This is the kind of story that makes me ask, 'What the hell?!'

I think everyone will have the same opinion, but it drives to some deep questions.

I caught wind of this story, then read an article and can't understand how or why. A mom microwaved her 2 month old for 2 minutes - the baby cooked from the inside out. Enough said! How could that happen? How can humans do such evil to others? How could God let it happen? How can such evil exist?

I don't think God is intimidated by such questioning - in fact I think he wants us to wrestle with it and ask the hard questions. These kind of stories affect me and I have to fight the tendency to pretend I did not just hear that. Humans have such an amazing capacity for good - and for a darkness and an evil that is hard to fathom.

Crazy to say the least.

Articles, here and here.
Associated Press video.

Side note: The fattest baby I've ever seen, on video here.

Paolo Nutini LAST REQUEST

[via FoxyTunes / Paolo Nutini]

Found this guy - love his voice. I'm lovin' some of these young European singers - like Adele.

I caught wind of this documentary and it plays into a lot of the discussion I've been having lately about the Christian voice in democracy and the need for change - I'm excited to see it.

You can get more info here.

Thoughts...

Spiritual pathways to God; Creation, Relational, Contemplative, Serving, Worship, Intellectual and Activism.

Worship.

I've been slacking in finishing this series of thoughts - my Pennsylvanian friend Pearl recently posted some pathway thoughts - here and here.

Worship in my mind has two lanes in connecting us to God.

1st - the traditional lane of worship is song - as mainstream Christianity has defined it as a 5 song set called 'worship' during Sunday morning services, led by a 'worship' team. This form of worship is an amazing opportunity to corporately worship God and for a lot of Christians is a powerful pathway.

My beef with this lane of the pathway is that I think a lot of people mistake the emotional excitement of this form of worship with an actual connection with God. I'm not judging, but it has been my personal experience. So, a lot of times instead of singing aloud - I close my eyes on Sunday mornings and just say the words with my heart.

2nd - the holistic lane of worship is the idea that our lives are to be worship and so in all things we do, we do it as worship to God. This idea definitely makes me feel connected when I actively do it. This form of worship is saying 'through my God-given talents and passions, I will glorify God.'

I love this way of connecting - 'cause honestly, I suck at singing, can barely keep rhythm and have no real musical talent. But that doesn't make me a bad worshipper - my passions, my dreams, my relationships - all become forms for me to worship God. I'm thankful for the talents I have and I use them to honor God.

That's worship to me - what do you think?

Last night Micah and I were hanging out together drawing dinosaurs and other random requests on the driveway. I love the chances I get to just focus on him, not distracted by all the things that normally preoccupy my mind and just soak up his innocence.

My boys have taught me a lot. I never realized how much you can love someone or something until I held them for the first time. I thought I understood love from my family and my love for my wife - but there is this whole other dimension of love with your kids. I'm definitely crazy about them.

Here are just a few of the joys my 3 ½ year old Micah brings to my life:

He has lava powers in his hands and can melt me when we are wrestling - how do you compete with that?

When asked if he wants mommy to have a boy or a girl, he ordered a 'boy-girl' - we voted no.

While praying one night, he thanked God for his blood - unusual yet profound.

While driving down the street, he informed me the power lines were following us.

When asking him what he wants to be when he grows up, I asked if he wanted to be a firefighter, or a consultant like grandpa or awesome like dad - he decided he wants to grow up to be a long-neck dinosaur!

The best though, one night we were talking before he went to bed and I told him that someday he could change the world and that God has big plans for his life - his 3 year old translation was, 'Daddy, I can change the day?' Yep! Ever since he has wanted to 'Change the Day.' In fact just this morning he and Jewel were cleaning his room and she told him he has too many toys and could 'Change the Day' for other kids by giving them away. So, he proceeded to load a trash bag full of toys to give away - toys even Julie didn't want to part with.

Kids are awesome.

I'm thinking about being Coach Hines for the Halloween costume party this year - I definitely have the legs for it!

So I've never used the 'next blog' link in the upper left - guess I've never been bored enough? Anyway, found this guy Sheng and he posted this picture he took. I don't know anything about the photo except that it is crazy cool. Where ever it is, it is definitely on my bucket list!

I mean really. Do I have to say any more.

I was recently going through my 'childhood box,' not sure if you have one of those, but it is full of hospital bracelets and other memorabilia from your younger days. Well mine was full of wrestling medals and pictures, elementary school assignments and I found a picture of the 'Power Team' (mullets and all) who I saw when I was a kid. First I couldn't stop laughing, then I laughed some more - and then I thought I have to post this.

