Minds Eye

2007-04-15T09:29:00.000-07:00

By KINKY FRIEDMAN:

(Original Post found at the New York Post online.)

April 15, 2007 -- Author, musician and former Texas gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman has been friends with Don Imus since 1975, when they met on stage at The Bottom Line.
I MET Imus on the gangplank of Noah's Ark. He was then and remains today a truth-seeking missile with the best bull-meter in the business.
Far from being a bully, he was a spiritual chop-buster never afraid to go after the big guys with nothing but the slingshot of ragged integrity. I watched him over the years as he struggled with his demons and conquered them. This was not surprising to me.
Imus came from the Great Southwest, where the men are men and the emus are nervous. And he did it all with something that seems, indeed, to be a rather scarce commodity these days. A sense of humor.
There's no excusing Imus' recent ridiculous remark, but there's something not kosher in America when one guy gets a Grammy and one gets fired for the same line.
The Matt Lauers and Al Rokers of this world live by the cue-card and die by the cue-card; Imus is a rare bird, indeed - he works without a net. When you work without a net as long as Imus has, sometimes you make mistakes.
Wavy Gravy says he salutes mistakes. They're what makes us human, he claims. And humanity beyond doubt, is what appears to be missing from this equation. If we've lost the ability to laugh at ourselves, to laugh at each other, to laugh together, then the PC world has succeeded in diminishing us all.
Political correctness, a term first used by Joseph Stalin, has trivialized, sanitized and homogenized America, transforming us into a nation of chain establishments and chain people.
Take heart, Imus. You're merely joining a long and legendary laundry list of individuals who were summarily sacrificed in the name of society's sanctimonious soul: Socrates, Jesus, Galileo, Joan of Arc, Mozart and Mark Twain, who was decried as a racist until the day he died for using the N-word rather prolifically in "Huckleberry Finn."
Speaking of which, there will always be plenty of Al Sharptons and Jesse Jacksons around. There will be plenty of cowardly executives, plenty of fair-weather friends, and plenty of Jehovah's Bystanders, people who believe in God but just don't want to get involved. In this crowd, it could be argued that we need a Don Imus just to wake us up once in a while.
There probably isn't a single one of Imus' vocal critics who come anywhere close to matching his record of philanthropy or good acts on this earth.
Judge a man by the size of his enemies, my father used to say. A man who, year after year, has raised countless millions of dollars and has fought hand-to-hand to combat against childhood cancer, autism, and SIDS - well, you've got a rodeo clown who not only rescues the cowboy, but saves the children as well.
I believe New York will miss its crazy cowboy and America will miss the voice of a free-thinking independent-minded, rugged individualist. I believe MSNBC will lose many viewers and CBS radio many listeners.
Too bad for them. That's what happens when you get rid of the only guy you've got who knows how to ride, shoot straight and tell the truth.

More Miller

2006-08-31T07:12:00.000-07:00

Yet another clipping from Donald Miller:

"Houston makes you feel that life is about the panic and the resolution of the panic, and nothing more. Nobody stops to question whether they actually need the house and the car and the better job. And because of this there doesn't seem to be any peace; there isn't any serenity. We can't see the stars in Houston anymore, we can't go to the beach without stepping on a coke bottle, we can't hike in the woods, because there aren't any more woods. We can only panic about the clothes we wear, panic about the car we drive, sit stuck in traffic and panic about whether or not the guy who cut us off respects us. We want to kill him, for crying out loud, and all the while we feel a need for new furniture and a new television and a bigger house in the right neighborhood. We drive around in a trance, salivating for Starbucks while that great heaven sits above us, and that beautiful sunrise is happening in the desert, and all those mountains out West are collecting snow on the limbs of their pines, and all those leaves are changing color our East. God, it is so beautiful, it is so quiet, it is so perfect. It makes you feel, perhaps for a second, that Paul gets it and we don't - that if you live in a van and get up for sunrise and cook your own food on a fire and stop caring about whether your car breaks down or whether you have fashionable clothes or whether or not people do or do not like you, that you have broken through, that you have shut your ear to the bombardment of lies that never, ever stop whispering in your ear. And maybe this is why he seems so different to me, because he has become a human who no longer believes the commercials are true, which, perhaps, is what a human was designed to be."

West Coast Living

2006-02-23T21:26:00.000-08:00

I definitely needed to read this. . . .

I’m at a conference of peers for the week in California. So I’ve been bearing my cross in the mountains and on the slopes. I love Texas, but I could see myself becoming a mountain man. I think it would be an easy transition, in fact. . . .I’ve already adjusted to small-town life. This would just be a small town with frequent tire-chain requirements.

I feel I’ll be back into this on a regular basis soon. The need to expunge comes on fast sometimes. I mean, really now, can you ever actually control the muse? It just sort of happens. My wife would say I bottle up emotion, but, to be honest, it feels more like I just need time to process things before unleashing the fury.

Back again

2006-02-09T07:48:00.000-08:00

So this was pretty funny.

Good Reality

2005-11-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

I'll be a fan of this show from day one.

Creatures of Habit

2005-10-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

From "The Innovator"

Hiram was a good man - a good farmer too. The crops had paid off well at the last harvest, and he and his wife felt quite snug and secure in their little home now that winter was coming on.

Only one thing bothered Hiram - the old barn. Its roof was leaky, there were a few boards rotted off the sides, and the dirt floor was uneven so that puddles collected when it rained and soon turned into indoor quagmires. Hiram was a sensitive soul, who really loved his animals, and he winced to remember last winter when the worst storm blew sleet right through the old barn from one end to the other. The horses' water froze solid, and the little calves had ugly yellow icicles hanging from their muzzles.

Rising from his chair so quickly that he startled his wife, Hiram went to the phone and called Moco Edwards.

"That new barn I was talking to you about?" he reminded Moco. "I want it. Start right away so's it'll be finished before real cold weather sets in."

Nothing had pleased Hiram quite so much in a long time as watching the new barn go up. It pleased Moco too, because Hiram had insisted that nothing but the best materials and workmanship go into it. He and his wife were going to be mighty comfortable this winter in their house, Hiram reasoned, so why shouldn't his animals be comfortable too? He had even had a thermostatically controlled heater installed.

As it happened, the finishing touches on the new barn were completed just the day before the first cold snap was due to hit. An orderly man who liked to do things one clear step at a time, Hiram had Moco's workmen tear down the old barn that very day, leaving nothing but the outline of the old foundation.

That night Hiram proudly ushered his animals into their new home and pulled the doors shut, warm and tight. In his warm bed Hiram enjoyed not having to worry about his animals, and not feeling guilty about them being in a cold, drafty barn while he was in a snug house.

Next morning Hiram and the Mrs. set out early for town, leaving the barn doors open for the animals in case it should turn bad. While they were in town the wind began to blow, it began to rain, and the temperature dropped to freezing, turning the rain into sleet. Hiram didn't feel a bit uneasy, though, thinking of his cattle and horses filing into the new barn.

When they returned to the farm early that evening, Hiram went out to the barn. When his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness of the warm inside, he saw that there wasn't a single animal there.

Puzzled and frightened he ran outside to scan the fields, seeing nothing. Then, behind the barn he saw all his animals. Miserable, huddled together, with drifts of sleet and snow heaped upon their backs, his cattle and horses stodd within the vague outline of the foundation where the old barn had once stood.

Time to Catch Up

2005-10-07T08:45:00.000-07:00

Been some time. . . . .I know.

When you're out of posting for awhile you want your comeback to be brilliant. So without brilliance it takes even longer. I had thought about a "Top Ten Best Things About Living in La Grange", but I could only come up with a few.

I filled up my car a month ago, and still have half a tank.
Wall Mart sells hay.
HEB sells deer corn and Salt Licks.
We're halfway to anywhere.
I can burn things in my backyard.

That's it for now. Things have been pretty busy lately getting into a new routine. But a normal day for me doesn't look so normal anymore.

-Peace-

Today's Communion

2005-06-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

I noticed the hands serving me bread today were the same hands that touched the ground in Vietnam.

I noticed the man kneeling next to me is the same man who struggled with his sexuality for so many years, and now considers himself 'healed'.

I noticed the three brothers and the quiet father who stares with that sadness you can just feel when you see it. David is the oldest of the brothers.

I noticed a family of six sitting the pews. Five went forward while the father stayed behind.

I noticed the man who told me about his angel in WWII. The one that knocked him off his feet just seconds before a piece of shrapnel cut through his tent; his head in its path. I once wrote about him and his wife here.

I noticed the man who wants to be my financial advisor. We're having lunch on Thursday and I'll again have to tell him that "I'll think about it" in that tone of voice that really says "no thanks."

I noticed the young man who first came to our church because it was in his neighborhood and he figured it was some kind of omen.

I noticed the girl who had, moments before, looked into my eyes and asked "why are you leaving?"

Green Acres

2005-06-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

Starting July 6th, I'll be the new Program Director at Camp Lone Star.

Most of my days last week were spent letting the church know I would be leaving. Exciting times, but hard nonetheless. Sarah and I grew up at camp, so in some ways we feel like we're going home. Most of the folks in our church were sad to hear we'd be leaving, but excited about the new ministry. Pastor has been great as well. . .Making sure I know I'll be missed, but wanting us to know how happy he is for the church at large. What a guy.

So after this summer come on out to La Grange and we'll have a moonpie up on the water tower. There's still plenty of Big Red too, so don't worry.

Miller

2005-05-31T07:53:00.000-07:00

Finished Blue Like Jazz last week. Great read. I'm working on Donald Millers next book "Searching for God Knows What". So far it's just as good as Jazz and reads in a similar way.

"Some would say formulas are how we interact with God, that going through motions and jumping through hoops are how a person acts out his spirituality. This method of interaction, however, seems odd to me, because if I want to hang out with my friend Tuck, I don't stomp my foot three times, turn around, and say his name over and over like a mantra, lighting candles and getting myself in a certain mood. I just call him. In this way, formulas presuppose God is more a computer or a circus monkey than an intelligent Being."

Oh to quote

2005-05-27T07:39:00.000-07:00

Overheard at The Village Church:

"Good things, like lidocain on a wound, will numb us to the reality of our heart. Why do you think we're all so busy? What, success? Please; Pipe dream. Most of you are walking in wealth that when you were in college you could have never dreamed of. And yet you're still working for wealth? No I don't think so. . .I think you're working to quiet your soul."

. . . like . . .

2005-05-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

On a couple inadvertent recommendations I picked up a new read. After Rich talked about it I figured enough was enough and I had to see what the fuss was about.

In case you can't read the subtitle, it says:
"nonreligious thoughts on christian spirituality"

So far it's been a good read. And as Chandler said, "if you're a linear thinker, this book will drive you crazy." It's just one of those books that sits well with me, because I hope it's how I would write, if I were to write more than a paragraph or two at a time. It's random, sporadic, and wonderful.

Revenge of the Nerds

2005-05-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

Saw it last night. It was amazing. Go see it.

College?

2005-05-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

Controversy time.

Followers of the NBA know David Stern is pushing a minimum age requirement to play in the league. The NBA's collective bargaining agreement expires June 30.......two days after the draft. At that time, Stern wants the age limit raised to 20.

Everyone's all over the place on this issue. On one hand we want to say that going to college is the end-all maturation process, so we should be encouraging young folks to go and stay as long as they can. College ball helps in player development, and keeps an 18 year old from entering a mans world of high dollars and little responsibility.

On the other hand, it's a hard case to sell for a young man and his family when he knows he could be making multi-millions next year, instead of studying for chem101.

"[F]rom 1995 to 2003, over 80 percent of drafted high school players became, or will become multi-millionaires by the age of 21, or how they have maximized their earning potential by gaining the ability to become unrestricted free agents -- when as many as 30 teams bid for their services -- by the tender age of 22, when, coincidentally, some of their counterparts will graduate from college and become bound by the nearly non-negotiable rookie salary scale for three to five years.

[M]ost players who skip college may earn as much as $100 million more over the course of their careers than if they had done the "smart thing" and earned a college diploma . . . [H]igh school players who enter the NBA Draft are a small, self-selected group, comprised almost entirely of exceptionally talented players. Simply put, for every Korleone Young, there are two or three Kobe Bryants."

Taken from Illegal Defense: The Irrational Economics of Banning High School Players From the NBA Draft, an article that appeared in 2004 in Sports Law Review.

I think it's a hard case to make. Hardest if you imagine it being your own kid. It's easy to look at some high school senior on TV and just say 'go to college, it's best.' But imagine it's your own son who has to weigh the options. On one hand, he goes to college and risks injury for the sake of game and life development. On the other hand, he enters the NBA, and in one year potentially seals his own financial future. (Yours too; and your grandkids, and their grandkids, etc. . . .) I think taking time to mature is a necessity, but who's to say that maturation can't take place on the court? I'm no money-hungry advocate, but if your product earns money, so be it. The old model told us that we go to college to get a good job, so we can earn money. In this case, it's a moot point; Going to college actually stifles wage-earning.
Also, the claim that a busted NBA career leaves little to know options for a high school draftee is ridiculous. It goes something like this: "If your pro career fails, what else is there to do without a college degree?" Give me a break. . . . .The response is simple. If you enter the NBA out of high school, you're not making $10 an hour. . . . you're banking. Take advantage of that bank roll and put yourself through college later, if you like. Or sit back and live on your earned wages. (Note to Carmelo: Don't blow it all on the bling, you might need a little something to retire on.)

The biggest issue is that the new age requirement wouldn't send potential pros to college like all the NCAA fanatics are drooling for. It would send them to the NBA's developmental league, the NBDL, which it's hoping to expand to 15 teams. Two NBA teams splitting each developmental roster. Do you really think the NBA wants to risk their potential money-makers futures by letting them get hurt in college?

Oh yeah, one last thing. . . .Check out this gem of a quote from Jermaine O'Neil about the whole thing:
"As a black guy, you kind of think that's the reason why it's coming up. You don't hear about it in baseball or hockey. To say you have to be 20, 21 to get in the league, it's unconstitutional. If I can go to the U.S. Army and fight the war at 18, why can't you play basketball for 48 minutes?"

Right Jermaine, it's unconstitutional. Well, if you want to bring that up, what about some affirmative action to balance out the lack of white guys in jerseys? Oh wait, I guess that's for another discussion. . . . .

Viva American Christianity

2005-05-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

So today was a mothers day thing in our preschool. Moms were invited to our chapel service, and then there's a luncheon afterwards. Pastor would usually lead chapel for mothers day, but he's out of town, so I got to do it. It's a fun time. I love little kids, they're hilarious because you never know what's going to come out of their mouths. Some people fear this. Others love it and love to watch moms get embarressed by something their kid said to the pastor man. (Don't worry mom, she's only 4, she doesn't know any better.) Anyhow, on to the point. . .

After chapel a mom came up and asked me for some of the differences in lutheran and episcopal churches. She noticed our tagline at the end of the 'our father' and knew something was up. I thought for a moment and then tried to quickly sum up a few differences in doctrine, and the whole 'ordained bishop' thing that lutherans don't follow. The moment I said the word 'theology', though, she quickly cut me off and said:

"No I just mean on Sunday morning. What's different?"

Welcome to American Christianity.

Back from the dead

2005-04-28T07:52:00.000-07:00

Been awhile. But hey, I just don't like posting daily happenings that often. It's no fun for anybody. But hey, here's an event worth mentioning.

We got a puppy Sunday night. She's an 8 week old Beagle and we named her Cashew. She's hilarious. She's doing well in her new home, and she loves to play. We're crate training her right now, and she's getting used to it quick. She was the runt of a litter, so she probably won't get too big, which is fine by us. So here she is. . .

You just can't resist those sad beagle eyes can you?

Generation Y

2005-04-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

A decent article about Generation Y and the effects of choice on religion.

Worth a look.

Whew. . .

2005-03-30T09:29:00.000-08:00

Overheard at The Village Church:
Sorry this is a little hard to read, but it's the written version of a spoken message, so it never works quite right.

