How Do You Define "Revival?"
You, yes you, can submit your answer to the above question RIGHT NOW at ninetyandnine.com at the survey box on the right hand side of the home page. Since the word revival, like the word trinity does not exist on the pages of the Bible, exactly what definition have we as Ap folk given it? Please go to 90&9 and submit your definition, especially concerning our American version, which, viewed globally, is the "Western" version of the word revival.

To help you along, here are some common descriptions that you should avoid, in order to invent your own or at least find a Biblically suitable one.

1. A string of nightly services whereby a traveling evangelist sings, preaches and helps renew the local church body while a few visitors come and are born of water/Spirit.

2. A condition whereby a large portion of the local church body is supercharged and begin to do exploits for example: bring visitor folks to services.

3. A continuous influx of new visitors who actually hunger for the rebirth experience.

Name Ten Reasons This May Not Be Legit

Loggers 1, Bears 0
Check out this amazing story of a man defending his family against a large woodlands creature, otherwise known as a bear. I won't spoil it for you, but I can tell you that I would have done the same thing in that situation. But now it's Smoky Bear the guy has to deal with.

U.S., that's us foke, Give A Bunch!
Here's a snippet of an article that proclaims that us U.S. folk give more to charity than, say, Rwanda. The most disturbing stat I ever heard was that more money is spent on pet food every week than is put in the offering plate each Sunday in America. SO, I try to steer away from USA Today types of stats, unless, that is, I feel like some color in my news, and purchase an issue.

Bible Guy puts Out New Book
I'm still researching this guy to find out exactly where he's coming from, but he has written this, about his religious training/background and what's up now. Actually, this may be another Blue Like Jazz disaster (sorry, fans), else, someone's miscreant ramblings put into book form. Blue Like Jazz gives me the utmost hope that a publisher will one day offer me money for all my blog entries here at House Calls®. For that reason, I'm printing them out today, and with the aid of some Elmer's glue and staples, not to mention my trusty hole puncher, I plan to submit...just need...name of...publisher.

Y'all Come Back Y'hear?
According to experts at CNNMoney, Moscow is the most expensive city in the world to live in. Unfortunately, the least expensive city was not mentioned, which is Macon, Georgia, according to experts at House Calls®. Many drifters know this fact about Macon, and spend their winters here, eating at the many churches and other facilities that give out free food and lodging upon request. And recently, on the bright side, gasoline is down to less than $2oo*!




*Yes, that really is $200...per fill up!

stu's Church Website of the Week
Perhaps I shouldn't say Church as the inventor may cringe. But this site, apostolicimpact is not only techno-savvy but looks like a place I want to visit in real life. Is Michigan in North America, and does it rain there?

Night Shift vs. Day Shift
All the nights I've worked for nearly a year now have been in anticipation of working days instead. Until, that is, I worked this past Saturday, and was miserable. Even though I worked in the same area, it was an entirely different crew, and I, completely miserable. So, for now, I think I shall remain at my nights, continue to eat healthy and exercise, and hope that one day I will find a place more suitable to work days at.

I have read of nurses who worked for 25 years on nights, who did not suffer any major health problems, but preferred night shifts. My wife is not in favor of this proposition for me, and I must agree with her, since we are married and must get along in the future as well as we do now. So one day I will enter back into the land of the living, work in the daytime, sleep at night. Please alert the media.

For any of you contemplating a foray into the land of night working, I should not discourage you from doing so. Do it young, though, as the years will take a toll. And know that I feel a certain sense of accomplishment, of winning the war against the evil that night produces, the patients it dumps out on us in the ER, and the strange things that occur. I feel victory over the night, as I do death. Night, where is thy sting?

Are We irRELEVANT?
According to author Andrew Keen, we are. In The Cult of the Amateur: How Today's Internet is Killing Our Culture, He infers that YouTube and Blogdom is nothing but reality and literature gone moot. But I haven't read the book, nor agreed with his point that the amateur aspect of MySpace et al is disturbing in the sense that it is not credible, or at least professional. In other words, the Miss America Pageant is better (to Keen) than a YouTube video of you strutting down the beach in your bikini. The jury is still out on this one.

