Preachin' Man

In the first week that we're back I'll be preaching at two churches who are considering us to be their pastor. You all can be praying for Emily and I to know if one of these churches is the place where God is leading us. This will probably be the last post for a while with our move coming on Monday, and visiting churches after we get back. See you later world...

I'm Feeling Boxed in...

Monday 29th is our move out date, and the boxes have replaced all the pictures on our walls.  We're now about 4 boxes high around the walls of the living room.

Follow Greg's Treatments

I've got a link on the right sidebar to Greg Fay's blog. His family set up this blog for family and friends to keep track of Greg's progress in treating his cancer. I'm the same age as Greg's son, Ian. We grew up together in the same church.

New Photos Up...

I loaded up some new photos to our website last night. Click here to see them. Happy viewing.

A Meditation on Faith...

I read Hebrews 11 in my devo this morning. Verse 1 says, "Faith is the reality of things hoped for, the proof of things not seen." Have you ever stopped to think about how faith could possibly be the reality or the proof of future things???

We don't understand so that we may believe. We believe so that we may understand. The Christian life is faith seeking understanding. As you read Hebrews 11 you find in verse 39 "All these (the people written about in ch. 11) were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised..." The great giants of our religion had only their faith in this lifetime (how's that for you prosperity gospel people???). Their faith was reality and it became their eternal hope upon death.

Chapter 12 tells us that these great giants of faith are now a great cloud of witnesses around us as we make our trek through the world. Will you make your trek by faith???

I haven't dissapeared

Well, it's been a while since I've written. A lot has happened. Both my parents and Emily's parents came down to visit for graduation. I am now master of the theological universe (my degree says something like that). Our church also ordained me as a minister in the Southern Baptist denomination. I have not found the church that Emily and I will be ministering at yet. God will bring it about in his timing.

Close vote...

The church voted in the service this past weekend as to whether or not I should be ordained to the ministry. I had 50.3% of the popular vote but in the electoral college I fell short by a few votes...but they're going to ordain me anyways because I filed a lawsuit to have the hanging chads recounted and it ends up that I got 100% of the vote...close call.

Ordination is on May 13th. Same day as graduation. Same day as Luke's dedication. Geez...who's planning these events???

It is finished

All my classwork is turned in as of today. I can hear the applause. If I passed everything this semester then I'll graduate on May 13. (I hope that's a small if). Later...

Check out this setup...

I found this article on Apple's website. The group of scientists has 50 of the 30" cinema display monitors linked together for a total resolution of around 200 megapixels!!! Anybody want to donate to the Bass fund so I can get this setup in my house? Wait...I don't have a wall big enough. Nevermind.

Research Paper and Easter Pictures

I just posted my senior research paper to our website. You can download it from this page. It's the first paper in the list. If you're actually crazy enough to read it (25 pages) then leave me a note as to what you think. The topic is on divorce and remarriage in the church, and I argue for a certain position.

Elsewhere in the world today...I uploaded some of our Easter pictures.

Jack Needs My Help...

The last several episodes of 24 have been great...except for one little detail that I've thought of. How come Jack never pulled out his fancy little

"I-can-do-everything-including-blow-up-terrorist's-bomb-jackets
-and-program-memory-chips-to-spontaneously-combust"

cell phone in order to make a backup copy of the crazy recording between Logan and Henderson? If he had done that then the problem would have been solved, but I guess that's why he didn't do that b/c then the problem would have been solved...and by the way this is a TV show where they hook you so you come back and watch next week. (Good thing their tactics don't work on me).

New Pics Are Up

I tossed up some new pics on our website yesterday.  Click the link on the right side bar to go to our webpage.

Don't Click It...

I found this really cool website that is experimenting with a new User Interface that does not require mouse clicking. If you go to the site give yourself a few minutes to navigate and figure things out.

To visit the "Don't Click It" website, click here (how ironic is that?!?!?).

One Month to Go

Today is April 13th. I graduate on May 13th...but who's counting?

I have one question. All of these people who have taught me over the past several years are called Dr. This and Dr. That (real names withheld to protect the innocent...) because they have earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree. When I graduate next month, I'll have the degree Master of Theology. So here's my one question...since we are calling people by their degree title, will anybody be calling me "Master Bass"? I doubt that will be happening.

Although I'll have the degree Master of Theology, that's not a good description of who I am. As one of my profs told me recently, "When they declare you a Master of Theology...don't you believe it." Seminary has been a great road, and I've learned so much, but it's only the beginning of a journey..................

My Ebay Experience

Emily and I have been on ebay for a year or so now. We don't buy very much and it's always been a really smooth experience so far...until last week.

Emily bought a CD to give to a friend as a b-day gift. We won it for $5 + shipping. Came up to about half price of what we'd pay for it in the store. The CD was described as brand new and sealed in the wrapper...when it came a few days later it was not sealed, the case was scratched and had a hole in it. That would have gone over well as a b-day present.

So, I emailed the seller and he refunded all of our money. We got the CD for free to keep for ourselves, but still don't have the b-day gift.

I still like ebay b/c you can get some fantastic deals.

I'm Gettin' Old...

Today is my 28th birthday...quickly approaching 30...yikes. I'm watching the last round of the Masters tourney and Emily is cooking a big birthday dinner right now for us and some friends. Exciting, eh?

Oak Leaf Church

Many of you have asked about the new church plant in Georgia that we visited in light of possibly joining the staff team. Our visit was good, but Emily and I decided not to go there b/c they've already got the ball rolling and are doing a good job with the 3 guys already committed to the staff.

Here's the website for Oak Leaf Church.
Here's the lead pastor's blog.

Last Sermon in Seminary

My last sermon I'll preach in seminary classes will be on Malachi 2:17-3:5. I had to pick an OT passage with some amount of prediction in it. We go over our outlines tomorrow. I think this will be a good sermon to preach. Malachi is a really great book to read (and it's short).

Hangin' at Las Colinas...

Yesterday I got to go help run the AV at one of the seminary's big fund raisers. It was at the Las Colinas club and resort in Irving (near Dallas). The Las Colinas golf course is a stop on the PGA tour every year where the Byron Nelson Championship is played. This year's event will be played on my graduation weekend.

Can I say...it was crazy nice. Although I didn't get to play golf (that costs major $$$ at a donor event) I did sit and watch guys hit into the 18th green. The course was perfectly manicured. Inside the resort there were people everywhere who would serve you. I went into the internet business room to check my email and a tuxedo clad guy comes up to me and asks what he can do for me drink or food wise. At lunch I sat down after getting my food and the waiter immediately comes to pour my tea, and then he takes my cloth napkin and drapes it across my lap...that has NEVER happened to me before. Those type of things always freak me out because I wonder what they are doing.

Well...it was a fun day, and it makes me want to play a little golf myself. Alas...I shall wait until seminary is finished for those excursions.

A Fun Weekend...

The 3 of us had a really fun weekend. We went to Cici's pizza buffet on Friday night (I ate about 3 pounds of pizza). On Saturday Luke had his first swimming class, then we went to the park in the afternoon, and a Texas Rangers baseball game in the evening. Finally, Sunday we did some serious cleaning and throwing out around the house. If you'd like to see some pics from Luke's swim class and from the park, click here to go to our photo page. Later...