"The rut of the Pharisees was this. They believed in isolating themselves completely from the society they lived in. Not only did they isolate themselves, but then they took the bible and they didn’t just obey the bible but they added to the bible other things that had to be done to be deemed ‘holy’. And so what they said was in order to be holy, in order to be a man of god, in order to be a Christian you’ve got to look like this, act like this, do this, don’t do this; even outside the bounds of scripture. And so some of the things that they believed in and taught didn’t necessarily come from scripture, but rather they invented for themselves in response to their culture, and said ‘this is what holiness is.’ ‘Is that what the bible says?’ ‘No that’s what I say.” And that was the Pharisees.

And if you don’t think this spirit is alive and well today, you haven’t spent a lot of time in church. Let me show you some of the ways I think it plays out. I think it plays out like this, in some of the worship wars we’ve seen in churches. There’s this great debate over what style of worship should be preached, as if you can find any biblical merit to argue style. In a church that’s young like us it wouldn’t be ‘God can work through a piano and a guitar,” we ere on this side “Well they’re a dead church”, “what do you mean by that” “well they’re traditional.” Well dead and traditional don’t mean the same thing. Don’t say that in front of my grandmother, she’ll choke ya. . . in righteousness. My grandmother loves the lord deeply but she would not like the way we do worship. And that’s ok, but you can’t make that a biblical issue.

Ok, look at me. I’m not trying to be controversial here I’m just pointing out the spirit of the age. Anyone who would teach that in terms of alcohol and smoking that the bible teaches total abstinence has stepped outside of the bounds of scripture and created for themselves a holiness that is not of the bible. For anyone to say ‘for you to drink a beer at dinner, for you to drink a glass of wine with supper, for you to smoke a cigar on your porch is sinful,’ has stepped outside of the bounds of scripture and has said ‘This is holiness.’ Is that what the bible says? “No, that’s what I say!”

Now look at me, because I didn’t just say ‘hey go get a 6 pack’. I’m saying that you can not judge spirituality through beer and cigarettes, and if you do, you’re in the rut of the Pharisees. Now let me save myself some work. If you email me this: “The bible says the body is a temple.” I will send to you so much empirical data that says that the cheeseburger you’re going to eat this week causes more damage than the benefit of a glass of wine or a beer or even the occasional cigarette. So let’s not become the hypocrite. Let’s not pick and choose what we want to pick and choose.

What I’m saying is that if you judge spirituality by drink or smoke than you are in the rut of the Pharisees because you have no biblical support whatsoever. You do against drunkenness. You do against anyone being mastered by anything. And on that point, then, how many of us should be drinking coffee this week? See, we’re hypocrite’s man; hypocrites who have decided what is holy with no submission to the word of God at all."

-Matt Chandler-

I suggest more, and it can be found at sermonaudio.com

Back to life

2005-03-22T09:09:00.000-08:00

So my wife is blogging again.

She teaches/coaches at a prep school in Dallas, where tuition is more than I paid for college. She started writing about funny moments with her kids, and they're all hilarious. Trust me, she has lots of material to pick from. I'm not sure I could handle working in her classroom. I'd be to apt to just laugh at the kids and encourage their behavior. So stop by her site and check out the latest happenings from the 7th and 8th grade.

The Skies were Blue

2005-03-17T08:28:00.000-08:00

Well it's happened.
It seems my ratio of airplane takeoffs to landings has been officially skewed.

On Monday, my good friend Josh convinced me to jump out of an airplane. He and I were in San Antonio finishing filming for some Glorybound videos, and we had to make a stop at his dropzone to pick up some items we'd need for the filming. While there, he let me know that he had earned a $100 credit at a raffle the previous weekend. My only previous hesitation to skydive was the cost, so Josh offered me his credit, and the rest is history. If I were a rich man, I think I'd have a new passion. The 40 seconds it took me to travel almost 2 miles was unreal, and the 15 minute canopy ride, starting at 4,000 feet, was the most peacefull thing I've ever experienced.

So Josh, I now understand your desire to hurl your body out of a moving airplane. Thanks for the ride. (Also thanks to Aaron, my best friend for 30 minutes.)

3 Strikes

2005-03-09T14:28:00.000-08:00

So I have a radio in my bathroom. . . . . . . .
I like to listen to the AM Radio while I take my morning shower. This usually occurs at a time when most of you are already at work, because my job rules. Anyhow. This morning I was shocked to hear a report on the Texas Rangers pre-season game results from the night before. I can't believe it. Baseball is back already. . . . . . . .

Now, don't get me wrong, it's not that I hate baseball; I'd just really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really rather be watching a spelling bee on ESPN then a 15 hour game of overdone stickball. Rick Reilly put it best in his Tivo worshiping article by saying "Tivo allows you to give baseball game all the time it deserves. . . . .15 seconds."

Here's my list of two ways baseball is actually fun:

If you're playing

If you're at the park. (And it's not too hot)

Those conditions withstanding, I'd rather be cutting grass.

My biggest beef with baseball is that it dominates the airwaves for soooooooooooooooooooooo long. The season is 11 and a half months long and the games last for half a day. I'm on the front edge of the gen x'ers, and my wife is convinced I'm a classic ADHD case. That being said, I need instant gratification and constant entertainment. (Quite frankly, I'm surprised I've written this much so far without getting distracted.) A baseball game has more slumps and downtime then the LPGA. At least during a golf game the food's probably a little better.

A concern several friends of mine and I have hashed around for a couple years has revolved around the idea that with baseball, you have a 'sport' in which a majority of the actual players never do anything. Hear me out.
Say you play right field. Or any position for that matter. You've got odds that a ball is even hit. Then there's the odds the ball is even hit in your direction. Then there's odds that you're even involved in a play. I don't have the search capabilities, but I'd like to hear about a game in which a player, who started, never actually touched a ball the entire game. It has to have happened a number of times. To me, those kind of odds just don't make for an exciting 'team' sport. Plus, if you're that guy not touching the ball, it also means that what you've done during this time in your professional 'athletic' career is stand in the grass for a couple hours. Kind of reminds me of how we consider bowlers 'athletes'.

I don't hate baseball. . . .I just hate having to watch it, hear about it, see it, see the highlights, see the replay of the highlights, watch baseball tonight do more highlights, hear about who's traded who, and what the standings are in the 3,500 game season.

Just me?

2005-02-25T13:40:00.000-08:00

I really don't feel like writing about church. . . .

I wonder if our biggest fear as christians is thinking we're all alone in our dissatisfaction with religion.

Glorybound

2005-02-17T14:54:00.000-08:00

So I have this friend Josh. He and I are the hosts for this youth gathering called Glorybound that's happening in November. We were amazed that people asked us to handle the job, seeing as we're pretty much totally irresponsible and lazy with just about every other part of our lives. We put together an intro video that's already on the site. More will be comeing soon. Josh has handled the editing of all our videos so far, and let me say he's done an amazing job. Aside from being a youth director, Josh is also a skydiver who blogs about his jumps here. Actually he hasn't updated in awhile, so hopefully me talking about it will get him back into posting. Skydivers have some pretty wild stories from time to time, and it's fun to read. I mean c'mon, he jumps out of freakin airplanes; he's bound to have some good stories.

Hmmmmm.

2005-02-04T08:07:00.000-08:00

Overheard on a christian radio station in Dallas. From Nate Sallie's new tune Whatever it Takes.

Who was to try to live without you
Thinking I could do things my own way
Lord I know that I should never doubt you
I get so lost and lonely when I stray
Now it's time to
Surrender to you
'Cause I'm just a man who believes
And it's you that I need

Whatever it takes
That's what I'll do
I'd give anything to get back to you
I know I was wrong
And I've made some mistakes
But I'm gonna do whatever it takes
Whatever it takes

I'm standin' here 'cause I've got nothing to lose
I lost it all when I walked away from you
This time around
I won't let you down.

Dang, I wonder what Bible he's been reading?
Mine says things a little different.

The Result

2005-02-01T14:21:00.000-08:00

Well, the weekend retreat was great. The van rental went smoothly and we even got to meet some new, interesting people.

Earned my Wings

2005-01-28T13:34:00.000-08:00

I have now crossed from poser to legit. I am now a true-bonified-100%-pure youth worker. I have walked the line. I have been to the dark side and back. . . .

I have rented a 15 passenger van.

2005-01-20T07:26:00.000-08:00

I love Texas

Clint and Pat

2005-01-14T08:29:00.000-08:00

Well, with nothing else to say, I'll try and make a semi-humorous story as funny as I can. Here goes nothing. . .

In high school I played lacrosse. That's right. . . .watch out. We had all heard that on the east coast lacrosse was a preppie, v-kneck sweater-wearing sport. Our suspicions were confirmed when reading A Separate Peace in high school, and the richies in the story all played lacrosse. Let me tell you, though, in Texas, lacrosse is a different beast altogether. On the east coast, lacrosse is a game of skill and speed. In Texas, lacrosse is a game of skill, speed, and never-ending beat downs. You take a bunch of rag-tag guys at a 5A high school who don't want to be one of the thousands vying for a linebacker spot, and you get a lacrosse team. We all learned how to use that crazy stick to pass and catch, and the rest was details. In the east they start playing lacrosse as little kids, so when they get to high school passing and catching is second nature. In Texas, we make up for stick skills with our ability to unleash the fury on our opponents. I mean, really, who needs to know how to catch and throw when you can just beat someone until they drop the ball?

Our team didn't have a coach that worked at the school. He was a volunteer who just loved the game and wanted to be involved. I had two coaches during my high school years. The first was insane, the second was a marathoner. The first was a great motivator, with one liners like "Brandon, if that guy cuts around on you again, you fold him in half and send him home in a bag!!" The second was a little more timid, but could outdo us all. Trust me, having a marathoner as a conditioning coach is just asking for trouble. Here was a guy who, not only ran each drill with us, he could go on forever. Nothing sucks more than running two miles after practice and having your coach not break a sweat.

I played defense my last two years of high school. It was fun, mainly because it cut the field in half for me. The longest sprint I would be responsible for now was 55 yards. In a sport where the average player runs 4 miles a game, this was a big deal. Especially for someone as lazy as me. Our defense was made up of myself and a couple other guys who played for nothing more than the opportunity to be an old man and reminisce about the time they actually killed a man during a lacrosse game. One was Clint, the other was Patrick. . .I told you all that so I could tell you this.

Clint was larger than your average '4 miles a game' athlete. He had a mouth like Stern and drank more his senior year than I did all through college. He even played the tuba. . .how freakin perfect is that? Needless to say, Clint was a great guy. Him and I would ride together to away games, and he would always have one of his home speakers rigged into his truck so we could jam out on the way. I kid you not, it was a huge wooden speaker sitting in the middle of two 17 year olds flying down the highway blasting whatever 'motivational' song we could find.

Patrick was skinny, tall, and fast. He started playing lacrosse later than most of us, so his stick skills weren't all that great. But he made up for that with his psychological warfare. At the beginning of every game, he would tell the guy he was defending what a nice body he had, and go from there. I've never laughed so hard in my life. This would go on all game long, and guys would get so wierded out you could tell it affected their play.

All this is to wrap up one semi-funny event that happened at a tournament in College Station. We were staying on the second floor of a hotel where our rival high school was also staying. Bad idea. Long story short, all our scheming and plotting ended when Patrick and Clint ran out of the bathroom with cups full of something, shouting for us to open the door. So to anyone who played lacrosse for westlake high school in 1997, sorry for the cup 'o' crap on your doorstep.

I, Church

2004-12-21T13:27:00.000-08:00

"It seems to me that God's richest blessing would be your own financial ruin.
That way you'd know what it means to rely on God alone."
-Matt Chandler-

On my mind lately has been this idea of God's blessing in our lives. The $100-haircut preacher reminds me that God wants me to have more money. . . .if only I'd send in a pledge offering. The best selling books convince me that if I just wait 30 days I'll be given what God has been wanting to give me all along. . . .he was just waiting for me to ask.

I wonder about our fluffy lives in America. We rattle off huge dollar amounts for holiday gifts, while an image of God starves to death. The man himself told us we'd always have the poor with us, but I'm sure he didn't mean that as justification.

Our plague is a nasty vile called sin. And don't get me wrong, sin isn't something you do and it's not something that can be stifled by following a set of rules. It's our disease. We live with it and we live in it. We are racked by how it eats at our consciences. Our thoughts are consumed by it. In some ways we are it. But our theology tells us not to use such words. Often we think we can pack it away and suffocate it by hiding it in a closet. But it eventually oozes out. We try to wash it off by entering a so-called sacred space and dancing for a time. But somewhere in our heads, the disease is just resting. We've tried filling our lives and our time with activities to keep our minds off our plague. But we've grown bored with ourselves. No activity has ever fully pleased, and no amount of pleasure has done anything but mask, for a time, our lonely hearts. And this leads us to our current scenario. Our place in history. . .

Our disease has allowed us to grow callused to a world outside our sterilized view of creation. Our Jesus-words are packaged like a big mac. Ready to be consumed and digested for a quick boost, but never life implicating. We dance on Sunday mornings and forget the steps during the week. This is how we can look upon the dying and feel no sorrow.

What would our lives look like if we began to realize God has not packaged himself into an hour on Sunday. What if we looked at each other and saw a person worth the very death of God? What if we got rid of the dance altogether? What would we become if we became the church?

Which God do you Love?

2004-12-14T15:06:00.000-08:00

(As overheard at the Village Church)

-The Policeman God-
You know this God by the way he always has a clear answer for every life-situation. You can easily appease this God by following his rules. He's an easy God to love because he outlines life in a clear manner. We do all the rights and avoid all the wrongs. I'm going to do this this and this, I'm not going to do this this and this. This is a really safe God to love because we should always be able find somebody worse than us. His truths are summed up in neat little doctrines, packaged into clear-cut books with fancy titles like 'The Law of God' and 'Systematic Theology'. Every circumstance comes with a clear answer for what God would do, were he in the same situation, and we tally our answers on a scoresheet.

-The Church God-
This God is appeased through church attendance. He cares nothing for life change or life implication. He just needs butts in the pews on Sunday morning. This God is also easy to appease, as his outpourance of blessing corresponds directly with checks on the attendance sheets.

Keeping Score

2004-12-10T11:55:00.000-08:00

So yesterday, at the request of my coaching wife, I ran the clock for a 5th and 6th grade basketball game. She kept appologizing for having to ask me, but I enjoyed it. It gave me a sense of power over the court that I'll never have while actually playing the game.

The best part about my time was having parents ask me over and over about the score. This particular league doesn't keep score, at least, on the scoreboard. They want the kids to focus on playing/learning the game, so they choose not to show the score with the time, yadda yadda yadda. Say what you will about kids and teaching fair play and all that jazz. It didn't bug me. But these parents were amazing. As a dad a few rows back yelled, "how are we supposed to know who wins if we don't keep score?" And the lady sitting directly behind me who was about to pounce on me for not putting her baby's two points on the board at the beginning of the game. I tried to play it off like I didn't know what had happened, just to be funny. (Which tends to happen when I forget that my life isn't a TV show)

Lady: Didn't we just score? (Loud enough to be sure I could hear, but not directed at me. Keep in mind she's sitting 2 feet behind me.)

Me: No response.

Lady: I think our team just scored.

Me: Nothing

Lady: Did anyone else see that? I think we just scored. What's wrong with the scoreboard?

Me: (Slowly turning around) Huh?

Lady: Didn't the visitors just score? I think we scored already.

Me: Oh yeah the visitors scored already. (Turning back to the game)

Lady: Well how come it's not on the scoreboard?

Me: (Turning around again) Well this league doesn't keep score.

Lady: They don't keep score? (With a look on her face like I told her I just ate a live puppy.)

Me: No, they don't. (turning back to the game)

The lady then spreads the news to the crowd, and you can hear the muffled sounds of parents unsure of how this atrocity could be. What's the point if you're not keeping score? Where's the motivation to play if there's no chance of dominating another person? (Say what you will about little kids and learning to win and lose. All that fair play talk. Whatever. I'm not taking a side, just making the observation.)

It reminded me of a camp moment several years ago when I was working with a family doing some group building activities. The Dad had a ring from A&M, and a sweatshirt to match. When our time was up on an activity, which they weren't able to accomplish, the Dad had this to say. (with a smile) "We failed. We didn't accomplish the objective. We failed." I promptly asked what kind of engineer he was, to which he responded with a puzzled look; "Civil. . .how'd you know I was an engineer."

