tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81980202011-04-21T10:43:21.819-07:00Come talk of life & loving JesusGreg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.comBlogger3141100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1158767595757037992006-09-20T08:51:00.000-07:002006-09-20T08:53:15.783-07:00

I have a new site and therefore new RSS. Here is new RSS feed.http://gregtaylor.wordpress.com/feed/

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1156325311109034462006-08-23T02:10:00.000-07:002006-08-23T02:35:36.546-07:00

Check out my friend Fajita's blog. Chris Gonzalez (aka Fajita) is a man in transition to a new job in Minnesota, his old stomping grounds, and he's been hanging out at Solomon's Porch. He's a very honest, authentic voice and he has been sharing his writing with me over the years both publicly in Wineskins/Fajita and behind the scenes, and I appreciate him as a fellow journeyman with Christ who

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1156243917921879572006-08-22T03:47:00.000-07:002006-08-22T03:51:57.943-07:00

"Eighty percent of success is showing up."--Woody AllenThanks for showing up to my blog. Please change your RSS feeds to this:http://gregtaylor.wordpress.com/feed/

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1155566514895680802006-08-14T07:40:00.000-07:002006-08-14T07:41:54.936-07:00

For future blog reading and rss feeds, please bookmark www.gregtaylor.cc instead of this blogspot address.

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1155565504593771892006-08-14T07:18:00.000-07:002006-08-14T07:25:20.833-07:00

This is another great Rick Reilly piece. My favorite two magazines are Sports Illustrated and Wineskins. You ought to be subscribed to both (less the swimming suit issue, and I'm not talking about Wineskins swimming suit issue). You'll need to be a subscriber to read this article in full online but here's the first few lines.I went out to get my paper this morning and found my neighbor Dalton

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1154661369174650972006-08-04T05:02:00.000-07:002006-08-04T05:40:09.836-07:00

In the last calendar year I've read two books that have injected me with new hope in the political debate in the United States--at least where Christian participation in politics is concerned. I had become thoroughly soured to the way the Republican party had co-opted Christian faith for sake of a political agenda. And millions of Christians are again, thanks to books such as these and increasing

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1154659582813720742006-08-03T19:11:00.000-07:002006-08-03T19:46:23.533-07:00

I met Dennis Dewey at the Rochester College Sermon Seminar in May.I ordered three of his DVDs:How to tell and learn a Bible storyThe Christmas GospelsIn the Beginning, Towards the Middle, and All the Way to the End: Stories from Genesis to RevelationI have always been deeply interested in learning, internalizing, and telling Bible stories. With several of my Ugandan friends, we translated Bruce

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1154148862151275192006-07-31T22:44:00.000-07:002006-07-31T23:00:47.066-07:00

I met Anita when she came months ago to our church for assistance with her five children she is raising on her own on less than $500 a month.She came for groceries, clothing, and prayer. We ask each person how we can pray for them, and nearly all want prayer and are grateful for it.Anita came in one day with her five children, and she was pregnant with the sixth. Jerry, who leads up our food

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1154357704632281042006-07-31T07:37:00.000-07:002006-07-31T07:55:05.286-07:00

I was discussing the recent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah with a friend.My friend and I disagreed on several key points. He was upholding the view that God continues to give Israel special standing in the world and the promised land. I was pushing the other side of the argument, that the true Israel is one that understands God is not bound by land or temples or anything made by hands,

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1154149082533503972006-07-28T21:54:00.000-07:002006-07-31T05:21:37.980-07:00

Went into Radio Shack the other day to ask if they'd be interested in helping give gifts to the Firemen at our local fire station, a way to show our appreciation to them.I introduced myself to the clerk, "Hi, my name is Greg Taylor and I'm from the church across the street--"Before I could go further, he said, "I don't care."I gaped at him, and my eyes must have widened."If you're going to tell

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1151184113908003202006-06-24T14:19:00.000-07:002006-06-24T14:21:53.920-07:00

Leaving today for Camp Tahkodah where Jill and I will teach Bible and I'll do some writing while the kids are in camp. I doubt I'll be able to post from there and likely won't try or want to. Please take a look at the blog links on the right nav.My cousin, Clint Davis, has been writing a lot about BAM, or Business As Missions. Take a look. I really liked his post on World Cup.

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1151132502300412012006-06-23T23:58:00.000-07:002006-06-24T00:01:42.300-07:00

Mom, you amaze me as does Jill's mom . . . why did you agree to help carry our Harding Swing around front? I love you for your tenacity and willingness to always serve, even when the idea might be boneheaded, as was mine that day.Happy Birthday! I love you.

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1151131933953784662006-06-23T23:14:00.000-07:002006-06-23T23:57:13.926-07:00

To see Cars, Jill and I decided to take the kids to the Drive In movie theater. The Admiral Twin Drive In is spitting distance from Route 66 so it was fitting to take the kids to their first drive in to see Cars and to actually feel we were in the movie cheering on and lamenting the loss of this slice of Americana: Route 66 and towns it split and drive ins.The kids were surprised by everything.

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1150520592860978452006-06-16T22:01:00.000-07:002006-06-16T22:03:59.370-07:00

Today is Jill's and my 17th anniversary . . . 17 on the 17th.

