2008-09-30

Love Lockdown

Have you heard Kanye West's new song? Supposedly it is going to be the first release off his new album which may come out toward the end of the year. I had the link to this a couple of weeks ago, but I had forgotten about it and just listened to it for the first time tonight. I'm gonna admit, usually Kanye's ego just annoys me, and I'm not sure if I can agree with anything in the song lyrically, but this is a great sound.
Click the image below for link:


2008-09-29

10 Commandments of Blogging

The Blogging Ten Commandments, according to the Evangelical Alliance:

  1. You shall not put your blog before your integrity.
  2. You shall not make an idol of your blog.
  3. You shall not misuse your screen name by using your anonymity to sin.
  4. Remember the Sabbath day by taking one day off a week from your blog.
  5. Honour your fellow-bloggers above yourselves and do not give undue significance to their mistakes.
  6. You shall not murder someone else’s honour, reputation or feelings.
  7. You shall not use the web to commit or permit adultery in your mind.
  8. You shall not steal another person’s content.
  9. You shall not give false testimony against your fellow-blogger.
  10. You shall not covet your neighbour's blog ranking.  Be content with your own content.

Read about it HERE.

Good Guy Award

Just read this bit in Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback (MMQB).  Pretty cool.  This guy just continues to prove himself as an honorable man; which can be difficult in his line of work.

And while Peter King gives him a “Good Guy of the Week” award, isn’t this the standard that every Christian should have?

-t-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Good Guy of the Week

Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner.

Karen Crouse of the New York Times wrote a good feature on Warner in last Friday's paper, with a prescient story as the lead. Seems that Warner, wife, Brenda, and one or more of the Warner children have a practice the night before football games. They sit at their table in a restaurant, look over the dining room, and pick out one family. Warner then informs the wait staff that, anonymously, he'd like the dinner tab of that family of strangers added to his.

Crouse wrote the Warners have been doing this for several years "as a way of instilling in their children the joy of giving,'' and quoted Warner thusly: "We want our kids to grow up knowing that because of football we are so blessed.''

Just another reason why you can never say enough good things about Kurt Warner.

 

1 Game Playoff

Who’s it going to be for that final A.L. playoff spot: the Tigers or the White Sox?

If I was a gambling man, I’d put money on the…um…this is tough…TIGERS!...no…WHITE SOX…yeah definitely the White Sox.

 

2008-09-28

Travel Plans

Looking at the postseason schedule and trying to figure out when I should buy a ticket to LA.

Of course this depends on if the Dodgers make the World Series. For the best price I need to purchase two weeks out, so it's hard to have a guarantee.

I love that there is a regular season playoff two years in a row. Baseball is so amazing!

2008-09-27

In The News:

Prosecutors Drop Charge Related to "Passing Gas" in DUI Case
Hilarious!

New Klosterman

Can't wait to get this one. But I must say that his books are always better in an audio version.

Gangster Babies

These would be great for children everywhere. Because we need to be honest people: the hip hop culture has done nothing but benefit the health and wellness of our culture. It would only do more wonders to introduce the misogynistic values, obsessive greed and language of hate into the lives of our future generation.
Buying mine today!

Thanks Dad...

...for introducing me to Paul Newman movies; helping me appreciate his brilliant work from such a young age.

Still one of my most favorite scenes in a movie ever!
Paul Newman
1925-2008

Root Root Root for the...

Dodgers?!

Now that the Astros are out (and the possibility of World Series tickets loom).

2008-09-25

Greatest Catch Ever?

If not THE greatest, it certainly ranks pretty high...

Maybe You're Just Making Excuses...

This is a great commercial:

2008-09-23

I Can Now Forget About These...

10 Books Not To Read Before You Die

 

10.  Ulysses – James Joyce

9.  Lord of the Rings – J R R Tolkien

8.  For Whom the Bell Tolls – Ernest Hemingway

7.  À la Recherche du Temps Perdu – Marcel Proust

6.  The Dice Man – Luke Reinhart

5.  Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – Hunter S Thompson

4.  The Beauty Myth – Naomi Wolff

3  War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy

2.  The Iliad -- Homer

1.  Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

 

(Taken From Can’t Be Arsed: 101 Things Not to Do Before You Die by Richard Wilson)

2008-09-22

Grocery Results

I thought I'd share the result of my hunting excursion this evening. If there was a way to stuff and mount what I bagged I certainly would, cause that's what we do in Texas. Here are my trophies: grocery

- 1 box of Post Raisin Bran: I choose Raisin Bran because I recently an article online that said having your daily intake of fiber will help you avoid colon cancer. And that is definitely not the cancer I want. So the box of Raisin Bran claims to provide all the fiber I need.

