Blue's Bark

Check this out.

2011-05-31T01:46:00.002-04:00

Check out my friends latest video.

The Truth on Five Paper Myths

2010-12-08T14:22:00.000-05:00

Here are five frequently expressed paper myths followed by the truth. The information has been gathered from literature, including reports from the USDA Forest Service and FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization):

Myth No. 1 - paper industry destroys forests.

The Truth: In the U.S., about 4 million trees are planted every day of which our paper industry plants 1.7 million daily. In addition, millions of tree seedlings regenerate naturally. Planting new trees can significantly help to combat global warming. For every ton of wood a forest produces, it removes 1.47 tons of carbon dioxide from the air and replaces it with 1.07 tons of oxygen. There are 750 million acres of forests in the U.S., about the same as 100 years ago, but their net growth is 36 percent higher. About 11 percent of the trees harvested throughout the world is used to make paper.

Myth No. 2 - paper industry is the biggest polluter.
The Truth: Paper is biodegradable, recyclable and comes from an infinitely renewable resource. It does release carbon dioxide but it also plants trees that sequester carbon dioxide. Its liquid effluents are treated before release into the environment. Solids can be fractionated and recycled, burnt, used for other products or land-filled where they biodegrade. Paper is one of the few sustainable products.

Myth No. 3 - paper industry uses too much water.
The Truth: Nearly four decades ago, about 60,000 gallons of water was used per ton of paper; now it is between 400 and15,000 gallons per ton. This water reduction is achieved mainly because of process modifications and/or water recycling and reuse.

Myth No. 4 - paper industry should only use recycled fiber.
The Truth: After between five and eight recycles the fiber becomes useless for making paper thus appropriate amount of new wood fiber must be added to keep the quality of the product. Note that new wood fiber harvested using recognized third-party certified sustainable forestry practices is as or more environmentally sound as the use of recycled fiber.

Myth No. 5 - paper industry is endangered by information technology.
The Truth: Paper is a renewable, recyclable and environmentally sustainable product. On the other hand, electronic servers, have a significant carbon footprint. It is reported that it takes 152 billion KWh per year just to power the data centers that keep the net running. It is estimated that emissions from computers will increase by 280 percent by 2020, which is equal to 1.4 giga-tons of carbon dioxide. Disposal of electronic materials will create added burdens on the environment as see on a “60 Minutes” e-waste segment earlier this year.

Turning off the lights

2009-03-28T19:24:00.002-04:00

In about an hour EarthHour will be in my timezone. At 8:30pm I will go with out power for an hour to be a part of Eathhour. What are you going to do? Want to know more? Go to www.earthhour.org

Earth hour

2009-03-22T14:43:00.004-04:00

NEW Radio Program Hope Endures Starts This Tues, Feb 10th

2009-02-09T09:52:00.003-05:00

Rest Ministries, Inc., the largest Christian organization that specifically serves the needs of those who live with chronic illness or pain, is launching an online radio program, Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 10 a.m. pacific time. The program, titled "Hope Endures" will be hosted by Rest Ministries founder, Lisa Copen, who is eager to connect with the thousands of people who visit her web site daily or who may know the ministry through one of the 400 HopeKeepers groups that they attend in their church.

The two 1-hour weekly programs will air on Blog Talk Radio, every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 10 a.m. pacific.

Tuesdays will feature special guests who will be interviewed about a topic related to chronic illness, from a Christian perspective. Guests will share about their own ministries and how they began them, despite dealing with daily chronic pain. Topics will include everything from marriage and caregiving, financial planning to parenting, health and medical news, awareness about invisible illness in congregations, to living with illness as a child, teenager, young adult, and more.

Thursdays will consist of hearing from callers who lead HopeKeepers groups, volunteers of Rest Ministries, announcements about things happening at Rest Ministries social network (with over 1000 members) and thoughts from Lisa Copen.

Copen shares, "The internet has become an amazing tool for connecting with others who have the same challenges and passions. We hope through our radio program, we can increase these friendship and bonds so that our sense of family strengthens and that people find our program to be that "one stop" place for Christian support while coping with chronic illness."

Copen herself has been a guest on radio programs such as Joni and Friends and Billy Graham's Decision Minute.

February 10th will be the kick off program featuring special guest Naomi Kingery, 19, author of Sugar Free Me: An Inspirational Book for Diabetic Teens and Their Loved Ones. She will be talking about her journey from growing up in Bangalore, India as the child of missionary parents who worked with people with disabilities, to her diagnosis of diabetes at the age of twelve.

Listeners can participate in the live program at www.blogtalkradio.com/hopeendures or listen to the program any time, as it will be archived. The MP3 file can also be downloaded to one's itunes. Fore more information see www.hopeenduresradio.com

Trust

2009-01-05T10:50:00.001-05:00

To survive in this world, we hold close to us those people on whom we depend. We trust in them our hopes, our fears. But what happens when trust is lost? Where do we run when things we believe in vanish before our eyes? When all seems lost, the future unknowable, our very existence in peril... all we can do is run.

~From Heroes

Merry Christmas to all my friends where ever you may be

2008-12-22T18:57:00.002-05:00

Destiny

2008-10-06T19:07:00.000-04:00

We all imagine ourselves the agents of our destiny. Capable of determining our own fate. But have we truly any choice in when we rise, or when we fall? Or does a force larger than ourselves bid us our direction? Is it evolution that takes us by the hand? Does science point our way? Or is it God who intervenes, keeping us safe?

~ form Heroes, Chapter 2

You make a difference in someone's life.

2008-09-16T21:07:00.005-04:00

You're not like me. Maybe you have wings. You want to make sure your life matters, that something will be different because of you?

I am.

Not just because you saved my life. You also changed my life.

Dying

2008-09-16T20:59:00.003-04:00

Almost dying changes nothing. Dying changes everything.
~ House

Invisible Illness Week is coming up

2008-08-29T15:57:00.002-04:00

Help the ASPCA

2008-08-29T15:51:00.000-04:00

Prayer

2008-07-26T13:05:00.000-04:00

"Is it wrong to pray for something you want?"

"I think prayer can never hurt. As long as you understand that you might not recognize the answer right away. Most miracles occur in hindsight."

~from Joan of Arcadia

Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

2008-07-04T12:56:00.001-04:00

Read this book!!!

Music

2008-06-28T22:15:00.001-04:00

You never quit on your music, no matter what happens. Cause anytime something bad happens to you, it's one place you can escape to and just let it go.
~Lewis (in August Rush)

Best Friends

2008-05-08T20:12:00.000-04:00

You don't ever have another best friend, like that first one you have, when you are old enough to know who you are in life.
~from P.S. I Love You

Our Deepest Fear

2008-03-23T14:32:00.002-04:00

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." ~ Marianne Williamson

Incomplete

2008-03-17T22:21:00.002-04:00

Why are friends, true friends, so hard to find? The one's who are there to help you move. The one's that don't question who you are and just take you as you are. The one's that will drop everything to be there when you're hurting. The one's that share the good times, and the bad. Perhaps it's the fact that true friends share a piece of themselves with each other. A very precious piece that they won't trust to the care of just anyone. True friends know the value of the pieces they share with one another. And while they have given up a piece of them self, the hole has been filled with the others' piece and each remains complete. But if one person takes that piece and throws it away it leaves each incomplete. And once a piece is given it can not be replaced. Maybe that's why friends, true friends, are so hard to find.

Quote

2008-03-17T20:58:00.002-04:00

There's a reason why people say we shouldn't expect too much. No one wants to see someone they care about end up disappointed. We instinctively act to protect our own from being hurt, and do what we can to make the right choices for the people we love. But the reason we have expectations in the first place, is because we want to aim as high as we can. Because when you love some one there's no limit to what you can accomplish. ~ Kyle (KyleXY)

Quote

2008-03-10T21:08:00.002-04:00

The road we travel is unpredictable. Sometimes it's smooth. And sometimes it's filled with bumps. But if we're lucky, we find people to travel with us. Our journey is really a search. A yearning for love and connection. And sometimes it leads us back home. ~Kyle (KyleXY)

2008-03-03T20:47:00.001-05:00

Everybody has to live with their choices. ~ Kyle (KyleXY)

Réaul

2008-03-02T15:55:00.004-05:00

Check em' out. You know you want to.

