Something's bout to break

You know when something is about to break when satan kicks it into overdrive all around you.
Not even things that directly affect you every time, but things that will distract you just enough.

The past week God really softened my heart, made me more sensitive to the spiritual battle that is going on in my own life.

I went down to Orland, FL for a worship/leadership conference with Hillsong, and even before the conference started, God began to show me things. One verse he gave me to begin claiming over my life is Colossians 1:9-10

9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

I have begun to pray this over my life, that God would fill me with the knowledge of his will through spiritual wisdom and understanding. It is incredible the peace I began to feel over my life. I like to know what's going on, not in detail, but at least a general understanding. Reading this and praying it began to help me understand God's timing. He wants us to know his will, but in the mean time, while we're working all of that out, I am to live a life worthy of Christ.

Something else that was given to me this week is in part of that, to pray scripture. I'm not talking the health, wealth and prosperity prayers of "the prayer of jabez" and filler junk like that. I'm talking, take a psalm of praise, a piece of scripture applicable to your life and situations and begin praying it to God. Letting the promises of his word fill your heart. Talk about memorizing scripture, start praying something back to God that he has written and he will begin to impress it upon your heart.

I had a lot of other things impressed on my heart in the past week, a lot surrounding worship (because of the time and place), but also a lot concerning things like pride, watching your tongue, spiritual discernment, and the freedom of Christ. Much of this was spurred from conversations had with some guys this week. Out of the overflow of this I'll continue to speak.

Like Paul, I've not quite made it there myself, but I'm working towards Christ. There are a lot of things in my own life that I have to work on, work towards. Praise the the one who paid my debt, that he is there walking with me every step of the way, cheering me on, aiding me in my walk, and releasing me from the sin that holds all of us back from experiencing true freedom in Christ.

I'm in florida

I'll have some stuff to say later

Who do you say God is

Working for a larger Christian ministry I hear statistics thrown around at an amazing pace. Things like when children decide to put their faith on the shelves (middle school?!) to the reasons people give for walking away from their faith. One that continually befuddles me is the fact that a large majority say that they believe in God.

What I want to know is who these people think that God is.

In Joshua, the Old Testament prophet talks a lot about serving God, and serving gods. The way it's described it is almost like you're looking at modern day America.

If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you. Joshua 24:20

God has been good to us, our country is one of the most profitable nations in the world, and at the rate we're going and leaving our morals, and wiping them under the rug, I'm afraid we're going to be seeing the disaster and end of us quicker than we think. The upheavals and turmoil that we are seeing within our own nation today is just the birthing pains of what is to come.


Unfortunately we have a president who Christians praised, but now claims that there is more than one right way to salvation. Whether being PC or not, who is he saying God is? You walk down the street and ask someone who God is and you'll get hundreds of responses. He's Allah, he's buddah, he's the God you put on your shelf and ask requests of, he's the one you blame for everything bad in your life, or he's the one you give credit for when everything goes right, he's the genie in the bottle for all your wishes, he's the dusty bible on your shelf that you only bring out on holidays, he's an after thought, he's distant and just watching things play out, he never existed to begin with, he's just there so we have something to hope in.

But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. Judges 10:13

Do you want God to say welcome into my presence good and faithful servant, or depart from me I never knew you?

Who do you say God is? Is he your savior, is he real to you?
Or are you putting him on your shelf until it's convenient for you?

Do you believe in a God, or do you believe IN God.

throw in the towel

There are some times in life where you're ready to throw in the towel. You can't stand the way things are going.

I think God brings you to that point sometimes just to show you whose boss.
Saturday I read this while I was at work and frustrated with things.

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I realized at this point when i read it, that I was anxious about my life, and about what I'm supposed to be doing. Wondering if what I see as my God given passion and desire is really what He wants. and this was causing frustration and a lack of peace.

At that point I read that I had to stop in my tracks and pray that God take away the anxiousness, praise him for being active in my life and bring my petitions before him.

When I stopped and gave it to him I got a peace I couldn't understand. I'm still frustrated, and am realizing that like the Cross I have to pick up daily I have to give this to him daily until he takes it completely.

He knows what I can bear. I praise him for his control and for his timing. Patience is something that must be worked into me (into you) and unfortunately it's a painful growing process.

