Ryan Abel

Good morning

2012-01-09T09:36:00.003-05:00

"Dad-eeeeeeeeee!"

"Dad-eeeeeeeeee!"

For the passed three and a half months, I've had the rare opportunity to stay at home with my family and not go to work. And miraculously, my roof is still above my head, and there is still food in my fridge.

One (just one) of the best parts of the deal is hearing a voice calling out to me from her room asking me to get her.

In my most recent prior life, I woke up each weekday at 5:30 a.m. and was out the door by 6:17 a.m. (after which point I'd miss my bus). But now, my daughter's day begins and I am actually physically present. It's cool. It's amazing. It's sad that it can't always be "normal."

I'm not sure how the next work/life combination will manifest itself, but I sure am enjoying the meanwhile.

"December 1941" by Craig Shirley (Review)

2011-12-29T13:10:00.002-05:00

I'm a revolutionary era history buff. I don't have a ton of facts that I rattle off in conversation, but the time period in American history is the most exciting to me. You have a host of smaller events that collectively set the tone for the entire nation. While it was less than 250 years ago, a relatively tiny stretch in history, it's amazing how many holes we still need to try and find pieces for to better know and understand life during that period.

World War II was a defining moment in American history sixty years ago. Because of the relative historical proximity and the technological advances that were made since the revolution, we have access to information from so many sources the difference is like night and day. Craig Shirley capitalizes on this in his solid, historical volume "December 1941: 31 Days that Changed America and Saved the World."

There are more than 550 pages in this thoroughly researched book. He provides a day by day account of that month of not only the advances in the war efforts, but also a sense of what life was like for everyday people. He provides an American daily life context and intermingles it with what was happening politically and militarily. This provides a unique balance for someone interested in history but isn't necessarily looking for military history.

The biggest strength of the book is the presentation of the thoroughly performed research using every day language. A high school student should be able to well-grasp all the material that Shirley has written. However, it does not have the polish of the Pulitzer Prize worthy book, and becomes unreadable at several points - not because of a "sit and let it marinate" sort of reader pondering, but because of the author's inability to provide clear transitions from the various topics covered.

I feel that this book had plenty of potential but it wasn't realized. Shirley should have let the book sit for six months in its current state and then turned it into a grade A masterpiece. Instead, it's like that college term paper that has a bunch of good research done but is cobbled together at the last minute. I wanted to like the book, but it ended up being sort of bleh.

Three stars (out of five.)

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Thomas Nelson.

Tanking

2011-12-23T12:38:00.001-05:00

In the past two weeks, I have started a new hobby - fish tanking! Fish keeping! Aquarium-izing! I don't know what the proper term might be, but I think fish tanking is a winner!

It all started supposed to be a gift for Leilani for Christmas. But then I realized that a good fish tank requires a lot of effort, I got carried away, so I sort of claimed it. Not that she wouldn't be enjoying it just the same as if it was for her, but it became more than "OK, let's getta a Betta fish and put it in a large jar with a plant on top."

I wanted to do a planted tank (one with a bunch of live plants). I was inspired by a bunch of stuff I found online. I learned that "aquascaping" is a thing - they have competitions. There are some amazing looking tanks out there.

I was looking to strike a balance between zero-effort and time consuming. I found what I was looking for: "a low-tech planted tank."

The legit pros would never do this, but so far I have purchased everything from the big box pet stores. I might reform depending on how things go, but the convenience of walking into a store, tracking down a store employee so they can assist you, and asking them for detailed information about aquatic life which they "have received no training on" is easier for me. For now.

Anyway, I bought some awesome, muddy substrate (Seachem Flourite) (which I apparently didn't rinse ~~well)~~ which led to some cloudy water early on, but it has since settled. I threw in my mystery aquatic plants (syngonium, dracaena, wisteria are known... I have three I have no clue about) and let the tank run for a week.

There is a nitrogen cycle that a new tank needs to have in place before a tank can be considered "cycled" or "established." If this hasn't happened, you get a bunch of dead fish. There are many ways to do it, and many schools of thought on each (the "traditional" mode involves using live fish which many consider inhumane since it kills or severely damages the fish).

Since I had a bunch of plants in my tank, they actually help with the process, reducing the toxicity that might otherwise appear. After a week, the plants were doing well so I was ready to add a few, hearty small fish.

I found some cherry barbs at the store which fit the bill perfectly. They are really finely detailed and beautiful. The orange-red ones are male, and the yellow-brown ones are female. I didn't realize that the genders had such different coloration until after I brought the five males home.

I've had the fish for about 4 days now and they seem to be doing well. Swimming about energetically, happily eating their food when fed. The plants are doing well also, and get snacked on by my omnivorous fish. Cherry barbs like cucumbers and zucchini so I'll give mine some later today to see if they eat them.

If I make it to the two week mark with all of my guys alive, I will add some females to the mix and see what happens.

Here's a picture of the tank at week 1. I hope the plants grow out and I anticipate adding some shorter plants sometime in the next few weeks to add some variety. The barbs totally love the plants, swimming through stalks and leaves.

$100 Room Transformation Challenge

2011-12-23T11:31:00.003-05:00

In the past few months, we've been working on making our condo market-ready. One corner of our home has been the most neglected. It was the last one that was furnished with non-bachelor pad gear (the table and chairs were passed down from my wife's late great aunt.)

After putting in the dining set about two years ago, the space sort of just sat. Used regularly, but was just an extension of the kitchen. While we added pillows, pictures, chairs, and books everywhere else, it perpetually lived on the "we'll do something to it someday" list.

However, that all changed this very week. I was tired of it simply being, and decided to embark upon the $100 Room Makeover Challenge (sounds like it's real, doesn't it?). For a relatively small cost, I hoped to transform the room so that it wasn't the "oh, yeah... that" section of the unit.

Here's a before picture of the nook:

Please note, however, the flash in the previous shot makes it deceptively bright looking. The ceiling light was (I'm quite sure) was the original fixture when it was built in the 1980's. The glass had yellowed through the years casting a dingy, gloomy light when the light was turned on. When other lights were turned on, it sort of offset it so we never kept it on by itself. (The cord on the left side of the wall connects to Christmas lights that currently circle the ceiling.)

Here's a shot of the light fixture in all it's glory. I replaced a smaller one just like it in the kitchen when we were re-doing that. That replacement dramatically changed the feel from gloomy to fresh and bright. I knew that at some point I'd replace it, and yesterday was the day.

Here I am, with the lighting power off, removing the relic of a bygone era.

And what remained. The wiring in of the new light fixture was an adventure (at one point, the light worked but was controlled by a switch in the kitchen... true story), but was completed otherwise problem free.

For my $100 budget, I decided to start my journey at Pier 1. My goal was to buy a light fixture and a mirror and thought they might have a fun mirror on clearance. They didn't have anything that fit my budget or fit the space, but they did have an oil painting/print on sale. It's called "Two Hoots" (awww..) and set me back $19.99. It was regularly priced at $29.95. I liked it because it incorporated the yellow, green and brown we have happening in the kitchen, but brought in the red accents we have in the living room. If you look closely, the paint is over a canvas with printed text as a background. Printed text (from a dictionary) also serves as decoration elsewhere in the condo.

After I blew 1/5 of the funds on an originally, non-priority item, I realized that I'd have to cut back elsewhere. Large framed mirrors tend to cost more than I think they should, so I wasn't sure what random piece I might find to stay within budget. There was a Big Lots near the Pier 1, so I thought I'd check to see if they had anything that would work. They had exactly one great, dark brown mirror that was $25.00. Adding it to the wall instantly helped make the tiny nook feel more spacious which which was exactly the goal.

And for the light fixture, I found a handmade bamboo lampshade created by a designer named Maria Vinka. She did her research in Vietnam in creating it. It ties in well with the bamboo floors we have throughout the condo. I got it in a marketplace, called Ikea, for $59.99. You should check them out. Help keep them in business.

For those of you keeping track, my $100 goal was exceeded. My total came to $104.98. Close enough, I say. Close enough. Here's the after picture. It has changed the feel of the room from "kitchen overflow" to its own, unique, intimate space. The light can stay on without any worries for any supplementation. The light is white and fresh, and has replaced the gloom with cheer.

This Week

2011-10-25T15:04:00.000-04:00

There are exactly two (I believe) paths that my current state of existence can lead to. Both places dramatically different from where I am, but both dramatically different from one another.

If one path is taken, it results in a journey directly to a particular destination. If the other, there will be a festival period (as it were) for a time before that destination is reached.

Either situation will be extremely excellent and amazing in its own way. But each different. Both in experience and preparation.

Figuring out which of these two paths my family will be walking on will be determined this very week. As we wait. And wait. Still waiting. Nothing left for me to do. Simply waiting for that proverbial green light to appear above the road. On one road and not the other.

One week certainly isn't a long time to need to wait. But the magnitude of actually knowing what the path will be trekked upon for the next year is making the wait seem long. Really long.

Three Weeks Ago

2011-10-13T13:07:00.000-04:00

After graduating from college, I've had exactly one job. Well, one full-time permanent sort of job. A job that gave me health insurance, dental coverage, and five paid weeks off per year (plus 10 federal holidays). The office was located right on the America's front yard, the National Mall in Washington, DC. I started my time there in August of 2004 as a temporary employee, but after several months, I was offered the opportunity to join the staff full time, which I accepted. Seven years went by, and things went well. I received promotions and job title changes. However, three weeks ago, the time had come for me to go. I didn't have to go. But I had to go.

It's sometimes strange how life works. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, something happens to redirect you. To refocus you. To take you a place that you really need to go. The blank pages for the next chapter have arrived, and the current section of the story is now leading up to it.

My tenure at the job ended for one reason - God told me the time had come. During previous low periods on the job it wasn't. But on the 22nd of September, it had.

I resigned.

No idea what I'll be doing next. I just knew one thing, however. It was time to say goodbye.