2008-02-25T21:01:00.003-05:00

Sometimes the simplest way to solve a problem is to be sure you have someone to help you.

2008-02-25T20:57:00.000-05:00

Everybody feels better after a hug.

AMA (against medical advise)

2008-02-22T20:41:00.003-05:00

perhaps it's not the smartest thing i'll ever do... but i've stopped taking all my asthma medications. i have to prove to myself that they really are doing something. cause it sure doesn't seem like it. i hope i haven't made the wrong decision.

New Stores

2008-02-18T21:08:00.010-05:00

I have updated my cafepress stores. Click here to see them all, or just scroll down.

Quote

2008-02-18T21:03:00.002-05:00

Everyone needs someone to protect them once in a while.
~ Kyle (Kyle XY)

The Entertainment Driven Church

2008-02-15T11:01:00.001-05:00

The craziness of church is something we shouldn't have to deal with.

This blog post reflects how I feel about church.

The Entertainment Driven Church

Spring Cleaning

2008-01-29T20:14:00.000-05:00

"Spring cleaning isn't just about sorting through things and getting rid of clutter. It's about taking stock of who you are and how others see you. It's a chance to redefine yourself, to change expectations, and to remember that it is never too late to recapture who you were or to aim for who you want to be." - Kyle (from KyleXY)

Quote

2008-01-14T15:43:00.001-05:00

"It's far easier to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission." ~ Christophe Bisciglia

Réaul EP Release

2007-12-09T16:53:00.000-05:00

My friend's band is finally releasing their debut EP. Check them out at their official website. You can get their music at most of the online music stores like Amazon and iTunes and many others.

Aren't we all doing the same thing?

2007-10-14T14:45:00.000-04:00

King of the Hill Church video

Hank in King of the Hill was disillusioned with his church and looking for a new one.

2007-10-06T21:09:00.001-04:00

You Are 55% Left Brained, 45% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning.
Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others.
If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic.
Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet.

The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility.
Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way.
If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art.
Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

Why the "altar-call" has got to go

2007-10-01T21:21:00.000-04:00

the internet monk hits home again. his discussion of the "altar-call" is the exactly what i have been feeling is wrong with the church i attend. too many false promises.

Abandoning the “Invisible Lifeline”

you go guy!

sick and tired of being sick and tired

2007-09-28T22:57:00.001-04:00

about to give up. don't know how much more of this i can take. everything seems to be setting me off. i can't breathe. using my inhaler constantly. it's been so long since i last felt healthy. i don't remember what it was like. pretty much given up on doctors. everyday i look at all the medications i am taking and wonder if they are really doing anything for me. other than emptying my wallet. people say "we'll pray for your healing" why? it doesn't help. if it did something would have happened a long time ago. god holds no place in my life. you wanna really help? be there when i can't breathe. you don't have to say anything. just be there. let me know that i am not alone. cuz alone and isolated from the world is how i feel. i'm scared to go out for fear of having an attack. i just want this to be over.

worship for the perfect???

2007-09-25T15:58:00.000-04:00

an article by sally morgenthaler that touches a live wire in me about the current state of the church and its take on worship. some quotes that caught my eye...

No sad songs. No angry songs. Songs about desperation, but none about despair. Worship for the perfect. The already arrived. The good-looking, inoffensive, and nice. No wonder the unchurched aren't interested.

the primary meeting place with our unchurched friends is now outside the church building. Worship must finally become, as Paul reminds us, more life than event (Romans 12:1-2).

Can Those with an Invisible Illness Park in the Blue Spots without Others Seeing Red?

2007-08-21T21:00:00.000-04:00

Reposted with permission from www.invisibleillness.com

"Do you know the fine for using someone else's handicapped parking permit is $300?" "That parking spot is saved for the disabled! You should be ashamed of yourself!" Nearly everyone with an invisible illness has been told, "You don't look disabled to me!" One of my friends replied, "Well, you don't look stupid to me." I just bite my lip to try to prevent the tears from forming, broken-hearted that I appear to be deceptive, when I would do anything to give back this parking perk that I use on a rare occasion.

As I circle the parking lot a fourth time on this day I hope for a spot to open up within two-hundred yards of the store, but there is nothing remotely close at this bustling superstore where I need to buy my prescriptions and milk for my toddler. My rheumatoid arthritis is flaring badly, causing extra fluid in my knees to dislocate pieces of loose bones. Every step is painful and unpredictable.

Finally I sigh in resignation and pull into the farthest "blue parking spot." I reach for the placard--the one that has a bold white symbol of a wheelchair--and no, I don't have a wheelchair--yet. So after fifteen years of having this "privilege" at my disposal I still warily scan the area before reluctantly dangling the placard from the rear view mirror. Is there anyone watching, wondering, or waiting, ready to confront me?

I've had scathing notes left on my windshield and many people, empowered by television exposés, have approached me with their opinions. Judgmental expressions and whispers sting just as much. My husband and I adopted a baby and when I would get my child of the car I would avoid eye contact with onlookers because I could hear their whispers of, "She's not disabled! Or--if she is--she has no right to have a child!"

Nearly 1 in 2 Americans (133 million) live with a chronic illness. It could be diabetes, cancer, cystic fibrosis, fibromyalgia or even chronic back pain. Many illnesses make walking long distances impossible because of limited lung capacity, physical pain, or unpredictable numbness in the legs. According to statistics provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, about 96% of these illnesses are invisible. There is no sign of the illness existing, nor the use of an assistive device like a cane or a wheelchair.

I began National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week in 2002, which is held this year Sept 10-16, 2007, after witnessing thousands of people who had frustrations, fears, loneliness, and bitterness, about feeling invalidated. One's illness, age, diagnosis, or level of disease degeneration, doesn't change the emotional pain.

Strangers and loved ones alike doubt the severity of our illness or even the diagnosis. We've heard, "You look so good! You must be feeling better." But we don't feel better. We just bought some fake tan in a bottle and pasted on a smile.

National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week is a time to acknowledge that invisible illness is more prevalent than we'd imagine and everyone--both those who are healthy and ill--can make a difference by encouraging someone with an invisible illness, rather than tearing someone down.

Are those parking spots painted blue because they give so many people the blues? That small area of square footage is a breeding ground for many frustrations as we are forced to defend our illness and character to total strangers. I'd gladly trade in my placard indefinitely for just a week of having my old body back when I could run, sit on the floor, or even hold a fork without tendons popping out of place.

I anticipate the day when a nationally designated system is formed. Texas law states that blue placards are for those who use assistive devices; red permits are for people with a "condition that impairs mobility." In other states, red symbolizes six months of disability and blue is permanent. It's confusing! And for one with invisible illness, the wheelchair symbol discredits both our physical pain and--in the eyes of others--our reputation. Until then, we rely on Invisible Illness Week bumper stickers.

The next time you see a healthy looking man loading groceries into his car--parked in the "blue spot"--don't glare. Stop and offer to help him, or just smile nicely, giving him the benefit of the doubt. Seventy percent of suicides have uncontrollable physical pain as a factor. Your smile may save his life. At the least, it will astonish him, perhaps providing him with genuine encouragement he hasn't felt for months.

Lisa Copen is the founder of National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week, www.invisibleillness.com, and author of "Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend." She is the founder of Rest Ministries which has served the chronically ill with spiritual support for ten years.

Sometimes we need proof that we are not alone in what we face.

2007-08-14T21:07:00.001-04:00

Discontent 2

2007-07-24T23:24:00.000-04:00

Been having a really hard time relating with the people at church. Supposedly God has been moving and everybody's been feeling his presence. Not me. So I've been pretty much avoiding everybody. Couldn't find the words that expressed how I'm feeling but the Internet Monk has got it nailed.

i miss you - internet monk

Peace be with you

2007-07-24T23:15:00.000-04:00

peaceful moment

2007-05-04T11:54:00.000-04:00

Update: His name is Percy.

Newest addition to the family. Yet to be named.

My Stores

2007-05-03T15:33:00.000-04:00

My first and best selling store.

My second store.

My newest store.

And some of my other stores.