- 2 boxes of Cheez-Its Reduced Fat: I don't like regular Cheez-Its. Only reduced fat. And definitely any of those flavored Cheez-Its. These are a great snack.

- 1 bottle of Promised Land Fat Free milk: I like the glass bottles, but they are not as large as other jugs of milk. I get really nervous that I might happen to drink spoiled milk, it's happened before, and I won't be able to consume milk for months.

- 1 bottle of Simple Orange juice medium pulp: it's 100% juice.

- 1 gallon of HEB (store) brand laundry detergent.

- 2 bags of chips:...and...

- 1 jar of Clint's Texas Salsa (medium): clintspicante.com or salsamonster.com. I like to test other brands of salsa for when I make my own.

- 2 bags of Jolly Time 100% Organic popcorn: my favorite snack.

- 1 bottle of Crisco pure canola oil: it's cholesterol free. It's for the popcorn.

- 1 loaf of HEB brand 100% Whole Wheat multigrain baked bread: this is for pb&j, (which I had plenty of Rachel...the answer to your question)

- 6 fat free Light Strawberry yogurt: ...and...

- 6 99% fat free Blended Strawberry yogurt: these make for a good breakfast.

- 5 Minneolas Tangelos

- 4 Peaches

- 1 bag of baby carrots

- 1 Cantaloupe

- 3 bags of gummy candy

There you go. That should last...what?...3 weeks?...maybe more.

I have to admit...

...this is kinda cool. While I hate the Cub, naturally as a Astros (and Rangers) fan. The obsessive whinning of their fans. I do have to admit this song by Eddie Vedder is pretty darn cool.

Selig has Sold Out

We were playoff bound until this happened.
Okay maybe not exactly bound, but we were mapping out the trip.



Grocery Shopping

I’m at work, getting ready to head for home, but need to make a stop and pick up some groceries.  Here’s my list:

-          Bread (probably a wheat or multi-gran)

-          Fruit (Oranges, Peaches, anything else that might look good)

-          Milk (Promised Land, skim I think…I know the color of the label)

-          One Box of Cereal  (probably Cheerios or Raisin Bran)

-          Cheez-Its

-          Popcorn

-          Maybe some Orange Juice

-          Oil (for the popcorn)

That’s all I can think of for now.  Maybe I’ll see something there that I’ll just have to get…doubt it though.

This might give you some idea as to my culinary passions.

Actually cooking is fun…I just don’t do it much.

2008-09-20

Regulating Morality

I read this interesting quote today by Martin Luther King Jr. that is definitely challenging some thoughts as I continue, like many of you, to evaluate the presidental candidates and whom I will vote for.
Read:

Now the other myth that gets around is the idea that legislation cannot really solve the problem and that it has no great role to play in this period of social change because you’ve got to change the heart and you can’t change the heart through legislation. You can’t legislate morals. The job must be done through education and religion. Well, there’s half-truth involved here. Certainly, if the problem is to be solved then in the final sense, hearts must be changed. Religion and education must play a great role in changing the heart. But we must go on to say that while it may be true that morality cannot be legislated, behavior can be regulated. It may be true that the law cannot change the heart but it can restrain the heartless. It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me but it can keep him from lynching me and I think that is pretty important, also. So there is a need for executive orders. There is a need for judicial decrees. There is a need for civil rights legislation on the local scale within states and on the national scale from the federal government. [emphasis added]
Taken from Martin Luther King, Jr.’s address at Western Michigan University, December 18, 1963, cited in The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture by Scott Klusendorf

2008-09-19

Classifieds, Resumes & Questionnaires

So most people who know me know that I am currently on a quest to find a church where I can serve.  I currently have my resume out at couple of churches. 

To give you an idea how this process works I thought I’d write up a post describing the how I’ve seen this work.

To start a ministry search you have to know where to begin.  This is fairly easy, but not really.  I use three main sources for finding open ministry positions. 

-          First, my Bible college, Ozark Christian College, has on their website a page with opened ministry positions. 

-          Second I use Youth Specialties’ website.

-          And third and probably most importantly I use word of mouth. 

I say this is easy, but not really, because while you may have some useful sites to find openings, it doesn’t necessarily give you a good idea on which church will be best for you.  Plus I’ve found it more difficult to hear the Spirit’s influence when I have a list like that in front of me.  Generally this is why I prefer word of mouth best.