Seriously, what could better show the strength of God's love than a man ripping phone books, bending metal and breaking bricks? Seriously?

I'm all for the Immigration regulations, but if this is really happening in the land of opportunity - it's wrong.

I read this story about Hiu Lui Ng, a computer engineer who lived and worked in NY with his American wife and 2 sons. He had lived in America since '92 and though he had overstayed his work visa was going through the process of obtaining his green card. But when Mr. Ng showed up for his last interview for his green card he was detained and transferred back and forth between detention facilities for months. During which time he began to complain about pain in his back, which became crippling. He was never diagnosed and died from an aggressive form cancer.

Seems like something is missing, that this wouldn't happen in our country, it seems like he would have had to actually have done something wrong, committed a felony or something. There are unfortunately more stories like this - you can watch a video here.

Hardly an illegal immigrant in my opinion. What's yours?

When I leave work today I'm going to the Flobots concert with my little brother in-law (I can't wait - more to come on that). And then I'm off for a 3 day trip 'up north' (as they say in Michigan) with my extended family. So, I'm going to neglect the blogging world and the twitter world for a few days - and my wife is rejoicing.

So I received a pre-release copy of Mark Batterson's new book, Wild Goose Chase and here's my review.

It was epic!

Where I've been in the past 3 years of my life and the dreaming I’ve been doing about tomorrow's church (click here) - it was the voice of a mentor calling me to do more and be more.

I don't want to ruin much of the book and Mark has several excerpts of the book on his blog at evolution.com and you can go to the book's site (here) for Mark’s 10 Steps to Setting Life Goals. It is good stuff and I recommend getting a copy.

I also received a 2nd copy to give away on my blog - but after some thinking I decided that everyone who reads my blog can probably afford the 10 or 11 bucks for the book, except my still-raising-funds-home-missionary buddy - Mike McGarvey. So, I'm sending the book to him and encouraging you to read and responded to this!

I love this project that Mike Foster is under taking. Mike is the man who brought porn awareness to light in the church with xxxchurch.com. He has a knack for raising awareness of things the Church needs to address and respond to.

People of a Second Chance (learn more here) is awesome - advocating radical grace and forgiveness.

In light of John Edwards and other leaders moral failures in our world - we need radical grace and forgiveness.
When thinking about great church leaders like Ted Haggard - we need radical grace and forgiveness.
In light of the failures in my life - I need radical grace and forgiveness.

If we all think about it, we are probably the byproduct of Second Chances, our marriages, our lives, our very relationship with God - all Second Chances.

I’d love to hear stories of your Second Chances – you can read about mine here.

Pictured above is the Spanish national team posing for an advertisement before heading to the Olympics to represent their country. They are all slanting their eyes - what the?

Apparently the Olympics are a global display of the world’s best athletes and the incredible stupidity of some people. I have no idea what they were hoping to accomplish.

Article here and here.

Found another example of Stupidity on Global Display - click here.

This movie is going to make those of us with faith look stupid, but then again faith is stupid...I mean counter-intelligent...I mean foolish. At least that’s the way it seems to others, but that is also the way God set it up - to use the foolish things of this world to shame them.

But in reality we all have faith. The atheist has faith there is no God – despite the crazy perfection of nature and the universe. The Darwinist has faith all we know just happened and the perfection we know evolved from it. I as a Christian believe God created it, in 7 days and then sent his son to die for us. We all sound stupid. I’ve never heard a creation/beginning theory that didn’t make my rational mind go – Really? How?

In the end, I can't wait to see this movie. I'm sure it will make me laugh and make me frustrated. But please - all followers of Jesus - let's act like he would and not boycott, or hate on Bill Maher. We need to act the exact opposite of the way this movie will make us look.

We are the peacemakers.

China held a singing competition for young girls and the winner would sing at the Olympic opening ceremonies. Unfortunately for the girl who won, she had buck-teeth and wasn't pretty enough. So the cutie with the pig tales, just lip sang to the buck-tooth's voice.

That's jacked up. I think they're both cute.

Read the article here.

Tomorrow's Church is almost fully operational.

It is a new blog I have started with the several other contributors to discuss the Church of tomorrow. I can't wait for the thought sharing and discussions to really take off, but I wanted to make sure all who give 'a crap about my thoughts, come join us at Tomorrow's Church.

The contributors are:

- A dude and his wife in Pennsylvania who work for a church, but just quit to pursue something else.
- A dude who got fired from his church job, now works professionally and lives in Michigan.
- A girl who recently graduated college, feels called to plant a church and is trying to figure it out - she's lives in Portland, Oregon.
- A gentlemen who sells tires and might move to Georgia but lives in Kansas City.
- Another dude whose a youth pastor and trying to change the churches ways in Atlanta.
- A married couple who are fulltime missionaries and part-time baristas and want to open a coffee house church – they live in Columbus, Georgia.