Something Simple

Last night as I was driving home, I passed a hospital.

The first thing that struck me was the lit up cross on the side of the building, and then right after that the word MERCY lit up beside it. If people only knew how true that was. Yes the hospital is named Mercy, yes you can find some extent of mercy at this hospital, but oh how much more mercy you can find at the cross. Mercy that will forgive every sin you've committed, every sin you're going to commit. Mercy that will never abandon you, grow tired of you, stop loving you, give up on you, run out for you. There is so much mercy at the cross of Jesus that sometimes we fail to comprehend it.

We go through life acting as if there is nothing we can do to be clean enough. There is nothing that we can do to make it in God's eyes, that we've done to much wrong to deserve the mercy of Christ.

But that is just it, we have done to much. There is nothing we could ever do to make us deserving. We deserve hell, that is the penalty everyone has hanging over our heads. Each of us know deep down that we deserve nothing, we all deserve to die horrible deaths for everything we've done...yeah even for the little things.

God stepped in, stepped down, died a horrible death so we wouldn't have to. Became the perfect sacrifice so that we can be covered, paid for, extended mercy and grace to.

So even when I fail, mercy covers me.

It can cover you.

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light.

At The Cross - Hillsong

Oh Lord You’ve searched me
You know my way
Even when I fail You
I know You love me


Your holy presence
Surrounding me
In every season
I know You love me
I know You love me


At the cross I bow my knee
Where Your blood was shed for me
There’s no greater love than this
You have overcome the grave
Your glory fills the highest place
What can separate me now


You go before me
You shield my way
Your hand upholds me
I know You love me


You tore the veil
You made a way
When You said that it is done


And when the earth fades
Falls from my eyes
And You stand before me
I know You love me
I know You love me


Healer - Ten Shekel Shirt

Healer heal me
Savior save me
Maker change me
Lover love me
Cuz I'm so tired of living for
The kind of love
That only lasts for a while
The pain, the shame
Tear me up inside

So I fall on my knees
To get back on my feet again
And I cry out for You
Would You please speak to me

they will know us by our love

Since I haven't blogged in a bit I'll start off with a few recent things.

I bought plane tickets for Orlando next month and will be going down to the Hillsong Conference. Boy am I looking forward to this fellowship with other believers.

Today I walked into the men's restroom at work and couldn't help but notice that someone had picked their nose and wiped it on the wall in front of the urinal. How old are we?!?!

I am sitting in Panera right now and some rude lady cut me off in line and everyone around me got mad. It was kind of funny.


I read this in Hebrews 10 today. (the message)

19-21So, friends, we can now—without hesitation—walk right up to God, into "the Holy Place." Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God. The "curtain" into God's presence is his body.

22-25So let's do it—full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out. Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.

Earlier in the chapter Paul describes the sacrificial system given to Moses and Israel for redemption. How year in and year out a man had to go before God and plead that these people's sin would be taken away. That the same thing had to be done time and time again.

Now there is a new system. Christ came as the only sacrifice ever needed from this point forward, for those who claim him.

Now we can go before God and talk with him. Jesus' blood gives us this open access to God, frankly it is kind of part of the whole redemption of man that we will see when Christ comes back. It is a part of righting creation, because this communion with the almighty creator is in part how it was with Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve had pure unadulterated access to God's throne, they not only had his ear, but he had theirs, an AUDIBLE voice. While we don't have that exact access right now, we still have it in part. We can talk to God and we can be so in tune with him we can feel his leading in our lives, and be spoken to through his word and through his people.

I really like how the message put this piece of the scripture "Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching."

I am a creative person, I like seeing things done in new ways, and coming up with new approaches to things. What hurts my heart and what passion God has given me is for the church and trying to help people understand that tradition (while having a place) does not necessarily mean that something is right or wrong, that is for Christ and the scriptures. So when it says, let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, that speaks volumes as to what the church needs to be doing. Does that mean we need to be going into the bars, clubs, porn shops, etc. No, but it means that we need to be sitting down and concentrating on how we can reach the people who's lives are ripped apart by these things instead of pointing out their sins.

