The Official "Jesse Padgett" blog

Dick Dean

The REAL "Mr. Merc"

So when I created this blog space it was to keep people informed about the business I was starting called Mr. Mercs Custom Car Studio.  Mr. Mercs was formed on July 7th, 2007 and was given to a very talented young builder named Ted Talmey on July the 7th, 2008.  I have moved out of the shop and am working on cars "just for fun" at home ... basically tying up some loose ends for friends/clients and finishing my own stuff.  

Shortly after I named my business I discovered that "Mr. Merc" was the nick name of a very famous car builder named Dick Dean.  Dick Dean became famous for the way he would customize Mercury cars in the 40's and 50's.  So, I am going to dedicate this blog space to the history and future of Kustom cars and the projects that I build. 

Obviously, I write about more than cars so I am starting the official Jesse Padgett blog located at www.jessepadgett.blogspot.com where I will continue you talk about the other things that fascinate me about life.  If you come to my blog often then you might want to add www.jessepadgett.blogspot.com to your blog list.

Either way I will see you here or there.

So heres a little history on Dick Dean:  

Born Richard Sawitskas, Dean was at the forefront of the custom movement when it was born in the late '40s and early '50s, often working alongside other pioneers of the hobby including Dean Jeffries, George Barris, and Bill Hines.

In fact it was Bill Hines who was employed by Dean's father in the early '50s at the family's Nash dealership in Michigan who taught Dick how to weld and do lead work. After a stint as a pilot in the Korean War, he went to the famed Art Center in SoCal and, in the mid '50s, opened his first custom shop called South End Customs.

At the Detroit Autorama in 1959 Dean met George Barris, who offered Dean a job doing bodywork, and Dick ended up working for Barris for three years. Dean also worked with Dean Jeffries in the '60s on the Monkeemobile, the Green Hornet car, and many other iconic TV and movie vehicles.

Over the years Dean had stated he "must have chopped more than 1,000 cars," (300 or more being of the '49-51 Merc bodies), and his status of the Sultan of Chop will probably never be equaled. An easy-going, fun-loving sort of individual, Dick always had a smile for you.

How #3 ... "Reach for the middle" part 2

In the last post we looked at "Reaching for the Middle" and used the two beliefs that Jesus is 100% human and Jesus is 100% God as our test question.  However this is an easy question because it is broad enough and believed to be true by many different faith cultures, ... But, what happens when we try this"Reaching for the Middle" thought on other truths?  Truths like evangelism vs. community or structure vs. organic or "Conservativille" vs. "Charasmatropolis".  This is when we begin to really want to stay in one truth and just smile or deny the other truth all together ... but, we can no longer do that.  The next break through for believers is when we choose to believe in ALL the truth, not just the truth we are comfortable with, or the truth our faith culture promotes.  

Is it possible that we have the ability today to believe more of what the Bible says?  Is it possible that the experiences our children have had on ministry trips, in missions and attending other youth groups has prepared us to believe in more Biblical truth.  Is it possible that the transitional growth we have experienced has brought Biblical truth into our churches that we had not thought of, or been comfortable with before.  Is it possible that we have grown, matured, evolved, or mellowed enough to accept that we can learn something new, new Biblical truth we did not know before, from someone outside our faith culture?  If that is possible, and I believe that it is, then it is possible for us to live an active life as a believer moving between truths and experiencing each truth fully, with out fear, seeing the fruit and fullness the Bible promises.  If it is possible, and I know this is possible, that there is Biblical truth out there to be found, truth that we have not experienced or applied to our lives ... then aren't you interested to know what it is?  Doesn't the possibility make you just a little bit curious ... or maybe a lot curious?  The Bible says that "truth sets us free "  if there is Biblical truth out there that we have not applied to our lives is it possible that there is more freedom for you, more liberty, deeper, meaningful life... abundant life ... Of course it's possible !!! It has to be possible ... We do not posses and have not experienced all, and I mean ALL of the Biblical truth available to us ... and the super exciting, non-scary, inviting part is ... The truth that you do not know and have not experienced is connected to, just across from, the truth you do know and have experienced ... (I'm a little motivated right now... and impressed with myself ... I am having a bit of a pause because that last part was great ... while I am pausing read that last part again.)  