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1150210411804512532006-06-16T07:52:00.000-07:002006-06-16T22:04:49.463-07:00

What if we could sit at the table with Jesus and learn from how he interacted during his own table ministry. Well, you can. Just look at Luke and you’ll find nearly a dozen examples of Jesus as gracious guest and host of a table meal.Jesus went to a party thrown by a tax man. Tax collectors were the con-men and turncoats of Jesus’ day who bilked Jews for more money than they really owed the Roman

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1150236409091167642006-06-14T06:16:00.000-07:002006-06-14T08:27:05.163-07:00

France and Switzerland ended their match Tuesday 0-0. A tie.Ara Parseghian once said that "a tie is like kissing your sister."I don't agree . . . well, except in the case of the women's U.S. win by shootout in 1999. Even that is recorded as a draw: China 0, U.S. 0 then shootout is 5-4 in favor of U.S. That match made soccer famous in the U.S. and launched an even greater wave of soccer

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1150210357867460582006-06-13T07:48:00.000-07:002006-06-13T07:52:37.956-07:00

Eating on short-term trips may be the most important thing you do.Hear this loud and clear. Eating food in homes of people in your short-term target location may be the most important thing you do to show them love and to receive love from them.Let me say it again in a different way. We can’t emphasize enough how important eating with local people is. Here’s the reason it’s important. It’s

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1150147401449568972006-06-12T14:18:00.000-07:002006-06-12T14:23:25.836-07:00

It closes the shopsCloses the schoolsCloses a cityStops a warFuels a nationBreaks the bordersBuilds a heroCrushes a dreamAnswers a prayerAnd changes the world.One game changes everything . . . 2006 FIFA World CupESPN ABC Sports ESPN2From a pullout ad in Sports Illustrated.I've watched most of the World Cup with my family and at one of my favorite local restaurants, Shish-Ka-Bobs, an Iranian place

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1149477738607351812006-06-06T04:21:00.000-07:002006-06-06T04:26:50.226-07:00

I want to tell you about Beyond Borders.Beyond Borders, the mission organization Tony Campolo has been associated with in Haiti, recently came to a period of reckoning. They had done many building projects, and though they were not all disabling to local people, some of the projects may have indeed done more harm than good.They prayerfully restructured their program and now call their short-term

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1149516787444464052006-06-05T06:35:00.000-07:002006-06-05T07:13:07.516-07:00

Journey language to describe the life of following Christ works well with theology, just as transformation language of theology works well to describe what happens to us when we travel.God's people have been on a journey from the time they "walked with God" in the garden to being sent out of the it. God sent Cain away to wander the earth but marked him so he would not be harmed. Noah could match

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1149477839291955512006-06-04T20:22:00.000-07:002006-06-04T20:23:59.293-07:00

It's summer and time for travel and travel writing. Buckle in. I'm back from another trip and if you are willing to check in with me after leaving you hanging so many weeks with no posts, I'm willing to write about travels this summer, summers past, and travel I hope to do in the future. Mostly I want to talk about how travel transforms us.

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1149477694184242792006-06-04T19:44:00.001-07:002006-06-04T20:21:34.376-07:00

Travel transforms us in ways we may not expect when we set off on the journey.The first time I traveled was with my family growing up. We visited missionaries in Long Island, friends across America, many who had been students with my older brothers and sisters at Harding University. I remember like it was yesterday standing at the bay window of our house waiting for Mom and Dad to come home from

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1146623628975486492006-05-02T19:28:00.000-07:002006-05-02T19:40:59.776-07:00

Visit Clint Davis's site to read about our experience with the Global Night Commute.Jill, Ashley, Anna, and I joined about twenty from Garnett Church and Contact Church to walk five miles to the site where we joined five hundred others to identify with the children of Sudan and Uganda who are displaced, raped, forced to kill or be killed, who suffer incredibly. It was very cold but the turn out

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1145286448695736652006-04-17T07:34:00.000-07:002006-04-20T08:52:55.836-07:00

Texts: Mark 9:33-37, 38-48; 10:13-16Nothing endears someone to you more than when you pay attention to their children. At Garnett, Sunday April 23 I'll teach a class about paying attention to children other than yours at church. Here's the tragedy of how we've come to approach children at church. We prepare our children, make them look nice, get them pumped up to go to class, drop them off, pick

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1140479016270785202006-04-17T06:37:00.000-07:002006-04-17T07:27:50.890-07:00

Forty days of not blogging was refreshing to my soul and life-giving to focus more on the experience of Lent, Passover, Easter. I'll share some of those experiences in later posts.Picking up on the theme of sharing faith with our children, today I want to tell you a story about my parents that happened in 1975.Sharing faith with our children involves showing them service to others and serving

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1141994702515678702006-03-10T04:43:00.000-08:002006-03-10T04:45:02.530-08:00

I won't be blogging during Lent. Please check back at Easter time.