Me: "Lucky guess."

56 Years

2004-12-03T08:48:00.000-08:00

I saw 56 years of marriage end on wednesday. . .

I guess it really ended on Saturday evening. But we celebrated the life wednesday. I sat in a pew with 30 other people and heard a persuasive speech about how a woman was in a better place. I saw pictures taken before color was invented.

I barely knew this woman. In fact I’m not sure I had ever talked with her. Nevertheless, she was a part of our community.

Wednesday I saw an old man who lived a life we only read about in history books. His wife has been slowly dying for quite some time now. He was in the pictures. His glasses are as thick as his skin is tough, but his blood pressure rivals most teenagers. He talks of years that most of us only imagine.

A part of me wants my wife to pass before I do so she never has to suffer that kind of loss. . . .but like Willie sings, there’s a jealous side of me that “hopes you outlive me, so I’m never alone.”

Canon A85

2004-11-17T11:52:00.000-08:00

Just some pictures from inside our place of worship. Hey, that's what happens when you get a new camera.

NFL

2004-11-17T11:14:00.000-08:00

Sarah and I were given Cowboys tickets for Monday Night's game. Let me just say that I love watching football live. Let me also say that the cowboys did not play football on monday night. I usually enjoy professional sports simply because I get to watch things that I can't do. I can't dunk or catch a 45 yard pass in double coverage. I can usually catch punts without dropping them and I can throw a football into the wide open arms of a 250 pound tight end, but apparently on Monday Night, the cowboys could do none of those things. There was some non-intentional humor, though. The guy sitting in front of us at the game was wearing this t-shirt.

A Scandalous Grace

2004-11-11T08:37:00.000-08:00

Yasser Arafat has died.

I've got to start by saying that Yasser Arafat was a villain who ushered modern terrorism into our world. He ordered suicide bombers in the form of men, women, and even children. In 1974 he had terrorists take 100 children hostage in a school, where they later murdered 21 of them with grenades and random gunfire. Yasser Arafat has died and the United States, among many other nations, will be sending a diplomat to the funeral. There would be no hangings as with the Nazi leaders. There would be no reminiscing of his crimes as if Osama Bin Laden had died. There will be a funeral and people will mourn. Countries will act political and send condolences.

With that in mind. . . .I stumbled onto this article, posted by Jeff Jacoby, a Boston Globe Columnist on November 11, 2004.

"In a better world, the PLO chief would have met his end on a gallows, hanged for mass murder much as the Nazi chiefs were hanged at Nuremberg. In a better world, the French president would not have paid a visit to the bedside of such a monster. In a better world, George Bush would not have said, on hearing the first reports that Arafat had died, "God bless his soul."God bless his soul? What a grotesque idea! Bless the soul of the man who brought modern terrorism to the world? Who sent his agents to slaughter athletes at the Olympics, blow airliners out of the sky, bomb schools and pizzerias, machine-gun passengers in airline terminals? Who lied, cheated, and stole without compunction? Who inculcated the vilest culture of Jew-hatred since the Third Reich? Human beings might stoop to bless a creature so evil -- as indeed Arafat was blessed, with money, deference, even a Nobel Prize -- but God, I am quite sure, will damn him for eternity."

That last sentence rings in my ears. Mainly because if I take the Bible as actual truth, then I know Yasser Arafat and I are exactly the same. It's not an easy thing to say now is it? It's unfair and unjust for God to look on us all as equals in the pool of sin. But the scandalous truth is just that. When God talks of a covering grace he isn't just talking about the good people. In fact, he's not talking about good people at all. He's talking about the darkest parts of you and me. God sees and knows that part. He's been there. And yet he remains to give pardon and peace.

I'm sure I've mowed over people in my life who are certain that "God....will damn him for eternity." I'm sure those words may have even been spoken aloud about me.
Praise God for scandalous grace.

That October day. . .

2004-11-03T15:14:00.001-08:00

I've been out of the posting for awhile. . .only this time I have an excuse.

I got married on Oct. 23rd.

Sarah and I spent about a week in Chicago after the wedding. We saw some shows and enjoyed the cooler weather. Now we're in the middle of organizing life and answering all the "how's it feel" questions. I'm not sure I've answered any post-wedding questions honestly. Most of the time when someone smiles at me and asks "well how's it feel to be married!!!?!?!?" I just smile back and say "it feels great." But inside I just wonder how a person can honestly answer that question. How can the asker possibly know what Sarah and I have gone through in 7 years of knowing each other? Can they understand how we've loved, fought, wrestled and pained over our relationship long before we said 'I do'? Only now we wake up next to one another, and we share a closet. We usually just smile at each other at night because it feels like we're having a long-winded sleep-over.
So what's married life like? It's life spent unalone.

PS: There are several wedding photo albums floating around out there on yahoo. If you'd like to see some just let me know.

Suck it Neo

2004-10-19T07:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday on the sidelines of a fifth grade soccer game I was approached by a short prophet of sorts. (Otherwise known as a midfielder) He saw me from a distance and walked closer. When he was close enough he raised his head and asked "are you the one who's marrying coach martin?" I looked down and, as serious as I could, replied, "yes, I am the one."

Happenings

2004-10-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile.

I'm getting married next weekend so it will probably be a couple weeks before I post again. Normally I only post when I have something to say, but today I wanted to just get something out to fill the space. So here goes. What follows will be a few random things that are taking up my time these days.

1. Check out this blog, Witt and Wisdom, . . .it never ceases to make me laugh. . . .out loud.

2. I've been into The Drudge Report for awhile now.

3. Fantasy Basketball is getting underway. I need to set my lineups soon for the drafts. I'll be on the road during one so I'm leaving my fate to the yahoo gods. Do the yahoo gods require sacrifice for appeasement? If so I'm ready to sell some organs for a good roster.

4. It seems we'll be playing some Halo at my bachelor party. (As we should be.) I've been trying to sharpen up what little skills I have for the endeavor. Zammit will be everyone's nemesis for the night. Unless we're on the same CTF team. In that case he'll be my savior.

5. I moved out of my apartment. I lived there for almost two years. I haven't lived in the same place for more than a semester since high school.

6. I bought a digital camera. If you know me, you know I get a little compulsive about buying potentially expensive things. When I got engaged I could have sold diamond rings with the knowledge I had gained. And now, I think I could do alright in the camera sales dept. at Best Buy. We chose the Canon A85 because of it's megapixel rating and the kind of memory it uses. It takes 4 megapixel pictures, which is great for personal use, but still allows you to store alot of pictures. And it uses compact flash memory, which is considerably cheaper then other kinds of storage.

Debate Talk

2004-10-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

New post at the AMRadio about the presidential debate.

A Stern Report

2004-09-28T09:16:00.000-07:00

Being thoroughly addicted to the AM Radio I feel I am as qualified as the next guy to make observations and recommendations concerning this media outlet. I've listened to plenty of hosts on the radio, but a couple weeks ago I realized I've ignored a rather large radio personality. Howard Stern. So I started tuning in to 105.3 FM in the mornings to listen to his show. After about two weeks I've come to some conclusions. . .

Howard Stern's morning talk show is horrible. I don't mean horrible like it offends me or I don't like the particular topics for the day or anything like that. I simply mean it's horrible. It's stupid. The jokes are never funny. Most of the guests act like they don't want to be there. And Howard doesn't really offer any big insight into anything worth talking about. The worst part of his show are the extras he has in the background. These guys add commentary to conversations, throwing in their two cents every now and then so they can be heard on the radio. None of it is ever funny, though. Even Howard doesn't laugh at the jokes these guys make. It reminds me of that one guy in the group who keeps adding to the conversation, but nothing he says is funny or even makes sense. (See the previous post about George Castanza for reference.)

I've listened to the show for about three hours total over the past couple weeks, knowing that friends of mine and I could do a better job. At least we'd be funny. And I guess that's the kicker. I don't mind if a talk radio show isn't funny if it's not supposed to be. Bill O'Reilly is never funny, but his show is interesting. Glenn Beck might make me laugh from time to time, but that's just an added bonus to his politically focused program. A show like Stern's is set up to be funny, because there's no real reason to listen except to be entertained. Stern, however, has few funny moments, and he reverts to sexual exploits whenever he knows he's failing. Now, like I said, it's not that the show offends me, or all his talk of sexual issues is inherently wrong. But he uses sex as a crutch to hold up his lousy show. It's like the kid who doesn't know any jokes, so he just makes fart noises as his last resort to get a laugh. (AKA, attention) (I think this also comes up with comedians who have to cuss every other word just to be funny. The most talented comedians I've ever seen don't have to cuss all the time because they're genuinely funny. They might cuss sometimes, but it's not their crutch. They don't have to pull laughs out by dropping f-bombs all over the place just to get attention.) Those things can be funny sometimes, but for my laugh you've got to have some talent. Throw me something witty or make a real joke. Don't just sit in the back row and yell out 'she said rod!' a hundred times.

[Rant-Post Wrap-Up]

Howard Stern's radio program is a waste of time. Stick to local morning shows if you want to laugh. Stick to the AM radio if you want serious talk.

Seinfeld

2004-09-24T11:16:00.000-07:00

So I'm obsessed with Seinfeld. Me and half the country.

I don't know what makes a show like Seinfeld so good. It's reminiscent of Cheers or The Cosby Show. But something about it still keeps me hooked. I think I've seen them all, but one can't be too sure, because I didn't watch the show religiously when it aired. I'm just a re-run junkey.

A talk radio personality said the show was such a hit because none of the characters were actually likeable except Jerry himself. As he put it, "we wouldn't want to actually hang out with any of the characters except Jerry. However, their presence with Jerry seems to work well."
Makes sense to me, except I think I could handle having Kramer as the next door neighbor. At least it would liven things up a bit. And George is insane, but we all need a George in the group. (If you don't know who the George is in your group. . . .then you are the George.)

So here's some good news for all the Seinfeld addicts like myself. Thanksgiving day, two nights after the release of the Seinfeld DVD's, "The Seinfeld Story, a one-hour retrospective of the show's early history hosted by Seinfeld, and including episode clips and fresh interviews with costars Jason Alexander , Michael Richards and Julia Louis-Dreyfus." Source

Sounds good to me. At least now I already know what I want for christmas.

The things that are mine

2004-09-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

For me it's a blue comforter that fits a twin extra long bed. . . . .how 'bout you?

You know about twin extra long beds if you've been to college recently. Universities started getting the longer beds awhile back, and for anyone 6' or taller, they're wonderful. For once in my life I had a bed that my feet didn't hang off of while I slept. I put the comforter back in the closet the other day and it reminded me of my things. These aren't just things, mind you, but the things that have been with me.

You see, that's what happens with things. They're meaningless to others, but profound to you. You can see your things in pictures alongside you, or sometimes in memories. At times we forget our things, and how they've been with us, but we're reminded by a photo album or a passing comment. I bet my things are just as random as yours. A couch that's older then me; a quilt made by a family member; A picture that's hung in every house I've ever lived in. You see, that's what we forget about our things. We forget that they've been with us. We forget that they've gone with us. Sort of like how I forgot about my blue comforter that fits a twin extra long bed.

To think about where I've been with this simple thing of mine astounds me. It's almost painful to recall all the emotional memories all at once. You know that feeling? When the wash comes over you and you can remember with vivid detail emotions of the past. I can remember when. . .

I slept on the comforter my first night of college
I went to sleep much to late on the comforter after long nights of doing nothing with friends but having the best times of my life.
The comforter was in Minnesota with me in January when Thomas and I forgot to close our window at night, and I awoke under the comforter able to see my breath.
I sought the mind of God while laying on the comforter after hearing of a tragic accident at Texas A&M.
I spent countless nights wrestling with fear on the comforter during summers at Camp Lone Star.
I've gone to sleep drunk on it.
I've awoken drunk on it.
I packed the comforter in a uhaul trailer and took it cross country when I was 18.
I've rationalized skipping class because of the comforters warmth.
I've laid under the comforter at night, fearing the next day.
I've watched movies on the comforter when I should have been asleep.
I had to sleep with that comforter the night I found out a friend of mine was getting divorced.
I had to sleep with the comforter the summer I learned of my parents divorce.
After the road trip that ended in a spectacular car wreck in the middle of the night in the middle of Wyoming, I couldn't wait to fall asleep on the comforter.
I awoke on the comforter the morning of sept. 11, 2001 to the sound of my clockradio broadcasting the news.

When I look at the tattered blue comforter that fits a twin extra long bed I usually just see a crappy, old, cotton comforter. From time to time, though, I see countless other things.

You won't believe this.

2004-09-10T08:10:00.000-07:00

So here's the deal. . . .

Things like this make me want to walk away from organized religion forever. I'm not sure I'd even offer a glance back as I headed out into the unknown.

-Just so you know-

If you're affiliated with the lcms in any way, you might be aware of the divisions between the conservative and liberal thinkers in the chuch. (Sound familiar?) Whatever your thoughts are on the issue, here's a new chapter in the war. At the recent National Youth Gathering, the president of the synod, Gerald Kieschnick, gave a sermon during a worship service. Now, bear in mind, this was a worship service with 35,000+ people. The average age had to be somewhere around 16 or 17. During his sermon, President Kieschnick brought his wife and grandchildren onstage to help make a point about the importance of family. His wife quickly said she was excited to see all the youth from across the nation, and how each one of us would have a chance to be used by God to reach others in our lives. (or some version of that.)

Now, I told you all that so I could tell you this. . . .

There's a lot of people who are pretty upset about Kieschnick's actions over the past couple years. But now they're arguing this sermon at the youth gathering, saying he had a woman preach and how he wants to eventually ordain women in the synod. Yeah you heard me. People are upset that a pastor's wife was allowed to address a crowd of 35,000 youth and simply say she was proud of them.

I was at the national youth gathering, and believe me, I had my problems with some of what went on. None of which had to do with any women onstage, or the lack of readings taken from the book of concord. Check out some quotes taken from the first website I link at the bottom of the post. This guy is a sophomore at Concordia University in River Forest:

"On another night Bob Lenz, director and founder of Life Promotions Inc. spoke to us. Bob Lenz is well known for his high involvement with ELCA ministries. He is NOT a Missouri Synod Lutheran, which is my first concern"

"Much of the hymnody were songs that are not in our Synodically adopted and approved hymnals (Worship Materials), which begged the question, why are we using them?"

"I did not see much value, if any in the presence of non-Lutheran outreaches and ministries, such as many of the Contemporary Worship bands, and Christian Music corporations, in addition to Life Promotions and other pan-Christian (and in some cases pan-Lutheran) groups"

"The sectionals, for the most part were also very helpful to many of them, granted Bob Lenz, David Benke and other individuals which are not necessarily in accord with historic Lutheranism spoke, but apart from those who were clearly divisive because of their pasts many youth found benefit in attending the sectionals."

Here are a few sites to draw your attention:

1. More of the sophomore at Concordia River Forest giving his insight at insyderhomielc.com
2. Hardcore conservative Lutheran atWorldmag (Check out an archived post about the Kieschnick thing here

I could care less about someone being Lutheran. I could care less if they join my church or add their name to some list. I don't care if someone knows that lutherans came from Germany, or who martin Luther is, or what the explanation of the third article of the apostles creed means. I don't care if they took the plastic cover off of their catechism, or if they know what happened at the council of Nicea. I don't care if they know why the pastor wears a collar, or why the hymnal is blue. I don't care if a high school kid at my church has ever seen a book of concord, or if he knows what my title 'DCE' means. What I do care about are people knowing the truth about the existence of God, and the way he did whatever it took to be in relationship with us. . . . . . . . . . . .oh yeah, hooray lutheranism.

-Peace-

Fun times

2004-09-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

So I added a 'storied posts' section on the sidebar. Hopefully keep an easily accessible account of stories and favorite posts.

This Sunday a young girl from our congregation came up to me, as she so often does, to give me a hug and tell me all about her week. She's one of those innocent 5 year olds who could ramble on for hours but still manage to keep your undivided attention. My fiance was out of town that Sunday, and upon noticing, the young girl turned to me with a serious face and asked. . . ."Where's wife?"

Community?

