Sharing Christ

Penn (from Penn & Teller) has some challenging words for us Christians.  

I want to be like this man that he speaks of in this video.  Compassionate towards the lost.  Passionate about what I believe.  Confident enough to do something about both.

Thanks Los.

Countdown 5 Days

Merry Christmas!

I Believe in Father Christmas - U2

Quote: Ralph Waldo Emerson

"A man becomes what he thinks of most of the time."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lord, 

May you become greater, and I become less.

John 3:30

White Christmas Elephant

Last night we had our HS Christmas Party.  While the place didn’t have a very Christmas-y feel to it (Journey needs to invest in some holiday decorations) it was a pretty fun night.  Here are some of the highlights:

• Emily Dye brought me cookies.  And not just one kind of cookie, but a variety of cookies.  There was the staple chocolate chip, and these pumpkin bar things, and chocolate cover pretzels and these others things.  Awesome!  
  
• I forgot to wrap my present (Karate Kid DVD) so I found a copy sheets of wide-ruled paper, a plastic grocery bag and clear duct tape.  In just 5 minutes I went MacGyver on that gift.  Unfortunately for the tiniest gal in our group she could rip the gift open.  Also unfortunate for her, I stole the DVD the first chance possible.  Unfortunate for me, it was stole from me, and “locked”, by the second to last person.
  
• One student kept to the $5 limit by buying a Subway $5 cold cut trio footlong sandwich.  This made me laugh the most.
  
• At the end of the Christmas gift giving and stealing Travis Rogers gave out random gifts (back scratches, dish soap, a bird house, trash bags, etc.) to students and urged them them to “be a blessing” to someone in their community with these gifts.   At our first gathering of the new year we are going to have the students share how they blessed someone else.  I’m looking forward to seeing how this goes.

Fantasy Football

I'm in the Championship Game. 

My fantasy football team, the San Antonio Hombres, has survived a rough 7-7 season to make it to the playoffs and win the first round game.  Several weeks I forgot to even look at my tean and set up the appropriate players for that week.  Next up the Kraft Mayo team that went 11-3 this season.  Can this be the end of a miracle season?

Here is the current game day match up:

Tell me who do you think will win?

The prize for a Yahoo Fantasy Football championship?  Pride baby, pride!

Uncool

AP source: Furcal stays with Dodgers

You have to wonder which side is to blame in this media mess, Furcal or the Braves.  It sounds like Furcal, in which case...uncool dude.  You chose 3 million dollars over your word.  Sure for the average Joe-schmo like me that's ridiculous money, but for a guy who is going to make $30 million in three years...well I hope you sleep well tonight.

I Couldn't Even Dance Like This:

Headline

Kate Hudson Trying to Stay Single as Long as Possible

 

I saw this headline today and thought that I had to use this as my new excuse in life.  I’m “trying” to stay single as long as possible. 

It ain’t easy either.  There are offers daily.  I literally have had to avoid mousetrap-like contraptions where people are trying to ensnare me into a relationship.  I swear my dating relationship resembles the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark, where Indy has to avoid poisoned darts, booby traps, deep pits and one huge rolling boulder.  But just like Indy I seem to make it out each and every time; with my trust hat to boot.

Yep, me and Kate Hudson sure have it hard.  We have to actually work at not having relationships.

“Trying”

Good Lord, if only that were the truth.  That I was actually “trying” to stay single. 

Bless your heart Kate Hudson…here I was thinking you were single because people were afraid that by dating you they would have to watch one of your awful movies.  Even worse, they might have to watch one of your every-other-movie-starring-Matthew McConaughey (one of these worst actors ever!).  But I admit when I’m wrong; you were trying to stay single.

The End Begins

I love the Terminator movies. And I'm sticking to the TV show (in hopes that it plays into the upcoming movies). And I'm really excited about this:

Still a Comic Book Geek at Heart

This looks fun.

