The writer of Ecclesiastes says,

“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”

Case in Point:
Compare this 40 year old classic with this week’s Number 1 single:

Bus Stop- The Hollies (1966)

That’s the way the whole thing started
Silly, but it’s true
Thinking of a sweet romance
Beginning in a queue
Came the sun, the ice was melting
No more sheltering, now
Nice to think that that umbrella
Led me to a vow

Chorus
Bus stop, wet day
She’s there I say
Please share my umbrella
Bus stop, bus go, she stays, love grows
Under my umbrella
All that summer we enjoyed it
Wind and rain and shine
That umbrella we employed it
By August she was mine

——————–
Umbrella- Rihanna (2007)

When the sun shines
We’ll shine together
Told you I’ll be here forever
That I’ll always be your friend
Took an oath
I’mma stick it out ’till the end
Now that it’s raining more than ever
Know that we still have each other
You can stand under my Umbrella
You can stand under my Umbrella

No Hear

I’m in NM with my teens on a mission trip. They are rockin’ my face off!!!

I’ll be back late Wednesday night. We covet your prayers.

Peace.

Psalm 116
What can I give back to God for the blessings he poured out on me?
What can I give back to God for the blessings he poured out on me?
I lift high the Cup of Salvation as a toast to our Father,
To follow through on a promise I made to you from the heart.

It’s all I can do
It’s all we can do
This is all we can do

We have had a great couple of days here in Washington, DC.

The in-laws have lived here since Sandy and I started dating so we have had quite a few opportunities to see the Capital City. We’ve done the museums and the monuments so this trip was all about seeing and doing things that we haven’t done before.

Monday night we attended the Nationals vs. Tigers game in RFK Stadium. There were so many Tiger fans there that night that it was practically a home game for Detroit. The Nationals rallied in the 9th but still came up short. I was completely underwelmed by RFK Stadium by the way. It is old and ugly. Maybe that’s why they are building a new stadium.

Every ballpark seems to have some variation of “the race.” At the Ballpark in Arlington it’s “The Dot Race.” In Milwaukee it’s “The Sausage Race.” In our nation’s capital they have “The Racing Presidents.” When I saw that giant Roosevelt race down the first base line I had no choice but to yell out, “Bully! Look at that giant Teddy Roosevelt!” After the race I just had to get a picture with them. The only thing that would have made this moment better is if they had stood in Rushmore formation. Oh well. Good times regardless.

These seat were much better than the ones we paid for. (Full disclosure: I sat here to snap a few shots and then it was back to section 505)

My dad is a history teacher and I have always enjoyed Civil War history. In all of our visits here we have never been to Ford’s Theatre. I guess we will have to try again later because the theatre is closed for the next 18 months as they renevate. D’oh!

There was some sort of cultural festival on the Mall this past weekend. As we came up out of the metro we were greeted by this Bali-licious truck. All the information signs had been taken down so I can’t tell you the story behind it. Just mavel at it’s beaded glory.

These are all the photos for today. Have a great week everyone.

Let It Burn Within.

I have been stuck in the refugee camp Atlanta airport most of the day. I’m trying to make my way to Washington, DC. but I have had a rough go at it.

On a positive note I was able to start and finish Bill Hybels’ newest book, Holy Discontent: Fueling the Fire That Ignites Personal Vision.

I am extremely tired and weary but I have to say that it was just what the Doctor ordered.

Hybels describes holy discontent as the one thing that motivates you to act. What upsets you? What injustice boils your blood? What makes you stand up and say, “Hey, I’m not going to take this anymore!!! Something has to be done and I’m doing it.”

Hybles does a great job at reminding us that it isn’t enough to be discontented on your own. We must marry the things that break our hearts to the things that break the heart of God. That where the holy comes in.

My mind is swirling right now with my holy discontents. What are they?

I smell a post series!

Oh, when will a Beatles Digital Box Set be released? When!?!?!?!

Paul’s New iTunes Ad

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
(Colossians 3:23; 1Corinthians 10:31 TNIV)

“Then the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent— the table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand— and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded you.””
(Exodus 31:1-11 TNIV) also see Exodus 35:30-36:8

But I’m posting it anyway.

