WordHurdle tag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-49393 2010-03-07T13:42:38-06:00 Mixing Work, Play, Business, Personal, Religion & Politics TypePad A sunny spring day demands a drive in a bumblebee tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef0120a9104081970b 2010-03-07T13:42:38-06:00 2010-03-07T13:42:38-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan Packed house for the launch of the monthly Kids Experience at Fellowship Bible #fbcozarks tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef01310f75c9ce970c 2010-03-07T10:14:45-06:00 2010-03-07T10:14:45-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan Scott and Robbyn Bybee work magical powers in taming Sunday morning toddlers #fbcozarks tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef01310f75aa6d970c 2010-03-07T09:58:03-06:00 2010-03-07T09:58:03-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan Mystery Jeff Houghton interviews @swagbot @vintagevice Shawn Matthews at the March Mystery Hour tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef0120a90a979f970b 2010-03-06T12:39:43-06:00 2010-03-06T12:39:43-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan Holy cow! Mystery Jeff Houghton has a moustache for the March Mystery Hour tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef01310f6de376970c 2010-03-05T22:27:50-06:00 2010-03-05T22:27:50-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan At Sunday morning teaching during the worship service at Fellowship Bible #fbcozarks tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef0120a8bee456970b 2010-02-21T11:01:06-06:00 2010-02-21T11:01:06-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan At Students Life Sunday morning music at Fellowship Bible #fbcozarks tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef01310f25ccb3970c 2010-02-21T10:43:36-06:00 2010-02-21T10:43:36-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan At Kids Life Sunday morning big group at Fellowship Bible #fbcozarks tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef01310f25c0e2970c 2010-02-21T10:31:42-06:00 2010-02-21T10:31:42-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan This trail behind the OC in Ozark (I just discovered) offers a great peaceful walk along the Finley River tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef01310f227459970c 2010-02-20T12:14:27-06:00 2010-02-20T12:14:27-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan What are they doing along the Hwy 14 strip in Ozark? Building a walking trail maybe? tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef01310f1d5df9970c 2010-02-19T08:21:15-06:00 2010-02-19T08:21:15-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan I need one of these at my house tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef012877b6c089970c 2010-02-18T18:13:53-06:00 2010-02-18T18:13:53-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan Crazy blowing snow just suddenly started filling up the streets of Ozark MO tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef0120a89daa76970b 2010-02-14T17:59:05-06:00 2010-02-14T17:59:05-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan To go sushi plate from Wayo Sushi Bar & Grill on Glenstone Ave in Springfield, MO tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef01287741ba94970c 2010-02-01T14:58:05-06:00 2010-02-01T14:58:05-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan View of the sushi bar at Wayo Sushi Bar & Grill on Glenstone in SGF tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef0120a83db43b970b 2010-02-01T14:31:17-06:00 2010-02-01T14:31:17-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan Wayo Sushi Bar & Grill opened today on Glenstone in SGF - I got some to go sushi tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef012877405bab970c 2010-02-01T14:08:58-06:00 2010-02-01T14:08:58-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan At the Fellowship Bible baptism and churchwide party #FBCozarks tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef0120a838870c970b 2010-01-31T19:31:06-06:00 2010-01-31T19:31:06-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan Listening to Kids Place on XM on the way to school, my 8 year old announced, "You can't rhyme anything with Chewbacca." tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef0120a7f21206970b 2010-01-20T08:41:30-06:00 2010-01-20T08:41:30-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan Kitty cats, LEGOs and MLK Day = the perfect day with Daddy tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef012876eae2ff970c 2010-01-18T10:37:08-06:00 2010-01-18T10:37:08-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan Martin Luther King Day means it's LEGO Time! tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef012876eac582970c 2010-01-18T10:23:27-06:00 2010-01-18T10:23:27-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan I'm this close to Yakov Smirnoff as he talks about making your marriage better. Kinda fun. tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef0120a7d0323f970b 2010-01-13T19:08:04-06:00 2010-01-13T19:08:04-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan Got a flat tire. A friend & I couldn't figure out how to get the spare out so had to call a professional. tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef012876d193b2970c 2010-01-13T14:49:05-06:00 2010-01-13T14:49:05-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan Recipe for Smoky Spanish Glazed Pork Chops tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef012876bf1ac1970c 2010-01-09T21:22:55-06:00 2010-01-09T21:37:56-06:00 Tonight I put together a meal that turned out shockingly well, and this is my attempt to write down the recipe so we don't forget it. I started with one recipe and decided it would end up a little flat... John Vaughan <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Tonight I put together a meal that turned out shockingly well, and this is my attempt to write down the recipe so we don't forget it.&nbsp; I started with one recipe and decided it would end up a little flat and boring, so I ended up expanding it and making a great dish, but I did it what I call "Bobby Flay style", meaning I added a few things as I went along to enhance the flavors based on samples, so I'm going to try to write this down.