"With" by Skye Jethani (Review)

2011-09-10T14:30:00.000-04:00

I read most books through just once, but every now and then I run into one that I plan on reading again just as soon as I can. Why? There might be something personally challenging, something truly unique in the topic the author is covering, or simply that the writing style is engaging. Whatever it is, it simply goes beyond what I consider to be a good book. Having already read With twice, I can certainly say that this is one of them.

Skye Jethani challenges his readers to evaluate their relationship with God. Is God someone they live over? Under? From? For? He says that living in primarily any one of these positions is incorrect because our focus is placed on something other than what it should be - life with God. He defines each of these categories and invites you think about how you relate to God, while admitting he himself has viewed God incorrectly at various times in his own life.

Jethani directly confronts many false teachings that exist within the church, specifically those that are the result of the fusion of American culture and biblical truth. Because of this, I believe this is essential reading for anyone who is in, connected to, or should be connected to the church in our country. It is simply the message of the gospel preached in book form.

There are simple drawings used to help illustrate the points being made to help you, as well as to allow you to share them with others. Additionally, there are discussion questions at the end of the book and specific ideas as to how you can implement the concepts put forth in the book into your life so this book is far from theoretical. It is practical as well.

Do you find Christianity lacking? What you see on TV, hear from those around you, or even from the pulpit at church might be missing the point. With invites you to check out what it's really about. Not about things, stuff you do, or items you focus on. Rather it is simply about living life, not the way you might be used to, even if filled with Christian things. Instead its all about living life with God.

Five stars (out of 5).

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Thomas Nelson.

Planting a church?

2011-08-29T21:14:00.000-04:00

The thought of planting a church has been on my mind before. I can't get into all of it right now, but today it resurfaced and when I got home from work, I mentioned it to my wife.

I am subscribed to various blogs in Google Reader, and utilize their really cool "Next" button which you can drop onto your menu bar in your browser. When you hit the button, the next blog page in your Google Reader queue pops up.

I was sitting on the couch with her when I told her, and I just happened to hit the "Next" button on the laptop.

The very next page in my queue was this: 13 Things I Would Tell Church Planters

Yes, it could of been a strange coincidence.

Maybe, not.

The Rich's Fair Share

2011-07-23T16:45:00.000-04:00

Our nation faces many challenges, but the one that we stand at the cusp of truly is a significant one. The most predictable possible disaster involves our looming budget crisis that currently is being played in the political arena and not the problem solving one. It is much easier to ridicule someone who thinks differently than you do than it is to work with them to create a working solution.

One idea that some have is to increase taxes on the rich among us. The argument is that since they have more money than the rest of us, they have an obligation to be willing to pay a higher percentage of their income than the rest of us do. Because to them, a couple thousand here and a couple thousand there are what quarters and nickels are to you and me. The principle is: you have more so you have to give more.

Most people like this argument because it involves people who are not them. Other people have money so they have to pay. We, on the other hand, will take care of what we need to take care of since we have our own struggles to deal with.

According to the World Bank, there are about 6.7 billion people in the world. Out of them, 1.4 billion live on less than $1.25 per day. Let's say at your job, you make exactly minimum wage. Right now that is $7.25. Let's say you work a standard 8 hour day which means you earn $58.00 per day. So you, minimum wage earning American make more than 48 times than those who live below the poverty line. (This is not even getting started with the other groups of the world population that you are living a life of luxury compared to).

A person working minimum wage's annual salary would be around $15,080, and 48 times that would be $723,840. Someone who earns that salary would definitely be a part of the "rich" who "need" to pay their fair share compared to us. Wealth is relative, and by using the rationale that we say the rich have an obligation to help those who are not as well off, it makes you obligated those who live below the poverty line. Odds are, you make more than minimum wage.

How can you help? Compassion International seeks to "Release children from poverty in Jesus' name." Anything you can provide can help. They have a whole host of programs that are literally saving and transforming lives. You can donate here.

You, actually, relative to the world are "the rich." Now stop talking about yourself and do what you say the rich should be doing.

Blinking Light

2011-07-21T15:20:00.001-04:00

I am at work watching the blinking light on my phone. It is trying to let me know that I have an unheard voicemail. I know who it is from, but I don't want to listen to it.

I don't know what the message says, but I simply do not want to hear it.

We had been meeting with various vendors who could possibly provide our organization with a particular service. I had been in communication with this gentleman over the past couple months over the phone and via email. However, after a recent meeting, it became evident that the service that his company could provide would not be a good fit for our needs.

I emailed him earlier today to confirm this news with him.

So he called back. There is no way that his company can be in the running, and we already have selected our final three. I imagine his message involves attempts at clarification, that I have it wrong, and that they deserve another chance. However, the issue is too large to ignore.

I have that awkward, nauseated feeling in talking to him now. Like "It's not you, it's me... but actually, it's really you." Must I tell him again that it's not going to work? Can't we all just move on with our lives? I feel like the dumper in a break-up (speaking of which, This American Life had an excellent podcast on the issue this week). However, I am in the role in which a pathetic song is sung to me.

I wish I could simply delete the voicemail. Move forward with our process. Not have to have any more contact with him after delivering the bad news. But I can't. I will listen to the message. I have to. I sort of have a heart.

But until I do, the light will blink.

The Blessing (Review)

2011-07-19T20:30:00.000-04:00

I received a copy of The Blessing by John Trent and Gary Smalley to review, I didn't realize it was an updated version of a book that was originally released more than twenty years ago. When I saw that it was a successful release previously, my expectations were a bit higher going into it than they normally are. That said, I was disappointed in what I read. Not because the parenting/adult blesser material was bad, but because the connection from "the blessing" to the five elements that the authors describe seem to be slightly disconnected from scripture. This is not to say that the principles they advocate are unbiblical, but rather that "the blessing" is not a unique biblical idea. There are biblical examples that the authors cite to illustrate their five principles - meaningful touch, a spoken message, attaching high value, picturing a special future, and an active commitment - however, not in the way that seems to be described in the book's premise.

I thought that by reading the book, I would learn that in biblical history there was a clear concept known as "the blessing" that simply was lost through time. That this book was essentially a reclamation of something we have forgotten. What this book actually is, however, is as a result of much research done by counselors as to what issues people develop because of a lack of something from their childhood. These things are commonly rooted in the five areas the authors describe, and they also provide assorted stories from scripture that include one or several of them.

A prime example they share is the story of Issac and "the blessing" that was given to Jacob and not given to Esau. Both sons wanted to receive it from their father, but only one could. After describing the blessing and how valuable it then must be for us to similarly give it to our own children, they continue by explaining how the blessing in that case actually isn't a parallel situation to us in modern day. Clearly, the father could only give it to one of them and we should give it to all of our kids.

This book definitely does include good material. I plan on ensuring that the types of ways that we can "bless" our children or show them our love are things that I do to my own. However, conceptually it is no different than me writing a book called "Jesus' Five Step Plan to Evangelize." Could each and every step be derived from scripture and be valuable ideas? Sure. But did Jesus actually create a five step plan? No. That's my issue with this book.

Three stars (out of five).

A Moment

2011-07-14T09:14:00.001-04:00

I recently had a moment. A single instance in which all the preceding moments led up to and each and every future moment will be affected by. Yes, every moment is that such a moment. It can be. Rather, it should be.

Our problem (yours and mine, separately) is that we both don't view moments in this manner. Our moments are simply things that exist. They happen to be. But, they shouldn't be.

In viewing preceding moments, those that shape us, you realize they usually require a call to action. They beckon us to do things that we know we ought to do; things we know we really should do. But we do not.

After months, and maybe years, of not answering this fundamental call, I have decided I will. I actually had been answering it previously, but not with a "yes." Hemming and hawing, with justifications galore, I have lived. But no more.

I do not know what exactly the future moments will actually look like, but I know what they will feel like.

Getting Played

2011-07-01T10:55:00.000-04:00

Rob Bell recently wrote a very controversial book about hell. It was marketed brilliantly. Conservative Christians got worked up about it. Buzz was generated. The book sold. Here is an interesting article by a guy who perfectly put his finger on it.

Huntsman: A serious candidate

2011-06-08T08:55:00.000-04:00

Michael Gerson was George W. Bush's main speech writer from 2001 to 2006. He wrote a great article about Jon Huntsman in the Washington Post this week.

Good paragraph, but read the whole article:

The media have often covered Huntsman as a liberal Republican — a Rockefeller reincarnation. After all, he supports civil unions. He made it easier to get a drink at a bar in Utah. This easy press narrative gives Huntsman an odd advantage in a Republican primary: He is more conservative than his image. For many Republicans, he will improve upon closer inspection.

Jon Huntsman is probably the first politician in a while that I really like. Other times, candidates I have supported were sort of the last ones standing, or chosen by the process of elimination. This time I actually like the guy and hope he finds success. The more I hear about him, the more I like him. I do wish, however, he'd choose to compete in the Iowa caucuses instead of skipping them, ethanol or not.

Clarification

2011-05-30T08:06:00.000-04:00

To my throngs of blog readers (1 "view" means 1000 readers, right?), I just wanted to offer clarification regarding my last post. It was not a serious post. The goal was to make people think I am writing about the traditional "glass ceiling" but surprise them with the fact I'm only talking about the glass panel that separates a junk-food-aholic from their stash. A switch-a-roo or something to that effect. Nothing more, nothing less.

Anyway, due to classic temperament differences, I have come to understand that the post could be read into turning it to something which it totally is not. In fact, my wife was able to read into it and discover its hidden meanings, apparently.

So not to worry, though I really could use a Kit Kat. If you could help me out in that regard, I'd be quite thankful.

The Glass Wall

2011-05-26T08:51:00.002-04:00

Every day at work, I see it.

I walk by and peer into a world that I can never reach.

I truly want what lies behind the wall of glass.

However I am not one who can get through it.

No, I must stand happily on the other side.

Others all around me can find what they want when they look through the glass.

What is it about me that prevents this for me?

Every day I walk passed it.

An invisible wall that separates employees from their dreams.

I wish I could put a crack in it, maybe more. Maybe nine million.

What do others have that I do not?

I want what lies behind the glass wall.