This is our dog, Buttercup. She doesn’t chew things she’s not supposed to. She loves to cuddle. She is smart as a whip. She has been, for the most part, a perfect pet.

We did run into a little problem as we were moving to Texas last year though. She has always been kinda jumpy, very protective, and a little high-strung. We have concluded that she behaves this way because we are her third family. She was abandoned by her first family- left in a box on the highway. Her second family adopted her but were unable to keep her. When we adopted Buttercup she was 9 months old and in need a family that would stick. From the day we brought her home 3 years ago she has slept with us, played with us, and become a real member of the family.

Apparently the stress from moving to Texas was a little too much for her and she suffered from a couple of bladder infections. Every time we leave on vacation or change her schedule she freaks out a little. You can almost see on her face that she is saying,

“Where are you going? Am I going? Oh! No! I’m not going and your not coming back? Oh, I am going? Don’t. Leave. Me.”

Although she is very resilient and bounces right back after some antibiotics I hate to see her even the slightest bit sick. We will be heading out on a couple of trips this summer and we have been worried about her getting sick again.

Today my wife took Buttercup to the vet for a check up. To help combat her anxiousness the vet basically prescribed my dog Dog Zanex.

My dog is on anxiety medication. Embarrassing but worth posting.

This morning in Bible class I taught through James 1:1-18. After greeting his readers James immediately launches into a grab bag of encouragement and teaching aimed at helping these Christians glorify God in the midst of the right here and now.

James 1:2-4 TNIV
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

When I go through “trails” I very rarely consider it pure joy. I felt inadequate while teaching through this section of chapter 1. I explained, feebly, that to go through trails and to consider it joy was an attitude of the heart and mind. I felt unable to give a great example of what that might mean or what being joyful in trails looks like lived out.

A few minutes ago I read a post that highlighted Ronald Reagan’s diary entry from March 30, 1981- the day he was shot by John Hinckley Jr.

I can’t think of a more painful trial than:
a) being shot by a bullet
b) being shoved to the car floor after receiving said bullet
c) having a linebacker Secret Service Agent ride on top of you to the hospital

All of this happened a month after Reagan turned 70 by the way. Here is what he remembered as important that day:

“Left the hotel at the usual side entrance,” “headed for the car—suddenly there was a burst of gunfire from the left.” Secret service “agent pushed me onto the floor of the car” and “jumped on top. Then I began coughing up blood, which made both of us think—yes, I had a broken rib” and “it had punctured a lung.” The agent “switched orders from” going to the White House, go to George Washington University Hospital. “By the time we arrived, I was having great trouble getting enough air. I walked into the emergency room and was hoisted onto a cart. It was then we learned I’d been shot” and “had a bullet in my lung. “Getting shot hurts. Still my fear was growing because no matter how hard I tried to breathe it seemed I was getting less and less air. I focused on that tile ceiling and prayed. But I realized I couldn’t ask for God’s help while at the same time I felt hatred for the mixed up young man who had shot me. Isn’t that the meaning of the lost sheep? We are all God’s children and therefore equally beloved by him. I began to pray for his soul and that he” could “find his way back to the fold. … The days of therapy, transfusion, intravenous, etc.” had gone, “have gone by—now it is Saturday, April 11, and this morning I left the hospital. “Whatever happens now I owe my life to God and will try to serve him in every way I can.”

Reagan said that he couldn’t pray for himself before he prayed for Hinkley. In the midst of a pretty tough ordeal the President not only turned his heart and thoughts to God but set his heart on caring for and lifting up his would-be assassin.

What does it look like to live in joy while living though trials? It is living in such a way that you can say with all your heart, “Whatever happens now I owe my life to God and will try to serve him in every way I can.”

HT Jordon Cooper

Well, I’m off to take the GRE today.

I’m not taking the Generic Routing Encapsulation which is a tunneling protocol designed for encapsulation. No, I will be taking the Graduate Record Examination so I can enroll in Grad School.

The train is a rollin’ for me to head back to school for my Master’s. I can’t wait to get that gold blazer! What… it’s not a gold blazer?

