When Jesus Burns

The interwebs and local media were abuzz today concerning the Jesus statue in front of the Solid Rock Church in Monroe, Ohio (while the official name of the statue is "King of Kings," most locals refer to it as either "Touchdown Jesus" or "Butter Jesus"). A violent storm ripped through the area last night and lightening struck the statue. Apparently the material of the statue wasn't fireproof and the lightening strike ignited it. It burned to the ground. Whenever discussing anything Jesus related, there's bound to be controversy. The statue itself, considered by most to be an eyesore since its construction in 2004, has been the subject of scorn, so its burning was greeted with gladness by many.

Personally (shocker), the statue was not my taste. But I can understand why a church like Solid Rock wanted a large Jesus monument along the highway: they're the kind of congregation that believes such bold statements define faithfulness to God; locals will remember that, long before the Jesus statue, Solid Rock was best known for their extremely bright digital highway sign. There are numerous churches that subscribe to what I call a "flaunt-your-faith" attitude (if you've ever seen some churches in the south that erect huge crosses, you understand what I mean). What I'm saying is this: while I could never comprehend being part of a church who would construct such a statue, I understand the thinking that leads them to building it.

This brings me to has really been bothering me today. My Facebook monitoring has revealed a ton of cynicism by Christian folk who believe this lightning strike was just desserts: essentially, lightening striking the statue, while not necessarily being the judgement of God, was saving us from having to observe this visual vomit. More than this gratification its demise has brought us, we justify this disgust is as follows: Solid Rock Church wasted thousands of dollars on this statue, money that could have been better used by feeding the poor or ministering to the neglected.* While I do agree with this view, we must make sure that there aren't any two-by-four's obscuring our vision.

Ask yourself this: what is your church spending large amounts of money on that could be better spent either on the poor or ministry? Does your congregation own thousands of dollars of technical equipment (intelligent lights, high-defintion projectors/cameras)? Does your church offer free coffee to thousands of people every week? Does you fellowship finance huge children's programs that come with a huge price tag? If so, your church really isn't different than what Solid Rock is doing.

Ouch, eh? But it's the truth.

The Scriptures offer churches latitude in how we should accomplish our mission and, over thousands of years, people continue to view this differently. We spend our funds in ways that help us to fulfill the Great Commission Jesus issued in Matthew 28. Some churches invest in property and buildings, others invest in staff, still others invest in outreach. Churches tend to justify these lavish expenses with the idea that there is no cost too great to win a lost soul for Jesus. But if we are willing to adopt this posture for our own church, then we ought not be too judgmental on how others seek to accomplish this goal.

Even though I thought the Jesus statue was ugly, I have actually met people who decided to attend Solid Rock because of it. Like it or not, it accomplished its purpose, as does top-notch technology, rocking kids' programs, or free coffee.

This is the burden of church leadership, especially in a small church like Echo. I'm continually concerned that we're being good stewards with the tithes of our congregation. It makes me paranoid. I believe that one of the reasons that our congregation has been effective is that we continue to be frugal with our resources (example: we continue to rent our facility which enables us to give almost 20% of our offering to missions). All church leaders need to struggle with this: are we investing kingdom funds into areas that truly need it, or are we using them to perform services that expand our own kingdoms.

So when you decide to look down your nose and scoff at the bizarre burning Jesus on Interstate 75, ask yourself whether or not there's a similar statue in your church parking lot.

And since I've already gone there, why not get really introspective: are there any Butter Jesus' in your personal life?

_____________________

*Does that mentality remind you of something biblical, say this?

Vuvuzelas Is A Four Letter Word

I have been feeling ill as of late. Perhaps it's a result of my fever . . . WORLD CUP FEVER! I know that many of you are soccer haters, and that's fine; don't watch the beautiful game. My only request is that, if you must bash it, legitmize your complaint. Merely declaring, "it's boring," is insufficient. As a baseball fan, I will readily admit that it's boring, but I love it. And considering that the actual action in NFL games only lasts 11 minutes, boring is definitely a subjective term. Just because you do not like something doesn't make it boring.

But this year's World Cup in South Africa has supplied haters some new ammunition: the vuvuzelas. If you've watched any matches up to this point, you've heard the cicada-like buzzing of these plastic horns. Many people, fans and players alike, have asked that they be banned. Locals claim that the vuvuzelas (pronounced "VOO-VOO-ZAY-LUHS") are part of South African culture, and should be accepted by the world as such. FIFA president Sepp Blatter equates requests for vuvuzela silence as another attempt at European cultural colonization. Others have opined that the call to eliminate them from World Cup matches is racist.

OK, let's get back to reality.

These annoying horns have nothing to do with South African tradition. A quick look at its entry in the always reliable Wikipedia attests that they actually originated in Mexico in the 1970s. Heck, one of my grade-school friends had one that he would take to Bengals games (we just called it a plastic horn). While some South Africans say that they have a cultural depth, they weren't mass-produced there until the World Cup was awarded to the nation. In short, it's just an annoying fad.

If FIFA officials were wise, they would recognize this and ban them. If they don't, I guarantee they'll become a regular fixture at every soccer match in every nation, just like those annoying "thunder sticks" that infiltrated American sports a few years ago. The actual tragedy is that there many African fans playing drums, a truly cultural expression, but they're being drowned out by those cheap plastic horns.

So feel free to hate the horns, because I'm a fan and I do. But don't hate the sport because of them.

Oh, and the games have been pretty boring up to this point. But at least I'm admitting it.