Oh how much it would make my life better.

But alas, it can only remain a dream.

Nevermind. I do have a dollar in my wallet! Time for a Kit Kat!

Recycling

2011-05-24T16:26:00.000-04:00

On Easter Sunday, my laptop computer of five years went into a tomb. The screen looked like a staticy covered television screen while I was watching Donald Trump prepare to fire someone on Celebrity Apprentice. It was as though my computer was quite confused at that moment and chose that moment to arrive at the point from which it could not return, for it is only a computer after all.

Well, it could be fixed for three hundred some odd dollars. Considering the age of my computer, however, I decided not to invest it back into an old system. On to new and more exciting things, I say. Just prior to my "Huntsman" Google binge, I was doing a ton of searching on "Chromebook."

When my computer went down, I began to see the value of having all my data stored on the "cloud." That basically means you riskily house all your data online. The plus side is whenever your hardware collapses, you lose your computer, or simply are at somebody else's computer, you have the ability to fully function with all the information that you'd ordinarily have on your system. The downside, privacy for sure, but also relying on other people's servers to keep you afloat.

It was odd because when my computer went down, I began thinking of how I wanted to move to a more cloud-based operation. I had been meaning to do it before the computer crash, mainly to house all my pictures of my daughter online to avoid the danger of a broken computer. Shortly thereafter, I randomly learned about Chromebooks. Seemed to be just what the doctor ordered. We'll see.

But anyway, the point is now I have the opportunity to reevaluate how I can most effectively create and manage information. I don't think my purely laptop computer based approach was the most ideal for me. However, that's what most people do so I sort of went with it.

What I will be doing over the course of the next several months is cycling back to old school information creation and management - pen and paper. I will be getting a journal-type book to put things into. However, this will be paired with modern-day technology through Evernote.

Hardware will then be evaluated based upon what my information process turns out to be. We shall see.

I will keep you posted.

Team Huntsman? (Update 2)

2011-05-22T09:54:00.000-04:00

Overnight, Mitch Daniels announced that he was not going to run for president. This certainly is big news for those observing the GOP field this year. In fact, in my personal choices, I was debating between both Daniels and Jon Huntsman as my "choice" among the Republican candidates and with the news of the day, I seem to have officially fallen into Team Huntsman.

Granted, he still has to formally announce that he is running. But in the meantime, his lighthearted jab yesterday at Mitt Romney involving hunting while meeting voters in New Hampshire was certainly welcome. I am not a Romney fan at all. At all. If it comes down to a Romney versus President Obama race, I can already say that I'd most likely vote for Obama.

While some will say that Huntsman serving as the ambassador to China during the Obama administration is a problem, it is interesting to note that he might end up being the "BushWorld" candidate. In fact, Jeb Bush's former staffer will run his operation in Florida should he decide to run. This news angle is for those of you who care about this sort of thing.

So, yeah. I'm now on Team Huntsman. Officially. He just has to officially announce.

Team Huntsman?

2011-05-20T09:51:00.001-04:00

I'm liking Jon Huntsman more and more. Great interview with ABC news. Also, of his seven kids, he adopted two of them - one from India and one from China.

Time with God for Fathers (Review)

2011-05-16T12:54:00.002-04:00

Jack Countryman has written a solid devotional book for fathers. It covers topics that most fathers likely face, and is written virtually all about a man's role as father. Out of the ninety devotions in the book, only one mentions his role has a husband so this is not a book to husbands masquerading as one to fathers. Both roles are different, so this book could be a fine gift to single fathers as well.

This book is certainly in the gift book genre of books. There is a "Presented To" page that one can fill with lines for the giver and the receiver and the pages are thick and glossy. Both the red hardcover and the pages within are printed in such a way to give them an aged feel. There is also an elastic bookmark built into the book.

There are ninety devotionals in the book, each tackling the expected topics a Christian book for fathers might face - thoughts on strength, trust, providing comfort, living with integrity, and finding peace in difficult times. Each devotional has its title, about 1-3 verses from Scripture on the topic, and about 5-8 sentences of devotional. Apart from the devotions, there are reference pages for fathers regarding prayer, promises God makes and blessings He provides, the responsibilities of fathers, Biblical examples of fathers, and a crisis scripture guide.

The length of the devotions can either be its strength or its weakness depending on what is sought. This is in no way an in-depth study of anything scriptural. They are simply 30-second nuggets that fathers can use to find inspiration. Everything you might expect from a gift-book devotional, you find here. It doesn't go above and beyond, but it might not need to.

This probably isn't a standalone gift - you'd want to include it as part of something larger. If it is for Father's Day, you might want to include a pair of tickets to a football game, or perhaps throw it in the glove box of the new car you have purchased for dad - covered in that giant red bow.

Four stars (out of five).

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Thomas Nelson.

Our next president?

2011-05-13T15:55:00.004-04:00

Maybe? Hopefully? Don't know.

Fast facts:

Past job: Twice elected governor of Utah (very popular)
Latest job: Ambassador to China for President Obama
Languages known: English, Mandarin Chinese
Fan of: Progressive rock (dropped out of high school to play in a band, ~~did return to graduate~~ (correction: got his GED)
Kids: 7

Wikipedia him.

It's off to work I go

2011-05-13T15:50:00.001-04:00

I spend the vast majority of my awake hours at a job that I didn't formally train for, nor is it in an area of personal interest. It really is quite disconnected from "life" in the sense that I show up to work, try to excel at it, and bring home a paycheck. This paycheck allows actual life and interest to be fueled.

I certainly know I am not the exception or a rare case here. The vast majority of people who have jobs live for the weekend, for 5:00, and for any time they are not actually at work. If this weren't the case, books such as this one (which came out this week) wouldn't really have a market.

Yet, despite these facts, spending the majority of your time in an area that is utterly disconnected from your real life can certainly take it's toll. I've been working as a grown-up, full-time'r with benefits for nearly seven years now and I'm already looking forward to retirement. I can't imagine having to do this for forty more years.

The standard Christian response to work is that whatever we do, we are to do it as though we are doing it unto God and not just man. This certainly is an important, amazing context to put your work into. This alone is and should be enough to provide you solid motivation to handle all the things you need to do at work (or wherever). However, like many Christian words and concepts, you can get desensitized to them when you hear them over and over, and this certainly has happened to me with that one.

This week I read a blog post that truly renewed my understanding of what we are to do as Christians, not only at work but in all of our daily activities.

Using a statement from the Starbucks CEO where he says, "Pouring espresso is an art, one that requires the barista to care about the quality of the beverage. If the barista only goes through the motions, if he or she does not care and produces an inferior espresso that is too weak or too bitter, then Starbucks has lost the essence of what we set out to do 40 years ago: inspire the human spirit.

I realize this is a lofty mission for a cup of coffee, but this is what merchants do. We take the ordinary—a shoe, a knife—and give it new life, believing that what we create has the potential to touch others’ lives because it touched ours."

The author goes on to say, "Here’s the point: the ordinary is not ordinary. Rather, it is in the ordinary that we are able to build people up and, yes, inspire the human spirit.

When you clean house for your family, or pour a cup of coffee, or take your car to the wash, you aren’t just doing small, mundane things. You are building building people up. You are making things better, and making a statement that people matter. Or, that’s how you ought to see it."

If Christians at work, school, home, the mall, at the grocery store, church and wherever else we go actively looked beyond what the actual action were are doing, and realize that it could actually be something the builds a person up, we obviously should do it. Many people may continually have to deal with others continually bringing them down, bashing them unfairly in many arenas of life.

Our individual actions - essentially the products which we ourselves manufacture and provide - can let people know that at minimum, at least you and I care enough about them to give them something good. And if somehow we could fan out and spread across various industries, venues, and circumstances and make these sort of changes in a diverse set of environments, imagine the amount of change we can introduce into the lives of so many. Wouldn't that be great? How can we make it happen?

Oh, that's right. We can.

Don't go to work just to work. Go to work to build people up.

Barbie girl?

2011-05-11T15:58:00.000-04:00

Here is a great post from Resurgence today, which talks about how you can protect your daughter from buying into the societal view of women.

Here is their list:

Dads, don’t underestimate your influence on your daughters. Tell them they are beautiful before the culture convinces them otherwise.
Moms, be aware of any distorted body image struggles, because your daughter learns lots about how to think about her body from you.
Protect them as much as possible from exposure to content that is harmful.
Learn about the media and pop-culture in your child’s life.
Get beyond the “Just Say No” approach to culture.
Make age-appropriate conversations an essential part of your relationship with your child.
Encourage children to use art, play, and writing to process the images and other media messages they see.
Counter the narrow stereotype of both boys and girls that are prevalent in media and commercial culture.
Help them learn how to interpret and engage what they see and read in culture.
Love them unconditionally. See them as a gift.

Ahhh! I have to think about things like this now!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Ok, I'm back.

What's in a name?

2011-05-11T08:02:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, in my blog reading I came across a post that featured interviews with worship pastors in the context of what is known as "reformed theology."

Since that is not the point of this post, I will not delve into its actual subject matter. I didn't even listen to the interview. The thing that jumped out at me were the names of the churches that these pastors work at - Mars Hill, Vintage 21, The Journey, The Village, and SOMA.

How hipster.

Well, that's all. I still had that post up in a browser window today and figured I had to do something with it.

So here. You're welcome.

True tales of government efficiency

2011-04-20T09:21:00.000-04:00

So I work for a certain association in Washington, DC. We share a building with a certain (major) department of the US federal government in the executive branch. Arguably, the most major. Well, second most. I will accept a 2nd place rating in this regard.

Anyway, because of this any guests to our building need to be pre-screened so we have to provide a listing of these people several days in advance, including many of their vital stats, before they are permitted to park or enter the building. We provide these details to our administrative office who forwards them to this certain (major) department of the US federal government in the executive branch.

I've been scheduling meetings with some folks to come in to our office and last week we had a bit of confusion because the guest we were to meet with got held up by security because his name wasn't passed along to them as being our guest. After about 45 minutes of confusion, he was eventually permitted in for our meeting just a bit frazzled.