How can we reach out to them, and show them Christ's love, Christ's intervention, and healing power. Tradition and legalism is not something that will ever appeal to these people, in fact it is more than likely one huge reason that they are lost. Christians are known for their legalism, tradition, and bickering (how many baptists does it take to change a light bulb....wait a second we'll hold a committee). We need to involve ourselves with making Christ easily accessible to those who don't know or don't understand what Christ is really about. Hold a committee about what really matters, how to reach people. Knocking on doors and singing hymns may be good for the ones who know and grew up with that, but that doesn't happen much any more.

What can I do.

they will know us by our love

skin on

From the Prophet Isaiah 7:9 (b)

If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.

From the Epistle Paul, Hebrews 9:14

How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleans our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

Two statements, both equally as powerful. One a statement of hope, one a statement of warning.

I enjoy taking a look at contrasting statements in the Bible, because most people see these as contradictions, or out right heresies. How can God be love and judgmental.

Let's take a look at the first verse from Isaiah. The warning, that statement that engulfs much of what *gag* religion has become today. If, this word is part of an if then clause, signifying cause and effect, signifying a choice to be made. So all you Calvinists out there get over it, we have a choice. If you do NOT stand firm in your faith. There is the cause, you don't stand firm in your faith, not the faith of your mother or father, not the faith of your pastor or teacher, YOUR faith. This means that at some point you had to make this faith your own, if you've never done that you can stop reading. Go sit down with the Bible and start asking yourself and God if your faith is your own. Standing firm on something means that there was some kind of foundational truth, meaning the word of God. Yes the word of God is true, unfailing, and unchanged despite what some people may try to force you to believe. So if you do not stand on the word of God, the faith that you have claimed as your own, THEN (here is the effect) you will not stand at all.

Ouch.
If you have no basis for your faith, if you do not believe the word of God for what it is, then you basically have no reason to stand for Christ, others will walk all over you, and you're going to look like the biggest moron this side of the Mississippi.

Welcome to modern religion.

The second statement I don't need to brake down quite as much. God, came to this earth to eradicate the old covenant that he made with Israel. He determined that it became obsolete because they did not obey it in the first place, and that it was time as creator to come down and take care of not just Israel but all of his creation. The hope that we have in Christ is this, that once we have accepted his blood we are washed of sins, past present and future.

Don't stop there. Your fluffy messages of peace love and joy and the Christian faith need to stop. Christianity is not some fluffy pie in the sky, in the sweet bye and bye, when we all die we'll fly with wings like angels.

There's work to be done son. The gospel is that of a commission, once you have found Christ get out there and share it, work it, flesh it out. Wrestle with it, build your foundations. Church isn't about a meeting come Sunday, love it and leave it. I see Christians come into church each week like that. I see them leave each week like that too.

What are we doing to make a difference, what are we doing to stand firm in our faith so that we're not lying on the side of the road like a poor beggar. Once we accepted the blood of Christ our consciences were cleaned of all sin so that we can claim the riches of Christ, stop begging on the side of the road and start working out our faith in him.

Oh yeah, I kind of forgot to mention the last part in that verse in Hebrews...THAT WE MAY SERVE THE LIVING GOD!

First of all we are supposed to SERVE, not sit on our butts. Second of all the God that we serve, he didn't die and stay buried. You see the discovery channel got it wrong kids, Christ rose out of that grave and left nothing but the burial clothes in the grave. People witnessed this resurrection, people testified to this resurrection. Why? so that we can claim the hope we have in Christ.

That's why I love and identify with Paul so much. I love service, I love the fact that Paul is blunt about the fact that Christians are downright terrible people most of the time and that they are the ones that unfortunately need a lesson. You can't expect lost people to act godly. They're lost, expect them to act how they act. Stop wallowing in it. It's a done deal they're heading to hell unless you do something about it. You can't do something about it until you get the beam out of your eye and start putting some work into your faith.

Faith.Work.Love.Service.Life

I wonder

I was driving to work today.
Apparently there was an accident. Traffic was backed up for a good 15-20 minutes.
I didn't really care, I was running early. I turned up my music.
Some people did care though. One lady got extremely aggitated, and did something rash/stupid.
She decided to turn around in the grass median on 275 nearing the 74/275 split.
For those of you that know the area you know that the median kind of looks like this _/ (only not quite that steep).