Depending on whether you cold call or not will determine the type of immediate response by a church.  Sometime it results in a form letter (via e-mail of course) stating that they have your resume on file and are currently collecting additional resumes.  I don’t exactly know how to read these responses, sometimes I like to believe they are truly considering me and other times I quickly move on. 

This job search is rather unusual for me, in that every church I’ve worked with the position came to me rather easily.  Either I had one interview and I was quickly hired, or they cold called me offering the position on site (practically).  But for the past few years this has not been the case. 

Once contact has been made with a church, at least on several occasions, the church will try to gain some insight into me by having me fill out a questionnaire.  This will help them weed out candidates before they ever get to the actual interview process.  Here is a current questionnaire I am working on to give you some idea:

1.        Have you read the vision, goals and statement of faith I sent you?  Do you have any questions about any of these?  Do you agree with them?  (if not, please explain what you disagree with and why)

2.        How did you come to Christ? 

3.        What is your church background?

4.        What is your family background and how has that or does that effect your spiritual walk?

5.        Tell us about your relationship with Christ and how it’s grown recently?

6.        What discourages you, and if you are attacked spiritually, where are you first hit?

7.        What was the most exciting part of your last job in youth ministry?

8.        Why did you leave (or are you leaving) that position?

9.        How long do you see yourself at your next position in youth ministry?

10.     What are your long term career and life goals?

11.     What is your philosophy of ministry? 

12.     What do you see as your strengths?  How do you plan to capitalize on these strengths?

13.     What do you see as your weaknesses?  How do these weaknesses effect your ministry and how do you plan to compensate for them?

14.     Share a little about your last experience recruiting and training volunteers, including how many people you started with, and how many joined your team.

15.     Share a negative experience managing a volunteer.  How did you handle it?

16.     Do you consider yourself teachable?  Give an example of this trait from your last job.

17.     What areas do you see a need for growth in your next youth ministry experience? 

18.     What do you enjoy reading?  What have you’ve read lately?  What books or articles have greatly impacted you?

19.     What do you do to stay current with youth culture today?

20.     Have you ever written your own curriculum, discussion questions or training material?  Briefly share with us an example of something you wrote/developed and how it was received.

21.     Give an example of a positive quality or characteristic that you modeled, and as a result, saw it in the lives of your students.

22.     Share an example of a time when you modeled a negative behavior.

23.     Are there any areas of your life that may cause others to ask questions (i.e. use of alcohol, tobacco, entertainment choices, etc.)?

24.     Share a positive experience from your last youth ministry position where you acted as a team player.

25.     Share a negative experience with one of your co-workers and how the situation was handled.

26.     Give an example of a successful outreach program or event you put together?

27.     Give an example of programs, activities or events that you created to help kids spiritually grow.  What were some of the elements of these programs?

28.     Have you been involved or lead a short term mission trip with youth?  If you have tell us about how it went and what you would do differently. 

29.     In your last youth ministry job, how much one-on-one time did you spend each week with kids?

30.     Have you ever made an effort to contact “unchurched” kids?  If so, tell us about that experience.  How did you maintain the relationship?

31.     In the past, what avenues of contact have you used to connect with parents?  Which of these were most effective?

32.     How have you gone about setting a budget in your past ministry?

33.     What are your thoughts about fund raisers, sponsorships, and scholarships for youth trips/conventions/events?

34.     In your past youth ministry, how did you help students get involved in the church as a whole, not just the youth ministry?

35.     What else should we know about you?  What are your hobbies?  What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Yeah…not necessarily a multiple choice thing is it?

Once you arrive at the interview I have on a few occasions had two levels of interviews; a phone interview followed by the face to face.  I hate phone interviews.  I love my phone, but primarily for the texting, e-mailing, internet purposes, not for actually talking.  I always feel like a phone interview goes horrible, but after a face to face interview I tend to be rather confident. 

Now of course during this whole process prayer is essential.  No Christian wants to do something out of God’s ultimate will, and while I believe in our freedom to make choices, you still want to be guided by the Spirit in these choices.

After you have worked through all that and the church comes back and possibly offers the position, this is where listening in prayer and listening to your counsel play into actually making a decision.  Where rubber meets road. 

Hopefully you and the church have done the best to make sure long before an offer is made to ensure that you would be a good fit and a essential piece to their staffing puzzle, but sometimes the Spirit guides us away from both our heart’s desires and our head’s logic.    I would hate to arrive at a church and within months sudden feel like I was in the wrong place.  That would be both unhealthy for me and for the church. 