I have another meeting scheduled for this afternoon so to avoid the chaos of last week, decided to check with security if they had the three guys who are coming in this afternoon on their list. I learned that none of them were on the list for the day's visitors. Or any, in fact.

I contacted our administrative office to find out what we could do to ensure we wouldn't have any problems this afternoon and learned what the problem last week was, and what the problem today was.

Turns out, the guy who works at this certain (major) department of the US federal government in the executive branch who handles these requests is on vacation for a month. Regardless of this fact, the people who also work in this office have simply have been placing guest lists on his desk. I guess since it is his job, he can deal with it when he gets back. In a month.

So to resolve today's issue, someone from our administrative office is physically going to go to the office in this certain (major) department of the US federal government in the executive branch to get the guest list and ensure it gets passed on to the security guards of the building so they can be let in - today.

In any company or organization, when a person takes time off, if there are certain on-going tasks that need to be completed, common sense dictates that those things would continue to happen even if the person who normally handles them is away. I do realize this is the government we're dealing with, but still.

But then after the problems arose last week, why weren't provisions made for any subsequent guest list this week and for the duration of this guy's vacation? Other visitors to the building have also had problems getting in because of this very issue. And it still continues. WHY?

True story.

Meredith leaving?

2011-04-06T08:17:00.000-04:00

So yesterday, as I am watching my Today Show podcast for the day before (yes, it's all very confusing), I noticed that for many days, Meredith Viera had been away and there was not the usual "she's on vacation," or "she's on assignment" when she is in either of those situations.

Then, in between segments on the podcast, the Today Show ad they normally play was changed from the one with Matt, Meredith, Ann, Al and the rest all laughing the entire time in the context of everything they do on the show (to let you know they are a fun group!) to one that seemed they were characterizing the show as one with hard news - Matt seriously interviewing somebody about some major political issue.. and then Ann interviewing someone regarding the tragedy in Japan.. yes, Ann.

They did a group studio pan shot that included both Meredith and Al, but Ann was at the anchor desk. "Weird," I thought to myself. I looked for clues online as to what might be happening, but found nothing.

Then, yesterday in my Google Reader, I see this article. Meredith Vieira expected to leave NBC's Today this year

Then things made sense. I only post this because of my amazing intuition and ability to see something was up on the show without actually knowing something was.

Also, please Today Show producers, please don't give us Ann Curry as co-anchor. I like her as a person, just not as a co-anchor. Unless Katie Couric takes over Ann's job at the news desk. Now that would certainly be an entertaining morning "news" show.

Amazing

2011-04-01T22:08:00.000-04:00

Thank you, RagamuffinSoul.

Late start for President?

2011-03-30T15:54:00.007-04:00

I enjoy elections. People listening to issues, democracy in action, politicians pandering, all sorts of ads being run, scandals, gotcha moments, the inability to understand sarcasm, people taking words entirely out of context... never mind.

I enjoy elections.

One thing I've noticed about the 2012 presidential election cycle is that many commentators (such as this one) note that this year, candidates are off to a late start. In fact, today it was announced that the first republican debate was moved from May to September because so few candidates had formally announced.

The problem is that people's expectations are based upon the 2008 presidential election. It certainly is true that by this point in that election cycle, there were far more announced candidates. However, that year both democrats and republicans had to select a nominee, as a president was not running for reelection nor was a vice president in the race for the top job.

It's an entirely a different ballgame when candidates are lining up to face a sitting president.

In 2004, we had a situation similar to this election cycle. A president running for reelection (Bush) with it being up to the democrats to find a nominee.

Here is the announcement timeline for the major candidates in the 2004 cycle.

January 13, 2003 - Joe Lieberman

February 19, 2003 - Richard Gephardt

June 23, 2003 - Howard Dean

September 2, 2003 - John Kerry

September 16, 2003 - John Edwards

September 17, 2003 - Wesley Clark

September 22, 2003 - Carol Mosely Braun

October 13, 2003 - Dennis Kucinich

The majority of candidates announced after Labor Day. Not before Memorial Day.

Lieberman's relatively early announcement would have been because he was Al Gore's running mate so he already had the media baggage of the questioning if he'd run for the White House. He stated he would not run if Gore was running. On December 16, 2002 Gore announced he wasn't going to try again so about a month later, Lieberman made his announcement. He had to make it early.

As this point, Tim Pawlenty is the one declared republican candidate who if he had one ounce of charisma, wouldn't need to use a movie trailer as an introduction. (It certainly is an excellent piece and does manage to hit every possible segment of the republican base. Every. Single. One.)

People simply need to exercise some patience. The vast majority of Americans probably don't even realize next year is a presidential election year. Candidates this time know that. Candidates in 2004 knew that.

Please stop comparing 2012 to 2008. Thanks.

Yucky spiders

2011-03-26T17:39:00.000-04:00

One year ago (Part 1)

2011-03-19T11:15:00.004-04:00

It is hard to believe that is has been a full year since I was sitting in a hospital room waiting for the birth of my daughter. Actually, it sometimes feels like it could have been more than a year. But what makes it feel like time has flown is seeing babies who are smaller than Leilani and remembering that she actually was that size (or smaller). It feels like she is "the" baby, but as time moves on, there are babies younger than her! Crazy, I say.

But let me take you back, nearly one year to the day. As I posted here and here last year, I was extremely ready for her to arrive. However, she seemed to be happy just swimming around inside her mother. What could we do.

Starting about March 1, about two weeks before her due date, I went to work every day not knowing whether my ~~paternity leave~~ vacation days would start ticking down that day or the next. I tried to wind down several projects I had going on, and for those that I didn't, I sent regular emails to the rest of the office with detailed descriptions of what and how tasks needed to be completed in the event I was going to be out of the office for an extended period. (I had worked out 2 full weeks of vacation, and then 4 weeks where I worked Tuesday through Thursday giving me 4-day weekends.)

As the days slowly progressed, and informational emails became irrelevant as I was in the office to finish out tasks anyway, it became a little tiring. I was ready to get the show on the road!

So her due date was March 13/14, and Monday, March 15, after a hope-filled weekend, I was back at work. In fact, we attended a friend's birthday party on her due date since there were no signs of her imminent arrival. I had already had two weeks of "no baby yet.." replies at work so another week had arrived, where we could only wait. Monday turned into Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. By this point, my wife and I were oh so ready to have the baby. Her, especially, since she did have the more difficult role to play in this God-ordained human reproduction process.

The weather forecast for the weekend was going to be sunny in the mid-70's, the first bit of nice weather we had as the DC area emerged from the bondage of winter so we figured I take Friday off. We had to go to the doctor's office for a stress test in the afternoon to confirm everything was ok, but figured have a fun, restful weekend.

I left work Thursday hoping that Leilani would arrive before work on Monday, but having been there and done that for the past several weekends, I wasn't too hopeful. So we embarked on a restful weekend in preparation for parenthood.

Early Friday (the 19th) morning, before 6 a.m., I was awakened by my wife because she was having contractions. She was having them every 15 minutes or so. This was uncharted territory so I began recording on a spreadsheet the times and lengths of these contractions. Oh yes I did. We then called the midwife on call who told us to show up at their office when they opened at 8 a.m.

We were excited! Contractions had finally commenced so we picked up the ready-for-several-weeks Go Bag with stuff we'd need for the hospital and headed over to the doctor's office. "What will being in a hospital be like?" I wondered. I have been only on the visiting end on countless occasions. We did a (unofficial) tour of the Labor and Delivery department a couple weeks prior, but this was it. Finally.

Funny thing happened on the way, however. When we made it in, the contractions had stopped, and the midwife gave us a look of, "Oh, you new parents... are you sure you felt something happening? I don't see anything happening here..."

Feeling somewhat deflated, she said that we should go back home, and Ruth should get some rest as he hadn't been sleeping well, especially in recent days. She advised her to take some Tylenol PM, which we picked up when we went to the grocery store, and bought food to have a nice breakfast.. at home. Because the stress test was to take place at 1 p.m., we had it done in the morning, and after confirmation that Leilani was just fine, we bought the stuff from Giant and headed home.

After a nice breakfast of eggs, turkey sausage, and pancakes, Ruth took some Tylenol PM and headed to the bedroom to get some rest. I stayed back in the kitchen to put dishes away. The sun was shining through the curtains and the warmth of the day was just beginning. The warm, relaxing weekend that seemed to have been taken away from us, was back. Disappointingly back.

However, just a minute or two after she went back to our bedroom, I heard a cry echoing down the hall and inside my head. "Ryan! I think my water just broke!"

I had to do a double take because I had continually joked about water breaking, even before the 36-week mark. I always asked if she was sure it hadn't. I previously learned that in many cases, a woman's water doesn't naturally break, and during our morning trip to the doctor's office, I was slightly disappointed that I didn't get to have that broken water experience.

After initially thinking she was joking (very momentarily, as I ran to her aid), I saw her, now with broken water. She came out to the living room and I immediately placed a call to the doctor's office. Now was the time! Not a minute to lose. After spending more than 15 minutes on hold, I hung up and called again. In the meanwhile, I did hear all sorts of news about their facility instead of music, which might have made the experience a bit more dramatic. When I called back, I mentioned that Ruth's water had broken and needed to know what to do. They asked for us to return to the doctor's office.

At this point, it was around 10:30 a.m. Our Go Bag was still in the car, and now we were off for some labor and delivery! We got back to the doctor's office and went back and met again with the very same midwife. By this time, however, the steady stream of broken water had stopped, and after review by the midwife, she asked, "Are you sure you're water broke? I don't see anything that makes it seem like it did."...... you young parents...

We were confident that it had, and the midwife said she would look at some liquid under a microscope and that it, if it were what it needed to be, would crate a fan shape on the slide. She left, and Ruth and I waited to see what sort of amazing medical expertise was yet to unfold. Upon her return, she sheepishly said, "Looks like your water did break!" In reply, Ruth placed her fist in the air and exlaimed, "Praise God!"