Think about it for a moment, ...  The Biblical truth that you know and have experienced is connected to the Biblical truth you have not experienced and do not know ... You can safely and without fear, walk out of the truth you know and into the truth you do not know ... Because,  "It is all Biblical Truth" ... you just have not walked into the other truth yet, you have not experienced it.  The truth that you know and trust will stay right where it is ... solid, true, like an anchor ... Your heart and brain and "Holy Spirit" will lead you from the truth you know and into the truth you do not know ... you will experience freedom and a renewed mind, (because that's what Biblical truth gives us) and when its time your heart and brain (and Good Ol' Holy Spirit) will take you back to the truth you already know and have experienced ... Before long you will love the "Middle" because on each side of the "Middle" there is Truth and where there is Truth there is Freedom, Freedom to explore the things of God without fear ... Freedom to experience God in ways you have not experienced God ... Freedom to believe more, believe bigger, believe fuller ...  Freedom to go from "Deep to Deep"... Glory to Glory.  How #3 "Reach for the Middle" is staring to sound better than what we thought was the best ... wouldn't you agree.

Lets start by looking at Evangelism vs. Community or maybe a better way to say this is outreach vs. in-reach, or conversion growth vs. personal growth or any other phrase that helps you identify with the topic.  Basically, most churches or believers feel guilty about the way they do not "share" their faith or evangelize while at the same time desiring or feeling like they do not receive enough care or community.  We then try to decide which of these two needs are the most important?  We then make a choice as a group of believers and sit down on that truth and decide to live "that truth" to the fullest... we are going to do an excellent job at this one truth and for the most part we do.  Unfortunately, by default, we have decided to not live out "fully" the other truth ... we create conflict between our hearts and our brains ... our brains made a decision ... our hearts believe that both our true ... our brains say this is all we can do ... our hearts say I want to experience both truths ... our brains say this is great ... our hearts say living both truths fully is better ... this conflict will go on and on until you wear yourself out and become so frustrated you will decide to do neither well or at all ... your brain will buzz for awhile and go quiet, your heart will race at the thought of no conflict and then grow still ... you will mistakenly think you have found peace when all you have really found is silence ... However, if you embrace Evangelism as Biblical Truth and Community as a Biblical truth you can begin to experience both fully.  The truth is "ALL" believers need to be involved in speaking and doing the "Good News" of Jesus for the benefit of those who do not know Jesus,  so , others can believe ... It is equally true that "ALL" believers need to belong to a Biblical, Spiritual, Community where they can be nurtured ... So, ... HOW?  ... How do we do this? ...  How can I look out and In at the same time? ... Well, I am glad you asked.  The truth is You Can Not Look Out and Look In at the same time.  When you try to look in and out at the same time you end up staring at the wall ... However, you can look in for awhile and then look out for awhile ...

