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...

Thanks

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.

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?

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."

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.

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

Texas Pride!

Aggie and Sooner fans will only find this fuel for their fire!

For the Ladies...

...especially those who just love a man with a beard!

Speechless.

One Rare Day

There are days where you can live your ordinary life but at the end of the day question whether or not you're even a good person. Let alone whether you've followed closely to Jesus.
And while I could never tell you I've had a perfect day (I'm extremely self-critical)...
I will say that today, at the end of it all, I think I really was a good person.

Toy Box Gang

From CIY.
Enjoy.

#1 "One Way"

#2 "Voices"

#3 "One of Us"

#4 "Cold Hooves"

#5 "Bon Voyage"

Contemplating My Potential for Evil

I just read this in Mark Batterson's "Wild Goose Chase":

"I'm afraid that our therapeutic approach to faith sometimes causes us to
minimize our sinfulness in a human attempt to feel better about ourselves. But
all that does is short-circuit our understanding and appreciation of God's
grace. We can't appreciate the full extent of God's grace until we realize the
full extent of our sin. Then, and only then, can we chase the Wild Goose (the
Holy Spirit) and His will for us with passion."

Reflecting on this I was reminded of a conversation I had with a friend once, confessing my struggle to faithfulness and holiness. I had been dealing with some sin my life and wasn't seeing God bring about healing and restoration in my life. I was then doubting whether I should even claim the promises of God and just return to Him the distance coldness I assumed of Him. Would just indulging my sinfulness be easier than pursuing God's righteousness? Wouldn't that at least offer me that which God was holding from me?
My friend wisely recognized that these were just my emotions and moments of despair and didn't panic to "fix" me or correct my theology. Instead he encouraged me to pursue the evil in me. To honestly see how unrighteous I could be.
I scoffed at him thinking he was mocking my personal pains. But he looked me in the eye and challenged me to indulge all my pride, lust, greed and wickedness.
I tried to sleep that night considering the permission granted me to engage in all that I spent a lifetime wrestling to avoid.
Batterson quotes C.S. Lewis in his book:

"When a man is getting better he understands more and more clearly the evil that
is still left in him. When a man is getting worse he understands his own badness
less and less."

My God's grace when considered in light of my potential for evil is more and more unfathomable. There is no sin so great that God wouldn't dare remove the burden of it's weight from you and flick it off to the most distant galaxy.
If God's grace seems small today, maybe your sin is small. To which I grant you permission to pursue your sin.
As I just considered my potential for evil I rediscovered a God who's is holy and wild and greater and worth more than any other pursuit.
I trust you will too.

p.s. i was originally typing this on my phone and when i tried to save it for further editing it published...sorry to those you read the incomplete version first...

The Church at its Best!

Florida Churchgoer Allegedly Pulls Knife on Congregation for Refusing to Give Him Butter

 

Our capacity for loving and being loved is overwhelmingly great. 

If this story can’t inspire you to a greater sacrifice…well you just may have a heart of stone.

Congratulations

Way to go Hawaii! I honestly think Little League Baseball may be the greatest sport ever.

And it is the source of so many people's greatest sport achievements.

Breathe it in Hawaii!

Congratulations.

Future Yankee?

I'm sure the Yankees and several other MLB teams are not only scouting this kid, but are secretly offering his family some signing bonus cash. Also with a name like Jericho Scott, well it just sounds like a major league name.

9-year-old boy told he’s too good to pitch