Monthly Archives: May 2011

Today, let’s lighten up and have some fun. For many years I’ve been on a journey, a journey to find my place in God’s plan. Then again that’s a serious journey and we all have to have lesser missions. Many years ago when I started traveling extensively across the U.S. (For 11 years while running every GAPW event I drove 70,000 plus miles per year). To have something to look forward on all those days away from home I decided to start a joyous journey to find the perfect cheeseburger. O.K. it doesn’t rise to the level of seeking God, but hey it’s something to do to pass the time on the road.

I came up with a 5 pickle scale for my burgers. First, I’ve never and will not likely ever give 5 pickles. So far the highest rated burger was from Milt’s Stop & Eat it in Moab, Utah. That sweetheart got 4.75 pickles! To be a near perfect burger, for me, I have a simple formula.

1. The burger must be made from hand formed hamburger meat, not lean ground beef. It’s the fat in the meat that makes it juicy, by hand forming the meat is not to compressed and the juices will stay in.
2. The meat must be not cooked anymore than Medium to very slightly Medium Well. Overcooking meat dries it out and ruins the burger. *Look members of the Health Department
it’s not what you wanted to hear, but this is about taste, not disease prevention….
1. The seasoning is very important and most burger makers have their own secret ingredients but it almost always has salt (sea salt), pepper and garlic, you’ll know it when you taste it.
2. The buns should be buttered and toasted.
3. The toppings should be nothing but mayo, mustard, ketchup, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and American cheese. Pickle on the side is kosher. Chilli is for a bowl, mushrooms for steaks, etc etc. Hey I’m a purest, mine are American Cheese and Mayo only (Hellmann’s real mayo is the best).
4. Acceptable sides would be onion rings or french fries.

The Cheeseburger is an American creation, at least four restaraunts claim to have made the first one, and no one seems to be able to sort out who is right.

So far, in my search, here are some of the very best I’ve found in descending order by score:

Milt’s Stop n’ Eat – Moab, Utah 4.75

Hut’s in Austin Texas 4.7
Pappa’s Burgers in Houston Texas 4.7

Rotiers in Nashville, TN 4.65
Cheeburger, Cheeburger in Sanibel Island Florida 4.65
Billy’s Big Burgers in Jackson Wyoming 4.65

The Depot in Corbin, Kentucky 4.6
Ruby Tuesday in London, Kentucky 4.6

Steak n’ Shake (any good one, and most are) Frisco Burger with Am. Cheese and Mayo only 4.5
Hamburger Heaven in Palm Beach, Florida 4.5
Bobcat Bite, Santa Fe, New Mexico 4.5
Margaritaville, Key West, Florida 4.5

Fuddruckers (most locations) 4.4
W.W. Cousins in Louisville, Kentucky 4.3

Anything else is just what you eat when hunger over rides a great burger!

The reigning Champion, Milt’s Stop n’ Eat in Moab, Utah……..

My Pastor, Tim Thompson, delivered a wonderful message yesterday morning, The Smile of God. It was so good I wanted to paraphrase it for you. He opened with a great quote that should
open a few folks eyes about religion; “Religion is a man sitting in a church thinking about fishing,
spirituality is a man out fishing, thinking about God.” God’s heart is touched by your compassion and your commitment, your authenticity. Is your love for God real?

The Smile of God is the goal of our lives. Since pleasing God is the first purpose of our lives, your most important task is the discovery of how to do that. Worship is the act of pleasing God, surrender and approaching Him in the spirit, (honesty and openness). Worship is when we love God supremely, trust Him completely, obey Him whole heartedly, and thank Him continually.

God is not pleased with wrong motives, He is pleased with a deep desire to know and do His will.
We must truly trust Him if we hope to please Him. Another dear Christian brother, Dr. Charles Stanley, one asked me, “Do you know how to make God smile?” His answer was, “Tell Him your plans……” Relying on God means knowing He already has a plan for your life, and that He wants you to rest in the knowledge that it is what is best for you. Can we trust God with our futures? If we can’t, there is no where else to turn.

the pilgrim

*Photo Note: D7000, 24-120 AFs-VR and processed in Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.

O.K., Couldn’t help myself, I wanted to share a few more images from last weekend, with the theme of rust or decay. Not sure why I love these kinds of subjects, maybe as the body gets older and your feel some rust in the joints all this old stuff starts to have more appeal? Enjoy and I will wrap up after a few images.

The one place you don’t want to get rust is in your spiritual life. It’s easy to prevent, stay on your knees in prayer, stay in the word for knowledge, and keep your eyes on Him.

the pilgrim

*Photo Note: All images D7000. 24-120 and 70-300 lenses. Yes ,the D7000 and 24-120 lens combination is becoming my favorite in a long, long time……. This is the “new” 24-120 f4 AFs VR.

*Burger Alert: I just had a great burger in a very unexpected place. My sweet waitress Cynthia at the London, Kentucky Ruby Tuesday’s served up a very good burger yesterday when I met
Chuck Summers for lunch. I would give it a 4.3 pickles, best I’ve ever giving close to home!

1 Corinthians 13
 1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
 4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

The greatest example of love in history took place the day Jesus willingly went to the cross to die for all of us. How much greater love could anyone exhibit than to die for the sins of others?

Have you ever been accused of a crime or act you did not commit? Do you remember how violated you felt being accused of something you had nothing to do with. What an injustice to have to feel that pain, and to know you were not guilty. Well, Jesus accepted all the blame, all the punishment, all the wrath of His Father for our sins. He did it because He was the embodiment of the love described in Chapter 13 of First Corinthians. He did it all because of His great and deep love for you.

He asks only one thing in return, accept that love. Imagine that, all He asks is that you
accept Him! In all our lives, we have probably never done any act of kindness, and expected so little in return. What should you do?
Say yes.

the pilgrim