Jingle Bells

Thanks

Praying

I thought I'd share something that has been on my mind since Thursday.
Where I work, there is this young dual military couple, Charles and Isis, with two children. Recently Charles was sent to Korea for a brief assignment leaving his wife Isis here to manage the home front. While in Korea, for reasons uncertain as of Thursday, Charles blacked out and fell. As he fell he hit his head on something and may have broken his neck. The details were still unclear Thursday as Isis was busy trying to get to Houston to get a passport so she could fly out on Friday morning to be with her husband.
I have been praying for them since she came into the Center, eyes red and tired from having cried more tears than she probably felt were helpful, asking God to be their healer and comforter. If he has broken his neck the circumstances of their life are going to be dramatically altered, and without a bigger-than-this-world God I don't know how one could endure.
I am however, really proud of how the military community has responded and provided for her. Everything from actually having another soldier drive her back and forth from Houston to the quick communication from Korea. It's love displayed outside the context of the church that gives me hope for an even greater vision of what the Church could/should become and sometimes is.

Need Some Inspiritation?

texting

How often do you clean your phone of all those old text messages?
If you and your phone are anything like me and mine you have months of old text messages just sitting and consuming phone storage space.
Somehow, and I don't know how, I have a routine of erasing all those old messages once my unread amount reaches 100. You know how it is; you receive a message, but you don't open it up because you clearly can read it the whole message in the preview space. Nevertheless your phone continue to safe and count those unread texts.
Currently I have texts going back to September, and I'm only at 80 unread messages...

Retirement: Greg Maddux

Greg Maddux is expected to retire from baseball today.  

After and incredible career of out-thinking and out-preforming hitters for more than two decades Maddux is sure to challenge Tom Seaver's Hall-of-Fame first place votes record.  With a record 18 Gold Gloves and what he did along side Gavine and Smoltz in Atlanta for over a decade, this is the kinda of ball player fathers should point their children towards.  

I read somewhere over the last couple days that Maddux may be the greatest pitcher of his generation (said in light of Roger Clemon's association with the Mitchell Report, which has diminished his reputation and career).  And with the current direction of baseball we just may never see another like him.  

Thanks Greg for all the memories.  And if you think you still want to be involved in the game, would you please come teach the Rangers' rotation how to throw?

Gender Confusion

So according to the website GenderAnalyzer, my blog has a 95% probability that it was written by a woman.  

Um.  

I'm not sure what to do with information like this.  I get that these things are searching for keywords and stuff, and I assumed that there was going to be some percentage of woman factor in my blog, maybe in the 35% range.  But 95%?!  Well that's just ridiculous.  

In order to offset this incredibly inaccurate number I am going to spend the rest of the year talking about farts, football, and hot chicks!

I Am Second

This is a great website.  I Am Second.  Personal stories told thru video testimonies of people and their struggles.  Varies individuals share their victories of their struggles by declaring they are second because Jesus is first. 

Check it out.

Prop 8 Thoughts?

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Clearly the church has been unable to communicate it's stance on homosexuality with conviction and grace.  Possibly because so many in the church are unsure of the answers themselves.  And with some in society calling this the Civil Rights issue of our times we are surely going to be seeing tension between the two current sides of the issue for a while.  

My small group recent shared some of struggles and frustrations with this issue.  What should we accept?  Where does the Bible draw the line?  Who does marriage belong to, the church or the state?  To what degree do we believe in separation of church and state?  How does the church guide the culture in regards to the issue, and not allow the culture to direct the church as it has so often done in the past?  And a dozen other questions and senarios.

We concluded the evening by agree that we as individuals were not the solution in and of it ourselves.  And without having engaged someone who is struggling with their homosexuality in the culture and church, we were outside the issue. 

Instead we prayed for wisdom and opportunities to know and interact with a gay, lesbian, transgender, etc, and to demonstrate first everyday grace.  Maybe our everyday grace can lead to discussion about His uncommon grace.

