Set Your Mind on the Right Things

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.. - Philippians 4:4-8

So often the challenges we face are made more difficult by the fact that we haven't set our minds on dwelling on the right things. We allow ourselves to become overcome with anxiety and worry rather than focusing our attention on the things we need to be thinking about. This is what Paul refers to as being "transformed by the renewing of your mind" in Romans 12:2. As we look at his exhortation to the congregation at Philippi a little closer we see three key lessons that Paul is trying to teach us.

First, our lives should be characterized by rejoicing in all things and in all circumstances. Paul commands us to rejoice in the Lord always (verse 4). It's so important that he repeats the command. Our default position should be one of worship in everything we do. The natural consequence is that gentleness will be evident to all as noted in verse 5.

Second, Paul commands us to not be anxious about anything (verses 6-7). However, it's not a command to simply not worry. Like so many of his teachings, Paul is coupling giving up one thing (being anxious) with doing something else (prayer). It also comes with a promise that by following through on this instruction you will be blessed with the peace of God (verse 7) that will guard your heart and your mind in Jesus.

Just imagine for a moment how the Philippians probably reacted to reading that instruction. I can imagine more than one of them saying something like "What does Paul know about not being anxious? Doesn't he know what stresses I am facing? Doesn't he know what difficult situations I have to deal with?" No doubt there were a few of his readers that were probably put off by Paul's exhortation to not be anxious. That's my first reaction, too. But then Paul knew exactly what he was talking about. He had faced his own share of trials (see Acts 27:13-44, for example). He had faced numerous perilous situations throughout the course of his ministry. So he had experienced firsthand the peace of God as he had practically applied the advice he was now giving to the Philippians.

Finally, Paul concludes by encouraging the Philippians to set their minds on the right things (verse 8). It's our human nature to dwell on negative things rather than on the ways that we are blessed. Applying Philippians 4:8 requires a radical change in outlook and conditioning ourselves to respond in a Christlike manner to things that happen to us rather than out of our sinful nature. In other words, we need to not allow ourselves to be robbed of the joy of knowing Jesus. Don't focus on what you don't have or what you need. Focus instead on the blessings that God has given you.

By setting our mind on the right things, we can dramatically alter our outlook on life and increase our ability to be a blessing to others. By setting our hearts and minds on worship, we can become a shining light for Christ in a world lost in the darkness of sin.

Friday Tweet Recap

It's Friday and it means that it's time for another recap of items that I tweeted recently that caught my attention. Enjoy the links!

Have you ever wondered whether to accept a LinkedIn invitation from someone? Here's some good advice on deciding whether to accept or decline.

If you are like me and work online then e-mail can be your worst enemy. Here are some tips on how to manage your e-mail.

First he was a rock and roll musician. Then he became a hero.

My daughter (who is an aspiring writer) shared the four worst pieces of advice for young writers.

How baseball saved a relationship between a father and son.

The original outfield obstruction.

The Home Run Derby is a fixture at baseball's annual All Star Game festivities. But it was a television show first.

Here are nine traditions that have been lost from baseball.

You don't see this every day: a bunt double.

It's the dream of every blogger to have a post go viral. Here's how one blogger did it without even really trying.

Outfitted and equipped for working at a coffee shop.

Ten really cool lifehacks from 100 years ago.

39 Hidden Mickeys found in Disney animated movies.

This movie looks like it will be really good: Saving Mr. Banks.

10 fabulous pieces of Shakespeare swag.

Can't make it to Monticello? Now you can visit it via Google Street View.

Yesterday was Independence Day. Here are reflections on two great speeches from Abraham Lincoln and Lou Gehrig (yes, there is a connection). Bonus: here's a color photo of Gehrig from that speech.

Young George Washington's experience one July 4th went on to shape our quest for independence.

How to apply the craftsman's work ethic to our everyday lives.

Dumb criminal alert: robber fails to get money from convenience store clerk and the wanders off to the Mug Shot Saloon for a drink (you can't make this stuff up).

One of the most overlooked amendments to the Constitution is the Third which prohibits the quartering of soldiers in citizens' homes during peacetime. This was a common problem in Colonial America especially in Boston. So it doesn't normally come up in the normal course of litigation. However, one homeowner decided to assert his Third Amendment rights against the police who wanted to use his home for a stakeout. It will be interesting to see whether the court agrees with the homeowner's argument.

Whatever you might think of his policies or his time as President you would have to agree that George W. Bush is a decent person. One of his big priorities while he was president was helping the people of Africa. It still is as can be seen from these photos of his recent trip there to do relief work. More photos here.

The cheeseburger is certainly an All American dish but who knew that each state had it's own unique burger?

Speaking of food, I'm all for trying to get a free meal but this is insane (and somehow incredibly cute at the same time).

That's it for this week. Have a great weekend!

Who To Follow On Twitter: Don't Know Much About History

Of all social media platforms I consider Twitter to be my favorite in part because it's a useful way to find out things that are of interest to me on the web. But it can be a little overwhelming to know exactly who to follow. In this series, I'll share some of the feeds that have become my favorite feeds to follow. The following is a list of authors with a bent towards history as well as a couple of historical feeds that are worth a follow:

1. Eric Metaxas (@EricMetaxas)

The New York Times Bestselling author probably wouldn't consider himself a historian or biographer but he has shown himself adept at both roles. His books include Bonhoeffer, Amazing Grace, and most recently 7 Men. He is also host of Socrates in the City in New York. He is also the host of Breakpoint Radio. In addition, he's an incredibly funny guy and definitely worth a follow.

2. Amity Shlaes (@AmityShlaes)

She is the author of the excellent biography Coolidge as well as the previous bestseller The Forgotten Man about the Great Depression. She frequently shares links of a historical nature particularly connected with her books. Both books should be on your must read list. My interview with her about The Forgotten Man is here.

3. Stephen Mansfield (@MansfieldWrites)

Most recently the author of Killing Jesus as well as faith biographies of George W. Bush and Barack Obama, he is another author to definitely follow on Twitter. His tweets are often about a variety of different subjects with links to articles of note. Among books of his I would recommend are Ten Tortured Words about the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment and More Than Dates and Dead People which deals with restoring a Christian view to history.