 

Anyways….this is extremely brief, but hopefully insightful. 

 

If any of you have some insights into the above questionnaire please feel free to help me.  Specifically on questions 12, 13, 16, 20, 21, 22 (be gentle), 23 or 35…

2008-09-17

Who's Excited

Yeah I know Jack Bauer has reaching mythological status, but he's still the man.
Looking forward to the new season?

The More Things Change...

…the move they remain the same.  Maybe my generation isn’t that different from my parents and grandparents.  Or maybe my generation isn’t anything at all.

I just read this article:

YOUTH & TECHNOLOGY

Generational Myth

Not all young people are tech-savvy

Very interesting, and for those who work with students this is a tension that we feel and struggle with often.  There is undoubtedly a massive curve of technology and the demand, need and responsibility to provide technological responses to our students.  However, while they are often referred to as the Techno-Generation (Technology Generation, Media Generation, Digital Generation), that may not necessarily mean all that it implies.  Our desire to categorize or label or generalize the characteristics maybe de more detrimental than helpful, especially when our aim is to bring individual students into a cooperate relationship with Jesus. 

Just because we’ve defined them as technological we should not assume them to have the capabilities or tools, understanding the processes or terms, or even desire to use such resources. 

Here are some quick highlights from the post.  I definitely have some thinking and processing to do…

 

“Every class has a handful of people with amazing skills and a large number who can't deal with computers at all. A few lack mobile phones. Many can't afford any gizmos and resent assignments that demand digital work. Many use Facebook and MySpace because they are easy and fun, not because they are powerful (which, of course, they are not). And almost none know how to program or even code text with Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). Only a handful come to college with a sense of how the Internet fundamentally differs from the other major media platforms in daily life.

“College students in America are not as "digital" as we might wish to pretend.

“Talk of a "digital generation" or people who are "born digital" willfully ignores the vast range of skills, knowledge, and experience of many segments of society. It ignores the needs and perspectives of those young people who are not socially or financially privileged. It presumes a level playing field and equal access to time, knowledge, skills, and technologies. The ethnic, national, gender, and class biases of any sort of generation talk are troubling. And they could not be more obvious than when discussing assumptions about digital media.

“As Henry Jenkins, a media-studies professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, wrote on his blog last year, "Talking about youth as digital natives implies that there is a world which these young people all share and a body of knowledge they have all mastered, rather than seeing the online world as unfamiliar and uncertain for all of us." Such discussions, he said, also risk ignoring the different ways young people use digital tools, from listening to compact discs to blogging to posting clever videos on YouTube to buying stuff on eBay.

“In reaction to Jenkins's post, Leslie Johnston, now at the Library of Congress, wrote on her blog, ‘I have worked with faculty in their 60s who saw something in being digital decades ago and have worked in that realm for years. I have worked with colleagues — librarians and faculty — in my own age group (I'm 44) who hate all technology with a passion and others who embrace it in all ways. I have worked with students at three different research universities who could not care less about being digital.’

“Once we assume that all young people love certain forms of interaction and hate others, we forge policies and design systems and devices that match those presumptions. By doing so, we either pander to some marketing cliché or force an otherwise diverse group of potential users into a one-size-fits-all system that might not meet their needs. Then, lo and behold, young people rush to adapt to those changes that we assumed all along that they wanted. More precisely, we take actions like rushing to digitize entire state-university library systems with an emphasis on speed and size rather than on quality and utility.

“I realize that by puncturing the myth of generations, I am pitting myself against one of the giants of 20th-century social theory, Karl Mannheim. In his 1927 essay, "The Problem of Generations," Mannheim answered Hume by positing that generations are not dem-ographically determined, but historically. Big events forge common identities. And proximity to an experience matters more than birth year. In other words, a Mannheimian generation might exist among all people who breathed in the ash and dust of the Twin Towers in New York City in 2001. But it might exclude people of the same age who merely watched the event on television from a comfortable couch in Madison, Wis.

“The concept of ‘born digital’ flattens out the needs and experiences of young people into a uniform wish list of policies that conveniently matches the agenda of digital enthusiasts and entrepreneurs of all ages.

