Radical Forgiveness

One of the things that I really try to live (it's hard) and what I constantly speak into the lives of the students I work is to learn to forgive.
That sounds so easy, but I know so many students and adults who are so imprisoned by the anger and bitterness of past hurts.
- someone posted hurtful lies about them on the internet
- their dad wasn't the best dad
- their boyfriend decided to break up with them
- a friend owes another some money and is struggling to pay it back
- a couple experiences a divorce
- a business plan fall apart
I know when I haven't let something go, how it consumes my time and floods my thoughts, and drains my energy and steals my joy. And nowhere in the midst of that is there the joy of the Lord.
I saw this video a while back and it seems to be a great example of what it means to practice radical forgiveness. Forgiveness that goes out of the way to explain and demonstrate that love conquers all.
I think I better make some phone call tomorrow.

A little background: A church plant, called Kinetic Church, had a large trailer with much of their weekend service materials stolen. The church and it's pastor rented billboards all across the city in order for whoever stole the trailer to see this video:

What tells me even more that our world is in need of of absolute forgiveness is how some responded to this video, questioning if it was the right decision.
What would happen if extreme forgiveness became the norm for Christians and not the occasional?

This Sucks

So I drive a small affordable Kia Sportage. Four doors, decent gas mileage. It's not my dream vehicle (I love the Honda Elements...I know...practical), but it works. A couple of years ago I was involved in a small fender bender, where the other car gained a few scratches while I had my bumper ripped off by his rear license plate.
A repair shop was able to replace it and make it look all new. Yeah.
Then tonight I was driving home, or rather from work to my community group when suddenly there was some very strong vibrations from the car. Because of construction I could not immediately pull over so I began coasting to the next exit. Right before I reached the exit, BOOM, slappity, slappity, slap slap. I applied the brakes and came to a halt right as the mouth of the exit ramp. A couple deep breaths to calm myself down only made me painfully aware of the exploded rubber smell below my driver side window. I carefully hopped out and here is what I saw.The tread on my tires had come apart and began slapping around my wheel well like a crack head woman.
I carefully changed my tire by leaning over the front hood, cars zooming past narrowly avoiding me.
This weeks been kind of crappy and this is a great way to cap it off, except that there is still Friday and Saturday to go. Lord help me.

Who's the greatest!

I was completely surprised that Abbott and Costello weren't at the top of this list.
How about you? Any favorites or surprises?

Fold-In

Be sure to check out these interactive fold-ins mad popular in Mad magazine.

Happy Earth Day

"The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it..."
Psalm 24:1
"...for the world is mine, and all that is in it."
Psalm 50:12
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."
Isaiah 6:3

Today I both recycled and spent some time in worship. We all have to do our part.
-t-

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."
Romans 1:20

Comment

Someone (going by the name anonymous) posted a comment on a previous post of mine that is completely insane.
You can read it HERE.
If any of you can figure out what in the world it's about I would love to know.

Good For Her

This is a great photo. While I don't typically watch racing or keep up with racing news (I leave that to my 3 year old nephew), but this is just pretty darn cool. A honest historic moment in women's role in sports.
And I don't just think this because she is super cute...at least I don't think I do...cause seriously she's super cute!
I'm sure she'll be on Letterman this week (Letterman owns the racing team Danica drives for, at least I think she still is)...which means I'll definitely be watching Letterman this week.

You Probably Guessed...

but I post videos when I have nothing to say.

Trapped

This would freak me out.

Safe!

http://view.break.com/488117 - Watch more free videos

One thing I love about baseball is how in the midst of the mundane ordinary comes something legends are made of.

Embracing Simplicity

Thanks

The Blessing of Baptism

My former professor Mark Moore recently posted this on his blog.
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The Blessing of Baptism

1. It is the only religious ordinance (that I know of), that deals with guilt and shame equally at the same time. In the East, shame is the big issue--not measuring up to communal expectations. In the West, guilt is the primary issue, having crossed a line individually. Consider the wisdom of God to give us a practice that is capable of dealing with both our sociological and spiritual needs at once and across all cultural divides.