We were confident in one thing as an absolute; that the love of Christ working the through the Spirit within us can resolve the tension and turmoil that has seperated the homosexual community from the Church, so that grace can be demonstrated and God glorified.  

God cares and God can...

How about you?  Any quick thoughts?

Recent Sermons I've Heard...

What sermons have you been listening to?  What preachers/sermons would you recommend.

 

Mark Moore

-          Viva La Vida: Do the Word (James 1:19-27) Click HERE

-          David: A Man After God’s Heart Click HERE

-          David as a Father Click HERE

-          Men David Need in His Life Click HERE

-          David in Worship Click HERE

-          1 Peter 1 A Click HERE

-          1 Peter 1 B Click HERE

-          1 Peter 2 Click HERE

-          1 Peter 3 Click HERE

-          1 Peter 4 Click HERE

-          1 Peter 5 Click HERE

Jon McClarnon

-          Certain Truths For Uncertain Times, Part 2 Click HERE

-          Certain Truths For Uncertain Times, Part 1 Click HERE

-          When A Man Loves A Woman: You’re the One that I Want Click HERE

-          When A Man Loves A Woman: Truly, Madly, Deeply Click HERE

-          When A Man Loves A Woman: Gimme All Your Lovin Click HERE

-          When A Man Loves A Woman: We Can Work It Out Click HERE

-          When A Man Loves A Woman: Still the One Click HERE

-          Tattoo: Marked by Life Click HERE

-          Tattoo: Marked by God Click HERE

-          Tattoo: Marked by Jesus Click HERE

Jon Weece

-          Abolition – Too Small To Ignore Click HERE

-          Living the Dream – I Know the Plans I Have for You… Click HERE

-          Living the Dream – Plans to Give You a Hope and a Future Click HERE

Dave Smith

-          Viva La Vida: Love Your Neighbor (James 2:8) Click HERE

Robin Sigars

-          Viva La Vida: Watch Your Speech (James 3) Click HERE

Nonato Silva

-          Viva La Vida: Submit to God (James 4:1-12) Click HERE

Matt Proctor

-          Viva La Vida: Give Your Wealth (James 5:1-6) Click HERE

Mike Breaux

-          Jonah – On The Run Click HERE

Klye Idleman

-          H2O: Vapor Click HERE

-          H2O: Source Click HERE

-          H20: Thirsty Click HERE

-          Journey to Deep: From Attendance to Worship Click HERE

-          Journey to Deep: From Sitting to Service Click HERE

-          Journey to Deep: From Shallow Teaching to Doctrinal Purity Click HERE

Dave Stone

-          Journey to Deep: From Sitting to Service Click HERE

-          Journey to Deep: From Superficial to Genuine Click HERE

-          Journey to Deep: From Self-Interest to Edification Click HERE

Rob Bell

-          Shine Like Stars Click HERE

Perry Noble

-          You Asked For It…: Let’s Talk About Sex Click HERE

-          You Asked For It…: Can I Lose My Salvation? Click HERE

-          You Asked For It…: How Do I Know God’s Will? Click HERE

-          You Asked For It…: Is It OK For a Christian to Drink Alcohol? Click HERE

-          You Asked For It…: Can I Enjoy Movies & Culture & Still be a Christian Click HERE

 

And of course Randy Frazee (my pastor), at Oak Hills Church here in San Antonio.  You can catch his recent series at www.thestorynow.net.

 

Soap

Tonight I made soap with my friend Talia.  The picture is some of what was leftover in the bowl that I molded into a heart.  The picture was washed out a bit and doesn't show off the blue dye in the soap.  We added the fragrance Light Blue by Dolce & Gabbana.  This is going to be some Christmas presents.  For the ladies of course...wink...cause apparently they love this fragrance. Actually it smells really good right now...and it will only get better as the soap firms.

And it was really easy to do too...