She was frustrated enough that she decided this was as good a spot as any to make a U turn and so she took off, and because she was in a front wheel drive car she became majorly stuck as her front wheels went up and hung over the edge of the median, not quite meeting the pavement. There they spun and there you could see her gesturing wildly.

I laughed.
Because the second she did that traffic broke up and everyone moved pretty quickly down the highway.

Then I caught myself and wondered why Iwas laughing at someone else's misfortune.
Deffinately not Christ like. How often do I do things like that?

The finished product

The CD Imprint












The Track Sheet (cue/que sheet)

step up, step out

I'm not talking about some dance move here. I'm talking about things surrounding Jesus' life.

I hadn't had any one on one time with God lately, It was a long, stressful week with getting over a sinus infection, work, church. No time to stop and think really. So I was kind of angry, bitter, tired, frustrated, annoyed with life.

I got in church and there were hardly any people there. It is kind of disheartening because this service has been going on for a year and instead of seeing any kind of growth, we're seeing all kinds of atrophy. When you're seeing atrophy you have to stop and wonder, what the heck is going on. Is there something being done wrong, for the wrong reasons? Why is God not blessing this outreach.

Then it hit me...this is an outreach and we're not out there reaching to people. that is why there is atrophy in this service that is geared towards singles and college students. The same people show up week after week and most of the time extremely late. They come in sit down, 'soak' and leave. They don't bring anyone with them, they don't try and initiate any type of growth opportunities. (I'll inject, I can't say I'm completely on top of this either, but I do invite people occasionally, and I have a desire to see this ministry grow since I was 'there at the conception'). Atrophy is a do nothing disease and this is where the first "Step up, step out" principle hit me. Christ talked a lot about service, he lived out service. Christ and his disciples said, either you step up to the challenge and the commission I have given you or step out of the way so that other people can get it done. Start building that muscle, start giving it opportunities to grow otherwise it will atrophy and you won't be able to do anything.

So do I think that something needs done? yes, I think people need to get off their butts and stop thinking of this service as a ministry for them and start realizing it is a ministry for them to participate in. You wonder why there is so much drama, angst, bickering, and bitterness within a group of people. It is because these people are looking for chances where they can be served, filled, babied, uplifted, gorged, and become downright selfish. Instead these people need to be jumping in along side those who are working, and lend a hand. They need to stop gorging themselves and put into practice what Jesus lived, service.


Second principle that I think comes more out of Jesus' lifestyle rather than teachings is that of "Step up, then step out". Jesus came to this earth, started his ministry, gathered followers, poured himself into the followers and then stepped out of the scene. While there are more reasons than just this. He did this in order that his followers would be able to grow, learn and understand on their own, rather than leaning and relying on Jesus to always take over a situation when they did something stupid. That doesn't mean that you stop being involved, but once you have helped/fed a person spiritually you have to take away the bottle and let them go on their own. The it cycles back around to "Step up or step out". That person then becomes responsible to reach out and begin pouring themselves out into other people.

Unfortunately the church, my church, our church, the body of Christ takes neither of these principles to the road.
Atrophy sets in.
People complain, become bitter, get annoyed, bicker, pick fights.
Numbers dwindle.
Christ is not glorified.
God finds someone/somewhere else to move.

Responsibility, What's that. Responsibility, Not quite yet. -MXPX

New Music to check
Matchbox Twenty: Exile On Mainstream -












Turn Off The Stars (self titled)














This Beautiful Republic: Even Hero's Need a Parachute















Paramore: Riot

Oh praise the one

"Oh praise the One, Who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead."
"what a privilidge it is to carry, everything to God in prayer."

The power of worship. To lay stripped bare before God, worshiping Him because of who he is and what he has done. To sit your burndens down at the feet of Jesus. To look like a fool in front of all others in order to have holy communion with the one who created the universe.

Oh how sweet it is.

How sweet it is as well, to share in part the same spirit with other believers. To share excitement in the movement of the holy spirit. To share the same anguish over the same spiritual road blocks and blinders.

As Iron Sharpens Iron.

I've said it before,
Get ready. God's moving. Are you ready for this?

What would you do

If God told you to get up and move?

