sure who all else was going but there was several cars in our caravan. As we approached our destination there was a spiral ramp (like at a parking garage) leading up the parking lot.  The vehicle in front of me turned sharply which struck me as odd. A split second later I see a NRH police car rapidly approaching me head on (going the wrong direction I might add). I swerve to miss them and do luckily. as I look in my rear view mirror I see the car blast through the wall and over the side.  As odd as it was I continued up the ramp to my parking space. Our group all came up, parked, and we were waiting for our table. I am not sure if anyone else in my group was aware of what happened whereas everyone was simply making small talk as we waited. I kept looking over to where the crowd was gathering looking over a...

It is said that the comet named Lulin (which was only discovered in 2007 by Chinese and Taiwanese astronomers) it making its way out of our solar system to never return. Here is a map of where to find it if you are into these type of once in a lifetime opportunities. Otherwise you can get PDF maps here . 

Damage Inc.  Well, on my way to work this morning... BOOM! ...it happened.  What happened? (you might ask)... Yes I am OK...hopefully the car will be OK... Now moving on... Paper or plastic? Whole Foods will be there first chain to completely stop using plastic bags ! They plan to do so in all U.S., Canada, and U.K. store location no later than on Earth Day 2009 (April 22). They have stopped all orders for new so as they run out; they will no longer be available. Let us now just hope that other stores will follow in their footsteps. Some 4 to 5 trillion plastic bags—including large trash bags, thick shopping bags, and thin grocery bags—were produced globally in 2002, according to the Worldwatch Institute’s State of the World 2004 report. It is said that more than 100 million bags will be kept from the environment in 2009 alone as a result of this action. I for one would be happy to take a road trip and not see one of these bags in a tree or shrub.  Perhaps less widely known is the de...

more proof that (American) football is the greatest and most popular sport in the United States. I just discovered that the Pro Bowl beat out the Lakers - Cavs game in the ratings by almost 20%. That is truly amazing to even me. For those that know me; know that I have to be among the top five percent of fanatical football fans. Yet, even for me it is hard to fathom that there was that much of a separation be tween the two. I mean you have Kobe Bryant and LeBron James on the court competing against one another. WOW! That is all I can say is WOW! Although I watched the Pro Bowl I had no idea that it had that much popularity.  ...I'm just sayin '... LOL

many have implied or flat out stated Google is. Is it because they track a lifelong record of every search query each of its users had made, also including the IP address the query was executed from and a cookie ID to link together queries from a user's computer even if the IP address changes?  I realize that they have an inordinately large amount of information stored on individuals web surfing habits; but this is all public knowledge and is explained in Google's privacy policy .  Additionally, you are notified any time you install something like Google desktop , Picasa , latitude , Grand Central , etc. They are not trying to be secretive about it.  There are plenty of conspiracy theories out there about the what they intend to use the information for...or why? Is it to ingratiate themselves with the governments of the world when information is needed? Is it simply to get into our mind so they can send us the advertising ads with the most relevance to us? Both seem logicall...

I sit back and watch. It pains me at times but I know that life is full of tests and one thing that only we control of ourselves is our integrity. I also know that trust, whereas it takes time to build, can be completely taken away and removed in seconds. That is why I continue to be "that guy" at work. You know the guy many people talk about and call a brown noser? Why do they call me that? I can tell you why. Because, I do what I am paid to do. I show up to work on time. I actually work while I am there. I do not take excessive breaks, lunches, or meaningless trips to the printer/copy machine. I do not take personal calls (nor give out my work number). I do not email on personal matters at work. Nor, do I surf the net while at work.  ...and this all makes me some sort of a freaky nerd? Tell you what I will gladly accept that label.  One thing that consistently shows at EVERY place I have ever been employed is that my performance and results are among the leaders every ti...

the mind truly is an amazing thing. We will never fully understand the complexity of God's true design of it all. But here are some fun hack tricks for your brain! P.S. - You do NOT  even need LSD or mescaline to do these. These are safe and fun for the whole family.