Cooki

8/1/2004 - 6/24/2007

Cooki, our dwarf hamster and beloved pet, has passed. He was truly the most personable of all the dwarf hamsters we've owned so far, as he did not bite, loved being held, and would actually watch you if you approached his cage. He loved sunflower seeds, stuffing as many as ten in each cheek pouch at a time. Placed in the hamster ball, he could roll from the back door to the front in about seven seconds, maneuvering through doorways and around cabinets and stairs. He also chased the cat, Mr. Kitty and bumped hard into him with the ball. He spent most nights running in the hamster wheel, the squeaking of which kept us awake sometimes. And he was loved.

We'll miss you Cooki!

Services Today at Six in the evening. The family is at home.

Once Upon a Time
Once Upon A Time there was a Mom And Dad and they got a call as they were crawling into bed one evening and behold their offspring did cry for help and was whisked away to the Emergency Room where stu the friendly nurse works and did get treated for drug overdose of the psychedelic kind. This was verily, verily a wake-up call to the offspring, yet it tore the heart out of the Mom and Dad. But behold the pastor came and prayed, the doctor did treat and the offspring recovered, though shaken badly. The rest of the story is...

No-Frills Apostolic Worship

I found a fantastic article on ninetyandnine.com this evening, something which threatens to bring a fresh breeze into any Church service, and is a brilliant concept. It's a no-frills, no-crutch service where...well, I'll let KR tell the story. But it is worth the read.

Myspace, Yourspace, Ourspace
My good friend CS has expounded her latest thoughts on Myspace and what positive vs. negative consequences it has.

Your Name Up In Lights!
Imagine my good friend CS's surprise when she drove by and saw this sign. But not as surprised as i was to see the one in the photo (right).

(What night nurses do when admin goes home.)

stu is

listening to: Spyro Gyra: Midnight Thunder

googling: gore movie

recently ingested: Multi-Grain Cheerios w/strawb's & banana

working: last night, 6/12-13, 12 hour shift

working next: Friday night

thinking about: blessed rain again last pm

wanting to: get a swimming pool

enjoying reading: The "V's" latest sermon

now reading: The Beach House, by J.Patterson

ready for: bed

missing: the wife, at work, will see tonight 1rst since 3 days ago

needing: to buy book for Bunch's Book club

laughing at: the ER events of last night

pondering: how do people get to be 490 pounds?

not amused: at women who cuss bad

guessing: who will win the U.S. Open in golf this week

hoping: supper will be ready when i wake this afternoon @ 5p.

It's A Carbon World After All
See what these free thinkers are coming up with...a world with reduced carbon! I'm all for reduced methane, especially among my patients. But carbon? As a carbon-based life form, I must object to any reduction. But concerning global warming, a concept that, along with the internet, was invented by Al Gore*, I must digress. And that is where these free thinkers are heading.


*Al Gore is an excellent title for a horror film.

(Actual unretouched photo of Stu blogging away)

Puppets, Duct Tape, and AAA at 90&9.com

Read LA's breakdown of the breakdown on her trip to Mississippi and other Gulf States.

Another Night in the ER
Read this.

Federer Defeated for THIRD year at French Open
For all tennis buffs out there today, I'm in mourning over m'man getting his hide tanned in 4 sets by the little Spaniard at the French Open. OH well.

Friday Is HERE and We're Reading Subversive BOOKS!
Thanks to all you faithful readers (okay, 9) who tune in to House Calls, awaiting a sign or something. But over at Bunchville he's starting up a book club for the summer and all who are in, sign up now! This is my last night, last night was better, and today I'm in a great mood, being a person of moods, according to my better half. Also, this is a great link that reveals the inner workings of the cursor on your computer.

p.s. Paris' Mug Shot...

Thursday Is Good Because...