Lasting Love

Last weekend was my parent's 40th wedding anniversary. It's extremely difficult to orchestrate a gathering of my siblings' families, but we were able to pull it off and surprise my parents. We had discussed possibly having a large gathering of friends, but we decided that a crowd consisting of 13 grandchildren was quite enough (take a look at the picture of the bottom of this post to observe the ever-growing Carr clan). My mother and father were married in Maysville, Kentucky on June 6, 1970. The late Lewis Foster, esteemed New Testament professor at the Cincinnati Bible Seminary, was supposed to perform the ceremony but his father had passed away the night before. They had to get a replacement minister, a gentleman that my father claims was not licensed to perform weddings in Kentucky. He uses that anecdote to set up the joke that he and Mom were never married. He's like that sometime.

It was a very basic wedding ceremony as I understand it; the pictures of their special day reflect the simplicity expected in the union of the daughter of a tobacco farmer and the son of Appalachian field workers. But many times power things have rather humble beginnings.

It has not been until recent years that I have truly begun to appreciate what my parents have. They learned to accept life as it came to them and make the best of it. My mother prolonged her entry into college in order to save up the money to pay in full; she used to instill guilt in us by relating what she went without while laboring towards her professional degree. My father drove a truck long before he was legally allowed to do so in order to make money for his family. He served faithfully in the Marine Corps in Vietnam and then returned home, meeting my mother at his home church. Instead of lamenting the many hardships before them, they modeled their marriage on work and service, always putting forth a supreme effort. From nothing, they built a successful business. And into their children they planted seeds of education, fully understanding that this was the key to life success. My siblings and I have truly benefited from their efforts, obtaining a strong work ethic and a leg-up in having stable adult lives.

But, ultimately, my parents' marriage is best summarized by their faith; it has been the constant throughout their relationship. Many a morning, as I woke up to get ready for school, I would hear my parents in their room reading the Bible and praying. They made sure that we were at the church building practically every time the doors were open. Again, these habits were passed on to my brothers and sisters as all of our families are currently dedicated servants in local congregations. And my parents' loyalty to the Price Hill Church of Christ over the course of their marriage amazes me more than anything. Few people today can claim that they've remained loyal to the same community of believers for 40 years. Perhaps it's the fact that the church is what brought them together. Regardless, their Christian family has been a driving force throughout their marriage.

I know it hasn't been easy for them but, still, 40 years later, they love each other as they did when they were young. I am more proud of my parents than I could ever articulate. I was raised with a front row seat to a great marriage. And it has made all the difference mine and my siblings lives. And this is why WE celebrated their forty years last week.

_________________

Last week, while pondering my parents marriage, I found this video about the late John Wooden and his relationship with his wife. Somehow I kept seeing that as the equivalent of my parents' love for each other.

Wrapping Up May

I have certainly been MIA here on the blog; my last post was a month ago. I knew there'd be a posting famine, but let it occur naturally. So here's my little May recap: 1. Marathon Recovery. I healed up rather nicely after the marathon. The only lingering issue is that pesky Achilles Tendonitis but I totally rested it the past thirty days. I think this has helped immensely, and I plan on finally going on a jog next week. I'm going to make an attempt to do some regular running throughout the year to see if I can set up for a personal best in next year's marathon.

2. Class Obligations. I took a course in Genesis in Seminary this past term and I wrapped it up in May. It was an excellent course. I had actually avoided taking Mark Ziese classes while an undergrad at CCU because he has a reputation as a professor who requires a lot of classwork. Well, this was my penance and it was well worth it. I thoroughly enjoyed devoting some extended time in Genesis as it's, by far, one of my favorite texts. I also taught a course in the College of Adult Learning concerning ministry trends of the future. I had a great class and am actually looking forward to grading these finals. I'll next teach in late August, so I guess I get a summer vacation.

3. Church Stuff. Echo has been great. We continued to have solid attendance and participation throughout May. Take out Memorial Day, when the vast majority of our folk are out of town, and we had one of the strongest months in church history. This summer, my focus for our congregation is reorganization of structure. I'm going to work with our leadership on revisualizing the way we conduct ourselves.

We also said goodbye to Sam Waldron, who has led worship for us since Tye left. I knew what we were getting when Sam came and he surely did not disappoint. Sam is moving on to an internship and probable staff position with his home church. He's going to do some great things there and throughout his life. I knew we'd only have Sam for about a year but was confident God would provide someone to replace him. Sure enough, Dillon Hamilton and his wife Kathy joined us near the end of last year and have become an integral part of Echo. Dillon led worship for a church plant in Cleveland and, when a job brought them to Cincinnati, they connected with Echo. I'm confident that he's our guy and looking forward to what the next months will bring to our ministry in Walnut Hills.

4. Our Vacation. I don't like telling the cyberworld when we're going to be out of town for an extended period of time, so we kept it low-key except to those in our immediate vicinity. We've never done a big just-the-three-of-us vacation, so we decided to take a trip to Walt Disney World. Kelly meticulously planned our vacation out as we stayed in a Disney hotel and were on their meal plan. I enjoyed it because there was little for me to worry about except getting from place to place. Obviously, Kaelyn had the time of her life as evidenced by these pictures. Remarkably, I returned from our break rather rested. It was an unforgettable time. I'm sure I'll have more to write about it in the near future.

5. Our Illnesses. The weekend after we returned from vacation, I started feeling bad. Assuming it was just allergies, I plowed through but a series of nighttime fevers led me to see that this was more than allergies; it was a sinus infection. And, as expected, I passed on the cold to Kaelyn so we basically spent Memorial Day Weekend lying around the house. I finally went to the doctor at the beginning of the week and got some antibiotics, so I've been on the mend. Kaelyn, on the other hand, appeared to be improving but then had a really bad time. She woke up in the middle of the night Tuesday coughing and struggling to breathe. We recognized that it was croup, as she had it when she was two years-old. We took a trip over to Children's Hospital's ER and she received a steroid to work it out. While she still had a rough night last night, I'm thinking she'll be over it by the weekend.