I'm not talking about across the state. I'm talking Africa, the other side of the continent, Some remote part of Cambodia? Somewhere far away from your family and friends. Somewhere outside of your comfort zone. This may not be a completely logical move either, just a movement because God said Go.

Would you go?

Would you be willing enough to give up everything and go somewhere different, do something different, be something different?

Love God, love people, and be willing to let God show up.

Psalm 31 (the message)
23 Love God, all you saints;
God takes care of all who stay close to him,
But he pays back in full
those arrogant enough to go it alone.

24 Be brave. Be strong. Don't give up.
Expect God to get here soon.

Churches today skirt the fact that God is a righteously vengeful God. It isn't politically correct to tell people that if you do not serve God, ultimately it will come back around to bite you. So pastors will preach the fact that God will take care of his saints, but will brush by the fact that it says, the saints who are close to him, and skip the fact that it says he pays back in full those who are arrogant enough to leave God alone.

The questions that present themselves in this single verse is, are you loving God and staying close to him? and, In your willing ignorance are you being being arrogant, and self-centric in your worship/life-style/person?

It isn't an easy question to ask yourself, because you've gotta dig deep. You've got to get some of that dirty laundry out before God. You've got to be honest with yourself on how much you really go to church, serve people and live your life selfishly. You may say you're doing it for God but how often do you do it just because it makes you feel better about yourself, or you're worried about what other people think.

God is righteous, all-knowing, all-powerful. Perfect. He alone has the right to speak the truth, condemn us to hell, love unconditionally, forget and forgive, punish, and call each and every one of us arrogant fools.

Whom are you seeking?

The next question. While you are seeking, do you expect God to show up?

Or because you can't see, touch, taste, feel, smell God, do you only partially think he might find the time to show up if his schedule is not to busy.

I think so many times we place our mortal concepts of time and place upon God, and say since he is not here physically, I do not expect him to be present in my every day life. God is at church and I leave him there, God only helps those who help themselves (how often do you hear that one), God only comes in times of trouble (and here you can ask, why the pain, suffering and death). People think you cannot expect anything of God because he is so distant.

This is not the case, we're the ones distancing ourselves from God. Once again this is because of our own foolish arrogance.

If you would just take a second to sit down, shut up and expect God to show up, expect Him to do something, expect the creator of the universe to be there when we call (and even when we don't). Something might actually happen.

Put some practical shoes on and start walking your faith, you might be surprised what happens when you're willing to let your arrogance go. Decide you don't know anything about everything.

Love God, love people, and be willing to let God show up.

More concepts

A START

time to get the creative juices flowing...boy is this rough...

this is a first pass...gotta come up with a couple design variations.

I'm happy with how it's going though

Goal-Set-Match

I took a body fat percentage test today at the gym and found out I reached my goal of getting around/under 10% body fat.

Pretty cool.
I want to say I started a year ago at 20% or more. (whatever the high end of average for my height/weight/age was)

so that we may serve the living God - Hebrews 9:14

To be honest God has really got me unsettled. I cannot get ministry off of my mind for anything, it's unsettling and exciting at the same time. I know that God has placed this on my heart, and I am resigning myself to the fact that I'm gonna have to get ready to go wherever he decides he needs me.

I've been struggling with this for a week now, and really feel like it's time to take my thoughts beyond my thick skull and this keyboard. I mentioned it briefly to my mom, who at the thought of me moving anywhere outside of Cincinnati usually has a stroke, kind of lit up and said "I always knew you'd go into ministry".

Like I said, I've got no direct calling yet. Just an urge, a very strong urge that has left me restless to serve my living God.

I struggle to read my Bible daily (heck, most of the time weekly or monthly), something that I need to get back into, and skimmed through Hebrews looking for a word. Why Hebrews I don't know, but I came across chapter 9. Verse 14 begins talking about Christ's sacrifice and his blood covering all of our shame and sin, so that we may serve the living God.

Yeah, I struggle, daily. I'm glad that God never said that being a follower of Christ resulted in an ease of life, because I'd have quit a long time ago. That would be an out right lie. We have struggles, but because of something miraculous 2,000 years ago, we can have a relationship with, and serve the living God.

Serving the living God.

