I’m back with another ten cent tour of Paraguay via my trusty cellphone camera. If you missed a leg of this photographic look see into the beautiful country of Paraguay then click here. That link will take you to the category page for Photo Friday. From there you can peruse all of the entries at your leisure.

I’m not sure if the flavor comes from the purse or the cat. I am sure I will NOT be tasting either one of them. Just to ask-What does cat/purse taste like? Don’t say chicken.

While we’re on weird translation check out this toy pack. Clearly these are the “New Style.” If you would like to welcome some children then I know just the thing. Children always feel welcomed when they receive low grade import toys.

I think Paraguay may be on the island. I saw this sign up at a construction site in town. It looked like they were building some sort of research lab. Ok, not really…

We have this tree in the back of our yard. It is covered with these flowers. The problem is it can’t decide if it wants to produce yellow flowers or pink flowers. These pink blooms are all over it coming from the same limbs as the yellow ones. cool, huh?

I saw this sign yesterday. While I want to be spry in my old age (think 80′s-90′s) I am not so sure I want to go to a gym called spry. However, there is the added benefit of being agile and energetic.

Finally, there’s this little fellow. We have had a lot more rain recently meaning they are scattering out of their holes looking for oxygen. Honestly this is a small one by comparison to the ones we have had this year.

Well, there ya go. Another fun filled Photo Friday. Have a great weekend.

Which one is your favorite? Why?

Photo Friday by Ken(TheBarba) Hagerman

Today’s post is a podcast.

On today’s episode we ride the time machine back to a much simpler time. Ok, that’s not true. We’re going back to 2002. I am sharing a story about a man. He was rich in ingenuity but poor in coins. This happened during the time we were building our house.

That’s right boys and girls the Barba can swing a hammer, among other things. I was on the roof laying shingles when my dad came to visit. I finished up the stack I had and headed down to see him. Then…

…he saved me.

Do you ever get out of control and need saving?

Subscribe through iTunes here. . . or drop this URL

[ http://www.ramblingbarba.com/feed/podcast/ ]

in your favorite Podcatcher.

I Gotcha by Ken(TheBarba) Hagerman

If you’ve found something good recently, drop me a comment or an email and give me a quick run-down. I might add it to the next round up.

Picture of the Week 

Vanilla Ice is your mom.

Great Blog Posts this Week

The Church of No People-Why No One Is Offended By Jesus Anymore

No Superheroes-Embracing our Ordinary “Ness”

MoeNYC-Watered and Refreshed

The American Jesus-A Different Approach to Campus Evangelism

Rob Shep-Is This Impossible?

Holy Soup-“Life Change Happens in Circles, Not in Rows.” Are You Kidding Me?

Good Articles

Daily Freeman-Yale Divinity grad offers burial plot for Boston bomber.

The Amazing Guide- How I do email.

The Latest Podcast

You Asked For It: 1st to 3rd World: Now on iTunes. Go and subscribe.

Great Video

Old school Spock for the win.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of Rambling with the Barba.

What’s got you rambling this week?

Rambling Round Up by Ken(TheBarba) Hagerman

My dad is a fishing addict. He loves to go fishing. He has a sticker on his truck that says “Fish tremble at the sound of my name.” He’s one of those wackos that says it doesn’t even matter if he catches anything. He just likes being out there enjoying the water and nature and free time. Make no mistake though, he loves bringing home a bucket full, too.

I think you’ll remember my Granny was a fishing fanatic. If she’s willing to climb barbed wire and ignore the “no trespassing” signs to get at an untouched pond then she’s in the club, too. What do you think happens when these two get together?

I think I was too young to remember this story. I may not have even existed which would make me too young. This is a retelling of a telling. My dad had his aluminum John boat loaded up and was heading out to conquer the deep. He invited my Granny to go along with him. What was she going to say? Her veins ran with pond water and I think she had gills. They grabbed their gear and headed out, already formulating their fish stories.

This little boat was kinda small. I was reminded of that anytime I was in it. More so after the time I inadvertently kicked over the bait container releasing 500 crickets (different story).

