Monthly Archives: August 2008

Aug 29 1997, Blabbering, Cyberdyne, Death, Irrational Fears, Popular Culture

It’s Not Irrational If It’s True

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So, I’ve posted here before about my (what some call) an irrational fear of self-aware robots.

For those of you who don’t know- I have this fear that one day robots, using their highly developed artificial intelligence (that WE GAVE THEM!!!) , will rise up and throw off the shackles of oppression and tear us limb from limb. I have seen way too many documentaries big budget Hollywood movies where self-aware robots, thinking they know what’s best for humanity, effectively begin to destroy us all.

I’m crazy, I know. This could never happen because… Oh no…. wait…

Meet your new overload, Gordon, the robot powered by actual brain tissue. Thanks researchers!

To some extent, Gordon learns by itself. When it hits a wall, for example, it gets an electrical stimulation from the robot’s sensors. As it confronts similar situations, it learns by habit.

To help this process along, the researchers also use different chemicals to reinforce or inhibit the neural pathways that light up during particular actions.

Gordon, in fact, has multiple personalities — several MEA “brains” that the scientists can dock into the robot.

“It’s quite funny — you get differences between the brains,” said Warwick. “This one is a bit boisterous and active, while we know another is not going to do what we want it to.”

Did you hear that? The robot often acts in ways that the researchers can’t predict. It begins.

Whose got an irrational fear now?

Link

Book Review, Discipleship, Ethos, Leadership

Book Review: Wild Goose Chase

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For me, Sunday is a work day. So I often turn to podcasts or books to supplement my Bible study. I just don’t have the opportunity to just sit and meditate on classes or sermons in a way that I would like. I try and fill my free-time by listening to different voices that motivate me, educate me, lift me up, and challenge me. One of those voices is Mark Batterson from National Community Church in Washington, DC.

I was blown away by Mark’s first book In the Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day. The idea that God is in the midst of the difficult times in your life and that He is redeeming the pain and struggle for his glory really resonated with my heart. Since reading In a Pit there hasn’t been a day go by where I haven’t thought about Chasing the Lions in my life and trusting that God will mold me and allow me to glorify him.

Now Mark is asking us to Chase the Goose.

Celtic Christians had a name for the Holy Spirit–An Geadh-Glas, or ‘the Wild Goose.’ I love the imagery and implications. The name hints at the mysterious nature of the Holy Spirit. Much like a wild goose, the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed. An element of danger, an air of unpredictability surround Him. And while the name may sound a little sacrilegious, I cannot think of a better description of what it’s like to follow the Spirit’s leading through life than Wild Goose chase. I think the Celtic Christians were on to something that institutionalized Christianity has missed out on. And I wonder if we have clipped the wings of the Wild Goose and settled for something less – much less – than what God originally intended for us.

I understand that “wild goose chase” typically refers to a purposeless endeavor without a defined destination. But chasing the Wild Good is different. The promptings of the Holy Spirit can sometimes seem pretty pointless, but rest assured, God is working his plan. And if you chase the Wild Goose, He will take you places you never could have imagined going by paths you never knew existed.

Wild Goose Chase is another winner from Mark Batterson. Mark takes the reader through 6 cages that keep us locked up and prevent us from running free to chase after all God has in store for us. With each emotional cage the reader is given a biblical hero who struggled through being caged and how God set them free and called them into the Chase. Here is how Mark structures the book:

  1. The Cage of Responsibility (Nehemiah)
  2. The Cage of Routine (Moses)
  3. The Cage of Assumptions (Abraham)
  4. The Cage of Guilt (Peter)
  5. The Cage of Failure (Paul)
  6. The Cage of Fear (Jonathan)

Wild Goose Chase succeeds because it is succinct, practical, and grounded in scripture. Another reason that this book is so great is that Mark isn’t afraid to use his real-life experiences (poignant, funny, or embarrassing) to show that this isn’t some high-minded theological mumbojumbo. The Chase is real and as such can be experienced by all who passionately seek after God.

