Second Gift

Here is my second Christmas gift received this year.

I'm really excited because my sport trivia one from this year was reminding me daily that I had nothing to look forward too come Jan. 1st.

Thanks Shayla

Pretty Cool

FARGO, North Dakota (AP) -- A bank is giving its full-time employees $1,000 each and part-time employees $500 each. There's one condition -- use it for people in need.

Finish the story HERE.

Question

Is there a manly method to applying lip balm?

Confession

I like more of Fergie’s songs than I should.

Had To Post

I had this e-mailed to me.

It shocked me.
It make me laugh.
It had to be posted.

[Beware - Unsightly Viewing ahead]

I read this today

Unable to keep up with consumer demand for the Wii this holiday season, Nintendo could be losing approximately $1 billion in potential sales, according to analysts.

I finally played on of these this past Saturday...yeah I have got to get one. Total fun.
-T-

Fractals

I found this 16min 51sec video lecture to be incredibly fascinating. If you have any passion for Africa and global causes and math I think you'll agree with me.
-tsh-

"I am a mathematician, and I would like to stand on your roof." This is how Ron Eglash greeted many African families while researching the intriguing fractal patterns he noticed in villages across the continent. He talks about his work exploring the rigorous fractal math underpinning African architecture, art and even hair braiding.

Katie Howell

I sneaked out of the the high school Christmas party a little early tonight, because I double booked myself. I also committed to joining some friends and going to see the new I Am Legend movie as well.
The Christmas party was going well. We have such a unique gathering of students that I find funny to watch them interact. But all of them are very casual and relaxed people that I really believe that anyone can walk though our doors and feel the warmth of community and acceptance and grace.
So anyways I went to meet up with William, who forever more will be referred to as "The Deuce" or "Bartender [spoken slowly with your deepest voice possible]. I arrived at his apartment complex and we waited to leave because some friends who serve as care residents within their apartment complex (they schedule activities and create community - very cool) had invited a former student in their youth ministry to come play music.
Her name was Katie Howell and because I love independent artist I want to share her with you. Visit her myspace HERE. A beautiful young woman with a great tone in her voice, that can move between fragility and power. She sang several song she had written as well as some Christmas songs. She also played the guitar impressively and she later told me she first learned to play the piano. But most impressive was her ability to entertain and interact with the audience. I barely met her, but I feel pretty comfortable recommending her to anyone who needs an artist or a worship leader for some kind of retreat. I don't even know if she does events like those, but I'm planning on finding out.

Butter LOVE

I went to Austin tonight/last night with some friends, which included several great stories that I will share in the morning because I'm tired and I'm going to bed after this post.
But we ate at a restuarant called Magnolias. We were seated on the heated patie, except that the heat lamps were not lit. But a Texas winter doesn't get that cold and I thought it actually felt really good.

Anyways on the menu, please pardon my more than typical crappy phone (time for a new non-scratched phone with somewhat quality camera capabilities), William's Veggie Plate was cooked with spicy LOVE butter.

Boy that's a really bad photo. Where is the focus feature on my phone? Anyways you should be able to make out enough to know that I'm not lying.

Does anyone know what spicy LOVE butter that is?
Does it have lingering effects?

Question

Does anyone look cool sneezing?

Pro Marriage

Suggesting that the Bible can serve as a moral compass can be offensive to some.
If this is the case of a couple you are counseling who are considering divorce maybe you can refer instead to the great god of today…Mother Nature. (Is it me or does environmentalism seem to be reaching religious status?)
Anyways according to this story a married households uses energy resources more efficiently than divorce households.

Leniency

Someone posted the request for leniency by Michael Vick and others on behalf of MV onto the internet. I found them pretty interesting. There is a five page hand written letter by Michael himself. A letter from Hank Aaron. The mayor of Atlanta. The president of the Give Life foundation. But the one I found most interesting (well after Michael’s) is the request by George Foreman. I copied the letter and provided them below.




































What do you think?

Speak Intelligently

For those of you who love TV (I’m in this crowd, but am struggling with a big decision that I’ll let you know about in a post to come) I would like to recommend a recent post by Tim Stevens on his blog Leading Smart. In the post Tim provided a recent article he wrote for Collide Magazine entitled Find God on TV.

It’s a very brief article so it won’t take you long to read it. Trust me I was able to read it in about a two minutes, you should be able to in about half a minute.

In the article he quotes Richard Leonard, a Jesuit priest from Australia who wrote Movies that Matter: Reading Film through the Lens of Faith. I like the quote:

“We cannot speak to a culture we do not know or one we despise…we have to learn its language and discover how Christ has already gone ahead of us, inculturated in some of medias values, stories and style.”

One Knight?

I get e-mail offers from Grassroots Music (which used to be a great website, until they were bought out or restructured. Now it kind of sucks, cluttered with Christian cheese and religious crap.)
Anyways today I opened their e-mail and say this:











I then scrolled down a bit and saw this:











My eyes then were drawn to the DVD/VIDEO offers.










Now I’m not sure, but I don’t think they meant to advertise One Knight With A King. I think it was supposed to be One Night With A King. One Knight With A King seems like a whole other movie that would upset a lot of right-wingers.

Been There...

This video has been out for a while, but I just say it again.

That Guy

I heard this song (click HERE) by Andy Gullahorn through Andrew Osenga's blog.
I love the chorus:

God loves that guy

God loves that guy

But it's the bridge of the song that breaks me.

My prayer tonight:

teach me to love

teach me to love

teach me to love like that

A Little Bit About Me

I enjoy mindless chores so very much.
Chores like cutting coupons, which I never use, or collating stacks of paper.
I think its because my mind can preform the task while wandering at the same time. I'm not a brillant man, and this is a rare moment of true multi-tasking for me.

Just thought I'd share.

Questions

On President's Day are the Bush twins, Jenna and Barbara, obligated to give their dad a gift? Is it like a birthday for the President?
And what about the former first children? Is Chelsea obligated to give former President Clinton a gift, now that he is a former president?

Questions I had last night when I couldn't fall asleep.

Frosty

I really like these..., particularly this one today.

Profile

Just in case you missed this...not that that would be possible since ever other blog has had its take on it. Time recently profiled Rob Bell.


I'll refrain from trying to make any persuasive remakes, since I don't think the article did, and I don't want to be like those other bloggers.

I will say that the article was well written. But no more... otherwise haters and obsessive fans will feel the need to comment. The purpose of this post is not to start a discussion on whether or not Rob Bell is the second coming or the anti-Christ, just to inform you that Time published an article.

Oh also, there is a quote by Ben Witherington III in the article and I read his blog faithfully.