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You have overwhelmed me! My heart is chock
full of gladness. During the Christmas
season, the outpouring for World Vision was
amazing. Many thousands of dollars were
donated to build wells, provide livestock and
help resource-impoverished children and
families all over the globe. I feel so
blessed to have people around me that are so
giving. Thank you.
In case any of you accidentally had a sheep
or a goat delivered to your house instead of
Nicaragua or Zimbabwe, don't worry about it.
They eat practically anything. Just don't
leave your good tennis shoes within the reach
of their tether.
A special Valentine's Day message to men:
This Valentine's Day... try not to screw it up.
I hope that was helpful.
God's Peace be with you.
Jeff
| There's Nothing Funny About Valentines Day |
 |
 Let's face it. When you've been married for
some 200 years, the challenge of doing
something romantic on Valentine's Day is
daunting. It seems like too much pressure.
Especially when the icy winds of February are
emanating from your wife's corner of the planet.
Let's not go into great detail about my
relationship with my wonderful wife. Suffice
it to say that sometimes stuff happens (that
I do) that she likes not at all.
People have struggled with koans such as
"What is the sound of one hand clapping?" and
"If a tree falls in the forest and no one is
around, does it make a sound?" But one
practical koan, just as unanswerable, is how
to respond to your wife's query, "Do I look
fat in this dress?" I think we all know that
the best and only response is to become
"Mannequin Man." Just blinking at this time
can get you killed. From personal
experience, I can tell you that telling her
she wouldn't look fat if she'd just back off
the brownies for breakfast is not, I repeat
not, productive.
Another koan... exactly how long is the time
you are allowed to notice another woman?
Let's say she walks into the restaurant
dressed to slaughter, and you notice her out
of the corner of your eye. And then your
brain thinks, was she as beautiful as I
thought? So you sneak another peek. Now the
meter is running. If you get caught in the
headlights, you're soon going to find your
guts splattered all over the hood of your
wife's car.
It doesn't take much to land myself in the
doghouse. And as Tami raises dogs, there's
always a vacancy. But, I digress.
Suffice it to say that this Valentine's Day I
am going to go through the motions of getting
her some gift. But I'm also going to find
some way to tell her that, even though there
are 4 billion other women on the planet, and
even though some are attractive, for me she
is the only woman in the world. And, if it
takes me a minute or a lifetime, I'm
committed to her having a real, visceral
experience of that. Thoughts and feelings
come and go - there's only so much you can do
to control that. But a commitment lasts as
long as you say so. And I am always, always
the one who gets to say.
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| Jeff's Touring Schedule |
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Here's where I'll be performing publicly over
the next few months. If you're coming, be
sure to say
hello. If you're sending a friend from another
area, be sure to have them introduce themselves.
|
Date |
City and State |
Venue |
|
Dec 7, 2007 |
The Woodlands, TX |
TBD |
|
Dec 16, 2007 |
Fairfield, OH |
Tri County Assembly of
God |
|
Dec 22, 2007 |
Sikeston, MO |
Tank Tech |
|
Jan 12, 2008 |
Green Lake, IL |
Green Lake Conference
Center |
|
Jan 14, 2008 |
Indianapolis, IN |
Hilbert Circle
Theatre |
|
Jan 15 - 17, 2008 |
Seattle, WA |
World Vision |
|
Jan 18, 2008 |
Janesville, WI |
Bethel Baptist Church |
|
Jan 27, 2008 |
Green Bay, WI |
Celebration Church |
|
Jan 28, 2008 |
Noblesville, IN |
White River Christian
Church |
|
Jan 31, 2008 |
Orlando, FL |
The Gathering of Men |
|
Feb 3, 2008 |
Birmingham, AL |
Valleydale Church |
|
Feb 9, 2008 |
Lynchburg, VA |
Thomas Rd. Baptist
Church |
|
Feb 10, 2008 |
Boerne, TX |
First Baptist Church |
|
Feb 14, 2008 |
Johnson City, TN |
Celebration Church |
|
Feb 15, 2008 |
Elkhart, IN |
ELCO Performing Arts Theatre
for WFRN |
|
Feb 16, 2008 |
Kokomo, IN |
Crossroads Church |
|
Feb 21, 2008 |
Lake Forest, CA |
Saddleback Community
Church |
|
Feb 28, 2008 |
San Diego, CA |
Town and Country Convention
Center Pastor's
Conference |
|
Mar 4, 2008 |
Chicago, IL |
Marriott Hotel Baking Trade
Association Meeting |
|
Mar 6 - 15, 2008 |
TBD |
Apostles of Comedy Tour
Venues TBD |
|
Mar 21 - 23, 2008 |
Asheville, NC |
Grove Park Inn Easter Weekend
Celebration |
|
Mar 28, 2008 |
Ardmore, OK |
First Baptist Church |
|
Mar 29, 2008 |
Austin, TX |
Doubletree Texas District
Church Extension Fund |
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| If You Think Valentine's Day Isn't Funny... |
|
During the Christmas season, your response to
provide help to the financially impoverished
folks around the world was inspiring. What
would it take to rekindle that oft-fleeting
Christmas spirit? I don't know. But I have
a strong hunch that if you keep on giving, or
give for the first time, you just might find
it. Let's see if we can keep this going and
continue to support children and families
around the world who have not been blessed
with sufficient resources to live a healthy
life. I'm inviting you to click on the link
below and do something - any action at all
makes a difference. God bless. -Jeff
|
| Got Teens? |
|
|
Jeff Allen is a featured columnist for
Living with
Teenagers. If you have a teen, have
been a teen,
or have ever ordered fast food from a teen,
check it
out.
Living with Teenagers
|
|
| Booking Jeff Allen |
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Katrina Victim Relief
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