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1140705299524197182006-02-23T06:02:00.000-08:002006-02-23T06:39:56.996-08:00

I never thought I'd envision routine as good, but sharing faith with our children involves a lot of routine, and this is important to their family and spiritual formation.First, each night of the week is reserved for a certain activity with a name. Monday is "Game Night," and lately we've been playing Nurtz, but our oldest always wants to play Spoons. Tuesday is "Lot of Books" night, and we read

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1140194414842862852006-02-17T07:05:00.000-08:002006-02-17T08:40:14.923-08:00

Personal experienceI got sick the day my school had scheduled for six-graders to watch a sex education film. We'd all anticipated learning more about the "birds and the bees" from this public school film about adolescence and the difference between boys and girls. Sensitive to my missing out on this grand occasion, Mom sat down with me in the living room that morning and lovingly walked me

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1139929946681851302006-02-14T06:32:00.000-08:002006-02-14T07:20:17.193-08:00

While in most American families, it's not easy to gather the troops as they scatter to the wind of various activities, sports, and occupations during the day, dinnertime is usually the best shot we've got to do it.Last night, like most nights, we had two activities: Boy Scouts for our son and basketball for one of our two daughters. I had talked to Jill earlier in the day and we planned our

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1138284843712824962006-02-09T06:24:00.000-08:002006-02-09T06:51:47.823-08:00

Most of us never grow out of the desire to mold clay. My wife, Jill, used to make modeling clay (homemade playdough) from flour, salt, water, and food coloring. The clay provided hours of enjoyment as they created new shapes and forms. Professional sculptors using high quality clay or other materials such as rock can sculpt or chisel a human form that is both attractive and realistic in size and

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1139323957143087012006-02-07T06:52:00.000-08:002006-02-07T07:08:44.056-08:00

I want my children to model the life of Jesus. Even as a child, Luke 2:52 says Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, favor with God, favor with humanity.How do we as parents grow in those four areas and how to we model this and create an environment for this kind of maturing in our homes?Our children need to mature emotionally. We love and enjoy our children, but they are indeed children emotionally and

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1138920614702506142006-02-03T06:50:00.000-08:002006-02-03T06:50:46.563-08:00

President George W. Bush asked Bono to speak at the National Prayer Breakfast today. See and hear it here.

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1138895210602645162006-02-03T06:46:00.000-08:002006-02-03T06:51:20.350-08:00

Continued from February 2 post . . . Children as non-membersHow, then, do we approach our children with our faith in Christ specifically in terms of their decisions of public faith? Do we view them simply as non-members until they come of age? While in some families or Christian cultures children are intensely noticed and attended and taught, some churches still function with an unspoken view

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1138895192223354062006-02-02T07:29:00.000-08:002006-02-02T07:46:32.330-08:00

We've been looking at how we approach our children with our faith in Christ. We are called to nurture them in faith and lead them to discipleship in Christ.But how do we begin? Part of the answer to this question depends on our view of humanity and our children. Do we believe they are lost from birth or at an early age we might call "age of accountability"? Or do we view them as already saved

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1138463671804695412006-01-31T04:31:00.000-08:002006-02-01T09:59:20.016-08:00

Sharing faith and life with our children involves intentional inefficiency and "wasting time" together. In other words, when we work together with our children, productivity and efficiency and time-"saving" (as if we can bank it somewhere) are not what we're after. Granted, children can become part of the family economy and an incredibly helpful and time-"saving" one at that, but I'll save that

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1138462079983738612006-01-29T20:01:00.000-08:002006-01-29T20:27:52.320-08:00

I remember as a child having family devotionals, singing, reading the Bible together. I can still hear Dad starting, "When we walk with the Lord, in the light of his word, what a glory he sheds on our way. While we do his good will, he abides with us still and with all who will trust and obey."Mom shared God in the teachable moments of life. She exalts in the goodness of creation and taught me to

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1138419726109958102006-01-27T18:43:00.000-08:002006-01-27T20:28:41.053-08:00

Twenty years ago I watched a movie called The Sacrifice that made a dramatic impact on me. A father was forced into an impossible decision between the life of his son and the lives of passengers on a train that passes over a truss that the father is responsible for raising and lowering.That was before I had children. I was moved by the allegory of the atonement of Christ. I parsed and compared

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1138074544740326702006-01-25T06:06:00.000-08:002006-01-25T07:11:45.480-08:00

I have two brothers. I am two years younger than Toby, eight years younger than Brent. We love each other and over many years we've played, laughed, dreamed, supported one another. When we were younger, we said stupid things to one another, when Mom or Dad weren't around, like "I'm gonna kill you!" as we rushed another with fiery eyes and spit flying. We'd wrestle until we were tired, then come

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1134660050079393272006-01-23T05:20:00.000-08:002006-01-23T05:24:52.386-08:00

How do we share God's life, our faith, with our children? First, let me narrow the focus so we're clear about what I'll be talking about. I'm talking about how I as a North American Christian father share my faith in Jesus Christ with my three children. That's my experience, so I'll say from the beginning that my perspective is carved out from that mold. This does not assume that you must be a

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1137676669668612012006-01-19T05:12:00.000-08:002006-01-19T05:34:29.990-08:00

This morning Sacred Space introduces the start of the Octave, the prayer for unity. This is from the site, a powerful call to pray for unity of all humanity.This week sees the start of the Octave of prayer for church unity. It has taken us centuries of misunderstandings to reach the point where Christian churches can dare to do that most obvious thing: pray together. Images like those of John

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1137595866374481092006-01-18T06:46:00.000-08:002006-01-18T06:51:06.396-08:00

See Wineskins blog for another essay on unity and Gary Holloway's "Circle of Fire" that launches today.Already up in this issue that begins this week are David Fleer's piece, "A conversation with White Apathy" and a Wineskins introduction to the Unity issue.

