Only 8 more days until the greatest spectator event of the year. On June 1st and 2nd, ESPN will put the most socially regressed children alive on display in the annual National Spelling Bee.
Popcorn and soda at my house while we watch it in HD.
brad
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Monday, May 23, 2005
Politics
Most people that know me understand that I am not a "Christian" who equates my faith with a Republican vote. As a matter of fact, I really do not understand why conservatives in the church are selling out for things that are not "kingdom values". It seems that many in the church are willing to overlook hypocrisy and games in Washington simply because the Republican party is assumed to be the lesser of two evils.
That said, I want to be clear that my rant here is not at all affiliated with those who "worship with their vote."
But crap, the people on the left are bitter. Far left democrats are consistently spewing hatred and inconsistent crap that their followers take in without question. Here is a challenge to anyone on the far left. Please be intellectually honest. See politics for what it is and understand...politicians are politicians. They are going to be dishonest and they are going to make many decisions that are best for them, not for you. It is ok to say it.
Here is my take...the deal that was just cut with the judicial nominees and the filibusters...the left will continue to block.
That said, I want to be clear that my rant here is not at all affiliated with those who "worship with their vote."
But crap, the people on the left are bitter. Far left democrats are consistently spewing hatred and inconsistent crap that their followers take in without question. Here is a challenge to anyone on the far left. Please be intellectually honest. See politics for what it is and understand...politicians are politicians. They are going to be dishonest and they are going to make many decisions that are best for them, not for you. It is ok to say it.
Here is my take...the deal that was just cut with the judicial nominees and the filibusters...the left will continue to block.
Sunday, May 22, 2005
The Dukes of Hazzard
One of the funny things that I have noticed about working with teenagers in 2005 is that they think the "Dukes of Hazzard" is a new idea. The problem though, is that they can't tell why a cast would be made up of Johnny Knoxville (Luke Duke), Sean Williams Scott (Bo Duke), Jessica Simpson (Daisy Duke), Willie Nelson (Uncle Jesse) and Burt Reynolds (Boss Hogg). When I asked my small group if they had ever seen the "Dukes," they said..."no, it hasn't come out yet."
I am sitting here with Mandi watching the original second season. It is hilarious. Some of the best acting (Roscoe P. Coletrain) I have ever seen. I think I am going to boycott the EMMY'S this year as a protest to the entire oversight of the greatest acting of the 20th Century.
If you get a chance, you need to check out any of the fine episodes at a 53 inch widescreen near you.
brad
I am sitting here with Mandi watching the original second season. It is hilarious. Some of the best acting (Roscoe P. Coletrain) I have ever seen. I think I am going to boycott the EMMY'S this year as a protest to the entire oversight of the greatest acting of the 20th Century.
If you get a chance, you need to check out any of the fine episodes at a 53 inch widescreen near you.
brad
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
What a cool state!!!!!!!!!!
OK, I know that Florida might have it's issues. But one thing is for sure...the driving system here is a joke...and I love it.
About 3 months ago, I got a ticket going through a school zone. Now it was a bit high, but they really make it so easy to either get out of completely or offer really retarded classes for their version of "driving school."
I just got through with 4 hours of online crap and all I did was set my computer up to run out the time and then took the test (I missed 3). So I will have the certificate tomorrow and that is that.
What a state. Once again, just a little cash and you can get anything you want. Reminds me of a Baptist Church.
brad
About 3 months ago, I got a ticket going through a school zone. Now it was a bit high, but they really make it so easy to either get out of completely or offer really retarded classes for their version of "driving school."
I just got through with 4 hours of online crap and all I did was set my computer up to run out the time and then took the test (I missed 3). So I will have the certificate tomorrow and that is that.
What a state. Once again, just a little cash and you can get anything you want. Reminds me of a Baptist Church.
brad
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Bill Kamal
I know that it is so typical, but I am one of those people who will stay up for the 11:00 news so that I can get the scoop on someone's life. I am guessing that I am one of the many.
Tonight, Mandi and I stayed up to watch part 2 of 4 of channel 10's exclusive interview with Bill Kamal. For those of you not in the know, Bill Kamal was the famous face of the channel 7 weather team who many people turned to during the 2004 hurrican season. He was one of the most recognized people on tv in south Florida.