2004-08-27T07:42:00.000-07:00

Checking out the Drudge Report I came across a link to the following story. Titled, Man Lay dead in bed for two years, the Toronto Star reports the story of a man who died in bed of apparent natural causes. Because all his bills were being paid by an automatic withdrawal, and a pension check was deposited monthly, no apartment management was aware of the mans death. Check the article here.

Which makes me think. . . . .

What does this say about our communal lives? A man died and no one knew for two years. His neighbors didn't question his absence. The postal service didn't ask about the filled mailbox. Family had lost contact years earlier.

From the article:

"Marcel Baril, executive director of the Family Centre in Winnipeg, called the situation bizarre and sad. "It's odd that we live in a society where technology can take care of our affairs like that, even if we passed away two years ago, and nobody's noticed.""

I think it's more an oddity that a man was living such a non-communal life that no one noticed his 2-year absence. How many people live lives similar to this man? What were his last days like? How long did he live in solitude? How many others walk the earth not knowing relationship?

What Kerry Supports

2004-08-25T07:50:00.000-07:00

Here's a list of groups John Kerry supports.

The KKK
The Nazi Party of America
The American Communist Party
The North American Man Boy Love Association

I mean, given his own rational he obviously supports anything he doesn't openly condemn. At least, that's what he and his crew are saying about Bush.

Bush has called for the Swift Boat ads to be stopped along with others run by independent groups, and said Kerry should be proud of his war service.

But Bush stopped short of condemning the group or its specific accusations that the Democratic presidential candidate lied about his record in Vietnam.

The Kerry letter, signed by at least seven Democratic senators who have served in the military, calls on Bush to "recognize this blatant attempt at character assassination, and publicly condemn it."

"Call on this group to cease and desist," they wrote.

Cleland said Bush "owes it to every soldier and veteran in the nation to stop condoning their smears through his silence."
reference

I guess I'll start making my list of things I condemn, so I'm not inadvertently supporting something I don't really want to support. . . . .this will take awhile.

Cooper Time

2004-08-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

No one has said it this well.

And I couldn't agree with Alice Cooper more.

Check out what the rock-legend had to say to the Edmonton Sun last Friday in response to rock stars campaigning for John Kerry.

"To me, that's treason. I call it treason against rock 'n' roll because rock is the antithesis of politics. Rock should never be in bed with politics," says the 56-year-old Cooper, who begins a 15-city Canadian tour on Aug. 20 in Thunder Bay, Ont.

"When I was a kid and my parents started talking about politics, I'd run to my room and put on the Rolling Stones as loud as I could. So when I see all these rock stars up there talking politics, it makes me sick.

"If you're listening to a rock star in order to get your information on who to vote for, you're a bigger moron than they are. Why are we rock stars? Because we're morons. We sleep all day, we play music at night and very rarely do we sit around reading the Washington Journal."

John Kerry: 2 Things

2004-08-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

So in the political arena, I don't mind differing views. I'm not one who simply hates opposition. On the contrary, without opposing views we become sloppy in our own thinking. We must be challenged in our beliefs if we want to know truth. In order to make rational decisions we have to be allowed to hear all sides. For instance. . .I don't really like Al Sharpton, but at least I can respect him for holding fast to his beliefs. Trust me, if Sharpton were elected president, we know what kind of policy changes he'd be making. He's a guy who tells you what's on his mind. Crazy as it may be, at least he's not a liar. You know what he stands for, and by voting him into office, you know what you're getting yourself into.

What I do mind, however, is a slipshod, wavering ideology. So I bring two things about Mr. John Kerry. The man who wants to be your next commander in chief.

Number 1:
Taking a cue from Michael Moore, John Kerry has, in the recent weeks, decided to take a stab at President Bush by commenting on his Sept 11 actions in that Florida classroom. Kerry even went so far as to say:
Had my top aide whispered in my ear, 'America is under attack,' I would have told those kids very politely and nicely that the president of the United States had something he needed to attend to," reference
So we have John Kerry taking a stab at the president's actions on that fateful day, saying he would have 'attended to' the situation faster and more effectively.

Now you might be asking, as I did. . ."How did 'ol John react on Sept. 11th?"
Glad you asked. . .here we go.

From
The Washington Post
"On July 8, Kerry recalled for CNN's Larry King his actions that day. He was in a meeting in the office of Senate Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) when he watched the second plane hit the World Trade Center on television, while standing next to fellow senators Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.). "And we shortly thereafter sat down at the table, and then we just realized nobody could think, and then, boom, we saw the cloud of the explosion at the Pentagon." "

Now, if you recall on that day, there were about 40 minutes between the second trade center attack and the attack on the pentagon. So by his own words, Kerry claims that he and fellow senators sat for 40 minutes "unable to think." Thanks John, that clears up a lot for me in November.

Number 2:
Remember how John Kerry has been badmouthing President Bush all these weeks? Remember how he's been attacking his every move? How nothing Bush does could possibly be the right thing. How Bush is the last person in the world suitable for the job. Remember how John Kerry rips into Bush's every move without thinking. . .(see number 1 above for further detail)

Recently President Bush received intel on more possible terror alerts. Well, as you can imagine, Kerry and his pal Howard Dean hit the campaign trail shouting about how the terror alerts were made up by the evil conservative party to make Bush look a little better. How do you think President Bush responded? He thought it would be good for a man who might be the next president to be briefed on the situation. He offered John Kerry a secure phone line while on the campaign trail so that he could be made aware of the situation. Sounds respectable to me.
Now what's Kerry's response to the offer? He turns it down. You see, Kerry was a little busy campaigning against the man who just offered him an inside view of the most recent threats against our nation. (That's you and me.) He was a little busy with his campaign events to spend any real time listening to real information. He finally got a secure line setup while his bus was parked in one place during a softball game in Taylor, Michigan. Seems after the phone call, Kerry kept his distance from Howard Dean. Smartest move I've seen the man make thusfar. Check out this msnbc article for more detail.

My problem with Kerry isn't that he's not Bush, which is the main reason most on the left consider him their newfound god. My problem is that he points the finger without offering any new insights. He talks about doing things 'differently' in Iraq and against terror. Well John, what do you mean by 'differently'? The only solution he's offered up has actually been to send more troops to the middle east to fight terror! A fact most on the left don't seem to acknowledge. Sure he's talking about UN troops and other nations helping out, but he's not talking about stopping a war, he's talking about revving it up.

Vote for John Kerry. He's the man who sat unable to think for 40 minutes on sept. 11th. He's the man who wants to send an additional 15,000 troops to Afghanistan. He's the man who didn't care about terror intel as much as he cared about softball. He's the man who votes for things after he votes against them. He's the senator who missed 89 percent of Senate votes this year. He's the man who didn't cast a single vote between March 25 and late June. He's the man who's wife said she joined the democratic party out of spite. Sounds like the position of opposition has a great frontrunner.

By the way. As a senator, it's his job to vote for his constituency. If you were absent from work 89 percent of the time, would you still have a job?

Things as they happen

2004-08-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

Word up.

A quick recap of the past weeks happenings.
Last week I was in Orlando at the LCMS National Youth Gathering with our kids. It was a great time. I got to see lots of old friends from camp and college. It was good for our group to have some extended time together as well.

Monday I saw Napolean Dynamite with some friends. Dark humor masked in a light-hearted film. And funnier than anything I've seen in awhile. You'll either love or hate this movie. No inbetween. If you're not familiar with the dark humor genre here's a tip. When you see the movie, laugh at how crazy and absurd things are. That's the point. Just like the Cable Guy or Punch Drunk Love, the joke is absurdity. Trust me, you'll have a much better time if you go into it knowing that.

I've been reading Into the Wild, a Jon Krakauer book. I had it recommended years ago and never got around to it. Good stuff, though. Highly recommend it. I picked up another of Krakauer's books for when I'm done. Into Thin Air. I enjoy Krakauer as an author mainly for his writing styles. I listend to Under the Banner of Heaven on tape after Thomas let me borrow it awhile back. Ever since then I'd been meaning to read more of Krakauer's books, but you know how that goes.

New post over on the AM Radio if you're interested. Also check out this blog. It's written by a soldier currently in Iraq. I forget where I got the link, but it's well written. I just started skimming it, though, so forgive me if it turns out it sucks.

-Peace out-

Mike Check

2004-07-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

OK OK,
I started another blog called The AM Radio to rant political, but I couldn't resist adding this to my site.

If you haven't heard about Linda Ronstadt's to-do over in Vegas, you really should check it out. If you don't know what I'm talking about, here's the quick word.
'Ol Linda was finishing a set over at the Aladdin Casino and Hotel. The president of the Aladdin is William Timmins. For an encore, Ronstadt said she wanted to dedicate the song 'Desperado' to Michael Moore. Upon hearing this, some cheered, while the majority of the crowd booed. Some people even began throwing drinks on posters of Ronstadt and such. Timmins, in quick managerial fashion, decides he didn't hire Ronstadt for her political discourse, and has her removed from the hotel after the concert is finished. Linda doesn't make a stink, in fact she's reported as keeping quiet during her removal.

Now, of course, Michael Moore and his supporters are crying all kinds of foul at this move. Moore has this to say on his site:

What country do you live in? Last time I checked, Las Vegas is still in the United States. And in the United States, we have something called "The First Amendment." This constitutional right gives everyone here the right to say whatever they want to say. All Americans hold this right as sacred. Many of our young people put on a uniform and risk their lives to defend it. My film is all about asking the questions that should have been asked before those brave soldiers were sent into harms way.

Moore also goes on to say that every American loves the song Desperado. I disagree. . .I like it, but I don't think I really love it. Ok back to the point.

Crying foul on the first amendment is becoming such a joke these days. Moore seems to have no idea that a freedom of speech gives Timmins the freedom to allow, or disallow, anything he wants in HIS HOTEL. The first amendment disallows the government from taking action against, or disallowing speech. I gotta tell ya, if Ronstadt got up and promoted terrorism and Timmins had her leave, I don't think this would be much of an issue. But Michael Moore sees censorship as anything or anyone disagreeing with his views. Hey Mike, why don't you ask some Iraqis about real censorship. Under Saddam, your hands would have been removed, at best, for the movie you made. Thank God you and I live in a country where we can make a movie like F9-11.

All in all, though, Timmins didn't hire a political speaker for his audience. He's a casino president, and he's charged with keeping thousands of money spenders happy. He didn't put Ronstadt on stage to speak her political mind, he wanted her to play some tunes. And just like any good boss, when the employee doesn't do his/her job, pink slip city. And by the way, don't you love how Moore spins the info to suggest that Timmins had Ronstadt thrown out of the casino without pay and beaten up in an alley? In actuality, Timmins had Ronstadt escorted out, probably for her own safety, and simply told her that she would never be playing his casino again. Sounds like a good business man to me. Imagine that, he expects people to do the job they're hired for. . . .what a communist.

Heading Out

2004-07-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been awhile. . .

I had trouble getting online for the past couple weeks. Connection is down at work, and comcast seemed to be keeping my home connection down for about a week. What a whip.

I've been in some conversations regarding the state of the church lately. One in particular via emails with an old friend Eddie. He just finished moving back to Austin, so he's been posting about as much as I have lately. Hopefully soon I'll post more on the topic. I got the ball rolling awhile ago with this. More to come soon.

I think I'll post over at The AM Radio soon. Lots going on with the upcoming elections, partisan politics, and of course, the infamous Michael Moore.

That's not how we do it!

2004-06-16T15:36:00.000-07:00

Been awhile. . .

I've been involved in some discussions on other blogs and emails about this thing we call the church. Everything from the right and left and inbetween. My dissatisfaction with the church at large, as we now see it, continues to grow. Not as a vile thing that needs to be spit out, but as a loving thing that needs to be nursed back to health.

Overall, I wonder if our histories and traditions have taken precendence to our reason for existing. How many people leave this place called church agreeing with Marx that religion is simply an 'opiet for the masses"? I do my church dance on Sunday morning, go home with a good feeling, and that's that. I start to imagine God smiling on me because I sit in a pew, listening to some feel-good music while I stare at the pretty artwork. What the hell has happened to God's people? Are we so numb to the existence of our loving God that we reduce his actions in this world to a pretty building? "Welcome to God's house!" the visitor sign reads. "Wow, I guess this is where god lives. . .we should come visit more often. . . like, maybe every sunday morning! Yeah, that'd be a good idea!"

Do you remember the time before Constantine? I don't, but this is what I know. In 313 the Emperor of Rome, Constantine, made Christianity legal. Before that time christians huddled in homes to praise God for loving them. They read their bibles in secret. They shared the good news, the truth about a saving God, to their family and friends with the threat of death always at their door. When Constantine made Christianity legal, it was a huge turning point. Churches went up and people no longer had to worship silently in their homes.
Sounds great. Sounds wonderful. But fast forward about 1700 years and what do you have? You have people who leave all this god-stuff at god's house and go home and get on with their lives. Church became a building, instead of a life. And the message of truth begins to mean so much less. I begin to do the church dance.

I thought I'd share a few quotes that have been sticking with me the past week or so.

"Emerging leaders sense not only change coming to our churches, but the critical need for change. In many churches it has already arrived. The emerging leaders of those churches are beginning to reshape and rethink church and the Spirit of God is doing wonderful things. But there is still a growing restlessness in many hearts and minds. People are emotionally pacing back and forth waiting and longing for change in the church to finally arrive."
Dan Kimball - Emerging Worship

"We don't display our respect for and loyalty to our fathers and mothers in the faith simply by repeating their words (although their words bear repeating). Instead, we go farther by imitating their example, by doing as they did: bringing (under the guidance of the Holy Spirit) resources from the gospel story to bear on the new situations that face us today, situations that have come to fruition in part because of the success of the gospel in undermining the status quo of the past again and again."
Brian D. McLaren - The Church in Emerging Culture

I'm Not Ashamed

2004-06-03T13:21:00.000-07:00

CPH - (Concordia Publishing House)

Ok, so I like CPH just as much as the next guy. . . .hahahah, wait, no I don't.
(This post might be funny for you, but will be especially funny if you're a 20-something youth worker.) Here's the deal. CPH is horrible. I have an entire file cabinet dedicated to resource companies. Can you guess how many files are for CPH material? If I had my way there wouldn't be any, but I keep a current catalog handy just in case someone from my church wants to comment about how I never use CPH material. Just so I can ask them to point out what items are so great that I should be using tbem.

Here at St. Paul, we're gearing up for VBS next week. At our church this is a huge thing. We're a small church of about 400 people, but we'll see about 250 kids for VBS, most of whom aren't involved in our church otherwise. I get pulled in as a music leader for VBS, which is fine for me. I like leading music, and I think I'm kind of good at it. With that being said, let me, please oh please, run down some of the music/lyrics that CPH has graced us with in this years CPH VBS Curriculum, Construction I.N.C.

No it's not Spongebob, or is it?
Leave it to CPH to write a song titled "Here I Stand" (Subtitled, "No I don't have a Luther Complex, go away)
Lyrics in this gem include "Here I stand by grace alone. . . .Through faith alone."
Now, don't get me wrong, theologically I think CPH puts out great stuff, but this is a song supposedly written for 3 year olds to sing. Give me a break.

It reminds me of last years VBS theme song that included this line: "He was missed by the shepard who knew that he often had wandered." It was in a fast song too. The teachers could barely get through singing that line.

About a year ago I was in a meeting with local DFW-Lutheran church workers when someone mentioned that CPH wanted to start marketing themselves to other denominations, not just Lutheran. You know what happened? The room burst into laughter. The only reason any of us use it is because we're told we have to use it. I'm sorry to offend, but the stuff is generally horrible for youth materials. I feel sorry for my friends in ministry who are in churches that force CPH on them like it's pure gold. Some churches are so locked in that they won't use a resource unless it has that CPH stamp. What a load. Companies like Youth Specialties and Group are amazing for youth materials. Why? Because they're written by youth workers who know what kind of things will work and what kind of things kids will just laugh at and go back to their XBOX's. Oh wait, that's what I do too. . .

Do what you will.

2004-06-02T15:39:00.000-07:00

I think my least favorite place to go on this planet is inside a christian bookstore. Today I went to Mardel, where I was pleased to see books such as:

What Would Jesus Eat?