So all of this is why I didn't get any posting done last month. I'll try not to let the famine continue.

Marathon Post-Mortem

It's been three days since the Flying Pig Marathon. After my first one, I felt motivated to write about it immediately. Now that I'm a multiple marathoner, I guess I'm just a little more casual in reflecting about it, so here's the delayed, well-thought-out reaction. It was some of the most miserable running conditions I've ever experienced. I seriously believe that running in the snow (which I've done) would have been easier. I drove downtown with my friend Larry and a friend of his, and we picked up my friend Audrey on east side of downtown on the way there.* At 6:00 am, it was pouring. Thankfully, the weather was somewhat mild but the rain would not let up. This is problematic in running because there was no chance of keeping your feet dry. Knowing that this could happen, I made sure to have Kelly keep an extra pair of socks that I later could change while on the course. And in the mass of humanity at the start line (and because I wanted to stay in the car a little longer) I lost my running friends, so it would be 26.2 miles of me and the iPod Shuffle. Fortunately, the rains calmed down by the time I completed mile one, but I was pretty soaked.

Learning my lesson from last year, I decided not to try to force my way through the crowd in the opening miles. This strategy, combined with a course that is now overloaded with runners (they really need to do staggered start times at the Pig), meant that I had a leisurely jog until I hit the Gilbert Avenue hill. At the entrance of Eden Park I saw Kelly and Kaelyn and told her that I might need a full pit stop at our arranged meeting place in Mariemont. After the split from the half-marathoners, I picked up my pace a little through Hyde Park and was doing OK.

At mile nine a felt a pain in my foot. I assured myself it wasn't serious and that it would soon pass, and by mile eleven I had forgotten all about it. I met the girls at mile sixteen and changed my soaked socks. I realized that I needed to do this if I wanted to save my feet for later and, since I wasn't really gunning for a personal record, it was a very wise decision. The funny thing about this stop was Kaelyn. Apparently she started giving high-fives to the runners to inspire them and really wasn't interested in stopping her duty just to see me. I had to grab her to kiss her just so she would say "bye." Leaving Mariemont, inspired by the feeling of dry feet, I picked up my pace a lot. I was feeling very good, and kept this accelerated pace through mile twenty.

My injury during training motivated me to enjoy my run more than I would have otherwise. Since I knew I couldn't get a personal best, I decided I would just run a consistent race and smile a little more. Throughout the morning I was talking to other runners, volunteers, and observers. I was even joking with people whenever I could. My best example of this occurred in mile eighteen. As the rains started to commence yet again, I spotted a guy by the side of the road wearing a Chicago Cubs poncho. I ran over towards him and held up my hand to give him a high-five. As he started to reciprocate, I suddenly pulled my hand away and shouted, "I HATE THE CUBS." He was a little surprised and muttered, "have a good race, anyway." Not sure I would have pulled that kind of stunt last year when I was a little more serious.

As I hit the last five miles, I started to feel tired. This is natural, as humans aren't designed to run much more than twenty miles. I was still keeping a good pace and then looked ahead to see Dr. Johnny Pressley, dean of the Cincinnati Bible Seminary. This was his sixteenth marathon, and I have been using him as a comprehensive marathon resource. He's always been encouraging to me, so I knew I had to catch up to him to pace with him. As we started running together, we reached a solid pace which gradually increased as we neared the finish. The last mile was one of my fastest of the day. Ironically, while I thought Dr Pressley was pushing me, he later admitted that he thought I was pulling him. Regardless of who was pushing/pulling whom, I was grateful he was there at the finish.

Once I stopped running at the finish line, I immediately felt my foot. Overall, I wasn't feeling too bad. I had pre-treated the achilles tendinitis injury with ibuprofen and heat rub and I barely noticed it throughout the race. Still, the injury affected the stride of my right leg yielding a blister and, what I believe to be a slight stress factor, on my left foot. A few days later, I'm walking much better. I'm sure I'll be back to normal by the weekend.

As I reflect on this year's run, I've learned a lot. I learned to respect the marathon, and that I can't rush the training. I learned that I have to care for my body more than I used to; yep, I'm getting older. I learned that it can be enjoyable to help other people towards their marathon goals (and I'm hoping that some of you reading this might be inspired to pursue your own).

But, ultimately, I learned this year that I love running. I know it sounds stupid to have just figured this out after a half-marathon and two full-marathons, but I'm not sure I loved running until this year. Before, I was just fascinated by the race. Now, I'm looking forward to healing up so I can get back out there and run some more. I'm pretty sure I'm going to run the Pig again next year. It kept me in shape throughout the winter and I'm feeling pretty good about my health right now. Even though it was a brutal race, it was a great time. I'll remember it fondly.

Finally, congrats to my friends Larry, Laura, Joe, and Scott who all finished their first marathons on Sunday. Great work. *It should be noted that Audrey is my running idol. She's a multiple marathoner, including Boston and New York. I'm always thankful for the advice she offers. POSTSCRIPT: Nowhere here did I note my finishing time. It was 4 hours, 34 minutes.

Marathon Week: The Morning Of

It's Christmas. Since the end of December I've been anticipating this morning. All these months of preparation comes down to this one day. Fortunately, I was able to get some sleep last night, so lack of sleep won't be a problem.

Keeping dry, however, might be.

Looking at the radar it seems like there might be some dry periods this morning, but there's no way we're not getting wet. Fortunately, it's already 65 degrees, so we won't be freezing (we runners, that is. I feel bad for the volunteers and spectators). The rain will make the course slow which could actually help me. Since the tendinitis requires that I keep a slower, steady pace, I'm hoping I'll be able to control expectations and just run a solid race. Last year I finished at 3:58, just under my four-hour goal. This year will be a different story. So calling my shot:

• Top goal: 4:12
• Most realistic goal: 4:22
• "As long as I come in by this time I'll be satisfied" goal: 4:32

Regardless, just crossing the finish line in a few hours will be worth it.

