Here and Now

Okay - full-on geek mode here...heh... I love playing with sound and graphics and video. I'm also cheap - so I love programs that offer a lot of bang for...well, nothing. Here's some links to great programs that are absolutely free (and work great - some of them I've been using for a couple years now): My favorite is Gimpshop - it's a Photoshop knockoff that is HUGELY functional. I do almost all my graphics editing with the Gimp. I would guess that if you know Photoshop, the Gimp would be pretty easy to use (though I've never used PS - the Gimp has done everything I've wanted in raster-based image editing): http://www.gimpshop.com/ If vector graphics are your thing, I'm told that Inkscape is similar to Illustrator, though I'm just now beginning to find my way around it: http://www.inkscape.org/ Of course, who could pass up a free Office clone? I mean, to get the universal functionality of Office without having to pay a million dollars to Microsoft (okay,...

We had our second annual community Easter dinner yesterday. Last year when we had the dinner, we had some new people show up for Breakthrough that evening. Happened again last night. Bill was here. I've seen Bill around, but I never asked his name. Truth is, I never really paid much attention to him. He struggles in some ways - physically and mentally - economically. I hope he felt loved and welcomed last night...but I don't expect to see him back again. I hope he comes back, but... Bill's on my prayer list now. I've noticed him. I'm ashamed to admit (though I must) that too many people are too low on my radar to ever even ask their names...I pass them on the street, in the store, and never stop to say more than a passing, "Hello." But here's one guy that I won't miss again. Here's a guy that I now have "something to say to." At least I have one connection with him now. I keep coming back to that proverb that I heard a yea...

My mom comes over on her days off to babysit for us. It's a HUGE blessing for us (and I don't thank her enough...note to self...) Anyway, this morning my mom was a little early and I wasn't quite ready for work when she came so as I was getting ready to come to the office, I heard Elie say, "Let's play chess, grandma." Now, Elie Chess is a little different from everybody else's chess. You see, the goal of Elie Chess is for Elie's king (a title that is bestowed on a bewildering array of pieces on the chess board - whichever her little hands grab first) to capture all your pieces. Since Elie Chess doesn't depend on each player having all the same color pieces, it's not easy to even know which pieces are yours. The goal of Elie Chess is for Elie to win. So, the rules change constantly, what you are and aren't allowed to do in the game changes constantly. You don't really know even where your pieces are, let alone when and how you're al...

Bill Mallonee - Vigilantes of Love This band (guy/band, um...whatever) has been loved and hated since they first put notes to tape around 1990. I was only a passing VoL fan through the 90s since nobody around here carried their stuff. I THINK I have an album or two on cassette somewhere... But my friend Steve re-ignited my interest in Bill and VoL. There's such a depth in Bill's lyrics that is easy to miss. The melodies are sometimes light, sometimes dark - but usually pretty catchy - in that pseudo Americana folk brit pop country indie rock way (heh, is it any wonder they didn't get a lot of radio play?) . So sometimes I find myself singing lyrics that are pretty profound (okay, not ALWAYS, but sometimes) without thinking 'cause the songs are so darn catchy. I was just listening to "Parting Shot" from the Blister Soul album and my spirit was resonating with Bill's lament. hey you know i sure could use a new suit of clothes see i'm gone all threadbare...

Here's my wife's nerd test. You may remember that I am Cool Nerd King :) Well, Lori, it turns out, is: So, opposites attract, eh? Yeah, I knew she'd beat me in everything. Uber cool she is...

Last Sunday, Larry Norman died. He was 60 years old. Larry is often considered the Father of Christian Rock - or somesuch... He was a pioneer, no doubt about that. There was a lot of controversy that surrounded him - maybe he was hard to work with, I don't know. I've heard that some in the "CCM Industry" who would laud him publicly (and, you know, record his songs and stuff) would criticize him privately. He made some pretty wild accusations, no doubt about that (apparently Larry wrote a song called The Tune that somehow he says Bill Gaither ripped off in the song "God Gave the Song" - okay, maybe he took the CONCEPT, but, really, listen to "The Tune" above, and then listen to this - Bill Gaither talking about "God Gave the Song" - which sounds like, if something was done it was done by Ron Huff...but I digress. I mean, yeah, it's got a lot in common - but...well, I don't know... Larry says that it was Gaither's biggest hit...