I don't get to serve a dead God, a distant God or a disillousioned God. I serve the living, life giving, awe-inspiring God. This service that I have been enveloped into is what has my spirit restless.

A year ago I was not the same man I am today. I was burned out, resistant, and angry with a lot of Christianity. At the end of my four years of college I was pretty sick of the church establishment and the way that Christians treated eachother. I was never to the point of denouncing Christ, but I deffinately distanced myself from him, and others. Over the last year God has worked on my heart, stuck me in a Christian organization that has allowed me to grow. He's placed me in a church were my spirit has been refreshed. Where he is moving and I was able to jump right in. To Serve.

That is what this verse is talking about, Christ's blood, the same living and life giving God that created our universe ex-nilo, covered my guilt, my shame, my burned out mentality, my bitter spirit, my brokeness, my dissappointement. Now he has placed in me a desire and passion to serve him. His refreshing spirit has lifted me up out of the pit of dispair and I praise him for that.

Does that mean I don't struggle, no. Does that mean I don't get dissappointed from time to time with myself or others, no. Does that mean that I don't get burned out from pushing myself to hard (heck no, after all of this I learned I thrive on pushing my limits).

It just means I have something to go after, a drive to keep myself going when I feel like I'm going to drop. A reason to keep looking up day after day. A reason to serve my living God.

I know that things are going to happen because satan is attacking at all sides. I don't ever think I've seen so many attacks at once, and frankly I'm starting to realize where some of them are as I type this. Satan doesn't want you to serve. The complacent, lazy, gourged, self-righteous, pious Christian that I used to be is right where he wants you. Doing absolutely nothing to further the kingdom. It excites me that these attacks are taking place because I know God's about ready to drop a freaking bomb. It also scares the crap outta me because that means stuff has got to change. Change in me, and for me.

I need to be changed from the inside out. Praise God he's doing a new work in me!

I love change as much as I love habit. The thing that scares me is what kind of change this is gonna be. Africa? I'll go. North Dakota? (as boring as that would be) I'll go. Get married? (as far off as that may seem in my singleness) I'll go. Poverty? (hey, if I don't have any money what can the creditors do?) I'll go. Seminary? (as much as I don't feel called in a full pastoral position) I'll go.

Now that I've poured out a little I think I can settle down some. It's hard to keep all of these thoughts inside. It's like a pressure cooker, it's gonna come out sooner or later (whatever it is that you've stored up). I'm just grateful for what is pouring out of me. It has seriously come up a lot in some conversations I've had recently and I really need to sit down with some of my leaders now and let them know the impact they've had in my life lately and get some guidance on where to go now.

thanks for listening

Bathroom Pet Peeve

Most guys know and abide by certain rules. Among those rules are certain bathroom etiquette. I.E. if there is a row of urinals and they're all empty but one, pick the farthest away from the other guy.

I'll be honest with you, bathroom etiquette is a pet peeve of mine. I notice if you didn't wash your hands, or if you picked the stall right next to me, and if I'm in a predicament where I'm supposed to shake your hand (even if I haven't seen you near the bathroom recently) I'm gonna be reluctant to touch you.

So you will be understanding when I say that things like...talking in the bathroom is a no brainer. Don't frackin' do it. Seriously, if I'm standing at the urinal taking a piss and even though your washing your hands, I don't want to hold a conversation. I'm there to mind my own business. No I don't want to shoot the breeze with you while you're outside my stall and I'm taking a crap, I don't care if I work with you. It even comes down to, we're both washing our hands, and you want to start up a conversation. A quick hi or how's it going will suffice. Going on to tell me how your weekend went with the in-laws, or what you had for lunch (which apparently didn't agree with your stomach) is not kosher at all. I think it's even more annoying when you walk in on a conversation like this in progress. You're clogging up the entry/exit to the bathroom with your conversation. Leave.

The kicker is when you're standing at a urinal, and someone walks up next to you and insists on having a full out conversation with you whilst peeing. This in and of itself is bad enough but when your co-working/whoever turns toward you because they're an 'eye contact' person is worse. This makes me want to zip up mid-stream and walk out. Who taught these people bathroom etiquette? It's down right disgusting how many guys, break these simple man-laws...

