How's My Attitude? 1-800-DRP-DEAD

It's spring training season here, so another baseball OUCH!

I didn't get to the valve adjust today. No sweat; it will be there tomorrow. I'm also on the trail of what may be a failing voltage regulator. The good news is that a new regulator for a '67 VW Beetle is readily available and runs $36. I don't know as much as I wish about a car's electrical systems, so this will be a good learning experience.

I finished that John Grisham book, "The Appeal." I'd recommend it. His novels are easy to read and move quickly. They will never be confused with great literature. I consider them purely recreational reading, akin to the maple frosted donut I just ate. But I've learned something from each of his books. "The King of Torts" taught me what torts are and how messed up our tort system is. This book uses an engaging story line to make the case that judges should be appointed, not elected.
It had been too long since I'd read a novel, so I want to begin another one right away to keep me in the habit of doing a little reading each day. Just don't know what book that will be.

I heard a segment on NPR today about the visit British Prime Minister Gordon Brown made to the White House earlier this week. I'd seen a headline a few days ago that suggested the British press was more than a little upset at the way Pres. Obama treated Brown, and this story fleshed that out.
Apparently it's normal for the press of both countries to have an opportunity to meet with and question the President and the Prime Minister when they visit each other. But no press conference was scheduled this time, with only a hastily called brief interaction called at the last minute. Apparently that was interpreted as a slight on PM Brown, implying that the White House doesn't consider his visit significant enough for a press conference.
That struck me as a bit overly sensitive. But then I heard about the standard gift exchange.
Prime Minister Brown presented Pres. Obama with a pen holder made from the HMS Gannet, sister ship to the HMS Resolute, from which the Oval Office desk is made. Brown also gave Obama a 7-volume biography of Sir Winston Churchill by Sir Martin Gilbert. Clearly gifts with a good deal of forethought.
In return Pres. Obama gave Brown a 20-volume set of movies on DVD, including The Wizard of Oz and ET. A Best Buy special?
Since both leaders have children they also exchanged gifts for their kids. The Obama girls were given dresses and jewelry from a famous British store, picked out by Mrs. Brown. The two Brown boys were given models of Marine One, the President's helicopter. Think: White House gift shop.

I'll cut President Obama some slack here. He is, after all, dealing with a fairly pressing economic crises. But that's why he's got a bevy of secretaries and advisors who are supposed to take care of these kinds of things. And while getting a gift exchange totally wrong isn't the end of the world (or, thankfully the end of a marriage - trust me on that one!) we have to hope that the administration has learned a valuable lesson this time around. Better to screw it up with our allies the British than, say, the Russians, the Iranians, or - God forbid - the French.

God has blessed Pathway Bible Church this week. We've had two guys who had both been laid off, and over the last 36 hours both have accepted job offers. One of them had been out of work for a year.
We had a new family visit last week and they told someone they'll be back this week and will be bringing friends with them.
In Sunday's worship service we'll tackle a difficult topic as covered in 1 Cor. 7:1-16, but we'll let God's Word speak and accept it as authoritative. And in second hour we'll continue our "Google Earth" look at Acts. Good times.
I'm thankful for the privilege of being a part of Pathway Bible Church.