Woman, thou art loosed: Recipes from T.D. Jakes

And of course, my personal favorite. . . .
The Makers Diet.
This one you've got to see. The cover looks oddly like the South Beach Diet books.

I just hate going into a place where WWJD bracelets abound, (for only 99 cents now!) And picking out a bible cover is like picking new jeans from A&F. What a bunch of crap. . .

The purpose driven lifeguard.

2004-05-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

Several of my high school summers were spent working as a lifeguard for the city. I had my training, got my red swimsuit, and off I went. I liked the jobs. They were mostly fun with little hard work. I was always nervous, though, whenever I watched the pool. I always had an uneasy feeling about me as I scanned the swimmers, thinking that at any moment someone was sure to start drowning and need my assistance. I always feared what I would fail to see.
It’s an odd thing being in the life-saving business, and I guess lifeguarding is the closest I’ll ever get to being a medical professional. You see, when you’re the lifeguard, you’re the end-all life-saving guru within the fence. Sure you might have to call 9-11 for big emergencies, but you’re trained to pull a dying body out of the deep end and bring them back to life. But here’s the kicker . . .You aren’t the only one who can do this job, but you are the one the people have designated to save lives. Most groups of people are able to watch each other and know when someone’s in trouble and needs help. (It doesn’t take a genius to see when someone is drowning.) The lifeguard, however, is assigned the task of watching over others, and ensuring that the life-saving goes off without a hitch. It’s not that other people can’t do it, it’s just that some people think it’s best for one person to be selected as the lifeguard.

Now, I told you that so I could tell you this:
One afternoon at the pool, I’m sitting on the stand scanning the pool. It’s hard to see directly below you on a lifeguard stand, and typically the lifeguard will tell swimmers to stay out of that area. Anyhow, across the pool, underneath a lifeguard stand, I notice a young girl who is in obvious trouble. She is swimming with a friend who is right by her side. Her friend, a capable swimmer, could easily reach out an arm and pull the girl to the ledge, as it was only a few feet away. Instead of helping, the friend begins to climb out of the pool and taps on the lifeguard’s foot. Looking up, the girl tells the lifeguard that her friend needs help and points her out. The lifeguard, upon noticing the helpless girl, leaps off the stand and reaches out......

I hate to do this, but...
Normally I would want to just lay out a story and let the reader dig for themselves. This time, however, I want to add direction to the thoughts. I’ve had church tradition on my mind lately, and I wonder how many things started as merely good ideas, but have now snowballed into necessities for ‘true worship.’

A few quick things

2004-05-21T07:12:00.000-07:00

Came across a couple sites that caught my eye. Nothing serious, just for fun. . .

See an aerial view of wherever.

The moon landing.

HTML Crazy

2004-05-19T10:18:00.000-07:00

Haven't said much in awhile. I was gone for a couple days, and lazy once I was back.

So when I got that new template up a couple weeks ago I went a little nuts editing and rewriting. Along the way I'm sure I screwed a lot of things up, but hey, it was fun. I went ahead and scrapped what I had done to pick up one of bloggers new templates. It's cookie cutter, but it gets the job done, and I'm less likely to mess things up.

Thanks to an inadvertent recommendation from Adam I wanted to try hosting a picture over at image shack and this was about the only funny picture I could find on my computer. It's especially funny when you know the people in it.

Thus sayeth Disney

2004-05-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

So the New York Times brings out a piece yesterday telling more about Disney's refusal to distribute Michael Moore's film Fahrenheit 9/11. The article isn't too long, but here's a few things the writer has to say:

"A company that ought to be championing free expression has instead chosen to censor a documentary that clearly falls within the bounds of acceptable political commentary."

The writer ends the piece by saying "it is clear that Disney loves its bottom line more than the freedom of political discourse."

-Maybe Disney's goal isn't political discourse.
-Maybe Disney's goal is entertainment for their paying customers.
-Maybe Disney can choose to market whatever they want.
-Maybe I should make a movie and demand Disney distribute it.
-Maybe Michael Moore shouldn't worry because there are many other companies who will gladly distribute his film.
-Maybe you remember how no one said a word about a movie called 'The Passion of The Christ' that no one would distribute. Where was the NY Times writer when that happened?

In reference to something else

2004-05-06T14:48:00.000-07:00

I read a post on blaugustine earlier today that got me going. Check out the article titled "Fighting for Civilization". It's just a response to the recent actions by American soldiers in prisoner camps. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. Anyhow, check out the article; this was the response I posted:

-------------------------------------------------------------
Those who compare these atrocities to the actions taken by an entire regime belittle the magnitude of horror imposed upon people in other nations. Our country does not condone the actions taken in that prison and the guilty are being punished. Comparing that to a country that openly allowed and utilized things far worse is simply wrong. Bush haters will use this to try and show corruption; which is ridiculously unjustified. We have a leader who has openly stated that these actions are not condoned by this country, and action is being taken to ensure these kinds of things don’t happen again.
Were these actions wrong? Of course.
Has Bush been working to ensure they don’t happen again? Yes.
Shouldn’t we be pleased the government is taking steps [to] right the wrong?

Nah, you all are right. The actions of a few moron prison guards represent our entire country. We should just nuke ourselves and get it over with. Oh wait, but if we take the actions of a few and let them represent the whole, then we have to take this much further:

Radical Islam now represents all Muslims
Michael Moore represents all liberals
PETA represents all animal-lovers
The Crusades represent all Christians
Hugh Hefner represents all men
And Pam Anderson represents all women.

I guess you are all right. That was much easier.
------------------------------------------------------------

Please oh freakin please do not ever let an action in the name of [fill in your cause] construe your image of [fill in your cause].

As simple as I could imagine

2004-05-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

Once in 3rd grade a friend of mine named Brett didn't want to play anymore. We were at recess so I went and complained to the teacher that she had to make Brett play with me. She just suggested I play with another group. What a horrible teacher.

Later that same school year, I tried to trade a 'How to Draw people' book with a kid from another class for his pencil holder. It was one of those cool ones that had compartments for everything. He wouldn't trade and I was mad. How dare he not make the deal with me? Didn't he see how great the deal was? I'm sure that guys in jail by now.

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

Having the right to choose what or whom to publish/produce/support is not censorship. It is not a trampling of any speech freedoms. It is, in fact, an example of just how free our speech really is. Mike, you can say all you want about censorship. We know, however, that our choices make us free. Even if, from time to time, someone chooses against you. Welcome to our America Mike. You have to earn the right to be heard. And even then, it's our right not to listen.

Oh how times are changing

2004-05-05T15:41:00.000-07:00

I changed things a few weeks ago, and I wasn't really satisfied with how the blog looked. I think now I'm getting closer to a template that I really enjoy. Things I'll still change soon:

- Text all over the place. It still looks a little hard to read.
- Mess around a little more with the toolbar section on the left.
- Eventually I'd like to host the site elsewhere, so I won't be under bloggers regime

Other than that, welcome to the newness.

Only so I don't forget

2004-05-03T22:27:00.000-07:00

Tonight, upon reviewing the Lakers/Spurs game, Charles Barkley had this to say:

[In refernce to Karl Malone's age]

"my name is Charles Barkley, I used to be a great basketball player. Now I'm just a fat-ass guy"

followed by another great oneliner:

"Sports are not for old guys. . . this ain't baseball"

Sir Charles is my hero.

On a lighter note.

2004-04-29T10:28:00.000-07:00

Here are a few thoughts on the NBA playoffs. Hopefully this will bring some lively discussion.
Bracket

Western Conference

Lakers beat Houston last night. On most accounts, I enjoy seeing the Lakers get beat down with no mercy, so I was a little dissapointed. However, the one plus side to the Lakers victory in round 1 is that now the Spurs will be able to, once again, beat the crap out of the dirty dirty Lakers.

Mavericks are playing the Kings tonight. Sorry boys, but like Sir Charles said last year, get your fishing stuff out. Dallas might be able to take one game in Sacramento, but not two.

Minnesota will beat the Nuggets tonight; no big surprise.

Eastern Conference

Now, onto the eastern conference. . . .

HAHAH, just kidding. . . . . . . . . . .freakin east.

2004-04-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

I just got the book. These stories are from the 60's and wonderfully relevant. . . . .

The Innovator: And other Modern Parables
By: G. William Jones

Creatures of Habit

Hiram was a good man - a good farmer too. The crops had paid off well at the last harvest, and he and his wife felt quite snug and secure in their little home now that winter was coming on.

Only one thing bothered Hiram - the old barn. Its roof was leaky, there were a few boards rotted off the sides, and the dirt floor was uneven so that puddles collected when it rained and soon turned into indoor quagmires. Hiram was a sensitive soul, who really loved his animals, and he winced to remember last winter when the worst storm blew sleet right through the old barn from one end to the other. The horses' water froze solid, and the little calves had ugly yellow icicles hanging from their muzzles.

Rising from his chair so quickly that he startled his wife, Hiram went to the phone and called Moco Edwards.
"That new barn I was talking to you about?" he reminded Moco. "I want it. Start right away so's it'll be finished before the real cold weather sets in."

Nothing had pleased Hiram quite so much in a long time as watching that new barn go up. It pleased Moco too, because Hiram had insisted that nothing but the best materials and workmanship go into it. He and his wife were going to be mighty comfortable this winter in their house, Hiram reasoned, so why shouldn't his animals be comfortable too? He had even had a thermostatically controlled heater installed.

As it happened, the finishing touches on the new barn were completed just the day before the first cold snap was due to hit. An orderly man who liked to do things one clear step at a time, Hiram had Moco's workmen tear down the old barn that very day, leaving nothing but the outline of the old foundation.

That night Hiram proudly ushered his animals into their new home and pulled the doors shut, warm and tight. In his warm bed Hiram enjoyed not having to worry about his animals, and not feeling guilty about them being in a cold, drafty barn while he was in a snug house.

Next morning Hiram and the Mrs. set out early for town, leaving the barn doors open for the animals in case it should turn bad. While they were in town the wind began to blow, it began to rain, and the temperature dropped to freezing, turning the rain into sleet. Hiram didn't feel a bit uneasy though, thinking of his cattle and horses filing into the new barn.

When they returned to the farm early that evening, Hiram went out to the barn. When his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness of the warm inside, he saw that there wasn't a single animal there.

Puzzled and frightened he ran outside to scan the fields, seeing nothing. Then, behind the barn he saw all his animals. Miserable, huddled together, with drifts of sleet and snow heaped on their backs, his cattle and horses stood within the vague outline of the foundation where the old barn had once stood.

Wednesday I got hit

2004-04-22T14:36:00.000-07:00

David likes to hit me.
It's not all so bad, though, he's only 12.

His mom died Sunday evening. She's had cancer for 5 years. She was only supposed to live about a year after she heard the news. David's mom has been dying since he was 7. He's used to it by now.
The psychologist would probably say David hits alot because that's his way of showing his emotions. It's playful hitting, but hitting nonetheless. Doctors would say he doesn't know how to show his feelings yet, so he just hits. Like a little boy on the playground who pulls the girls hair because he doesn't know how to say 'you look pretty today.'

I don't know why David hits me when I walk by. I know I'll let him keep doing it as long as he wants, because we have great conversations while we're hitting each other.

Yesterday afternoon a lid was closed; and now the only time David will see his mom again this side of heaven will be in pictures and in his memories. She was burried about an hour from here, next to her grandparents. David has two brothers, and he's the oldest. God I hope our church is more than a building. . . . . .

New Old Books

2004-04-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago my pastor showed me a book he's had in his collection for quite some time. It was a small book; a backpocket kind of book. The Innovator: And other modern Parables. By G. William Jones. It was published in the 60's. It is a fantastic collection of parables. I have yet to read one that doesn't make my brain spin round for awhile. Jones has this to say about teaching through stories.

"As professional observers and students of life and the world, teachers and preachers tend to think of their role as one of predigestion. Much as the mother Eskimo chews up her food, then transfers it to the toothless mouth of her baby, school and church communicators observe actual occurrences and experiences, extract from them their 'kernal of truth,' then turn to give their hearers only the bare kernel, shed of its 'confusing' trappings. The prejudice seems to be that a straightforward 'A+B=C' approach is the clearest and therefore most understandable and meaningful form of
communication from one mind to another. . . .If I want my listener not only to hear, but also to understand, then I must give him room to work on what I am saying and his own share of the communicative task to do. If I make what I sense to be the 'truth' of what I am saying as explicit as possible, then I have taken away his work from him and done it myself. I have forced him back into the passive stance. However, if I am willing to let the 'truth' in what I am saying remain implicit, then his share of the work - the interpretation, or making the implicit explicit - is left for him. My speaking becomes an
invitation for his involvement. He may not do his explicating the way I would have done it. He may not come up with the same kernel of truth of which I was thinking when I told the parable. I take the risk that 'hearing, he will not understand.' But I also encounter the possibility that in rummaging about for himself in the parable, he may come up with a truth that is
truer than my truth. At any rate, whatever he gets from the experience will be his truth which he garnered himself, and not my truth to which he could only give either mental assent or rejection. (and neither of these latter possibilities is very dynamic)"

I've only been able to find the book for sale at Biblio.com
(And to think, this was published way before anyone said the words 'emergent church')

And with that, here's one of his parables, The Diamond

A tattered prospector entered the Great Glass City one day. Riding his mule down streets between dazzling glass buildings, he shouted "I've found it - the stone of great price!"
A few curious passers-by stopped and crowded around him.
"Look!" he shouted ecstatically, holding a large uncut diamond before their gaze. "It's a diamond!"
"Looks just like glass to me," said one lay expert, "and downright inferior glass, at that. All melted looking. Must have been fused by the Blast. Curious."
With this assesment the crowd began to disperse.
"No! No! Look again!" cried the prospector. "It's valuable, exceedingly valuable!"
"If you want to see something exceedingly valuable, take a gander at THIS!" said a millionaire in the crowd, extending a knuckle circled by a large, ruby-colored, cut glass ring.
After the "ooohs" and "aaahs" of the crowd died down, the prospector protested, "No! My diamond is far more valuable than your glass, no matter how beautiful your glass, nor how ugly my stone. Here let me show you," he said, taking the millionaire's ring firmly in his grasp. With his diamond the prospector scratched a very small "X" on the surface of the ruby-colored glass.
"There! see?" he said, stepping back from his work. "Do you see now how the diamond is greater than the glass? Diamond scratches glass, but glass can't scratch diamond!"
"Ye gods, you stupid idiot!" screamed the millionaire, looking closely at his ring. "You've ruined a ten-thousand-dollar work of the glassmaker's art!"
The prospector was thrown in prison for three years.
At the end of the third year, when he was released from prison, the prospector marched straightway to enact a plan he had been formulating all these years in his dungeon. Boldly he approached the Wonderous Shring of Multicolored Glass at the center of the Great Glass City. (The residents had a habit of gathering there on their day off to watch the amazing display of colored lights on the colored glass, and then going home with a good feeling.) The prospector stepped resolutely up to the mammoth center panel of the glass shrine and with his diamond inscribed an eight-foot circle in its surface. Then he tapped the circle lightly with his forefinger. The sound of shattering glass brought a mob on the run. Pleased at the response, the prospector held the diamond aloft and was about to begin speaking when they all cried out, as if with one voice, "Just LOOK what you've done to our shrine!"
With this they began pelting him with glass cobblestones, old bottles, and shards from the shattered shrine until he was quite covered by them, and quite dead. Only the diamond, still clutched in the prospectors dead fist, projected above the pile of vitreous debris.
In the days that followed the incident, some heathens, heretics, atheists, doubters, and malcontents in that great city began to form a society devoted to the carrying on of the prospector's message about diamond being more valuable than glass. They also devoted themselves to the living-out of the implications of such a revolutionary thesis. And so they too were persecuted, and many were killed. (It may be of passing interest to some readers to not that, rather than being called 'diamond lovers,' they were called 'glass haters')
But posterity has been more kind to the prospector and his memory. Around that original pile of glass, still topped with the bone-held diamond, is today a large and most impressive shring of the finest multicolored glass that money can buy. The residents of the Great Glass City have a habit of gathering there on their day off to watch the spectacular displays of colored lights on the colored glass, and then going home with a good feeling.