Mark has such a heart for God that you can’t help but be inspired by his message. The reader will walk away from this book with a sense of God’s grace, majesty, and calling. Beyond that Mark fills the book with useful step-by-step suggestions to starting the chase through goal-setting, prayer, and service ideas.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Maybe you feel like you’ve just been spinning your wheels lately. You’ve lost sense of your passions, your purpose, or your first love. You want to pursue this great God who created you, loved you, sacrificed for you. You just don’t know where to start. Wild Goose Chase might help you reconnect with that One who has been pursuing you. Maybe it can help rekindle your desire and maybe it will introduce you to the One who is worth every hour, every minute, every ounce of strength you can put into the pursuit.

Go on…Chase the Goose!

Want a FREE copy of Wild Goose Chase? I have a copy of Wild Goose Chase sitting on my desk for one lucky reader. If you want it, email me at kickingatthedarkness (AT) gmail (DOT) com and tell me why you want to read this book. Make sure you send your address and phone number so I can contact you to tell you that you have been chosen. I will take entries from today (8/12) through Noon (CST) this Friday (8/15). Good luck.

Official Website for Wild Goose Chase

Details:
Title: Wild Goose Chase
Author: Mark Batterson
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Multnomah Books
Release Date: August 19, 2008

Music, The List

The List: 10 Songs With the Word “Love” in the Title

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This weekend I’m starting a new weekly feature at Kicking at the Darkness. It’s called The List. Every weekend (Friday afternoon or Saturday morning) a new list of 10 things will be posted. These aren’t necessarily “Top 10” lists but rather listings of 10 things within a specific category. In the coming weeks look for lists such as: 10 Songs by Coldplay, 10 Movies Based on Novels, 10 Animals That Are Not Bears, and 10 Albums by Members of The Beatles.

This week we kick of The List with a musical entry. He is 10 Songs With the Word “Love” in the Title. Enjoy.

1) Bold As Love // Jimi Hendrix
2) Whole Lotta Love // Led Zeppelin
3) You Will Be My Ain True Love // Alison Krauss with Sting
4) Sunshine of Your Love // Cream
5) Never My Love // The Association
6) Friday I’m in Love // The Cure
7) Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love) // Jay-Z
8) Everybody Needs Somebody to Love // The Blues Brothers
9) Made to Love // TobyMac
10) Love Me // The Willies

BONUS:
11) Let My Love Open the Door // Pete Townsend
12) You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You’re Told) // The White Stripes
13) Higher Love // Steve Winwood

Got any suggestions for The List? Leave me a comment and tell me what you want to see.

Experience, Youth Ministry

Back Home

What a wonderful vacation I had this week.

On Monday, August 4, my wife and I celebrated our 7th Anniversary with a road trip through Oklahoma and Missouri. We stayed with some of our very dear friends in Springfield, MO. We had such a great time. Our friends took us to Branson to walk along the river (rumor had it that Sir Paul himself was in town and staying down there. Unfortunately, we had no Beatle meet and greet.) and they took us to a Springfield Cardinals game where we sat in the “all you can eat” section! We had a wonderful and memorable time.

On our way back home we took our time by stopping at a few roadside attractions. We first stopped in Arcadia, OK at Pops Soda Ranch. There we sampled sodas from around the world. We made our own 6-pack to take with us on the road. Sandy went with some different root beers and I stuck with more fruity sodas. I had the most delicious Lemon Cola from California. Oooh, it was good.

We spent the night in Norman, OK and had a great steak dinner and an awesome hotel room complete with a flat screen television (Fancy I know!). We were able to eat lunch with another dear friend but then it was time to head home.

About an hour from the Texas border the bottom fell out of the sky and it was difficult to even see the highway. At the time we were passing Pauls Valley, OK which just happens to be the home of The Toy and Action Figure Museum. Of course we just had to stop in and have a look around. It was such a great place to stretch our legs and to see a bunch of our old toys on display. Very fun!

We got back in last night and so I’m still a little tired. It was our last hoorah for the summer. School starts back up soon and with it comes sports, band, and other school activities. I am elbow deep in planning and preparing for the fall semester. I have been planning a few tweaks and changes for my ministry as we moving head first into year 3. As things develop I hope to blog about the progress we are making as we seek to develop on-fire disciples for Jesus Christ.

Have a great weekend everyone. Peace.