Dan Cooley's Blog, page 22
June 19, 2014
The Letter That Made My Year
So my sister Jeanette is talking to her friend Jenefer in Austin. Somehow it came up that Jeanette’s brother had written a book. “Cool. What book?” asked Jen. “Bizarre Bible Stories.” “Bizarre Bible Stories? It was my son Bo’s favorite book, and we lost it in a move!”
Long story shorter, Jeanette told me, and I sent Jenefer a copy. Jen now has two sons younger than Bo, and all three wrote me the sweetest letters. But it was the letter from Bo, who had the book when he was younger, that made my day. Year maybe. Here it is a bit larger to make it easier to read.
Thanks Bo, James, Dippy and Jenefer for the letters!
Bizarre 2 Update: Bizarre 2 should be hitting the bookshelves in September! Heritage Builders Publishers secured a deal with the distributor who services all retailers plus 4,000 Christian Book Stores – so it should be coming to a store near you soon.
The Worlds Three Best Blogs
1: One thing I love about my job is keeping in touch with people long after we have moved apart. Chad Barrett was in my youth group back in the 80s and I got to teach him rappelling at Turkey Peak in Enchanted Rock State Park in TX. He has a great blog that mentions that trip here.
2: Another favorite friend from time gone by is Marley. When I first went to Haiti in 2006, he was my best buddy. Marley went – I’m hoping – to heaven earlier this week. He was the Heartline Ministries guard dog, the Monster Mastiff whose picture graces this blog. His owners, and the directors of Heartline wrote a wonderful blog about Marley you can read here.
3: Of course my favorite blog is written by my daughter Megan. My only issue with it is, she is a bit like her dad. She doesn’t post often or consistently enough! Catch Megan’s latest rant about short-term missions trips here.
Bizarre 2 Update
: Bizarre 2 should be hitting the bookshelves Aug/Septt! Heritage Builders Publishers secured a deal with the distributor who services all retailers plus 4,000 Christian Book Stores – so it should be coming to a store near you in a month.
March 21, 2013
Best Book Title EVER - the book’s pretty good too.
[image error]When Bad Christians Happen To Good People, written by Dave Burchett.
The Good:
The title of course is excellent. Dave does a good job writing in a conversational style with great humor. I highly recommend this book! However, if you are on the sensitive, legalistic end of Christianity you may not enjoy the humor as much as the rest of us.
The Bad:
When I was reading it, my complaint was that there just wasn’t much meat in the book. Yes, Christians are hypocrites in transition (my words not his) and we have hurt each other. So what now? Anyhow by the end Dave addressed that question in the last third of the book. What surprised me was how many pages I’d dog-eared to come back to later. Evidently I got more from it then I realized while reading it!
The Ugly:
It brought back memories of church wars. Some of us have a bit of PTSD. Worst yet, it brought back memories of when I’ve been the bad Christian. Conviction is necessary – but ugly.
I’ll be recommending this book. It drops a star only because the inside wasn’t quite as good as the title. That’s impossible I realize, but hey, it’s my review. So there.
Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers sent this book to me free for an unbiased review. That’s what I’ve tried to give. As a Christian who is sometimes bad, I might could be bribed, but not for ten bucks.
Help me find Bizarre ZOMBIE Bible Stories
[image error] Know any bizarre zombie Bible stories? From my zombie research it seem they need to have at least one of the following characteristics. If they have more than one, way better. If they have all three, they are a true Zombie! They must be:
Undead. As in they were alive, died, and came back to life again.
Messed up. As in evil - not just bad but totally focused on bad bringing about our coming Zombie Apocalypse.
Contagious. As in passing on their evilness making zombies out of others. This is how we get Zombie Hoards.
Send any and all ideas. Thought it would be a fun booklet for teens and up maybe at Halloween time.
March 1, 2013
Bizarre EASTER Bible Stories
[image error]Easter is coming, so I thought it would be fun to put together a little digital booklet with 3 Bizarre Easter Bible Stories. It's available through Kindle now for 1.99. On Good Friday, Saturday, and Easter Sunday it will be a FREE download, so please mark the dates and let folks know. It you could take the time to write a short review, that would be cool. The gospel is clearly explained in the first story, so I'd love to get it out there.