2. This 'enacted sinner's prayer' is far more memorable than any articulated prayer. Ask how many people remember what they 'said' when they converted; then ask how many remember where, when, and how they were baptized? God knows we are tactile. This is the perfect gift to help us remember our beginnings.

3. Furthermore, this 'sinner's prayer' is always said correctly. It is about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. You CAN NOT DO IT WRONG! I need that with all the stupid things I say.

4. It starts our Christian walk right. We begin by imitating Jesus in his salvific act. It brings us to 'dead' center in our theology so that our beginning in Christ aims at the core of Christianity as well as our ultimate destiny of resurrection.

5. The Scriptures bind together this gift with the promise of a cleansed conscience and the gift of the Holy Spirit. I want that!

I'm not so stricken with the question of 'only one way to convert'. I suspect God is far more creative than we give him credit for. However, given these five blessings of baptism, it boggles my mind why anyone would be contentious in refusing such a gift directly from the hand of Jesus, especially when it models the self-abnegation he enjoined on his disciples.

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What do you think?
-t-

Great Photo

From Monday night I believe.
FYI - He beat the tag. The go ahead run.

49ers 2008 Schedule

Week 1            Sunday, Sept 7^th           vs. Arizona

Week 2            Sunday, Sept 14^th         at Seattle

Week 3            Sunday, Sept 21^st         vs. Detroit

Week 4            Sunday, Sept 28^th         at New Orleans

Week 5            Sunday, Oct 5^th            vs. New England

Week 6            Sunday, Oct 12^th          vs. Philadelphia

Week 7            Sunday, Oct 19^th          at New York Giants

Week 8            Sunday, Oct 26^th          vs. Seattle

Week 9            Bye Week

Week 10          Monday, Nov 10^th        at Arizona

Week 11          Sunday, Nov 16^th         vs. St. Louis

Week 12          Sunday, Nov 23^rd         at Dallas

Week 13          Sunday, Nov 30^th         at Buffalo

Week 14          Sunday, Dec 7^th            vs. New York Jets

Week 15          Sunday, Dec 14^th          at Miami

Week 16          Sunday, Dec 21^st          at St. Louis

Week 17          Sunday, Dec 28^th          vs. Washington

Held Hostage

I’ve probably just seen too many bank heist movies but I can’t help wanting to be part of a bank robbery. And it seems that bank robberies currently are all the rage. I can think of several recent heist movies:

· Ocean’s movies

· The Italian Job

· Inside Man

· The Bank Job

I also read a great article in last week’s Sports Illustrated on the largest cash robbery by a team that included a former UFC fighter.

Now I don’t think I’d want to be apart the actually holding up of the bank or be involved in the criminal aspects of the robbery. While I talk a big game I don’t particularly like physically hurting people just for the sport of it. Um…that’s not entirely true. More accurately I don’t particularly like seriously hurting people…squeezing a pressure point until some gives is always fun. However I will say that if I were going to be a part of a heist gang I would like the atmosphere to light and jovial. Because those movies where it’s always serious, the heist always ends with multiple deaths and failed robberies. But the movies where the atmosphere is filled with laughter and friendliness things just seem to work out.

Although I do think I’d have a knack for this type of activity. For some reason it is really important to me to know exactly where things are in a bank. For instance, today I took the deposit from work to the bank. As soon as I enter I know where all five cameras are that are pointed towards the door. There is a sixth camera that covers the rest of the small lobby. I also know how many ladies work at said bank, and would have to assume there might be one or two more in the back. I’ve seen inside the vault. I know the busy and slow times of the day. And I know where they keep their jar of lollipops, of which I prefer the root beer flavor.

I don’t see myself going into law enforcement either, so a negotiator or S.W.A.T. team member is out of the question. A bank security man doesn’t seem to appeal to me either. Expect for said robbery you’re usually just sitting around all day. Plus being in bank security and wanting to be apart of a bank robbery seem to be in direct conflict. I suppose one could be the bank security man and be a part of the heist gang, but that seems like twice as much work.

