This made me laugh really hard! ?She is pretty excited to be rockin’ the cowbell at the Fiesta Bowl! ?Reminds me of my years in band in high school and college. ?And of course, you can’t forget the famous SNL skit!! ?Fellas…I gotta fever…and the only prescription is…more cowbell!
Check out this link for the full SNL Skit.
YouTube – Boise State girl tearin’ it up on the cowbell! [720p] .
Just found a new program that is A-Mazing!!? It is called Evernote.? You can go check it out at Evernote.com.? Basically, it is the Holy Grail of notes software that I have been looking for both my desktop and iPhone. I use Notes on my iPhone quite a bit, but it was a pain to sync and I know have three of the same entry, for example, in my Mail program.
What is great about it is the fact that you can dump just about any medium into Evernote and it helps you keep everything organized.? You can clip from the web, cut and paste text, email to Evernote, or even Tweet to @myEN and it will place the Twitter tweet in your notes!
Funny thing happened while I was looking over the program…it has a button that opens the iSight camera (on my MacBook Pro) to take a picture or video note.? I haven’t looked at myself in the ol’ iSight camera in quite some time…and I must say…that thing must add 30 lbs. to my face.? I’ve got a pretty hot looking double chin going!? Then, as I turn to the side…I get a look at what Ronnie calls my “white walls.”? I have “a touch of gray” in my hair these days.? Really, I think it isn’t as bad as the picture would make you believe…probably just really bad lighting in my office!!? I actually don’t mind it because I have always had such a baby face.? Pretty nice, huh?
Got me thinking.? Isn’t it funny how we always are concerned about outward appearances?? @KStratt and I were talking on the way back from a pastor’s deal this afternoon about this.? He is a whole lot more secure in himself than I am, because he is able to not worry at all what people think of him.? I am such a wuss when it comes to that kind of stuff.? I always want to be looked upon as someone who is pretty sharp and has it all together.
My graying hair is kind of ironic.? I really wanted to look older when I was in my twenties.? Especially being a student pastor (they are always the knucklehead/screwballs that are immature in every way), I have always wanted to be looked upon as a guy with purpose and a good leader.? Gray hair was one of those milestones that I had this crazy thought in my head that would help me to “arrive.” Now that I am 36 and turning a little bit gray, I am wanting to look young again.
Anyway, isn’t it funny how we are always caught up on what other people think rather than God? I mean, if I were really honest, sometimes I am more driven by people of quite a loss less significance than the creator of the universe.? I am much more concerned about what a colleague or church member thinks of me than my Savior.? Pretty crazy.? That is not to say that we should just do our own thing all of the time and not worry about how we act, but what we should be concerned about, above all, is the love and acceptance of our Savior.
So, does this iSight make me look fat?? Yeah, probably.? And graying? Yep.? But that shouldn’t make a difference in how I feel about myself.? Easy to say or write, but more difficult to actually put into practice in my life.? I am working on it though.? Kind of like the old SNL skit…”I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and dog gone it; people like me!”? I guess it is more realistic to say “irregardless of whether other people like me…dog gone it, my Savior loves me!”? And that is enough.
How about you??
As most of you all know, we are doing a Trunk or Treat as an alternative to Halloween. ?However, this particular church is doing a different kind of alternative event. ?They are burning books! ?Yes, you heard right. Books! ?Specifically (are you ready for this?) Bibles that are “perversions of God’s Word.”
All I can say is, “Wow.” Pretty unbelievable considering all of the issues with the KJV and the reliability of modern translations. ?The problem with this kind of thinking is that it puts into question all of the translations, especially for recent converts who go to a bookstore to look for a Bible to use. ?Many people will call in and ask if we are a KJV only church. ?We are not. ?We use many different modern translations because we believe they communicate better to a modern audience. ?The reason why we use them is so that the Gospel can be communicated clearly to lost people. ?We don’t have to explain what Old Shakespearian English means in order for people to find Christ. ?There are several great, readable translations that we use here. ?Probably the most common versions used around here are: NIV (New International Version); ESV (English Standard Version; NIrV (New International Readers Version–great children’s translation); NASB (New American Standard); NKJV (New King James Version) and of course, there are several KJV (King James Version) floating around. ?The Message, by the way, is a paraphrase, not a translation. ?It is much like the Good News Bible that I grew up with as the only option for a modern english Bible.