Included are, "The Grave Robber" and "Outer-Space City" from BIZARRE Bible Stories, and "Dead Fred" from BIZARRE Bible Stories 2! which comes out this Summer.
Here are the endorsements:
"Simply put, author Dan Cooley's BIZARRE Bible Stories and BIZARRE Bible Stories 2! utilize a vernacular, contemporary writing style intended to reach an audience of children and youth with solid Christian doctrine and practical application. The discussion questions interspersed throughout the text are thoughtfully designed to promote interaction between parents and their children on numerous topics of interest. Cooley's books reflect his passion for providing spiritual food to children in a manner they can easily digest. His attention to detail is evident from cover to cover."
Dr. Gene A. Getz, author of over 50 books including The Measure of a Man, President of the Center for Church Renewal
“God is infinitely creative, and Dan Cooley is obviously paying attention. These freshly told tales will get your kids hooked on the Bible!”
Melody Carlson, award-winning author of The Gold & Honey Bible and fifty-plus other Bible storybooks and books for children
“Paul urged Timothy: ‘you know those from whom you learned...’ These captivating biographies and stories will equip and encourage parents, youth pastors and others who want to ensure the enduring faith of youth in the church.”
Daryl Busby, PhD. Dean of Canadian Baptist Seminary, Director of DMN Program, ACTS Seminaries, TWU
“Finally, a book that illuminates some of the coolest, oddest, and fantastical true stories of the Bible that, when read, young people can say, ‘Wow! God really wants me to be THAT radical? THAT powerful? THAT bold?’ Dan Cooley does this in the simplest and most profound way...he inspires students to read the stories in the Bible for themselves. Study it. Glean from it. And then go into the real world and live it."
Chad Barrett author of Journey to Freedom: The Pursuit of Authentic Fellowship Among Men, Director of Child Evangelism Fellowship, Houston area
“WOW! As a mother of two boys, I certainly see the need to ground our children spiritually. Dan's book is tool to help us as parents ground our children in the Word. Dan pulls you into the Scripture and gives you a glimpse of what it was like. He encourages you to dig in God’s Word and pull out God’s personal message to you. There is no greater blessing than bringing God's Word to life for our children!”
Susan Weagant. Author of Essentials of the Heart
February 21, 2013
Death be Damned
[image error]One of my favorite seminary professors, Howard Hendricks, died today. I've an article about him from Christianity Today pasted below. He had some great one-liners. One was, "That boy had a lot of static on his picture tube," when talking about someone who couldn't focus. Another was, "I assume anyone who prays a long time in public must have a lot of catching up to do."
The last three months our little church, which is relatively young and has lots of weddings, has had 3 funerals. All three deaths were sons, with their parents still living. Tomorrow is another funeral. Wouldn't it be great if death could be damned - sent away forever?
What's so sickening about death is it's permanence. When Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying." Jn 11:25, He removed death's permanence. He damned death. What a wonderful thought.
Job said it best, Job 19:25 (NLT) “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. 26 And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! 27 I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!"
One day I'll see my dad again, and those for whom I've done funerals, and Howard Hendricks. If I have to pray in front of him I'll keep it short. Death is damned, I'm overwhelmed at the thought!
Died: Howard Hendricks, Longtime Dallas Seminary 'Prof' and Mentor
Legacy of six decades includes mentoring Chuck Swindoll, popularizing inductive study of Scripture, and chaplaining the Dallas Cowboys.
Kate Shellnutt
Howard Hendricks, who taught at Dallas Theological Seminary for more than 60 years, died today at age 88, leaving behind a legacy of Bible lessons and Christian leaders across generations.
The seminary posted an obituary and tribute page in honor of Hendricks, known to the community by the nickname “Prof”:
…he taught more than 10,000 students. He also ministered in person in more than 80 countries. Through speaking engagements, radio, tapes, films, the 16 books he authored and coauthored, countless journal and popular-market articles, his service on numerous boards, and his work as a chaplain to the Dallas Cowboys (1976–1984), his reach was and is worldwide.
