"The Boss"

Devils and Dust, Bruce Springsteen



Great new album- came out on Tuesday...definently downloadable!
(Check out: Devils and Dust, Jesus Was an Only Son, and All I'm Thinking About)

Other great recent finds:
-iTunes has an area where it lists the Billboard Top 100 for every year going way, way back!!
-the Billboard thing led me to reconnecting with all of those important songs that I grew up on!
-Found some guy named Tyler Hilton- good accoustic rythms

Invisible Children

My buddy Leighton tuned me in to this yesterday. The story goes something like this:
These guys just finished film school and were making big plans to get into the industry. They heard about "Invisible Children". These kids who no one really knows about--they are born and then prepared to fight and slave in war. The guys were so interested that they went to see the invisible children...they created a documentary of these kids while they were there and now are working fulltime to bring attention to the injustice. I know I didn't explain this all right--check out the website and the trailer online or you can order the film.

http://www.invisiblechildren.com/

so, $3.00 a gallon for gas is high?

so, $3.00 a gallon for gas is high? Consider ...
Diet Snapple 16 oz $1.29, which come to $10.32 per gallon
Lipton Ice Tea 16 oz $1.19, which come to $9.52 per gallon
Gatorade 20 oz $1.59, which come to $10.17 per gallon
Ocean Spray 16 oz $1.25, which come to $10.00 per gallon
Brake Fluid 12 oz $3.15, which come to $33.60 per gallon
Vick's Nyquil 6 oz $8.35, which come to $178.13 per gallon
Pepto Bismol 4 oz $3.85, which come to $123.20 per gallon
Whiteout 7 oz $1.39, which come to $25.42 per gallon
Scope 1.5 oz $0.99, which come to $84.48 per gallon
Evian water 9 oz $1.49, which come to $21.19 per gallon

Sheesh, I'm glad I don't need 15 gallons a week of Scope ... which would come to a salty $1,267.20


-- from shok the german's blog --

Success!!

I WANT TO ATTATCH AN EMAIL THAT I JUST GOT FROM ONE:


Dear Friend:

"ONE by ONE They step forward." As Brad Pitt and Cameron Diaz uttered those simple phrases on MTV, ABC and Christian Broadcast Network earlier this month, a new chapter was opened in the fight against global AIDS and extreme poverty as more than 100 million Americans were introduced to ONE! If you haven't had a chance to see the full 60 second version of the video, make it ONE hundred million and ONE

Watch the full ONE spot here!

History is being made by YOU! Across America, people have responded, as ONE to the emergency of AIDS and extreme poverty - in the past four weeks alone, more than 200,000 Americans have joined, more than doubling the size of ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History!

Like you, Jamie Foxx believes that together, ONE by ONE, "we can start to make poverty history."

Watch the ONE spot now!

Learn the facts, share your knowledge, and teach others that it is possible to create a world where extreme poverty is a thing of the past. Visit ONE.ORG to learn about the challenges facing our world today. As ONE, we can make the difference.

ONE by ONE, we will continue to make history; help keep our momentum building by emailing your friends and family and ask them to join The ONE Campaign. If each ONE of us shows this video to even ONE friend and they sign the declaration at ONE.ORG, we will double in size again!

Thank you,

The ONE Campaign Team

Buying a House

I every few months for the last 5 years I ask myself: When did I become an adult? I remember when I got my first paycheck for being on staff @ PDBC; when I first realized that I was in a serious relationship with Lindsey; when I started paying bills; when I was teaching others; when I was 'camp director'; when I got engaged; when we started Crosspoint; the first time I traveled for work; when I got married; when I worked in a hospital; when I was hired @ Longbranch; when I graduated college; when I made a major move; and now I am making a bid on a house! AHHHHH! What a scary and exciting time. It doesn't seem that long ago that the 'riders of ramon' were terrorizing the streets of d-town...

Why an interest in Africa?

Africa. Where the first human beings stood up and walked. The world's second-largest continent. Home to one in ten of the world's people, and five of the ten fastest-growing economies. Global source of oil and minerals — fifteen percent of America's oil comes from Africa — and foods such as peanuts, rice, coffee and chocolate.

Just as our past has been bound up with Africa, so are all our futures.
One in two Africans is under age 20, but their futures are under threat. Africa is struggling under a triple crisis that keeps its people poor and its nations weak -- the burden of unpayable DEBT that soaks up money that should go to health and education; the epidemic of AIDS that is taking the lives of an entire generation; and the unfair TRADE policies that keep Africans from being able to sell their products at world prices and earn their own way out of poverty.

Sub-Saharan Africa, the part of the continent south of the Sahara Desert, is also the world's poorest place. Seventy percent of its people live on less than $2 a day. 200 million go hungry every day. This year at least a million Africans, most of them young children, will die of malaria and two million will die of AIDS.

Africa is at a critical turning point, and could go either way — the crises could get far worse, or we can be part of helping Africa turn these crises around.

ONE

I recently signed the ONE campaign.

I have known about ONE for sometime now; and have been inspired by it and appreciated it--but have done nothing.