Check it out - Tomorrow's Church

Alright - so I polished off 'Pagan Christianity?' today and let me just say it wasn't as epic as I had hoped. The opening had me, but as I got further into the book it became too repetitious for me.

In the end I disagree with his basic premise in the book, which is that if it is not biblical we shouldn't be doing it. By biblically Frank Viola means that the early church did it. But that is like saying it is not biblical to go to the doctor's office, since it is not specifically referenced in the bible. While it was never referenced in the bible, the bible isn't a book of all the to-do's and not to-do's of life. It is the story of God's people and His pursuit to redeem them.

It did challenge my thoughts on church and add to the discussion. Wasn't a waste, just wasn't epic.

Spiritual pathways to God; Creation, Relational, Contemplative, Serving, Worship, Intellectual and Activism.

Serving.

If you went to my church, you'd know that serving's name is John and Melanie White. The two most giving, dedicated and servant-minded people I know. They love to give of their time and talents for the community - it's what they do. Another friend of mine once said, ‘If I'm not doing something for my church community, I'm not growing.’ For him, the serving pathway was his life line to God and I would assume it is the same for the White's.

For me it doesn't come that easy and I have no problem exercising my 'NO' muscle, but I have become convinced that the best thing I can do with my life is serve others. Cliché - yes, but also true. Looking back on my life, I will not regret the time I spent serving others, but I will regret the time I spent serving my self in this consumerist culture.

So if serving is your pathway then it comes easy for you and the rest of us have to be reminded to prioritize it. Regardless, serving has the same benefits for all. I've never gone on a community serving project or a mission’s trip and felt like I was wasting my time. It always reminds me how blessed I am and always makes me feel more connected with God. And I guess that's because it connects me with God's heart - those experiences connect me with one of God's earliest commandments to us, use our blessing to bless others.

Actually now that I’m thinking about it, the fondest memories I have from growing up, the ones that most defined who I am today, were experiences where I was serving others.

What about you?

I got selected to do a review of Mark Batterson's new book, 'Wild Goose Chase,' and I can't wait to read it. I will be posting my review once I recieve and read the book - but I thought I'd post this excerpt.

In the beginning, God made man in His Image.

Man has been making God in his image ever since.

Call it naturalism. Call it anthropomorphism. Call it idolatry. Call it what you will. The end result of this spiritual inversion is a god that is about our size and looks an awful lot like us. And most of our spiritual shortcomings stem from this fundamental mistake: thinking about God in human terms. We make God in our image and what we’re left with is a God who can never surprise us, never astonish us, never overwhelm us, never transcend us.

Thomas Jefferson loved the teachings of Jesus. In fact, the author of the Declaration of Independence once called them the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man. But Jefferson was also a child of the Enlightenment. He didn’t have a cognitive category for miracles so Jefferson literally took a pair of scissors and cut them out of his King James Bible. It took him two or three nights. And by the time he was done, he had cut out the virgin birth; cut out the angels; and cut out the resurrection. Jefferson extracted every miracle and the end result was a book titled the Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth or what is commonly referred to as the Jefferson Bible.

Hard to imagine isn’t it? And something rises up within those of us that believe the Bible is divinely inspired by God. Part of us scoffs or scolds Jefferson. You can’t pick-and-choose. You can’t cut-and-paste. You can’t do that to the Bible. But here’s the honest truth: while most of us can’t imagine taking a pair of scissors to the Bible and physically cutting verses out, we do exactly what Jefferson did. We ignore verses we cannot comprehend. We avoid verses we do not like. And we rationalize verses that are too radical. And we may not cut them out with a pair of scissors, but the end result is the same. We are trapped by our own logic. Our lives are limited to those things we can comprehend with our cerebral cortex. And we end up in the cage of our own assumptions. And the more assumptions we make, the smaller our cage becomes.
Excerpt from Wild Goose Chase

Spiritual pathways to God; Creation, Relational, Contemplative, Serving, Worship, Intellectual and Activism.

Contemplative.

This pathway is best understood through the idea of mediation, studying, pondering and the like. The contemplative pathway draws you to God through thought. It is a very introverted process. If you like this pathway then you love hours of uninterrupted time to be with your thoughts.