Quotes and Snippets

2007-04-15T17:08:00.001-04:00

- … loneliness in my own life doesn’t mean I am a complete screw-up, rather God made me this way.
    ~ Donald Miller, Searching For God Knows What

- It made me wonder, honestly, if such complex existence as the one you are living can really be broken down into a few steps.
    ~ Donald Miller, Searching For God Knows What

- Reality is like a fine wine. It will not appeal to children.
    ~ Donald Miller, Searching For God Knows What

- The times in my life when I have been the most happy haven’t been the times when I’ve had the most money or the most freedom or the most anything, but rather when I’ve been in love or in community or right with people.
    ~ Donald Miller, Searching For God Knows What

- And poetry is a literary tool that has the power to give a person the feeling that he isn’t alone in those emotions, that, though there are no words to describe them, somebody understands.
    ~ Donald Miller, Searching For God Knows What

- … ideas have to sink very deeply into a person’s soul, into their being, before the can effect change…
    ~ Donald Miller, Searching For God Knows What

- It is a rare person who loses himself in the presence of other human beings.
    ~ Donald Miller, Searching For God Knows What

- Jesus built our faith system entirely on relationships.
    ~ Donald Miller, Searching For God Knows What

- It is a powerful occurrence to have somebody look you in the eye and say you are worth something.
    ~ Donald Miller, Searching For God Knows What

- The greatest desire of man is to be known and loved anyway.
    ~ Donald Miller, Searching For God Knows What

- “we understand each other,” another went on to say. “We have a community, a group of people who, because of their own deformities, accept the deformity in others. We are the lucky ones, because we understand that people are only people, that thing you think makes you better that us is an illusion.”
     ~ Donald Miller, Searching For God Knows What

- Love creates rules, and forgives when they are broken.
     ~ Donald Miller, Searching For God Knows What

- When I think of myself as a sheep, looking up at Jesus, who has a staff to rescue me and a rod to comfort me, it makes me feel that this passage (Ps. 23) is quite endearing, that basically I am a simple sheep, having very little idea of what is right and wrong, and Jesus is going to pull me out of the ditches when I screw up, and protect me from spiritual enemies who, roam about like lions.
    ~ Donald Miller, Searching For God Knows What

- The tough thing about Christian Spirituality is, you have to mean things. You can’t just go through the motions or act religious for the wrongs reasons.
    ~ Donald Miller, Searching For God Knows What

- Let’s say you had a friend like Omar who was wondering, and you no longer believed the gospel could be presented accurately using a step-by-step guide with all the beauty of blender instructions, what would you say?
    ~ Donald Miller, Searching For God Knows What

- Everybody, every person, has to leave, has to change like seasons; they have to or they die.
     ~ Donald Miller, Through Painted Deserts

- Everybody has to change, or they expire.
    ~ Donald Miller, Through Painted Deserts

- Everybody has to leave, everybody has to leave their home and come back so they can love it again for all new reasons.
    ~ Donald Miller, Through Painted Deserts

- We are shaped by our experiences. Our perception of joy, fear, pain, and beauty are sharpened or dulled by the way we rub against time.
    ~ Donald Miller, Through Painted Deserts

- I told her of the need to travel, to gain memories, and to be, for a while, completely free.
    ~ Donald Miller, Through Painted Deserts

- I think joy into its coffin; I analyze too much. I don’t want to think about life anymore; I just want to live life.
    ~ Donald Miller, Through Painted Deserts

- Trouble leads to question and question leads to prayer. It’s funny how I usually don’t care about faith until life falls apart, until I find myself in the middle of some kind of jam.
    ~ Donald Miller, Through Painted Deserts

- When with certain people, one is confronted with the notion that life may be much easier than the rest of us believe it is, that most of the things we worry about are not worth worrying about.
    ~ Donald Miller, Through Painted Deserts

- People assume when you’re swimming in a river you are supposed to know which way you are going, and I guess some of the time that is true, but there are certain currents that are very strong, and it’s when we are in those currents we need somebody to come along, pull us out, and guide us in a safer direction.
    ~ Donald Miller, To Own a Dragon

- I was kind of amazed at how much of my time I had spent wandering around, not really knowing what I was doing or where I was going, only wanting random things in a random universe. I don’t know how many months, how many years I spent sitting and watching television, complaining to myself about how boring life was.
    ~ Donald Miller, To Own a Dragon

Letter to a Church-Weary and God-Leery Friend

2007-03-28T23:06:00.001-04:00

Very much my experience as well.
------------------------------------------
This is my experience. This I know to be true:

Deep in our hearts, buried in the core of our internal being, we have a space for the Divine that can only be filled by God. Many theologians and philosophers, artists and writers have said this
before me. I know it to be true from my own journey into the spiritual experience. I hear people talk about it almost daily.

After a lifetime of church-based instruction about God there came a point (when I was ready and not before) when above all else I desired something larger than the teachings about God that I had generously been given by my fellow man; I longed for something greater than someone else's testimony of God. I was tired of knowing things about God but not knowing God. I made a decision to move beyond the beatitudes and platitudes that I had been hand-fed my entire life. I did not need any more answers. I needed God.

So I left the church in search of God. Armed with nothing but a bitter taste in my mouth of what I did not want and a wisp of faith that God was capable of revealing God's true Self to me through whatever means necessary, I launched out on my journey. This was my dark night of the soul; this was my mustard seed genesis that has grown into a tree-sized system of belief and action that governs my every move and decision.

There are many among us, and I was one, who have heads full of the knowledge of what the scriptures say about God, but who have very little sense of what it is to lead a God-surrendered or Spirit-filled life. I was taught much of what I knew about God by people who were quite possibly agnostics; at least they seemed unsure of what they believed when you got them down out of the pulpit where you could touch them, look them in the eye, and ask them questions. I find this to be true today of some of the loudest and most confident-appearing preachers. They seem to be preaching in order to convince themselves to believe. I don't have a problem with this but I do think it's ridiculous to let only one doubter, the one getting paid to be there, do all the talking in church.

Doubts are part of what makes faith authentic. "I believe, now help me with what I don't believe." (Mark 9:24 paraphrased) People who have biblical answers for every situation make me nervous. I prefer to hang out with spiritual seekers who are not uncomfortable with questions and who can laugh at the oldest of the sacred cows. Sacrilegious humor in my opinion is the most soul-cleansing.

Do not worry about the language you use when you seek God. God can handle it. Do not feel as if you must envision the person, the man, or the mystery of Christ for him to become real to you. Instead, let the eyes of your spirit look up to see God in the everyday wonder of life and contemplate whatever goodness you experience. God will meet you there and bring you to the highest forms of truth in God's good time. For the time being, anything that brings you a sense of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control is the Spirit of the Almighty growing new life inside of you. Embrace these with your heart and soul and let your mind fend for itself. God has no difficulty in revealing who God is to those who earnestly seek God.

Let your fears fall from you, especially those that grip your heart and lead you to hold on to temporal and material things. Focus on love and fear will flee. God is love. Fear is self. Spirituality explores the freedoms of God; religion attempts to contain God and control what people think and believe about God. Religion costs money. God, however, is free. Though it may work for you, you don't have to practice a religion to experience God, especially if it has been a source of bondage for you. And while you may have to work through feelings of guilt and shame because of your decision to leave it behind it is not all that difficult to do. As Paul Simon sang back in the 70s,

"...just drop off the key, Lee, and get yourself free."

This is my experience. This I know to be true.

Blessings on your journey with God,
Dan Gilliam
http://dangilliam.net/

Geek Statements

2007-03-13T13:28:00.000-04:00

- You know you're an engineer if you have no life & can prove it mathematically.
- When I want your opinion, I'll beat it out of you.
- We have enough youth. How about a fountain of SMART?
- Time flies when you are sick and psychotic.
- The universe is a figment of its own imagination.
- The ozone layer or cheese in a spray can. Don’t make me choose.
- The box said "Requires Windows 95 or better." So I installed LINUX.
- The beatings will continue until morale improves.
- Quiet - Alpha Geek at work.
- Press any key... no, no, no, not that one!!!
- Preliminary operational tests were inconclusive (the damn thing blew up)
- NEVER, NEVER question the GEEKS.
- NEVER, BUT NEVER question the ENGINEERS judgment.
- Make it idiot-proof, and someone will make a better idiot.
- If we aren't supposed to eat animals, why are they made of meat?
- I PROCESS, therefore I am.
- I don’t know what your problem is, but I'll bet its hard to pronounce.
- I can’t be fired, slaves are sold.
- Honesty is the best policy, but insanity is a better defense.
- ERROR: Keyboard not attached. Press F-1 to continue.
- Enter any 11-digit prime number to continue...
- Department of Redundancy Department.
- Deja Moo: The feeling you've heard this bullshit before.
- Dain bramaged
- Chaos! Panic! Disaster! (My work here is done)
- C:\WINDOWS C:\WINDOWS\GO C:\PC\CRAWL
- Blessed are the Geeks, for they shall internet the earth.
- Alcohol & calculus don't mix. Never drink & derive.
- 90% of being smart is knowing what you're dumb at.