Wish me luck!

Update: Well, it’s over. The math beat me like a red-headed stepchild. Good thing I can already work the math I might encounter when studying theology. You know:

39+27=66
12-1+1=12
If God is X than X=3

Ooops! I didn’t post a Simpsons article last week because of Work Camp so I’m making up for it today by bringing you the forth and fifth installment on Why I Love The Simpsons.

Part 4: The Flandereses Aren’t Geeks

Ok Rod and Todd are and Maude has a thing for Homer which she hides behind a low… but there isn’t a better neighbor in the world then Ned Flanders.

Born to a couple of freaky beatniks, Ned Flanders is the patron saint of Springfield. In Mark Pinsky’s wonderful book, The Gospel According to The Simpsons, he writes about Flanders saying,

Religion and morality inform nearly every aspect of Flanders’ life, from the door bell that alternates chimes of “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” and “Bringing in the Sheaves,” to his air horn that blares the “Hallelujah” chorus at football games. Together with his family, he prays at meals and before bed. He attends his church three times a week and tithes, contributing to seven other congregations just to be on the safe side. He belongs to a Bible study group and keeps his notes stuck on the refrigerator with a fish magnet, and he turns his basement into a Christian youth hostel from time to time. Like many believers, he thanks God often for his blessings, for things as small as a beautiful day. He calls on the Almighty for everything from a better performance of Guys and Dolls at the local dinner theater to the backstage players-those who work behind the scenes to make the production work. The family carves Bible dioramas out of pumpkins at Halloween and gives out hugs instead of candy to trick-or-treaters.

What I love about Flanders is that he is no a one-dimensional evangelical stereotype. He is multi-layered and the writers allow us to see him get angry and flustered and act like a human being. We see Ned struggling with the death of his wife and raising two sons on his own. We see him losing his temper from time to time and we see Homer push every one of his buttons. Yet every-time Ned’s faith stands strong.

To see Ned’s Greatest Hits check out the following episodes:
Homer Loves Flanders
In Marge We Trust
Hurricane Neddy

Part 5: Maybe You’d Like Some Unitarian Ice Cream?
Religion plays a huge part in the Simpsons. More than any other show on television the Simpsons openly discuss religion of all shapes and sizes. Apu is a Hindu. Lisa has become a Buddhist. Krusty “Herschel Pinkus Yerucham” Krustofski is a Jew. Stange cult leaders have even made appearances from time to time.

However, most everyone else in town attends The First Church of Springfield which is a off shoot of “the western branch of American Reformed Presbylutheranism.”

Name me another show on TV where the main characters regularly attend church. You can’t. 7th Heaven is off the air and Edith Bunker is in reruns. Name me another show where religion is examined, talked about, and often placed at the center of the episode. Again, you can’t do it.

The next couple of installments in this series will deal directly with the religion found in the Simpsons. That should make for some interesting discussions.

Next Week: BMIN 4F18 - The Simpsons Episode Every Minister Must See

I think you can divide serious music lovers into two distinct camps:

Those who prefer John Lennon and those who love Paul McCartney.

I am a Paul man myself.

That is why I have been very excited to hear Paul’s latest, Memory Almost Full. I greatly enjoyed Chaos and Creation in the Backyard but I felt that it fell short of his past efforts. Everything that I was hearing about this new album though lead me to believe that Memory Almost Full would deliver the goods.

Make no mistake, Memory Almost Full does indeed deliver. I pre-ordered it from iTunes after Scott sent me a link to the video for the first track, “Dance Tonight.” There is nothing particularly special about the song except that is it a simple toe-tapping romp complete with whistling and a mandolin.

The second track, Ever Present Past sums up what I think Sir Paul is trying to say with this whole project.

I’’ve got too much on my plate
Don’’t have no time to be a decent lover
I hope it isn’t too late
Searching for the time that has gone so fast
The time that I thought would last
My ever present past

I couldn’’t understand a word that they were saying
But still I hung around and took it all in
I wouldn’’t join in with the games that they were playing
It went by it went by in a flash
It flew by it flew by
In a flash

This soon-to-be 65 year old has looked back on his life and realized that it flown by right before his eyes. Life is like that. One minute you’re in your early 20s taking the world by storm and the next you’re an elder statesmen. Where does the time go?