4. Jane Hampton Cook (@janehamptoncook)

Formerly a webmistress during her time in the Bush White House, Cook has always had an interest in history. She is a frequent contributor on cable news as well as a prolific author. Her latest book is American Phoenix, a biography of John Quincy and Louisa Adams.

5. Joel C. Rosenberg (@JoelCRosenberg)

Few people understand biblical prophecy and Middle East politics as well as Joel Rosenberg. He blogs about events in the Middle East at his Flash Traffic blog. He is also the author of numerous political thrillers, all of which I would heartily recommend. His latest book is Damascus Countdown.

6. Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC)

He's best known as a presidential historian and author of a number of books. But he's also proprietor of one of the coolest Twitter feeds out there. Don't take my word for it: read this Washington Post profile. His accidental entry into Twitter has been one of the best feeds to come along in a while. The reason? He tweets nothing but photos many of which had never before been published. I have no idea where he finds them but they are always worth checking out.

7. Life (@LIFE)

In its heydey, LIFE Magazine was the penultimate historical photo album. If it happened, LIFE photographed it. Now the vast archives of photos is being posted on the internet. Many of them weren't even published originally in the magazine. They tweet out whenever they post a new album on their site. You could easily spend hours and hours looking through their pictures.

8. World War II Tweets (@RealTimeWWII)

Imagine what it would be like to have Twitter cover a major geopolitical event like World War II and you have what this feed is all about. Started a couple of years ago, this project documents events as they happen on a particular date. As I am writing this, they are tweeting through 1941 and intend to continue all the way through the end of the war. They also frequently post photographs that are absolutely amazing.

9. Smithsonian National Museum of American History (@amhistorymuseum)

The largest repository of historical artifacts, the American History museum is a must-see for any history buff. They also frequently blog about their collection and send out tweets about new posts. If you want to know more about American history it's definitely a feed to follow.

Don't Ask Stupid Questions

My Train of Thought Derailed

Five Favorite Audiobooks

Author's note: I'm on the road this week with my family and so blogging will be light. The following is a post that I originally wrote in 2008. Looking back over it I would have to say these are still our favorite audiobooks.

One of the ways we pass the time on our long roadtrips (besides the XM radio) is listening to audiobooks. These are our favorites:

Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce
A quirky and charming story inspired by a newspaper clipping the author ran across in a scrapbook. During World War II, paintings from Britain's National Gallery were stored in a slate mine for safekeeping. Boyce imagines what the impact that art would have on the citizens of a small town with absolutely hilarious results. This is one we never get tired of listening to and many of our own family's inside jokes have come from this book. It's a winner.

Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
Kipling's stories are timeless in and of themselves. But their even better when read aloud. Although several editions exist, our favorite is performed by famed British actor Geoffrey Palmer. He brings a perfect performance to these wonderful stories.

Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter and the Shadow Thieves, Peter and the Secret of Rundoon by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
The first three installments of the "prequels" to Peter Pan are sheer fun and adventure. Both Pearson and Barry show themselves fully capable of handling the task of writing adventure novels that are geared towards kids. All three are performed by the wonderful Jim Dale who uses a variety of different voices to bring the characters to life. These are especially well-suited for longer road trips.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
These are wonderful books to read aloud as a family. Like many other classic tales, numerous versions of the Chronicles have been made with different narrators. However, the Focus on the Family Radio Theater production (linked above) is by far the best. This is an unabridged dramatization of all seven books and the production is absolutely top-notch. Each installment is also introduced by Lewis' stepson Douglas Gresham who provides some wonderful insights into the writing of each of the volumes. Each time we listen to the books we discover something new and wonderful about the land of Narnia.

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
This thirteen-volume saga of the Bauderlaire children has something for both kids and parents alike. The books are both tragic and comic at the same time and like many other good audiobooks remain entertaining over repeated listening. Almost all of the books are narrated by Tim Curry (except for the third, fourth and fifth books which are narrated by the author). Curry's performance is absolutely wonderful and like other great audiobook performers knows how to create unique characters with his voice. Just to hear him bring the oft-coughing Mr. Poe to life is worth the listen.

Time with Dad

I used to think that spending time with my kids meant doing soemthing elaborate or special with them. I’d take each of my daughters on “dates” which were special evenings out that we would go and do something they liked. While thse were good times (and I still occassionally try to have those dates with my duaghters), I was reminded this past week that sometimes that time with my kids doesn’t have to be anything elaborate at all.

Take my oldest daughter, for example. If I’m running errands (such as going to the grocery store) she willl invariably want to tag along not because she finds what I am doing so exciting but because she just wants to hang out with me. In fact, I asked her on one of these recent excursions why she wanted to go with me and she said that she just enjoyed hanging out with Dad. I also have discovered that these are her opportunities to ask tough questions of me. She likes to use these times together to ask me about things that she has been thinking about. It’s in these moments that I get glimpses into what’s going on in her world.

Although my youngest daughter prefers to hang out at home, she will also desire that one-on-one time with me. Like my older daugther, she’ll use the opportunities when we are together to talk to me about difficult things that she may not want to share in front of anyone else.

We have so little time to make an impact on our kids as fathers. By being intentional about simply spending time with them we are allowing for those teachable moments to be created and the door opened to the hearts of our children. For me, spending time with my kids is no longer just about doing something special. It’s about just doing something with them.

Note: This post originally appeared in 2006.

You Can't Fix Stupid

Facing Trials

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4)

The book of James is one of my favorite books of the Bible because it is so immensely practical. The passage I cited above is one that God seems to be bringing me back to over and over again either (a) because I need to hear it or (b) I haven't learned how to properly apply it yet.


As I was studying this passage for my sermon this past Sunday at my church, God brought out three observations from this passage.

Observation #1: Trials are inevitable.

Notice in verse 2 that James uses the word "whenever" instead of “if”. It is a given that we will face trials of many kinds.

We live in a fallen world that hates us, attempts to marginalize us, and does not hold the same values that we do. We are criticized for who we are and what we profess. Sometimes that criticism will even come from within the body of Christ when we commit ourselves to applying God's word to every aspect of our lives.