We have some family friends who are Bible translators that have for years risen above this kind of stuff. ?They are better people than I am at times. Their heart is to translate the Word of God into a translation that speaks to the heart of the reader. ?Having taken eight semesters of Greek and four of Hebrew, it is an unbelievably difficult task to translate these ancient texts into modern language so that people can read it, hear the Gospel, and respond to Christ’s invitation of salvation.
Moral of the story…keep reading whatever translation you have and I believe that God will speak to you!
What translation do you use and why?
I really love Louie Giglio’s sense of humor! ?I am a huge fan of Louie…just ask any student that was in my student ministries. ?We seemed to always “luck into” have him be the camp pastor wherever we went–ETBU, Baylor, La Tech, Covenant, and the list goes on. ?I did, however, later on in my youth ministry leadership days decide that I needed to give my students a little more varied diet of communicators at camp and conferences. ?I still loved to go and take students to the Passion conferences over the years as well.
Here is a “very serious” press conference regarding Passion and Twitter. ?Enjoy!
Ok, so I have been totally enamored by Guy Kawasaki’s blog and twitter.? I have read some of his books and his blogs for several years now, but the other day I listened to an interview of him on the Catalyst Leadership Podcast and became really interested in what he is doing.
He is a former Apple Fellow, “Mac Evangelist,” software developer, and entreprenuer.? Read more about him in this well written bio.
So here is where it gets interesting.? He has started this thing called “Alltop.”? Basically, it is like an “online magazine rack.”? Go check it out and begin searching all of your favorite topics…and maybe find some new topics you are interested in!? Actually, there is a whole topic on just BACON–what?? Come to find out, there are who blogs and websites dedicated to the greatness of bacon!
Here is where it gets even crazier!? There is an app for the iPhone called “Pocket Bacon!”? Check it out.? Wow, there is some amazing passion…all for bacon!? That is amazing!
Enjoy!
Some of my favorite characters of all time all in one GREAT CLIP!!
Enjoy!
I found this on one of my best friend’s Facebook profile and thought is was definitely “blog worthy.”? Daniel McKenzie is a student pastor in Johnson City, TN.? He and I went to seminary together, have done some ministry things together, and have kicked around some “what not to do in youth ministry” books.? As you can see in the body of the Facebook note, Daniel is hilarious!? Enjoy!
In the literary realm of facebook stati, there are many acceptable practices for composing a quality facebook status. Here are some of the more common quality practices?
Hidden Meaning ? Any good Facebook status should have hidden meaning, causing readers to assume a depth of insight for the composer. Simple phrases can have such duality. For example, ??is tired.? This simple statement has multiple layers. One might think the person is simply physically tired, but such a statement begs for further examination. Maybe the person is mentally, emotionally, or spiritually tired. Perhaps it?s a cry for help, masking years of pain and addiction. Whatever the case ? the status laden with hidden meaning portrays depth and poetic insight that will inspire and win friends.An Inside Joke ? Inside jokes tell many positive things about the composer. First, of all it says that this person has people around them that they consider to be on the inside with socially. Popular phrases for this occurrence are ?has friends? or ?has a life.? Another positive sign from an inside joke is that the person often jokes about with said friends or friend. This indicates a jovial quality about the person signaling to readers ? ?hey, that person likes to have fun with at least one other person who gets the joke.?
Song Lyric ? A quality fall back for a Facebook status is the song lyric. The song lyric can accomplish several things for its composer. First it lets people know of the composer?s musical tastes. For example, from, ??is stop collaborate and listen.? readers might be able to quickly identify ?wow that person also enjoys Vanilla Ice.? But for those readers who may not recognize the lyrical jaunt by Rob Van Winkle this status also has positive implications. They might assume the same poetic insight for the composer that a ?hidden meaning? invokes, not realizing the phrase has been lifted from the lyrical giants of our time. It might also cause a reader to ?google? the phrase and be exposed to finely crafted song. Either way you really can?t lose with a song lyric status.
Begging for Comments ? A status that begs for comments is similar to a hidden meaning status but is less subtle in its attempt at duality. For example, the status ??is ready to give up,? begs sympathy from all who read. Surely, the composer needs a glimmer of hope that all will want to provide with a comment. Likewise, a status like ??wants a piece of cake,? can induce the same sort of sympathetic leanings. Readers might ponder the issue and respond with ?what kind of cake do you like?? or even ?I have a piece of cake, I will bring it to you.?Paranoia Inducing ? Many a Facebook status can cause feelings of paranoia from its readers. Initially this might appear as a cruel use of the status, but upon further examination this reveals the true power and value of the Facebook status. One of the best methods of behavior modification is a carefully crafted disparaging comment that invokes guilt and paranoia. For example, the status, ??is sick of EVERYONE!? can cause readers to ask in their mind, ??am I one of those included in everyone??? The sweeping generalization that is chosen with precision can speak to all of your Facebook friends, including those who are in your inner circle of ?inside jokes? and those who you wonder how a friend request was ever requested or confirmed because you really don?t know the person. Either way, this status will cause everyone to step lightly around you resulting in more peaceful interactions with all. If everyone made such broad statements we could all be conformed into a joyous, massive brethren of Facebook friends.