“We should drop our simplistic attachments to generations so we can generate an accurate and subtle account of the needs of young people — and all people, for that matter. A more responsible assessment would divorce itself from a pro- or anti-technology agenda and look at multiple causes for problems we note: state malfeasance or benign neglect of education, rampant consumerism in our culture, moral panics that lead us to scapegoat technology, and, yes, technology itself. Such work would reflect the fact that technologies do not emerge in a vacuum. They are subject to market forces, political ideologies, and policy incentives. More important, such work would not use young people as fodder for attacking wider social problems.”

2008-09-16

Guy with Spoons

My dad sent this to me today. He said it reminded him of me and my two brothers, Trent and Todd. Of course I would not be the fella in the middle. My guess is that's Todd (only cause he reads this and Trent doesn't).

Book Review: Wild Goose Chase

I've been really behind lately with some book reviews. This one is a couple weeks past due.

Here is a much better review than anything I could come up with and will probably inform you on a much greater level. Actually check that...first what would help you out more would be this introduction video by Mark himself.

When we decide to pursue the Wild Goose we often what we often find out is that there are obstacles that we may have to overcome. Actually the imagery that Batterson uses is cages. After Batterson invites us to reimagine our faith pursuits he begins to help us define and guide us out of these many cages. Some of the cages that Mark leads us through are responsibility, routines, assumptions, guilt, failure and fear.
I don't know about you but I often times find myself in one or more of these cages.

Why Republicans Hate Wal-Mart

A former professor of mine, Mark Moore, recently post a short essay entitled "Why Republicans Hate Wal-Wart."
A good little read. Trust me it's short it won't kill your day to give a quick read.

-t-

Quotable TV Quips

According to a Entertainment Weekly polling these are some of the greatest TV Quotes.

I saved you the time of having to go look through them by just typing them up here.  [Don’t sue me EW.]

24.  “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia” – Jan Brady, The Brady Bunch

23.  “Maybe the dingo ate your baby” – Elaine Benes, Seinfeld

22.  “The tribe has spoken” – Jeff Probst, Survivor

21.  “Save the cheerleader, save the world!” – Hiro Nakamura, Heroes

20.  “We were on a break” – Ross Geller, Friends

19.  “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.” – Eric Taylor, Friday Night Lights

18.  “It's going to be legen — wait for it, and I hope you're not lactose intolerant because the second half of that word is dairy — legen-DARY!” – Barney, How I Met Your Mother

17.  “Pick me.  Choose me.  Love me.” – Meredith Grey, Grey’s Anatomy

16.  “We’re not worthy!” – Wayne and Garth, SNL

15.  “Oh my God, they killed Kenny!” – Stan and Kyle, Southpark

14.  “If the apocalypse comes, beep me!” – Buffy Summers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

13.  “They’re called illusions, Michael. A trick is something a whore does for money.” – Gob Bluth, Arrested Development

12.  “Idiots are fun; no wonder every village wants one.” – Dr. Gregory House, House

11.  “Make it work.” – Tim Gunn, Project Runway

10.  “Here’s to alcohol, the cause of – and solution to – all life’s problems.” – Homer Simpson, The Simpsons

9.  “The most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself.  And if you find someone to love the you that you love…well, that’s just fabulous.” – Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City

8.  “The sea was angry that day, my friends.  Like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli.” – George Costanza, Seinfeld

7.  “So what, no f—in’ ziti now?” – A.J. Soprano, The Sopranos

6.  “If we can’t live together…we’re gonna die alone.” – Jack Shephard, Lost

5.  “As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.” – Les Nessman, WKRP in Cincinnati

4.  “Oy with the poodles already!” – Lorelai Gilmore, Gilmore Girls

3.  “Make it so.” – Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: The Next Generation

2.  “You expect to get screwed by your company.  But you never expect to get screwed by your girlfriend.” – Michael Scott, The Office

1.  “You’re got spunk…I hate spunk.” – Lou Grant, Mary Tyler Moore

 

Not a bad list…but I’m curious what you and I would add.  I lighted the ones in red that I really like, and below are some that I would add.  You might notice that they are Seinfeld heavy…

 

-          "Nip it!"  - Barney Fife, The Andy Griffith Show

-          "Suit up!" - Barney Stinson, How I Met Your Mother

-          "How YOU doin'?" - Joey Tribbiani, Friends

-          "No soup for you!" - The Soup Nazi, Seinfeld

-          "Jane, you ignorant slut" - Dan Aykroyd to Jane Curtin, Saturday Night Live

-          "Yada, yada, yada" - Seinfeld

-          “That’s what she said.” – Michael Scott, The Office

-          “Excellent!” – C. Montgomery Burns, The Simpsons

-          “Serenity now!” – Frank Costanza, Seinfeld

-          “I got hand!” – George Costanza, Seinfeld

-          “You know we’re living in a society!” – George Costanza, Seinfeld

-          “I could get uromisotisis poisoning and die…that’s why.” – Jerry, Seinfeld

-          “These pretzels are making me thirsty.’ – Kramer, Seinfeld

-          “So I bowl.  What’s really disturbing is that I’m good at it.” – Dexter, Dexter

-          “Do something to make me hate you.” “Um, go Hitler.” – Rory and Lorelai, Gilmore Girls

 

What would you add?

