1. Baptize
I want to be apart of at least 1 of my friends baptisms in 2009. In 2008 a few of my friends made that step in their faith and I missed it - not in '09!

2. Publish
I want to publish an article in a notable/circulated journal or magazine in 2009. I've been working on a number of articles for a while now and am determined to accomplish this in the New Year. Notable is totally a subjective way to write a goal which should be concrete, but we'll have to see how this plays out.

3. Speak
In 2009 I want to line up more speaking engagements. I was able to teach and speak publicly a few times in 2008, but I love doing it and am making it a goal for '09.

4. Mission
I need to be a better friend to my neighbor, not metaphorically speaking, my actual neighbors. Many of them are longing for community and friendship and I have not made the time commitment to them - I'm a jerk - so in 2009 I'm changing that.

5. Maintain
This is actually the hardest one for me - I suck at maintaining. I hit things like a comet and then move on. So in 2009 I'm making it a goal to maintain consistency in my blogging endeavors, consistency in my health and diet and consistency in my journey and development as a follower of Jesus.

I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

I pray that your time with your friends and family this season is blessed and though rarely perfect this time is all we have, so don't take it for granted.

And I pray that the beautiful story of Immanuel would be alive in you today and that you would carry that into the New Year. God is with us, God is with you and there is a world to change.

I know I talk about the Flobots a lot, but I love them (see what I mean here, here and here). But I don't just love their music, I wholeheartedly respect who they are trying to be as a band. If you've never checked out their non-profit you should over at the Flobots.org.

Anyway, they have a few phrases and ideas in their album that I think the church and followers of the Way can learn from.

Fight With Tools: That's not just the title of their album, but the message they are spreading. They encourage people to not just complain about what they see wrong in the world around them, but to fight with the tools they have within themselves.

I love that message. If change is what we want to see, then we also have to be willing to work towards it - to actually do something. I can't even count the amount of times I've listened to people criticize and judge people and churches for the way they are doing something - but at least they are doing something. Right?

Passivist Guerrillas: This is along the same lines, but I love the image that comes to mind. And is explains the American flag bandanna's they wear around their faces, like American terrorist (which is also one of their criticisms of who we have become in the world). Echoing MLK, they urge people to take part in passivist guerrilla warfare and fight all that is wrong in our world. The resonates with me.

Homemade Heroes: This is a phrase in one of their songs that always sticks out to me. What the world doesn't need is more PR Heroes, who do good as long as it aides their celebrity status or their sponsors. The world needs more homemade heroes, average Joes who are working for something better because it is the right thing to do.

For too long we have become people who attend chruch and lay claim to the good the church is doing, while doing very little ourselves. That is neither the message nor the Way - we are all called to action and to serve the 'least of these' in our world and context. Who are you currently walking besides on their journey towards Jesus and salvation? How much are you doing or not doing?

Thoughts?

Thanks to Taylor Lyall for first posting this - it is a cool way to spread the story that started this whole Christmas thing. Check out HolidayBlood.com and spread the word yourself.

I just watched this video over on Ragamuffin Soul and had to share it. This is an unusual perspective from an atheist, and it really challenged me. How much do you have to hate someone to not share your faith if you truly believe it is the answer? I once heard it said that you can't truly care for someone without caring for them spiritually. You can't say you love someone without also caring for their soul, for their eternity, for their relationship with God - if that is what you really believe.

Thoughts?

I've been checking out some cool design websites lately and I found this crazy art by Joshua Heineman on his cursivebuilding site - it is interesting to say the least.

If I were to go back to school for something, it would definitely be in the field of graphic design. Photo manipulations like these are so fascinating to me - see more here.

So there are a lot of people angered by SNL's depiction of the NY's blind Governor Paterson, namely the Governor himself and the National Federation for the Blind (article).

I consider all things funny in the game of comedy. I think it is good to be able to laugh at yourself and others - but is that right? What do you think?

I assume most people have at least heard about the 'shoe throwing journalist' in Iraq, if not seen the footage, but it is a telling satire on America's standing in the world. But what I thought was most amazing about the footage is the crazy fast reaction time of George W. I thought it was really impressive.

And I guess it is also noteworthy how fast that journalist was able to take his shoe off and then launch it.

And I wonder where he is today?

I also appreciate how hindsight is 20/20 and that no one would have been able to predict the 8 years that followed debates like these...

My friend Justin Chandler inquired on my thoughts about the American auto industry and their need for a bailout, since I not only live in Michigan, but also work in the Motor City for General Motors. So here they are...

We live in a capitalist market, which means they deserve to fail.

But so did the Financial institutions we already bailed out?

The unions have long since outlasted their value and can be attributed for a significant piece of the problem. But for congressmen to say they make too much money working on an assembly line, that is ridiculous - since they make way too much money sitting in a chair. And their criticism of the CEO's and their corporate flying habits could not be more hypocritical - while true, they do the exact same thing with tax payers dollars.