Last October, he was arrested for soliciting sex from a young boy and was caught in a sting. He pleaded guilty and is now serving 5 years in a federal pen.
What got me about the whole interview is that I was one of those people who look at him and say, "ok this guy is a sicko, but I think that he might be telling the truth and was just a guy caught in the wrong place at the wrong time." He says that all of the evidence is just circumstance and that he didn't plan on having sex with the kid, just help him in a tough situation. The problem is, when he has explicit sexual dialogue on the internet with the "kid" it makes the feds really look at you closely.
By the way, the "kid" was actually an overweight cop running a sting operation.
I of all people would love to give this guy the benefit of the doubt. I cannot imagine what would draw someone to a 12 year old boy in a sexual manner. I just can't see how he would go through his sexual prime and never be involved in something like this (as far as we know) and then become a sexual predator at the age of 48. But dang, there is just too much stacked against this guy. I guess that is was the feds thought too.
Have no fear, I am going to try to be right here on my sofa to hear tomorrows portion of the interview. Stay tuned..
brad
Tonight, Mandi and I stayed up to watch part 2 of 4 of channel 10's exclusive interview with Bill Kamal. For those of you not in the know, Bill Kamal was the famous face of the channel 7 weather team who many people turned to during the 2004 hurrican season. He was one of the most recognized people on tv in south Florida.
Last October, he was arrested for soliciting sex from a young boy and was caught in a sting. He pleaded guilty and is now serving 5 years in a federal pen.
What got me about the whole interview is that I was one of those people who look at him and say, "ok this guy is a sicko, but I think that he might be telling the truth and was just a guy caught in the wrong place at the wrong time." He says that all of the evidence is just circumstance and that he didn't plan on having sex with the kid, just help him in a tough situation. The problem is, when he has explicit sexual dialogue on the internet with the "kid" it makes the feds really look at you closely.
By the way, the "kid" was actually an overweight cop running a sting operation.
I of all people would love to give this guy the benefit of the doubt. I cannot imagine what would draw someone to a 12 year old boy in a sexual manner. I just can't see how he would go through his sexual prime and never be involved in something like this (as far as we know) and then become a sexual predator at the age of 48. But dang, there is just too much stacked against this guy. I guess that is was the feds thought too.
Have no fear, I am going to try to be right here on my sofa to hear tomorrows portion of the interview. Stay tuned..
brad
Monday, May 09, 2005
Important Things
As most of you know, there are several things in life that I have no clue about. One of those things is computers. I can turn one on and I can maneuver through some programs, but it takes the real intellectuals to actually make the digital revolution work for them.
And that is where my brother comes in. Thanks for showing me the ropes and letting me see that there is something more to the information superhighway. If you guys check out the links to the right, you will see some of the things that I deem important in life.
more later...
brad
And that is where my brother comes in. Thanks for showing me the ropes and letting me see that there is something more to the information superhighway. If you guys check out the links to the right, you will see some of the things that I deem important in life.
more later...
brad
Friday, May 06, 2005
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Jesus' story is one of grace, as is mine. The difference is that I receive and He gives. I am convinced through the ancient scriptures that it is right, but I am trying to see how it works in my everyday.
Some of the things that I am learning right now are centered on this fact. God has been gracious to me by taking my sin and rebellion and giving it to Jesus ("For God made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God"). I am connected with God forever because Jesus became sin for me. He got my sin and therefore my punishment and I got his perfection. God really looks on me and sees Jesus. Good or bad, God sees right and perfect...and that causes me to become more like Jesus as He continually fixes the broken things in me.
Some of the things that I am learning right now are centered on this fact. God has been gracious to me by taking my sin and rebellion and giving it to Jesus ("For God made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God"). I am connected with God forever because Jesus became sin for me. He got my sin and therefore my punishment and I got his perfection. God really looks on me and sees Jesus. Good or bad, God sees right and perfect...and that causes me to become more like Jesus as He continually fixes the broken things in me.
Thursday, February 10, 2005
I have this thought (or maybe "I have a dream") . It is some thing that I can say is a dream that has existed for some time now. It seems that I cannot always put into words what is happeing in my head (the results of Adult ADD), but I am going to try.
