the bottomline

I'm From Negadelphia
Tuesday, March 24, 2015 by Dan

Being the son of a preacher-man in a small evangelical denomination located in the mid-Atlantic region, I lived in a variety of places before college. My dad started a church in Finesville, NJ (yeah, that’s right – good luck in finding Finesville!). I was born when he was there, but at the Quakertown, PA, hospital since that was my mom’s hometown and, thus, became my birth-town. Soon thereafter we moved to a small church in a large city – Jersey City. I’m told the church was on the ground level with living quarters on the second flood. I have no memory of this place since when I was about two we moved to Philadelphia. We lived in the City of Brotherly Love until two months into first grade.
 
Not sure why I am giving you a travel log of my life’s journey. I’ll move along by making a long story short – we were in Philly for four years; five years in York and two in Hatfield, both in Pennsylvania; and my high school years were in Phillipsburg, NJ. Needless to say, I have no hometown because we moved so much – seven different schools in twelve years.
 
One of the attitudes that stuck with me must have been gained or learned in Philadelphia (Negadelphia). I see a glass half-empty even when it’s almost full. A sports writer in Philly recently noted that “where others see promise and opportunity, he sees pestilence and famine and a swarm of locust.” That’s me! It shouldn’t be, but it is and the older I get, the worse it seems to get.
 
Having this attitude staves off disappointment. When you predict doom and gloom and get it, you’re prepared for it. Being an all-Philadelphia teams fan has only solidified this problem. The ‘64 Phillies taught me that even a winning team can be a losing team when it’s my team. In fact, my beloved Phils have lost more games than any team in any sport – EVER!
 
Negativity in sports is one thing, but I’ve got to be careful not to allow it to invade the rest of my life and what really matters. I am blessed beyond measure. I live in a beautiful ministry house; have a wonderful wife – for the past 38 years; great kids, all of which are living out their faith and now six grandchildren about whom I pray will follow suit; a job in which I am able to use my gifts; a boat-load of friends; and security in my eternal destiny. I could go on counting my blessings. And maybe that’s what I ought to spend more time doing.
 
A friend mentioned that everyday she thinks of five positive things that happened to her. That’s not a bad idea. It helps to change the focus. In fact, it might just be the antidote for Negadelphia.

Previous Posts

A Dog Leading the Way
Dan Allen
7/27/2021

The Speed–Breakers of Life
Dan Allen
7/10/2021

High School Reunion
Dan Allen
4/8/2021

"Skin, it's the thing that's in"
Dan Allen
3/13/2021

Emerging from a Covid Cell
Dan Allen
2/20/2021

'Twas The Real Night Before Christmas
Russell T Allen
12/17/2020

Christmas Catalogs
Dan Allen
11/14/2020

Cancel This!
Dan Allen
10/3/2020

Don't Judge By Its Cover
Dan Allen
9/8/2020

Our Plans Trumped by God
Dan Allen
9/5/2020

We Fall Down
Dan Allen
8/5/2020

Battle with a Bug
Dan Allen
7/13/2020

Be Sure Your Sin Will Find You Out
Dan Allen
7/3/2020

Setting the bar too low
Dan Allen
6/25/2020

Good is Evil, Evil is Good
Dan Allen
6/9/2020

Misguided Freedom
Dan Allen
6/4/2020

A Preaching Nightmare
Dan Allen
5/9/2020

Restaurant and/or Church Possible
Dan Allen
5/2/2020

A Good Dose of Cloistering Going On
Dan Allen
4/15/2020

So, Where is God in All of This?
Dan Allen
4/14/2020

I Finally Learned How to Wash My Hands
Dan Allen
4/13/2020

Fire Truck - Glory Train
Dan Allen
4/16/2019

Some Sins Seem to Do More Damage
Dan Allen
4/16/2019

The Canopy is Gone
Dan Allen
12/15/2018

Brushing Teeth with Iced Tea
Dan Allen
11/5/2018

Never in Danger, but Could Have Been
Dan Allen
11/4/2018

Another Festival
Dan Allen
11/3/2018

Cow Town
Dan Allen
11/2/2018

Dressing Down
Dan Allen
11/1/2018

#MeToo
Dan Allen
10/25/2018

All Alone Among 1.35 Billion People
Dan Allen
10/24/2018

Does Anyone Know What Time It Is?
Dan Allen
10/23/2018

Time To Be Spiritual Weather Forecasters
Dan Allen
10/22/2018

Words Change . . . But Someone Gets the Final Word
Dan Allen
9/4/2018

To Cremate or Not to Cremate
Dan Allen
7/15/2018

I Want to Hold Your Hand
Dan Allen
7/4/2018

I Finally Caught a Foul Ball . . . Sort of
Dan Allen
6/8/2018

I Can Only Imagine
Dan Allen
6/1/2018

Do Panhandlers Have Regulars
Dan Allen
4/8/2018

Can't Good Dogs Go To Heaven?
Dan Allen
4/3/2018

At the Taj . . . in pictures only
Dan Allen
1/24/2018

Cold, But Warm Inside
Dan Allen
1/22/2018

Don't Remove the Plastic
Dan Allen
1/12/2018

Put Your Big Boy Pants On
Dan Allen
1/9/2018

In the Spirit . . . or not?
Dan Allen
1/3/2018

You Could Cut It With a Knife
Dan Allen
1/1/2018

Personal Message Boards
Dan Allen
11/24/2017

Men Acting Badly, err Should We Say---Horribly!
Dan Allen
11/18/2017

History of Bible Fellowship Church of Ephrata
Dan Allen
8/29/2017

Large Crowd Diversion
Dan Allen
6/19/2017

Bikes, Bikers, and Trying New Things
Dan Allen
6/18/2017

Lessons from T-Ball for Churches
Dan Allen
6/17/2017

Authenticity of and in Jeans
Dan Allen
5/11/2017

Don't Let Me Fall
Dan Allen
4/22/2017

Have We Lost the "Awe-factor," Wonderment?
Dan Allen
4/21/2017

Bumped - Not Bumbed
Dan Allen
4/13/2017

Go Fly a Kite
Dan Allen
1/18/2017

What's In Your Bag?
Dan Allen
1/17/2017

Cultural Faux Pas
Dan Allen
1/13/2017

The Three Hour Trip Ends Up 23 Hours
Dan Allen
1/12/2017

Walking Headrest Cover
Dan Allen
1/9/2017

The Gift that Keeps Giving
Dan Allen
12/17/2016

Let's Keep Things in Perspective
Dan Allen
8/1/2015

I've Got the Nine
Dan Allen
6/26/2015

God Often Works in Mysterious Ways
Dan Allen
6/5/2015

I'm From Negadelphia
Dan
3/24/2015

Positive Spin
Dan Allen
2/16/2015