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1137214090498762742006-01-13T22:05:00.000-08:002006-01-13T20:49:36.536-08:00

Recently, my cousin, Clint Davis, handed me a press packet for End of the Spear, the amazing movie version of the events surrounding the attempted contact by five American families to the Waodani tribe in Ecuador that ended in the deaths of five of the missionary men.Later, the wives of the men went back. The story of forgiveness and redemption is powerfully told in LIFE magazine and by Elizabeth

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1137157766216883972006-01-13T05:01:00.000-08:002006-01-13T05:09:54.826-08:00

Here's a sneak peek at what's in store at New Wineskins. If this link is not LIVE, it soon will be.Each year I'm excited most about certain issues that turn my crank, and this is one of them. Unity.

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1137072962985698622006-01-12T05:09:00.000-08:002006-01-12T08:05:51.303-08:00

Thought I'd mention a few of the books on my desk, some as invitation for you to receive to review for Wineskins and others as recommendations or just to let you know what passes for reading material around here.Revovare Spiritual Formation BibleRichard J. Foster, Dallas Willard, Walter Brueggemann, Eugene H. Peterson are four of the heavyweights on this 2000+ page Bible. It's NRSV version that

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1136990554177461562006-01-11T06:15:00.000-08:002006-01-11T06:42:34.270-08:00

One of the great joys of editing Wineskins is getting to research foundational work on a particular theme and also read contemporary "takes" on that theme by sometimes up to 50-60 different author submissions. From those submissions, with the help of our editing staff, I peel off layers of the theme and communicate with writers, informing them whether we can use or cannot use their article.From

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1136906866296576282006-01-10T07:26:00.000-08:002006-01-10T07:27:46.316-08:00

This from my friend, Scott Owings, spiritual formation minister at Otter Creek Church in Nashville, Tennessee.Saint Serafim of Russia wisely said, “Be at peace with yourself and thousands around you will be saved.” Deep inner peace is not only a gift to be received but something to be pursued. Therefore, our first order of business is to seek the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. As we slow down our

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1136388395733981142006-01-10T04:25:00.000-08:002006-01-10T04:10:19.080-08:00

My brother, Toby, ran a marathon Sunday. I'm proud of him. See his blog, where he might be writing about it and the cause for which he ran, Care Net"Jackpot!"--Jacob, our six-year-old, upon realizing that his front two teeth are loose.

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1136418375984084352006-01-09T05:44:00.000-08:002006-01-09T05:56:19.080-08:00

I've enjoyed teaching Sunday am class from Holloway's and Lavender's Living God's Love. See this link for reflections on the book from earlier this year.From my reading for Wineskins on unity, here's a quote that caught my attention because of its strong mental image of the dark side human nature in the context of how we treat those who agree or disagree with us.Clever legalists can legalize

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1136558487755917562006-01-06T06:19:00.000-08:002006-01-06T06:43:52.186-08:00

Last night we started Operation World with our children. The book is not edited down for children. Perhaps I'll look into a children's version . . . OK, I just did on their web site and couldn't find one. Will have to skim and make good for the children ourselves. You can make Operation World your home page and learn about new countries nearly every day of the year, pray for them. Right now

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1136388488219502022006-01-05T05:26:00.000-08:002006-01-05T05:24:13.200-08:00

"You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose."--Indira GandhiLast night I told a group gathered in the new prayer center at Garnett Church of Christ that it is here, in prayer, that revival begins. I don't come to Garnett with a bag of tricks but with a firm conviction that the Holy Spirit does work today though I can't fully explain how he does it, but

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1136264397595840202006-01-03T04:12:00.000-08:002006-01-03T20:15:01.226-08:00

Chris Anderson is a world class photojournalist, the best field photographer I've seen. He's been to Iraq, Afghanistan, Bolivia, Israel's Gaza Strip, Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Katrina, and dozens of other hot spots in the world. My dream would be to tour with him in Uganda, Rwanda, Sudan.Wineskins was blessed to use some of his photos on two separate occasions, the first time for the cover

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1135355970410651582006-01-01T20:32:00.000-08:002006-01-01T21:48:26.623-08:00

A doctor friend of mine who spent several years on the mission field training basic medical care providers in villages, told me this many times:"A hydrogeologist can do more to improve basic health in a village than a doctor can. If you don't have clean water, you don't have health.This doesn't take anything away from the importance of doctors in developing nations, but it does say something to

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1135265846117770082005-12-23T07:25:00.000-08:002005-12-23T08:32:09.023-08:00