However, she said that because there were no contractions, that we should probably go back home. She said they would pick up in the very near future, but to stay home and be ready to return to the hospital when they did. Home. Again? The thought itself was rather discouraging.

Upon further review of the chart, however, the midwife instructed us to go straight to the hospital. So finally! We were truly headed to the hospital to finally meet Leilani!

Ways to Help

2011-03-16T13:02:00.002-04:00

The devastation in Japan is quite painful to watch.

Here are three organizations who are raising funds to help.

American Red Cross

www.redcross.org

Text REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10

The Japanese Red Cross is a highly experienced disaster relief organization with two million volunteers nationwide. Many local volunteers took immediate action following the disaster by distributing relief items, offering hot meals, clearing debris and providing medical transportation.

As concerns mount about damage to nuclear power plants in the north, the Japanese Red Cross is also focused on supporting the 200,000 people who have been evacuated from the exclusion zone. Many of the Japanese Red Cross branch offices have trained nuclear decontamination teams and equipment, including special tents for decontamination which can be used to support a government response. A specialist medical team at the Nagasaki Red Cross hospital is on standby, ready to receive patients if people become ill as a result of radiation poisoning. Other hospitals in the area are monitoring radiation levels to protect the patients they are currently treating.

At public shelters and throughout the country, local volunteers are handing out relief items, including more than 65,000 blankets which are of great comfort to the displaced, many of whom had been sleeping outdoors, in their vehicles and wherever else they can find space since the earthquake.

“There is a real concern for the elderly, who are extremely vulnerable to hypothermia,” said Meltzer. “Japan is a country with a high proportion of seniors, and the Red Cross will be doing all it can to support them through this dreadful experience.”

More than 100 medical teams, made up of more than 700 people, including doctors and nurses have been providing assistance in the most affected areas through mobile medical clinics. Trained nurses with the Japanese Red Cross are also offering psychosocial support to traumatized survivors.

Donate online.

Adventist Development and Relief Agency

www.adra.org

Working together with local authorities, ADRA Japan provided hot meals in an evacuation center in the Miyagino Ward of Sendai City where approximately 300 displaced people are living and 1,300 spend the night.

ADRA Japan continues coordinating with the Japanese Department of Social Services (DSS) and anticipates involvement in managing and coordinating evacuation centers in the affected area. ADRA is preparing to accommodate 1,000 evacuees, coordinating the procurement of food, non-food items and equipment, and transportation.

Donate online.

Do Something Now

dosomethingnow.com

Our partner is already on the ground, joining with local churches/believers to provide emergency relief and aid to people affected by the deadly quake and massive wave by distributing food, water, blankets, hygiene supplies and other aid to those who have lost so much. And for many, everything.

Initial goal: $10,000. Currently at $11,239

Donate online.

Difference between Christianity and other religions

2011-03-11T22:55:00.001-05:00

From Pen & Parchment Blog.

No Weather, No Time

2011-03-10T10:13:00.000-05:00

When I was but a boy, I desired to know the weather and the time. The weather so that I could dress appropriately for school. (Oh, the days when wearing shorts on weekdays was a normal occurrence). The time, whenever I wanted to set the clock on the microwave, VCR, or my watch I never wore down to the exact second of the correct time.

There was no internet option. "So what must one do?," I ask to a possibly dumbfounded reader. If you had already missed the local news weather report or your father had placed the day's copy of the Washington Post somewhere around the house nowhere to be found, what could one do?

Luckily Bell Atlantic offered a service - just call their weather line or their time line and you can hear the latest weather report OR the exact time in 10 second increments. I called the lines ALL THE TIME. When Bell Atlantic turned into Verizon I was worried that they'd do away with both of them but was relieved to know they survived. But then, when information became readily available at the click of a mouse in the broadband always connected era (as dialing up to the internet to find out the weather was far more effort than calling the weather line), I no longer called.

I had a weather app on my BlackBerry which helped getting ready for work in the morning easier. However, several months ago after I retired said BlackBerry and downgraded to a regular cell phone, I began calling the weather line again. There were some new fun weathermen who provided fun historical facts about the day and weather. It was like a nice walk down memory lane.

This morning, however, I have been saddened to learn that this service will be discontinued in June. Why, Why? I ask you. Why. Why.

Pools Without Water

2011-03-08T09:39:00.001-05:00

Many, many years ago, there was a group of people who made swimming pools. They made great pools. Many people flocked to these swimming pools they built and found refreshment from the blistering sun and relief from the toil of their lives with a simple dip.

The swimming pools were designed in all sorts of ways- some rustic, some modern, some square, some circle. But they all, at the end of the day, provided a structured foundation where water could be filled (and stay) for the benefit of all who wanted to partake.

The pool builders, as the years went by, wanted to make sure their pools were even better, so they made all sorts of new shapes and styles. They worked extremely hard on making sure the foundation was strong and beautiful. And they accomplished it. As the years went by, new generations of pool builders came and went, and many pools were scattered throughout the land. Over time, however, the pools were still structurally sound, but the pool builders just put in a little less water. Their kids used just a little less, and theirs still a little less.

One day, a pool builder noted that for many, many years, the pools that they had been building had no water in them. They built structurally sound, beautiful pools, but there was no water in them. He went to his fellow pool builders and said, "Hey, did you know these things are supposed to have water in them?"

The other pool builders said in reply, "Oh we know. It rains sometimes and the rain gathers. And the water stays, for several days sometimes."

Crazy organization

2011-03-06T08:59:00.000-05:00

I spend a lot of time on a computer. At work, at home. Much time online. I mean, what else is there to do on a computer except surf the internet, right?

Because of this browsing, I was thrilled when I discovered programs that would sync your bookmarks on your web browsers no matter what computer you are on. So I could save something I found online at work and when I got home, have it readily available.

I prefer to have all files on my computer organized insanely well so that I can easily access any file I'd ever actually need or possibly need creating a folders and subfolders and subsubfolders for ease of access. I mock and/or judge anyone who chooses not to do the same.

I have utilized this same system to organize my web bookmarks. Over the years. Years. Forgetting about the vast majority of them, and simply using Google to obtain information that I had previously obtained and saved for future reference.

Today I have been deleting folders and subfolders in their entirety. Organizations whose websites I wanted to save because I liked them (who I've since "Liked" on Facebook and am connected to anyway), or news articles that were important at the time, but are no longer.

Many of the websites are no longer active, or links are no longer valid. Saving links seems to be less valuable than they once did with the significant development of internet search capabilities.

I currently have several hundred random web pages saved and over the course of the day, or next few days, or weeks or something, I will lose the vast vast majority of them. I am currently figuring out what type of bookmarks to actually save. When I do, they will still be organized in folders, subfolders, and subsubfolders. Not to worry.

In the midst of revolution

2011-03-05T16:54:00.001-05:00

In times of such commotion as the present, while the passions of men are worked up to an uncommon pitch, there is a great danger of fatal extremes. The same state of the passions which fits the multitude, who have not a sufficient stock of reason and knowledge to guide them, for opposition to tyranny and oppression, very naturally leads them to a contempt and disrespect of all authority. The due medium is hardly to be found among the more intelligent. It is almost impossible among the unthinking populace. When the minds of these are loosened from their attachment to ancient establishments and courses, they seem to grow giddy and are apt more or less to run into anarchy.

- Alexander Hamilton

in a letter to John Jay, November 26, 1775

Slave by John MacArthur (Review)

2011-03-04T09:16:00.001-05:00

Some of the best discoveries in life are the things that have been staring you directly in the face but you just never realized it. As a reader of scripture, it is easy when one comes across passages talking about how people are God’s possession, or that someone is a slave of Christ and come away with it with a very, “Ok, so I am God’s property… what else” understanding of what is being said. John McArthur, in his phenomenal book, Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ, tells us this concept is huge in understanding who we are in our relationship to God. In fact, this is the most commonly used image used in all of scripture, but you just didn’t know it. Don’t worry. McArthur explains it and explains it well.

I could describe this book with three words: scripture, history, and research. This is not a devotional book, nor is it filled with personal anecdotes of entertaining life stories to help the author convey a message. Rather, it simply is a footnoted exploration of a single word, sharing instances in scripture and providing historical and cultural context so that we, in our modern American understanding of slavery can be balanced with what slavery meant back when the authors of scripture wrote, though still not a sunshine and gumdrops life by any means.

While very researched, when you finish reading the book you do not come away with the sense you just endured someone’s term paper. There is a great balance Biblical examples, stories of historical figures, and examination of the word.

This book is like seeing, in person, for the first time a famous work of art or sculpture. You think you are familiar enough with it, but then you get a curator who has studied it greatly. He or she stands beside you telling you about it, walking you step by step closer to examine its fine details. Then has you back up, shows it to you from a different angle, and then you step in closer to examine it again, until you see it from all sides. At the end, your understanding of what you once knew is enhanced exponentially, and the sheer beauty of the work is magnified.

This book helps you greater realize what an awesome God we serve.

Five stars (out of 5).

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Thomas Nelson.

Dig me out (Back Blog)

2011-02-27T11:17:00.000-05:00

Date of occurrence: January 27, 2011

On January 26th, a fast moving snow storm attacked the Washington, DC area gifting thousands with commute horror stories that lasted up to 13 hours. I enjoyed a nine hour journey home that day, making it home a quarter past 1 in the morning, the details of which will be the subject of a future Back Blog.

The following day, the Federal Government announced a 2 hour delayed opening, however, due to the late nights of the majority of the commuter bus drivers, the bus line that normally takes me into work was not operating, so I couldn't have made it into work even if I had wanted to.

So on this snow day, I emerged from a snow covered neighborhood to dig out our car from the parking lot so the wife and child and I could have a day out and about. While this is not a typically challenging task, the lack of a snow shovel and an ice scraper certainly makes any sort of snow clearing a bit more of a cardio workout. (But gloves I do have. Not just any gloves, but amazing glove/mitten combos that my wife gave me for my birthday last year.)