</p> <p>I started out with 6 boneless pork chops (about 2 lbs.), about 1/2 inch thick.&nbsp; I pulled my first ideas from the Men's Health "Spanish Style Pork Chops" that's part of their <a href="http://www.menshealth.com/easymeals/" target="_blank">Guy Meals Made Easy</a> lineup.&nbsp; For that beginning part, here's what I did:</p> <p><strong>6 boneless pork chops</strong><br> <strong>3 TBsp. McCormick's Grill Mates Sweet &amp; Smoky Rub</strong><br> <em>(NOTE: we couldn't find smoked paprika or its next best substitute, chipotle chili powder, at our local grocery store, but this McCormick's rub has both in it, so we decided to use it instead)<br></em> <strong>The juice of 2 oranges</strong><br> <strong>4 TBsp. olive oil</strong><br> <strong>Salt and pepper to taste</strong><br> <strong>2 tsp. Spice World oregano in a jar</strong><br> <em>(I had some of the jarred oregano that I found at the grocery store a while back for a moment like this)</em><br> <strong>2 tsp. Spice World garlic in a jar</strong><br> <em>(lately I've been using the jarred garlic because it's very handy and easy to keep)</em><br> <strong>2 tsp. Spice World roasted garlic in a jar</strong><br> <em>(again, something I saw at the store a while back and figured it would come in handy for adding a little flavor to a random recipe)</em></p> <p> I combined all of the ingredients but the pork chops in a bowl and mixed them all together. Then I put this mixture in a large Ziploc with the pork chops and marinated for about 2 hours. </p> <p> I am not a big fan of pork chops that don't have some sort of glaze or sauce on them.&nbsp; In the 2 hour wait, I started envisioning a sauce/glaze that could be put together with the pork chops, based roughly on the sauce I noticed in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0848732863?ie=UTF8&tag=vaughansorg-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0848732863" target="_blank">Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2010</a> book for <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1940996" target="_blank">Pork with Pomegranate Pan Sauce</a> (I'm realizing that the recipe on the website via this link is not the same as the version in the book, and I recommend the book version of the recipe). To test out flavors for a sauce/glaze, I made a dip out of the McCormick spice rub above, some roasted garlic olive oil, a container of plain yogurt, and a few dashs of balsamic vinegar.&nbsp; I kept adding spice rub, olive oild and balsamic vinegar until the flavors were balanced, and then I served it up with some honey whole wheat snack crackers to Amy.&nbsp; As we tried it, I discovered the flavors were a little flat.&nbsp; I ultimately decided that it needed some raspberry jam, but we didn't have any.&nbsp; Instead, I grabbed some strawberry jelly out of the refrigerator and started adding it.&nbsp; The first dose helped, but it wasn't perfect.&nbsp; I added more, much more than I would have expected, and it turned out perfectly smoky, spicy and sweet all at the same time.&nbsp; The sharpness of raspberry jam would have been the exact flavor I was shooting for, but strawberry jelly did a good job.&nbsp; When Amy said it was good, I knew I had the right combination. </p> <p>We have a new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0028UCA0S?ie=UTF8&tag=vaughansorg-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0028UCA0S" target="_blank">Calphalon 12-Inch Round Grill Pan</a><img alt="" class="pzdxlxydunfrselapqvn pzdxlxydunfrselapqvn pzdxlxydunfrselapqvn pzdxlxydunfrselapqvn pzdxlxydunfrselapqvn pzdxlxydunfrselapqvn pzdxlxydunfrselapqvn pzdxlxydunfrselapqvn pzdxlxydunfrselapqvn pzdxlxydunfrselapqvn pzdxlxydunfrselapqvn pzdxlxydunfrselapqvn pzdxlxydunfrselapqvn " src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=vaughansorg-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0028UCA0S" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> that Amy's parents gave us for Christmas. It works wonders, although you have to turn on the vent fan because it creates some serious smoke. After the pork chops had marinated nicely and I had settled on a good flavor combination for the dip, I put about a tablespoon of olive oil in the grill pan, heated it up to medium high, and put the pork chops on the grill pan, making sure to reserve the remaining marinade for the sauce.&nbsp; I covered the grill pan (to limit the smoke) and grilled the pork chops on each side for 3 minutes to get a good sear.&nbsp; I preheated the oven to 350 degrees and put a cookie sheet in the oven, and after the pork chops were seared on both sides, I put them in the oven on the cookie sheet to keep them warm and cook a little more while I was working on the sauce.</p> <p>For the sauce, I used the following:</p> <p><strong>1 Tbsp. olive oil</strong><br> <strong>1-2 tsp. Spice World roasted garlic in a jar</strong><br> <strong>The remainder of the pork chop marinade</strong><br> <strong>2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar</strong><br> <strong>1/4 cup of heavy cream</strong><br> <strong>1/2 to 3/4 cup of strawberry jam (or raspberry jam)<br></strong></p> <p>As soon as the pork chops were out of the grill pan, I added a little more olive oil to the pan and a tablespoon or so of the roasted garlic from the jar.&nbsp; I sauteed the garlic a little bit and then poured the marinade into the grill pan.&nbsp; If I'd had some shallots on hand, I would have sauteed some chopped shallots as well, but sadly, I didn't.&nbsp; Due to the heat of the pan things were cooking quickly, so I poured in the marinade, loosening up the pan juices from the pork chops.&nbsp; I then I poured this mixture of pan juices and marinade into a separate large skillet to cook.&nbsp; To this mixture I added 2 Tbsp. of balsamic vinegar to give it a little bite and some heavy cream to soften and blend the flavors and thicken it up (although I'm not sure I needed the heavy cream, but my intent was to replicate the effects of the yogurt in the dip).&nbsp; I rounded out the sauce with strawberry jam (again, I'd recommend raspberry, but I didn't have any).