Consider Jesus' encouraging words to his disciples:

"Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets." (Luke 6:22-23)

Jesus tells the disciples that trials are inevitable. As long as we profess to be followers of Christ we will face criticism for His sake. I believe that one way to tell whether we are doing what God wants us to do is by seeing whether we are being criticized for what we are doing.

Observation #2: Trials are necessary to developing faith.

Look at James 1:3 – “knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”

God uses trials to develop faith and character in Christ. One of my favorite examples is Joseph. When we first meet him in Genesis 37, God had just revealed to him in a dream a glimpse of what God had in store for him. Although the Bible doesn't specifically say it, I've often thought that Joseph might have been bragging a little to his brothers about God speaking to him in his dream. I think that might have contributed to the anger that Joseph's brothers felt towards him.
Although God had a specific purpose for Joseph, he first had to endure a series of trials in order to be fully prepared that purpose. He was sold into slavery, wrongfully accused of a crime by Potiphar’s wife, and thrown into prison. God used all of these trials in Joseph’s life to shape his character and prepare him for his ultimate purpose.

God also allowed the nation of Israel to wander for 40 years in the wilderness in order to shape their character as a nation:

"You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not."
(Deutornomy 8:2)

And of course, Jesus suffered many trials for our sakes.

"Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate." (Hebrews 13:12)

I once heard someone compare faith to muscle. If a muscle is not used it will atrophy, wither away and become useless. However, if you exercise a muscle it will grow stronger. The same applies to our faith.

When I was in high school, I tried out for our basketball team. Although I was the tallest player on the team, I didn't succeed because I couldn't make it through preseason conditioning that was necessary to get us in top physical shape. Conditioning was hard work. I didn't have what it took to perservere. As a result, I failed to develop as an athlete.

Right after I graduated from high school, I went to Europe for three weeks. One of my stops was in Venice which is known for hand blown glass. We went to a factory where the work was being done. In order for the glass to be ready to be shaped it first has to be subjected to great heat so that it can be pliable enough that when the glassblower starts to make the piece by blowing into the tube the glass will be easily formed into the desired shape. The trials we face are like that fire. They are necessary for God to be able to shape us into the person in Christ that He wants us to be.

Observation #3: Our response should be to rejoice and trust in the Lord.

Our response to trials should be to rejoice as God is using the trials to strengthen and shape us.

"And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:3-5)

The apostle Paul knew something about trials. He encountered numerous physical, emotional, and physical trials during his ministry.

Jesus had this to say during the Sermon on the Mount:

"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way
they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:10-12)

We will all face trials during the course of our walk. Jesus himself told us to expect trials. God will use trials in our life to strengthen our faith and deepen our walk with him. Rather than become discouraged, we should rejoice in the middle of our difficulties knowing that God is with us.

There are great rewards for those who persevere:

"Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." (James 1:12)

Note: This post originally appeared in 2005.

Friday Tweet Recap

It's Friday and that means another recap of articles that I shared on Twitter this week that caught my attention.

Modesty is an issue that has worked its way back into the public discussion. Most of the time when we talk about modesty we discuss it in the context of what women wear. But there is another side of modesty that is worth examining. Meanwhile, an actress turned designer caused quite a stir when some of her comments regarding modesty went viral.

I'm sure that if I put some of these time management principles into practice I would be a lot more productive. Seems like I spend more time reading stuff like this than implementing it.

One of my favorite blogs to read is Art of Manliness and it seems like every week there are multiple posts I could share. The highlight of this week is this post on character, its 3 true qualities and how to develop it

This really struck a chord for me. I can really relate to this post on how to be social as an introvert.

It pays to be widely read. Here's a guide to reading the Christian classics.

I suppose we are long past the point where we can expect media to be unbiased. But the lengths they will go to in advocating a position are downright shameful as we saw this week.

Constitutional law alert: an actual Third Amendment case and what it could mean to you. It will be fascinating to see how this one turns out.

Does God give you more than you can handle? The answer is, of course, yes. That's the point.

That's it. Have a great weekend!

Normal is Overrated

Modesty and Purity

The other day I was in the grocery store with my youngest daughter (who is 9). As we passed by the magazines she asked me a question that totally floored me: "Don't you think people have better things to do than look at each others' body parts?"

With her simple question, she had hit upon one of the things that is so wrong with our society today: we are a sexualized culture that no longer sees modesty (or purity, for that matter) as something to be valued.

I wish I could take credit for a really snappy comeback to her question but I was caught completely off guard and didn't know what to say.

Her question, however, got me thinking onto the subject of modesty.

As a father of two girls, I want my daughters to grow up understanding the importance of dressing modestly. But I also want them to understand that it's about a whole lot more than not showing off their bodies. Modesty is part of living a life in pursuit of purity. Too often we don't frame a discussion about modesty this way. Instead, we define modesty as adhering to a particular style of dress and setting up rules to follow in how we are to appear in public. It's important, however, that our daughers understand that dressing modestly is part of keeping themselves and others pure.

As Joshua Harris says so well in his incredible book I Kissed Dating Goodbye, (Dads - do yourself a favor and read this book with your teenagers) purity is a direction, not a destination. Rather than drawing a line in the sand and say we're not going to cross it but moving as close to the line as possible is not pursuing purity. Pursuing purity demands that we flee from temptation (even those magazines in the store that we shouldn't be looking at). Teaching our kids this lesson can be one of the greatest legacies we can leave as Dads.

Note: This post originally appeared in 2006.

Friday Tweet Recap

During the week I'm usually tweeting out articles via Twitter so here are a few things that you might have missed that caught my attention this week:

Seven marks of false teachers. This is especially good advice if you're either looking for a church or evaluating what pastors to listen to .

I am really bad at remembering someone's name so this article provided some pretty helpful tips.

I didn't realize John Piper had retired from the pulpit earlier this spring. He's spending a year in Knoxville which is a lovely city not far from where I live. The most striking thing he said in this article is that he intentionally left Minneapolis behind to give his successor at Bethlehem Baptist Church some breathing room.

It was Father's Day last Sunday and Joel Miller has some thoughts on what every child needs to hear from their dad.

My daughter pointed this one out to me. I think it has to do with the fact she wants to major in theatre. 10 Ways Being a Theatre Major Prepared Me For Success.