And then a comment on his note that follows has one more “Quality Practice:”
What about the literal status update? Let’s not overlook the obvious, my friend. In this virtual realm of networking, we too often log on with expectation of layers. We dig to find the root. The misplaced gold filling. “He says he’s standing in the rain. Does that mean he is depressed? Overjoyed? Is he attending a figurative boot camp with a figurative drill instructor making him complete 75 figurative pushups?” Sometimes we really are standing in line at the DMV. Conflicted over pillow shams. What’s interesting is that the literal status could fit snugly with all of your other acceptable practices. Round peg, round hole.
What are some of your “Quality Facebook Status Practices?”? Inquiring minds want to know!! (hidden meaning intended!)
I was in the local Radio Shack the other day and overheard an older gentleman grousing about the move to digital. It was quite comical honestly. Finally, he chose to go with the “middle of the road” model of “DTV converter box” for a grand total of ten bucks after government coupon! Angry, he left the shop…blaming the lady at the counter for all the evils of technology–as if she had anything to do with the decision!
Saw this link tonight…I’m not saying that it is the same guy…but it sure looks suspicious anyway!!
This post was scheduled for about a week ago . . . but my computer got sick. Better late than never, I suppose. . .
I read Earl Creps’ blog through my reader and always enjoy his take on life and church planting. He used to be the director of the D Min. program at the Assembly of God Seminary in Springfield, MO. He is currently living in Berkley, CA and planting a church aimed at university students–good stuff in itself for sure!! But all that aside. . . Earl wrote a post that really hit my heart this morning. He was honest enough to write what he truly thinks, and if I was honest. . . probably have some of the same experiences and thoughts.
You would do yourself a huge favor to read this post entitled “I Am A Racist–Ernie Graves and Barack Obama.” Some of the key thoughts that really resonated to me are . . .
The monstrous injustice of it all was clothed among whites with a sort of middle-class respectability. We did not consider ourselves racists because we did not burn crosses. Only fanatics did things like that. But our society was set up in a certain way and the marginalization of black people was assumed to be part of it. Overt slavery had been replaced by a sub-economy in which people unlike ourselves lived with invisible chains.
Just a month ago, Janet and I moved from Springfield, Missouri (94% Anglo) to very multi-cultural Berkeley, California to plant a university church. During the first few weeks after our move, I had to confess to my wife that I was reacting to people of different races in different ways.
Walking down the sidewalk, I felt fine if an Asian or Anglo person approached me, but experienced just a touch of elevated anxiety if that person were a black male.
This feeling disappeared in just a few days, but shocked me into recognition that racism is not someone else?s sin, it is mine. While abhorring the overt bigotry of others, my own mind can harbor the same sub-economy that my West Virginia town operated in the 1950?s.
At this point, I still think of race/ethnicity/etc. as a modifier. For instance, our friend next door is our ?Anglo? neighbor and the people across the street are our ?African American? neighbors. By God?s grace, I want to one day think of them as just neighbors and let them define themselves. When asked what kind of person constitutes a ?neighbor,? Jesus depicted a good Samaritan rescuing a robbery victim without regard for the person?s background or circumstances.
The inauguration of Barak Obama put a face on what I am feeling. Watching his speech was a moment of healing, joy, and hope for someone who remembers segregation and was a part, even unwittingly, of the system that maintained it.
But my journey toward really loving people did not begin in the Berkeley move or the inauguration of a new President so much as it did in that junior high school stairwell.
Thanks, Ernie.
I hope I can return the favor.
Here is a picture of a car we saw at Maple Leaf. It is the exact same car that was my dad’s first car.
My first car, “The Silver Bullet,” was a 1980 Chevrolet ‘Vette–Chevette that is! It was silver that looked like primer or a homemade paint job with rattle cans–or both! The best part was that it was a standard transmission. Sweetness!
What was your first car? What funny stories or memories do you have of that car?