I came outside simply to survey the amount of effort the snow clearing this day would require of me, and what sort of MacGyvering I needed to do. Once I came to my car, however, there was a guy sitting in a car right behind it. The was a row of cars and behind it is the lane traffic drives through, and he was sitting there, engine running with his window down. I looked at my car and he immediately called to me "Looks like you are going to need to dig out. The snow plow got you in pretty good."

I replied, "Yeah, I'm going to go grab a shovel.. borrow one from my neighbor, hopefully.." to which he responded, "You need a shovel? I got one right here."

At this point, I immediately thought "Oh, no. He's one of those 'I just washed your windshield, now pay me now! What?! You OWE me!" types.

He proceeded to get out of his car and start digging out the mountain of snow behind my car. Not only, a dig, but a responsible dig, placing the snow in a pile away from the parked cars on the other side of the traffic lane. I started, using my glove-mittens, to carry snow off the hood of the car adding it to another pile. A few minutes in, he was on his cell phone letting whomever he was talking to know that he was in front of my building.

My next thought was, "Oh wow. This is a team of organized snow shovelers who are going to demand money. Oh no, I don't have any cash! This is going to get awkward when he is done. I think I have a Starbucks giftcard in my wallet. I will tell him something about treating himself to some coffee or something.."

He gets back to his shoveling, I get back to my snow clearing, and two of his friends show up. He was a guy in his early twenties, and a male and a female, similarly aged, friends show up. The two friends were carrying bookbags and things so it appeared they were students meeting up. The guy picking them up probably was a guy new to the neighborhood as he was waiting in front of the wrong building.

But when the friends got to my car, they joined in the snow clearing effort. Although before he started, the male friend announced, "I'm too much of a diva to help clear snow..," a minute or two into it, he joined in digging the car out.

The original guy told me to start my car and see if I could back out. I got in, turned on the car and the three of them pushed on my front bumper to help get the car rolling. Sure enough, the car easily reversed out of the spot, and even before I was able to turn off the engine, the three of them were carrying on amongst themselves, got in their car and began to drive away.

They didn't even wait for me to say thanks and they were off. I got out of my car and yelled my thanks but they didn't seem to notice.

It was definitely a moment of "Whoa, angels?" Or they could have just been a group of people who look out for their neighbors, and that's it. Nothing expected in return, just kind deeds done.

I know I thanked God for what they had done. It was just a natural reaction when folks seemingly go out of their way to help me when I needed it. Aren't we as Christians supposed to do that sort of thing? All the time? Doing things to help people so that they glorify God?

Wouldn't it be cool if we got a couple Christians driving around with shovels and an SUV looking for people digging out their cars after a snow storm with only one goal: helping others dig out? A snow day would be about helping others? Yeah, didn't think so either.

I have no idea who the people were who helped me, why the helped me, and will probably never see them again. But I will never forget them.

Living Water International

2011-02-26T14:34:00.000-05:00

Advent Conspiracy 2010-2011 Thank You from Living Water International on Vimeo.

I love love love love this organization.

www.water.cc

Back blogging

2011-02-20T23:10:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had moments where you're like "Man, I wish I'da blogged about that! Oh, well."

Well, I've decided to back blog. Recall certain events in the not too distant past and write about them. In the manner I should have when they actually happened.

I will be writing them. Not Ida.

Hahahahahahahahaha.

Ok, goodnight for now.

Cue the music

2011-01-23T10:34:00.002-05:00

Your town floods. The water rises. Pretty deep. Everything--houses, restaurants, roads--all covered with water. And then these guys start swimming by. True story.

The Truth of the Matter by Andrew Klavan (Review)

2010-12-08T12:10:00.002-05:00

I don't normally read books of fiction, however, after reading its synopsis I decided I'd give it a read. It promised a juvenile fiction thriller and I figured I'd be willing to delve into the world of fiction if it'd be a quick, exciting visit. I was not disappointed.

The Truth of the Matter is the third part of a 4 book series written by Andrew Klavan. I didn't read the first two parts but was easily able to pick up where the story left off and thoroughly enjoy the story. Charlie West is a teenage boy who pretty much lives out the fantasy of any thrill seeking guy his age. He was selected to join a top secret government agency (he can't tell his parents, his friends, or his incredible girlfriend) anything about it. He is chosen because of qualities that only he has which will help America destroy terrorists. The cops are after him. The terrorists are after him. Agents are after him. He also is a black belt in karate so he can fight when he needs to. He can also use guns. But who can he trust? Who is on his side?

The third part in the series delves into these issues in the overall storyline. The action is non-stop throughout this book. It's like walking into an action flick just as the climax is about to begin so if you get into it now, you'll still enjoy it, but having background information can certainly make it more enjoyable.

The book was very suspenseful. I kept wanting to look ahead to see what was going to happen (and did on several occasions) but was able to constrain myself most of the time. I would define the book as a version of the television show 24 if Thomas Nelson publishers (who actually did) shared the storyline. There is high drama, wild chases, explosions, and characters who turn out to be people you didn't expect them to be... but done in a manner friendly to the Christian worldview.

This book has a fairly specific audience. Patriotic American Christians who support war efforts against the Taliban, who is the clearly stated enemy against whom Charlie is working against. Military service is defined as being extremely honorable. Teachers in public schools who advocate the moral relativism growing in our culture are scorned. I myself would classify myself as pretty conservative politically and this book is certainly written for those in that camp. Definitely for flag waving Americans.

That said, this book is certainly juvenile fiction. It will be most enjoyed by males aged 11-15. Others can certainly enjoy it, but it is written from the perspective of the male, teenage character and his perspective on things might be most relatable to them. There are words used seemingly intended to give the reader an opportunity to look up its meaning in the dictionary as it is then used several times shortly after it's initial use. Additionally, characters are defined repeatedly ensuring that the reader isn't missing the author's intent. If you are the parent of a child that age and want to give him a book he will utterly enjoy, and you are a "family, faith, and God" type of Christian, this would be a great book to purchase.

Four stars (out of 5).

I received a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher for review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

To build an altar

2010-09-26T18:31:00.002-04:00

“From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.” Genesis 12:8 (NIV)

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered what is widely known to be the highest point of the civil rights movement in the United States. Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, speaking to a crowd of thousands but heard by the entire globe, he boldly proclaimed, “I have a dream!”

The fact it was delivered at the Lincoln Memorial was significant as well, as it was built to honor president Abraham Lincoln who led the US during the Civil War and helped bring about the end of slavery in the country. So as King spoke, he was standing at the feet of Lincoln (as a giant, seated statue stood behind him) as he expressed gratitude for the past, accepted the role of the present, and shared his hope for the future.

The Lincoln Memorial was built in the form of a Greek Doric temple and has a large reflecting pool in front of it. It is quite striking on the landscape of a city known for its power, it’s history, and its memorialization of significant people and events in the country that has helped shaped it into the nation that it has become. Millions of visitors experience this memorial every year.

In the Old Testament, as the people of God moved from place to place, altars they built were a part of their experience and a part of the landscape. In Genesis 12, as Abram traveled from Haran to Canaan, he built altars at Shechem and Bethel, and both went on to serve as major sacred sites in the history of Israel. John H. Walton writes, “At each one Abram builds an altar. What function do these altars serve? It is of interest that the text makes no specific reference to offering a sacrifice at either site (though that may be implied in his calling on the name of Yahweh in 12:8).[1] Since we are looking strictly at what scripture says here, we will not delve into the sacrificial component of altars – simply the act of calling upon the name of the Lord. In Genesis 12:6-7, it is written, “Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “to your offspring I will give this land” So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.”

Walton notes, “The building of the altars in the places where Abram settles are advances. God is bringing to the land, establishing him in the land, and renewing the promise of the land (e.g. 12:7).[2]

Regarding the city of Hebron, he goes on to write, “Ancient roadways converge on this site coming east from Lachish and connecting with the road north to Jerusalem, indicating its importance and continuous settlement. The construction of an altar here, as at Bethel, transforms it eventually into an important religious site, and its subsequent use as a burial place for the ancestors established its political importance.”[3]

These altars are places of remembrance where the promises of God are acknowledged that are built up by those who are in covenant with God.

In many places in the Old Testament, people are recorded as calling upon the name of the LORD. Walton comments, “The phrase ‘to call on the name of the LORD’ is not unique. People call on the name of the Lord when they worship him at an altar or any other sacred spot. They call on the name of the Lord for deliverance. Calling on his name involves proclaiming his reputation and attributes. It is equated to taking hold of him, aligning with his cause, and acknowledging him as one’s God.”[4]

The value of calling up on the name of the Lord in conjunction with an altar is important because by building a memorial, one can remember both God’s fulfillment of a promise and man’s acknowledgement of it. It serves to be a significant place where beyond Abram himself, but the countless generations after him are able to be reminded of it and acknowledge the continued promises of God to their family.

Our culture today still places significance as to defining moments in our culture for future generations to remember. The Lincoln Memorial itself was built in honor of Lincoln, however, today when you visit it, a stone has been placed at the exact spot where Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his famous speech. A visitor can now stand where he stood, imagining the thousands he spoke to on that day many years ago, remembering both what the promise of his dream of racial equality was then, but since we are many years later, see how it has been fulfilled in so many ways. Like Abraham was unable to see the fulfillment of God’s promise, and King was unable to personally see fulfillment of his dream, millions of people after them are able to look back and remember their roles in the process.

In the very first instance of an altar being built in all of Scripture is in Genesis 8:20 where Noah, after emerging from the ark with his family and the animals that would eventually repopulate the entire earth, built an altar to the Lord. It was not a part of a Mosaic law, nor are we told how or why he did it. But we simply know that he did. And throughout the Old Testament, we are presented with the construction of many altars with stories of how people many years later see what was built, and can still remember why someone had previously called upon the name of the Lord. Even if one might have not known why, they would have at least known people were acknowledging the God of heaven and the fact he is pro-active in the blessing of mankind.

