Draft Day Saturday

I totally love this day! I've had it circled on my calendar for about two months. The NFL Draft is a great event revolving around professional football.

The NFL has done an amazing marking job of taking an event that was relegated to a back conference room at the Sheraton and turning into a multi-million dollar, all day spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. Both the NFL Network and ESPN are providing the t.v. coverage. Chris Berman, Mel Kiper Jr., et al do a great job of calling the shots. For a sports geek like me, this is so much stinkin' fun! Plus, I'm stoked that the time between picks is only 10 minutes (from 15 last year).

I'll be curious to see how the Colts and Steelers will do. The Bengals went with a solid, character guy at linebacker and the Broncos went with a college Bronco at offensive lineman.

So here's to the rest of the day (rest of Rd. 1 and all of Rd. 2) that finishes at 8pm. Then we are back at it at 10am until 6pm tomorrow. Good times, my friends, good times.

Light At The End Of The Semester Tunnel

I am so close to being done with this semester it's not even funny. I just have an EDC 529-Career Counseling group take-home final left to go and that's due this coming Tuesday. This Saturday night we are have a group take-home final cookout at our house. It'll be a ton of fun as the four of us in the group have pretty much had every class together since our program began in August. Spouses and significant others will be coming. We'll play some bocce ball, play with the kids, hang out, eat like kings, and trying to finish off this final!

However, there will be little to no rest for the weary as we all start summer school on May 12. The time off from classes will be short, but sweet!

I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of regular blogging. I miss the creativity that is sparked in this little brain of mine.

Go, Speed Racer, Go!

This looks like it's going to be a ton of fun. Speed Racer brings back the early boyhood days and Saturday morning cartoons. The cinematography and special effects looks outstanding! Can't wait to see this on the big screen.

Prayer Of The Weak

Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

My Office Is Cooler Than Your Office

I don't know what kind of office, building, or organization environment you work in, but I'm pretty sure they're not as cool as these! Here's the Pixar offices. You can click here and see some other fairly radical interiors.



(bu to Hemmy)

A Sign Of The Apocalypse

Chocolate Rain meets Rickrolling! I do believe this is one of the signs of the end times!




Chocolate Rain Video here.

Rickrolling here.

(bu to BoingBoing)

Prayer Of The Weak

O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Self Image - Claymation style

Number 1: Self-image is such an important topic to all humans, especially citizens of the US, especially adolescence. It should be handled with grace, appropriateness, and sensitivity.

Number 2: I'm a sucker for claymation. Getting clay to walk and talk with any persona is really cool to me.

So when I experienced the dove tail of the message with the medium from the CBS show Creature Comforts (canceled, I believe), it was a classic for me. It also has potential to be used to start of a small group or support group on that is dealing with the topic. It's kinda long, but still worth a watch.

Free Range Kids

Stumbled onto this site and with a quick scan it looks like it could be pretty good. If you are a parent and frustrated with everyone telling you and selling you that you aren't a good parent if you don't but the latest gadget or gizmo to keep you kid(s) safe and sound, then you aren't a good parent. Well, this little blog seems to be in favor of the anti-boomer/genxer model of parenting. Anti may be a strong suffix, but it raises some red flags about some modern parenting issues and points to look back at some old-school methods of raising our kids.

Here is the summary of the site:

Do you ever... ..let your kid ride a bike to the library? Walk alone to school? Take a bus, solo? Or are you thinking about it? If so, you are raising a Free Range Kid! At Free Range, we believe in safe kids. We believe in helmets, car seats and safety belts. We do NOT believe that every time school age children go outside, they need a security detail. Most of us grew up Free Range and lived to tell the tale. Our kids deserve no less. This site dedicated to sane parenting. Share your stories, tell your tips and maybe one day I will try to collect them in a book. Meantime, let's try to help our kids embrace life! (And maybe even clear the table.)

Check out Free Range Kids here. It'll be interesting to see where this little blog goes with tools, dialog, and opinions about raising free range kids.

Keeping An Eye Out For Inspiration

So over the last couple of years I've had a growing interest in photography as a form personal expression and art. My friends, D.L., Mickey, and Any Liu Who Hookem Crew Du have all had a little hand in communicating to me in their uniques ways that this hobby is pretty cool.

So the other day I stumbles across a couple of web articles. The specifically talked about to be inspired as a photographer and photos you should definitely take before you die. When you click the links, it will take you to the full article and some cool photography, but here are a couple of my favorites from each site as a teaser:

12 Things to Photograph Before You Die

1. A Perfect Portrait
2. A Complete Story
3. An Image That Makes a Difference

60 Sources of Inspiration for Photography

1. Join a Demonstration
2. Visit/Shop at a Flea or Farmer's Market
3. Ask "What if...?"
4. Just Play

These two articles/posts got me to thinking in few different directions...

Twelve Things to Do Before I Die

1. Catch fly balls in a major league ballpark
2. Go on a road trip with my brothers
3. Take Kelly to Ireland
4. Climb the highest elevation in all 50 states
5. Start some viral internet sensation

Twelve Things to Communicate Passionately About Before I Die

or

60 Sources of Personal Inspiration

1. Talk to a veteran of WWII
2. Read and Re-read the Gospels in the New Testament
3. Begin a friendship with an activist - any activist!
4. Climb a mountain

I'm going to build of these list in the weeks and months to come. I'd love to hear what you have to say about some of these topics...things you'd like to do before you die, ideas that you are passionate about that you'd love to share with the world, or things that inspire you. And who know, if they resonate with me, I just may add them to my lists!

A Bump On The Blog

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. April is a huge month for me as school winds up here at the end of the month. Some big papers, a group final, and figuring out summer classes and work opportunities is somewhat consuming the extra time. I'll post sporadically, hopefully, with some interesting and fun stuff. Until then, say a prayer for me that I keep the nose to the grindstone and eyes focused on the finish line. Peace and late!

Prayer For The Weak

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

MLK

Just another reminder of real American hero who lived and died for peace, love, and justice.

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)