I woke this morning with the words "Oil and Water" on my mind.Two days ago I accompanied a friend into the "oilpatch" in Eastern Oklahoma. I saw in action several wells and drilling rigs for natural gas and oil. My friend said two or three times, "this is the best business in the world." He is a prospector who finds land, looks at geology, mineral rights, and arranges for the drilling and

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1135267157511185912005-12-22T07:41:00.000-08:002005-12-22T07:59:17.566-08:00

What is the number one killer in the world?It depends on what world you're living in.The American Heart Association claims heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S., killing seven million yearly.Cancer kills more in England and Wales than heart disease, according to the BBC.AIDS is the number one killer in South Africa. Nearly a third of the population are said to have HIV or AIDS.WHO

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1135081330198068752005-12-21T04:14:00.000-08:002005-12-21T07:47:04.946-08:00

For St. Louis Cards fans, this slide show will bring back memories. It did for me--of times our family went to Busch and watched Lou Brock and Joe Torre.Busch Demolition Slide ShowWhile you're at it, see Joe Torre's effort to reach youth and make changes in domestic abuse. Safe at HomeAppropriately, a Cards fan drove the first wrecking ball into Busch stadium. Same fans who applauded the Astros

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1135002687450469132005-12-20T04:12:00.000-08:002005-12-20T04:12:59.990-08:00

One news item: two completely different perspectives, and one example why we ought to ingest our news from a variety of sources:Air One report Monday, Dec 19: coverage assumes the visit alone is the story--Vice president Dick Cheney goes to Iraq and Afghanistan and visits the troops and encourages them.NPR report Monday, Dec 19: coverage with several angles--Cheney quotes about what would make a

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1134856497065133072005-12-18T22:00:00.000-08:002005-12-18T21:00:45.493-08:00

If you're like me, you've been inspired by the movement of Christians re-staking political ground previously ceded to one of two political parties. I heard one leader of this movement, Jim Wallis, speak earlier this year, and I immediately bought his book, God's Politics: Why the right is wrong and the left doesn't get it. The book, the movement, Wallis, and his Sojourners Magazine, cuts both

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1134128907489416072005-12-17T03:28:00.000-08:002005-12-17T06:33:54.966-08:00

A week ago, Jill got up at 4 am to go to the bathroom, came back to bed and said this: "Greg, the water doesn't come on in the bathroom or kitchen.""What?!" I came out of bed like I'd been shocked with a cattle prod. When it's 10 degrees outside and your wife tells you these things at 4 am, you don't hit snooze.I rush around and check every tap in the house. Drips, then nothing. Panic. Pipes are

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1134141532311719312005-12-16T07:16:00.000-08:002005-12-16T07:38:36.633-08:00

Our immediate and extended family, like many of yours, is on a journey to celebrate Christmas more simply.I want you to know about a helpful resource for simplifying holidays and rediscovering the sacred in them. Nancy Twigg wrote a book and has a web site by the same name Celebrate Simply. I've worked with her on an article for Wineskins about new ways to simplify and rediscover the sacred in

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1134654242396759392005-12-15T05:07:00.000-08:002005-12-15T05:47:48.133-08:00

Advent is a good time to get your daily devotional book(s) and calender for 2006. This helps us prepare for the year ahead and how we will spend our time more aware of God's presence and work in the world and in our lives.Here are three that I'll draw from in 2006.Revovare Spiritual Formation BibleRichard J. Foster, Dallas Willard, Walter Brueggemann, Eugene H. Peterson are four of the

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1134572052616517752005-12-14T06:31:00.000-08:002005-12-14T06:54:12.686-08:00

Years ago, one of my mentors, Mike Cope, took a group of Harding guys around Searcy, Arkansas in a van, stopping at grocery stores to watch and pray for people walking in, to talk about churches and their impact or lack of impact on the community, and if there'd been honky tonks in Searcy, I'm sure we'dve stopped at one of those to pray for the people coming in and out.My buddies, Mark Moore and

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1134104006725623992005-12-13T06:52:00.000-08:002005-12-13T07:25:54.096-08:00

My brother, Dr. Toby, wrote in his blog about my son's recent trip to the ER.Toby is not your typical doctor. I wish we lived in the same town so he could be my doctor all the time (even so, we call him several times a year for advice). He still does house calls, charges much less than he could, is very accessible, listens a lot to patient history and doesn't overly rely on tests without

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1134102864651357702005-12-12T05:15:00.000-08:002005-12-12T06:27:55.886-08:00

I was deeply moved by Walk the Line. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon deserve Oscars. Walk the Line is not just a must see. It's a must experience. The story, the wrap around, the music, acting were all beautiful, tragic, emotional, raucus, and powerful. I'm working right now with a reviewer on a piece for Wineskins.Cash was an incredible redeemed person. And the film is one of the best

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1134101434427719072005-12-09T03:27:00.000-08:002005-12-09T03:27:43.173-08:00

childhood ambition . . . to win punt, pass, and kick and meet Roger Staubachfondest memory . . . learning to garden, raise cattle, twiddle my thumbs on the back porch swing with my grandfathersoundtrack . . . Chocolatretreat . . . family cocoonwildest dream . . . to fly (flapping my arms like a bird)proudest moment . . . becoming a fatherbiggest challenge . . . being a fatheralarm clock . . .