Walls...

2007-03-12T19:09:00.000-04:00

Walls... they’re everywhere. They define us, limit us. We can try to go around them, or break through them, or give up and let them close us in. But every once in a while, if we’re lucky, someone opens a door, and then it’s up to us to have the courage to walk thru.
~Harry Dresden (The Dresden Files)

Photos

2007-02-26T12:55:00.000-05:00

Some pictures I've taken in Chicago and for Réaul that are up on my Flickr account.

GryphonPhoto

Quit and See What Happens

2007-01-19T12:40:00.000-05:00

Take a break from “church.” We all need to.

quit-and-see-what-happens

SINGING WITH THE LUTHERANS by Garrison Keillor

2006-10-30T11:21:00.000-05:00

I have made fun of Lutherans for years - who wouldn't, if you lived in Minnesota? But I have also sung with Lutherans and that is one of the main joys of life, along with hot baths and fresh sweet corn.

We make fun of Lutherans for their blandness, their excessive calm, their fear of giving offense, their lack of speed and also for their secret fondness for macaroni and cheese. But nobody sings like them. If you ask an audience in New York City, a relatively Lutheranless place, to sing along on the chorus of Michael Row the Boat Ashore, they will look daggers at you as if you had asked them to strip to their underwear. But if you do this among Lutherans they'll smile and row that boat ashore and up on the beach! And down the road! Lutherans are bred from childhood to sing in four-part harmony. It's a talent that comes from sitting on the lap of someone singing alto or tenor or bass and hearing the harmonic intervals by putting your little head against that person's rib cage. It's natural for Lutherans to sing in harmony. We're too modest to be soloists, too worldly to sing in unison. When you're singing in the key of C and you slide into the A7th and D7th chords, all two hundred of you, it's an emotionally fulfilling moment.

I once sang the bass line of Children of the Heavenly Father in a room with about three thousand Lutherans in it; and when we finished, we all had tears in our eyes, partly from the promise that God will not forsake us, partly from the proximity of all those lovely voices. By our joining in harmony, we somehow promise that we will not forsake each other. I do believe this: People, these Lutherans, who love to sing in four-part harmony are the sort of people you could call up when you're in deep distress. If you're dying, they'll comfort you. If you're lonely, they'll talk to you. And if you're hungry, they'll give you tuna salad!

The following list was compiled by a 20th century Lutheran who, observing other Lutherans, wrote down exactly what he saw or heard:

1. Lutherans believe in prayer, but would practically die if asked to pray out loud.
2. Lutherans like to sing, except when confronted with a new hymn or a hymn with more than four stanzas.
3. Lutherans believe their pastors will visit them in the hospital, even if they don't notify them that they are there.
4. Lutherans usually follow the official liturgy and will feel it is their way of suffering for their sins.
5. Lutherans believe in miracles and even expect miracles, especially during their stewardship visitation programs or when passing the plate.
6. Lutherans feel that applauding for their children's choirs would make the kids too proud and conceited.
7. Lutherans think that the Bible forbids them from crossing the aisle while passing the peace.
8. Lutherans drink coffee as if it were the Third Sacrament.
9. Some Lutherans still believe that an ELCA bride and an LCMS groom make for a mixed marriage.
10. Lutherans feel guilty for not staying to clean up after their own wedding reception in the Fellowship Hall.
11. Lutherans are willing to pay up to one dollar for a meal at church.
12. Lutherans think that Garrison Keillor stories are totally factual.
13. Lutherans still serve Jell-O in the proper liturgical color of the season and think that peas in a tuna noodle casserole adds too much color.
14. Lutherans believe that it is OK to poke fun at themselves and never take themselves too seriously.
15. you know when you're a Lutheran when: It's 100 degrees, with 90% humidity, and you still have coffee after the service.
16. You hear something really funny during the sermon and smile as loudly as you can!
17. Donuts are a line item in the church budget, just like coffee.
18. The communion cabinet is open to all, but the coffee cabinet is locked up tight.
19. All your relatives graduated from a school named Concordia.
20. When you watch a "Star Wars" movie and they say, May the Force be with you, you respond, "and also with you".
21. You actually understand those folks from Lake Wobegon, MN.
22. And lastly, it takes ten minutes to say good-bye...

Ten Thoughts to Ponder for 2006

2006-10-20T14:01:00.000-04:00

Number 10
Life is sexually transmitted.
Number 9
Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.
Number 8
Men have two emotions: Hungry and Horny. If you see him without an erection, make him a sandwich.
Number 7
Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks.
Number 6
Some people are like a Slinky.....not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.
Number 5
Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.
Number 4
All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to
criticism.
Number 3
Why does a slight tax increase cost you two hundred dollars and a substantial tax cut saves you thirty cents?
Number 2
In the 60s, people took acid to make the world weird. Now The world is
weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.
AND THE NUMBER 1 THOUGHT FOR 2006:
We know exactly where one cow with Mad-cow-disease is located among the millions and millions of cows in America but we haven't got a clue as to where thousands of illegal immigrants and terrorists are located. Maybe we should put the Department of Agriculture in charge of immigration.

Thought of the day

2006-10-09T11:58:00.000-04:00

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
- Anais Nin

Summer is Over

2006-09-11T23:33:00.000-04:00

summer is over
an end to sitting on the fence
a voice beneath your certainties
shakes the settled patterns
like a colder breeze that heralds distant winter

strange lands lie waiting
beyond your southern horizon
summer is over,
and you must go or perish
here in a world no longer yours
or on the way, but in hope
your star and compass often dark
glimpsed briefly between clouds

at journey's end, another summer
not like the first one
new seeds, new fruit to refresh the migrant
burnt by life between summers
warmed for a season
until the north calls again

like the inner call of the migrating bird, where does god call you?
where is your bird migrating to?
what do you want to do for god?
what do you need along the way?

from smallritual

Discontent

2006-08-08T20:30:00.000-04:00

Been thinking about a lot of things lately. Things haven’t felt right. I’ve been feeling out of place, like I don’t belong, at work and at church and I don’t know why. I’ve thought about trying to find a new job, in a new place. I’ve thought about leaving church. But I think what it all boils down to is discontent. Discontent means I am unhappy with a choice that I made. Whether it was that I chose the wrong job, or the wrong place to live or that I need one more thing. All the shoulda, woulda, coulda, what ifs. If I really believe all that my heart knows, I would know that the only choice in the world that should matter to me is that God chose me. If I was secure in my beliefs, I would be content with just knowing that He chose me. But I live in a fallen world that has brought me down to it’s materialistic level.

I’ve set aside some time coming up to actually try to think things through. Don’t really know what I expect to find. I’m praying for direction in my life. Right now I’m just really confused. Do I want to keep doing what I’m doing or do I want to try something new? Do I really want to move? Do I really want to leave the church? I have no idea what I want. How can I figure it out? What I feel is that this can’t be all there is to life. How does one find meaning in life?

Q&A on the emerging church

2006-07-20T11:23:00.000-04:00

is the emerging church just a temporary phenomenon of a particular social subgroup [middle class, hip] rather than anything more universally applicable?

emerging church is happening in the part of society that questions and generates culture in all fields, not just church. many emerging church people are professional culture-changers bringing their external skills to bear on church. hence the perception that emerging church is 'hip' - hip means skill in cultural manipulation. it's to be expected that the drive for cultural change in the church should come from such people, rather than the parts of society who simply accept the culture they're given.

that's why, when you apply the method - when you open up a free space for contributions - you get these people. they're the ones who want to experiment and change things. they're the ones who actually want to use such a space, and understand where it might lead.

taken from smallritual

A new way to ask for prayer

2006-05-25T09:04:00.000-04:00

Thought this was an interesting site. A simple way to ask for prayer. Thinking that I can use this in some way if we do another liquid gathering.

www.prayersquare.org

Learning

2006-04-28T15:01:00.000-04:00

We do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard.