John Stonestreet has some thoughts about what to say to our daughters about the morning after pill.

It's a little bit of a shock but longtime Los Angeles Dodgers play-by-play announcer Vin Scully almost signed with the New York Yankees. And demonstrating that he is a true Renaissance man, he took to Twitter earlier this week during the Dodgers-Yankees series. It was as beautiful as you could have imagined.

More baseball: Grantland's Jonah Keri examines the flawed importance of the closer. I have always wondered whether too much emphasis is placed on the 9th inning. Now I'm sure of it. This also made me think of this piece from Joe Posnanski.

This article got me thinking: 9 Qualities of Truly Confident People. It's an interesting read. On a related note, the four questions great leaders ask.

Some of these vintage rules for conversation (from 1875!) are really remarkable. It would be interesting to see how different our conversations would be if we applied these rules.

Life Magazine has been posting photos from their vast library online. The latest installment is unpublished color photos of the ruins of Normandy following D-Day. These pictures are amazing.

Also from the Life Magazine archives, color portraits from the 1950s of Ella Fitzgerald and other jazz legends.

Here's a list of 8 things you shouldn't do every day. I confess that I am guilty of quite of few of these mistakes.

Some tips on how to read a book. I will admit I hadn't thought about some of these strategies before and they look like they are worth a try. This article also has some tips on how to read more books including some interesting ways to keep track of books on your reading list.

That's it. Have a great weekend.

I Must Have My Coffee Before Speaking With You

This is me first thing in the morning.

via Between Letters

Know Your Social Media: Twitter

I am not a huge fan of social media though over the years I have created accounts on different platforms. I have a Facebook account, a Pinterest account, a LinkedIn profile and a Twitter account. Of all of these the most useful to me are Twitter and LinkedIn each for different reasons. In this post, I want to highlight some of the things I have learned about Twitter including its pros and cons and how to make it a more useful tool.

The first thing you have to decide is how you plan to use Twitter. Are you using it to keep in touch with other people or is it more informational? Personally, I use it primarily as a news feed. I find it's an easy way to keep track of things I am interested in. My feed is a great way to keep track of news and other events.

It also allows me to keep up with writers that I enjoy reading. I don't have to keep track of their blogs or websites if I know that they will send a tweet out with a link to their latest piece.

Second, you have to decide who to follow. By clicking on a person's profile you can see all their tweets. Since I am mostly concerned with news links I tend to weed out folks that use as many (if not more) of their tweets in conversation than publishing links to other stories. That's because I have limited opportunities to check my feed (see below for more on that) and conversations are sometimes more difficult to follow.

As noted above, you also need to determine how often you'll have an opportunity to check your feed. The blessing (and curse) of Twitter is there is always something new to be posted. It will quickly feed the sense of   missing something if you're not checking your feed a hundred times a day. The number of times you are going to be able to check your feed will also influence how many people you will follow and they types of folks you follow (do they tweet numerous times a day or only occasionally?).

You will likely develop a completely separate circle of influence apart from your other social networks. For example, most of my followers are people I don't know personally. But it one way or another we probably share a common interest. So it allows me to share ideas with people I would not normally have an opportunity to speak to.

Also, Twitter has a useful tool that allows you to link to your Facebook page so that whenever you send out a new tweet it will also post to your Facebook timeline. This is great because then you don't have to worry about posting the link yourself. It also allows whatever you share to be circulated among your friends (who are more than likely going to be a separate and distinct group from other social media followers).

Finally, you need to know that brevity is both its biggest asset and its biggest liability. Yes, the 140 character limit forces you to be pithy in your commentary (apologies to Bill O'Reilly). But it's also hard to flesh out a complicated idea one tweet at a time. This is why Twitter works so well as an aggregator because it allows you drive traffic to other sites. It also (naturally) limits the amount of personal information to as much or as little as you want to share.

One more side note: if you have a blog you need to be on Twitter for no other reason than to drive traffic to your blog. And if you utilize hashtags properly you can open up to a wider audience than just your own followers.

Of all the social media platforms I use, Twitter is by far my favorite for the reasons above. Give it a try if you haven't already. And make sure to follow me @Daddypundit.

Rules for Dating My Daughter

It's only fair that any young man who wants to date my daughters know what he's getting in to before he considers asking them out:

This also makes me think of one of my favorite Chuck quotes (via John Casey)

Or you can always take the Willie Robertson approach to dealing with your daughter's boyfriend.

Related: Application to Date My Daughter.

UPDATE: Thanks to Adam Baldwin for the retweet!

RT @Daddypundit “Rules for Dating My Daughters - with a nod to ‘John Casey’.” - http://t.co/zWzpOYANDd
— Adam Baldwin (@adamsbaldwin) June 18, 2013

Random Thoughts

A few stories of interest from the past week....

Earlier this week came the not totally unsurprising news that Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees was tied to a clinic that allegedly provided him with performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). If confirmed this would be the second known instance where he had taken PEDs. He previously admitted to taking the drugs from 2001 to 2003 but when he made the admission in 2009 he proclaimed himself to be clean. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports suggested that A-Rod is finished. I tend to agree. Even if the PED story isn't true it's hard to see how A-Rod will be able to rehabilitate his image. Age and injuries have caught up with the slugging third baseman and his career has nowhere to go but on a continued downward spiral. This might be a good time to consider retiring rather than trying to slog through these allegations any further.

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This week marked the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Few novels or novelists have  developed such a strong following as Austen or her most famous novel. The BBC has an interesting look at why Americans are drawn to the British author.

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Speaking of British entertainments, Downton Abbey has been causing quite the stir on the American side of the Atlantic. The Wall Street Journal has an interesting interview with series creator Julian Fellowes that provides some surprising insights into the hit series.

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Having a daughter about to graduate high school has caused me to think (and read a lot) about the changing face of higher education. Arthur C. Brooks offers some interest insights into the college dynamic in a New York Times column entitled My Valuable, Cheap College Degree. Peter Berkowitz offers 10 Ways Liberal Education Fails Students - and Society. Finally, Mark Cuban boldly declares that Colleges are Going to Start Going Out of Business (language warning).