Here I go . . .

Marathon Week: Coping With Injury

As I countdown the days before my second 26.2 mile trek, I’m going to reflect on some issues/experiences I’ve had during my preparation for the Flying Pig Marathon on May 2nd. This winter did a number on me. It really wasn't a harsh winter, but the February snowstorms kept me off the streets and on the treadmill for almost the entire month. As I mentioned before, I chose a running plan this year that called for only three runs a week. I felt that I was in good enough shape to make it work out. But since I was doing that treadmill running, I was unsatisfied with my progress.

The weather changed quickly (as I remember it was snow and 20 degrees one week, mid-fifties the next). Once the weather broke at the beginning of March, I felt like I needed to make up for lost time. I hit the Eden Park hills pretty hard. I was running them well, picking up time. But then I had a run where the back of my leg felt sore. Ignoring it, I went for my scheduled long on a crazy rainy Saturday. I ended up hurting myself.

I read everything there is online about Achilles Tendinitis. The tendon is a different beast as blood doesn't flow well to tendons, so the only sure-fire fix is rest. I scaled back my running for a couple of weeks, hoping it would improve, but it didn't; I started to doubt whether or not I'd be able to run the marathon at all. In desperation, I visited the orthopedic specialist to see what was up. X-rays were negative and he assured me it was just a mild case. He actually told me I was getting old and, in addition to warming before/icing afterward, I should pop 2-3 ibuprofen before going on a run. This was welcome advice, as many articles I had read online warned against taking anything at all. I now felt empowered to give it a go. I got an ice pack to wear after runs, took some Advil before hitting the road, and I was hanging in there.

The one thing I was trying to do was to get my leg warm before heading out. I wore thick socks to bed before waking up to run, but it wasn't helping. I resorted to analgesic rubs, which made our home smell like old man, but still wasn't satisfied. Then I remembered this stuff I used when I played soccer in college that was ideal; after back-to-back games, it virtually eliminated any soreness. But it came in an unlabeled tub so I never knew what it was. The same trainer that was on staff at CCU when I played is still there and he told me it was called Atomic Balm (props to the marketing department on that one). My father-in-law did some online research and located the only store in Cincinnati that sold it. This tube of goop has saved my marathon. It heats up my leg and keeps it warm for hours. I am now the ultimate unpaid spokesman for Atomic Balm.

I'm not going to lie, the leg still hurts some. Hills are uncomfortable and, around mile 14, it gets a little tight. Still, I believe my tendinitis is not extreme and I won't be harming myself long-term by making this attempt. Nine days ago I ran twenty miles and I feel fine now. I've restricted my training to the elliptical machine at the gym since then to rest the tendon. All I need is to get this one run in on Sunday and it'll all have been worth it.

Unfortunately, because of this injury, there's no likelihood that I can best my time from last year. But I think I learned much more about myself as a result. I'm willing to admit that I'm getting older, and that I now need to take better care of my body than I used to. And I learned that whereas I used to view training as merely the opportunity to keep in shape, I'm actually starting to like running for its own merits.

Marathon Week: How I Eat

As I countdown the days before my second 26.2 mile trek, I'm going to reflect on some issues/experiences I've had during my preparation for the Flying Pig Marathon on May 2nd. When I decided that I was going to run the Flying Pig again this year, I knew it would be harder. Last year, my only employment was with the church, so I could flex my schedule and run whenever I could carve out the time. Having a consistent 9-to-5 job meant that I was going to have to adjust my training schedule. Part of that was adopting a three-run-a-week training regimen. I'll try to outline later how this worked out, but in order to compensate for less running I decided to also alter my diet. This is something that I've never attempted, as I like to eat what I want to eat.

Starting January 1st of this year, I gave up sweets. This has included donuts, cake, ice cream, pie, and even what I like to call "dessert cereal." I still drank my Diet Coke, since it's artificial sweetener (me loves the aspertame), but really didn't stray much further than that. In accounting for the times where I've fudged on this endeavor, it's a short list.

1. Twice over the past four months, I did have pancakes/waffles. This obviously requires the use of maple syrup because that's how God intended it. To be fair, we had the pancakes at home and we use the "light" version of syrup which is less sugary. And I had the waffles last week to carb-load for my twenty mile run. So I was OK with this splurge.
2. Over the past four months, I had six blueberry muffins. I'm not sure I can justify it in anyway.

Honestly, though, it's probably because breakfast is the only time that I've missed sweets. You start to realize how small the options are for morning eats when you take out the sweets. I've done my share of fruit and have continually opted for the plain bagel. Honestly, bagels and fruit can only carry you so long, so that's why I killed those muffins.

Surprising, it's not been that difficult to deny desserts. It's actually empowering. I'm not going to lie and say that I haven't missed it. Last Sunday, Kaelyn and I were at Fountain Square and she asked for Graeters ice cream. As she polished it off all by herself, I couldn't help but long to have some myself. But as people have offered my cookies and cakes, I've remained vigilant. Heck, I survived Girl Scout cookie season with nary a Thin Mint.

But here's the sad part: I'm not sure I've lost any weight as the result of cutting out the sweets. Maybe I've dropped a pound or two, but you can't really see much of a difference. As you run, you tend to eat more anyway. Instead of opting for sugars, I've just settled for more of everything else. Now since I ran less this year, I might have achieved some sort of equilibrium with eliminating desserts. As my metabolism continues to evaporate, I might just be adjusting appropriately. And while I don't think I benefited around the waist, I did make it throughout the winter without getting ill. And I'm thinking that, if that's the trade-off, it was a good one.