Help desk

2006-03-17T13:56:00.000-05:00

This has got to be one of the funniest I've heard of in a long time. I think this guy should have been promoted, not fired. This is a true story from the WordPerfect Helpline which was transcribed from a recording monitoring the customer care department. Needless to say, the Help Desk employee was fired however, he is currently suing the WordPerfect organization for "Termination without Cause." This is the actual dialogue of a former WordPerfect Customer Support employee (now I know why they record these conversations) HD=Help Desk, C=caller

HD: "Rich Hall computer assistance; may I help you?"
C: "Yes, well, I'm having trouble with WordPerfect."
HD: "What sort of trouble?"
C: "Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away."
HD: "Went away?"
C: "They disappeared."
HD: "Hmmm. So what does your screen look like now?"
C: "Nothing."
HD: "Nothing?
C: It's a blank; it won' t accept anything when I type."
HD: "Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out?"
C: "How do I tell?"
HD: "Can you see the C: prompt on the screen?"
C: "What is a sea prompt?
HD: "Never mind, can you move your cursor around the screen?"
C: "There isn't any cursor: I told you, it won't accept anything I type."
HD: "Does your monitor have a power indicator?"
C: "What's a monitor?"
HD: "It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV. Does it have little light that tells you when it's on?"
C: "I don't know."
HD: "Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it. Can you see that?"
C: "Yes, I think so."
HD: "Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's plugged into the wall."
C: "Yes, it is."
HD: "When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one?"
C: "No."
HD: "Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other cable."
C: "Okay, here it is."
HD: "Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely into the back of your computer."
C: "I can't reach."
HD: "Uh huh. Well, can you see if it is?"
C: "No."
HD: "Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over?"
C: "Oh, it's not because I don't have the right angle it's because it's dark."
HD: "Dark?"
C: "Yes - the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window."
HD: "Well, turn on the office light then."
C: "I can't."
HD: "No? Why not?"
C: "Because there's a power failure."
HD: "A power.......a power failure?.... Aha, Okay, we've got it licked now. Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff your computer came in?"
C: "Well, yes, I keep them in the closet."
HD: "Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from."
C: "Really? Is it that bad?"
HD: "Yes, I'm afraid it is."
C: "Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?"
HD: "Tell them you're too stupid to own a computer."

Just wondering...

2006-03-15T10:45:00.000-05:00

Came across this on Jonny Baker's blog. I'm wondering how many people can answer yes to these questions. I know I can. Post a comment. I'd like to see what kind of response this will get.

You love God but you just can't do Sunday morning style church?
You're really not into singing songs all the time or you don't believe that singing songs is the only way we can worship God?
You would like to be part of a church where you are accountable to each other and are responsible for helping each other grow?
You're tired of professional Christianity and you just want to be church like it was with Jesus and his followers back in his human days?
You believe Church is more fluid than a building or tradition.

Quote

2006-02-28T07:33:00.000-05:00

"Whatever you are, be a good one." - Abraham Lincoln

Why?

2006-02-21T20:05:00.000-05:00

I'm not doing well. I'm afraid that I'll do something that I'll regret. The "dark night of the soul" is here. Will it ever end? I can't see the light.

God help me!

Expectations

2006-02-10T22:48:00.000-05:00

I find that trust changes people. They become what you tell them you expect. Likewise, you become what you expect of yourself.

As a human being, you are a collection of many things: skin, bones, brains, experience and emotion. But more than all of that, you are your expectations. That’s why I choose to be an optimist.
- Scott Adams (from the Dilbert Blog)

Bono's sermon

2006-02-08T13:45:00.000-05:00

it's long, but well worth the read- transcript courtesy of sojourners.

Bono's best sermon yet: Remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast

If you're wondering what I'm doing here, at a prayer breakfast, well, so am I. I'm certainly not here as a man of the cloth, unless that cloth is leather. It's certainly not because I'm a rock star. Which leaves one possible explanation: I'm here because I've got a messianic complex.
Yes, it's true. And for anyone who knows me, it's hardly a revelation.
Well, I'm the first to admit that there's something unnatural...something unseemly...about rock stars mounting the pulpit and preaching at presidents, and then disappearing to their villas in the south of France. Talk about a fish out of water. It was weird enough when Jesse Helms showed up at a U2 concert...but this is really weird, isn't it?
You know, one of the things I love about this country is its separation of church and state. Although I have to say: in inviting me here, both church and state have been separated from something else completely: their mind.
Mr. President, are you sure about this?
It's very humbling and I will try to keep my homily brief. But be warned - I'm Irish.
I'd like to talk about the laws of man, here in this city where those laws are written. And I'd like to talk about higher laws. It would be great to assume that the one serves the other; that the laws of man serve these higher laws...but of course, they don't always. And I presume that, in a sense, is why you're here.
I presume the reason for this gathering is that all of us here - Muslims, Jews, Christians - all are searching our souls for how to better serve our family, our community, our nation, our God.
I know I am. Searching, I mean. And that, I suppose, is what led me here, too.
Yes, it's odd, having a rock star here - but maybe it's odder for me than for you. You see, I avoided religious people most of my life. Maybe it had something to do with having a father who was Protestant and a mother who was Catholic in a country where the line between the two was, quite literally, a battle line. Where the line between church and state was...well, a little blurry, and hard to see.
I remember how my mother would bring us to chapel on Sundays... and my father used to wait outside. One of the things that I picked up from my father and my mother was the sense that religion often gets in the way of God.
For me, at least, it got in the way. Seeing what religious people, in the name of God, did to my native land...and in this country, seeing God's second-hand car salesmen on the cable TV channels, offering indulgences for cash...in fact, all over the world, seeing the self-righteousness roll down like a mighty stream from certain corners of the religious establishment...
I must confess, I changed the channel. I wanted my MTV.
Even though I was a believer.
Perhaps because I was a believer.
I was cynical...not about God, but about God's politics. (There you are, Jim.)
Then, in 1997, a couple of eccentric, septuagenarian British Christians went and ruined my shtick - my reproachfulness. They did it by describing the millennium, the year 2000, as a Jubilee year, as an opportunity to cancel the chronic debts of the world's poorest people. They had the audacity to renew the Lord's call - and were joined by Pope John Paul II, who, from an Irish half-Catholic's point of view, may have had a more direct line to the Almighty.
'Jubilee' - why 'Jubilee'?
What was this year of Jubilee, this year of our Lord's favor?
I'd always read the scriptures, even the obscure stuff. There it was in Leviticus (25:35)...
'If your brother becomes poor,' the scriptures say, 'and cannot maintain himself...you shall maintain him.... You shall not lend him your money at interest, not give him your food for profit.'
It is such an important idea, Jubilee, that Jesus begins his ministry with this. Jesus is a young man, he's met with the rabbis, impressed everyone, people are talking. The elders say, he's a clever guy, this Jesus, but he hasn't done much...yet. He hasn't spoken in public before...
When he does, is first words are from Isaiah: 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,' he says, 'because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.' And Jesus proclaims the year of the Lord's favour, the year of Jubilee (Luke 4:18).
What he was really talking about was an era of grace - and we're still in it.
So fast-forward 2,000 years. That same thought, grace, was made incarnate - in a movement of all kinds of people. It wasn't a bless-me club... it wasn't a holy huddle. These religious guys were willing to get out in the streets, get their boots dirty, wave the placards, follow their convictions with actions...making it really hard for people like me to keep their distance. It was amazing. I almost started to like these church people.
But then my cynicism got another helping hand.
It was what Colin Powell, a five-star general, called the greatest W.M.D. of them all: a tiny little virus called AIDS. And the religious community, in large part, missed it. The ones that didn't miss it could only see it as divine retribution for bad behaviour. Even on children...even [though the] fastest growing group of HIV infections were married, faithful women.
Aha, there they go again! I thought to myself judgmentalism is back!
But in truth, I was wrong again. The church was slow but the church got busy on this the leprosy of our age.
Love was on the move.
Mercy was on the move.
God was on the move.
Moving people of all kinds to work with others they had never met, never would have cared to meet...conservative church groups hanging out with spokesmen for the gay community, all singing off the same hymn sheet on AIDS...soccer moms and quarterbacks...hip-hop stars and country stars. This is what happens when God gets on the move: crazy stuff happens!
Popes were seen wearing sunglasses!
Jesse Helms was seen with a ghetto blaster!
Crazy stuff. Evidence of the spirit.
It was breathtaking. Literally. It stopped the world in its tracks.
When churches started demonstrating on debt, governments listened - and acted. When churches starting organising, petitioning, and even - that most unholy of acts today, God forbid, lobbying...on AIDS and global health, governments listened - and acted.
I'm here today in all humility to say: you changed minds; you changed policy; you changed the world.
Look, whatever thoughts you have about God, who He is or if He exists, most will agree that if there is a God, He has a special place for the poor. In fact, the poor are where God lives.
Check Judaism. Check Islam. Check pretty much anyone.
I mean, God may well be with us in our mansions on the hill. I hope so. He may well be with us as in all manner of controversial stuff. Maybe, maybe not. But the one thing we can all agree, all faiths and ideologies, is that God is with the vulnerable and poor.
God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them. "If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom with become like midday and the Lord will continually guide you and satisfy your desire in scorched places."
It's not a coincidence that in the scriptures, poverty is mentioned more than 2,100 times. It's not an accident. That's a lot of air time, 2,100 mentions. (You know, the only time Christ is judgmental is on the subject of the poor.) 'As you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me' (Matthew 25:40). As I say, good news to the poor.
Here's some good news for the president. After 9/11 we were told America would have no time for the world's poor. America would be taken up with its own problems of safety. And it's true these are dangerous times, but America has not drawn the blinds and double-locked the doors.
In fact, you have doubled aid to Africa. You have tripled funding for global health. Mr. President, your emergency plan for AIDS relief and support for the Global Fund - you and Congress - have put 700,000 people onto life-saving anti-retroviral drugs and provided 8 million bed nets to protect children from malaria.
Outstanding human achievements. Counterintuitive. Historic. Be very, very proud.
But here's the bad news. From charity to justice, the good news is yet to come. There is much more to do. There's a gigantic chasm between the scale of the emergency and the scale of the response.
And finally, it's not about charity after all, is it? It's about justice.
Let me repeat that: It's not about charity, it's about justice.
And that's too bad.
Because you're good at charity. Americans, like the Irish, are good at it. We like to give, and we give a lot, even those who can't afford it.
But justice is a higher standard. Africa makes a fool of our idea of justice; it makes a farce of our idea of equality. It mocks our pieties, it doubts our concern, it questions our commitment.
Sixty-five hundred Africans are still dying every day of a preventable, treatable disease, for lack of drugs we can buy at any drug store. This is not about charity, this is about justice and equality.
Because there's no way we can look at what's happening in Africa and, if we're honest, conclude that deep down, we really accept that Africans are equal to us. Anywhere else in the world, we wouldn't accept it. Look at what happened in South East Asia with the tsunami. 150,000 lives lost to that misnomer of all misnomers, "mother nature." In Africa, 150,000 lives are lost every month. A tsunami every month. And it's a completely avoidable catastrophe.
It's annoying but justice and equality are mates. Aren't they? Justice always wants to hang out with equality. And equality is a real pain.
You know, think of those Jewish sheep-herders going to meet the Pharaoh, mud on their shoes, and the Pharaoh says, "Equal?" A preposterous idea: rich and poor are equal? And they say, "Yeah, 'equal,' that's what it says here in this book. We're all made in the image of God."
And eventually the Pharaoh says, "OK, I can accept that. I can accept the Jews - but not the blacks."
"Not the women. Not the gays. Not the Irish. No way, man."
So on we go with our journey of equality.
On we go in the pursuit of justice.
We hear that call in the ONE Campaign, a growing movement of more than 2 million Americans...Left and Right together... united in the belief that where you live should no longer determine whether you live.
We hear that call even more powerfully today, as we mourn the loss of Coretta Scott King - mother of a movement for equality, one that changed the world but is only just getting started. These issues are as alive as they ever were; they just change shape and cross the seas.
Preventing the poorest of the poor from selling their products while we sing the virtues of the free market...that's a justice issue. Holding children to ransom for the debts of their grandparents...that's a justice issue. Withholding life-saving medicines out of deference to the Office of Patents...that's a justice issue.
And while the law is what we say it is, God is not silent on the subject.
That's why I say there's the law of the land¿. And then there is a higher standard. There's the law of the land, and we can hire experts to write them so they benefit us, so the laws say it's OK to protect our agriculture but it's not OK for African farmers to do the same, to earn a living?
As the laws of man are written, that's what they say.
God will not accept that.
Mine won't, at least. Will yours?
[pause]
I close this morning on...very...thin...ice.
This is a dangerous idea I've put on the table: my God vs. your God, their God vs. our God...vs. no God. It is very easy, in these times, to see religion as a force for division rather than unity.
And this is a town - Washington - that knows something of division.
But the reason I am here, and the reason I keep coming back to Washington, is because this is a town that is proving it can come together on behalf of what the scriptures call the least of these.
This is not a Republican idea. It is not a Democratic idea. It is not even, with all due respect, an American idea. Nor it is unique to any one faith.
'Do to others as you would have them do to you' (Luke 6:30). Jesus says that.
'Righteousness is this: that one should...give away wealth out of love for him to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and the beggars and for the emancipation of the captives.' The Koran says that (2.177).
Thus sayeth the Lord: 'Bring the homeless poor into the house, when you see the naked, cover him, then your light will break out like the dawn and your recovery will speedily spring fourth, then your Lord will be your rear guard.' The Jewish scripture says that. Isaiah 58 again.
That is a powerful incentive: 'The Lord will watch your back.' Sounds like a good deal to me, right now.
A number of years ago, I met a wise man who changed my life. In countless ways, large and small, I was always seeking the Lord's blessing. I was saying, you know, I have a new song, look after it. I have a family, please look after them. I have this crazy idea...
And this wise man said: stop.
He said, stop asking God to bless what you're doing.
Get involved in what God is doing - because it's already blessed.
Well, God, as I said, is with the poor. That, I believe, is what God is doing.
And that is what he's calling us to do.
I was amazed when I first got to this country and I learned how much some churchgoers tithe. Up to 10% of the family budget. Well, how does that compare with the federal budget, the budget for the entire American family? How much of that goes to the poorest people in the world? Less than 1%.
Mr. President, Congress, people of faith, people of America:
I want to suggest to you today that you see the flow of effective foreign assistance as tithing.... Which, to be truly meaningful, will mean an additional 1% of the federal budget tithed to the poor.
What is 1%?
1% is not merely a number on a balance sheet.
1% is the girl in Africa who gets to go to school, thanks to you. 1% is the AIDS patient who gets her medicine, thanks to you. 1% is the African entrepreneur who can start a small family business thanks to you. 1% is not redecorating presidential palaces or money flowing down a rat hole. This 1% is digging waterholes to provide clean water.
1% is a new partnership with Africa, not paternalism toward Africa, where increased assistance flows toward improved governance and initiatives with proven track records and away from boondoggles and white elephants of every description.
America gives less than 1% now. We're asking for an extra 1% to change the world. to transform millions of lives - but not just that and I say this to the military men now - to transform the way that they see us.
1% is national security, enlightened economic self-interest, and a better, safer world rolled into one. Sounds to me that in this town of deals and compromises, 1% is the best bargain around.
These goals - clean water for all; school for every child; medicine for the afflicted, an end to extreme and senseless poverty - these are not just any goals; they are the Millennium Development goals, which this country supports. And they are more than that. They are the Beatitudes for a globalised world.
Now, I'm very lucky. I don't have to sit on any budget committees. And I certainly don't have to sit where you do, Mr. President. I don't have to make the tough choices.
But I can tell you this:
To give 1% more is right. It's smart. And it's blessed.
There is a continent - Africa - being consumed by flames.
I truly believe that when the history books are written, our age will be remembered for three things: the war on terror, the digital revolution, and what we did - or did not to - to put the fire out in Africa.
History, like God, is watching what we do.
Thank you. Thank you, America, and God bless you all.

What Small Groups Should Be...

2006-02-01T15:12:00.000-05:00

and never seem to become.

Awakening to Life . . .

In one of the most stunning statements ever made, Jesus extended this invitation to those who would follow him: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10.10). Take a look around many modern churches, though, and the signs of life, of authentic, vibrant, eternal kind of living, seem few and far between. For all the talk of freedom and abundance, of peace like a river and joy overflowing, we see precious little of it, to be completely honest.

