Miracle Of The Mind's Eye

This is simply amazing! As I grow older, I am fascinated by art: it's beauty, simplicity, creativity, and, this, it's mystery and complexity. Check out the work of this autistic artist.



(bu to Hemmy)

Prayer Of The Weak

Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Great Perspective

I didn't vote for him in the primary (Go Ron Paul!), but Huckabee's response to the issues surrounding the Obama/Wright events gives hope to politics and the pastorate.



And here is another insightful response from Leonard Pitts, Jr. of the Miami heald. Click here to see the full article.

It was getting to be a bit much, the marathon denunciations of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright by the professional chatterers of FOX News, MSNBC and the like. Their screams of high dudgeon had grown shrill, their show of moral affront was wearing thin. And then Huckabee, invited by MSNBC last week to condemn Wright’s bitter words, invoked instead the era of racial segregation that shaped Barack Obama’s former pastor.

”And you know what?” he said. ‘Sometimes people do have a chip on their shoulder and resentment, and you have to just say, `I probably would, too. In fact, I may have had more of a chip on my shoulder, had it been me.’ ”

It bears repeating: a black Mike Huckabee would be more angry than Jeremiah Wright, not less. It was an admission of startling, unexpected insight and, dare I say, Christian generosity. A conservative white man invited white men and women to project themselves into dark skin, to imagine how bitter they might be, had they come of age in an era where law, religion, media and custom said they were less than truly human beings.

(bu to Revolution in Jesusland)

The Irrelevant Non-Factors

I saw this article about how Barak Obama has weathered the storm around the words of his pastor. I got to asking myself why we, the people, have so quickly moved on from this seemingly political fire storm.

Is it because we are that intelligent so as to recognize communication that is hurtful and bad? Are we that gracious that we can simply forgive when stuff like this that can have painful impact? Is it that we don't let the candidate's "team" influence our perception and belief of the actual mission, vision, values, and policies of the actual candidate?

Or is that we, the people of America, don't really give a rip about the words of pastors? Have pastors/ministers/rabbis/priests lost the ear of the people in general? Not necessarily in the political realm, but most importantly the moral, relational, spiritual gut where God calls us calls us to serve and lead. Spiritual leaders as such are moving towards (if not already there) to the periphery of society as it relates to "heart and soul" influence of adults, teenagers, and children all over our land.

Pastors appear to be a non-factor. Pastors are seemingly at best a side show in the chaos of life having been cast there because of the circus act of televangelism and the suburban perception that pastors are more concerned with bodies, bucks, and buildings as opposed to the poor, downcast, and hurting. The opinion is pastors are more concerned with slick programming and less with discipling people.

I hate that.

But, and that's a big but, I am super hopeful about a new generation of emerging pastors (old and young) that are passionate about leading the pastorate back to relevance through peace making, social justice, and servant leadership (as well as, prayer, preaching, and worship services).

Here's to re-expanding the Kingdom so that we are relevant factors in the heart, mind, and soul of people for sake of Jesus.

Insane Near Death Experiences

One word: Wow! Absolutely nuts as to how close these people come to being six feet under!

Blog Of The Month

One of my favorite little emerging web communities on the net is Gink World. It's an internet hub of sorts that brings together voices, ideas, and people that focus on Jesus and initiate the revolution of God's kingdom in the world and in people's lives.

Two of the people that I have enjoyed reading and listening to are Greg O'Keefe and Keith Giles. Their respective blogs are ginkworld.net blog and subversive1.

If you are looking for some challenging perspectives on what it means to follow Christ, love others, and be radical for life in a dying world, read these guys. For when you do, you will be drawn, pushed, pulled, and called to some deeper places of the soul.

Peeps Film Festival

From the sacred side of Easter to the wacky side of Easter...I present to you the Marshmallow Peeps Film Festival. Simply a silly body of work for people with too much time on their hands for making movies with candy that has way too long of a shelf life.

Click here to see the great body of work, but for now, I present to you Star Wars starring Marshmallow peeps and co-starring other candy.



(bu to Mental Floss)

Prayer Of The Weak

O God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

or this

O God, who made this most holy night to shine with the glory of the Lord’s resurrection: Stir up in your Church that Spirit of adoption which is given to us in Baptism, that we, being renewed both in body and mind, may worship you in sincerity and truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

or this

Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Incredibles' Jack Jack

This is great "beyond the movie" stuff about Jack Jack and his time with the babysitter during the movie The Incredibles.

Jack-Jack Attack
by starmometerdotcom

(bu to Hemmy)

The Day You Could Almost Wish Didn't Happen

We were sitting at the lunch table: Kelly, Sarah, Parker, and myself. Kelly was getting ready to go out to a local church to worship Jesus through the stations of the cross. She was telling the kids where she was going and why.