I am truly amazed when I am out and about in public. Whether it be work, the grocery store, a restaurant, and even church *gasp* (yes even at church)...one common occurrence that I witness is someone complaining about something. They may be on the phone going off to the mystery human on the other line; or even just bantering to another individual near them. Either way I am truly amazed that out of everything we have in this country that there is so much to complain about. A country where our homeless live better than many people in third world countries.  I challenge anyone reading this...from this day on...take the opportunity to focus on the positive things in your life. The blessings that have been given to you. If you need to stop and look around at nature...it is soothing, relaxing, and can really allow for you to acknowledge some of the great things we have in life. If you apply your attention prosaically on a daily basis you will find things begin to look up for you. Once you re...

I felt that this post was necessary today whereas today is Data Privacy Day 2009!!! I know that over the last several years the fact that Google tracks your every move down to the day you cut yor toenails has been the cause of much contrvoersy. Well for those of you that feel you have something to hide the answer has arrived. Now there is a search engine that will truly anonymize your search results. It is a (not so) new Netherlands-based search engine named ixquick . Just for the sake of full disclosure: The Dutch search engine does actually use two cookies, but one expires after 90 days and the other expires at the end of each search session. Otherwise if you are a huge Google advocate you can download Google Chrome  which is their web browser. You would then hit 'Ctrl+Shift+N' and it will open what they call an Incognito Window.  Wither of these options can come to be very useful if you need a stealth mode. For example, if youa re planning that dream vaction for Valentines D...

I think that when people call in to an organization for assistance in reference to a matter; they instantly assume that the person that answered the phone is the cause of all their problems in life. Sure it is a major pain to call in using your valuable time, sit on hold, and then have to explain your entire story to the representative that is there to assist you.  However, you should not scream, yell, cuss, and/or argue with the aforementioned individual there to assist you. Keep in mind, that that individual is a consumer just as well and has likely experienced the same issues that you are dealing with. Additionally, it is possible that this individual has likely never (I repeat NEVER) heard of you, seen your account, or even had the slightest knowledge of your existence prior to answering your phone call.  I would also bet my annual salary that there is a 90% (probably higher) chance that the person at which you are dealing out incomprehensible amounts of hate and anger had nothing ...

I find it amazing how common an occurrence it is in our society today to have individuals promise to let go of the past and "start over". These same individual then stridently do the exact opposite.  In fact, I do not just see it with individuals today but also spreading into our corporate world. Look at all of these companies wanting a bailout. How do we expect these organizations to ever change if they are "bailed out"?  How do we ever expect them to truly change their business practices unless you let them fail and then be forced to restructure? Not to say that it is not possible to make the necessary changes for survival without a helping hand...but seriously....is that what we are seeing? IAG being caught on two different occasions at resorts holding so-called restructuring conferences where they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in one weekend. You have banks getting billions in bail-out money then laying off thousands of employees, just to turn around an...

Well, here we are. My first blogoversary! I figured with this I should begin writing again. It has been far too long since I have regularly posted entries in here.  Well the last year was definitely filled with all kinds of change, adversity, etc.  January:  at the time I began writing in this blog I was just coming out of a state of pretty severe depression that was a result of a time in my life of obfuscation. I had never experienced depression before (whereas I am a predominantly happy go lucky kind of person) so it took me a while to even figure out what was wrong within myself. During that time I also began consistently experiencing migraine headaches that would last days. It was what some would call a low-point in my life. The turn around began when I flew into Texas for the holidays. I was able to visit my mother and sister and try to get my thoughts worked out. It worked...I went back to my home in Virginia after the holidays with a new sense of motivation.  February:  I decide...

When you look around and see all the fighting and division in our nation; even our world it is often times confusing. Watch this video and tell me that this is not how all species (especially humans) shoudl interact with one another. 

A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the preacher decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The preacher found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his preachers visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited. The preacher made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the preacher took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember's flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and dead. Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The preacher glanced at his watch and...