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Robert Epstein, author of The Case Against Adolescence, has a thought-provoking interview with Psychology Today about the problems facing modern teenagers. Among his more interesting assertions is that teenagers spend too much time with other teenagers. He makes several good points in the interview and while I don't necessarily agree with everything he says it's worth a read. (Hat tip: Joe Carter)

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Twitter surprise of the week: I am constantly surprised by the people I find on Twitter. This week's great discovery is that Dick Van Dyke is tweeting. He's @iammrvandy and definitely worth a follow.

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Finally, the oddest story of the week: A group of men have been playing a game of tag for 23 years.

25 Books: Book #2 - Conquering Gotham

At the beginning of the 20th Century, New York was growing into a major metropolis. But transportation in between the boroughs (especially in and out of Manhattan) was still somewhat difficult. It wasn't until the construction of Penn Station and its underwater tunnels that train travel in and out of Manhattan was even feasible. Accomplishing such an engineering feat required a company willing to take tremendous risks and invest huge amounts of money in such a project. That company was the Pennsylvania Railroad led by its visionary president Alexander Cassatt. The story of the Penn Station construction project is told in Conquering Gotham: Building Penn Station and its Tunnels by Jill Jonnes.

Today, the idea of an underwater tunnel is not so very foreign. But in 1900 such things were still relatively new. The construction of such a tunnel was a dicey prospect at best as numerous workers had perished in other tunnel projects. However there was no better way to solve the problem of how to connect Manhattan to New Jersey and to the other boroughs.Once the project was completed the city would be completely transformed. Suddenly people would have the freedom to move out to the suburbs and still be able to get to their jobs in the city.

As for Penn Station, for several decades it stood as a grand station in the midst of Manhattan. Unfortunately poor planning and a change in transportation choices (as Americans migrated towards air and roads in the 1950s and 1960s) doomed the grand temple to a brief existence. Still Penn Station managed to serve as a grand monument not only to the determination on Andrew Cassatt but of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company to revolutionize travel into and out of Manhattan. Its story is still an interesting one to read as it involves courage, risk-taking, battles against political corruption and good old-fashioned American ingenuity to accomplish what many thought was impossible.

25 Books: Book #1 - Ratification by Pauline Maier

Many a volume has been written about the writing of the Constitution (The Summer of 1787 and Tempest At  Dawn are two of the better volumes I have read on the subject) but very little has been written about the ratification process. Most discussions of ratification tends to revolve around The Federalist Papers but that only provides a small part of the overall picture.

Pauline Maier set out to write the definitive history of the ratification debates in Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788. She provides a detailed history of the individual state conventions and insight into the public mood and debates that surrounded ratification. While it might have seemed that once the Constitution was written it was a foregone conclusion that the states would ratify it the fact is that it was far from a sure thing,

As Ms. Maier shows in her book the debates were actually much more extensive and not always driven by just two opposing points of view. In fact, the debates were much more sophisticated than that. The debates were not just limited to those among the political elites, either. The proposed Constitution drew interest from people from all walks of life and became one of the most widely debated issues of the day.

Ratification is a good overview of the political climate of the day and does a good job of documenting the numerous aspects surrounding the debates. Those who wish to more fully understand the Constitution would do well to learn more about the passions from all sides that fueled the ratification debate.

25 Books in 2013

Like most folks, I don't spend enough time reading. I read recently that the average person only reads four books per year. That's a pretty shameful statistic.

Also, like most folks I'm lousy at keeping resolutions. But I do believe that it's important to set goals for things I want to do and achieve. Therefore, I have come up with a challenge for myself to address both issues simultaneously. I am setting a goal to read 25 books in 2013.

It's pretty simple: if I read just one book every two weeks I can achieve this simple goal. In the process, I will be nourished through reading and get back into developing some healthy book consumption.

However, before I jumped into this challenge I wanted to set out some ground rules that would help make this an even more beneficial process.

First, I am not allowing myself to read any e-books or listen to audiobooks for the purpose of meeting this challenge. While I enjoy reading on my Kindle I often find I am distracted by other things on it (e-mail, Internet, Twitter, etc.) and I don't spend as much time reading books as I should.

Second, any book I read has to be at least 200 pages in length. This may seem a little silly but I want the books I read to be of substance. Therefore, no cheating on this challenge by reading shorter books.

Finally, any book I read has to be a book I haven't read before. Part of the purpose of the challenge is to explore new stories and ideas. Therefore, I want to be intentional about what I'm going to read in that it's not something I have read before.

As far as subjects go, pretty much anything goes. I tend to be drawn more to non-fiction books but I suspect there will be a few novels mixed in too. This also means lots more trips to the library and the used book store!

As I finish a book I'll post my thoughts on it here so that (1) you'll be able to follow what I'm reading and (2) can help hold me accountable on meeting this goal. I'd welcome anyone else who wants to attempt the challenge with me to share in the comments what they are reading too.

Books are a precious treasure that are meant to be savored. In this information age it seems that we tend to know less and less. Books can open us up to other worlds and other lives. There are all kinds of wonders to be explored but only if we are willing to take the journey. Are you willing to join me in the journey?

Election Reflections

Like many other folks, I was up late last night watching the results come in. While I am disappointed in the outcome I am still proud to live in a country that allows its citizens to freely choose its own leaders. We should never take that freedom for granted. I'm working on a much longer essay on my thoughts and observations on the election and what it means as we move forward. For now, I'll recommend two excellent articles I saw posted today from Albert Mohler and Joel Rosenberg. I was talking with a friend last night who suggested that perhaps God is chastising his people here in America the same way he did the nation of Israel when they were disobedient in the Old Testament. Perhaps that is true. I do know for certain that God ordains who He wants to lead us and therefore He must have a purpose that will be served with President Obama's re-election. Finally, I couldn't help but think of this speech from the late Chuck Colson. He summed it up much better than I ever could:

"Where is the hope? I meet millions of people that tell me that they feel demoralized by the decay around us. Where is the hope? The hope that each of us has is not in who governs us, or what laws are passed, or what great things we do as a nation.

Another Victim of Obama's Economy

We hear a lot about the effect of the economy on small business but this video says it better than any other I have seen. Bill's Barbecue was an institution in Richmond, VA for 82 years but it couldn't survive four years of Obama's economic policies.

