My heart is beeping...

Please pray that these children will be saved - from the violence and brought into the loving arms of Jesus. Lord, I can't imagine. Please continue to break my heart for your children.

See the Invisible Children.

Why are we so caught up with trying to redefine our name instead of attempting to live up to the one we are called after?

www.relevantmagazine.com

"Today’s Christian mindset is based more on self-need and self-help than on selflessness and self-sacrifice. Our narcissistic mindset dictates our worldview, which is defined by James Emery White (Gordon-Conwell President) as “the lens through which we look at the world and therefore think about the world.” If our worldview asks, “What can I get for myself, to help myself, to better myself?” then we are idol worshippers, replacing God with ME. The postmodern mindset struggles to reconcile this point.

Writhing Worldview

As I read in Hebrews, I am confronted by the fact that these first Christians were cut into pieces, stoned, flogged, and lived in caves and holes in the ground for their faith. Yet the scriptures say the world was not worthy of them. Today’s American Christian faces, at most, a political bashing and harsh name-calling.

We are at a point now where mainstream culture views evangelical Christians in a most disgusting light. This is due in part to uncompromising leaders who polarize people and dominate the media with political rhetoric that taints the Christian name. This is what the modern leaders have brought to the Christian name and why postmoderns are so adamant about swinging to the extreme. There needs to be some kind of balance. It is not necessarily a postmodern or a modern mindset that will change the hearts of men, but Christians with the mind of Christ.

Don’t Call Me Christian

It is increasingly true that many young adults do not like to be referred to as “Christians.” I would agree that some evangelicals do more harm than good at times to the name. We polarize on non-essential arguments and look to government to rectify the moral depravity of our great nation. Truly Christians miss the mark in this regard.

The term “Christian” was a derogatory name given to followers of the Way. These followers were routinely fed to lions and mutilated in front of thousands of rabid onlookers. Early Christians paid attention to the poor and lepers, not how their “name” affected culture. Their involvement with those in need dumbfounded the Roman government.

In the film Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne discovers that it is not who he is on the inside, but what he does that defines him. Why are we so caught up with trying to redefine our name instead of attempting to live up to the one we are called after?

I wonder if we are on the wrong side of modern, more "ancient" than "post." Would that be so bad? Can you imagine the church on fire, leading the way in community, poverty and AIDS? I wonder if we will ever begin to see that it is not about the paint on our brushes, but the light pouring all around and within. “No, You’re forgetting,” said the Spirit. “That was not how you began. Light itself was your first love: You loved paint only as a means of telling about light.” (The Great Divorce) "

All Right, Okay, You Win...

I really like Peggy Lee - I am incredibly impatient right now because I want it to be Friday at 8 p.m. so I can go swing dancing... patience is a virtue, I know, but I want to dance!

Be still my beating heart...

Psalm 37

Of David.

1 Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.

9 For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.

11 But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy great peace.

12 The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;

13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.

14 The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.

15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.

16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;

17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.

18 The days of the blameless are known to the LORD,
and their inheritance will endure forever.

19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20 But the wicked will perish:
The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields,
they will vanish—vanish like smoke.

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;

22 those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be cut off.

23 If the LORD delights in a man's way,
he makes his steps firm;

24 though he stumble, he will not fall,
for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.

26 They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be blessed.

27 Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.

28 For the LORD loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.
They will be protected forever,
but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;

29 the righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.

30 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks what is just.

31 The law of his God is in his heart;
his feet do not slip.

32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
seeking their very lives;

33 but the LORD will not leave them in their power
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

34 Wait for the LORD
and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,

36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.

37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
there is a future for the man of peace.

38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
the future of the wicked will be cut off.

39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

40 The LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.

Mr. Darcy...

What freedom - I can rest.

Praise God - I can rest - I can do nothing and not feel guilty

Ummm...Okay

Gore movie puts heat on Bush
"You cannot see this film and not think of George W. Bush, the man who beat Gore in 2000. Bush has been studiously anti-science, a man of applied ignorance who has undernourished his mind with the empty calories of comfy dogma. For instance, his insistence on abstinence as the preferred method of birth control would be laughable were it not so reckless. It is similar to Bush's initial approach to global warming. It may be that Gore will do more good for his country and the world with this movie than Bush ever did by winning in 2000."


My Comments: Abstinence is 100% effective - sheesh - it's like people have no self control - Don't tell people they can't do something, but they can tell me my opinion is wrong. Where's the tolerance for my ideas?

Northanger Abbey

From "Northanger Abbey" by Jane Austen:
"It would be mortifying to the feelings of many ladies could they be made to understand how little the heart of man is affected by what is costly or new in their attire; how little it is biased by the texture of their muslin, and how unsusceptible of peculiar tenderness towards the spotted, the sprigged, the mull, or the jackonet. Woman is fine for her own satisfaction alone. No man will admire her the more, no woman will like her the better for it. Neatness and fashion are enough for the former, and a something of shabbiness or impropriety will be most endearing to the latter...(When Catherine is trying to avoid one young man at a ball and wanting to spot another) Every young lady may feel for my heroine in this critical moment, for every young lady has at some time or other known the same agitation. All have been, or at least all have believed themselves to be, in danger from the pursuit of someone whom they wish to avoid; and all have been anxious for the attentions of someone whom they wished to please."

I'll just wait for the hate mail...

To see more t-shirts...

Ach du dickes ei!

Me thinks I'm going crazy - AHHHHHH
(Spinning around in circles and yelling is a fine stress reliever - as is writing random things on your blog.)

My favorite commercials as of recently are the VW representing Deutschland and the Mazda one where the guy says, "Ach du liebe!"

Deine Mutter! (That's what some of my German friends would exclaim when they messed up when we were playing Fooseball.)

Like I said - Random Craziness...

Fish, Cat and Dog, OH MY!

I am pet/house sitting this week - Not that I don't have anything else to do. But it's fun - I love the animals (except the cat makes me sneeze). I waiting for video to render - we have an event tomorrow - we have 4-2 minute videos and 1 - 4:30 minute video - Lots of rendering especially when we use green screen.

Oh - I went swing dancing on Saturday - my feet have finally stopped hurting. My friend Jenny will be proud - I danced in heels :)

I received an email with these cartoons below attached. I'm not sure who does these - but it sure made me laugh!