I'm not sure I'll keep this up after the race. I mean, it's been interesting, but I can't say that this "no sweets" diet has changed my life. The big question is, how shall I break this fast? For that question, I seek your input. When I go sugar-loco next Sunday night, what should I go for?

Food Inc.

The majority of people who read my blog have no need to worry about food. If you're hungry, and there's nothing in the refrigerator, then you hop in the car and go to the store. Usually, the only concern we have is value and nutrition. And, because of our mobility, we can always find another store the suits our needs. One of the issues in urban communities is the vast amount of people who do not have automobile access but rely on public transportation. When they need food, it's an entirely different endeavor. If they're fortunate, there's a grocery store within walking distance. Otherwise, they're forced to get on a bus and haul groceries in a most uncomfortable way. Because of that hassel, many impoverished urbanites are less inclined to make regular trips to the grocery store and, instead, rely on local neighborhood convenience stores for their food needs. These corner stores tend to 1) charge more for food and 2) predominantly offer junk food. As a result, the people in these communities eat less nutritiously, which negatively affects their quality of life. In order to assist these urban residents they need access to healthy foods, access that could come in the form of a local farmers market or (for an option not affected by the seasons) a local grocery store.

If you live in Cincinnati, perhaps you heard the fervor concerning the Roselawn Kroger Store closing. The announcement caught the communities of Roselawn and Bond Hill by surprise. The corporation cited a significant loss in income last year as the reason for the closing. The communities were given no advance notice that profits must increase or the store would close. They're organizing to try to combat this, but it's too late. The community will lose their grocery store and, most likely, will never get it back.

I find all of this very disappointing. As a city resident, I ask, "What is Kroger's obligation to service these communities?" Your response might be that Kroger is a company beholden only to their shareholders; they are in business to turn a profit and do not need to care for the interests of the community. While this seems to be a logical answer, it ignores the relationship between the Kroger Company and the city of Cincinnati. Our city, through generations of loyal consumership, made the Kroger company what it is today. Yet as the company has grown to become a national business, it has continued to reap the tax breaks and benefits from this storied relationship while ignoring it's responsibility to our municipality. These communities that are losing Kroger stores have shown immense loyalty to the company for decades. But now, as the bottom line becomes the most important thing, they are turning their backs on these customers. But Kroger is OK. Because they can replace that customer base exponentially by opening up suburban megastores. In short, they piss on urban communities.

You might object to my harsh statement, but hear me out on this point. How does Kroger justify these closings? Base economics. "The stores are losing money," they cry. I contend that they want these stores to lose money. These urban grocers were established before the company went national. No longer do they fit the mission of the corporation. To avoid charges of racism (as most of these stores are located in predominantly African American communities) they cite falling numbers, making it an economic decision. But do not be deceived, friends: data can be manipulated. If they can ensure that they break even, the can make the store a hell-hole and keep operating. They difference of overall presentation between a suburban store and an urban store is stark. The product on the shelves at the urban stores are inferior. The selection is sparse. Again, naysayers will suggest that it's because the community won't support it, but it isn't the tail that wags the dog. Kroger is giving up on the inner-city. I fully anticipate a location on the Banks downtown, but this will cater to a higher-income urban-dweller and not the people that need it the most.

Even worse than this is the way that my community, Walnut Hills, will soon be treated. Our local Kroger was recently revamped because the Corryville (UC campus location) will soon be torn down and remodeled; when I say "revamped" I mean they basically repainted. The company will need the Walnut Hills location when Corryville closes, so they can retain some local business. But make no mistake: once the Corryville location is completed, they will close our local Kroger. They will say, as they have cried for years, that the store was not profitable—that people choose to shop in other locations. The truth is, they want this store to fail. And when they do, they'll hold the community hostage.

You see, Kroger has a unique rental agreement in their Walnut Hills facility. When they close up, they'll retain rights to the property and no other grocer will be able to open up shop there for years. Yes, they're preparing to hijack a community's access to food. You see, Kroger knows that our community is rebounding economically, and that new, higher-earning customers are moving into the area. Rather than investing in the community, they're going to try to eliminate it's grocery options, so that people will drive to Corryville and Hyde Park to do their shopping.

And who loses: our neighborhood's elderly and impoverished who do not have automobile transportation. Kroger doesn't give a rip about them, only about maximizing profits.

I spent time tonight writing this because I want you to seriously think about these issues. The next time you're watching the local news and seeing citizens complaining that their grocery is closing, at least try to empathize. For many in our population, this is practically a life or death issue. Where will they get healthy food with which to feed their family? Instead of treating massive profits as the goal, Kroger would do better to invest in these communities and in the lives of the people who remained loyal to their company throughout generations.

People In My Life: Tim Tucker

A few years ago I was in the midst of a rough patch in my life; true, it paled in comparison to many of the complexities that people in the world face everyday, but it was a big deal to me. I needed some recalibration. I needed a shake-up. And then, one day, Tim walked through the door.

Tim was going through some things in his life as well. He was looking for some direction. And the best I could offer was to spend some time with me and observe life in the ministry. For almost a year, Tim accompanied me on hospital calls. We talked all things Scripture and life. It was good times. Investing in him was actually therapeutic.

When we decided we were going to plant a church, Tim was the first outside person I told. He signed on to Echo that very day.

Tim was unable to relocate to the city-center, so he commuted from the northern suburbs to Walnut Hills. During those first two years, Tim would drive an hour round trip multiple times a week to be a part of our church. He helped set-up. He helped tear down. He helped wherever hands were needed. He was my right hand man.