Some Further Thoughts on the Democrats' Platform Problems

Over at the Corner, Hadley Arkes has some further analysis of the Democrats' platform fiasco from their just concluded convention and comes up with this nugget:

For it’s not a matter of one word more or less, one or more mentions of God. The real heart of the issue is that most of the people in that hall, in the Democratic convention, really don’t accept the understanding of rights contained in the Declaration of Independence: The Declaration appealed first to “the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God” as the very ground of our natural rights. The drafters declared that “self-evident” truth that “all men are created equal,” and then immediately: that “they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” George Bush was not embarrassed to insist that these are “God-given rights,” as opposed to rights that we had merely given to ourselves. For if we had given them to ourselves, we could as readily take them back or remove them. 

This is the real crux of the matter. Denying the existence of God (or at least failing to acknowledge His existence) makes it much easier to also deny that any of our rights are also given by God. The Democrats, at their core, don't' honestly believe what the Declaration of Independence says. Once you've disavowed the Declaration it's not hard to disavow the Constitution as the two documents are closely linked to one another.

Tonight, the President said this:

On every issue, the choice you face won’t just be between two candidates or two parties. When all is said and done, when you pick up that ballot to vote, you will face the clearest choice of any time in a generation.

The President is exactly right. The choice that voters face is clear. Two differing worldviews are on clear display to choose from. One party believes that our rights are God-given and therefore cannot be infringed upon by government. The other believes that government has the power to grant (and to take away) rights as it pleases. Which choice would you make?

Can a Person of Faith Be a Democrat?

Given the events of the past 24 hours at the Democratic National Convention, this suddenly becomes a fair question. Yesterday, delegates went ballistic when party officials tried to reinsert previously omitted language about God and Israel into their platform. Needless to say this created some bad optics for the Democrats as well as creating news at their convention. This was such a grave unforced error it's not clear yet how much damage has been done.

But taking this in conjunction with the party's full fledged endorsement of abortion on demand (“The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay. We oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right.”) as well as the ongoing controversy over the HHS mandate regarding conception and suddenly you get the feeling that there is outright animus towards people of faith.

This is not necessarily new but never has it been more obvious. As John Hinderaker points outs, "The Democrats, bluntly put, have become the party of those who don't go to church." Although I would disagree with him over whether religious beliefs informs ones view of the issues of the day (it does) he is absolutely correct to suggest that the Democratic platform is in direct opposition to the values that Jews, Christians, and Catholics in particular hold. 

This point is further illustrated in Al Mohler's excellent essay on the stark worldview choices we are facing in this election.

All of this begs the question whether a devout Jew, Christian or Catholic can sincerely also identify themselves as a Democrat. I frankly can't see how anyone can.

Favorite Eats - Three Li'l Pigs Barbeque - Daleville, Virginia

Having grown up in North Carolina one of the things that I developed an affinity for is barbecue. When North Carolinians refer to barbecue they mean pork. Depending on which part of the state you are in the meat is served either with a tomato based sauce (western) or a vinegar based sauce (eastern). Personally I prefer the eastern variety because it tends to maintain the smoky flavor of the meat without being totally overwhelmed by the sauce.

Consequently, I am a bit of a barbecue snob. Invariably when I order barbecue in a restaurant it doesn't have the same flavor I'm accustomed to getting from my barbecue. Thankfully there is one place I know I can go for great barbecue and it's not even in North Carolina!

Three Li'l Pigs Barbecue is just off Interstate 81 in Daleville Virginia. It's close enough to the highway that anytime I am passing by it's easy to turn off for a quick fix of barbecue. Owner Bill Gaul hails from North Carolina which explains why he's so adept at making barbecue. Plus the menu offers both varieties to suit everyone's taste. Plus while you're waiting for your food you can pass the time playing Pass the Pigs.

They also sell their barbecue in bulk packaging to go (be sure to bring a cooler so you can take some home with you) as well as their full line of barbecue sauces.

I've tried a lot of barbecue from a lot of different restaurants but the best by far is at Three Li'l Pigs. If you're ever driving by take the time to get off the interstate long enough to sample the best barbecue anywhere.

Some Tasty Sandwiches

Over at Stately Sandwiches, proprietor Kelly Pratt has come up with the idea of creating a sandwich for each of the 50 states. So far she's come up with several and quite a few of her choices are spot on. Take for example the Hot Brown for Kentucky. This is a huge favorite in Louisville as I discovered earlier this spring. Or something simpler like a Virginia Ham Biscuit. Or my personal favorite, the pulled pork barbecue for North Carolina. I have a feeling that this is going to be a fun (and delicious) site to follow.

Thanks to Paula for the tip.

Back to Blogging

It's been a long time since I've posted her regularly. Hopefully I will be able to get back on track. A few random thoughts that have been rolling around my brain......

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This election cycle is shaping up to be the second straight presidential election in a row where I am seriously considering not voting. Much will depend on who Mitt Romney chooses as a running mate. John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin made me feel comfortable enough to cast a vote for him even though I still had serious reservations about him.

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Speaking of politics, it seems to me that politicians are more and more concerned with maintaining power than abiding by principles. This has always been true to a degree but seems to be more prevalent these days than ever before. Part of the reason I don't follow politics as closely as I used to as I find myself increasingly frustrated by members of both parties. The country seems poised for a major reformation in its politics but only if principled leaders will stand up and be counted upon to be agents of change.

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Most of my free time of late (what little there has been) has been devoted to baseball. Although my team, the Chicago Cubs, are having a typically frustrating season I still enjoy the sport. In fact, I became a fan of the game before I became devoted to my team. More on that in an upcoming post over at Eephus League. That's where I have been doing what little blogging that I have been involved in lately.

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Not long ago I ran across an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal suggesting that Wrigley Field be torn down. The author is, of course, wrong for a lot of reasons. One of his assertions is that the Cubs were a better team before moving to Wrigley than afterwards. That's true, however, he failed to look at the club's won-loss record at Wrigley. Through the 2011 season, the Cubs had a +435 win differential at the park. So clearly it's not the home park that's the problem.

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From the Useful Links Department: the Random P. G. Wodehouse Quote Generator.