Also I don’t see myself having the type of influence that can alternately bring about resolution to this type of activity. I’m thinking here of Jodie Foster’s character in Inside Man. I bring her character up mainly because this affords me the opportunity to say that Jodie Foster looked really hot in that movie. Maybe it has to do with her long straight hair or her great legs…I don’t know, but either way she’s never looked that good to me before. (fyi…I’m watching The Brave One tonight)

Now a hostage has some potential for excitement and, in case of a long stand off, free pizza and subs. If someone is waving a gun around at me I think I can obey orders. But I think I’d also have enough courage and awareness that if one of the gunmen was not paying attention or distracted I’d do what I could to take him out. Now I’m not saying I’d be heroic or somehow have illusions of grandeur, I have seen Die Hard and know that fighting back will get your t-shirt dirty and you may lose your shoes. But I think I’d also like being a hostage for the fact that when the conflict is resolved I could write a book about the experience that would be #1 on the New York Times Bestsellers list for a few weeks and then I could sell the rights to the story and maybe have some small role in the movie. Hmmm…maybe a few illusions.

If you are looking for a good heist movie I can also recommend these to you:

• Dog Day Afternoon
• Reservoir Dogs
• Bottle Rocket
• Ronin
• The Score
• A Fish Called Wanda
• How to Steal a Million
• The Thomas Crown Affair (I’m talking about the original with Steve McQueen, the newer one with Bronson and Russo sucked and unfortunately there is a sequel coming out)
• The Usual Suspects
• Heat
• Bonnie and Clyde
• The Getaway (I liked both the McQueen/MacGraw more than the Baldwin/Basinger, but both are good)
• the Die Hard movies

And these are few more than I want to watch:

• Dog Day Afternoon (I know, I know…how have I not seen this?)
• Sexy Beast (Kingsley is supposed to be brilliant in it)
• The Killings
• Flawless
• RocknRolla (directed by Madonna’s Guy)

clean water

Least we forget just how rich we are...

...could you imagine this being apart of your daily routine?

How would this change who you are and what you do?
Knowing that this is what 1 out of every 6 people in our world has to do for inadequate drinking water is unacceptable.

Darn Cute

quote

“Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke?  Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it?  The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning.  It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets.  Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews.  For the sleeping god may wake someday and take offense, or the waking god may draw us out to where we can never return.”

-Annie Dillard

 

What are your expectations on Sunday morning? 

What are your expectations in your prayers?

What are your expectations in your everyday relationship with Jesus?

Just There.

Practicing the Presence of Christ sometimes means being the presence of Christ.
-t-

(thanks)

You know how...

You know how some people say that they think their life would make a great movie or TV show? Or that they see their life as a show or movie?
There are times that I think that, but...

• ...then I remember that there are days that nothing really happens in my life. Days where it's even hard to Twitter.
• ...then I remember I've never been in a hostage situation at my bank or local gas station.
• ...then I remember I've never been locked in a closet, on the roof, in the basement, in the bank vault or in a restaurant freezer with the girl that I am secretly in love with, and is secretly in love with me, but we can only seem to argue with one another, yet use the time trapped to resolve this tension and ultimately fall in love with one another... at least until the rating sweeps.
• ...then I remember that I don't have a quirky best friend who enters my place in an unusual manner (i.e. sliding through the door, climbing through the window, climbing over my balcony railing).
• ...then I meet my neighbors and none of them are the girl next door.
• ...then I remember I've never owned an exotic pet.
• ...then I remember that I've never been knocked out and had an adventure in black and white.
• ...then I remember I have never been involved in a high speed chase, jumped out of a rapidly moving vehicle, just barely jumped out of the way of an explosion, or landed a airplane even though I was a week or two away from my pilot's license.
  

While my everyday is fairly uneventful it's always good to know I still have my movie star looks.