Like kids invited to a holiday at the beach, only to arrive and discover an old sandbox with a puddle of mud, we plunge into the Christian journey with high hopes and expectations. But as we experience the brutal grind of everyday life and the grim realities of Churchianity, somewhere along the way our hopes are dashed. Too often, we find ourselves looking around at one another, thinking “Is this as good as it gets?”

And we lose heart… literally. We should know that in our broken and fallen world our hearts, the home of God’s Spirit, the source of Life, are constantly under attack. They are easily (and frequently) wounded through others’ acts of selfishness, betrayal, and neglect; through our own foolish attempts to find life apart from God; or simply when life does not go as we hoped it would. Under such assault, our heart’s tendency is to shut down, numb out, fake it, to harden and stay hidden, “under wraps” from God and others.

Jesus contrasts his life-giving mission with the life-draining goal of our enemy, the thief who “comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” Yes, keeping our heart free and alive, re-awakening it to the extravagant love of God and others, will be an ongoing battle. And you dare not go it alone. Like Jesus, you need others for the journey ahead.

Waking Up . . . [to the battle of your life]

John Eldredge notes that “Jesus didn’t march around backed by hundreds of followers… He had twelve men, knuckleheads, every last one of them, but they were a band of brothers. This is the way of the kingdom of God. Though we are part of a great company, we are meant to live in little platoons. The little companies we form must be small enough for each of the members to know one another as friends and allies” [excerpted from Waking the Dead].

Perhaps you attend an alternative service on Sundays. That’s great. Hopefully, you recognize some familiar faces each week and enjoy several acquaintances. But ask yourself a moment: Who here really knows you?

The real you? The uncensored you?

The deepest parts of you where your true feelings, your fears and hopes, your deepest longings and desires are buried? “Is it possible for 5,000 people who gather for an hour on a Sunday morning to really and truly know each other?” asks Eldredge. “Okay, how about 500? 180? It can’t be done. They can’t possibly be intimate allies. It can be inspiring and encouraging to celebrate with a big ol’ crowd of people, but who will fight for your heart?

Who will fight for your heart?”

Seriously, who? Who are you in relationship with for the exclusive purpose of “staying alive” at the heart level? Who is fighting alongside you to take hold of that “life to the full” described by Jesus? Here’s another question to consider: Who are you fighting for? You didn’t think we’re getting together just to “play church,” did you?

Small groups should invite folks to reject disconnected, self-sufficient living and enter into dynamic community and band together in this epic battle for “life to the full”, the life of the deep heart that is fully free, fully alive to the love of God.

Growing Together . . . [in authentic community]

Groups where… brave and transparent people who know the real you, the wounds you carry, the strengths you bear, and lock arms as fellow warriors, refusing to let you struggle by yourself any longer.

Groups where … vulnerable and courageous people who know your heart, the scars it bears, the beauty it holds, and come alongside you as friends eager for your glory as God’s child to be unveiled.

To know, and be known—by God and others—it’s our deepest longing…
and it should be the central purpose of small groups.

Church is not a building, nor is it simply an event that takes place on Sundays. “When Scripture talks about church, it means community,” writes Eldredge. “The little fellowships of the heart that are outposts of the kingdom. A shared life… Whatever else you do, you must have a small fellowship to walk with you and fight with you and bandage your wounds. …Within a small fellowship, we hear each other’s stories. We discover each other’s glories. We learn to walk with God together. We pray for each other’s healing. We cover each other’s back. This small core fellowship is the essential ingredient for the Christian life. Jesus modeled it to us for a reason. Sure, he spoke to the masses. But he lived in a little platoon, a small fellowship of friends and allies. His followers took his example and lived this way too: ‘They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts…’ (Acts 2:46).”

Small Groups should be the place to connect with “intimate allies,” not just acquaintances or casual friends. The should pursue aggressive spiritual growth with trusted allies, people who know our hearts, and are for our hearts. Where we take risks and “work out” our faith with fear and trembling… together.

Opening the Heart . . . [to transformation]

Small groups should be much more than your average Bible study or a place to simply acquire more facts and information about God. As Eldredge observes: “Most small groups are anything but redemptive powerhouses because, while the wineskin might be the right size, they don’t have the right wine. You can do some study till you’re blue in the face, and it won’t heal the brokenhearted or set the captives free. We come; we learn; we leave. It is not enough. Those hearts remain buried, broken, untouched, unknown. It is the Way of the Heart … that turns a small fellowship into a redemptive community.”

The goal of small groups should be the radical change and re-shaping of your heart.

Rather than just acquiring more facts about God, or learning more stuff to tell others about Jesus, the goal is to learn how to be Jesus to one another. Taking the conversation out of the realm of the merely theoretical, groups should be designed to be highly experiential! In small groups, we should be practicing opening more and more of ourselves to God and others, and learn to live in the rhythms of grace.

The kind of “heart change” these small groups are aiming for does not come naturally, nor easily. Small Groups should be designed to be safe places where brokenness is welcomed and grace is dispensed. Where group members are encouraged to take increasing risks of emotional vulnerability, over time revealing more and more of our true selves. This is accomplished by speaking the honest emotional truth about ourselves, as hard as this may be to speak, giving voice to the struggles we face, the temptations we battle, the fears we wrestle with, and the often confusing whispers we hear inside.

We ought to believe that God Himself delights in this kind of “truth telling” and uses it to do in us what we can’t accomplish in our own strength, to change, grow, mature, as grace replaces shame in our lives, and truth replaces lies we’ve believed about ourselves, God, and others. More than anything, in small groups, we should love to laugh and celebrate every milestone reached and every step taken toward “heart freedom” no matter how hesitant or halting it may be.

(adapted from http://www.liquidnj.com/TC_info.htm)

One Wish

2006-01-24T15:47:00.000-05:00

If I could have one wish, it would be to be gone from this world. I’ve decided that nothing is worth living through the hell I am in. I know that I have good days every now and again. But they are soooo far apart that I can no longer remember what it was like to be truly at peace. “Have faith” “Pray more” “I’ll pray for you” “I’ll pray with you” I’m sick of hearing that over and over. It never helps. I’ve given up acting okay. It’s too much work. But I’ve acted okay for so long I no longer know who I really am. Nobody would miss me anyway.

Help me earn money to go to a conference.

2005-11-23T10:04:00.000-05:00

Please buy my stuff so I can go to an arts conference at Willow Creek in June 2006.
http://www.cafepress.com/bluedogart

Thankful Quote

2005-11-21T10:17:00.000-05:00

"Animals are reliable, many full of love, true in their affections, predictable in their actions, grateful and loyal. Difficult standards for people to live up to."
-Alfred A. Montapert

Thought on thanks

2005-11-12T17:02:00.000-05:00

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the
highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by
them. -John Fitzgerald Kennedy

I wanna be a slacker

2005-11-11T08:09:00.000-05:00

Being responsible sucks. Slackers have free time and are never asked to do anything extra, because no one expects anything from them. If you are responsible people always ask you to do more and more. And you never get anything out of it. Okay you do get one thing, more stress. Is it worth the work? I don’t want to be responsible anymore.

What's the point?

2005-11-07T22:21:00.000-05:00

“What’s The Point?”
What’s the point of wishing?
When wishes never come true
What’s the point of striving?
When I’ll never make it through
What’s the point of dreaming?
When all of my dreams fail
What’s the point of searching?
When I’ll never find the trail
What’s the point of living?
When everyone wants me to leave
What’s the point of hoping?
When I have no reasons to believe
What’s the point of pretending?
When all I can do is cry
What’s the point of breathing?
When I just want to die
What’s the point of living?
When no one wants me hear
What’s the point of smiling?
When you can still see my tears
What’s the point of me?
When memories fade away
What’s the point of staying?
When I can’t take another day
What’s the point of this race?
When I’ll never see the end
What’s the point of praying?
When you’ll never be my friend
~by depressedsoul
(found at http://www.4degreez.com/poetry/16065/1083431562.html )

What do I believe?

2005-11-07T21:58:00.000-05:00

I’ve been thinking a lot about what I believe. Someone recently asked the question, how many people have I led to Christ. I can honestly say none. Is that wrong? It’s never been an issue for me and yet now I have to answer for what others see as my seemingly wasted life. Personally I think that it is a religious thing. My background is Lutheran but I currently attend a Pentecostal church where this has recently become an issue. I am not comfortable with this. What I believe is that we can’t save ourselves, therefore we can’t lead anyone to Christ. Sure you can share the gospel and inform people of what God did for us. But the act of “Saving” is strictly one that only God alone can do. All we can do is accept His gift and in return love and follow Him.