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It was a really big deal at the time: it turns out Dan Quayle was right. And you read about it in the Washington Post of all places. Dan Quayle might not have been the brightest or most effective politician but at least he was willing to stand up and speak about what he believed.

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Quote to ponder: "It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather, we should thank God that such men lived." - George S. Patton

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Finally, I have held out as long as I possibly can but have given in and decided to join Twitter. I don't really plan on tweeting much (we'll see how that goes) but I've already found it's a great way to quickly check news sources that I like to follow. Feel free to follow me (for what it's worth).

Charles Colson, RIP

From Fox News:

LANSDOWNE, Va. –  Watergate figure Charles Colson, who turned to religion, died Saturday at a Northern Virginia hospital after a brief illness, according to a family spokesman. He was 80.

"This is a time of conflicting, colliding emotions for all of us," said Jim Liske, the chief executive of the Lansdowne, Va.-based Prison Fellowship Ministries that Colson founded. "We grieve that our brother, our founder, our inspiration is no longer with us. But we rejoice that Chuck is with Jesus, we rejoice as we reflect on his life and legacy and that we could be a part of that, and we rejoice when we think of all the redeemed in heaven who will greet him and thank him for the role he played in their salvation."

Colson was the author of numerous books his most famous being his autobiography Born Again which tells his compelling story of coming to faith in Christ prior to going to prison for his role in the Watergate scandal.

He was also a compelling speaker and boldly proclaimed Christ at every opportunity. My wife and I had the privilege of being in the audience at his acceptance of the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion at the Universty of Chicago in 1993. In the midst of a highly ecumenical service with representatives of every major religion, Colson bravely and unashamedly proclaimed the gospel. Many who disagreed with him walked out during the speech. However, reading the text nearly twenty years later still gives me chills.

Chuck Colson made a tremendous impact on many believers all over the world. His story is a true story of redemption and the power of Christ to change lives.

Rest in peace, brother.

America's Game

"Nothing in our daily life offers more of the comfort of continuity, the generational connection of belonging to a vast and complicated American family, the powerful sense of home, the freedom from time's constraints, and the great gift of accumulated memory than does our National Pastime."
-- Ken Burns

Few things are as truly American as baseball. More than any other sport it has permeated our culture. It is intertwined with our history. It celebrates what's great about our country. Countless books and articles have been written about the beauty of our game. But it's not often that we get to hear the perspective of immigrants who have come to this county about our national game.

Take for example, this excellent essay by Irish author Colum McCann. He came to America a number of years ago and immediately fell in love with the game. A brief excerpt:

Baseball is often talked about as the American game, but there is something wildly immigrant about it too. No other game can so solidly confirm the fact that you are in the United States, yet bring you home to your original country at the same time.

If soccer is the world's game, then baseball belongs to those who have left their worlds behind. This is not so much nostalgia as it a sense of saudade - a longing for something that is absent.

I have been in New York for 18 years. Every time I have gone to Yankee Stadium with my two sons and my daughter, I am somehow brought back to my boyhood. Perhaps it is because baseball is so very different from anything I grew up with.

The subway journey out. The hustlers, the bustlers, the bored cops. The jostle at the turnstiles. Up the ramps. Through the shadows. The huge swell of diamond green. The crackle. The billboards. The slight air of the unreal. The guilt when standing for another nation's national anthem. The hot dogs. The bad beer. The catcalls. Siddown. Shaddup. Fuhgeddaboudit.

Learning baseball is learning to love what is left behind also. The world drifts away for a few hours. We can rediscover what it means to be lost. The world is full, once again, of surprise. We go back to who we were.

Be sure to read the whole thing.

Application to Date My Daughter

A friend of mine posted this on Facebook and I just had to share it because it is absolutely hilarious:

The Catholic Church Fights Back

President Obama may have picked the wrong fight when his administration announced they were forcing the Catholic Church to provide contraceptives including the morning after pill to their employees. In his unforced error, the President may have awakened the sleeping giant of the Catholic Church and set the wheels in motion for a permanent political shift. From the Daily Mail:

Prominent Catholic leaders across the U.S. have threatened to turn voters against President Obama over his controversial plans to offer free birth control.

The fight is over a provision of the health reform law announced on January 20 that would require health insurance plans -- including those offered by institutions such as Catholic-affiliated hospitals and universities -- to offer free birth control including sterilization.

According to estimates, there are some 70 million Catholic voters – and many could be posed to vote against the president in the crucial upcoming election.

Catholic League head Bill Donohue said: ‘Never before, unprecedented in American history, for the federal government to line up against the Roman Catholic Church,’ CBS New York reported.

'This is going to be fought out with lawsuits, with court decisions and, dare I say it, maybe even in the streets.' Archbishop Timothy Dolan, who was promoted to the status of a Cardinal just weeks ago, spoke out about the issue. 

'It’s not about contraception. It’s about the right of conscience,' he told reporters. 'The government doesn’t have the right to butt into the internal governance and teachings of the church,” he said.

'This is not a Catholic issue, it’s an American issue. We’re strong on this issue of conscience, and that’s what’s at stake here.'

Catholic clergy on Sunday called on the faithful to write Congress to protest new birth control rules from President Barack Obama's administration, stepping up a campaign that began a week ago with denunciations from the pulpit at Masses across the country.

Catholics are traditionally staunchly pro-life despite their tendency to vote for Democrats. But over the past couple of election cycles, Catholics have slowly begun to wake up to the fact that many prominent Democrats who also profess to be Catholics (think John Kerry and Nancy Pelosi) don't hold the same values as those that the church endorses. 


The Catholic Church is rising to the challenge because they realize this controversy is not just about abortion. It's also about religious liberty. And they are finally realizing that Democrats that they have worked to elect over the past several decades are not their allies. It's about time.

Obama Declares War Against Religious Freedom

The Obama Administration has struck a blow against religious freedom and it's time for folks to stand up against such tyranny. Click here to read the whole story.

Advice to Dads of Daughters

Here is a list of fifty rules for dads of daughters. It's a terrific list. I only wish I had thought of it.

Hat tip: Joe Carter

Rules for Dating

This has been around for a while but still makes me laugh and I find particularly appropriate as a father of two daughters: Ten Simple Rules for Dating My Daughter.

