Chick-fil-A rules

We're big fans of Chick-fil-A. We love their food, and their cow-centric marketing campaigned is genius.

Yesterday, I was going to get Anastasia dinner there. On Tuesday nights, this particular location was offering a FREE Kid's Meal with the purchase of an adult meal. (It just happened to be Tuesday.) Well, of course I got me and Philip dinner, too.

Later, I was pondering on how often Chick-fil-A gives away their food - like Cow Day where you can show up dressed as a cow and get free chicken or this deal yesterday where we got a free Kid's Meal.

So, I went to their site just a moment ago to get an image to post here, and what do you know...they giving away FREE breakfast sandwhiches Sept 6-10! All you have to do is go to their website and make a reservation. They have had this promotion before and we took advantage of it then.

Yet another great marketing tool brought to you by Chick-fil-A.

Ice Ceam

No, I didn't leave out the "r" in cream. That's the way Anastasia says ice cream, so it's spelled correctly.

Tonight was Anastasia's first minor league baseball game. The Mississippi Braves were playing...well...I think it was Birmingham. I sat down all of 5 mins, but Anastasia had a blast. Our friend, Sandi, and Adeline and their friend showed us a great time! They knew the ropes. Anastasia jumped in the bouncy thing, ate a hot dog (after she had pulled it out of the bun), looked wide-eyedly around the store, walked around the entirety of the walk-way and played on the "Berg" (the grassy hill underneath the scoreboard).

We were going to get some ice cream at the park, but Philip and I decided Anastasia was quickly approaching melt down. So we promised her ice cream on the way home. On the walk out to the car and until we pulled into Baskin Robbins, Anastasia was talking about 'ice ceam.' Our favorite was , "I wanna eat ice ceam in my mouf [mouth]."

She handled the soft serve pretty well. I had braced myself for more ice cream on her than in her mouth. But the true test will be when I'm buckling her in her carseat again in several hours here...will the straps bear witness to the late night ice cream goodness?...i think it will be an affirmative.

Books are to be read according to their worth

I recently started reading God and Football: Faith and Fanaticism in the SEC by Chad Gibbs. It addresses a topic I have often thought about since I became a (Christian) believer in 1998. I had long before been a believer in Mississippi State.

Since being converted, when I have the occasion to go to a Miss. State football game - rather, one we win decidedly - there is a sense of excitement and joy and community and blissfulness that is rarely matched. However, I know that sensation may seem like sadness compared to what believers will experience in glory. What I do get sad about in those victorious Bulldog moments is the likelihood that many people will not share the thrill of rejoicing with me when Jesus returns.

But getting to the title of this blog entry: Gibbs writes about a subject worthy of focus. His introduction is enough to make any SEC loving Christian wince in knowing laughter. Namely, that SEC football is much more attractive than loving Jesus. He describes this with a light-hearted and serious combination that makes it easier to swallow, but true nonetheless.

However, I find myself not being able to read large portions of his book at a time. When I told Philip that tonight, with shame in my heart because his writing style is not lofty or hard to read, he replied, "Books are to read according to their worth."

In essence, Philip was saying that even though Gibbs may have a worthy subject, his tone and attitude can be abrasive as well as humorous, sometimes at the expense of the church. In humor, he takes shots at specific denominations (50, 61, 72/3). Although he is attempting to get a laugh out of his audience, he does it at the expense of the church. He is undercutting the very God he is attempting to seek. Gibbs emphasizes the unity of the fans at the games he visits but fails to promote the same among God's children.

So while I appreciate his quest to find a balance between loving his Auburn Tigers and the Almighty God, there could be more thought put into the ink he spills about Jesus' bride, the church. I look forward to finishing the book...but at much slower a pace than I had anticipated.