I couldn't consider myself an activist, b/c unfortunately I have not been very active. I have spent the last few months dealing with the idea of missional christians versus mission-minded christians. I have discovered that while my philosophy is missional, my actions seem more mission-minded. It is, I guess, typical of the today's American christian to be supportive, rather than participatory of efforts that meet God's mission. Ironically, while I recognized this characteristic and then reconstructed much of my church theology and practice, my personal philosophy has been limited to the supportive effort. Lindsey and I have enjoyed writing checks and making online donations (when we can) to social support and relief efforts; but this is often something done and forgotten. I don't know what part I am to play in the social ministry part of God's mission, but I will now pray and listen for God's voice of direction...and in the meantime, I will be more concious of those who are actively participating in these types of efforts. Fortunately, there are millions of people who are trying to meet humanities needs...some are inspired by God, others by an intuition, or a compassion...regardless of their concious motivation--I am thankful for those who are plowing the way for a journey that I am now more ready to take.

ONE.org

Past...

When I sink my toes into the wet, matted sand, just on the shore; I look out over the ocean--And I can see forever...(or a/b 25 miles).

What is on the other side of the horizon? What is life like -- past all I can see?

(Thankfully--more than I could ever imagine; and more than I can comprehend!)

Responses

The fun thing about the emerging church is that they can all look totally different. Nevertheless, two things stand out as neccessary for most every emerging church:
1) Good Coffee :-)
2) Core Values

So, what's your 1) favorite coffee (or how do you like it)? ...And List or describe what you 2)value.

I'll get us rolling:
1) .:Starbucks Yukon Blend - sugar and cream:.

2)
-MISSIONAL in nature.
-EMERGING with cultural needs.
-INTENTIONAL in relationships
-INTENTIONAL in planning
-VISIONARY in goals
-FLUID in practice
-PRACTICAL in meeting needs
-POSTMODERN in communication
-REPRODUCING for kingdom growth

I started this as a thread @ theooze...you can read responses of members here. (check back often for new posts) Leave your coffee and core values here or @ theooze. thanks

To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.

from Auguries of Innocence by William Blake

In response to Chris's 4/4/05 blog...

Chris asked: So, if any of you reading this think you can come up with a statement describing and defining the missional church, I want to challenge you to do so by posting the statement as a comment here. But lets just make a few rules: No cheesiness or idealistic themes - I've already got that stuff. No complicated concepts - something every Christian (even non-Christian) can understand. Nothing too long - 4 to 5 sentences tops

IN 4-5 SENTENCES:
A church should be deemed missional by two charcteristics:
1) Philosophy
2) Actions

-A missional church has an implied and taught philosophy that every believer is called to PARTICIPATE in God's mission. This shifts a church from a supportive "come-and-see" mentality to a "go-and-be/tell/do" mentality.

-A missional church places the priority of evangelism and ministry in the hands of it's members. This means that every member of a missional church should be participating in loving and meeting needs of unchurched peoples. (We should begin to see conversion happening outside of Church walls, [which then become a gathering place for sending].)


IN ONE SENTENCE:
A missional church is a gathering of believers who participate in God's mission because they understand themselves as a sent people.


I know each of these statements might be able to stand alone, but most likely would lead to a a follow-up question by an audience, such as: isn't that what all chuches are about? Emphatically, no. Sadly, many evangelical churches talk good game when it comes to preparing believers for God's mission, but they do not take serious enough, the practice of being missional (or always on mission). Many of these churches see the Church institution as the place of ministry and conversion. Missional churches see the church body as the place of ministry and conversion. Whoa--there is my one sentence answer!

IN ONE SENTENCE:
Missional churches see the church body as the place of ministry and conversion.

Change of Scenery

Today was a good day.

Sometimes you just have to get out of your routine...Not be pushed or dragged out of your routine, but you must intentionally step out of your routine. I met Shawn @ Starbucks in Hilsborough this morning. We spent the day discussing our ministries and our churches, and shooting the breeze. It's amazing how a change of scenery, a venti carmel machiato (no foam, one equal), and good conversation can make me feel challenged, encouraged, and refreshed for the week. (oh - and I hit up the book outlet store - that always helps too!)

Church Website

www.wired-church.org

I like the site. It is from an ooze friend who's planting. Don't know much about him yet...just met this week. Like the site though. Here's a question: does our marketing/advertising/etc. properly express the identity of our churches? (Could someone get an idea of my ministry from my website? -this includes what is said + the visual) As a test for me, check my website, and then tell me what you think of my ministry (or what is passion and priority for us). You are welcome to try my church's site as well! Please email me a response, thanks!

Cheetos

As I'm writing this, I realize that I am leaving cheeto residue all over the keys of my keyboard. Remember how cool cheetos were when we were little. We agrued over 'crunchy' or 'puffy'...it was a big deal if another kid brought them in their lunch and I didn't. Most of my lunchroom trading stemmed for my desire for CRUNCHY cheetos! Then, somewhere along the way, I stopped

Maybe I got tired of them, maybe I was afraid the chicks didn't like the cheeto residue that covered my face and hands...I don't know. All I do know is: I found this little bag of cheetos in the bottom of my deepest desk drawer. I don't know how they got there...but they are good (a little stale, but all the same - Good.)

Now I don't remember what I was going to post...sorry. I'll try again later.