The past two weeks I've been contemplating the relevance and significance of the blog as a literary form. Oh sure, there have been some anonymous bloggers who were discovered and found their name splashed across newspapers and TVovernight. But I studied sonnets during my undergrad years (never made it to grad years), Shakespeare, the Romanticists, and I don't think the blog will ever reach literary status. Unless, of course, I mention that Brad Pitt was fed to Aliens and then the National Enquirer will pick it up quite quickly and offer me money as well.

And yes, Thursday is good because it precedes Friday and is also paycheck-in-the-mail day for stu, what with 20 hours overtime and a retention raise (we're losing nurses faster than Hillary's losing votes) this should be a big fat check. Fatter than my fireman check, but still a drop in the bucket when thinking about baseball players and actors who make millions for far less stress than I'm subjected to on a nightly basis. Still, I thank My God that I have found a profession that is stable, in great demand, and doesn't require me to go outside during thunderstorms.

AH, I am rambling, and must crash soon. I've been checking on justin.tv a few times per week and I must report that it is a lame experiment. It only proves how absolutely terrible home movies are, since this guy Justin is making a non-stop home movie of himself, even while sleeping(zzzzzzzzzzz), camcast live on internet for your viewing pleasure. But he was smart enough to round up a sponsor who fronted him $50,000. I would say that my blog is as trivial as his camcast, except that mine costs less.

SO, have a great Thursday, and work hard whilst I sleep. I'm afraid today's blog won't make it into Norton's Anthology one day. But thanks for reading, all seven of you faithful ones.

Like I Said Before...
Keep it down folks or you don't get the diploma.

The Grass is Greener
So it did rain for two days and my grass is greener, although there is no proverbial fence in my yard. Be sure and check out the great stuff at ninetyandnine.com today and throw your 2 cents in while you're at it. And there's some folks mentioned in the NY Times doing all sorts of marathons and such. But for now, I must hibernate for a few hours as I worked [again] last night yet I was told by the wife that I had 4 days off (her faux pas). Have a great Monday. Oh, did I mention the U.S. Open [next week].

Rain, Beautiful Rain

I would like to kiss the wet ground outside today and thank my God who brought us rain via Tropical Depression Barry (no relation to Dave Barry, also of Florida). And I do sincerely mean Thank You Lord for the rain we received the past 2 days as it was well needed for crops, water tables, plants and trees. Looks like the entire East Coast got a good soaking, and we look forward to many more wet adventures this hurricane season. By the way, if you pronounce it Floor-duh, please be informed that it is, in reality, pronounced Flahr-dah.

Everest Visited
I watched a National Geo Film last night with incredible photography for IMAX, which some of you may have already seen at IMAX. Since this is the end of the Everest climbing season, it was the right time to watch and dream, yes ONLY dream of a march up to the peak of the highest mountain in the world. I got cold watching it, and felt tired afterwards. My wife thinks it is an insane quest, considering the number of regular folks who pay $70,000 and up to climb with a guide, yet die. The IMAX film is indeed the closest I will ever get to Everest, unless of course, I'm cruising in a jet in Nepal at 29,000 feet.

Livin' Large...and I Mean Large
The Pulitzer Prize-ignored Macon Telegraph featured an article in the business section this week on a new line of items for the large person, or person of size. The new company line launches as Living XL and offers something that no person of size should live without: a Big John® toilet seat. No, I'm not making this up, and Big John® features a "contoured, 1,200-pound capacity seat larger than any other toilet seat in the world!"

My question is this: At what point do we ask ourselves, "Hey, self, I'm maxing out my 550lb capacity toilet seat and I was wondering if it's time to order a Big John® toilet seat?"

ER Day #5, 12-Hour Shifts

I am tired this morning, but have been running stairs every night, up to the 9th floor, the zenith of the hospital. So far, I'm feeling better, and my best time up is 1:19. That's one minute, 19 seconds. No completely crazy patients this week, and I'm glad for that. And yeah, I'm glad I left the Fire Dept after 15 years to become RN, with the Lord's help that is. Stu, male RN, sticker of veins, drawer of blood, administerer of meds and oxygen, data entry nurse elfunascepto, and much more. And it's bedtime, going back tonight for shift #5.