God continues to bless us today and often we remember and acknowledge God for what he has done. However, years, months or even days go by, and the excitement of that moment is forgotten. When a new challenges arises, like a fading memory, the activity of God is not easy recalled. We wonder where God is in the new situation. But then he reveals himself and once again we praise him, but then we forget. And the cycle continues.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we ourselves had physical remembrances of what God has done for us? Things we could look upon and remember of his continual presence, leading, and blessing in our own lives. However, it should be much more than that – it should be for our own families, our children, and their children could have continual reminders of God’s activity in our lives.

While we may not have an entire countryside to ourselves in which we can build mounds of stones strewn across the ages, we can deliberately construct items – photographs, stories compiled in a book, videos, audio recordings posted on the internet – whatever seems most relevant in our cultural context which can remind us and all those around us that we serve a living God who keeps his promises to his people – and that we receive these blessings time and time again.

[1] John H. Walton, The New Application Commentary: Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001), 394.

[2] Ibid. 398.

[3] Ibid. 415.

[4] Ibid. 279.

Separateness

2010-09-24T22:56:00.002-04:00

I had a conversation over the weekend with the leader of our college ministry who was my successor in the job. We were having an afternoon church activity and during our lunch before it began, a couple of the college students chose to not sit where we were sitting, and rather ate their lunch away from us.

I thought nothing of it, but Jon commented how he would have been "one of the guys" before he had assumed the position, but now that he is in charge, he is viewed in a different way. He was slightly lamenting the change, however I told him that this was significant.

He sighed when I told him I was going to tell him about George Washington. I told him, and now I will tell you. Luckily the internet doesn't tell me if you are sighing. Or actually even reading this.

In 1776, David McCullough quotes Washington, writing:

"Be easy . . . but not too familiar," he advised his officers, "lest you subject yourself to a want of that respect, which is necessary to support a proper command."

In doing ministry, this is a lesson that I have only recently learned. If you want to have the ability to work with and influence a group of individuals, you can't simply be one of them. You must stand apart from them so that they will have a reason to follow you.

It's that mental note that people will naturally create in their heads--yeah, this guy is in charge. He always (seems to) know what he is doing. What does he think about that? Why is he telling me this?

This designation takes effort to create. McCullough writes, "It was a philosophy unfamiliar to most Yankees, who saw nothing inappropriate about a captain shaving one of this soldiers, or rough-hewn General Putnam standing in line for his rations along with everyone else. Nor was it easy for Putnam and others of the older officers to change their ways." (p.43)

Don't get me wrong here. I am certainly not saying that within the church, one must deliberately construct walls in the form of clergy and laity. I'm not clergy. Jon isn't either. We are simply leaders.

An individual must be willing to be separate from the crowd to be a leader. Otherwise, they won't be.

Going all in

2010-09-17T21:58:00.000-04:00

Today I was reading 1776 by David McCullough which I've started for the third time but still haven't finished. It's not a bad book by any means, but just one of those it takes several times to jump before it gets rolling. I'm hoping the third time's the charm.

Anyway, as I was reading on the bus today, I came across a few sentences about George Washington. Earlier this summer I read a biography of him (His Excellency by Joseph J. Ellis if you are looking for a good one) so his presence in the story is somewhat like watching a flashback of a character whose story you know so well, but now a part player in the context of others.

Washington's wealth and way of life, like his physique and horsemanship, were of great importance to large numbers of the men he lead and among many in Congress. The feeling was that if he, George Washington, who had so much, was willing to risk "his all," however daunting the odds, then who were they to equivocate. That he was also serving without pay was widely taken as further evidence of the genuineness of his commitment. (pg. 48)

Washington's leadership was inspirational because if he was willing to put so much on the line for the cause, they who had relatively little to put up surely could do the same.

My initial takeaway from this was purely in the realm of leadership. Those in the highest positions, those who are the most visible to the crowd have an extremely important role to play. The amount of themselves they are willing to personally sacrifice for the sake of a collective cause has a direct impact on how those below them will respond. If their leader doesn't appear to care or concern himself with taking a risk to face a seemingly insurmountable challenge, his followers in their relatively smaller capacities will respond in kind.

When those you lead do not appear to care about a mission that you personally believe in, it may be because you haven't truly displayed your personal commitment to it.

However, I then thought about Christ and His willingness to risk "his all."

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11 (ESV)

Christ's sacrifice on the cross was a deliberate act of going all in and trading all he had for the sake of the cause of man. However in a far greater act of modeling, seeing the humility of Christ which God then exalted, we must also model our behavior as He did.

In James, it is written, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." James 4:7-10 (ESV)

Our humbling of ourselves, rather our going all in for a cause greater then ourselves, is like a militiaman's sacrifice compared to that of George Washington. Well, sort of like that on a much different scale. But if Christ was able to give up so much, who are we to equivocate? And God Himself will then lift us up.

Summer Snapshots

2010-09-06T09:53:00.002-04:00

So I apparently decided to give my blog the summer off. Even though it wasn't working, I certainly was. Because I had taken a bunch of time off when Leilani was born, I spent the summer working to regain a stash of vacation days that I could once again utterly deplete.

That said, fun was certainly had. We took our very first family vacation to Williamsburg and Virginia Beach to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. A weekend jaunt to Ocean City. Various celebrations were attended. Oh, and I also completed my Master of Arts in Religion.

Because a picture is worth a thousand words, I have decided to do my summer recap using photographs. This collection was created by me going through iPhoto and selecting images from the start of summer to it's (apparent) end, though I will deny it until the first frost.

Check out the passage of time through the growth of one certain little girl.

A Church of Introverts (or Extroverts)

2010-05-19T11:21:00.001-04:00

I saw this article flow down my Twitter feed this morning:

Can Introverts Thrive in the Church? by Adam McHugh

Aside from agreeing with the author, I would like to affirm his recommendation that leaders come to understand their temperament and what it means to them and how to greater enhance their personal effectiveness in ministry. However, I would additionally like to provide suggestions both to introverts and extroverts about how their personality type directly has an effect upon others.

For example, extrovert leadership might require all decisions to be made during a group meeting where active discussion takes place. Meetings might be set with much frequency as they could be seen as the best times for ideas to come forth.

An extrovert might set things up so that working in groups is the primary means where productivity happens, so for those people who need detached time for reflection and determination of their own ideas or positions on the issues, they might be out of luck. "Thinking out loud? I prefer keeping things a bit more focused inside my own head, thank you."

Groups, teamwork, loudness, hysteria... all things that might get extroverts going, but things that shut introverts down. But the extrovert just might not get it. The world, to them, is where extroverts live and the introverts would just need to adapt.

On the other hand, however, when introverts are in leadership, their own natural tendencies can similarly set the tone unintentionally because they could view the world as where the elements needed for them to thrive are the very same ones everyone else needs, as well, which is just as incorrect.

I love my church dearly, and have spent the past ten years of my life serving there. However, I myself am more extroverted than not, but all three pastors are introverts. And it shows.

Our setup allows for individuals who have their own individual ministry to thrive, and there are certainly many success stories. However, our church is generally a collection of one-man or one-woman shows without any sort of interaction or coordination asked for or expected. Their commonality is that they show up for the same worship service each week.

Everyone is empowered to act, but everything is done with a live and let live mindset. For example, we routinely have various meetings inconveniently scheduled for the same time because nobody is aware what others are up to. We have had up to five different versions of our church logo on various ministry brochures because each individual can independently decide on how they want to be perceived without requiring any sort of "So how do we collectively as a church want to be seen?" questions be asked.

So can a church be successful when operated with an introvert mindset? Absolutely, as I have seen it with my own eyes.

Can a church be successful when operated with an extrovert mindset? Once again, the answer is yes based upon my observation as well as the general premise of the article.

So the takeaway should not simply be, "Let me figure out the best way I work and come to terms with it." Rather it should be, as church leaders, let us devise a strategy that will allow both extroverts and introverts to thrive simultaneously.

Not simply saying to an individual, "Adapt to our way doing things or hit the road..." Or more accurately, "Find a ministry better suited for you..."

In unintentionally skewing your operation to one group mindset, you are alienating half of humanity from being able to thrive.

So what can be done about it? Stay tuned for part 2 of the, "A Church of Introverts (or Extroverts)" series.

Hungry?

2010-04-06T15:25:00.002-04:00

As you may know or not know, Peter is my favorite disciple. And 1st and 2nd Peter are among my favorite books in all of scripture. Why and how I have reached these conclusions are perhaps the subject of a future post, but I am more concerned with the present.

In 1 Peter 1, we are charged to set our minds upon Christ. In verse 14, Peter writes, "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" He continues in 2:1, "Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." (ESV)

Until the past two weeks, craving spiritual things like a newborn baby craves milk is something I had understood passively. Meaning like, "Yeah, babies love their milk! We need to desire it the way they want their milk!" And that's it.

I likened it much more along the lines of craving it in the way that I get the urge to have a glass of freshly squeezed lemonade. Or maybe some brewed sweet tea. Do I thoroughly enjoy these things? Absolutely. They are my favorite things to drink. But is this an appropriate illustration of this biblical lesson? Certainly not.

When my daughter is hungry, she lets you know. There is absolutely no doubt in anyone's mind that she is hungry. You look at her, and there she is screaming at the top of her tiny lungs. No words. No, "I really want milk right now!" Just simply a loud, continuous shriek with her eyes closed and her face slightly turning side to side that cannot be satisfied by anything other than the milk she is craving. Nothing. No bouncing. No singing. No sunlight. No pacifier. And the process repeats itself, not the next week. Not a day or two later. A mere couple hours later, there she is again, screaming for more milk.

When I "crave" lemonade or sweet tea, sometimes I find some, usually I don't. I forget about it. The next time I have some I'm happy about it, and possibly remind myself and those around me, "Yeah, I've been craving this for days."

For Leilani, on the other hand, every second feels like an eternity until her craving can be satisfied. Her milk cannot be to her a moment too soon. She needs it NOW.

So the question is, is my desire for the things of Christ and his holiness on par with my daughter and her desire for milk? Probably not. I'd say it's much more in the lemonade/sweet tea category. Now each time she cries for milk, I will be reminded of how that's exactly how I'm supposed to be in regards to Christ, holiness and the things of the Spirit. Isn't it amazing how we allow the things of the flesh to satisfy us? You know what they are in your life. But the desire for the spiritual milk should be unquenchable.