A graduate of Wheaton College and Dallas Theological Seminary, Hendricks served as a pastor at Calvary Presbyterian in Fort Worth and a keynote speaker for Promise Keepers. He mentored Chuck Swindoll, Tony Evans, and others.
“The best stuff I learned from him I couldn't take from my notes—there’s no course in wisdom,” said Swindoll in a Q&A with Hendricks in CT’s sister publication Leadership Journal. “The best stuff is not in a curriculum. I had no idea there would be someone on this campus who would believe in me before I ever believed in myself.”
Following news of his death, Rick Warren called him a “friend and mentor to so many of us.”
Though Hendricks served many roles in the evangelical community, including authoring dozens of articles and bestselling books on Bible study, he had a special call to Christian education.
“I am convinced that Christian education, my field of ministry, is one of the highest of all callings,” Hendricks wrote in a piece for CT’s Christian Bible Studies. “In Christian education we deal with the transcendent. Secular education deals only with the human. Christian education discusses the eternal, secular education the here and now.”
According to his obituary, Hendricks leaves his wife Jeanne, four children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
February 8, 2013
God Dances
[image error]This is one more shameless plug for a book written by a friend of mine whose daughter has cancer. I did some editing for Chad and LOVED the book. Click on the picture to order. Here is my review from Amazon.
The Good: The sub-title says it all - Learning to trust God when your child has cancer. This is a book about finding God’s grace in the worst of times. A MUST READ – as we all go through the worst of times sometime.
The Bad: I have two problems with this book. 1: It needs to be in print, not just digital. 2: I couldn’t give it more than 5 stars.
The Ugly: This is a book about a beautiful child being diagnosed with cancer, and how their parents have learned to cope. Cancer is flat ugly. The response of the parents is beautiful.
When Chad wrote this, God danced as well.
Danielcooley.com
BIZARRE Bible S[image error]tories available in print here. Kindle here. Everything else digital here.
BIZARRE Bible Stories 2! available Spring, 2013.
February 1, 2013
The Biggest Loser Who Gained the Most
This[image error] is a cool article about the real winner of The Biggest Loser season 13 - written by a close friend who was in my youth group in Lake Charles. He begins:
Season 13 of The Bi ggest Loser included two guys I know: Mark and Chism Cornelison. Mark and his family recently shared with me the most incredible, behind-the-scenes story of what happened off the set of this famed reality tv show. Here to inspire you is Mark’s story.
Read it all here
If it doesn't open automatically cut and paste: http://inspiringevangelism.com/the-bi...
BIZARRE Bible S[image error]tories available in print here. Kindle here. Everything else digital here.
BIZARRE Bible Stories 2! available Spring, 2013.
January 25, 2013
Fearless: Best Book of 2013?
[image error]The Good: The Story
Adam Brown’s story of going from a normal kind, to what looks like totally screwing up his life to a Navy SEAL Team SIX operator, to a lover of a wife and kids, to a hero – THIS IS A MUST-READ. This may be the best book to come out in 2013. A sub-plot is true story about the love of God that never stopped pursuing this messed-up man.
I found the author’s note in the Afterword most interesting, “Adam’s story stands on it’s own. . . his story has continued to change the lives of many—including mine. He’s reminded me to appreciate every moment with my family, to be goofy rather than grumpy, to get back up no matter how hard I might get slapped down. . . And thought I hadn’t opened a Bible in more than twenty-five years, his faith encouraged me to question my own questioning about religion.”
The Bad: The Life
Much of Adam’s life was just. . . bad. The book varnishes over none of it. But, it’s seeing the bad that helps to understand what happened to Adam. To become part of the 1% who become a SEAL, and then to make team six with all the mess he had made of his life, this is such an encouraging book. It’s somehow at the same time both awfully sad and tremendously encouraging.
The Ugly: The Tears
OK, I admit it, I cried. That never happens to me when reading a book. Or, it never had before. The author does such a good job getting you into the skin of this guy—Fearless is a must read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah's Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, this is a great book!
