Eric “Gunny” Hartman is one of our most vital weapons in the war on terror. Ever ready for the battle, Gunny pastors Providence Church in Garland, TX, teaches at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, is a proud ally of the Fellowship of Reformed Churches and blogs here about various and sundry items. A beacon of hope in a dark and dreary world, our ally and friend Gunny always stands ready to defend the defenseless in the war on slooge everywhere. Wait, is slooge good or bad? I’m still not sure; is it good or bad? Let’s see if Gunny can help us understand (and please let me know afterwards if you have any better understanding of the world of slooge or not):

Musical Discovery:

• Songs About Jane by Maroon 5: I really dig their sound.

Music with which I got reacquainted:

• Dan Fogelberg
• Simon & Garfunkel

Books that made an impression:

• Stop Dating the Church by Joshua Harris
• Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
• The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter (again)
• Easy Chairs, Hard Words by Doug Wilson

Passings I found most notable:

• Dan Fogelberg
• Evel Knievel
• Jerry Falwell
• D. James Kennedy
• Norman Mailer

Most interesting movies I saw for the first time:

• Premonition
• Wild Hogs
• Tyler Perry’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman
• The Pursuit of Happyness
• Stranger than Fiction
• Gridiron Gang
• Glory Road
• Ratatouille

“What the sheol?” moments:

• Virginia Tech Massacre
• Massacre of Brittany Spears’ scalp
• Appalachian State upsetting Michigan (and the copycat crimes that were
• rampant the rest of the season)
• Michael Vick’s dog fighting slooge
• The Little Mavericks getting bounced in the first round of the NBA
• playoffs … after the MVP endowed team won 67 games

Scripture on my mind:

• Psalm 9:1-2: I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. (ESV; our church’s theme verse for 2007)
• Jeremiah 9:23-24: Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” (ESV)

Personal Highlights:

• Coaching a soccer team of 6 year old girls - As a first-timer, it was a challenge, but with such a great group of girls my heart was warmed just being around them and seeing them enjoy themselves.
• Getting to speak at the Fellowship of Reformed Churches‘ annual
  conference on “The Character of God in Everyday Life” (hear Gunny’s message here).

Providence Church Highlights:

• Having a joint worship service with North Garland Baptist Fellowship, a predominatly African American congregation that shares our passion for ethnic diversity.
• Playing the role of Bruce Dickinson (yes, THE Bruce Dickinson) during our re-enactment of the “Cowbell” SNL skit at our annual talent show.
• Celebrating our 1 year anniversary with a fish fry & picnic.