In public I've had someone walk up at the sink and strike up a conversation about the shoes I was wearing. I don't care if you're a fag or not, don't talk to me in a bathroom, ESPECIALLY IF I DON'T KNOW YOU (and knowing me still doesn't give you the right).

Yes, that's right, all of these things happen to me...and it seems to be the rule rather than the exception. It is my hopes someone reads this and makes a bathroom etiquette sign that will be posted in male restrooms across the world. That way there is a simple reminder that in the bathroom no contact is good contact.

happy peeing

prayer

I really wish there were masters programs out there in church media. The longer i go along I feel a stronger calling to this, and I'd really like to get my masters too.

Hearing our singles pastor's testimony Sunday on how he was called in to ministry, really resonated with me. How usually when you say you're not going to ever be called to something God usually calls you there. I would deny ever feeling a calling into ministry until lately. I'm not 100% sure about it, but I've been drifting in that direction. I would even be ok with going to Africa if lead there.

So if you think about it, pray as I continue to work with this. I want God's will for my life, I'm not sure where this is going yet, I'm not even sure what I want in life.

thanks

family guy - starwars

Hilarious

300

Last night I went over to Jeff's house and we watched 300. It was deffinately worth the re-watch even though I had to fight sleep during the last half hour. There is a lot to talk about with this movie, even though it's claimed not quite as good as the graphic novel to movie adaptation of Sin City. I think what this one lacked against the dreary hit Sin City was multiple plot lines to keep you engrossed. Rather 300 relied on the fact that you were watching a stylistic interpretation of actual events. The characters did not lead you to become attached to them, but then again, would it be right to become attached to a rough, war-lord Spartan? I think that the quick paced, killing spree that took place is enough to raise the hair on anyone's neck and get any action seeking male 's blood pumping.

Technically this movie was beautiful. I loved the use of contrasting color used throughout the movies, mainly golds/tans/greys and deep reds. Red for the most part indicative of passion which is something that the Spartans were full of, tan/grey I would guess to lean towards disparity, barrenness. There are many scenes where people are left standing alone in the midst of or against a tan color. There is also a lot of usage of heavy shadowing, something used to forshadow a lot of the betrayal that is to take place.

Because of the style, not much if any blood is actually left lying around or on anyone or anything (yet much is spilled). This brings the level of gore down a notch or two when viewing. Knowing that this movie was mostly green screened, I am rather impressed by the use of technology, lighting, keying, camera movement and design to fill this movie (as well as acting, when was the last time you tried fighting something that wasn't there).

Warning, there is a fair use of nudity, as indicated by previous Miller movies.

I'd give this movie a 4.5 out of 5 on entertainment/viewing and about a 3 on story.

A State of the Hardcore Union Address

I went to a show tonight, the first I've been to in a while. It was kinda sad the way hardcore music has ended up. All of these scenester kids running around trying to act hardcore. Since when were athletic shorts and cut off tshirts scene? Every 12 year old jumps into the pit now, regardless of whether or not it's time to go.

As far as the music goes, anyone can play hardcore, but you're not always hardcore. The intricacies of hardcore were amazing, and now you have simple drum beats, and guitar rifts that leave nothing to enjoy. It's just a barrage of loud noise to assault your ears. Oh well who knows what the future holds for hardcore. Maybe it will take a turn for the better and all of these bands who have potential will get their heads out of their arse.

I think an era has passed and it's time to move on.

stop going to shows

They Never Got There Because They Never Listened

"Where am I going?"

There are a few times you ask yourself that question. You ask it when you graduate highschool, and again when you graduate college. You ask it when you're in a serious relationship, you ask it when you're in a job (or trying to find one).

How often do we ask ourselves in general where we are going?

They Never Got There Because They Never Listened

This is a quote from Hebrews 3 out of The Message, talking about Moses and the Israelites coming out of Egypt. Other versions say because of their disbelief they were unable to enter the promise land.

They weren't watching out for where they were going! They didn't listen to God and so they weren't able to enter his promise for them.

So I ask again...where are we going? are we listening to God? are we able to enter what he has laid out for us?

This is a hard question for me as I take a look at my life, daily struggling to enter the word and seek God, it's been a while and I'm searching for my groove. Praying God will keep me accountable and consistent. I want what he wants for my life, whether that is where he has me here and now, or he is prepping me for something in the future.

