Tuesday, March 9, 2004

9:51 PM Jeff Eaton weighs with a rebuttal of sorts to my essay on barbecue. He makes a strong case that the best barbecue in America comes from Kentucky. Here’s part of what he wrote:

I was surfing your blog this morning, and was shocked to see a discussion about barbecue that did not pay homage to my hometown, Owensboro, KY, officially designated as the “Barbecue Capital of the World”, and the host city for The International Barbecue Festival, held every May, after the Derby. All true barbecue is smoked over hickory wood (no substitutes accepted). The meats of choice are chicken, mutton (more mutton is consumed per capita in Owensboro than anywhere in North America), pork, and beef. Burgoo is a thick stew, made of mutton, beef, pork, chicken, veal, potatoes, corn, okra, beans, and assorted spices. The best barbecue is made by Catholic churches at picnics, and for commercial barbecue, there is the Moonlite Inn. I have sampled barbecue all across this country, but have still found nothing to compare to what is served on a daily basis in Owensboro. Someday I hope you get to visit the Promised Land of barbecue, in western KY, and see for yourself.

9:44 PM End of a fine day at Word of Life Florida. This morning I started a four-part series on forgiveness that God has already used to touch many hearts. Marlene commented that there seems to a sense of openness and responsiveness in the services this year. I sensed it last night during the missionary service and also today. The only other piece of important news pertains to the little toe on my right foot. I think I may have broken it this afternoon–but how do you know for sure? I was moving fast when I stubbed it against an ottoman in our room. It began to swell and then turned several dark colors and by the evening, I could hardly walk on it, which is why I didn’t move around very much when I preached tonight. I don’t think there’s any real treatment for a broken little toe so I guess it doesn’t matter, but I mention it because it illustrates Paul’s point in 1 Corinthians 12 about the lesser members of the body being important. Most of us never think about our little toes–until something goes wrong with them. Then that’s pretty much all you think about. I guess that sums up Tuesday at Word of Life Florida–beautiful weather, excellent services, and I might have broken my little toe.