Of course there is another simple way to handle it by following this rule.

9/11 Ten Years Later

I remember it like it was yesterday.

Never forget.

Of Mice and Men

One of the more charming things about living in a rural area is the occasional visitation by the odd field mouse. We've had one roaming around the house for some time now. Our cat thought it was a toy to be played with rather than a rodent to be killed. Makes me wonder why we have a cat in the first place.

Anyway, it finally got to the point where we had to call in an exterminator. No sooner had he laid the traps under the kitchen sink did we catch a mouse. Whether it was the same one we had seen before is debatable. It's also not clear whether he is the only invader of our home. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

For some strange reason this all has me thinking of a Robert Burns poem.

Depravity and Young Adult Fiction

As a father of two teenage girls, I am very concerned about what books they read. Thankfully, neither of them like to read what's currently being offered in "young adult fiction" and for good reason. Look no further than Meghan Cox Gurdon's excellent essay in the Wall Street Journal:

How dark is contemporary fiction for teens? Darker than when you were a child, my dear: So dark that kidnapping and pederasty and incest and brutal beatings are now just part of the run of things in novels directed, broadly speaking, at children from the ages of 12 to 18.

Pathologies that went undescribed in print 40 years ago, that were still only sparingly outlined a generation ago, are now spelled out in stomach-clenching detail. Profanity that would get a song or movie branded with a parental warning is, in young-adult novels, so commonplace that most reviewers do not even remark upon it.

If books show us the world, teen fiction can be like a hall of fun-house mirrors, constantly reflecting back hideously distorted portrayals of what life is. There are of course exceptions, but a careless young reader—or one who seeks out depravity—will find himself surrounded by images not of joy or beauty but of damage, brutality and losses of the most horrendous kinds.

Ms. Cox Gurdon bravely exposes the dark underbelly that is young adult fiction and goes further to show that this recent advent in publishing has been an increasingly detrimental trend. Take time to read this excellent essay.

Saying Goodbye to Facebook

This morning I did something I had been thinking about for quite a while. For many in our internet-connected culture it will seem a little counter-cultural and probably would leave some scratching their heads. I deactivated by Facebook account.

This was a decision brought on (in part) by recent events in the news involving a congressman's online extracurricular activities. But it was also something I had been thinking about because I was never really comfortable allowing others to connect to me.

Granted, while I was on Facebook I did connect to college friends as well as members of my extended family. I managed to reconnect with folks I hadn't spoken to in many years.

I rarely received an unwanted message and can count on one hand the number of times I received an invitation to be friends with someone I didn't know.

It was convenient to have the news feed from a lot of different blogs and websites I follow in one central place. But there are other applications that allow that function without connecting with strangers.

I only signed up in the beginning because my girls were curious about having their own account. I signed up because I wasn't familiar with it at the time and needed to see what it was all about before allowing my girls to get on it. Ultimately I decided they didn't need an account and they both agreed with my decision.

But I still couldn't help shake the nagging feeling that this was not a good thing to have. I've never been interested in having a Twitter account and don't bother following anyone. While I enjoyed being on Facebook, increasingly I didn't have time to keep up with it or find things to share.

My mind kept coming back to a book I read several years ago by Jerry Jenkins entitled Hedges: Loving Your Marriage Enough to Protect It. It talks very frankly about sexual sin and how it can subtly enter into your marriage. In order to protect our marriages, we need to build "hedges" which are ground rules for interacting with the opposite sex that protect us from falling into the trap that sexual sin can put us in.

Increasingly what I realized was that with my Facebook account I was tearing a huge hole in the hedges that I had been placing around my marriage. Although I never had any issues while I was on Facebook I felt it was better to get out before a problem arose.

Social media can be a wonderful thing. But it also provides a wealth of danger. Recent news stories have shown that Facebook contributes to divorce. The bottom line is while it may seem innocent to reconnect with old friends it can present danger.

I know plenty of people that are on Facebook and have not run into any issues. I think whether to be involved in social media or not is a personal choice that each individual has to make. As I said before, I didn't have any problems with being on Facebook. But when I weigh everything together, it's better for me personally to not be out there allowing myself to be set up as a target for temptation. I don't want to do anything that puts my marriage and my family at risk. For me, the risks involved with being on Facebook outweigh the rewards.

It Could Be Worse.....

I always tell my kids they are fortunate I don't do things that embarrass them (at least, not normally). I could have been like this guy.

At least his kid was a good sport about the whole thing.

A Great Quote on Writing A Book

I saw this quote today and thought of both my daughters who are both aspiring writers (thanks to this course):

"Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with it is a toy, then an amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, and then it becomes a master, and then it becomes a tyrant and, in the last stage, just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster and fling him to the public."

—Winston Churchill, Grosvenor House, London, November 2, 1949. From Churchill By Himself, edited by Richard Langworth, p. 49.

Favorite Eats: Provence Breads and Cafe

Last week I made my annual jaunt to Nashville which is always a fun trip. My favorite part of visiting Nashville is that it's like visiting New York except on a much smaller (and more manageable scale). Nashville has so many things to offer including an abundance of great places to eat.

One of those places is Provence Breads and Cafe which is one of the best bakeries I've ever visited. I have a great weakness for breads and pastries. This place is a must visit when in the Music City. There are six locations throughout the city (including one at the airport for those passing through). The location I've visited is downtown at the Nashville Public Library at 601 Church Street. It's not everyday that you find a bakery at a library but it's a really cool spot to stop in.

My mission was to go and get a variety of their pastries for breakfast on our day of departure. However, I didn't arrive until around 10:00 and was reminded that it pays to come early (they open at 7:00 a.m. Tuesday through Friday) as the selection was pretty limited by the time I got there. Still, I was able to find plenty of goodies to take with me and we all had a wonderful breakfast before heading home.

The breads are also absolutely fabulous and they have a terrific selection of sandwiches they put together with their artisan breads. Imagine the bread at Panera Bread (one of the few chain restaurants I visit when I travel) only a little better. They also do fresh salads and have plenty of both available for those that need a quick lunch to go.

If you ever get the chance to visit Nashville, make a point to stop by a Provence Breads and Cafe. You won't be disappointed.