http://www.americanpress.com/lc/blogs/wpBrown An American Press blog Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:21:36 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Last night, I was homeless. So were about 150 others and we all spent a long, cold night in our city park to gain a better understanding of what it is like to live without a home. The event was called “One Night without a Home” and it started at our local ... http://www.americanpress.com/lc/blogs/wpBrown/?p=132 How often do you look in the mirror? Maybe a few times a day – like when you are getting ready in the morning or as you brush your teeth and get ready for bed? Maybe some times in between when you are in the restroom or something? How long can you ... http://www.americanpress.com/lc/blogs/wpBrown/?p=130 I recently went to a church that is pastored by a man who is a friend of mine. It happened to be a communion Sunday so I went to the altar, knelt, stretched out my cupped hands and received the sacrament. It’s strange, clergy people become quite nervous performing their clergy ... http://www.americanpress.com/lc/blogs/wpBrown/?p=128 When I moved to Southwest Louisiana in 1991, I met and worked with a woman named Donna. She was so kind to me. She and her husband invited me to dinner at their house. She was always friendly and fun to work with. The two of us changed jobs and began to ... http://www.americanpress.com/lc/blogs/wpBrown/?p=126 It seems like it has been raining for days on end. Spiritually, I think we all have rainy days, too. Ever notice there are seasons of just blah! Nothing seems to go right and we have to put on extra gear to protect ourselves from the onslaught of yuckiness coming at us. ... http://www.americanpress.com/lc/blogs/wpBrown/?p=124 Ahhh, the flu. It has been exactly seven days today since I came down with the flu. I had forgotten how horrible the flu is: Coughing, fever, aching, stomach issues (to put it nicely). This week has been filled with negotiations with God, prayers of pleading and the constant flow of ... http://www.americanpress.com/lc/blogs/wpBrown/?p=122 About five or six years ago, my husband and I were serving as youth directors in a small East Texas church. One of our flock was a cheerful young girl named Andrea. Andrea was funny, happy and bright. She came to church alone. Someone in the congregation picked her up and dropped ... http://www.americanpress.com/lc/blogs/wpBrown/?p=120 As Christians, we should hold up everything in our lives in the Light for careful examination. This week, I held up a game I play and questioned whether it was really in line with my faith. The game is Mafia Wars. Because it is a game on Facebook, I posted to ... http://www.americanpress.com/lc/blogs/wpBrown/?p=115 Most everyone who is clergy and has kids has heard of the term PK. Apparently, there is this theory that preacher’s kids (or PKs) are somehow more ill-behaved than the rest of the kids out there. I don’t know if this is true or not, but I decided today that ... http://www.americanpress.com/lc/blogs/wpBrown/?p=110 It’s not often I lose sleep, but last night was one such rare occasion. I had Joy on my mind and I was troubled. I work in college ministry and every Tuesday we open our doors to provide a free lunch to students. They come in and eat and fellowship and experience ... http://www.americanpress.com/lc/blogs/wpBrown/?p=108