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1133455100326514712005-12-01T08:35:00.000-08:002005-12-08T19:45:24.530-08:00

From my friend, Leonard Allen, who lost his mother.Carolyn O. Allen passed away just before Thanksgiving in the home of her daughter near Portland, Oregon. She was a member of University Church of Christ from 1983 to 1997, and was a long-time volunteer at the Christian Service Center in Abilene. The funeral service will be in Sandy, Oregon on Friday, December 2.Memorial gifts may be made to the “

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1133448110488608062005-12-01T06:09:00.000-08:002005-12-01T06:52:37.440-08:00

World AIDS Day, Advent, and Africa stir within me this morning as I read Luke's account of Elizabeth and Zechariah and Mary waiting on babies, waiting on the Lord. This week of Advent is about waiting. Like Paul, who knew nothing of childbirth yet was racked in pain until Christ was formed in disciples, we learn in this period to wait as if Christ is being formed in us. So Mary asked the question

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1132572976087049752005-11-21T03:02:00.000-08:002005-11-21T04:19:42.603-08:00

If you have eight spare minutes and are interested in nature, African cultures, life, emergent mysteries, and what we learn from the world around us, listen to this audio journal I recorded in Uganda.The Hills are AliveGreg TaylorThe flute you'll hear in the introduction is a homemade pipe with holes, played by a cattle herder in Eastern Uganda, picked up on tape one day while I walked in a

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1132376311495197952005-11-18T20:50:00.000-08:002005-11-18T20:59:14.453-08:00

I want you to know about this news from Washington D.C. and the statement from Sojourners/Renewal and Jim Wallis:Note to readers: Early this morning, the House of Representatives narrowly passed a budget proposal (217-215) that, if enacted, would make severe cuts to our nation's most vital anti-poverty programs like food stamps, Medicaid, and child care. The margin was small because of your

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1132159670979883142005-11-16T08:38:00.000-08:002005-11-16T13:10:54.313-08:00

I link because I lack the incredible faith that this community has, and I want to learn more, blend it with my life experience in Uganda, poverty in America, my own prosperity.I link to Bruderhof Communities because it challenges me, my assumptions about the world, poverty, politics, faith, Christ.In this article, Dan Hallock, a writer who in the late 1980s, an Ivy League graduate with a

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1131629330322881612005-11-10T05:19:00.000-08:002005-11-10T06:21:32.890-08:00

Podcast related to this post:Being Light Even On Dark DaysGreg Taylor, Garnett Church of ChristAmerican culture seen through the eyes of others is interesting. People in other countries see issues, life, family, politics, religion so much differently than we do. And an opportunity to see life through the eyes of a person from another culture, particularly during certain celebrations such as

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1130847570386298732005-11-01T03:58:00.000-08:002005-11-01T04:19:30.433-08:00

Here's the basic flow of Halloween's orgins:2000 years ago -> harvest festival -> Line between living and dead is blurred and spirits roam the earth -> spirits inhabit mediums, fate is divined, dancing, sacrifice -> Church starts All Saints Day to offset these pagan rituals and honor martyrs and saints -> rituals continue anyway side by side -> Hallowsmas and Halloween (night before All Saints) -

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1130444916269263952005-10-27T10:14:00.000-07:002005-10-27T13:28:36.373-07:00

Halloween is the second largest commercial holiday in America. We spend $6.9 Billion. I think that’s roughly what was spent on Hurricane Andrew. What is it about Halloween that draws us in? Is it the candy? Candy comes with every holiday (mental note: don't snitch the kids' candy! I gain weight every Oct 31 - Thanksgiving)No, it's not just the candy. There's something else that draws us and I

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1129634133132891922005-10-24T10:14:00.000-07:002005-10-24T13:07:50.186-07:00

Name three things that must go on and on.Name three things that must stop now.Name three things that either can stop or can go on and on.

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1129633621387001952005-10-18T03:46:00.000-07:002005-10-18T04:07:01.460-07:00

Last night's game five of the NLCS is a perfect example of why I love post-season baseball. Anything can happen. Suspense. Drama. Action. It's really the best reality TV going and always has been.Well, the reality around our house was that the kids were seeing their mother and father disagree. Jill was born in Houston. I, on the other hand, grew up listening to Jack Buck and going to St. Louis as

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1129558860659971202005-10-17T07:08:00.000-07:002005-10-17T07:21:00.706-07:00

I love the story of The Digging-est Dog. It's the children's storybook tale of a young boy who saves Duke from the "hard stone floor" of the pet store and frees him in the country, where he tries and fails to dig and in the process gets rejected by the neighbor dogs. When he finally learns how to dig, he digs up everything, the roads, the gates, even the garden of Mrs. Thwaites. When the boy,

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1129043762165779992005-10-12T05:13:00.000-07:002005-10-12T06:12:50.416-07:00

I could start a whole blog about things my children say . . . Jacob last night asked, "Why do people turn bad?"I didn't have anything profound to reply but was gratified he asked it. Yet the condition of our world that leads Jacob to ask the question is depressing. Are people born good or bad? And if good, what makes our hearts and actions go sour? An age-old question that I don't want to answer