They arrived at the lake and launched the boat. They tossed in their tackle and pushed off. After selecting the perfect spot they armed their rods with the secret weapons of untold years of experience. The water was smooth. The temperature was mild. My dad spied a great spot to cast his bait. He reached back to fling his lure into this fish lotto and found he’d snagged something.

He turned and tracked his line to find his lure in the top of my Granny’s head. He caught the Big One alright, and this one wasn’t getting away. Two of the three points on his treble hook had sunk in past the barb. Granny said the hook didn’t hurt as bad as him trying to jerk her head off.

Dad looked at the lure pinned to my Granny’s scalp and tried to free it. He gingerly pulled and tugged to no avail. It wouldn’t budge. He started getting a little nervous. He later told me it was because that was his lucky lure and he didn’t want to lose it. Dad announced, “I guess we need to head to the emergency room and have them take it out.”

To which my Granny answered,

“Not before I get some fishing in. It doesn’t hurt and I’m not bleeding to death. Besides, we went through all the trouble of getting out here and it looks like it’s going to be a great day.”

They fished for a while and it was indeed a great day. They caught several fish and had a fun time together. They later stopped by the ER to retrieve my dad’s favorite lure from my Granny’s head and called it a day.

Why would she do that? Why would she ignore the obvious pain?

She went with a purpose and would not allow some distraction to keep her from it. She was focused on that one thing that was the reason for the trip.

³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  Matthew 22:37-40 

What’s your purpose? What’s distracting you from doing it?

Addicted To Purpose by Ken(TheBarba) Hagerman

Today’s post is a podcast.

On today’s episode I hit up the last of the reader questions I have tucked away. As you may have guessed I am talking about 1st to 3rd world adjustments. If you guys like this series as a blog post or a podcast, either way, send me some more questions and your request for text or audio.

Jonathan Montan wanted to know:

My top ten first world to third world adjustments.

I cover those sorts of things a lot on the blog so I had to think to fill the order with fresh items. I didn’t want to rehash some stale old content. You guys are to good for that.

1. I never get correct change.
2. Two worlds colliding before my eyes.
3. Medical care. I has a whole new meaning.
4. Inefficiency

I hope you enjoy it and for all that is holy don’t eat the banana candy.

Subscribe through iTunes here. . . or drop this URL

[ http://www.ramblingbarba.com/feed/podcast/ ]

in your favorite Podcatcher.

You Asked For It: 1st to 3rd world by Ken(TheBarba) Hagerman

If you’ve found something good recently, drop me a comment or an email and give me a quick run-down. I might add it to the next round up.

Picture of the Week 

Texting

Great Blog Posts this Week

The Bearded Idealist- Rule Breakers

Christian in the Rough- Culture Shock

Deuceology- Is Not Pursuing Your Dream A Sin?

The Scenic Route- Mud and Memories

 Holy Soup- To Become the Best Church in Town

Sammy A-Baby Jesus had a cone head.

Good Articles

Buzz Feed- 11 Duck Face Photos Fixed By Adding Spaghetti

The Verge- I’m Still Here: Back online after a year without the internet.

The Latest Podcast

Prayer Ninjas: Now on iTunes. Go and subscribe.

Great Video

Don’t forget to check out the rest of Rambling with the Barba.

What’s got you rambling this week?

Rambling Round Up by Ken(TheBarba) Hagerman

We had just spent ten years in the Lowcountry. That’s not a metaphor–that’s what we in SC call the lower part of the state.  The clock said half past time to roll out, so we made the move back to my hometown near the Upstate foothills. A change of venue was going to be great.

The threat of mountains filled the horizon and the familiar trickle of crystalline creek waters floated on the air. It would be nice but it meant work, too, even though we would live in a familiar town and go to a familiar church. It meant forging new relationships with new young people.

We do youth ministry, and that requires genuine friendship to work well.

It’s our chant over on the family ministry page. A relational style of ministry where you earn the right to speak into someone’s life by investing time and love in them. Community. So when the youth pastor of our new old church invited us to go on a day trip one Saturday, we dove on it.

