I sent this out on Twitter last week some time, but the message keeps ringing in my ears. I love anyone who has musical talent and something to say at the same time. K'Naan is cool because he wants to not just make music, but raise awareness of his country and their war.

But, the message of this was really good - very pointed. And it's not just for the Eminems and 50Cents of the world, all of us think we have earned our stripes in different areas of life and though we probably don't think of our self as hardcore, we do think we're awesome. It's good to gain new perspectives and realize how good we really do have it here.



Thoughts?

This was my first audio book - which feels a little like cheating, but was a nice change and filled the often silent void of my 2 hour daily commute.

But this was a great book. I initially wanted to read it because I've heard people speak so highly of Ayn Rand and her work and I thought, then I must figure out what she is all about. And though I don't buy into her Objectivism philosophy, the story was very well written and captivating.

What I would love, if there are any Ayn Rand guru's out there, is to find out how the philosophy plays in our current, more postmodern culture. In particular, I'd love to know how Ayn Rand would interpret what Quantum Physics has brought about in recent years - it seems to me that Objectivism has be deconstructed by it.

Anyway - I would definitely recommend it to you - it was a good challenge to me on how I interact with the world and why.

Hooked up with my friends over at Random House to post a review of The Echo Within, by Robert Benson.

This was an enjoyable, short read. There have been a few books related to this issue released in the last few years, a kind of echo of echos - if you will. But it is about learning to listen to the voice of God - deciphering how you hear it.

I love books like this because they have a simple yet profound truth to them. The kind of truth that has value for you today and has value for you to reread in the future.

The part I loved the most was that we do not need to distrust the voice within, though it should be weighed, God often speaks through the internal echo of our hearts. We should learn to recognize the difference and then trust and act in obedience.

I would venture to say that we don't spend enough time trying to hear from God let alone learning to recognize the way in which he speaks to us.

Don't ask why?

I thought these were either funny or an interesting satire on life - what about you?

I have never partook in the Lent season - mostly because it was not a part of the traditions of my religious upbringing and because I didn't really want to.

I didn't even know what a Fat Tuesday was until I moved to Michigan a few years ago and I've never had ash, smudged in the form of a cross on my forehead - but I have hunted for eggs, which has about as much relevance to Easter as Santa does to the birth of Christ [reminds me of Jim Gaffigan's take on religious holidays].

But this year I have decided to challenge myself to give up a bad habit for 40 days (in hope to rid it or at least get it under control). If you know me, you probably know I have an addiction to candy that is humorous and ridiculous. I honestly am addicted - I love sugar and eat it all the time, with 2 root canals in the past 12 months to prove it. But because I don't have to stop, I don't - my wife genuinely is scared I'll become diabetic because of it.

So, I am giving up candy for 40 days because I can, because I don't need it, because I'll be healthier for it and because I compulsively eat it all the time (no lie). So I don't know much about Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and I don't get the Easter Bunny, hollow-chocolate-shaped things, plastic-candy-filled eggs and especially those gross marshmallow peeps, but I do want to be a disciplined person and pursue God's best for my life. Not that a lack of candy is that, but it is a means to that for me.

Thoughts on Lent? Are you giving anything up?

So I read this post by Eugene Cho yesterday, engaging the first speech given by the first African American Attorney General, Eric Holder. In his speech, Attorney General Holder said 3 things that really challenged me:

1st - Our country remains "voluntarily socially segregated."

2nd - “Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards,”

3rd - "On Saturdays and Sundays, America in the year 2009 does not, in some ways, differ significantly from the country that existed some 50 years ago. This is truly sad."

I hate that he is right. Had I still lived in CO and heard this, it would not have resonated with me. I would say that "there is still some segregation, but not to the extent Mr. Holder is accusing." I would probably even accuse him of playing the victim of the past and be frustrated by his pessimism of the present. But, I didn't think that or accuse him. It resonated with deep convictions in my soul.

I've lived in the Motor City metro area for 3 years now and have seen and heard things I thought to be archaic - things we all learned were ignorant and empty in our American History classes of our high school years. Areas where white people aren't wanted, areas where black people aren't welcome, subdivisions being 'infiltrated' by Indians who don't maintain the same standards of landscaping, the feeling that I should be afraid and suspicious of every black person I pass on my walk 3 blocks from my secure parking garage to my secure work building. I honestly hate the suspicion I feel when I gas up at the station across from my work, the one thought to be 'dangerous' - but then a white guy was car jacked at gun point by a black guy and all suspicions are validated - and then everyone was right. I have never seen an American city that looks so war torn, destroyed by the air raids of white flight and neighborhoods ghosted by ghetto indifference. I have never felt so far from living in America as I do in the Motor City, because it is not the America I want.