I love to think and get lost in my thoughts, but those don't necessarily draw me closer to God. For me, this pathway has to be played out with the relational pathway. When I read the bible, or a book, or listen to music or see a piece of art the ideas play over and over in my head. I meditate on snippets of larger ideas all the time, but for me, I need to talk it through with someone else. I need to hear my self articulate it and then dialogue about it.

But there have been incredible moments in the contemplative pathway when God has come alive to me through an idea. Sometimes its a verse that just runs through my head, other times its a catch phrase from a song and at other times is something someone said that captivate my mind. These contemplative moments draw me to something deeper, show me something about myself and often times solidify something God's been saying to me.

Does this pathway gel with you?

So I was going to circulate this article that adds to the conversation I've been having about the Christian vote in a democracy - read it here - it's a good addition. But when I pulled up the article to read it, I was asked,

'Whose hotter, Taylor Swift or Hannah Montana?'

I was like really? Really? I just wanted to read about voting.

I don't even know who Taylor is but I'm pretty sure I could go to jail for answering the question. But if you're 13 and can tell me who she is, I'd appreciate it.

I love the Olympics.

The Olympic Games inspire me the way Rocky and the Karate Kid have in my life - I love the stories, the victories, the defeats and the chance to watch history being written. There has been a lot of talk about protests and human rights - and I think rightly so. I don't believe we should boycott the Olympics. I say, let the athletes do what they've dreamt of and trained for their whole lives. But I also think we should use the stage of the Olympics, as the world is watching, to bring to the surface issues we all face and that we, as the world, have a need to fix.

So here are a few things I'm most excited to see:
1 - NBC is streaming all the games online! This means for those of us who love not-so-popular sports, like wrestling, we'll get to watch them. I can't wait. I love wrestling and have always had to settle for highlights of my Olympic heroes.

2 - I love to see World Records broke, even in the lamest of sports.

3 - Jake Deitchler - 18 yr old, just graduated from High School and representing the USA as the 145 pound Greco wrestler. He is a phenom! I can't wait to see what he does. He already upset 2 of the worlds best to qualify - it's going to be exciting.

4 - I want to see a salute. I want to celebrate both the victories of the athletes and their statement to the world. I want people to say that human rights aren't a personal soap box, or some idealistic thought, but a necessity and a standard for the world. Whether it is wearing a button or taking the podium with no shoes or raising a gloved fist during the anthem - we should say something. I'm not looking for controversy for controversy's sake, but a statement on the largest stage in the world.

5 – I can’t wait to see the movie ‘Salute.’

Spiritual pathways to God; Creation, Relational, Contemplative, Serving, Worship, Intellectual and Activism.

Relational.

Like creation, this is an easy one for me. I just laid down with my wife and son, as they were drifting off into their Sunday naps and it reminded me of what a gift these relationships we have are. As I rubbed my son's forehead and admired his profile, I was reminded of what a gift from God he is. As I kissed my wife and touched her skin, I was reminded of how precious it is to share your life with someone. And I felt close to God, thankful to God and appreciative for all I have.

A mentor of mine in college once said that it is our relationships that are the most important things in life. I've grown to believe that the infamous 'meaning of life' question can be summed up in relationships. Our relationship with God, family, friends - even acquaintances - it is a beautiful gift. A gift that challenges us, grows us, supports us and betters us. And even in the heartbreak and pain that is so often associated with relationships, there are beautiful lessons of life and strength.

I always feel connected to God when I'm able to have a cup of coffee with someone or catch up with an old friend on the phone. Relationships are a gift and precious connection to the Creator.

Spiritual Pathways are a cool way of thinking about and identifying the ways in which you connect with God. There are several variations, but the best list of pathways I've ever found are from John Ortberg's book, 'God is Closer Than You Think.'

He lists 7 pathways to God; Creation, Relational, Contemplative, Serving, Worship, Intellectual and Activism. There is no priority to the list but a realization of what best works for you. Some you more easily fit into, others you have to work at. Usually the pathways that are harder for you are the ones you learn the most from.

Creation.

I wanted to start by talking about the Creation pathway - this is the one I most easily fit into. Growing up in Colorado, I love seeing and experiencing God's creation. I love to breath in the early morning air, soak up the view of the wetland behind my house, admire the sunset's display of colors and even just mowing my lawn. I love it. The beauty of the world around me draws me to God and reminds me of how freaking huge, great and awesome He is. Being outdoors just does it for me. I love to camp, rock climb and fish for these reasons. I feel the most disconnected from an atheist while being in the outdoors.

As a last note - it isn't just the natural outdoors that do it for me in this pathway, I also love being in a downtown, soaking up the culture of God's creation, seeing diversity and admiring the work of artist and architects - as they are byproducts of God's creation.

How about you?