Let's pretend that Evangelism and Community are two little kids who are playing happily on a see-saw or teeter toter... (Remember, these two kids Dad is Biblical Truth so they play well together always... they are not in conflict with each other ... they play very well together ... laughing and smiling and yelling and giggling...)  Now you or I come along ... our hearts love both of these little kids and we want to play as well ... so we climb onto the see-saw.  As we all know there is no third seat on a see-saw... so we get the best seat of all ... the whole see-saw between the two little kids.  We get to run back and forth, turning an ordinary see-saw into the greatest see-saw adventure on the playground.  We would never stay on one end to long leaving the other kid high and dry, unless you are a playground poop-pooh head  (or a P3H) ... that's fun maybe once or twice ... but, after that not so much ... we also would not stand in the middle and bring balance stranding both kids  (P3H) and ending the ride all together ... this is how you get to ride a see saw ALL by yourself ... We all know you ride a see-saw to go up AND down ...  Your job in the middle is to move back and forth and add to the ride, by being a part of the ride ... put all of your weight on one end and then the other... you move completely to Evangelism's side and then all the way back to Community side ... and you do this often ... if you grow tired ... you sit in the middle, and let the two kids can keep the ride going for you, while you enjoy the ride.   You see these kids love to play, they love the ride.  They are not afraid of you running in between them and creating all kinds of unexpected movement and extra weight ... they love the game ... these kids are so secure, so unmovable, so steady that your movements do not disturb them at all.  As a matter of fact your movements can not effect them.  When you decide to walk between two Biblical Truths your movement does not effect the Biblical Truth.  Two Biblical Truths will release the exact same force or energy, or weight causing a safe place, a place or state of rest, to play or experiment. When you decide to walk from one Biblical Truth to another, the Biblical truth you are walking out of  releases a strength, energy, and force that is exactly the same strength, energy and force being released by the new Biblical truth you are walking into.  The Power, created when two Biblical Truths meet creates a very stable environment for believers to play on, learn in, experiment with, or experience.   This is called equilibrium ... Equilibrium is all about the internal ability of an object to remain steady, stable or at rest.   

Equilibrium is how your body reacts to constant motion without falling over ... I don't know if you know this or not but we are all OUT of balance.  However, we enjoy a state of equilibrium because our bodies read a bozillion messages from our ears and toes and eyes and other things and, through constant movement, remain upright or equipoised.  In fact you do not want to find balance in your physical body ... it is when your body achieves balance that you die from cardiac arrest or your hearts inability to contract ... your heart has to remain out of balance and in equilibrium to pump your blood ... Equal forces pushing against each other to keep things moving and alive.  So, stop praying for a "balanced" Christian life ... from the looks of things we have had a balanced ... (dead ... because our heart is unable to beat ... because our brain and heart are in conflict ...) Christian life for a very long time.  You see, Balance, is all about adding to or taking away from something (weights or force) in order to make things equal or using "something external" to create equilibrium ... Do you honestly believe that you can add to or take away from Biblical truth to make it more stable?  I certainly hope not.  Like the constant movement needed to keep you upright and alive you need constant movement between Biblical truths to remain spiritually alive.  When you decide on one Biblical truth over another you have chosen to shut down (sit on one end of the see-saw ... or stand in the middle) the circulation needed to live the abundant life of a believer.  When your circulation is slowed down oxygen is unable to reach your vital organs and you become tired, listless and inactive ... before long you will be unable to move at all.

How #3 "Reach for the Middle" is a reminder to keep active, moving, out of balance and alive.  If we are not experiencing the abundant life the Bible promises perhaps we have only let ourselves experience part of the Bibles truth ... Perhaps it is time to try out some new, to us,  Biblical Truth ... You have nothing to lose in trying and Freedom, a fresh Revelation of Jesus and Abundant Life to gain when you discover it ... some believers call this Revival, others call it Renewal, but I call it Resurrection Life ... The power inside every Believer to Get up, Get free, Get going, and Git-R-Done ... (Sorry, I just had to do it... I would like to thank Larry the Cable Guy for the "git-r-done" line)

 

How #3 ... "Reach for the middle" part 1

Now I know that many of you are turned off by the title of "How #3" ... so, before I continue let me explain a thang or two.  I never reach for the middle... I always reach for the top ... I always want to move from "Good to Great" ... "excellence is a good start but, we can do better" ... I love attempting to do the un-do-able or the not yet done ... and, I love the reaction it creates when you do it.  If you know me, then you know that I have a long list of successes that prove this ... If you do not know me I would be happy to tell you about my success... I like to brag, it makes me feel good.  I believe good bragging makes God happy he made me.  Bragging, like Pride, is a way to check and see if you love yourself enough to love others ... I can safely say I love myself and I am great at doing above average things, if not great things, if not unbelievable, fantastic, how the heck did you do that things that prove God exists.... So, reaching for the middle is a bit of a stretch for me... in the wrong direction.