</p> <p>I cooked all the ingredients, boiling them together in the saucepan on medium to medium-high heat for about 7 minutes until it became slightly thick.&nbsp; Next, I took the pork chops out of the oven, and put them in the skillet with the sauce as it cooked.&nbsp; I cooked the pork chops in the sauce for 2 minutes, turning them quite a bit to make sure they were well-covered with the sauce.&nbsp; This turned the sauce into a glaze on the pork chops that really sealed in the pork chop flavors with a smoky and sweet coating.</p> <p>We served the pork chops with some Spanish rice out of a package and some orange sections.&nbsp; The flavors blended together perfectly.&nbsp; I was shocked at how well it all worked out and how well-blended the spicy, sweet, smoky and tangy flavors were together.</p> <p>I tried to turn what was left of the sauce into a glaze, but it was very thick.&nbsp; I think the heavy cream may have congealed the jam too much.&nbsp; I put this compote-like mixture on top of my pork chops, but the pork chop tasted better without this addition.&nbsp; I might leave out the heavy cream next time to see how the remaining sauce thickens.</p></div> My New Years Day view of Table Rock Lake thanks to my sister - beautiful & brisk outside tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef0120a7963686970b 2010-01-01T12:42:02-06:00 2010-01-01T12:42:02-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan The moment of Bass Pro Santa Claus joy worth waiting for tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef0120a777dcbf970b 2009-12-23T17:55:06-06:00 2009-12-23T17:55:06-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan This is Zach's "We get to see Santa!" face tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef0120a777d520970b 2009-12-23T17:44:31-06:00 2009-12-23T17:44:31-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan Review of Mark Batterson's newest book, Primal tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef012876779675970c 2009-12-22T23:32:22-06:00 2009-12-22T23:39:48-06:00 I've been a Mark Batterson fan for several years now. I think I discovered Mark first when I listened through a series of CDs from a conference at Willowcreek focusing on churches that were operating in more than one site.... John Vaughan <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><a href="http://blackdog.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341e757853ef012876778bf9970c-pi" style="float: right;"><img alt="Mark-batterson-profile" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341e757853ef012876778bf9970c " src="http://blackdog.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341e757853ef012876778bf9970c-800wi" style="margin: 5px;" title="Mark-batterson-profile" border="0" /></a> I've been a Mark Batterson fan for several years now. I think I discovered Mark first when I listened through a series of CDs from a conference at Willowcreek focusing on churches that were operating in more than one site. The church that Mark pastors in Washington, DC, called <a href="http://theaterchurch.com/" target="_blank">National Community Church</a>, had a handful of venues in Metro stations in the DC area. At that time, they were just launching a <a href="http://ebenezerscoffeehouse.com/" target="_blank">coffee shop serving Capitol Hill called Ebenezer's</a>. From that time on, I've followed Mark and his church by visit his blog at <a href="http://www.evotional.com/" target="_blank">evotional.com</a> and following him on <a href="http://twitter.com/markbatterson" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mark-Batterson/65129903139" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. He attended Central Bible College here in Springfield, Missouri, and I will occasionally notice him (via his Twitter account) frequenting local restaurants when he's in the local area for speaking engagements.</p> <p>Mark is a young, vibrant pastor who is setting the pace for innovation mixed with inspiration and vision within the evangelical community. It seems that every time I hear about an upcoming Christian conference, Mark is one of the featured speakers, teaching on leadership in the local church. He is full of organizational and leadership tips, and he seems to always have an inspiring one-liner to challenge you in your faith or your leadership or vision focus. He has written several books in the past few years, most of which I've read, including <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1590527151?ie=UTF8&tag=vaughansorg-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1590527151">In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars</a><img alt="" class="vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin " src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=vaughansorg-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1590527151" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1590527194?ie=UTF8&tag=vaughansorg-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1590527194">Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God</a><img alt="" class="vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin " src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=vaughansorg-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1590527194" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> .</p> <p>I received a free advance copy of his latest book, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1601421311?ie=UTF8&tag=vaughansorg-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1601421311">Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity</a><img alt="" class="vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin " src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=vaughansorg-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1601421311" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> from his publisher Waterbrook Multnomah to read through and review. The book is officially available for purchase today, so I'm writing a quick review to give you an idea of what to expect.