I’ve also been thinking a lot about my role in the church. And why do we even have church? It seems like it’s just a big exclusive club. Worst of all, I wouldn’t want to bring any of my friends (not that I have any) to the church I currently attend*. There isn’t anything to be a part of other than the inner workings of the church. We have no outreach, to anyone. We just think we do. I’m thinking about leaving. But that won’t happen as they’ll never let me go peacefully.

I’m tired and depressed, so good night dark world.

(*I don’t mean to offend anyone who is part of the church I attend. So if you happen to know me, and my church, and are reading this, please understand that I am just being honest about what I feel.)

Day 8 - Ceramics

2005-10-26T08:59:00.000-05:00

Cool plate that I made. Glaze came out totally different than I expceted.

My first time throwing on the wheel.
Cj's vase that she gave me. I glazed it for her. I didn't expect that she would give it to me.

2005-10-26T08:56:00.000-05:00

Cool red abstract piece. Hand formed.

even more

2005-10-26T08:54:00.000-05:00

This was the second pot that I did on the wheel. The teacher helped (did 90%) of it. The sprial in the bottom is kinda cool.

Day 7

2005-10-25T10:06:00.000-05:00

I’ve missed a few days of posting. But there hasn’t been anything to post about. Wondering if God will really surprise me in the next 30 days. Last few days have been dull. Wishing I had someone to talk to. I feel so alone.

Day 4 - Hillsong/Joyce Meyer

2005-10-22T20:14:00.000-05:00

Today’s surprise happened at a Hillsong/Joyce Meyers Conference in Indianapolis. Brian Houston is so cool. Too bad so few people know about him here in the States. (I could have skipped Joyce Meyers.) The surprise had nothing to do with anything anyone preached on. I was a little ADD during the praise and worship set and was looking around at everything else. What caught my eye was the fact that the tech person putting up the words to the songs, was having problems keeping up with where the band was going. Why, I’m sure your wondering, was that something God would show me? I do the same thing at my church. I was cool for me in that I got to see that even the big boys have oops. I’ve been having a hard time not panicking, and kicking myself, when stuff goes awry during service. I know that God doesn’t expect perfection, only my best. But sometimes I can spend a lot of time beating myself up for small things no one else probably even noticed. I’ve been working on dealing with that a lot lately.

Another surprise happened when we broke for lunch. There was a lady in front of is line that asked where I was from. (I was local to this event.) She had driven 3 and a half hours from Chicago to come to this conference and was with someone that had driven over 7. She said that she talked to someone else that was from Chicago, only to discover that they knew someone in common. It was one of those “it’s a small world” moments.

It’s been a long day and I need to be up early tomorrow. So it’s off to bed I go.

Day 3

2005-10-21T21:13:00.000-05:00

Nothing of note today. Did get an interesting quote though.
“Attitude is 90% of your DAY it will make it or break it.”

Only surprise today was find out I have extra work to do for service Sunday. Yippee. Not.

Day 2 - Gray Daze

2005-10-20T21:57:00.000-05:00

“Surprise me, God.” 3 unassuming words and yet so dangerous. Nothing of great note. Today has been a whirlwind of emotions. Got up and was running late as usual. Got to work only to deal with a never ending pile of paper work. Did get it 90 percent done today. Started it yesterday. Highlight of the morning was an unplanned run to Starbucks. I can’t stand coffee, but if you can get them to make a steamer right, the Pumpkin Spice latte is to die for. They got it right this morning. So I figured I’d give another shot tonight before I ran to church for a meeting. They screwed it up. Coffee, yuck. And a venti to boot. Some day I’ll learn to drink it before I leave the store. Wouldn’t have helped tonight though. Our Starbucks is new and they are really slow. By the time I got it I only had a few minutes till I had to be at church. Oh well.

The weather is all gray and drizzly. It matches the way I feel right now. Depression is trying to creep back in. Trying to stay positive. I just want to shut off my brain. Looking for peace. Still haven’t found it. Questions keep flying in. Wondering what’s next. Where are we all trying to get to? Is this faith thing really worth all the work? Why is it that the “church” the last place people want to be? Why can’t we “church” people break loose of the club mentality? Church isn’t for those of us who are already there. The “church” is supposed to be people reaching out and caring for everyone. Not just those inside 4 walls on a Sunday. We all want the “lost” to find Jesus. But if Jesus is in us, and he is a shepherd looking for the lost sheep, why are we waiting for the sheep to wander to us. Looking for something lost implies action. Sitting in a pew week after week is not action. Actually, I don’t think the “lost” are lost. We (church goers) are the lost ones. God has moved and we are all sitting around wondering when he is going to come back. He’s not. He’s out looking for the lost ones. Which is where we should be. I don’t mean to get all theological, as I am no theologian. Food for thought though.

"Good morning, and in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!"~Truman in the Truman Show

Day 1

2005-10-19T20:43:00.000-05:00

Nothing much to note today. Hardest thing is remembering not to try to force God’s hand by asking him to do things.

Surprise me, God

2005-10-19T10:07:00.000-05:00

There's a new book out called "Surprise Me – a 30-day faith experiment" by Terry Esau. The idea is…"every day, for 30 days, you pray and ask God to surprise you. "Surprise Me, God." Nothing more, nothing less. Three words. Not asking for something in particular. Not giving him our list. Not presenting our agenda. Just inviting him to barge into our lives in any old way he pleases – to crash into the busyness of our schedules and mess with it. Every day you record your thoughts and activities." The good, the bad and the ugly. It's "Reality Spirituality." That's the gist anyway. The big thing is to blog your journal entries. It's kind of a way to publicly show that faith can be messy.

I've kinda started this experiment today and I'm waiting to see what happens. Stay Tuned.

Why am I here?

2005-03-06T17:13:00.000-05:00

What is that I am supposed to be doing here on this earth? I have nothing to complain about and yet I find nothing to live for. There are many people much worse off than me. Yet I have no hope for my own life. I have no one to call on. I so long to leave this world. Why can't I find my purpose? Why am I here? Work has no meaning. Eating, sleeping, breathing, I don't know why I continue to do anything. I have no value to the world I live in. I've prayed and prayed for the answers and I even felt that I met God face to face. All that has done is to keep me here one or two more days. I have no desire to go on. You might read this and say, "You are suffering from depression." NO, REALLY?!? But every time I tried to get help, the door gets slammed in my face. So I've stopped asking. This is not a battle I can win on my own, but that's what everyone has told me in not so many words. It'll be sheer luck if I make it to my 29th birthday. I'm surprised I've made it as long as I have. I just wish someone, anyone would see through the act and help me. I've hid for so long. I don't know who I am anymore.

Worship

2005-03-03T22:24:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday night was one of those nights that I hate being a part of the worship team. The message hit home and the call to prayer seemed to be aimed right at my heart. My heart was pulling at me to go down there, saying that is where you need to be. I sorely needed to be down there, but I was glued to my chair, because in my mind my loyalty to my job has a higher value than the needs of my own heart. So here I am, unable to receive the help and hope I need. It doesn’t usually bother me if I miss a chance to have someone pray with me. But last night I really felt like I was missing something big. Like having the winning ticket and never claiming the prize.

What can I say? I’m a mess. Nothing I do seems to help for long. Perhaps that is the problem. It’s something I’m trying to do. It’s so hard to give up control. Most days I feel like I’m a living example of Proverbs 14:13 “ Even in laughter the heart may ache.” The only way I survive is to take everything one day at a time. Sometimes one minute at a time. I’ve hid the real me for so long I no longer know who I am. I am never who I am meant to be. And I am tired. Just so tired. I wish I could flourish as well as the things I put my time and energy into. My small group seems to be doing well. I’ve got a great mix of people. But something is missing for me. I feel like I’m the substitute leading someone else’s group. And I’m not sure why that is. They all tell me I’m doing a great job. But right now, even if God himself told me that, I wouldn’t be able to believe it’s true.

First post

2005-02-14T13:09:00.000-05:00

I don't know what I'll do with this blog, but I'll probably use it to vent every now and then.