Then a very natural statement came out of Sarah's mouth: I wish Jesus didn't have to die.

That statement comes from the heart really. It comes from a child's way to express compassion. And at many levels who of us looking at the events surrounding this Passion week of Jesus to Maundy Thursday to this Good Friday for the first time and/or with fresh perspective wouldn't state the very same thing.

And you know, from a human perspective, I wish he didn't have to suffer and die, too. Who of us wishes a cruel and unusual punishment/execution on an innocent man? None that I know of.

But God in his infinite wisdom and love knew that this was the way. His way. The only way. The way to show us about sacrifice. The way to teach us about death. The way to further reveal His amazing love for His people. The way to lead us to life.

As you and I reflect on the way of Christ's suffering today, may we be in awe of His passion for us and be thankful that it did happen.

Go Cubs!

This is what is right in sports and ball players who aren't self indulged, spoiled, etc...Go Cubs!

Chicago Cubs strength coach Tim Buss felt weak in the knees on Tuesday when players told him to take a look at his car.

According to multiple media reports out of Chicago, his 1995 Nissan Sentra was almost unrecognizable after someone or something destroyed it. The windows were smashed, the doors tied closed, the trunk peeled up and the roof punctured.

When he saw a couple of baseball bats and balls placed around the car …

"I figured [Jon] Lieber, [Kerry] Wood immediately, [Ryan] Dempster …" he said, according to The Chicago Tribune. "Then I realized it was every pitcher we have."

Players allowed Buss to fume for a while. The coach was trying to figure out how to tell his wife about her car.

"It's a shame," Lieber said, according to the newspaper. "What kind of person would do something like that? It really just shocks me. I'm sure she'll understand."

Dempster finally told Buss to take a look at something else in the parking lot.

When he walked out, several players handed him the keys to a brand new Nissan Xterra SUV.

Almost moved to tears, Buss said, according to the Tribune, "They're great guys."

Artful Communication - Typography Style

This communication style, media medium, and art form is simply cool. Here are a few that I did that are short and so stinkin' sweet. You could use this to intro an event, weekly meeting, retreat, conference, or convention. You can also use it to put a new twist on movie scene, music lyrics, scripture reading, announcements, or fun way to state rules of event or trip. Anyway you use it, it's got a chance to be really creative and effective. But the key questions you have to have ask is(unless you have a graphics design person who knows this stuff)...who's going to do this? And how long does it take? My guess is: a long time!

If you want more just type in "typography" into the search engine on YouTube or Google. There is some amazing work out there!

Music Lyrics


Movie Clip


Also: Dumb & Dumber, School of Rock, Zoolander, and Ocean's 11

Scripture Reading - Joshua 3:7-17

(there seems to be a whole series from Joshua on YouTube)

Just for Fun

The Office: Dwight's Speech


Who's On First

Our First Family Death

It's an inevitable event in any family. Not one that anyone really looks forward to with great anticipation. However, when you become a parent one of the initial fears is how you deal with death when it effects the lives of your kids.

Today was the first such occurrence. We lost not only a member of the family, but our newest member: Goldie. She was Sarah's goldfish and she was loved.

We got her because Sarah received a coupon for a free goldfish when a local pet store came in her pre-school for pet day. We talked about getting the goldfish for about two weeks. Then we finally made the big trip to Petland to pick and welcome this aquatic friend to la familia. It was really sweet. Sarah was so excited.

We got Goldie home and introduced her to her new home where she would eat, sleep, and swim for the rest of her life. Little did we know what a short life that would be - one week for us. And so, sometime between 12:30am and 7:00am this morning, Goldie when to that great big fish bowl in the sky.

It also marked that moment in a parent's life when you have to step and face your fears of communicating the truth about a brutal reality in simply, appropriate and compassionate ways. And so I did my very best to answer the questions, "Why did this happen? How did she die? When did it happen? Where is she at now?"

You know, it's funny, I knew this conversation was going to happen sooner than later with the addition of a goldfish to the family. I am thankful for little moments like these to care for my kids in simple, yet meaningful and loving ways. Now we prepare for the big funeral and burial that will take place in the backyard (I gently pushed for the ceremonial toilet flush, but that was quickly poo-pooed - get it!?) later tonight.

Do you remember the first time you dealt with death as a kid whether it was family, friend or pet? Parents...do you remember the first time you experienced this event with your kids, how you felt, how you communicated, and what you did? I bet there are some amazing, funny, and tender stories out there that would enlighten us all.

