I just read this...

"Last fall I did a whole series on Ephesians. There are places where Paul is making reference to Artemis. Her temple was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Millions of people are coming to visit her temple and buy statues, believing Artemis is their source of economic wealth.

So how does Paul begin Ephesians? "Praise be to God for every spiritual blessing."
'Wait, wait, wait. No, Artemis. We bless Artemis for everything.'

In Ephesus, Paul's words would be subversive teaching. It's no wonder they had a riot.
But Paul doesn't bash Artemis. When you tell the story well, you don't have to bash. It's clear. In fact, in Acts 19, the city clerk says to the rioting mob,
'Paul has never blasphemed the goddess.' One of the distinctive things about the Jesus revolution is they never blasphemed the gods of the cities, and yet the whole city became Christian. "
-Rob Bell

It struck me that that's completely the opposite of how I and most of the folks I know react today.

If you talk to someone who is passionate about politics - time how much of their conversation is about bashing the other party...and how much is about solutions and hope. It's not even close.
It'd be like the Pirates playing the Reds...see what I did there?

Pointing to solutions - you never hear that in some one's new year's resolution...but that wouldn't be a bad one.

good times

Friendship improves happiness, and abates misery, by doubling our joys, and dividing our grief.

-Joseph Addison

What a great weekend. The only thing I'd change is that I'd add another week. We saw friends, had a blast going to the wedding, reception, brunch, lunch with friends....and hanging out with great people.

It would have been great to just hang out with a few people - sitting around and talking about whatever without regards to a schedule... but this was still great.

This week might be the opposite of that. We were having a friend over tonight, but I have to work now instead...and tomorrow Annie is going out to a play with a friend - so I'll get to hang out with the kids...and Thursday the Lakota Eagles will continue their unbeaten season (also no wins...but that's how life works, right?) Friday I'm working 'til 10, Saturday from 8 AM to 9 PM, and Sunday from 10 AM to 3 PM....so this weekend won't quite be the same as last weekend.

One intensive with a bunch of churches from around the country.
One ServeFest weekend.
One training session.
One teaching/event.
One T-ball game.
No time to just hang out...

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Prov. 17:17

The things we think and do not say

It's 1 AM and this might be the bad pizza I had earlier talking, but I believe I have something to say. Or rather, I have something to say that I believe in. My father once said, "Get the bad news over with first. You be the one to say the tough stuff." Well, here goes. There is a cruel wind blowing through our business. We all feel it, and if we don't, perhaps we've forgotten how to feel. But here is the truth. We are less ourselves than we were when we started this organization.

-opening line to Jerry McGuire's Mission Statement

-

A friend of mine wrote something that reminded me of Jerry's "This is War" Mission Statement.

He wrote what I'd been thinking and haven't had the guts to say.

He wrote from the heart, and put himself out there.

He spoke truth and was unabashed about calling people to something more.

It was pretty inspiring.

He'll probably get yelled at or told by someone in a higher position that they have it all under control...and why would he feel like he needed to send that?

I'm glad he did.

a wedding to look forward to

I'm never too upset when I have a conflict that keeps me from going to a wedding. I'm just never excited about throwing on a suit and sitting through three songs, the lighting of the unity candle, and a couple of vows.

This week I'm looking forward to one.

I remember when Nate asked me my opinion on asking out Liz. I told him I was already married...he told me that he was talking about him asking her out. "well in that case, she's a quality girl - it'd be silly not to ask her out"

The real deal here is that I get to see Danny and Ben and Dan and Brad and I'm guessing a bunch of other people that I love - I'm just not sure who all is invited to this shindig. I'm also excited about seeing friends that live in State College but might not be attending the wedding (what do you have going on this weekend Stac?).

It should be a great weekend. It's even money right now on whether or not Griff will actually walk down the aisle with the rings and do a cartwheel.

Sheetz countdown

I'll be eating at a gas station within the week.

This place has the best burgers, salads and pretzel sandwiches on the planet.

Nobody believes me...until they try it.

There's one in Altoona that has gourmet sandwiches, incredible pizza, a carving station with roast beef, you name it...and they have it. (even wireless internet)

All at a gas station.

Unbelievable...one of the things I love about Pennsylvania is Sheetz.

You gotta try it to believe it.

It's just that good.

web site of the week

-So you're trying to get a bunch of people together for a meeting or to hang out.

This is what typically happens:
I send a note saying, "Hey, let's meet this Thursday night at 7:00 (I think that's probably our best possible time considering every one's schedule)"
and four people e-mail back saying that it works for them...
and one guy sends back something hilarious about a you tube video
and you go to a meeting and come back to 43 comments about that last e-mail
and then someone says, "Hey, normally I could make it but I have this other thing this Thursday"
and then someone else says, "Yeah, I've got to go to my kid's volleyball game, how about we meet at 5:30?"

and you start all over....

but now you can get it all done through http://www.doodle.ch/

With http://www.doodle.ch/ you just send a note with a list of times and dates that work for you. Each person then logs on and checks every time and day that also works for them. Once everyone has logged on, you just go with the one time that seems to work for everyone.

No muss, no fuss.

It's just that easy.

golf

I played in a charity golf outing yesterday.
I think it's official, I really just don't like golf.

I used to think I liked it for about 5-6 holes and then I got bored - but I came to the realization that that would be like saying that I like baseball for 2-3 innings - or the first period in wrestling or the first quarter in football or the...I guess you probably get the point.