 

2008-09-15

Woody Allen & Billy Graham

These are both interesting and entertaining. Enjoy.


Evil in Our World

This is a sad story.

Satan worshippers kill and eat four Russian teenagers after stabbing each of them 666 times

One of the gang said, when asked what made him do it: ‘I tried to turn to God, but it didn’t bring me any money. I prayed to Satan, and things improved.’”

 

When we say and sing that Jesus is “Enough” or “Everything” or “All I Need” do we really mean it?

Without Christ in my life, where would I be?

2008-09-14

Kid from "3rd Rock from the Sun"

I just watch "The Lookout". Between this and "Brick" why isn't Joseph Gordon-Levitt a bigger star? This guy is a good actor.

Today I Really...

...want to see the movie "Eagle vs. Shark"
...want to be a morning person
...want to be able to read faster
...want to be more tech savy
...want to trust more
...want my career back
...think i should hurry up and get my pedicure with the princesses
...really enjoyed Talia's worship leading
...need to forgive and forget
...miss not having a best friend here in San Antonio
...wish my church was more creative
...hate that the Astros got served a no-hitter by the Cubs

I love...

I love my friend Talia’s homemade soap.
I love MLB’s playoffs.
I love fresh sheets on a bed.
I love finishing a book.
I love having the perfect words at the perfect moment.
I love receiving personal mail.
I love teaching with confidence.
I love a pitcher’s duel.
I love relaxed conversations over good food.
I love tipping well.
I love cool evenings.
I love a well crafted sermon.
I love a new pair of socks.
I love gazing at the stars.
I love new shoe laces.
I love road trips; the longer the better.
I love the smell of rain.
I love putting things in proper order.
I love coincidental number patterns.
I love women in uniform.
I love warm clothes fresh out of dryer.

what do you love?

New Record: Saves

Now this is a record I can really appreciate. I loved to pitch when playing baseball, and I loved to just reach back and throw the ball as hard as I could. Seeing fear in a batter's eye as you located one inside - on purpose or not.
This is what I appreciate about Francisco Rodriguez. He is all passion on the mound, often displayed by his celebrations on the mound.
Way to go K-Rod! 58 Saves in one season (and counting).

NFL Picks: Week 2

Saints @ Redskins = Saints
Bears @ Panthers = Panthers
Titans @ Bengals = Bengals
Packers @ Lions = Packers
Bills @ Jaguars = Jaguars
Raiders @ Chiefs = Raiders
Colts @ Vikings = Colts
Giants @ Rams = Giants
49ers @ Seahawks = Seahawks
Falcons @ Buccaneers = Falcons
Dolphins @ Cardinals = Cardinals
Chargers @ Broncos = Chargers
Patriots @ Jets = Jets
Steelers @ Browns = Steelers
Eagles @ Dallas = Dallas
Ravens @ Texans = Postponed

2008-09-13

Ray Boltz Comes Out

Former Christian music artist Ray Boltz comes out of the closet revealing that he is gay recently. Here is the article:
Certainly his songs were huge hits in the Christian music world. I'm curious if any of you have any thoughts or memories of his music?

2008-09-12

Revenge of the Beasts~

It seems that the wildlife were getting feed up and seeking revenge this week.

Check this out.

 

Shark tows Surfer out to Sea  HERE

Flying Fish breaks Teenager’s Jaw  HERE

Bears Jumps into boat and Attacks Man  HERE

Bees kill Six HERE

Now This Is Helpful

I couldn’t be President.  Outside of board games I struggle when to use aggressive force.  Inside the context of board/video games…I will destroy you!

How do we defend the cause of the powerless and balance the teachings of Jesus?  These aren’t easy questions or answers, and certainly this feeble mind won’t solve what the wrestled with since its inception. 

But I really appreciate these thoughts from a college professor of mine name Mark Moore.  Mark’s a brilliant thinker and speaker.  Check out his site, which contains some of his writings, sermons, and class lectures.