</p> <p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1601421311?ie=UTF8&tag=vaughansorg-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1601421311" style="float: left;"><img alt="Primalcover" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341e757853ef012876779444970c" src="http://blackdog.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341e757853ef012876779444970c-800wi" style="margin: 5px;" title="Primalcover" border="0" /></a><a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1601421311?ie=UTF8&tag=vaughansorg-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1601421311">Primal</a><img alt="" class="vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin " src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=vaughansorg-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1601421311" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> is a relatively short book that feels very readable when you pick it up, and what I found when I started reading through its opening chapters is that it really sucks you in quick. Mark's premise is that it is important to take time to step out of our daily lives of faith and get back to the roots of what we believe. He recounts the story of discovering a church in Rome that had catacombs dating back from the second century down below the current church building and the feeling of awe that overwhelmed him when he walked down those stairs into a place where the earliest Christians practiced their fledgling faith. He challenges the reader to get back to the original thoughts, the primal thoughts, the "burning bush" of their faith that was there when they first met God and reignite that fire and faith.</p> <p>Mark lands on the Great Commandment from the Bible, the concept of loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, as one of the simplest, more straight-forward view of the Christian life, and calls us to dig deep into these concepts and pursue them deeply. He then creates some more pragmatic terms with those four element, describing the heart piece as a call to love God with a sense of compassion, the soul piece as a call to love God with a sense of wonder, the mind piece as a call to love God with a sense of curiosity, and the strength piece as a call to love God with a sense of energy. He then quickly dives into a discussion of each of these four elements and how to apply them in your love affair with God.</p> <p>At this writing, I'm about halfway through the book. I've read completely through the heart/compassion section and I'm now well into the soul/wonder section. Mark keeps things moving, but really challenges you to step up in your walk of faith and really grasp an inspired life with God that erupts from the inside out. His writing is full of personal stories that bring his thoughts together and some practical moments where he throws a few ideas at you to help you move one step closer to the concepts he's placing before you. I would encourage you to read this book -- it's simple but pragmatic and challenging, and I've used the word several times now, but it fits this book very well -- "inspiring". Mark's writing style is easy to read and very approachable and casual, and I've found it an enjoyable read so far.</p> <p>This book has 171 pages when you don't count the endnotes, and Mark has broken it down into 4 sections of 2 chapters each, along with an introduction and conclusion chapter. I could be easily used as a small group study for anywhere from 4-10 weeks, depending on how much the group wants to read each week. The book doesn't have group discussion questions included, but Mark typically publishes a small group guide for his books sometime after the book goes live. The book is very Biblical in its sourcing, and Mark quotes lots of verse directly to support his ideas plus adds endnotes of verses that connect as well. I would encourage using this book in a group where the individuals are stuck in a rote, textual view of God and may need some help stepping out into a more practically lived out, emotional and guttural sense of life with God.</p> <p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1601421311?ie=UTF8&tag=vaughansorg-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1601421311">Primal</a><img alt="" class="vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin " src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=vaughansorg-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1601421311" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> is worth the read, and if you've never read anything from Mark Batterson, it's a good introduction to his writing, and so far, I'm finding that this book has brought me in, kept my attention and challenged my status quo even more than his other books I've read.</p> <p>You can buy the book<a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601421319" target="_blank"> from Random House directly</a> or you can purchase it at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1601421311?ie=UTF8&tag=vaughansorg-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1601421311">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" class="vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin vtkvlrhnwnlnfygwthin " src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=vaughansorg-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1601421311" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> , <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Primal/Mark-Batterson/e/9781601421319/?itm=9" target="_blank">Barnes &amp; Noble</a>, <a href="http://www.bookschristian.com/se/product/books/Mark_Batterson/Primal/577959/" target="_blank">BooksChristian</a> and most other booksellers.</p></div> Is Obama really a Republican plant? tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef0128767556a8970c 2009-12-22T10:52:49-06:00 2009-12-22T10:52:49-06:00 Is Barack Obama really just a Republican plant? Has he spent his whole life to become a Democratic president all as part of a sinister scheme by Republicans to make Democrats look bad? Bob Parks makes a strong tongue-in-cheek case... John Vaughan
Is Barack Obama really just a Republican plant?  Has he spent his whole life to become a Democratic president all as part of a sinister scheme by Republicans to make Democrats look bad?  Bob Parks makes a strong tongue-in-cheek case for this notion. 