It comes down to this. You walk around and hit a ball that's not moving. Sometimes you hit it well and sometimes you don't.

I was with some good friends. They fed us, had people driving around carts with drinks and candy bars...and I still didn't really love it.

I'd rather play racquetball. I'd actually rather watch golf than play it.

I'm still not sure if it's a sport. I'm also still sure that race car driving of any sort isn't.

that's just me though...

a little underpaid?

According to Salary.com, a stay at home mom with two kids under five and one six year old should be paid somewhere between $78,000 and $199,000 per year based on the work she's doing. The median salary would be $138,000/year.

That's slightly more than Annie makes.

She hears Cooper yell out, "Mommy!" about 374 times a day. At the same time, Parker is crying because she just crawled under something and is stuck. While this is happening, Griffin is probably sitting on whatever she's crawled under, but he doesn't notice because he's playing a video game or watching tv...but he'll turn to Annie and ask if he can have a snack....and he's persistent.

So the six year old is asking for a snack, oblivious to the fact that his little sister is crying and Cooper is about to if he doesn't get his mom to look at him each and every time he yells, "Mommy!".

I'm not sure you could pay someone enough for this. I should mention that she cooks, cleans, drives, tucks in, reads stories, hugs, bathes, and loves the heck out of these kids.

I'm guessing years from now, she'll look back at this time and not be too upset that she gave up some money to stay home and be a mom to these three cute little kids.

She's thrown everything into raising the kids. Career, time, her daily priorities, her energy, most of her food stained clothing...and I'll bet she wouldn't trade that for $138,000...

although there are probably a few moments every day she'd trade in...

She's the greatest. I'm in awe of what a great mom she is. People who are into sports watch sports. People who have hobbies often spend money getting books about their hobbies. People of faith tend to have books on their shelves reflecting that faith. People who love pop culture have games, books and a tivo full of pop culture. My wife has 30+ books on how to be a great mom.

it shows...

shrtct

What could possibly be better than a shortcut?
I'd submit that there are only 7 things better (but I'll keep those to myself)

F11 will turn your full screen mode on or off (if you're lucky enough to have Internet Explorer)

Ctrl + P will print the page

If you turn left out of my driveway, you can get to West Chester Road and you're halfway to the Rave Movie Theater.

Annie showed me a quicker way to work, and since Cin-Day Rd. is closed...I've tried it out. It's much quicker than the alternative I had been taking. Way better. Cin-Day Rd. is my shortcut to typing out Cincinnati-Dayton Road. I just love 'em.

I should mention that I don't love them quite like my friend Jana.

I would say, "I'm going to Chipotle to grab some lunch with Dr. Jakobziak"
she would say, "going to Chipote with Dr. J"

I'm not quite there yet - but I can see the appeal.

I just would wonder if Julius Erving was going to be there...

one more time

seriously, it's really simple

If you're saying that you don't really care about something - you should say, "I couldn't care less" because you're saying that you care so little, that it would be impossible for you to care any less.

If you say, "I could care less" you're saying the opposite of what you really mean.

and I'll be the first to comment:

I couldn't care less about this post...(but seriously, this should be a common sense thing)

the little things

I have an earache. My jaw hurts. They're both little things, but they really can be distracting.

That's how I am. I let the little things get to me. They end up getting in the way of the big things. My focus goes from helping to solve a big problem, create a great thing, help another person, do something cool....to, "crap, that's annoying!"

That shouldn't be.

I need help focusing on the big stuff (majoring in the majors and minoring in the minors - I love bumper sticker theology).

any ideas?

amish livin'

a couple of days without touching a computer...
I don't think I used my computer all weekend. I'm not sure that's happened in the last few years of my life.

life still works....I'm still alive....all is well with the world.

and I'm back. Can't say I missed it...

Really? (Jana stole that from me)

a group of young men came to our church at 1:00 yesterday afternoon. That, in itself, isn't that unusual. We get tons of people stopping by and getting job leads, food for the week, counseling, glasses, etc. just about every day.

These guys got something a little more valuable.

They got an air compressor, some lawn mowers and a truckload of other equipment... All for free!

Isn't it great when the community feels comfortable enough to stop by the local church and get some help?

I should mention that they stole everything in broad daylight. I guess that gives this quick story a little surprise ending...

on the bright side, if you're hunting around for any lawn equipment, you might be able to get a good deal at a local flea market or garage sale....so there's that.

arrogance

I agree with what C.S. Lewis says about pride - it's at the core of much of what brings us down - and makes us, at times, unbearable to others.

Arrogance says that, "I'm above the law - or above the rules. I know they are there for a reason, and I agree that people shouldn't do those things...but I can do them because I've got them under control. I can take care of the situation and not cause any harm."

I came face to face with that arrogance (that I often live out myself) in the last couple of days and it just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

I remember laughing at a friend of mine in High School because he took a few moral stands against stupid things...and I really didn't understand why. It was my immaturity. That's the problem with wisdom, you can't argue it and win. People will keep coming at you with, "yeah, but..." and you can have that argument forever. It's just something they have to learn. I slowly learned what my friend had been sticking up for in High School.

It must have been hard for him to not be able to explain it to me because I just wasn't there yet.

Back to pride, or arrogance. Arrogance will make some people follow you because they believe you know something that they don't. They believe you're "freed up" and not a stiff lipped grandmother shaking her fist at everything...because you defy the rules. I get the appeal...you really can do whatever you want and just say that you're not legalistic or bound by "societies rules".

It's appealing - and often wrong. And it's disappointing to see in others.