Today I cleaned my shoes.

2004-04-16T15:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I found mud on the side of a pair of nice brown shoes I wear to work. Usually they're shiny and have that squared toe that makes them look trendy. Thursday they were muddy. I didn't notice the mud until I got to work. Seeing the mud made me my breath stop, as if it were an evil thing. But it was only mud. I'm sure I must have smiled when I realized why the mud was on my nice, shiny working shoes. . . . . .

Monday afternoon I was standing in the mud wearing nice clothes and shiny brown shoes with a squared off toe. If you live in Texas, you know that Monday afternoon was rainy and colder than normal for the day after Easter. That's why it was muddy. I stood in the mud with other people wearing nice clothes, most dressier than mine. So I'm sure it was a bigger deal for them that their shoes were getting muddy. Some people sat, but on benches, not in the mud. The ones who sat were under a cover, because of the rain. There were flowers. . .lots of flowers. A few words were spoken, and with the words some people cried. I saw old men pat each others backs, just the way young boys do. . .they didn't look like tough old men today. They looked meek and weary.
When it was finished, people began to leave. The ones sitting left first, because they were to be followed. Some of the flowers were taken, and through tears people talked quietly. I was silent. I'm never good at speaking when people don't need to hear words. For what else is there to say?

Thursday I left the mud on my shoes all day while I was at work. But this morning before I left I washed it all off. I cleaned them with windex and a paper towel. The mud is gone. The square toe looks trendy and they're shiny again.

Real Live Preacher Props

2004-04-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

If you haven't checked out Real Live Preacher you need to get in there and do some reading. At this point you'll have alot to go through, so I encourage you to spend some time milling about, reading what's up. His latest post, called All the right questions makes me feel good inside. I just don't have any other way to describe it. I guess it reminds me of my time at camp. Simple living.

Change it up.

2004-04-08T16:48:00.000-07:00

Well here it is, a new template for the 'ol blog. Nothing too crazy, mainly just color changes and what not. My main concern is always the difficulty in distinguishing between posts, so now the dates are bigger and colored. Hopefully the new site is easier to take in. Maybe if I'm lucky, one of these days I'll actually pay for a site that will let me change things much easier. Some place to store files and what not. I think the archives are still a little hairy, so that's still to be hammered out.
-Peace-

15 people go into a room: Freedom vs. Protection

2004-04-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

[Read the previous post before you read this one. . . . pretty please]

Let's play a game.

15 people will enter a room. Your job is to keep these people safe.
At least one of the people will hurt or kill someone else.
What do you do?

Here are a few suggestions:

Search them for weapons?
You gotta be kidding me. That's an invasion of privacy.

Look into their history or background?
Well, maybe, but only if you have reason to believe they're the potential criminal. And you have to prove it before you can check.

Only allow people into the room who you know won't hurt anybody?
HaHa you stink at this game, that's hardcore discrimination again. Don't you know our room is a melting pot?!

Don't let them interact with one another?
I guess that could work, but you're still infringing on their rights. So nope.

Ok, game over. No love. . . .

So where in America is the government keeping people safer than anywhere else in the country?
Solitary confinement.

Now we cry for preemption

2004-04-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

So I'm listening to Condoleezza Rice testify in front of the 9-11 commission this morning, and some of it irks me. But I'll get to that in a second. First I want to lay some groundwork.

The whole premise for the 9-11 commission is fine by me. America was attacked. Let's take every opportunity to learn how the attacks happened and what we can do to stop them in the future. Along these same lines, let's look at how a terrorist network was able to pull off these attacks, or any for that matter, without being stopped by the people and institutions charged with protecting us. If ineptness is found at the top, or if a lack of response to overwhelming evidence of a coming attack is found, further action must be taken.

Now, onto the committee. Here's what rubs me wrong with the whole thing.

During her testimony, Rice fielded questions based on the Bush administrations previous knowledge about the coming 9-11 attacks. She made it clear that this was a problem spanning multiple presidents, influenced by both parties. Fine, whatever, that sounds like the truth to me. Because it's obvious the Bush administration had the power to stop the attacks, it's also key to note that the terrorists were living in our country during the Clinton administration. Yadda yadda, we already know all this. But here's where I get ticked about the whole argument. . .

To say that the Bush administration could have/should have stopped the 19 highjackers brings up, yet again, the hot topic of preemption. Groups like the ACLU say we can be free from government intrusion and secure at the same time. They claim the government should be able to preemptively stop any attack on America, but the government isn't allowed to gather information about the people inside our borders that might help in process. (Civil liberties vs. civil rights)
Here's the part that makes no sense about this whole preemptive notion.
While so many people are screaming at the Bush administration, or the government in general, about their failure to stop these attacks, can you imagine the uproar that would have occurred if, on Sept. 4, 2001, 19 people were arrested by military personal?! There would have been unimaginable outcries from the so-called civil liberties groups shouting discrimination, infringement of privacy and whole hosts of other crap that I'm not smart enough to know about. What if the 19 highjackers hadn't even been allowed in our country because of their terrorist affiliations? Can you imagine the protests that would have ensued. (All this, for men who would later instigate 9-11)

My only complaint with the 9-11 hearings are when questions revolve around preemption. The same people who want America to be secure are the same people who cry foul when the government takes preemptive action. For an example of how the ACLU's idea that we can be free and secure is full of crap, check out the next post. If you don't care about it, then peace out.

Need more Passion in your life?

2004-04-07T15:32:00.000-07:00

That's the sign outside my church right now.
I'm not sure if it makes me laugh or cringe, but there it is.

Tonight we're having an open forum at church to discuss The Passion. The idea is that people outside the church that want a place to vent or discuss the movie can do so. I'm excited for it; but no one knows what to expect. There could be 3 people tonight, or there could be 300. I'm betting on about 20, but we'll see.

Because of tonight's events, I've had to sift through more of the Passion stuff today and I'd like to make a point about it all. Namely this. . . . .We must be daily reminded of our worthlessness apart from God.

That's really what I feel is the crux of the whole matter.
When we forget that apart from God we are meaningless, sinful beings; evil to our very core, we forget what a big deal Christ's sacrifice was.
Last night on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, they were once again discussing The Passion and someone made a comment along the lines of "If God is all powerful, why not just forgive everyone for their sins? Why the death?" (Paraphrased of course)

It was another of those moments where I wish I could jump through the TV and give a response. My reply would simply be; "If God lets any of us into heaven, he's not just." Plain and simple. If you or I or any other human being one day goes to heaven, God cannot be just.
Matt Chandler put it well: (To paraphrase his words)
'Imagine a hardened criminal standing in front of a judge. He's asked if he's sorry for what he's done. "Well, right now I guess I am." He's asked if he'll do it again. He says "Well, I'll try really hard not to." And the judge lets him go free. Any judge doing that in America would wind up in jail himself. Because the sentence is unjust.
In this same way, God doesn't simply forgive sin in the sense that he just chooses to forget about them. The wages of sin is still death, thus death is required for my sin.
Because of all this, we come to know the magnitude of Jesus' death. Payment was required, otherwise God would be unjust and unfair.

When we start to think we are inherently good we begin to forget the necessity of Jesus' death. We start to think he was just a man following his divine calling, instead of a man/God willing to pay whatever it took for you and me. That's why when I see The Passion or think upon the happenings, I'm reminded of what I'm worth to God. To find definition or purpose in anything else is to, in our own sophisticated way, say "Forget you God, I just want your stuff!"(another Matt Chandler paraphrase.) Romans 1.

On a lighter note, we just started using two projectors in our sanctuary, and I'm excited by the way the images we'll be using for worship don't exactly look like a square projected image on the wall. They all have rough edges and look more like 'Virtual Banners" than anything else. I'm copyrighting that term by the way, "VBans" is what we'll call them, and the book will be out soon by Zondervan telling how you too can use VBans in church, otherwise you're not worshiping correctly; and you obviously hate visitors.

New Updates for the seven foot man.

2004-04-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

Well, my time has come. It seems that on my NBA Inside Drive season Shawn Bradley broke his arm. Praise Jesus for this turn of events. Normally I would never wish injury on anyone, but in this case we're talking about a video game so I cheered when he was taken out of the game. All I know is that I won't have to put him in my lineup for at least 3 weeks.

I'm calling it.

2004-04-01T14:50:00.000-08:00

So Adam called me today and told me about the Sean Hannity program, which in Dallas airs on AM 820. If you aren't familiar with Hannity, check out his website. Today on his show Hannity is talking about how he's turning completely around and has now decided to support John Kerry in his campaign for the presidency.

I'm calling the bluff. His show airs from 4:00 - 6:00 in Dallas, and as I write it's 4:39. I'm betting this is an April Fools prank. We'll see how it all turns out, but my moneys on the table with this one. I bet he won't even mention the joke on the air today, but he'll wait until either tonight on Hannity And Colmes, or he'll just bring it out tommorow on his radio show. Either way, it's April 1st and I'm not buying it.

-Peace-

My distaste for the Brad

2004-04-01T14:43:00.000-08:00

So I started playing NBA Inside Drive again the other day. I started a season with the Mavericks awhile back, but it was taking way too long to finish, so I put it on hold. Well I'm back at it, so I'm given a daily reminder of why I don't like Shawn Bradley as a basketball player. First of all, let me mention that in reality I'm a big wuss so I'm sure if I saw Shawn on the street I'd just run and cry like a little girl, but as for the blog, I can critique with ease.

Shawn Bradley is 7 feet 6 inches tall. This means that when he puts his hands in the air he has to be careful not to hit them on the rim. As for me, I've never seen what the top of a basketball rim looks like. The only thing Bradley does well in basketball is block shots. He's had a couple of standout games with points and a triple double, but on a regular basis, this giant just stands around and gets pushed around by guys who are 6 feet tall. Here's the deal. . .if you're that tall, being a good shot blocker is a given, not an achievment. When I play basketball with 5th graders you better believe I'll block alot of shots. Those punks are only 4 feet tall so I rule.

Whenever I play NBA Inside Drive, I do everything I can to never give Bradley the ball. I hate it. Even if he's under the basket all alone I'd rather bust a 3 in traffic than give it to him. Mainly because he's most likely going to miss an easy lay-up.

Here's my thing about basketball players who are over 7 feet tall. Gain some freakin weight and beast it up inside the paint. Shaq's a good player not on his own accord, but because he's simply huge. (As much as I despise Shaq, no one's gonna stop him down low, but if he acted like a skinny wuss like Bradley does, he'd be a horrible player.)

So here's my advise to Shawn Bradley:
1. Eat everything you see. Whatever it takes to gain weight, do it.
2. Get mean. When you get the ball down low, don't let someone that comes up to your chest push you around. You tower over most people, so start acting like it.
3. Quit throwing up those wussy bank shots that hit the top of the backboard. It reminds me of Vonder. You should be living a dunk-only life.
4. Get a tan.
5. Please don't kill me if you read this and meet me in real life.

-Peace out-

Guess I have to write about 'ol Rich

2004-03-25T08:43:00.000-08:00

See Dick
See Dick testify
See Dick calling himself a liar

Alrighty, well with everyone talking about Richard Clarke I think I'll chime in. But I won't use his words or anything he's saying. (He's said enough.) Instead I'll say something I believe in.

In working with kids, it's not uncommon to hear several interpretations of an incident. Perspective can be gained by listening to several stories, and trying to piece together the information from all the jargon.
Moving on. . . .I love the fact that I don't know what the government is doing at all times. (In fact, this is why I pay them for their services) If I knew every little detail about government actions, my own security would be jeopardized. Some people have a hard time with this raw fact. They simply want to know it all. What's going on behind closed doors, what's the CIA doing right now? What new military weapons are out there? Who's the biggest threat to us? How, Why, When??!?! Now, granted, I understand this mindset. I want to know all the details as well, but I realize if the government was foolish enough to make public every detail about its workings, we'd be much less secure, defeating the governments first goal.

With that in mind, what we as the people of America get, in terms of information, is bits and pieces of stories. We don't hear everything firsthand, so all we can know is what so and so claims took place; trusting a variety of sources. So here's the tie-in. It's just like hearing the kids stories. Sometimes they match up, but most of the time you get different 'truths' about what happened. This is what we're getting with these 9-11 hearings. We have some groups saying one thing, others claiming quite different 'truths'. So who do you believe? Well as always with partisan politics. . . .if you're a Bush supporter, you automatically think Clarke is a liar working undercover for John Kerry. If you're a Bush-hater, you assume Clarke is a hero for coming out and revealing the truth about an evil man named George Bush.

Here's my quick take. I'm not even going to comment on the issue at hand. I'll just say this. . . . .
Sometimes with the kids you get different stories, we already mentioned that. But sometimes you get one kid telling multiple stories; some that even contradict each other. When this happens credibility goes out the window.
Richard Clarke, with the latest 9-11 hearings, you have argued against positions you yourself took in the 2002 hearing. When asked to comment you have no explanation. Thanks for making it so clear who we should believe. Actually, I guess that's still up for grabs. I should have said "Thanks for making it so clear who NOT to believe."

See, working with kids comes in handy all the time. We just needed a kindergarten teacher to preside at the hearings.

This is some good revelation.

Sound familiar.

2004-03-23T08:59:00.000-08:00

I posted awhile back about being dissatisfied with life. Not me in particular, but our human condition of being unhappy with our world. Archived here. It's at the bottom of the page. The post is titled 'Finding Home'.
Anyhow, I came across a taped sermon from Matt Chandler on the First Baptist Church in Dallas website. They have a College worship service Tuesday nights called Refuge that's become very powerful to me. It's been a place where I can go and not be a church worker. I go to praise my God. (Shhhh, don't tell the LCMS I worship with non-Lutherans; they just might make my day and fire me.) Sorry, got sidetracked. So that's how I came across this sermon, although I hesitate calling it a sermon, because that makes it sound boring. But it's Matt talking about this very idea I mentioned before. Overall he's heading in a different direction with his talk, but he mentions this idea of being dissatisfied with this life.

Here's a link to the archived sermon page, and the one I'm talking about is from August 31, 2003. It shouldn't be too hard to find.

If you want to listen to some of it, listen for this section. This is what hit home with me. This section comes at about 4 minutes into the audio, so don't worry, you don't have to listen too long!

"You're going to find a whole country starving to death for righteousness,
with human souls all over the place going "whatever can do it, Make me right because
something is wrong in me. Something is wrong in me and no matter what I do and no matter
where I go and no matter what I get involved in it gnaws at me and it aches in my soul
and no matter what trinkets I get or how large my house gets or how many romantic nights
me and my girl have in a row there is something still gnawing at me and I cannot fix it."
And the whole world begins to beckon to us the things that might fix our souls; and in all
of it we begin to understand Ecclesiastes 'Vanity, vanity, it's all vanity.'
Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God has put a hole in the heart of man. He has placed
eternity there so that we might seek him. And that means there is nothing this side
of heaven that will fill the gaping hole of eternity in our hearts."
-Matt Chandller-

Creating Reality: Jethro and Mikel

2004-03-18T08:18:00.000-08:00

Jethro could see through the field that the sun had just made it past the horizon. This day started as usual, with two buckets of feed and a short walk to the troughs. The only thing separating this day from the countless others was the anticipation. Today Jethro would finally see King Osland. Not only him, but Jethro’s entire family would be in town for the King’s ride through their humble community. Preparations had been in the works for several weeks, ensuring the village would be ready for their King. While some of the villages’ older members had seen King Osland, most folks had only heard rumors of the man. Jethro had been dreading this day since they first got word the King would be coming.

With morning work out of the way, Jethro headed in for a meal. There would be no time for much else, as he and his wife Claudine had several miles to get into town. “I’m sure he’s come to tell us of more taxes, at the very least”, Jethro mentioned as he passed Claudine. “At the worst, he’ll tell us how we’ve all been behind for too long, and he’ll have the village burned to the ground!” “Don’t be so paranoid!” Claudine muttered, as she finished gathering her things for the walk, “You buy into those rumors much too easily.” “Oh c’mon Claudine, Osland’s never set foot in our town, yet he’s been our King as long as anyone can remember, and you think he’s making this trip for fun? There has to be something wrong.”