In this blog post Mark seeks to defend and define the pacifist.  He writes:

 

“Pacifism is not passivism—it is not sitting idly by while evil gains ground in this world…

“So what is pacifism? It is the uncompromising realization that we as humans are incapable of bringing about justice through violent retaliation. Hence, we relinquish all such acts to God in his sovereign and eschatological plan of judgment, justice, and mercy. Indeed, God have mercy on us.”

This is helpful as it gives me a clear interpretation of pacifism that I can attempt to get behind.  I’ve been guilty of understanding pacifism as “do-nothing-ism”, but in all fairness “do-nothing-ism” is how many pacifist live out their beliefs.  The pacifist here in America, much more often than not, does little to relieve the burden of oppression outside our own continent. 

My question today though is can pacifism be effective, or even displayed, without the counter balance of “righteous” aggression in our world?  

 

2008-09-10

Rap: Translated

This made me laugh...

Church Dancing

I used to think Christians who banned dancing were just idiots. But this video has changed my mind. Now I know that they were just protecting us...


2008-09-09

4 Month Fast: Update

So on that last post there was quite a few opinions on what qualifies and doesn’t qualify as a fast food restaurant.  Unfortunately many of you were just wrong, or your definition was limited.  I’m just joking…some of you had helpful suggestions.

But I thought it important to bring some clarity to the situation.  What I’m looking for isn’t necessarily a absolute definition but rather a set of guidelines by which I can narrow down the options.  If there are any questions after that, I’ll bring them to you.

 

So here are some guidelines when evaluating a restaurant’s fast food-ness:

 

Fast Food Restaurants…

-          …have a drive thru

-          …you order at a counter off a menu board

Real Restaurants…

-          …have someone seat you at a table before you order

-          …have actual waiters and waitress

-          …have printed menus

-          …have actual dishware

 

This is just a start.  Feel free to contribute some additional guidelines.

 

Now obviously there are exceptions to everything…so sometimes there will be questions.  Here is a list of current questionable establishments and the conclusion based on your input.

-          Subway = ???

-          Chipotle = Restaurant

-          Schlotsky’s = ???

-          Chic-fil-a = Fast Food

-          Ci-Ci’s Pizza = ???

-           

(Get the picture?)  Please offer your input.  I’ll continue to add restaurants as they begin to present themselves a problem during this fast.

2008-09-08

Video: Wisely

Have you seen this vdieo yet? It's by Wisely, called Through Any Window. It's really a great concept, plus it's got Jenna Fischer/Pam from The Office...Enjoy!

We've All Been There...


http://view.break.com/568019 - Watch more free videos

Useless Knowledge

People who know me often say that they would love to play Trivia Pursuit with me.  This was said by at least two people this weekend.  Not so much that I’m really smart, but that I have a weird ability to retain pointless information. 

 

Here is a quick conversation that happened last night while eating with a group at Red Robin.

 

Chris: Hey Trevor…

Me: [diverting attention from another conversation] Yeah.

Chris: What season of The Real World had that Mormon chick?

ME: Um…New Orleans, but she was also on several seasons of those Real World/Road Rules Challenges…

Chris: Thanks I knew you’d know that.

Me: Why do I know that?  I don’t watch those.

Chris: [laughs]

Me: No seriously ask me something important.  Ask me to quote one Bible verse.  Seriously off the top of my head, I can’t think of one.

 

This is a really sad thing to me.  Although it wasn’t entirely true because we had just gotten out of church and at our church we occasionally like to use the Bible.  But if I can somehow parlay it into cash…well, then maybe I could sleep just a little better. 

 

Anyways, all that to say that while reading Mental Floss this morning I thought this was interesting…

 

Word Origin: Maverick

 

“Old Sam Maverick’s friends said he refused to brand his cattle because it was cruel to animals; competing ranchers said it let him round up and claim all the unbranded cattle in the neighborhood.  In an era that has sophisticates displaying designers’ initials, the Americanism maverick now means, ‘one who bears no man’s brand,’ or in McCain’s evocation [according to recent ads] of Thoreau’s metaphor, ‘marches to the beat of his own drum.’”

 

 

Strange News

This is a really odd news story …                                  

Officials: Burglar wakes men with spice rub, sausage whack

…honestly now, who does that?

