Welcome to “When EF Talks!” my blog on music, spirituality, politics and life. I tend to write on all four of these things, and often the intersections between them.

If you want to know more about me, this is probably the best quick and dirty source.

Here are some quotes I try to live by.

You’ve been around blogs enough to know how it works. Broad categories of entries. There are more than 800 entries here, that go in wildly different thought-directions.

If you’re interested, here’s my feeble attempt to explain the primary categories…

Primary Categories on “When EF Talks”

Favorite Entries
These are entries that either meant a lot to me, or have meant a lot to other people. They start out in other categories, and I add them into this one.

Music News
A category for general info, news, gig announcements, about me and my own music. I post demos of songs I’ve recently written. I write about upcoming shows here, decompress about past shows, talk about recording I’m doing.

Angels and Pins
I have enough theological training to be dangerous. This is the place for me to opine about all things theological, ethical, moral, and philosophical; hopefully in words most human beings can understand (Not all theologians do this)

Once upon a time, I wrote a weekly email devotional that was read by more than 3,000 people worldwide. That’s a tiny number now, but it was big stuff in the mid-90s. (I mean a long time ago. Before blogs, when folks read things like devotional emails…) I don’t write it anymore.

Now and then, however, you’ll find something like those old devotionals here too. Also, if and when I create a written manuscript of my sermons (not often), they usually end up here too.

Life Happens
To me. To my family. To those around me.

Balcony People
Joyce Landgraff invented this term twenty years ago to describe people, living or dead, that were in “her corner”…personal cheerleaders, supporters, personal saints, heroes from history.

She said that anytime she spoke or performed in public, she imagined that these folks with with her, “in the balcony,” watching over her.
This category is to honor those who’ve meant something to me….my own “Balcony People.”

Thoughts from Purple Land
My wife is an elected State District Judge, here in Texas. So more than most minister-types, I know a bit about politics. I like to talk about politics the way some people talk about sports. There’s nothing wrong with that. All that stuff ends up here.

The titles comes from a song I wrote, just after the 2004 election, called “Purpleland.” No matter which side of the political divide you come down on, it’s important to remember that we DO live in a Purpleland. Every single state, every single community, is both “blue” and “red.” We are never just one or the other.

I happen to trend more blueish than reddish. The writing makes that plain. But, in my life, I know a lot of truly fine, upstanding red folks too.

The opinions are my own, and do not represent the views of any church or other organization. (Just felt the need to say that. And I say that even more strongly here.

My Own Amazing Race
I’ve been blessed to travel a lot of really interesting places in my life. I have a lot of pictures and memories, and I’m working on some entries that will be travelogues of some of the fascinating places and people I’ve met over the years. Stay tuned…

Things to Like About Texas
Lots of folks don’t like our state. I get that. And I’m not at all an apologist. I can agree with a lot of the critique. But before you throw the baby out with the bath water, please read some of the things I’ve found to like about this state. You might be surprised.

Or, even if you do still hate Texas, you might see us more as nuisance than anathema. And that’d at least be a step in the right direction.

HSO’s from a Bitter P1
I like to talk sports too. In 2006, I found myself blogging on sports more than I ever imagined I would. This culminated during the Mavs playoff run, when my observations about Dwyane Wade earned me 25,000 hits in two days, and earned me the moniker “Bitter P1” from the “BaD Radio Show” on “The Ticket” It’s a nickname I embrace with pride.
“HSO” = “Hot Sports Opinion.”
“P1” = Somebody who listens to The Ticket.

Worth Repeating
Things I’ve read/seen that I want to pass along.

Connections News
Information about the best cover band in Dallas, and an absolutely amazing part of my life, and if you live anywhere close to Dallas, you need to come hear us play.

Friends I’m Proud to Know
Just what it sounds like. Entries where I get to brag on my friends and the cool things they’re doing.

“Inside Baseball” for Methodists
To say something is “Inside Baseball” is to say that it’s so technical that most folks won’t have an interest in it.

I love the United Methodist Church, and have a lot of opinions about it. But the truth is that in our modern world many of things we battle about inside the church –as if they are “life and death”– mean little to those on the outside.

So expect me to write about matters of the UMC with a great bit of passion.

But also know that I know how “inside baseball” it all is.

Northaven
Posts about stuff going on at our amazing church.

There are are a ton more categories with catchy names. Check them out on the bottom of the main page….there’s nice visual representation that shows you how many entries there in any area.

Leave me a comment or two. And thanks for taking the time to stop by.