"Reaching for the Middle" sounds like somebody who is trying to figure out a way to keep everyone as comfortable and unmoved as they can.  It sounds to me like an attempt to live in the grey ... no black, no white, ... just grey ... no right, no wrong, just "Oh well, maybe, lets see.  (Sorry, but my gag reflex is kicking in)   However, I am not talking about this kind of "middle".

The most uncomfortable place to live or try to live is between two true things.  For instance, "Jesus is fully man" and "Jesus is fully God" are two very true statements that most believers agree with.  It is easy to look at one of these truths at a time and agree with one of them at a time but, it becomes more difficult and uncomfortable the more you try to look at them or believe them at the same time ... this is "The Middle" that I am referring to.  Some of you call this a "paradox" and it sounds so groovy and modern and intelligent to say "we are living in paradox"... but, to this redneck it just sounds like a fancy way of saying "Please don't make me think about that stuff and what ever you do don't make me try to explain it to anyone" ... which in redneck language translates into "I'm a baby... I'm a whiny, little, fat, cozy, baby who just wants to be cuddled and carried and lay here in my own little poopy diaper ... why is my diaper poopy? ... cause you made me think and that makes me uncomfortable so I pooped a little ... wheres my bottle"? ...  Baby!  

The "middle" is the most difficult place to live because it requires the most action... the most activity.  If you believe that Jesus is all human, and you believe that Jesus is all God then you are forced to keep moving from one of these truths into the other... you must stay active... In your daily life you can identify with the 100% human Jesus and can rely and trust in the 100% God Jesus ... this requires activity in your brain ... brain movement ...  This requires activity from your heart ... heart movement ... you can't just say in your brain or heart ... Jesus is "Just" 100% human this week so I am only going to live with the 100% human Jesus ... when you try to do this your heart and your brain enter into conflict with each other  because, you think with your brain and you believe with your heart.  Your heart beliefs tell your brain to keep moving between these two truths in order to live with and enjoy both truths fully. ... So, when you try to stay on one truth your heart beliefs will tell your brain to get things moving ... when you ignore what your heart is telling your brain, your brain and heart will argue, this is conflict ...to resolve the conflict your brain hears the heart and starts moving ... therefore, you spend as much time in the middle, or between these two truths as you do in the truth ... This is what I mean by "Reach for the Middle".  How #3 "Reach for the Middle" is the way that we will live the most full, abundant life as believers.  The space where we can believe and love ALL of God "heart, soul, mind and strength", while enjoying and living in the most truth.

If we could be honest, really honest, I would guess that most of us do not want to expend this kind of energy in our everyday life when it comes to our beliefs.  It would be much easier to just believe in one truth fully and pretend the other is not as important or just look at it every once in awhile and say "Yes, that's true'.  However it is not as difficult as it sounds.  The most energy is required at the beginning ... in the choice to reach for the "Middle".  When the choice to live with both truths is made the movement between the two truths starts automatically ... your brain and heart begin to move you in the direction that you need to fully embrace.  If you need to be saved from something, or saved again, or saved a little more ... your heart and brain will move you toward the 100% God Jesus.  If you are being tempted your brain and heart will move you out of the 100% God Jesus and into the 100% human Jesus so you can respond to temptation like Jesus the 100% human did, while knowing he fully understands as a human. ... One time in the 100% God Jesus truth, One time in the 100% human Jesus truth and two times in the middle equals a fuller experience of both truths.  The beliefs of the heart and the revelation of the mind will always move you toward the truth that you need or seek and lets not forget that Holy Spirit is with us always, ... moving us, leading us, reminding us, while we are in the truth or in the middle.  How #3 "Reach for the Middle" ... always be willing to move from truth to truth.

In "How #3 part two" we are going to look at how "Reaching for the Middle" can help us live with other truths that we sometimes struggle with.  I would also love to hear if this post makes sense to you.  I think this is really important to get ahold of, so if its not really clear, help me make it clear.  Thanks.