 Stuff Christians Like #674: Treating our quiet times like magic spells tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef0120a76e76be970b 2009-12-21T12:50:58-06:00 2009-12-21T12:50:58-06:00 I get a kick out of Jonathan Acuff's blog "Stuff Christians Like". He does a great job of capturing the ironic elements of the evangelical Christian life in America without being negative and grumpy like some fall into. Today's "Stuff... John Vaughan

I get a kick out of Jonathan Acuff's blog "Stuff Christians Like". He does a great job of capturing the ironic elements of the evangelical Christian life in America without being negative and grumpy like some fall into.

Today's "Stuff Christians Life" post made me laugh as he discusses how we treat the "formula" with which we do our "quiet times" as if it's some kind of magic spell that will conjure up the God of the Bible.  Funny stuff and so true.  It's so easy to push aside time with God so we've mechanized the "quiet time" into its own standalone Christian concept, much like the "prayer form" of bowed heads and folded hands that someone has taught my children.

May we all pursue the God of the Bible wholeheartedly and do everything it takes and whatever it takes each of us individually to quiet ourselves enough to hear God's voice and come close to Him.

 Brady lost a front tooth a couple days ago - that brings to mind a kids Christmas song tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef012876640b7d970c 2009-12-17T17:48:50-06:00 2009-12-17T17:48:50-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan Back in the US, hundreds upon hundreds of people in the customs line with 8 open booths tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef0128762167f0970c 2009-12-06T19:56:51-06:00 2009-12-06T19:56:51-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan Wiring my kitchen light switch onto the other side of the wall - wish me luck! tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef012875ea2f31970c 2009-11-28T22:56:05-06:00 2009-11-28T22:56:05-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan Congrats @askinosie on the huge Askinosie Chocolate cover to 417 Magazine tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef012875d4298f970c 2009-11-24T18:19:18-06:00 2009-11-24T18:19:18-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan Just removed a door, its frame & trim as Phase 1 of Operation Monster Fridge Breathing Room, Code Word "Hope This Works" tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef012875ce90aa970c 2009-11-23T21:22:50-06:00 2009-11-23T21:22:50-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan My kindergartner Zach singing at his first fall school concert tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef0120a6aceabe970b 2009-11-17T19:18:57-06:00 2009-11-17T19:18:57-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan Family trip to Target & something tells me the retail Christmas season has begun tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef0120a69f13be970b 2009-11-14T13:05:53-06:00 2009-11-14T13:05:53-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan At Ohana Japanese Steakhouse in #SGF as @derekhime takes over the grill for his birthday tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef0120a6922ef2970b 2009-11-12T19:46:03-06:00 2009-11-12T19:46:03-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan Mystery Jeff Houghton opening the November Mystery Hour tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef0120a65f2f3a970b 2009-11-06T22:43:57-06:00 2009-11-06T22:43:57-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan Eating a @BrownBagBagels Jalapeno Lime Salad with a @TheCoffeeEthic Moroccan Mint green tea tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef0120a65773de970b 2009-11-05T13:10:29-06:00 2009-11-05T13:10:29-06:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan Princess Leia up close ... and to think she didn't used to like Halloween tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef0120a69b29f3970c 2009-10-31T20:36:12-05:00 2009-10-31T20:36:12-05:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan Princess Leia up close ... and to think she didn't used to like Halloween tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e757853ef0120a69b29e9970c 2009-10-31T20:36:11-05:00 2009-10-31T20:36:11-05:00 Posted via email from Lawyervon's feed @ Posterous.com John Vaughan