I want to believe in the dream and something that transcends all this racial history - a history I didn't help to write, but a future I long to be a part of. I never enslaved anyone, but I know my ancestors did. I've never hated someone for the color of their skin, but I know family members who do. Yet, perhaps I am a coward because I have not fashioned my life, or positioned my home or diversified my circle of friends to embody that which does resonate deeply within me. I work with mostly white corporate people, I live in a mostly white neighborhood and I have mostly white friends. Perhaps I am a coward. Too harsh? Maybe. I know I didn't move 60 miles outside of Detroit to get away from the African Americans that make up the majority of it's populations. We had family out there, found a great house (at a then great price - since lived to regret that) and it was far cheaper than where we were living. But, I could have moved to Detroit for those same reasons, not as close to family but far closer to work, far cheaper to live.

So now I feel like part of the problem - and I'm left challenged by Mr. Holder's speech and must work to be the change I want to see. I am not satisfied by the status quo in our culture and churches.

Related posts, "The King had a Dream," "The Down Side To Freedom of Speech [Part 1]," "A Church without a Box?"

K'Naan was on a local radio show getting interview the other day and I really appreciated his perspective on life and the situation of his country and his people. He was born and raised in Somalia, the land of poets, and now has found success here in America. Enjoy - unless you're already a K'Naan fan - but you can re:Enjoy them.

I think every guy has attempted some epic feat in their life and afterward wondered why they ever thought it was a good idea.

This is one such occasion:

Over the past few days I've been really challenged to rethink a few areas of my life - realizing how easy it is to be lulled to sleep in our consumerist society. I don't want to just live life as everyone else does, accepting that 'this is just the way it is.'

I recently read a quote by Zygmunt Bauman, a renowned sociologist of our time. He said,

A life so fragmented stimulates "lateral" rather than "vertical" orientations.

The full quote depicted the shortcomings of our modern lives. He described how there are fewer social structures to support "long-term thinking, planning and acting." And how when our lives are so compartmentalized, between work, family, friends, faith, hobbies, etc, etc, our progress in life is slowed and more lateral than forward.

I haven't been able to get that thought out of my head. I want my life to move forward, I want to progress in life in a direction that makes me better. I want to be able to think outside our cultural standards for life, ethics and success. I'm realizing that without intentionality my progress will be, at best, lateral in life.

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5]

I usually reserve these posts for people trying to be relevant but failing. This however is just ignorant - naturally I thought I'd share.



I have no idea what he is trying to accomplish or say or do with his hair.

I started reading a new book that I've really been enjoying called Transformational Architecture by Ron Martoia. So far it has been really good. Basically he is setting out to recapture the narrative of God's story and replace the abbreviated version we often live by.

But one of the analogies he uses is that of a gerbil wheel and how the American Dream is always spinning and at work as the background narrative in our lives. He builds a simple, but profound description of how we are always chasing it, but it is never fully reached and is never able to give what it promises. It is interesting to note that despite your religious background, gender, socioeconomic status - we are all affected by it. And like a gerbil on a wheel, we all stand the chance to look back on our life and realize we ran hard but got nowhere. Here's how Ron says it,

The universality of this dream is precisely what makes it so difficult to identify as a motivator of human life. The American Dream is quiet but powerful, an enormous daily motivator and yet hidden from our eyes because its presence is so obvious and accepted as the "way things are."

It took me back to this post, 'Inconvenienced by Convenience' and my struggle to align my life goals with something greater than the American Dream of having and consuming. I'm working hard to be more conscious of what I let define my success and who I seek approval from - but it is a hard thing to get out from under this American Dream. I want the narrative of my life to be written by the hand of God and His faithfulness, not patched together by being someone I'm not in a culture that is so often empty.

Thoughts?

If you want to lose weight - get AIDS, I mean Ayds. Why would you take diet pills if you could enjoy AIDS, I mean Ayds? And if you've never paid a visit to the failblog.org - you should right now.

Life has a certain complexity about it - does it not? A complexity built out of relationships, pains, victories, tension, beauty, aspirations and dreams. A complexity that is so beautiful - because even the pain and tension gives more than it takes. This has been a constant theme in my life over the past few years and a real growing experience in learning to appreciate the bumps and lows of life.

I'm thankful that I can trust my life in the hands of the Potter - and brings me to an old post back when I started this whole blog thing.
______________________

Over that past few weeks I've had the opportunity to connect with friends from college, some of my local homies and my mentors - here are three consistent things I've learned, discussed and seen.
First...
God uses some pretty unique threads, even crazy threads, to weave our life together with. Our lives aren't today what we thought they would be 5 years ago - and they won't be what we imagine them being in 5 more years. But it is God's faithfulness to us, his love that pulls it all together. If you're like me, sometimes from this limited human perspective the weaving looks kinda crappy - but it's these unique threads that when looking back on our life will mean the most. So we can rejoice with Paul in our weakness, celebrate the failures and enjoy the dry, boring season of life because it is God's story.
Second...
It's the struggles that define us. Without the struggle, whatever it is, life would only hold a limited significance. No matter where we are, with or without a job, with or without funds, with our without a purpose - it is our current struggle that calls us to be better and hold closer to God. Today’s struggle, whether small or impossible, only leads to tomorrows struggle, because to struggle is to live.
Third...
Being a friend is messy. A real friend, a true n' blue friend is there no matter what. If I expect to be a friend, I have to be ready for the messy reality of what a deep friendship entails. It means I have to be ready to see them for all that they are and love them. It means I have to be ready to challenge them with tough love, which is a hard thing to do. And I have to be ready to receive tough love, which is an even harder thing to do. It is too easy to write someone off, to give up on them - but a true friend is ready to get down in the mud, be authentic and live the struggle together.