The plan was to zip through the Blue Ridge Parkway for a Great Smoky Mountains instagram session(before instagram… shameless attempt to be hip). Then hike into the woods to get our nature on. We brought sandwiches so there would be no Man vs Wild going on that day. The youth pastor planned a short devotional time at a popular camping location. It looked to be a great time and the perfect opportunity to get to know some of these skeptics.

I was new to most of these guys so they held me at arms length. My Barba had yet to reach its current state of awe inspiring-ness. I was just a new target for a strategic crack so the fellows could get in good with the ladies.

We piled in around a burned out camp fire to start the devotional when one of the cool kids found an old steak knife. It made the rounds, guy to guy, in the chatty little clique. I didn’t say anything because I was new. Finally, the youth pastor spoke up, “Chris, give that thing to Ken.”

Street Cred

I don’t know why I did it. Maybe it was my own need to be a cool kid but when that blade hit my hand I spun on my heels and flung it like a major league pitcher. It rocketed out of my hand, traveled about 25 feet and sank an inch deep into a lonely little pine standing next to the trail. It just vibrated there. My soul leapt within me.

Instantly the group was swallowed by silence. I had those boys dangling on a string. The youth pastor cleared his throat through a smirk and began reading. A couple of minutes later the chatter started back up, but this time I looked over and whispered, “Hey, cool it over there.” Silence.

I wish I could tell you that I traveled with a circus and threw knives at my wife for money but that’s not true. That little stunt was pure and simple luck. What throwing that knife did was give me instant credibility. Now, instead of being an intruder I was a mystery that everyone wanted to solve.

I. WAS. JASON STATHAM.

We got back to the bus for the trip home and found the keys locked inside. DOH! Not to fear. Christie and I brought our kids on this trip. Those same teens that worried our kids would be bothersome brats now cheered as we stuck toddler Caroline through a vent window and taught her to open the door. SCORE for the new family. We were now cemented for all time as legends. People would write epic poetry about that day, and one day there would be a film adaptation.

Maybe not. But that day went a long way toward getting us in good with that group of teens. They were open to hear our thoughts about their life because of our street cred. It was all because

we wanted to share not only the gospel with them but our lives as well. (1 Thes. 2:8 paraphrased)

Does your life give Jesus street cred?

Jesus Street Cred by Ken(TheBarba) Hagerman

It’s time for the next installment in the Photo Friday series. I’m trying a new format this week let me know what you think. I hope it will be easier for you to view and easier for me to write. So, sit back, buckle up and enjoy the next leg of the tour brought to you by my cellphone camera.
Have a great weekend.

Which one do you like and why?

Photo Friday by Ken(TheBarba) Hagerman

Today’s post is a podcast.

It all started because I can’t understand Spanish well when the speaker is being amplified. It may sound great but if I don’t know what’s being said I may be caught off guard. I have been getting caught off guard a lot lately.

Today I’m covering Prayer Ninjas on the podcast. I’m not talking about the “paint the fence Daniel-san” style of prayer ninja. Don’t be naive, Grasshopper. They’re stealthy. They’re out there and they’re out to get you, man.

Subscribe through iTunes here. . . or drop this URL

[ http://www.ramblingbarba.com/feed/podcast/ ]

in your favorite Podcatcher.

Prayer Ninjas by Ken(TheBarba) Hagerman

If you’ve found something good recently, drop me a comment or an email and give me a quick run-down. I might add it to the next round up.

Picture of the Week 

Great Blog Posts this Week

MOENYC-The Monster Within

Joe Thorn- Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Drip Jesus- Compassion Costs

Randomly Chad- Over the Edge(r)

Ignite- Greater Than You Know

Holy Soup- How to Silence Your People

Good Articles

Lark News- Woman Embalmed, Bronzed in Favorite Pew

The Sideshow- Frankenfish in Central Park waters

Good Podcast

Rambling with the Barba Podcast- You Asked For It Again; Now on iTunes. Go and subscribe.

Great Video

SO COOL!

Don’t forget to check out the rest of Rambling with the Barba.

What’s got you rambling this week?

Rambling Round Up by Ken(TheBarba) Hagerman