After a while, the exhaustion of not being where our church was got the best of him. Tim had to step away from Echo. But I've still always considered him to have been an instrumental part of us surviving those early years. He was a constant encourager. And, at the very least, he reduced my workload which was a blessing to my ministry and my family.

This week, Tim is relocating to Nashville, Tennessee. Although we haven't gotten together nearly as much in the past couple of years, it was comforting having him so close. We had lunch a couple of weeks ago just to reminisce about our friendship. I am truly thankful that God brought him into my office over six years ago. And I'm very thankful for the good times we've had.

We ate. We laughed. We played sports. We dressed up like Santa and a Reindeer (no picture link). We ran down thieves. And some of my best stories involve Tim.

So God speed, friend, in your new life!

Walnut Hills Immersion

Yesterday I worked with Give Back Cincinnati's community immersion of Walnut Hills. The weather could not have been better, and 60 people showed up to do a service project and check out the hidden gems of our neighborhood. In case you're wondering what you missed, here's a list of places we observed:

• Parkside Cafe- our neighborhood eatery. Great breakfasts, better gyro.
• The Walnut Hills Library- a Carnegie library that provides some amazing stability to our community
• Giminetti Baking Company- most of the bread served in our city's best restaurants comes from here.
• The Work Resource Centers (Easter Seals)- which recycles building supplies for sale in their Northside store.
• The Harriet Beecher Stowe House- dedicated to Walnut Hills resident and author of Uncle Tom's Cabin.
• The Monastery- a music studio housed in a 100 year-old church.
• Amphora Studios- artists/pottery studio.
• Tom Geiger House- housing for women/children, with Soup Kitchen in the lower level.
• Gates of Eden Park (The Verona)- condo developer—including the dwelling of House of Carr.

Had a great time telling our neighborhood's story and learning along side our established community leaders. Better hop on the bandwagon while there's still room. We're going places.

My Coke Addiction

It's no secret that I drink cola.Lots of cola. Specifically of the Diet/Coke/fountain drink variety.

There's just something about a fountain Coke that makes me happy. I'll admit that I'm somewhat addicted, but it doesn't control me. Last week, I had just one can of caffeine the entire day and I didn't get headaches. And, as of late, I'm mixing some caffeine-free in for good measure. Still, whether I'm going to work or preaching or lounging at home, I like to have a drink handy.

Five years ago I wrote a post about my favorite places to pick up a beverage. I figured it was time to revise that ranking as 1) I live in a different part of town and 2) there have been technological advances in the Coca-Cola field. The advent of Coke Zero has changed the game.

Growing up, I loved regular Coke. The problem with the beverage was two-fold: 1) the sugary residue from drinking it and 2) the high calorie levels. Coke Zero gives you the same taste with no calories. While I'm not a huge fan of the non-fountain version (Cherry Coke Zero reigns supreme in two-liter form), the tap version is a golden. Unfortunately, it's still difficult to find in many places, so I find myself going with the old faithful option.

So in no particular order, the best places to get a fountain Coke here in town. Realize there's preference for those places where you can get fountain Cherry Coke; I like to mix it in and that new syrup shot is not a good option. Note that, unlike my previous list, this list does not include restaurants. Only those with get-your-own refills could make this list, and while there are plenty of them that are stellar (Five Guys, McDonalds, Wendys) the increased cost means none are worth frequenting just for the drink.

Thortons. STRENGTHS: Coke Zero and Cherry Coke on tap, nice cups. WEAKENESSES: nowhere near our home, price. COMMENTS: I'm glad there's not a Thortons near our house. I love the mixture you can get there, but they're the highest price convenience store price. It's great to hit up occasionally.

Sams Club. STRENGTHS: Coke Zero and Cherry Coke on tap, price. WEAKENESSES: location, cup size. COMMENTS: The price is the best in town. It's not convenient (you can't make it a daily stop unless you have considerable time to spare) and they only have 32-ounce cups.

UDF Mount Adams. STRENGTHS: price, location, friendly staff. WEAKENESSES: no Coke Zero or Cherry Coke. COMMENTS: I go here everyday. I have tons of UDF cups because they offer cheap 44-ounce refills (under a dollar). The mixture isn't stellar, but it's become like my home brew. I will still hit up other UDFs because of the refill price, but none is as good as our home store.

Speedway. STRENGTHS: Summer pricing, rewards card. WEAKENESSES: Three-season pricing, no Coke Zero or Cherry Coke. COMMENTS: In the summer, you can't beat Speedway. The problem is that they jack up the prices the rest of the year. In a month or s0, I'll hit up Speedway a lot more.

BP, Hyde Park. STRENGTHS: Ice. WEAKENESSES: Price, No Coke Zero or Cherry Coke. COMMENTS: While this place doesn't seem redeemable, they have a pellet ice option that makes any beverage fantastic. So it's not the price, it's the ice.

Currently, there is but one game-changer left: the invention of fountain Cherry Coke Zero. On that day I will rush to the tap, fearing the end of the world.

Feel free to chime in with your own suggestions.

The Bedtime Show

Every couple of Monday nights Kelly has ladies Bible study, so the responsibility for getting Kaelyn to bed falls solely on me (Kaelyn tends to like it because I end up letting her stay up a little longer than normal). For a while now, Kelly and I have used bedtime as an opportunity not just to read her books but to tell her Bible stories. For a small child, she has a pretty good grasp on the minutia of the stories, but now she's starting to ask even more specific questions. There seems to be no way to fully quench her thirst to know more. Last night I had the book of Exodus on the brain because I'm getting ready to start preaching it at Echo over the next year. I decided to read her the Moses story, culminating in the Israelites' passage through the Red Sea escaping Pharaoh's army. While this is a classic narrative, there's a lot in there for young children to question. After some back and forth with Kaelyn, I decided I would try something else. I pulled out my iPhone, YouTube'd a clip from The Ten Commandments (a movie I've seen dozens of times that still fascinates me; it was on last Sunday night), and let her watch a five minute segment as the people of Israel traverse the dry ground between two walls of water.