This is the most important thing I could post about - because it is closest to who I really am. I love the discussions we have on here and having an avenue to unload my thoughts - not to mention all the friends I've made here - but none of those things have capture me as fully as the new section I opened on the third place called 'Recovery.'

Follow the link, or use the tab in the top nav and find out more about me than you probably wanted to know. You can watch 2 videos, about 11 minutes of your life, to know the broken side of me and why third places are so important to me - they've saved my life.

God has opened so many doors for Julie and through our story, it is amazing what just being honest and real with people can do. Even in just the past few weeks - God has brought about some amazing opportunities to partner with people on their journey in life and recovery.

Much love....

So there is an epic debate across our land that divisively splits between the White Castle Haters and Lovers.

I have several friends, who I love and respect very much, who persist to not only consume this vile, greasy, grossness - but maintain that it is heavenly! Now I know what you are thinking, 'They must be white trash!' But they're not, in fact, one of them isn't even white. They are decent men, hard workers and one of them is even a pastor - I know!

Outside of these specific few friends, everyone I've ever met who loves White Castle is a pot head - and under the influence of drugs, maybe then I would consider allowing these slimy burgers into my body - but I don't smoke pot, I don't do drugs and I feel embarrassed for my friends.

Many-a-time these dear friends have been at my house and said, 'Hey, let's get some WC,' and I'm like, 'Yeah, lets pack our arteries full of grease, then poop our pants and spend the night in the ER!' That sounds like fun - I mean seriously - the only reason I could see going to a WC is to intentionally associate with the lowly of this world, because that's what Jesus would do.

The photo below is courtesy of the She's So Ghetto blog and takes the debate to a whole other level. Yeah! They are getting married at a White Castle - wow!


Anyway, I do pray for my friends and hope to be a positive influence in their lives and help deliver them to higher standards in fast food providers. Please join me in praying for them.

I can't imagine that there is any one reading my blog that would seek to defend WC, but that's what I thought about cowboy boots too?

I finally finished The Forgotten Ways yesterday, and not 'finally' because it was horrible, but 'finally' because it was so good I had to read it slow. I spent just over a month plowing my way through it, interacting with it and taking what ended up being pages of notes.

I blogged several posts about it over on the Tomorrow's Church site, but I was really challenged by the book. I actually got to meet Alan Hirsch over this past weekend and had the chance to talk with him a little bit about the book. He said that he feels he was 'born to write this book' and that the #1 thing he hears as feedback, is that readers already feel like they knew it, but just hadn't put it all together yet. That was true for me, most of what the book is about you seemingly already know - there is this profound simplicity about it. It's like God has been stirring this inside so many and He's using Alan as the mouthpiece to package it and to be a catalyst toward change.

What I love most about the book is that it is not about some new 'church model' to subscribe to in a hope to grow a church. What he builds toward in the book is far more open ended and is more of a 'recommissioning' of the Great Commission. I highly recommend this book if you are a lover of the church, a church leader or if you are stimulated by all that is theological - it'll frustrate, challenge and inspire you.

These came courtesy of my buddy Jason Harper - they made me laugh pretty hard.

This is not a slam on Pentecostals - not in the slightest. In fact I did a lot of spiritual 'growing up' in a Pentecostal/Charismatic church - and I think we all have our experiences for a reason. So though this is not a slam, it is critique and an honest confession of why I haven't missed my charismatic past.

Depending on which side of the fence you are on the above video is either offensive or embodies the exact reason you think the charismatic types are crazy. For some it is too much, seems too contrived - but for others, it's what excites you about God, that He acts and moves beyond our comfort zone and understanding.

Here's the truth. I've had some crazy charismatic experiences. Some crazy because I know God showed me something through it. Others, crazy because I know that well intentioned and honest people can try to force a God experience on their own. What I love about Pentecostal people is that they are open to God and looking for Him - they are in pursuit of real experiences. They say, if God is a real God, then He can really show up and move in our lives. What I do not like about the Pentecostal environment is the tendency to abuse it in what I call hyper-emotionalism.

I have seen not just awkward, but flat out crazy things in the name of 'God moving.' I will not pretend to be able to speak for God on this one and I can not, nor do I want to, legitimize Benny Hinn and the like. Those people in that crowd are searching and seeking for something real - and that is between them and God. My point is simply that I have not missed the hyper spiritual sensitivity that I experienced. The constant 'I believe God is speaking to me' and 'I've got a word for you.' It got old - it got abused - it rarely spoke on behalf of God for me.

But what I won't do is shut out the mystery that is God - that He is way beyond me and what I'm 'comfortable' with in this life. I thank God for my experiences - both the good and the bad. I hope you can say the same. I hope you can see the good in the bad and the bad in the good of your life and your experiences with God.

Those are just my thoughts, what are yours?