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1128998955422504552005-10-11T05:20:00.000-07:002005-10-11T07:55:03.083-07:00

Now is not the time to lose our resolve to assist victims of Katrina, to redeem hopelessness and to engage those who have lost everything yet teach me so much by their faith and hope in the midst of devastation. We ought to stay focused on helping long-term the evacuees who have spread out over fifty states. Garnett Church of Christ, where I now work in Spiritual formation, small groups, and

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1128964469606786602005-10-10T10:02:00.000-07:002005-10-10T10:19:29.753-07:00

As I've traveled recently to St. Louis (Kairos Church Planting Meeting) and Nashville (ZOE Conference), you've been telling me that you've been checking my blog but have found nothing new. My apologies.The dry spell occurred from late August till now . . . so much was happening in life, and I won't bore you with details now. In upcoming posts, I plan, however, to reflect on events of summer,

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1123687823506312152005-08-10T06:40:00.000-07:002005-08-10T08:30:23.546-07:00

Getting back into full-time ministry was one major reason we moved back to Tulsa to work with the Garnett Church of Christ. We're also able to be closer to our families than we were in Nashville--not that Uganda was close, but I'm reminded as we spend time with our childrens' grandparents that I was raised just a couple pastures over from my father's parents and a few pastures away from my

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1121372180176056482005-07-28T07:15:00.000-07:002005-07-28T07:18:36.380-07:00

In cities all over America, young people are hearing the call to service. Short-term missions is booming. Kids who've never picked up a hammer are traveling to Mexico to help build church buildings and houses. They'll learn to paint, pound a nail, and perhaps even mud a house.Meanwhile, in the American teenagers' suburban neighborhoods, Mexican men paint their homes and mow the grass the

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1121372138638316022005-07-20T22:02:00.000-07:002005-07-20T21:29:53.460-07:00

I told my brother and cousin, both builders, that Extreme Home Makeover is one of the best of the reality shows, best on television. They both scoffed! I said the show makes me emotional nearly every time I get to see it. Like the time they rebuilt a house for a man blinded by a gunshot wound to the eyes . . . they used some rock from the previous house hearth and used it to create textures for

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1120604703131517172005-07-05T16:01:00.000-07:002005-07-05T16:05:03.136-07:00

I'm sitting at my desk after my first day of work at Garnett Church of Christ in Tulsa. I've never had a more smooth and enjoyable first day on a job. The staff is very kind and helpful. We had two staff meetings then the office staff briskly helped me get set up with phone, computer connection, keys, entry codes, directories and databases, tours. Several expressed concerns about content of our

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1120057161879389252005-06-29T07:59:00.000-07:002005-06-29T08:26:15.976-07:00

"In Kentucky [or Tennessee, my addition] you could never see too far, since there were always mountains blocking the other side of your view, and it left you the chance to think something good might be just over the next hill. But out there on the plain it was all laid out right in front of you, and no mater how far you looked it didn't get any better. Oklahoma made me feel there was nothing left

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1119613711996628582005-06-24T04:43:00.000-07:002005-06-24T04:48:40.006-07:00

We're moving today. We're also closing on our house today. Driving to Tulsa tomorrow after sleeping the night with neighbors. So this is it for today--much to tape up and stuff in . . . and if Jill caught me posting a blog right now, she'd stop and calmly open her mouth toward me and blow bees.Happy Birthday, Mom!

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1114521907567791102005-06-23T04:22:00.000-07:002005-06-23T04:45:35.440-07:00

What is it about airplanes that seems to compel people to drink tomato juice?Do these tomato connoisseurs drink the stuff at home? There's always one or two people in earshot ordering tomato juice on flights. Am I missing something?Why don't people ask this question at McDonalds? Ever look around at a restaurant and see a glasses with the red stuff on ice?Does this calm flight nerves? Give you an

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1119447492022363122005-06-22T06:28:00.000-07:002005-06-25T21:21:12.823-07:00

Friend and fellow Jinja mission team missionary, Ben Langford, did something that every missionary ought to do in order to endear themselves to their host culture, the families they will serve, and to learn language and life.He went to a village and stayed a week, built a hut, spewed language like a baby--as I did--until he got one word then a phrase then connected phrases, then sentences and

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1116072582856009392005-06-20T05:08:00.000-07:002005-06-20T05:49:50.976-07:00

Jacob said "everything is music . . . listen." Then he kicked a ball. He held his hand on his ear and pointed to the air conditioner, the birds singing. "There's patterns." This is a kid with a mathmatical and musical mind. It's fascinating to watch. I told him, "God's given you a good mind. Use it for his glory, to serve him."