Okay, now I like Brian McLaren. So I'm wrestling with this one. Of course http://www.alittleleaven.com/ HATES Brian McLaren - But they'd probably hate my blog, too... I had a long conversation about this one on Friday. Here's a transcript, in case you don't want to watch the video, can't watch the video, or just prefer having all the words in front of you like I do. The voice of, I presume, the interviewer is in brackets: This is one of the huge problems with the uh the traditional understanding of hell. Because if the cross is in line with Jesus’ teaching, then and I won’t say the only, and I certainly won’t say the...or even the primary but a primary meaning of the cross is that the Kingdom of God doesn’t come like kingdoms of this world by inflicting violence and coercing people but that the Kingdom of God comes through suffering and willing and voluntary sacrifice. Right? [Um-hm] But in an ironic way the doctrine of hell basically says no but that’s not really ...

Heh - I took the nerd test

From a friend: Open Google type: find chuck norris hit (this is important) "I Feel Lucky" Enjoy...

Tony Campolo - From his book The Kingdom of God Is a Party writes: Up a side street I found a little place that was still open. I went in, took a seat on one of the stools at the counter, and waited to be served. This was one of those sleazy places that deserves the name, "greasy spoon." I did not even touch the menu. I was afraid that if I opened the thing something gruesome would crawl out. But it was the only place I could find. The fat guy behind the counter came over and asked me, "What d'ya want?" I said I wanted a cup of coffee and a donut… As I sat there munching on my donut and sipping my coffee at 3:30 in the morning, the door of the diner suddenly swung open and, to my discomfort, in marched eight or nine provocative and boisterous prostitutes. It was a small place, and they sat on either side of me. Their talk was loud and crude. I felt completely out of place and was just about to make my getaway when I overheard the woman beside me say, "Tomo...

It's Saturday morning here - I'm at a camp with about 50 youth. Check out www.time4revolution.com to see what the scoop is on this group of youth leaders in the Warren area. Last night J talked about the church being community - that we have a tendency to think in terms of our own spiritual development - our "personal relationship with Jesus" - and how we isolate ourselves by over personalizing our faith. But we were created for community - the CHURCH is fundamentally community - not individual faith. He called it "I am WE" - it was really good stuff. I know, maybe not your typical youth retreat subject matter. The idea of these retreats is to give the youth deep and practical stuff to go home with. Last year I talked about poop. Yep - I'll forever be the poop guy... There's a need in our culture to not just entertain the kids - but to prepare them for a life of faith. It's all well and good to go bowling and have a snowball fight - that...

Saturday night we went to church camp for a "Sweetheart Dinner." One of the couples from our church invited us and we were really looking forward to dinner. The entertainment was some guy named "Doc Salmon." I didn't really read the flyer too closely - I knew we were having stuffed pork chops and there was entertainment. When Doc Salmon started, we were surprised by his subject matter - he talked a lot about sex. Now, understand - nothing he said particularly offended me (it was a little disjointed - partly because the sound system at the camp really needs replaced - and partly because he kept throwing in odd little moments, like showing us how to get out of bed in the morning if our backs are hurting). All in all, it was just a really strange night for me. As it turns out, if I had actually READ the ad for the night instead of glancing at it and ASSUMING that I knew what was going to happen, well, I wouldn't have even been surprised that night (I'm...

Well - I just finished watching the Superbowl. For two weeks I've been preparing to root against the Patriots. Truth is, I didn't really care who played against them, I just wanted them to lose. It's not very sportsman-like, I know...but it was the truth... But something happened as I watched the game. I went from rooting against the Patriots to rooting for the Giants. I mean I really started to want them to win. And when they got the ball back with 2:42 in the fourth quarter, down by 4...well, I was riveted. It was, literally here, a nail-biter... Great game. Even had the Giants lost, it would have been a great game. But I'm glad they won. So I was just thinking. Maybe the election will be like the Superbowl. You see, I don't really like any of the candidates - which has happened before - so I end up voting AGAINST somebody. But maybe as the actual election draws nearer, one of the front runners will actually start to look good to me. Maybe this is the ...

Elie hides. Every Sunday after our Traditional Worship Service (tm) we have fellowship time. You know, coffee, juice, donut holes, cookies. My kids used to call it Donut Sunday when we only did it twice a month. Now, it's just a normal part of every Sunday. It's a good opportunity to talk to people that we might not see too much through the week. And the kids love the donut holes. In fact, one Sunday a couple months ago they [gasp] ran OUT of donut holes. Elie walked up to the table, didn't see any donut holes, and ran to my office crying. She didn't turn the lights on and she ran behind the chair and she cried. Now, I was really tempted to tell her she's just being silly - it's only donut holes after all - you know, buck up - shake it off - all those dad-isms I'm supposed to be so good at. But I realized how much I do that. Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't run off and hide behind chairs and cry. But, when even little things don't happen...