I've hear people say don't worry, God will direct you. I even tell myself that sometimes. God said to listen to him, to believe him. He never said we could not or should not ask where we're headed or to look forward. We may not get a quick or definitive answer, but we still need to ask, to seek, to follow and to listen.

Singularity

Mae's newest album Singularity happened to be sitting on a shelve in FYE last night as I was walking by. It caught my eye and when I saw that it was Mae, I picked it up and walked straight to the register! Destination Beautiful was a great album, very melodic and mellow and totally consistent from front to back. This album is the exact opposite with a great upbeat tone and diverse sound from track to track. Mae keeps their beautiful melodies and haunting vocals and delivers it with a new energy and catchy rifts that will have you loving every second of this new release.

As Cities Burns was an group that i discovered some time ago when I went to Nashville with a few friends. Their aggressive vocals and high energy mixed with incredibly lyrics and amazing melodies drew me in. This sophomore release on Tooth and Nail's label has that same energy and lyricism but to be honest I was a little shocked at the lack of aggressiveness in this album. Apparently with age comes some serenity in their music, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. They've matured a lot vocally and musically and there is still an heir of their former aggressiveness. If you are partial to a little bit softer style but still enjoy some hard edge to your rock, then give this one a try.

Stepping on you with a smile since 1954

Most management principles and leadership training seminars tell you that service with a smile is the key to success in your career. This is entirely true, if you're not willing to get down and dirty then you're not going to be able to go any where.

Now take that statement service with a smile...and put it in terms of religion. Apparently in the realm of the religious, and more as a rule than an exception in christian realms do we see it take a whole other meaning. Somewhere down the line, in some great movement of faith someone had to have taught that what Jesus really meant by being a servant, was that Christians are to step on everyone else, but do it with a smile.

I was a server for about a year or so. I enjoyed it, I love serving people. To be honest, one of the groups of people that drove me to hate my job were 'Christians'. You could usually tell who these people were when they came in. Dressed casually, but nice, or dressed extremely nice. They usually come in with the whole family, or if older their spouse. Smiles from ear to ear, and 'joy' oozes from them as they just sat in the presence of a gifted pastoral figure that made them feel good about themselves for not being as much as a sinner as those that weren't there. Because you're serving on a Sunday you must not be a Christian. Strike One (and usually that is enough strikes that you get an attitude). These people sit there and smile the entire time, they usually forcibly order for their kids the cheapest thing on the menu, then order soup and salad for themselves (so long as it's unlimited). Mom makes sure the kids get milk, no pop, and then mom and dad have a glass of tea. What I never figured out is how I got them mad. They never seemed to stop smiling, but at every turn they were complaining and sending me back and forth as if they were the only table I had. In fact, most of the time they went to a manager, not about me directly, but about their experience as a whole. The whole time, stepping on you with a smile.

That was kind of mild in comparison with some encounters I had, and yes, that was a real situation with a real family in a real restaurant that I served at.

What about working in a Christian environment? Surely that wouldn't be so bad? Everyone is working towards the same goal, with the same end in mind?

People seem to think that because they're a 'Christian' and you're a 'Christian' that if they want you to do something and you're supposed to serve with a smile then you have to do it. There's that old two step, making life more miserable in the religious community. Unfortunately once again, this happens to be the rule rather than the exception while working or serving in a place that is supposed to run like the church in the bible. A church that Paul described as the body of Christ, fluid, one coherent machine, one mind.

This is extremely aggravating to most Christians. Yet we put this golden rule into practice with others right after we've been crushed between the proverbial toes of some other pious religious moron.

I'm not going to pretend that I haven't done this to any one, because I'm sure I have. I'm also not going to try and suggest a fix for it because I'm not sure I have one beyond Christ's calling for us to serve Him, and placing ourselves and our agenda to the side.

back in black

I'm rejoining the blogsphere. 

I wouldn't say it is because of withdrawls, more like I need a place to vomit my mind every once in a while. I may put up the occasional review, I may even get geeky or techy on you. Just be prepared for whatever comes out of my mind to be thrown up on here. 

-audiojunky-