January 21, 2013
A Cooley Corban Confession
[image error]I’m not a daring guy by nature. And, as my dad was a GARBC pastor, I rarely sought out trouble. In our home, “Spare the rod, spoil the child” was quoted with the regularity of "turn off the lights." This tactic that kept me so paranoid it rarely had to be applied. That’s why having Corban University (formerly Western Baptist College) President Tom Younger threaten to expel me in front of the student body is a memory tattooed into my soul. Toe hanging from the rain gutter at the top of Schimmel Hall at 2am the night before was an event I won’t soon forget either.
The janitors made us do it.
When we came to classes in 1977, there was only one Men’s Dorm. I was on the ground floor in a room with three roommates. The janitorial staff had removed most of the men’s doors for painting. We assumed we would have our doors back in the next few days. Come December, there were still six rooms, including our own, without doors. It was time for action.
The world needed to know of our unjust plight.
If you have seen “The Christmas Story,” you know it is impossible to back down from a “Double-Dog Dare.” There were six of us, whose worst sin in the past was sneaking out to see Abba, who Double-Dog dared each other to do stupid. We decided to sneak on top of the Administration Building (Called Schimmel Hall) and write WE WANT OUR DOORS with shaving cream on that little building on top of Schimmel Hall (see picture). It seemed clever at the time.
We snuck out our bedroom window after hours (they locked us in back then). Some of the guys hid in likely places to warn us if any security guys came around. Three of us made it to the back of Schimmel hall. Two of us took the fire escape to the roof. Once on top, I had a can of shaving cream to use to write WE WANT OUR DOORS on the front of that little building.
What we didn’t plan for is that the little building is built right to the edge of the front of the Hall. And it was stinking high. There was nothing in front of it to walk on but some kind of wobbly trim/rain catching thing over about 30’ of air. In order not to splat into eternity, I had to suck my body as close to the wall as possible when getting in front of it. There was no way to write on the wall without smearing the shaving cream off with my body. Then we got a wonderful, awful, idea.
My arms are like, ape-long, so my roommate held my left arm. That way I could drag him down to death with me if my toes gave way. I then shimmied out as far as possible, using my ape-long right arm to write in two lines - “WE WANT” (above), and “OUR DOORS” (below). As a result, I had to write the last letters of both lines first, and work my way back to safety. But, I was so freaked out about sinning (sneaking out against the rules) and being an idiot (hanging out 30’ above sudden splat), that I couldn’t think of the correct letters! My arm-holding buddy had to yell at me, “’T’ ON TOP, ‘S’ ON THE BOTTOM. OK, NOW ‘N’ ON TOP, ‘R’ ON THE BOTTOM.” Slowly, finally, we did it. YES! We even got back into our room without being caught. We SO wanted to tell the world about our accomplishment! Problem was, all we could do was feel guilty about it.
Early the next day, President Younger was back in town with new board members/donors. He proudly drove them into our new campus and took them across the walking bridge, to look at the beautiful administration building. Instead, they saw 12” high white letters screaming WE WANT OUR DOORS. He didn’t laugh. Someone used a fire hose to wash off our artwork before we got a picture of it.
I was so scared, I ditched chapel. My friends told me Dr. Younger was major upset, and told the student body that when they caught the culprits, they would be expelled immediately. You would think they would just bring in the kids from the six rooms without doors, interrogate them, and expel the sinners. Later we heard that the dean figured no one without doors would have been dumb enough to do it, as it would be too obvious it was them. It is sometimes merciful to be dumb. Thankfully, there was a group on the 5th floor that was pretty wild, so while everyone assumed it was probably them, and we all quietly went home for Christmas.
Meanwhile, the six of us told NO ONE what we had done. Thankfully I didn’t return home from Western/Corban expelled. Dad had no reason to kill me. And the six of us agreed to stay away from all things sinful, stupid, and Abba.
BIZARRE Bible S[image error]tories available in print here. Kindle here. Everything else digital here.
BIZARRE Bible Stories 2! available Spring, 2013.