Mikel could see through the field that the sun had just made it past the horizon. This day started as usual, with two buckets of feed and a short walk to the troughs. The only thing separating this day from the countless others was the anticipation. Today Mikel would finally see King Nartok. Not only him, but Mikel’s entire family would be in town for the King’s ride through their humble community. Preparations had been in the works for several weeks, ensuring the village would be ready for their King. While some of the villages’ older members had seen King Nartok, most folks had only heard rumors of the man. Mikel had been anxious since they first got word the King would be coming.

With morning work out of the way, Mikel headed in for a meal. There would be no time for much else, as he and his wife Nadine had several miles to get into town. “I’m sure he’s come to inspire us with words of the expanding kingdom!” Mikel mentioned as he passed Nadine. “At best, he may be seeking men for his royal army!” “Don’t get ahead of yourself!” Nadine muttered, as she finished gathering her things for the walk, “You always expect far too much.” “Oh c’mon Nadine, Nartok’s never set foot in our town, yet he’s been our King as long as anyone can remember, and you think he’s making this trip to harm us? There has to be something more!”

Jethro and Claudine stood in the back of a crowd. “I don’t know why I let you talk me into being up here Claudine. When Osland comes by, we’ll be in the first crowd he sees.” A deep-rooted fear came up from Jethro’s gut as he heard the trumpets. He knew King Osland was close.

Mikel and Nadine stood in the back of a crowd. “I don’t know why I let you talk me into being up here Nadine. When Nartok comes by, there’s no way he’ll see us.” A deep-rooted loyalty came up from Mikel’s gut as he heard the trumpets. He knew King Nartok was close.

After a great feast, King Osland had Jethro and Claudine come to the head table for recognition. “My faithful servant, how could you have been afraid of me? I love you as my people, and I’ve come to ensure your safety.” Jethro looked at his feet while he heard these words. Words that were turning his whole world upside down as his perceptions had been wrong.

After a great feast, King Nartok had the heads of Mikel and Nadine brought to his table for recognition. “How could this man rush my chariot? I am King Nartok, and I’ve come to take what’s rightly mine from this village.”
Just moments before Mikel’s life ended, he heard the words of King Nartok as he ordered his death. Words that were turning his whole world upside down as his perceptions had been wrong.

Give it up

2004-03-11T14:50:00.000-08:00

So I try to stay away from giving out links just for fun, but this is fantastic. If you don't read The Onion you really should start. It's great. This is one of those posts that makes The Onion a great site.

My life of crime

2004-03-04T15:28:00.000-08:00

Date: February 13, 2004.

Location: Downtown Lewisville, TX.

Scenario: A green Ford Focus, known near and far as 'The Green Machine' heads North on Main St. through Lewisville. The posted speed limit is 30 mph. The driver, obviously a wreckless danger to society, barrels through the streets at 41 mph. Suddenly, with swiftness and disregard for personal risk, an unmarked Lewisville policeman manages to catch the daredevil. Charged with speeding, this villain had the gal to present a drivers license donning an old address!

Today I went to Lewisville to state a plea to the judge that I was a student during 2003, and my address was still valid. All fine and dandy, except I was no longer a student come January 9, 2004, and law states you have 30 days to change your address, hence, the $85 fine remains. A few noteables during my time at the courthouse. . .

I walked into the courtroom to find 4 other people waiting. It was quiet. And I don't mean quiet like no one was talking. I mean quiet like if you blink everyone can hear it. I wanted to make a joke about the situation, but I figured some of the people around me might be in real trouble, or real pissed, so I didn't want to risk it.

Moment #1: When asked why she [the judge] should reduce the speeding charge of $180, a young guy said "Uhhhhhhhh. . .ummmmmmm, uhhhhhhh, welll. . . .uhhhhhhhh, hmmmmmm. . . .see I'm in college, and uhhhhhhhhh, I can't ummmmmm, afford it right now." Absolutely brilliant. Right there I wanted to tell the judge to guess what 'college' this guy attended. . . .man at least be smart enough to lie your way into an excuse. Geez I learned that when I was in kindergarten.

Moment #2: When I asked the judge how long the law gives you to change your license address, she didn't seem to know exactly. What ensued next was a mini debate between her, the balif, and the court reporter. The three of them came to the decision that you have 30 days to change it. And when I say 'the three of them', I really mean that the reporter said "I think you have 30 days" and that seemed good enough for the judge, so she just says "umm, yeah, you had 30 days to change it."

I love seeing Texas justice at work.

Who do you love?

2004-02-26T14:22:00.000-08:00

Nice idea.

This site, called AOL Presidential Match, gives you a series of questions, then shows which presidential candidates best represent the positions you chose. Certainly not a tell-all, but fun nonetheless.

Passion Review #45,245

2004-02-26T09:51:00.000-08:00

I'll make it quick and simple.
If you live in a culture where you see crucifixions, floggings, beatings, and Roman Law at work, you don't need to see The Passion. You may want to, but you don't need to. If you live in 21st century America, where the word 'suffering' relates more to missing an episode of Friends than anything else, you need to see the movie.
Go and see what you're worth to God.

The Spin we get.

2004-02-23T18:49:00.000-08:00

I watched an interview on C-SPAN the other night with Elaine Brown. Here's quick taste of the way the radical left spins information for the American people. She finished a rant with this quote. "If we had an educated mass George Bush would not be President." As you can imagine, her audience gave her a thunderous applause, and she laughed hard at the comment. But did you catch it? Read it again. You see, at first glance, what we take from her comment is that George Bush shouldn't be president. But what she really said is that you and I are uneducated. She called the American people idiots, and everyone smiled and nodded.
She later made this gem of a remark. In reference to Martin Luther Kings views on the Black Panther Party, (which Brown directed in 1974), she made the statement that MLK was the "one great leader we ever had." Once again, at first glance this seems like a great comment, donning Dr. King with a title he rightly deserves. But read it again. Did you see how she degraded all other Black leaders of today? Did you see how she openly stated that not only was Dr. King one of many great Black leaders, she said he was the "ONE great leader we ever had." The spin is incredible.

Note these stats taken from Michael Savage's The Enemy Within.
First let me throw some facts out there.
"The CDC (Center for Disease Control) dedicates more money to AIDS than to any other disease. Just less than 30% of the CDC's $7 billion budget is earmarked for HIV and AIDS. As much as I would like to find a cure for this terrible disease, AIDS is not the leading cause of death in this county."
"Here is the difficult truth: cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of men and women from all races. Not AIDS. Not even close. In fact, more American adults, ages 25-44, die from heart disease, cancer, and suicide than from AIDS. But the media doesn't tell you that, do they?. . . . Why? Because HIV is the only politically driven disease."
(The previous came from Savage's book, but is all information that can be found on public domain: Savage sites 'Adult Mortality, Profile of the Nation's Health. pg.37)
Now. . .I told you all that so I could tell you this.

In San Francisco, the CDC gives $600,000 in federal funds to the Stop AIDS Project. With it, workshops like "Flirt, Date, Score" are funded. "The promotion, which targeted gay, bi, tri, and trans guys, said, "Want to flirt with greater finesse and date with more confidence? Share your expertise and hear how others are successful in meeting guys and staying safe today." "Other workshops like 'Bootylicious' offered insight and advice on topics such as sex with male prostitutes, as well as oral and anal intercourse. That's your tax dollars at work."
With all that; Julie Gerberding, Bush appointee to head the CDC, threatened to withhold funding. "When word of her inquiry reached the Stop AIDS Project, the damaged and deranged powerbrokers on the left marshaled their forces. They, along with 150 HIV/AIDS likeminded groups, dashed off a letter to George Bush thrashing the CDC. Gerberding had to back down."
Their letter included this comment.
"If the government does not fully fund federal AIDS programs, there is only one sure result: The American taxpayer will see both the costs of treatment and the death toll rise dramatically."

And, to tie all this together with what I said at the beginning of the post. . . .look at the spin. Read the line again if you need. In Savage's words, "Did you catch it? If AIDS numbers increase, it's because YOU didn't do enough."

There you have it. Just a few examples of the spin we get from the up and ups. Those like Elaine Brown, who consider us all too stupid to decipher her words, abound and seem to be given more and more airtime these days. Watch for the spin, it's not hard to find.

-The IP-

Read

2004-02-23T18:16:00.000-08:00

Picked up a new book today by Philip K. Howard called "The Lost Art of Drawing the Line". So far it's been great, and by 'so far' I mean the first 20 pages. It's all about the way we've gone sue-happy in this country, and the way our lives have been forced to change as such. Howard provides many examples throughout the text of wild lawsuits, as well as societal impact on this monster. Here's a quick quote. . .

"The effects are sometimes tragic. Christopher Sercye, fifteen, was shot while playing basketball on a playground close to the Ravenswood Hospital in Chicago. With the help of two friends, the boy made it to within thirty feet of the hospital entrance. When Christopher collapsed, almost at the hospital door, his friends ran in to get help, but the emergency-room staff refused to come out. Hospital policy was that they should not leave the hospital because, as the explanation later indicated, of fear of possible legal liability for neglecting patients already in the hospital. But going thirty feet outside the hospital is not much different for staff than going thirty feet inside. As Christopher lay bleeding on the sidewalk, a policeman begged the staff to come out. But the hospital staff refused to budge and instead placed a call to 911. Christopher lay on the sidewalk for twenty-five minutes before a police sergeant arrived and commandeered a wheelchair to bring him in. The boy died shortly afterward."

"A new medical school graduate, one week away from getting her license to practice, was recently driving in suburban New York when she came upon a motorcycle accident with the rider sprawled on the side of the road, obviously badly injured. After a brief discussion with her mother, she decided not to stop because she might be liable for practicing without a license. At first blink, her logic seems perfectly reasonable. But this only shows how warped we've become. How about helping out because you're a human being who happens to have the skills to save a life?"

Wow. . .what a culture we live in. We were shocked at the McDonald's suit in which "an elderly lady spilled the hot coffee." (First set at $2.9 million, later reduced to $640,000.) How about these: "Boston Judge Hiller Zobel has been asked to decide a custody fight over a dog, a claim over a missing prize in a Cracker Jack Box, and a lawsuit over ownershio of birth control pills between a fifteen-year-old and a thirteen-year-old. These claims don't usually succeed, but they are symptoms of a society-wide preoccupation with rights."

What about the parents of the three-year-old who kicked another three-year-old in a sandbox at Charles River Park, in Boston. "Jonathan's social graces left something to be desired, and there was a pushing incident. At this point, Stacey and her mother could have left the playground or gone to another area, but Stacey's mother had her own problems in the social interaction area, and she decided to call the police." "In new America, the judge actually adjudicated the dispute, granting a preliminary injunction requiring the parents to 'keep each child supervised and separated from each other while in the playground' and prohibiting the mothers from talking to each other."

Now I know I'm only 23, but these two mothers couldn't figure out on their own to just keep their kids apart? We have created a society in which any and all interactions with other people become opportunities for me to find out which of my supposed rights have been infringed, and how I can milk the system for my free money. Check out the book if you want more examples of the craziness.
Peace. . .
-The IP-

On my mind.

2004-02-19T21:27:00.000-08:00

Prone to wander Lord I feel it.
Prone to leave the God I love.

Here's my heart Lord take and seal it.
Seal it for thy courts above.

Reading

2004-02-18T10:56:00.000-08:00

I finished reading 'The Savage Nation' last week, and have moved on to 'The Enemy Within'. What is it about finishing a book that gives you a great sense of accomplishment? I don't have much to say about the text. I enjoyed the reading. I agreed with some of the points. I'm glad we have people like Michael Savage; and I don't mean simply because I agree with much of what he has to say. It's necessary that we have people who are adament about something. Most of us are just wishy-washy in regards to whatever we claim to be a truth. We never take a stand for anything. . .taking a stand means having to stand when you're the only one left. You set yourself up to be criticized when you hold fast to what you know is right. There's actually a website titled Michael Savage Sucks. Even though I agree with him, I don't admire Savage for his claims, but for his intellectual honesty to stick to his claims and not go half-hearted into the night. These kind of people, regardless of political stance, are hard to come by.

On another note, Adam and I went to an Aquire the Fire meeting for youth ministry types at prestonwood baptist on Monday night. I have some other thoughts to get down about the experience, but we got to talk with Josh McDowell for awhile, and homedog was sporting a Fubu jersey that said 'West Side' on the front. Dang that was funny. . . .

Just some randomness.

2004-02-09T19:35:00.000-08:00

I had a couple more thoughts on the day that I wanted to separate from the previous post.
First, I went to Best Buy today and no one said a word to me. I loved it. Not one single "how are you today?!" (which I hate) or even a "have a nice day!" on my way out. It was the greatest shopping experience of my life.

Reading some new books. I went AM-Radio happy at Barnes and Noble today and picked up Michael Savage's two most recent writings.

Reading The Savage Nation first. . .so I'll fill you in as it gets good.

Raise your hand if you're lost.

2004-02-09T19:18:00.000-08:00

Saw Lost in Translation today on an inadvertent suggestion from my friend Thomas. I had been meaning to see it and his postings helped persuade me to go on my glorious day off. Here's my quick 3 word review of the flick.

I hate it.

Now, bear with me. . .
I believe that the world we live in is not the what we were created for. As Switchfoot so eloquently puts it, "we were meant to live for so much more; and we lost ourselves." Or, if you like, how Peter writes that we are "as aliens and strangers in the world. . ." (1 Peter 2:11) We are seeing an abundance of unsatisfied, purpose-seeking people screaming out, longing for a reason to be alive. The problem is that our very souls testify to the fact that we were created as immortal beings, destined for eternity; however, the physical world we live in laughs in our face and trys to convince us of otherwise.
I hate the movie because it looks exactly like I feel;
because it reminds me of so many lost souls. . .
because I daily feel like an alien immersed in another culture, even if it's my own. . .
I hate this brilliant, deep movie. . . .and you can bet I'll be owning it in a couple days.

From time to time, everyone needs a slap in the face.

2004-02-04T13:27:00.000-08:00

Even if it's with a boob. . . .

Sorry, couldn't resist.

So here's the thing. I'll put aside all of my personal remarks for a couple more days and simply throw these bits of information out there.

In case you couldn't understand what was going on at the boobacious half time show, here are some of the lyrics you missed. For this family oriented, rousing Sunday afternoon game of innocent fun, halftime started with Janet Jackson singing these words.
"Got a nice package alright, think I'm gonna have to ride it tonight!"

Of course, we followed up those lines with our friend from St. Louis, Nelly. He had this to say.
"It's getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes."
[Welcome to Houston Nell, smells too don't it?]

MMmmmmmm, warms the cockles of my heart. And for another number, we have Mr. Kid Rock, (talented musician that he is) who has decided to show his patriotism by dressing himself with an American flag. And by dressing, I mean cutting a hole in our sacred symbol and letting his nasty pitts stench up the white stripes. He had this to say to our children.
"And this is for the questions that don't have any answers
The midnight glancers and the topless dancers
The gander freaks, cars packed with speakers
The G's with the 40's and the chicks with beepers
The northern lights and the southern comfort
And it don't even matter if their veins are punctured
All the crackheads, the critics, the cynics
And all my heroes in the methadone clinics"

I'll add my thoughts later. For now, just let it all soak in. Oh yeah, in case you've been desensitizied like most of us, don't forget all the leg humping and lack of clothing onstage either. I think my shirt has more material than what was used for the 2,000 women combined shaking their 'thangs' onstage.

New Youth Ministry stuff for the LCMS

2004-01-28T14:49:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is. In an attempt to tap into the 1990's, it seems the LCMS has finally started doing something a wee bit flashy in terms of youth ministry. I haven't looked at all of the site, so I haven't ruled its suckiness factor yet. More to come.

-The IP-

A good time.

2004-01-26T19:55:00.000-08:00

Well kids, it's been awhile. . .

