blogging lull

So I have run into a bloggin’ brain fart. But I am currently listening to a discussion that took place between Shane Claiborne, Greg Boyd, and Chuck Colsen. 3 generations being represented and a good discussion. Here is a link of the unedited conversation. It is quite long, but well worth the time.

http://download.publicradio.org/podcast/speakingoffaith/20080417_evangelical_politics_uc-npc.mp3

Let me know if you have comments after listening.

PHX

Another year and another reality check for Josh. For those of you that do not konw me, I am an avid Suns fan. I truly love them and I may be too emotionally attached to them. Sounds Crazy, I konw. I love the Suns.

Well, two games into the series and it already seems like we are back in the same scenario as last year. The smelly spurs are back and as annoying as ever. I really have a problem with them as a team. Duncan is the biggest cry baby in the league, Ginobolli is the biggest flopper in the league, Bowen is the dirtiest player, and Popovich is by far the rattiest coach. I actually don’t have a problem with Parker, he doesn’t annoy me, but I do hate how he uses our guards on offense.

Hack a Shaq comes out in the 3rd quarter, which is ridiculous. Again, the spurs take the rules and use them to their advantage. Last year Horry clothes lines our team leader (Nash) and we lose 2 key players due to a rule that ended up rewarding the team that was in the wrong. This year, Hack a Shaq. How is it that the team that commits the foul actually ends up with the advantage? Think about it, You commit a foul, Shaq shoots free throw (statistically he is going to hit 1 out of 2), and then the other team gets the ball. Stern needs to pull his head out. Question: What is it about San Antonio that Stern loves so much? They aren’t a big market, they don’t have a huge national following, and they smell.

Suns must win the next 2.

 

Poverty Dinner

So next Friday, April 25th, we are having a poverty dinner for Invisible Children. We will be charging $5 a plate, but the experience will be worth more than that. If you are interested let me know, I would love to see you.

 

Kiva

I just wanted to let everyone know about a very cool organization. The organization is Kiva, and the basic idea behind it is brilliant. It is almost like a bank in the sense that it loans out money to people. But the cool thing is that it loans money that is donated by regular joe’s like you and me (if your a lady then let’s call you jane’s). There are people all over the world, mostly third world countries, that apply for these loans. They basically tell you how much they need, what they are going to buy, and what their business is. You pick the people that you would like to loan to and whammo, it’s done. The great thing is that Kiva has a 100% pay back record. So when you get your money back, you can then reinvest that money or take it back. Just think what a couple of hundred of dollars can do for one person, then when they get on their feet and pay you back, you can give it someone else. I love that idea. The same one time payment can be re-used and made effective over and over again.

Give someone a fish, they eat for a day, teach them to fish they eat for a lifetime. I hope that we are teaching them to fish by giving them the start-up money they need to get a business off the ground.

Please consider this gift. If you have a certain country that is near to your heart then look for it and help someone out.

Shift Conference

Day 2 has come to an end. It was a long day, but very good. Today I attended 4 seminars, 3 of which were very good and informative and 1 of which I could have done something better with my time. I saw the newest nooma video, it was good, and I got to see John Foreman of Switchfoot play an acoustic set which was rad. Brian McLaren challenged my thinking again with ideas of how the paradigm is shifting in our current culture, inside the church and out.

Then I went to a seminar taught by a guy who plants churches in the Seattle area. His seminar was really good, I really enjoyed it. He challenged my thinking in how I deal with students and how I teach them how to live for Chirst in todays world. The last seminar of the day was really good, it was all about social justice issues. It was really nice to be around people who are asking the same questions that I am asking, and are doubting in the same areas that I am. There is alot of The most important thing that I learned so far this week has been the need to come back to God. So often I am always “busy” with ministry stuff that I put God on the back burner and my time with him is the first thing to get pushed back. Of course it is easy to see the fault in this, but while in the midst of staying busy it is so hard to pull back.

I long to spend time with God, and to worship him. Why then is it so hard? I hate that, I hate that it is hard for me.

Good conference! I am glad I came, I have learned alot. I do have questions about a church like Willow’s, but I see good things there. I see God using the campus, but I still can’t justify the money it cost them to build it and furnish it. Anyways, it has been good.

I look forward to sharing a meal with some of you and talking about the experience.

Brian McLaren

Today I had a chance to hear Brian speak at the SHIFT conference at Willow Creek. McLaren is a very controversial speaker and seems to provoke many opinions ranging anywhere from, “He is great and gets me thinking” to “Heretic”. I know one thing, he has new ideas and he is very thought provoking.  In this session he talked out of his book “Everything Must Change”. I haven’t had the chance to read the book yet, but it looks good. Brian asked the questions like “what are the biggest issues we face in our world?” He told a story about when he was 27 and working with youth. (in the 70’s) He asked the students to name off a list of issues that are being discussed at their churches. Answers were rattled off like: free will vs. predestination, speaking in tongues, guitars in church (70’s), drums in church, jeans in church, and other “silly” stuff. Then Brian asked the students what issues kept them up at night. Interesting!! Think about that. What keeps you up at night?

I can tell you what I think about. I think about how I spend my money and how I have such a distorted view of the word “need”. I think about how I have so much, but there are so many with so few.  How can we help kids in Africa that lost their parents to HIV/AIDS.  I think about students that are so lost in the lies of this world. The lies about sex, self-worth, money, and many other issues. I worry about what kind of a husband I am.

I can tell you one thing, I don’t know anyone that loses sleep over what color the foyer walls are, or the songs that were played in church on Sunday morning. If they do lose sleep over that then they need to find something to do with their life. Why is it that the issues that consume our church meetings, services, and conversations have nothing to do with what really matters? I challenge you to think about what is discussed in your church, the conversations that you have, then ask see if they align with what really matters to you. If they don’t line-up then we have a problem. This is something that I struggle with.

Also, McLaren made a point about a total different issue that I have never thought of. It has to do with immigration (yeah Nick). Think about the life expectancy in third world countries and think about the life expectancy here in the states. Imagine this, just by crossing a border you are adding 20 to 30 years to your babies life. A mother’s instinct is to give her child the best possible life. Why would you not try and come to  a country that would offer your child a better life? You Would. Just a thought

McLaren was good, I enjoyed him. The funny thing is that I was just as challenged by Mark Yaconelli and Shane Claibourne, but I will have to hit on them later, not hit on them, comment on them.

 

This is getting old…

So last night I got a call from a buddy of mine to play softball. I figured that I have been feeling alot better, the back is doing good so why not? In case you are unaware, I recently through out my back and was laid out for 5 days, and was in bad shape for about 2 1/2 weeks. That injury came after my hamstring had healed from a slight pull.

So last night I make it through the first game ok, and I was pitching. Then in my first at bat of the second game I tell myself ” Just hit the ball hard, I don’t care where just rip it”, but instead of that, I rip my side ab muscle. That’s right, I strained/sprained my muscle that is on my side. I once again found myself in bed this morning struggling to find a way to my feet. After finally making it out of bed I have found myself struggling to feel comfortable today.

Why? Why is my body giving up on me. I am an extremely active person. I play basketball twice a week, and softball once, and I was (before all the injuries) riding my back to and from work. This morning I began to feel very discouraged. It is tough not being able to do the things you love, let alone get out of bed. I am searching for the lesson to be learned here, but it is tough.

Gettin old sucks.