Happy St. Patty's Day, O, Danny Boy

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone, especially my favorite mother-in-law...Happy birthday, Mom! Enjoy the the special Muppet rendition of the classic Irish tune. You may want to get the Kleenex ready.



(bu to Boing Boing)

Where Did You Worship This Weekend?

Guess which of these beautiful places we spent time worshiping Jesus this past week:

St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Singapore

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Old City of Jerusalem

St Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow, Russia

Notre-Dame Basilica, Quebec, Canada

First Bedside Baptist, Dayton, OH

Prayer Of The Weak

Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

What Book Are You?

Interesting little quiz to determine what book is me. Hhhmmmm... Click here to find out what book you are.

You're The Poisonwood Bible!

by Barbara Kingsolver

Deeply rooted in a religious background, you have since become both
isolated and schizophrenic. You were naively sure that your actions would help people,
but of course they were resistant to your message and ultimately disaster ensued. Since
you can see so many sides of the same issue, you are both wise beyond your years and
tied to worthless perspectives. If you were a type of waffle, it would be
Belgian.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

(bu to Marko)

The Heart Of Teaching

I never get tired of hearing this teacher's story. His name is Walter Lewin and his a physics professor at MIT. His love, passion, and enthusiasm for science and physics is great, but his love and desire for his students is even great. Here is a link to recent article on him. The video is great to with some visuals as to what he pulls off in class to communicate the concepts. Here are a couple of lines that stick out:

• What is it about physics (teaching/preaching/facilitating/presenting/etc.) that makes you feel alive? Lewin replies, "It's the audience that makes me feel alive!" This guy loves the people more than the principles.
• "It took me decades to come to the realization that really what counts is not what you cover, but what counts is what you uncover." That's good. That's really good. And that takes time, passion, and preparation.
• What he teaches is this concept: find out what is really important. Find out what is really at the heart of what you are trying to communicate.
• The takeaway: "I want them to takeaway that they love physics, that they love science, that they see the beauty of the world around them."

Just google the guy's name and you'll get a ton of other articles and videos about who he is, what he does, and more importantly what he loves!

Battle Of The Sexes

Wild commercial marketing and selling some sort of newspaper or newspaper with a Braveheart/Gladiator theme. Could be a great teaching tool to talk about the differences between guys/girls, men/women, and/or what could possibly bring some understanding to the long standing differences between the two genders. I love it when the guys roll out RC trucks and the women drop open lipstick tubes into their purses. Classic!

What other gender specific gadgets and toys could have been used in the commercial as weaponry? Just curious.



(bu to Hemmy)

Lost Madness

March Madness might have found its rival (for at least one year anyways): Lost Madness. Vote for your favorite Lost characters in a bracket style format (click either link).

The first round is complete, but you still have time to vote for those pairings that are in the second round (March 11-12).

(bu to Charlie)

Prayer Of The Weak

Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Now That's A Tree House

And you thought your tree house was cool!

I know what Kelly would say, but all I know is that I would totally live in one of these if I could. I think it speaks the "adventure to live for" in me. Something wild and creative that speaks to my heart. Funny thing is I can't remember if I ever built a tree house as a kid. I loved climbing trees (still do as a matter of fact), but don't think I ever built one. Kelly's family had a tree house when she was growing up.

Did you have one growing up? Did you build it? Did your dad? Did your friends? Have you built one for you kids? Or have your kids built one?

Click here to view some other really cool and interesting abodes found in the tree tops.

Chess Geeks Drooling Everywhere

I tried to play chess once in college and my buddy John Chapman beat me in like 10 moves. With that being said, I couldn't even imagine trying to tackle this. Insane! Click here to see how the pieces move and play. Pretty cool and I bet pretty fun for those that love chess and maybe have wondered what the next phase might look like.



(bu Hemmy)

Iron Man Trailer

I'm such a sucker for comic books remade for the big screen. Iron Man looks no different: tons of fun!

Midterm Madness Over

Whew...midterms are over! Yes! Lots of studying. Lots of prep. Lots of hard work. I think it paid off. Though I don't know the results of the exams (interesting when we get into college/grad school we call them exams and not tests...like we are SO above tests...goofy), I do feel really good about them.

It all started with a long weekend class (Friday night/all day Saturday): Ethics. Then I had my Career Development midterm on Tuesday and School Counselor as Leader class on Thursday. It was a wild couple of weeks of hunkering down and prepping like a mother. We'll just have to wait and see how they turn out.

Now I can turn my attention towards prepping for March Madness Bracetology class!

What Were They Thinking?

This maybe one of the funniest videos I've seen in a long, long time. Wow...I think I have to pee now!

Prayer Of The Weak

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.