I just got back from a high school retreat held at Camp Lone Star. . . I just got back from my home.
I wish I were able to say that camp is my comfort zone, but it's not. Many people think that's why the collective 'we' keep going back, but nothing could be further from the truth. Through the past 10 years or so, Camp Lone Star has developed into a ministry unlike any other I know. It' not like other camps; and I say this knowing the ministries at other sites, not just my bubbled experience. CLS has been blessed with leadership that seeks God in all things. It was a purposeful ministry long before PDYM was in a publishers hand. I believe what has made this ministry truly different from others is the focus and commitment given to this one purpose. . . Taking people out of their daily life experience and letting them taste what God intended life to be. People have come and gone through CLS's doors and been either frustrated or flat out mad at some of the implications this goal has presented.
"What do you mean we only play Christian music in the cabins with kids?"
"Why can't we raid the girls cabin at 3 in the morning?"
"What do you mean no cross dressing for the skit?"
People have come through the doors and left, sadly unwilling to give their life a try without the patterns of this world. As kids have been told, "just see what life is like without that CD for one week. Just one week, and see how you feel." Little things, I know. But lots of little things add up to a big focus on the reality of our world.

I am humbled to know that I have been a small part of the CLS ministry over the years. I am frightened to think that it will lose focus over time. People that were once so innovative and ready to redefine a focus for ministry now sit idle, desperately clutching what little control they still have. I pray vision and discernment will be given to those in control of CLS's future. May our sovereign God lead us.

I love camp.
-The IP-

I'm tired of popularity.

2004-01-07T08:15:00.000-08:00

I'm sick of my TV telling me what I should be doing with my life. Every show like "Entertainment Tonight" never ceases to piss me off. I don't care which celebrity had to go the dentist after chipping a tooth on their Hummer, and I never will. All of my anger towards the current state of the media funnels into this thought. I hate when someone else tells me what I'm supposed to like. Until I ask for an opinion, I don't want someone throwing 'The Years Best. . . .' or 'America's favorite. . . . .' in my face. Quite frankly, I don't give a crap what most Americans consider worthy of their time. I'm afraid our culture is awash in a sludge of media opinion. Which brings me to another point; well, maybe a random point, but you get the idea.

Why am I supposed to care about the styles of some celebrity? By the way, we're also to assume that you're a nobody unless you can star in movies, play in a band, or be an amazing athlete. But why am I supposed to care about the styles of some actress who worked for two months filming a movie? Is it because she's rich? Well I tell you what, there are plenty of people in this world with much more money than anyone in hollywood could dream of having, yet we're not oggling over what kind of toothpaste they use. So if it's not the money, it must be something else. Maybe it's the perception of money, and the flaunting of it. We in America have this image of movie stars that is completely off the edge. We give them authority to make decisions in our lives in terms of what we watch, what we want to wear, and what political stance we should take. "Oh look honey, Tim Robbins hates President Bush; how eclectic and trendy of him!"
The shows themselves I have no problem with, at least for this topic. It's the reality that we watch that bothers me. We sit on our couches and watch life happen, instead of going out and living life. Thursday nights, instead of hanging out with real friends, we watch them on tv, as if they were our own. Reality tv is such a load. Why can't anything just be called a 'Game Show' anymore? By the way, Fear Factor has been done before, but it used to come on Nickelodeon and it was every kids dream. Remember? It was called Double Dare, and those physical challenges ruled. (By the way, I would have owned that final round thing, most of those kids who tried it were wusses.)

So here's my final round of rants. Quit letting so-called-celebrities inform you about real-life-issues. If I want to learn how to act, I'll listen to an actor. If I want advice on any other subject, I'm going to a professional; I don't care how many academy awards you have. Live life, quit watching it happen on a 'reality tv show' that isn't even close to reality. We should collectively ban the entertainment info shows and magazines. I would love to see the faces of the producers when the average American says 'so what' to every piece of media that informs them about who's dating who, and what J-Lo had for dinner last night. What we need, instead, is personal shows like this that inform me of the people I know and love. That would be exciting. To sit down and watch a 30-minute segment that informed me of my friends daily happenings. Well, until that happens, I'll be yelling at my TV on a daily basis like an old man.

Oh the love that ensues.

2003-12-15T15:24:00.000-08:00

Had a good conversation with a friend the other day on the topic of love. Thought I'd gather some of my thoughts. . .
By being engaged, (yes you read correctly, if we haven't told you yet, my apologies, unless I don't know you, than hey, I can only do so much), I realize yet another detail on the subject of love. Most of what follows was sparked by the conversation I had online.

I've been thinking on the subject of unconditional love, and the idea that in certain relationships we claim this type of love. I feel I am blessed by God to have been given someone to love. Now, I can say I've been blessed by every person in my life, but this is something radically different. In the past, I've heard people say what a blessing so and so is in their life, but I'm not sure I've really thought about it in this way. In this case, and with this person, God has blessed me with someone whom I will be able to catch glimpses of the way in which God loves us. I now have a living example for me to begin to see and understand what it takes for God to love me the way he does. By loving my wife unconditionally, I will know joy, pain, anger, happiness, hurt, compassion, confusion, intimacy, frustration, grief, and of course, other emotions described by words I don't know. In all of this, I will be blessed with the ability to experience, in some small amount, what it must feel like for God to love us. I will know even more the pain God feels when I sin, and the amazing love that really exists for you and me. This love that exists for us to experience acts as a double edged sword. Love cuts deep, and it doesn't make sense. To continually love something that, at times, appears unlovely, or has no love to offer, is illogical and irrational. It isn't easy for me to wrap my brain around this kind of love . . . .I don't think I can. I can't understand a love that invites me and loves me when I run from it. One that runs after me, and begs to hold me, kicking and screaming, cussing and running. But this is the dirty kind of love God has for us. One that doesn't make sense in our selfish, sin-soaked world.

In my future marriage, I know that I will be unloveable. My fiance and I are, however, committing ourselves to loving each others unlovely selves. At this moment, love is easy, and it feels loving. This isn't, however, what we are committing to. We are committing to a love that will hurt, and one that will know pain. If we simply wanted the easy, feel-good love that this world offers, we would never have made it this far.

I think this blessing is made clearer in being a parent. Until I one day become a father, (oh geez), I will never fully understand what it is to love someone even when they don't want your love. Whew, I know I was that kind of kid. Dang what morons we are as children. heheh. As Bill O'Reilly says, "no good parent has never been hated by his/her children." I take full stock in that quote; not that I'm looking forward to the experience, but the aftermath.

This is the true blessing that loving one another brings; A God-given model to practice this love on. To feel what it is to love when there is no reason. A chance to understand, in a small part, what it is for God to love us. Whether we are given this chance in the person of a spouse, a child, a parent, or whomever, it is still a gift. A precious, pain-filled gift that will hurt us to the core if we jump in, but will be a real-life challenge course experience that gives us a glimpse of what it takes for God Himself to love people like us.

-Brandon-

Random Things.

2003-12-04T08:51:00.000-08:00

Well, a lot has happened since I last chimed in. A few things that I won't mention, because I don't think my humble blog is the right avenue for sharing the news. Ask me about it if I haven't already talked to you. Anyway, here are a few random thoughts/happenings from the last couple weeks.

Patrick reminded me of a confirmation retreat I took my kids on. This guy I know, (Vonder), and I planned the retreat, and the day before we leave, he happens to tell me that one of the chaperones he's bringing just got out of prison. . . .I'll let that set in for a moment. So, here I am, a person charged with the care and well being of several children, and I find out that a chaperone on the retreat is an ex-con. Now, I'm not one to profile, but in this case I'll make an exception. I had no idea what this guy was charged with, and, knowing the vonder, it very well could have been child molestation, and he wouldn't have cared. (Vonder, if you're reading this, I'm not sorry; man it was a bad move) So, as it turned out, the guy was great and I think he's turned his life around. I'm not even sure what he was locked up for, but he seems to be on the right path to getting his life back together. Good for him. . . . . . . . . . . .freakin vonder.

[quick sidenote, as I write this, I've been on hold with Azuma Leasing for about 10 minutes. If you're thinking of renting a washer and dryer, don't use Azuma. No bueno]

Well, I just got off the phone with Azumza, and they got me all sidetracked, so I'll write some more later. For now, the vonder moment is all I got.
-Peace out-
Brandon

So that's what happens to the tough guys.

2003-11-20T10:31:00.000-08:00

I thought this was funny.

The school at our church just had a thanksgiving program. (It's mainly a preschool, with a couple kindergarten classes.) So nevertheless, here's the scenario: You're got about 100 kids from the ages of 3 - 6, and lots of their parents in the back of the church; here's where it gets funny. I look around and see tons of dads walking around in their work clothes holding all sorts of cameras. For real, it's like we're having a best buy sale with all the different kinds of cameras. One poor sap had a digital still camera around his neck, probably over $500 for that bad boy, and a mini-dvd digital video camera in his hand, making his 'moment capturing ablility' somewhere near the $2000 mark.
It's just funny to me to see these guys who, for most of their day, probably think they're all hard and tough working wherever they do, but once they get to their kids program, they're nothing but softies.
And to think, 15 years ago the majority of those guys were probably sitting in a frat house somewhere swearing up and down about how they're 'the man' and betting on who can drink the most beer while riding a donkey through campus.
Man I hope I don't ever have to grow up. . . . .

Just let it go man.

2003-11-19T15:04:00.000-08:00

So I had this really long post all ready to go, but I figured I talk and write too much, so I summed it up.

We just got a new phone system put in with an automated attendant and menu options and all that jazz; (stuff that was innovative in the 70's) and yet, our church secretary has been in the bizz her whole life, and thinks that a machine is too impersonal, so anytime the phone rings. . .no matter where she is in the church, she bolts like her dress is on fire to her office and tries to grab the phone. It's not a huge deal, but it's funny to be talking to her, and then you hear the phone ring, and she just disappears.

I think one day if I see her walk by my office door, I'll call her office with my cell phone just to see her fly by. . . .I'm sure that would entertain me for at least an hour.

Blogs I hate. . .

2003-11-14T09:07:00.000-08:00

What I hate about some blogs are the insane amount of quotes. I'm coming to your blog to find out what YOU think, not what site you can link and quote from all day long. Certainly links are cool, if you're talking about something you found on another site, or a cool picture or what not; I can handle that. . .It's information. But what kills me are all the blogs with the freakish 'cult followings' that are nothing more than quotes from other sites. Maybe every 10 posts or so will have a sentence or two of the authors actual writing, but the rest is just news relay. . .and I can get that crap on my own. These blogs become simply become a window helping readers surf the web. (I'm a youth worker, trust me, I know how to effectively surf the internet on my own. I don't need someone guiding me)

All in all, here's my thing. If you're writing a blog, write your own stuff, and don't rely on other sites and ideas to make your own look cool and exciting. I'm all for linking to another site if it's something that catches your eye, but at least write your thoughts about it. Otherwise, you're just using other material to gain readers and look 'cool'. And it's not working. . . .Well, I guess for some of the sites it's working. . . .because, if you ask me, some of the most hardcore followed blogs out there are nothing more than a links page with a fancy title and lots of readers trying to look like beatnics because they've heard of this blog. . . .
Hey kids, write your thoughts and stop reading stupid blogs. . . . .
-Peace out-

What annoys me about ministry.

2003-11-12T07:45:00.000-08:00

The thing that gets under my skin more than anything else about working in a church is the lackadaisical attitude people have towards prayer. Because I work in a church, and I'm seen as a minister of some sorts, people find it humorous to say things like "Pray for Billy, he's a wild child in school" (This just happened as chapel was dismissing today) I don't mind requests for prayer, but I believe in the power of prayer, and I think some people miss the boat on it. The phrase gets thrown around like it means nothing anymore, and also, because I'm in public ministry, people seem to think my prayers will be more effective than their own. "Oh Brandon please pray for so and so" I want to say, "Of course, but will you also?" Certainly some people are sincere about their requests, I just feel like others have a missunderstanding of the power of prayer, and what it is they're really asking when they ask for a prayer.
Hey kids, read your bibles.
-Peace-

Books I'm Reading . . . .and other stuff

2003-11-11T20:52:00.000-08:00

This is a great book for anyone in the post-college drudge of learning to be a 'real' person. Chapters like "How to buy groceries" and "It pays to live beneath your means" will be beneficial for anyone coming out of The 115.

Cheap Ways To. . . is just what it seems. Sections titled "Cheap ways to Get legal help" may come in handy. Other chapters include ". . .to get a masters degree. . . .to plan a creative date. . . .to take a ski vacation." This one is more laughable, but still with good intent.

Anyhow, both books just came in the mail from Amazon and I've been reading through them off and on. Don't forget boys and girls, Dream Theater just released a new album today called Train of Thought. I haven't heard it yet, but reviews say it's one of DT's best ever. If you're into progressive rock at all, this is an interesting sidenote.

Neal Morse is known in the progressive rock world "as the composer and vocalist for the leading progressive rock band, Spock's Beard. Or as the composer, vocalist and keyboardist for the progressive rock supergroup, Transatlantic (comprised of members from Dream Theater, The Flower Kings, Marillion and Spock's Beard)." (taken from) Neal Morse.com ) Anyhow, he recently put out an album entitled "Testimony". On it, he tells the story of his life as he lived it before and after he became a follower of Christ. (For those of you not familiar with Morse, this is the equivalent of the Eagles becoming Christians and deciding to put out an album full of songs that speak to their conversion.) FYI I don't know if the Eagles are Christians or not, I just picked a random succesful band. Anyhow, Mike Portnoy, of Dream Theater brings in the drums on "Testimony". Portnoy is known throughout the drum world as the leader in progressive rock drumming and I have been thoroughly obsessed with him for several years. I'm glad to see good composition coming to the Christian scene.
-Peace out-

Trash talk. . .

2003-11-05T18:10:00.000-08:00

Last night as I was taking out my trash, which was alot even by the 115's standards, and it crossed my mind that every piece of trash I throw away was somehow brought into my apartment in a non-trash form. Everything I take out of my apt in disgust that I call 'trash', I probably brought into my apt in a new, shiny wrapper.

Earlier last night, I went to a college worship service called Refuge. It takes place at First Baptist Church in downtown Dallas. This was my second time attending the service, and it was amazing. The speaker that night had an incredible message to give us; one that I have not considered in quite some time. Talk about conviction. . .Check out Ephesians 4, specifically verse 30.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,. . .
For myself, it's been too long since I realized the implication of God's spirit alive and working in my life. With every sin I commit, God Himself grieves. Everytime I decide to walk apart from God, He is there in a state of grief, pleading with my soul to come back. . . .I can imagine how many times just today the Holy Spirit has been crying out to me "Don't you know where that leads?! Don't you know what that can do to you?!"
Wow. . . .
This brings in to question, how long will God's Spirit continue to dwell within us? This brings questions of a hardened heart, and all that jazz. . . .we read about it in scripture, so will it still happen today? I feel like the answer is yes. Now, I have to pre-empt this with the thinking that, just like the excommunicated church-goer, the reason for a break is the desire for redemption. scripture tells us to treat those who continue unrepenting in their sin differently; to treat them as pagans (unbelievers). And guess what, we've been taught to love our unbelieving brothers and sisters, longing for them to be a member of the believers.
Ok, so back to the point. I do believe that through the constant rejection of the truth, (aka. sin), there is a point when God's spirit says 'that's it'. Now remember, we're talking about unrepentive sin here. There's a difference between striving for the perfection God demands, and simply throwing in the towel and living in cheap grace. We're also not talking about a salvation thing here. By no means do I, or scripture for that matter, ever mean that if we continue sinning our salvation will be taken away from us. This is a matter of God's Holy Spirit choosing to dwell within us.

With all that in mind, as it's alot to chew on, I am glad to be given a message of law. It've been too long without it. I think this is something we do a horrible job of in the Lutheran church. Grace is free and it's our central message. . . .but some people need to be told and convicted of their sin to realize their need for a savior. Last night, I was that person. (And I fear I've been that person for far too long.) Once again, this isn't a fear thing, where we work our butts off to be good in hopes that God will still love us. . .because like the bastard children we are, He will mysteriously always love us. This is a matter of trying not to grieve the Holy Spirit. . . . . .grieve God himself. It is an amazing thing that God would choose to make us His dwelling place. Because quite honestly, I'm a pretty crappy dwelling. I can only imagine what I've put God's Spirit through. . .how much He's grieved because of my actions.

Convicted and Saved,
-Brandon-