We cannot afford to lose the national auto makers - the impact would be widespread and affect far more than people realize; From dealers and their service and parts departments to advertising agencies - from mom & pop software companies to large scale consulting firms - from parts suppliers to credit lending banks. Thousands of small business depend on the auto industry and they too would go bankrupt if they had to settle 50 cents on the dollar for money owed them by the auto makers.

Plus they're not asking for a bailout, they're asking for a bridge loan - which is different. But I totally agree with the scrutiny and ridicule they are enduring to get the loans. This is a great opportunity for them to restructure and fix all that has gone wrong over the past few decades. I only wish they had put the financial institutions through the same thing.

But in the end, I think the loans will happen, I need the loans to happen, our country needs the loans to happen and I just pray people smarter than me are in charge of the process.

Here's a previous post about all this bailout stuff.

If you don't follow Anne Jackson - you should - she rocks. After watching this video over on her blog, I couldn't help but re:post it.

Thanks to Eugene Cho for continuing to engage this conversation on his blog.

So this will have to fill in for my Part 2 of the 'Down Side To Freedom of Speech' post. Seems like every time I break a long post into parts, they end up heading in too many directions and I never finish them.

But I love the freedoms of our country. I love that I can be a follower of Jesus, openly pray and discuss my faith-filled worldview.

As such, I live in a country where everyone has the right to their own worldview, beliefs and lifestyle. So when the discussion of Prop 8 and Gay Rights as a whole is brought up, I sympathize with the Gay Rights movement. We don't have the same beliefs, so if they want to marry one another, who am I to stand in the way?

[I'm sure half of my readers will disagree, at least on some level - please feel free - I would appreciate others views - which is why I'm posting it on my blog. Just be nice!]

So I understand two people in love, living together and wanting to get married and be able to speak on one an others behalf in say, a hospital situation.

What I'm not comfortable with is a larger debate or concern I have. Our country was built on a separation of State & Church, to keep the State from dictating the Church or the reciprocal.

The reciprocal is my hang up - we (as a country) are constantly trying to keep 'religion' out of the government, schools, ect, ect. But religion is just a worldview. My religious beliefs are my worldview. There is no way for me to be unbiased on the grounds of religion or the government. I'm a Christian - that's how I see the world.

So the atheist, the agnostic, the scientist, the evolutionist, the secular humanist - their worldview has some how been accept and defined as nonreligious - therefore constitutionally sound. But they are just as biased in their beliefs as I am and have just as much potential to be closed minded, judgmental and all the other words my faith has come to be known for. Their worldview is driven by deep down convictions and though they would never use the term, they nonetheless have faith!

We all have theories about the beginning of all we know, about the meaning of our existence and about what happens when we cease to exist. And I stress theories. I call mine faith, they call theirs hypotheses or beliefs - but that is what all worldviews are composed of. Beliefs.

I can no more prove my theories then they can, and in this beautiful country, we both have that freedom and that right.

So what I never want is my worldview to be illegal. My faith is as scientific as the atheists or anyone else. And the State can no more be unbiased than the Church. Because the State is operated by people and people have worldviews. So the State must work to up hold a liberty and justice that falls on common ground. Otherwise, by forcing my faith-based worldview out, they allow another worldview to dominate.

Things have been crazy busy with the regular Holiday season kinda stuff and then life and church stuff. But these two little guys are a beautiful constant in Julie and I's life.

The real blessing of kids is that whether I succeed or fail - they don't care. Micah and Kaiden aren't concerned with the economy, they innocently trust. They don't know what my passions and dreams are, they just want me to play legos with them. They are a beautiful reminder of what is important in life - they keep me grounded and I can't wait to get home tonight to play with them.

Thanks to our friend Kirstynn for the photo's.

I love this band and thought this was a cool video from their non-profit TheFlobots.org.

Following last weeks post about the billboard apology, it got me thinking... wondering... questioning... and wanting your input.

So here it goes.

Should we as Christians be concerned with legislating our set of morals, in particular our definition of marriage?

What is the upside of doing so?

What is the downside of doing so?

Are we being so right that we actually become wrong?

If you believe legislating our definition is right, how do you at the same time speak love to those who will inevitably feel hatred from you?

If you don't believe in legislating the Christian definition, don't you fear losing a key foundation to life - the family unit?

What is so sacred or special about our definition of marriage? More pointed, why is divorce in the church as bad as outside of the church?

Are we kidding ourselves?

I guess the greater question I'm struggling with is, should we expect others to live by the morals we subscribe to, base on the teachings of Jesus?

If you are not a follower of Jesus, or call yourself a Christian - how did Prop 8 strike you and the 'religious' voice that is always attached to it?


This is the new Sean Penn movie, MILK - and adds to the conversation.