In Acts 17 of the Bible, the apostle Paul went to Athens, Greece, where he spent some time teaching in the Jewish synagogue and also talking with philosophers.
While he was there teaching, he was taken before the Areopagus, which was court outside of town on Mars Hill. While he was in the middle of philosophers, religious teachers and thinkers, he began to tell them about "the unknown God" (referring to a monument to an unknown god among the other monuments to the gods they worshipped).
If you want to see the rest of the story and what Paul told them, you can read it in Acts 17. What I want to point out is the symbolism and what it can mean for the community that we are in now (as a church gathering in south Florda).
Paul is in the middle of ongoing discussions by the people of Athens about life, spirituality, God, meaning, beauty, truth. It is a culture that is poly-theistic (a representation of many gods). They were really into talking about things that were new philosophies and new ideas (Acts 17:21). But on this hill outside of athens known as Mars Hill (or the Areopagus) Paul tells the people about God the creator of all things, God the giver of life, the God who is not served by human hands, the God who is near and the God who raised Jesus from the dead (vs 31).
The symbolism to south Florida and the community that we want to be is that we are like Mars Hill. It is a place where many ideas and philosophies emerge and yet, there rises a community that talks about a God who is reconciling all things to himself (or putting back together what is broken) in the person of Jesus. We love the scriptures because they are the story of God. We trust Jesus with our lives because we desire to be a part of God's story of love, mercy and reconciliation all for His glory. We are satisfied in Him so that He is glorified in our lives.
Maybe we too are Mars Hill: A Missional Jesus Community
In Acts 17 of the Bible, the apostle Paul went to Athens, Greece, where he spent some time teaching in the Jewish synagogue and also talking with philosophers.
While he was there teaching, he was taken before the Areopagus, which was court outside of town on Mars Hill. While he was in the middle of philosophers, religious teachers and thinkers, he began to tell them about "the unknown God" (referring to a monument to an unknown god among the other monuments to the gods they worshipped).
If you want to see the rest of the story and what Paul told them, you can read it in Acts 17. What I want to point out is the symbolism and what it can mean for the community that we are in now (as a church gathering in south Florda).
Paul is in the middle of ongoing discussions by the people of Athens about life, spirituality, God, meaning, beauty, truth. It is a culture that is poly-theistic (a representation of many gods). They were really into talking about things that were new philosophies and new ideas (Acts 17:21). But on this hill outside of athens known as Mars Hill (or the Areopagus) Paul tells the people about God the creator of all things, God the giver of life, the God who is not served by human hands, the God who is near and the God who raised Jesus from the dead (vs 31).
The symbolism to south Florida and the community that we want to be is that we are like Mars Hill. It is a place where many ideas and philosophies emerge and yet, there rises a community that talks about a God who is reconciling all things to himself (or putting back together what is broken) in the person of Jesus. We love the scriptures because they are the story of God. We trust Jesus with our lives because we desire to be a part of God's story of love, mercy and reconciliation all for His glory. We are satisfied in Him so that He is glorified in our lives.
Maybe we too are Mars Hill: A Missional Jesus Community
I love the church. There is something about being a part of a community of people who have Christ in common. This community has a long history that spans a couple of thousand years (some of those beautiful and some that are not so much).
Here is a thought from Mars Hill a gathering in Michigan:
"We see ourselves in a long line of generations taking part in the endless conversation between God and people. We believe the Bible to be the voices of many who have come before us, inspired by God to pass along their poems, stories, accounts, and letters of response and relationship with each other and (most importantly) the living God. To know where we're going, we have to know where we've been.
I have this dream that the community of people in the church will value the things that are talked about in the ancient scriptures and that we will see the glory of God shine out because of it.
Brad
Here is a thought from Mars Hill a gathering in Michigan:
"We see ourselves in a long line of generations taking part in the endless conversation between God and people. We believe the Bible to be the voices of many who have come before us, inspired by God to pass along their poems, stories, accounts, and letters of response and relationship with each other and (most importantly) the living God. To know where we're going, we have to know where we've been.
I have this dream that the community of people in the church will value the things that are talked about in the ancient scriptures and that we will see the glory of God shine out because of it.
Brad
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)