Okay - we got it. We finally found one without paying 500 bucks online. Yep - we are Wii owners. Got it for my birthday. I bowl. Don't get me wrong, I've got other games. But bowling doesn't require me to figure out how to use the nunchuck (is that what it's called?). So, Lego Star Wars sits dormant. Of course, we're WAITING for the release (it's been sort of promised...it really has) of ROCK BAND for the Wii. Someday. Then I will unleash my inner drummer :) On a somewhat related note... I've been kind of intrigued by the success of Guitar Hero (on, what, III now?). If you spend hours and hours practicing, you can become good enough at the game to play...well, the game. What intrigues me about it is that if we spent that kind of time actually practicing the guitar, well, we might even become guitar heroes... But that's not FUN (plus, every time I set up my Marshall full stack and crank it to 11 in my living room my kids tell me to turn it down...). So,...

I probably won't read any more of this book. In a Pit... I read the first chapter - well, part of the first chapter - online at Amazon and, well, I'm not impressed. I'm supposed to be. We're all supposed to be. Mark has some good stuff to say about courage and about how God turns our difficulties into opportunities Here's the point: God is in the resume-building business. He is always using past experiences to prepare us for future opportunities. But those God-given opportunities often come disguised as man-eating lions. And how we react when we encounter those lions will determine our destiny. (page 14) Okay - I don't argue with anything that he says here. My problem is that he takes an obscure passage of Scripture and builds an entire book on it. This is 9 chapters of...well, Christian self- help, really (chapter 9 is, please try to look surprised, "Unleash the Lion Within"). Sigh. God's word - fodder for feeling good...argh... For what it's ...

"Do you want a picture of Jesus in the manger or Jesus on the cross," asked Rachel, flipping through a children's Bible. "Jesus on the cross," said Elie, "and up close." That was the conversation in the seat behind me on the way back to the office after lunch. Immediately I thought of the Apostle Paul ('cause that's what I do...): When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. (I Corinthians 2:1-2, NRSV) Granted, it was a children's Bible, so the picture wasn't the blood and anguish of The Passion of the Christ . Yet, the conversation went on: "Why are his eyes closed?" she asked. Rachel said, "Because he died. They nailed him to the cross and he died." Elie was quiet for a minute or so. "How does he open his eyes? How do the nails come out so he can op...

I set out a fairly easy challenge the last Sunday of 2007 - Read through the four Gospels in January. I even laid out a plan: Week 1 - 4 chapters of Matthew each day Week 2 - 2 chapters of Mark each day (plus 2 extra chapters) Week 3 - 4 chapters of Luke each day (for only six days - bonus!...or, um, 3 a day plus three...) Week 4 - 3 chapters of John each day Okay - not SIMPLE - and if you want to get technical, you could throw those two extra chapters of Mark onto the first day of week three and then 4-a-days the rest of the week... Not the point... Last night, one of our Sunday night regulars said, "Bill, I want to thank you for laying out the Gospel reading challenge. I'm almost done with John. I can't get enough. I can't stop. I have a little new testament I take to work with me and when I have a few minutes all I want to do is read about Jesus." Several other people have told me they've "taken the challenge" too and I believe that God will...

Someone posted an anonymous comment on the last posting that shifted the soundtrack that runs through my head - and here's the full quote: No his mind is not for rent To any god or government Always hopeful, yet discontent But He knows changes aren't permanent But change is. - Tom Sawyer (Neil Peart - Rush) There's always music in my head. It's amazing what sets it off. Our bishop was praying at annual conference last June and he prayed something about "being in the sunshine of your love" and suddenly I'm offering a dose of Cream in my prayer... Nothing unusual in that for me (and God seems pretty patient with me in this). I wonder - my daughters seem to live in a musical. They will spontanieously sing and dance - make up songs (Rachel is now famous for having sung about toast...heh). Maybe it's genetic. Maybe a lot of people do it and we just don't talk about it. Okay, so maybe I'm not so thrilled when I've been in the presence of someon...

Found this quote a few minutes ago: Henry Ford once said… ”We should be guiding our future by the present, instead of being guided in the present by the past.” Okay - Henry Ford was no philosopher - but there's something about this that intrigues me. How do we lock our present into the past in the church? There are some things we have no control over - our architecture is locked in time, for example - but the "how we do church stuff" is becoming more and more fluid... We talked about moving the church library down onto the main floor of the church - building beautiful oak book shelves on one wall in one of the parlors. The idea was to get the library visible and, hopefully, to encourage people to use it. There was much resistance. The loudest criticisms came from people who said it would "spoil the aesthetics of the parlor" or something like that. The original intent of these rooms would be ruined. Besides, they said, people who want to use the library (a very h...