Now I made sure to explain to her that this was not actual footage, lest she think that she can always opt for the video version of the Bible. But after she went to sleep, I was still thinking about how cool technology is. It basically changed the traditional bedtime story into a live action experience. I don't make this observation to downplay the power of books, nor is it my pre-justification to get an iPad. It's just really hitting me that Kaelyn's childhood will be much different than mine. Lately I learned that one of my nephews (age 6) was criticized at school for having poor computer skills. Yep, Lisa Bonet, it's a different world than where I came from.

Kaelyn's growing up in a time of unparalleled access to information. When I was growing up, I practically wore out our family's World Book Encyclopedias. I loved them. Having all that information about anything was amazing. But as my child continues to grow, she'll be able not only to look up that information online but see video of it—all in an instant. Obviously the impact of this tech runs the gamet of sociological implications. But I'm just now starting to wonder: how crazy will the next twenty years be. What will our children look like then? As a minister, what will I have to do to adjust.

In the midst of these questions, I'm still taking the opportunity to cherish the timelessness of the biblical stories. As Kaelyn repeated asked about the "E-gypt-ans," I knew there were many other tales for her to encounter. And they will still be powerful, regardless of the medium.

Get Immersed in Walnut Hills

There's a lot that Cincinnatians don't know about the neighborhood in which we live and minister. If you're one of those who'd like to know more, here's your chance. For the past few weeks I've been working with a local group of young professionals who have selected Walnut Hills as a location for a community immersion event. Give Back Cincinnati is an organization that allows people to connect and serve at the same time. This event is designed to inform people about our neighborhood as well as to help give back in a short service project. Activities will start at the Parkside Cafe on East McMillan, head up to the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, and make its way back to the Parkside. Food is provided. I'm going to be one of the tour leaders of the event, so I thought I'd send out an open invitation to anyone interested. As long as the weather holds, it should be a good day.

The date is next Saturday April 10th from about 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. You need to register if you want to attend. Click here to get more information and register.

What We Watch

I'm kinda in a blogging funk right now. I have a few things on tap that I'd like to write, but nothing I feel like knocking out tonight. In baseball, you sometimes need an infield single to break a slump, so maybe that's what I need. So to get a ball in play, here's the current list of television shows we watch. It might seem like a lot, but we're paying for cable and the DVR optimizes our viewing experience so . . . judge not and stuff.

SUNDAY NIGHT

• Amazing Race— By far, the best reality show going. Although this season is a weak season (one where the competitors are more lovable than competitive) it's still worth the investment. It's our after church tradition.

MONDAY NIGHT

• How I Met Your Mother— Been watching since episode one. Consistent comedy is hard to find these days. Plus, we're their demographic.

TUESDAY NIGHT

• V— I had great memories of the first series back in the 1980's. It's a little slow, but it's kinda a nostalgia thing.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT

• Glee— Even though it's not on right now, it's become one of Kelly's favorite shows. Don't let the music fool you: they have some great writers.

THURSDAY NIGHT a.k.a. THE NIGHT OUR DVR BEGS FOR MERCY

• Community— Perhaps my favorite show on television right now. It's taken the baton from The Office. We're constantly rewinding to catch jokes we've missed.
• Parks and Recreation— They were struggling after Season One but had a great comeback. The show has some interesting characters and a good future.
• The Office— It's Old Faithful. They've had a rough season, but I think they can squeeze out one more.
• 30 Rock— If you remember, it was exactly where Parks and Rec was. I had faith in Tina Fey, but the first episodes were rough. It turned the corner making the payoff way worth it.
• FlashForward— The best show that no one is watching. We're hoping that they at least wrap up loose ends before they cancel it.
• America's Best Dance Crew— We are so cool. I'm not sure anyone beside Kelly and I watch this show.
• Taking the Stage— Filmed locally at the SCPA, the storyline is teeny-boppish, but I enjoy looking at the Cincinnati scenes. They make our town look gorgeous.

FRIDAY NIGHT

• The Soup— Reminds me how pathetic the shows that we don't watch are.

SATURDAY NIGHT

• Saturday Night Live— Been watching it since Junior High. I'm not gonna stop now. Loves me some sketch comedy.

And since I'm at it, here are the shows we've dropped:

• Celebrity Apprentice— It's altered the definition of celebrity and has become unwatchable.
• American Idol— Adding Ellen, subtracting Paula, and losing both Simon and any talented performers— A.I., meet the Shark. Care to jump it?
• 24— Just couldn't do it anymore. I might turn in to the last episode.

Feel free to chime in and compliment/criticize our selections.

My Achilles Heel: My Achilles Tendinitis

My running update: Less than six weeks out from the marathon, and my training has been going . . . well, just OK. This year has been much different than last year. My training has been tougher since my flexible time has evaporated. I was hoping to shave some time off my last year's finish, but my pace is still too slow.

The weather was brutal throughout January and February, resulting in my current hatred for the treadmill. The warmer temperatures drew me outside, specifically to Eden Park, where I started a regimen of running up the hill to the Twin Lakes overlook. I was starting to feel good, but my last two long runs were disappointing. The one before last, the weather was gorgeous but my time was lacking. And, at the end of that run, my leg felt a little tight. The tightness continued throughout my last couple of runs. And then came last Saturday's run.

