One of my wife's dreams in life is to be a part of a spontaneous, choreographed dance. I don't think you can watch this and not smile and, at least for a moment, share the same dream as my wife.

This is one of my favorite SNL commercial parodies. I came across it again the other day, laughed and then had to share it.

Found this and naturally had to blog it - thought it was hilarious and I learned two new words:
Phatdippin: swimming while fully clothed
Backne: acne on your back

So I've taken an unintentional break from my blogging endevours - life's been crazy. So this video is a good way to kick things off again!

Enjoy...

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6]

Time for another installment of YGBKM, or What the Crap?, or Seriously?

Not sure about this one - but it is hilarious. What I'm trying to figure out is why they thought a correlation between breakfast and God coming back made any sense? And I'm not sure who to feel bad for, that lady or him or you?

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?

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:

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.

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?

Thanks to Ryan Billings for this!

First this video impressed me (mad pen spinning skills), then it made me laugh, then I cried laughing, and it was kind of awkward in my cubicle.

...for people like Sylvester Williams today. Regardless of your political view, today is a great moment in our countries history. Sylvester Williams used to pick cotton and lived through all the segregation and hatred in the South during the first half the 20th Century. I'm glad he lived long enough to see the moment when an African American is sworn in as the President of the United States. Today is a proud moment for all of us in the U.S.

I heard there are 25,000 law enforcement agents on hand...
I pray nothing ignorant or racist happens today...
I'm praying for our next President...
I'm thankful that God's hand is on history...

In memory of the great moral leader of our country, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and one the greatest speech in American History.

I have never been able to listen to this speech and not be affected. The King deserves this day on our calendars so that we remember how far we've come in this country, so we remember the great transgressions we are capable of and so we remember that change can brought about in peace.

MLK had such clarity. He never wavered in his conviction to peacefully fight for the true equality of all God's people. He saw what was wrong, he knew what was right and possessed the ability to articulate that in a way that moved people to action. I have the utmost respect for Dr. King and am proud to say I live in a country where history can be written this way.

Saw this over at Taylor Lyall's blog and it really affected me.



This video comes at a time when I've been wrestling with my responsibility in this world I live in. I do feel that my inaction adds to the problem and that my comfortable life too often pretends everyone's life must be comfortable too. And though I do care, the life style I live says otherwise.

I often wonder why I was so lucky to be born in affluent America, why did I deserve that? Why do I get to make more in a day than most people make in a month? Why are my concerns more about wants, while so many struggle for needs? What am I supposed to do with this dilemma?

Thoughts?

Just for fun...

Ever since The Shack hit the shelves, it has been all the rave in the Christian fiction arena - some hailing it as one of the best contemporary Christian pieces. So naturally I'm excited to read it and finally picked a copy up last month. In the meantime I'm still wrestling through another book that is a weighty, exciting and slow read called The Forgotten Ways, review to come - but I haven't had a chance to get into The Shack yet.

But in fielding my excitement for the book, a few interesting discussions transpired around the feminine image of God used in the book. Two women who I love and respect very much, put the book down after getting about 70 pages in because God was a girl. I was taken back by there refusal to continue reading the book everyone else is talking about. It's not like you have to agree with it to read it - right? Moreover, I was taken back by their refusal to even consider that God is a girl - or at least to consider that He is neither.

I admit I have a total man-crush on Rob Bell, but his recent Nooma video 'She' (preview clip below) sets the table for the discussion and a fuller understanding of who God is.



Does this mess with your theology or understanding of God? It doesn't with mine.

The Hebrew word Rob refers to is 'rechem' and literally all throughout the Old Testament, every time God is referred to as compassionate or having compassion, it is the same word for womb - feminine imagery for God. And in Job 38.29 God uses the analogy that creation was birthed from His womb, I mean Her womb. I understand that for ease, we label God as a man, or a He - but at best that only refers to half of who He is, because the other half is understood in the attributes of a women, who She created in Her own image.

But to be more accurate God is niether male or female, because that is what makes god, God. If only we had gender-nuetral pronouns for God, then the male dominated traditions of our history would not have limited our understanding of God and God's compassionate side.

Thoughts?

This is a cool promo video from my buddy Mike and the work he's been doing for the Teen Challenge Global Internship program over the past year (more info here, apply here). This video reminds me of some of the truly life-altering experiences I've had on missions trips. There is something about being out of your element, depending on God and thinking of others more than your self - which sounds a lot like the way Jesus explained God's mission for us in this lifetime. Anyway, thought is was worth sharing...

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?