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1118753781450127352005-06-15T05:52:00.000-07:002005-06-15T05:52:02.333-07:00

I picked this quote up from the introduction to the documentary, "The Stone Reader."All good books have one thing in common--they are truer than if they had really happened, and after you've read one of them you will feel that all that happened, happened to you and that it belongs to you forever: the happiness and unhappiness, good and evil, ecstasy and sorrow, the food, the wine, beds, people

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1118753550284384432005-06-14T05:35:00.000-07:002005-06-14T05:52:30.303-07:00

My good friend, John Ogren, introduced me--really introduced me--to Springsteen. Sure, I'd heard of him and heard him, but John helped me really hear this master who we call the Boss. I love his rating system, which he applies to the new CD, "Devils and Dust," an album done without the E Street Band. Here is a portion of John's email that he sent as he listened to the new CD. It's a joy just

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1118349928614642162005-06-09T13:40:00.000-07:002005-06-09T19:20:14.110-07:00

After eight days of being unplugged and two weeks off blogging, with more clear-headed and fresh-from-vacation clarity, I had a great laugh at this today:Dixie the Tiny Dog by Peter Himmelman

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1117054053154035772005-05-25T13:14:00.001-07:002005-05-25T14:17:48.136-07:00

I'll be taking a break from blogging and email from May 26-June 5.In the meantime, visit the blog of my friend, Keith Brenton. Keith is helping take us to the next level in our Wineskins site and MUCH more is to come later this year. Keith will be joining our Wineskins team as our webmaster beginning officially July 1. But he's already been busy designing and coding a Wineskins Blog and a fresh

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1116943124267893782005-05-24T06:52:00.000-07:002005-05-24T06:58:44.273-07:00

Today is the last day of school for my children and for Jill, who teaches Algebra and Geometry in a city school. This year has been a challenge for all of us, and frankly I think we're all happy it's coming to a close today. After celebrating with Jill and the children this afternoon, I'll be attending a speech by Jim Wallis at the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville. Wallis is author of God Politics.

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1116193341920408092005-05-17T17:25:00.000-07:002005-05-17T05:57:50.996-07:00

My journeys have taken me from the place of my birth, Oklahoma, to Arkansas for college at Harding University to the school's study abroad program in Florence, Italy then to Houston and on to Uganda with a group of dear friends and teammates to Nashville to work with Wineskins and now full circle back to Oklahoma. I haven't lived there since I left home when I was too young to leave home at

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1116072481861197592005-05-16T05:04:00.000-07:002005-05-16T05:17:21.856-07:00

How to pray with the birds:1. Wake up2. Walk outside where there's a lot of trees3. Listen4. Hear the blending of birdsong5. Pick out certain ones6. Count how many different songs there are7. Listen for rhythm and rhyme of the song8. Listen for mockingbirds who mimick the others9. Try to actually see them calling so you can know what type make that call10. Thank God with them, for the birds are

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1115691553839258542005-05-14T05:03:00.000-07:002005-05-14T05:04:33.720-07:00

Jacob, 6, has more than once given lavishly from his personal savings piggy bank. He is very good with numbers and counts his change and dollars and ciphers out how much he has by writing down pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, dollars he has then adding them together. This evening we wondered aloud why his bank was lower than usual. He said, "I gave $46 to my school.""When did you do that, Jacob

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1115897330304035482005-05-12T04:06:00.000-07:002005-05-12T04:32:14.983-07:00

Last night a man in a wheel chair who'd recently moved from West Virginia, a former science teacher named Richard Austin, came to our fifth and sixth grade class and taught an object lesson.He brought a sack of tools and hardware and had asked me to bring empty "pop cans," as he called them. (For those of you in the North, that's "soda cans." For those in Arkansas, that's "coke cans"--as in, "

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1115783298243388252005-05-10T22:45:00.000-07:002005-05-10T20:52:24.373-07:00

I met Daniel Mwasa November 1994 in a crowd of young men fishing in Lake Victoria.Daniel stood tall above the rest. If I were a college basketball recruiter, I’d have signed the twenty-five-year-old because of his physical stature. I later learned Daniel couldn’t hit the side of the Boston Garden with a basketball. What impressed me, however, was Daniel’s stature of heart. His questions

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1114521746520763952005-05-10T06:15:00.000-07:002005-05-10T06:35:55.146-07:00

Hello, my name is Greg Taylor, and I have ARD. A lot of people are suffering these days from ARD: Attention Requirement Disorder. Notably, ministers often crave attention, recognition and affirmation and therefore "suffer" from ARD. But ministers aren't the only ones who contract ARD. Artists, writers, bloggers, doctors, teachers and those in many other vocations and stations in life can all

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1115645007445019192005-05-09T06:13:00.000-07:002005-05-09T06:23:27.453-07:00

Jacob, 6, was talking to his sister, Anna, 8, and this is what we overheard:I'm gonna give mom five dollars for Mother's Day . . . she deserves some money.After running to the store for a couple last minute items for Mother's Day, thinking I'd help my children make their mother's day, I came home to them sitting on the bed with handmade crafts, pictures, gift bags. I had forgotten how much my

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198020.post-1115082591557813692005-05-02T17:59:00.000-07:002005-05-02T18:11:58.120-07:00

I'll be at the Pepperdine lectures later this week. If you're going to the lectures, here's your "personal" invitation to the Wineskins early morning devotional, Wednesday at 7:30am in Smothers theatre. I'll also be speaking 2 pm Wednesday about my novel, High Places. I was pleased that Brian McLaren recently recommended High Places.

Greg Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959202300016140827noreply@blogger.com1