The weather was pathetic. I checked the radar before I left the house and it appeared the rain would let up. Little did I know, it started to move in a swirling pattern and continued through my entire run (also, the temperature dropped eight degrees in a couple hours). About ten miles in, my leg felt really tight. At one point a felt a sharp pain. Thankfully, Kelly had hopped in the car with Kaelyn and tracked me down, granting me a reprieve. But I could tell something in my leg was definitely not right.

After consulting with Susan, a lady in our church who's doing doctoral work in physical therapy at UC, we discovered it was most likely achilles tendinitis. It occurs when the tendon is overworked, especially when doing strenuous hill work. In some cases, it takes months to heal.

I don't have months.

Reluctantly, I knew I'd have to take it easy this week. Of course, with the amazing weather and the time change, this has been the best running week of the year thus far. This and the injury made me mildly depressed. I'm doing my best to heal: stretching, icing, and taking anti-inflammatory meds, but nothing is guaranteed. My leg is feeling much better, so I'll take a little jog this weekend. And, as I continue training, I'll need to steer clear of the hills and do some flat ground running.

I'm not quite sure what's going to happen. There's a distinct possibility that this could be the demise of this year's marathon. I haven't given up hope by any means, but my focus now is merely on completion. But, ultimately, I find it incredibly humbling. I love conquest—adding accomplishments to my portfolio. But the one predictable thing in our world is unpredictability (for proof, tell me how your NCAA brackets look at midnight on Friday). Even though I can train by the book, I couldn't predict what would happen to my body. It reminds me of what James wrote in his epistle, "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."

Who knows what tomorrow holds? Not me. So we'll see what happens.

Tasty

Not that any still uses Delicious, but I actually have an account where I bookmark interesting things I find on the interwebs. It was easy to set up and, with the Firefox pluggin, I can bookmark on the fly. Back when I changed over my WordPress theme to a basic look, I added some special features to the home page at www.houseofcarr.com. There you can not only see my latest posts, but you can see my latest status updates (via Twitter/Facebook) and my Flickr accoount. Since it had a pluggin for Delicious, I signed up for the service. This way, I don't have to write an entire blog post with hyperlinks to interesting articles.

So if you're interested in what I find interesting: first, get a life. Second, you can track my Delicious Bookmarks.

America: Where A Kid Can Be A Kid

I don't know everything there is to know about this health care bill Congress is trying to pass in the next week (of course, many of these congressmen/congresswomen have no idea what's in this bill either). But one thing I was reading this morning reinforced my irritation towards this bill, suggesting that we're cutting corners in a process that will affect our entire country's population. Part of the proposed health care bill is a requirement that dependent children will be allowed to stay on their parent's health care plan until the age of 26. Even though there are already similar laws on the books of some states (Illinois, I believe, allows this) this is not a good idea.

Think about it: we already recognize that delayed adulthood is an issue in our country but this federal law would practically endorse it. I'm not out of touch: I fully understand that these are harsh economic times and many recent college grads are struggling to find employment opportunities, but why do we have to legislate a quick fix that will not solve the issue? Merely looking at language of the law— basically, calling a 26 year-old a child— highlights the ridiculousness of our society. There are psychological effects to this that I'm not convinced our Congress has explored.

Our problem is that we don't know how to deal with twenty-somethings. We will give them all the rights of adulthood (tobacco, alcohol, gambling, sex) and expect little to nothing in return; this, friends, is how we arrive at The Jersey Shore and every VH1 reality show. Allowing a person in the mid-twenties to be classified as a child/dependent will have repercussions throughout our society, causing us to marginalize these young adults as almost grown-up. Instead of expecting less of them, we should demand more. When we treat them like grown-children, we do them (and us) a great disservice. Ultimately, America suffers when we don't let people become adults.

At age twenty-two, I was out of my parents house, employed, married, living in an apartment, and already saving for retirement. I'm not saying this is the best plan for everyone but I knew that, when college was over, it was my time to step up and be a man.

I know this is just one facet of the health care bill, but the lack of attention to detail here demonstrates that Congress should call a do-over; we do need reform, but not this. They can still improve the lives of millions of Americans without demeaning the lives of millions of others.

The Hunt for Reds October

One more quote for today (from here), comparing Cincinnati to St Louis.

Cincinnati and St. Louis are more similar cities than is often noted. A baseball tradition unrivalled by any city other than New York or Boston. An urban sensibility that's both more cosmopolitan and more backwoods that anyone on either side of the extreme is willing to admit. A downtown area that's far lovelier than people realize and vastly underutilized. The impossibility of grabbing a bit to eat past 9:30 p.m. without having to find a casino. A simmering history of racial divisiveness. The color red. The difference is that, baseball-wise, Cincinnati has been dormant as St. Louis has been ascendant; the Reds are long, long overdue. I've spent many, many evenings in Cincinnati, and that town is rabid to care about its Reds again. If they get hot and are close in September, that place will froth into a frenzy. It will carry them.

Even though they lost their first spring training game (note that Arizona Spring Training is killer on pitchers. Zack Greinke had a plus-9.00 ERA in Arizona last year) I'm excited about this season.

The Complexities of the Queen City

This quote from a former Cincinnatian speaks volumes about my hometown:

Sure, there were troubles in Cincinnati, but it also felt more alive in some way. Cincinnati is an edge place. It’s a meeting of red state and blue state, of urban and Appalachia, black culture and white culture, industry and environmentalism.

Everyone should visit Cincinnati.  It’s an important touchstone for understanding the complexity, the challenges, and the hope of America. A perfect place to hone our elemental media, and practice En’owkin, the Okanagan concept that translates as “Please give me the viewpoint most opposite of mine so I can increase my wisdom."

I have to agree with this perspective. There's obviously a distinct beauty to our city, but it's incredibly challenging to build cohesion among our residents because of divergent perspectives. It's yet another reminder for me that doing ministry in our town will continue to be challenging.

HT: City Kin