2008-09-06

Finished Reading

I really enjoyed this book.
Now it's no secret that I'm a crier. I shed tears during movies, and people's personal stories and the occasional book. But this book, told in three acts, had me sitting in bed just in tears.
Maybe it had to do with the memories from back in the high school years laughing and imitating Chris, or maybe it was the source of Chris' demons that I suddenly felt connected to, I don't know but suddenly I spent my week in a weird funk. Knowing the "end of the story" and rapidly building towards the climax of Chris' death...well I found it a really difficult read...(lacking words).
The book repeatedly suggested that the Chris Farley seen in the sketch entitle The Chris Farley show was who Chris was. I certainly hope so. And that being the case the following clip is especially poignant, particularly Chris' last question about the lyrics from the Abbey Road album.

Uneven Bars

Maybe because of the Olympics you found yourself a fan of gymnastics. And maybe you've wondered why the guys and girls don't perform the same skills.
Well here is one fella performing on the uneven bars...

Listen to: Resurrection Letters Vol. II

I am going to continue to promote Andrew Peterson on this blog, so you just better get used to it or go out and purchase every album of his. Including his upcoming release of Resurrection Letters Vol. II.
If you need to give it a listen, because you just don't trust me, then just click HERE...

In case you are wondering why is Vol. II then click HERE and HERE (the second link is a humorous interview of AP (the artist) by AP (the interviewer), along with AP (the author) and a brief visit by AP (the children's artist).
Oh and I still giving away one of these upcoming albums...Currently only one person (way to go Chad) has responded to the contest...
Since the album release is Oct. 21st. I'm going to keep the contest opening until Oct. 14th. (also I'm sure when I actually receive these two copies...)

Quote - Chris Farley

I've been reading a biography on Chris Farley this week called The Chris Farley Show. It has been messing with me too; all week long I've been in this funky depressed mood.
Anyways here is a quote by Chris towards the later part of his life:

"The notion of love is something that would be a wonderful thing. I don't think I've ever experienced it, other than the love of my family. At this point it's something beyong my grasp. But I can imagine it, and longing for it makes me sad."

2008-09-03

Give Away!

I pre-ordered my copy of Andrew Peterson's Resurrection Letters Vol II. already and I get a second one for free-(ish).
If you want this second copy share your favorite Andrew Peterson song and why. I and another unbiased judge will deem who gets it.

Those who don't win...go order it HERE.

2008-09-02

4 Month Fast

So I am currently in day 2 of a 4 month fast. Obviously this isn't a complete fast, otherwise I'd be a real idiot. This fast is a two part-er, which I do need some help defining, but before I do that let me explain why the fast.

Lately I've been waiting on God for direction. The only thing that I've been feeling a calling towards was a fast. Most people already know that I've been on a Dr. Pepper fast for the entire year and have actually been doing well at that. But there really wasn't in point in the DP fast other than to see if I could do it.

Feeling a calling to a deep more purposefully fast I began preparing to limit my beverage intake only to water, milk and 100% juices. But seeing as I don't really drink milk (always afraid it's spoiled) or juice (always taste weird after I've brushed my teeth), this is essentially a water only thing.

As I considered how this would change even some of my eating habits I realized that I would have some struggles even going to Chic-fil-a, because there I've replaced my DP addiction with a sweet tea one. So the next thing I decided was to go ahead and plan to also fast from fast food for the final four months of the year.

So for the next four months (September to December) I will be replacing almost all beverages and fast food with prayer. Now this may seem like a silly fast, especially since I don't eat a lot of fast food, but being as my goal is to inject my prayer life with a little more power, consistency and purpose...well this works for me.

More specifically I will be praying for a least three things: (1) direction, (2) foreign missions and global causes, and (3) one particular friend who is currently on a mission trip. For this specific missionary friend I want her to know that while she is struggling with some situations and difficulties where she is at, there will be someone who is regularly praying for her and laboring with her.

I'm a guy who builds in routines and habits, and over the past year I've been going to Chic-fil-a during lunch at least once, usually twice a week (about the only time I eat fast food). So there will be at least 2 hours a week I replace with prayer. This doesn't count the numerous times a day I drive past a place and have to replace my hunger for fast food with prayer. Or every time I take a drink of water and send up a flare prayer, these tend to add up throughout the day.

What I need your help with though is defining what is fast food. Some places just easily fit the fast food definition. McDonald's, Chic, Burger King, etc. But there are some that I don't know about. I've been asking friends, but thought I'd open the discussion to everyone here. So far they aren't an issue, but maybe down the road. As these come up, I'll be asking for help from you, my blogging community.

So let's start:

How do you define fast food?

and

Are these by your definition fast food?
- Subway
- Chipotle