Ever Present Past isn’t the only song to tackle life and legacy. The End of the End is, right now, my favorite track. You could call this track Yesterday Part 2. It is hard to believe that McCartney wrote Yesterday at the age of 24. In that song Paul is singing about what has gone on before him. He is stuck looking backward.

Forty years later Paul now looks ahead. In The End of the End he sings about the end of his life and even gives instructions about his funeral. Nothing macabre here though just beautiful images and rich lyrics.

At the end of the end
It’’s the start of a journey
To a much better place
And this wasn’t bad
So a much better place
Would have to be special
No need to be sad

On the day that I die
I’d like jokes to be told
And stories of old
To be rolled out like carpets
That children have played on
And laid on while listening
To stories of old

Stunning. It is with that last image that I see McCartney coming to grips with his place in history. His stories aren’t the first nor the last. What has been will be again. He just desires a place on the carpet where they can be unrolled again and again as generation after generation share stories and songs and life. It is a great reminder to us that we will leave a legacy. Is your legacy one that you would want sung on “blankets that lovers have played on/ and laid on while listening/ to songs that were sung?”

At the end of the end Sir Paul says that there is “No reason to cry/ No need to be sad.” I’m sure that when that day comes there will be a few tears and a few sad faces. Radio stations will play Yesterday, Let It Be, Hey Jude, Maybe I’m Amazed and all the rest. I just think that they could and should play anything from this album as well.

I believe Memory Almost Full will stand the test of time. It could very well be Paul’s best solo work to date.

Download: Ever Present Past, Only Mama Knows, House of Wax, The End of the End

We started studying the book of James last Sunday. As I have been preparing for the class I have been struck by just how relevant this 2000 year old letter is. Just read the first chapter:

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:1-27 TNIV)

Seth Godin has made a living on encouraging businesses, churches, teams, and individuals to give people something truly Remarkable. You don’t attract new business by being as good as the other guy. You don’t make an impact on someone’s life by doing the ordinary. You can’t create a culture of winning by going through the motions. You can’t stand out by just getting by.

I believe in being Remarkable. I don’t like doing the same old same old and I tend to steer clear of organizations who do. My time and my efforts are precious commodities. If you want them you have to show me that you are at least willing to become Remarkable.

Example of the Remarkable:
There was a white box waiting for me in my office this morning. I noticed that the Catalyst logo was on one side and so I immediately tore the box wide open.

I have attended the Catalyst Conference for 4 out of the last 5 years. It has been one of the highlights of the year for me because each year it gets better and better. The conference delivers big time in content and character. I hear amazing speakers and see amazing things which in turn feeds my creativity so I can be a better leader. Since Catalyst always aims to surprise I wondered what would be in the box.

What I found inside was a brightly colored metal canister. This year’s theme is Reverb. The art work featured noise lines and loud colors and the words “effect big.” One side of the drum had instructions on how to register and another side listed the featured speakers. I was already excited about this pacakage and I hadn’t even fully opened it yet!

Inside I found a whole mess of Catalyst swag.

There were window clings and those rattle magnets.

Inside I found atomic fire balls and 8 of the World’s Longest Event Brochures.

There was also a calendar poster so I can count down the days until Catalyst begins.

On top of all this there were also a couple of other little items and an event DVD.

They could of just sent a brochure and a registration card. Instead they sent a story.

Instead of sending me what was expected they sent me something Remarkable.

We had a great week. The kids in Group 5 worked with out one complaint. We didn’t get a lot of pictures during Work Camp because we were, well… working but here are a few:

We had our work cut out for us as you can see. believe it or not, this was the good side of the house! There were rotted boards everywhere and the old paint was barely hanging on.

Arlington Work Camp has happened every summer for 13 years. This was the first year that it was hit with rain. We really were only able to work on our house for half of the three days that we were scheduled to because thunderstorms forced us off the work sites. My wife took this shot as we were driving away from the storms.

Here is the finish product. I was so proud of our group. You guys rocked it this week. Way to go!!!