Having kids, they say, teaches you more about God and how he loves us. And I can certainly attest that this was the very first (and continuing) lesson that I have learned since having a kid. The love for your own child is unlike any sort of love I've experienced in my life.

But lesson #2: unquenchable thirst for Christ and the type of holiness that he commands has begun. Thanks, my little Miss Leila Mikayla.

Leilani at two weeks

2010-04-04T10:19:00.000-04:00

LMA Update

2010-03-24T08:24:00.007-04:00

This morning, Leilani was sleeping on my chest belly down, facing one way. She proceeded to lift her head and turn it to face the other way.

LMA Update

2010-03-23T15:43:00.001-04:00

This afternoon as I was sitting on the couch having a ministry meeting in my living room with Micah, Leilani was resting on my lap. She started fussing a bit, and then proceeded to lift up her head straight up, her belly down, for about two and a half seconds. Way to work that neck.

She's here!

2010-03-22T19:37:00.014-04:00

After an intense period of 28 hours, my daughter was born! It was the best cry I've ever heard. Full story to come soon, but here are the vitals:

Leilani Mikayla
March 20, 2010
8:49 a.m.
7 pounds, 6 ounces
20.5 inches
Black hair. Plenty.

Give me the test!

2010-03-16T16:25:00.002-04:00

So here we are, three days passed the "due date" of child #1. We are at week 40, and I learned recently that up to 42 weeks is considered "normal." So, yeah. Really doesn't do much for my patience levels, or lack thereof.

I do know many other things, though.

For example, I know that "Life will be forever changed... in a good way." Check. I also know, "You will be grateful for this additional time you had before the baby was born because your new life will be different than it is now." Check. "You have sleepless nights ahead." Check.

A friend asked me today how I was doing, and I came up with another illustration of my state of mind. I told him it was like when you know you have to take an extremely important test in life. You walk into the exam room and see the test booklets sitting, ready to be passed out. The instructor picks up the tests, and you are ready. Anticipating what is going to be on there, with a vague sense of what it might be. The test begins the moment the booklet is placed in your hand, but the professor simply walks around the room. And walks. And walks, looking around. Not getting to the point where you can actually start the test by giving you yours.

Is NOT taking the exam great? Sure. Is not having to confront the reality of what is contained in the exam for a few extra moments giving of a sense of peace? Maybe. Can you actually relax in that situation? No.

I get it. Parenting is going to be a challenge. I am just ready for the test now. Not in the indefinite state of surprise.

I don't want my children to be happy

2010-03-13T08:46:00.000-05:00

So in my check-on-blogs-I-save-links-to-but-don't-visit-often-enough whirlwind tour this morning, I found a post that linked to this one. It is brilliant, and kind of puts words to things that I had been thinking about in this buildup to parenthood. So I heard about it from another blogger, who linked it which is why you are reading it. It's like 4th hand information, but actually accurate.

Here it is.

After

2010-03-13T08:31:00.000-05:00

Ready, Set...

2010-03-12T19:59:00.037-05:00

So our daughter's due date is tomorrow, March 13. As every day, hour, and minute passes, the anticipation continues to build. I have talked to many people, specifically regarding the birth of their first children and it seemed to me (seemed) that all of them came well before their due dates. Several days to a couple weeks (to more for some, as well). I was born two weeks in advance of my scheduled arrival date. However, this is certainly not the case here.

Sure, there were people and articles that informed me that for the first born child, going right up to or beyond the due date is quite normal. However, these sources I immediately held at low regard... do they even know what they are talking about?! Hello, I know exactly what I want to hear, and you are certainly not saying it!

This period of waiting I liken to the moments an athlete waits for before starting a run. Those seconds that a speed skater waits crouched upon the ice, ready for the gun to fire. When a skier is standing at the top of the hill anticipating the beeps to let them know the clock has started ticking. An ice skater skating to the middle of the rink stalling until the melody they have listened to hundreds of times before start playing through the crackling speakers up above.

For each, a million things could be going through their head, all rushing through in just a few seconds. "I really should have not skipped practice that one time," "Maybe that cheeseburger was a bad idea last week," "I'm ready for this!," "This is the moment I've spent all this time preparing for," "This is it!"

Typically, this all takes place in about five seconds. However, what if these moments of waiting took 10 seconds? What if they took a minute? What if it took 10 minutes for them to get rolling? Can you imagine how eager they would be to finally start the experience they had been building up to for seemingly forever?

This is where I am. Ready to start but still waiting for the gun, the beep, the music. It reminded me of a moment from a movie I watched in childhood many times, captured by YouTube, linked below:

I'm ready. I'm set. Just waiting.

I'm Expecting

2010-02-06T08:48:00.005-05:00

For the past eight months I've been living in the "My wife is pregnant" phase of life. I get continually asked, "How big is she?," "How is she feeling?," "Where is she right now?," and "You know your life is going to change, right?"

After coming up with person-appropriate answers whenever the questions are asked, I have come to the shocking realization that I wish I could be the one pregnant. No, not because I could endure having to cope with nausea, heartburn, backaches or other sundry symptoms of pregnancy. Not because of all the attention some men feel that they are missing when the extreme amounts of attention are being placed on their wives. But rather my pregnancy dream is the result of my desire to play host a living organism within me for many months, with it starting out as a tiny thing you can't really tell that is there, to something that makes your entire abdominal cavity bulge with punches, kicks, and headbutts from a creature that is fighting for freedom from the bubble in which it lives.

This goes on for many weeks until the organism breaks free from its former host with both screaming at the very top of their lungs in an explosion of liquid and blood. But instead of this alien creature trying to wreak havoc upon the planet (unless that becomes an item on his or her to-do list later in life), both parties come home cleaned up by professionals to the comfort of a home they will share in love, not war.

And then, this process will again be repeated by another invader in the woman's body, and this is all deemed usual as a normal part of life. Not simply the theme of a horror movie, nor the type of thing one would do followed by, "Please behave." It's actually acceptable! How cool is that!

Aside from that aspect of the awesome-factor, the fact that you are able to provide a physical place where your child can live must be an incredible feeling. You yourself get to be "home," not something that you have to create. It's just you.

Because since my contribution to the earth is labor and not going into labor, I am working on my daughter's home away from her mother-home. As many of you know, our home has been undergoing a massive transformation over the past several months. With thirty four days until her expected arrival date and the home stretch of the project in site, here is what her bedroom looks like:

You're probably wondering how this could possibly look like the end is in sight but believe me, it certainly is. My goal is to be done with her room within the next two weeks. I'm hoping she decides to stay in her current residence for the entirety of this month and into the next before she decides to emerge into this one.

So while providing a place for her to live isn't as exciting as it could be as if she were actually living within me, building the very first place she will get to live on her "out in the world" journey is just as humbling. Being the very first one to greet her is my job. And to say, "Welcome, I'm expecting you." I am ready.

The Generation M Manifesto

2009-11-20T16:38:00.002-05:00

Here's a link to an article written by Umair Haque who is representing the "younger" generations. While some of the views are a bit eyebrow-raising, I think the theme of it sounds right.

Authentic, deep, trust.

The Generation M Manifesto

Intergenelution

2009-11-08T10:06:00.005-05:00

I love me a good revolution. This is not because it means, "A sudden or momentous change in a situation." Anyone who knows me well can tell you I really don't mind NOT changing. Simply ask any restaurant I frequent as I can walk into several and be recited my order without having to place it myself. I'm not really into spontaneity. If it works, why mess with it?

My fascination with revolution is instead based upon why change takes place and the results that follow. The American Revolution in the 1700s. The Industrial Revolution in the 1800s The Technological Revolution of today. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to walk through the streets of Philadelphia during my bachelor party on a private tour walking into the very houses, buildings, churches, and streets that the founders of our country talked, listened, and formulated a plan with one another before executing an undertaking that has transformed the history of the modern world. Getting there by car, and gallivanting about with the internet and it's wealth of information in my pocket; my experience at that moment pulled all three eras together.

(conspiracy theorists, acknowledged)

The next great revolution that will take place is the Intergenelution. Oh, wait. Never heard of it? Let me explain. I believe that as we seek revival and transformation, both individually and collectively, it needs to happen intergenerationally. We know that the church is supposed to be a body, with each member performing a unique God-ordained function to the execution of evangelism. As a part of this is the generation they represent. Paul's writings to Timothy is the perfect example of this. The older guy is writing to the younger guy to remind him to make sure the really old ladies are taken care of (among other things).

A conversation I had yesterday after church showed me how different generations can focus on a certain aspect of Christianity. For example, you have the "upper agers" who focused a ton on the law which resulted in the "middle agers" needing to be won through the message of grace because they already had overly exceeded their law fix. But then, you had the "middle agers" focusing so much on grace that the "lower agers" have similarly exceeded their grace fix and are now creating ministries that are focusing a ton on the law. Each proves valuable within its own generational context. I might espouse a pro-law theology. If left to my own devices, that might be all I speak of simply because I have heard so much about grace, it has become cheap to me so I assume that is the case with everyone else. However, this assumption is clearly not true, and continually being reminded of this is necessary for an accurate picture of salvation to be presented. And this is just a piece of why intergenerational ministry is key.

Inter- is a prefix meaning between, mutual, or reciprocal; gen, shortened for generation; and in chemistry, elution is the process of removing an adsorbed material from an adsorbent by washing it in a liquid. We were all absorbed by the world but have been removed from it when we were bathed in the blood of Christ. This is the intergenelution, folks.

On Friday, I looked up "intergenelution" in Google and there were zero hits. Today I did, and there was one documenting my purchase of intergenelution.com. And so, it starts.

Children See, Children Do

2009-10-29T12:02:00.003-04:00

NAPCAN is an Australian charity founded on concern for all children and focused on bringing about change to ensure their safety and wellbeing.

They recently released a pretty powerful video.

It's amazing how younger people mirror the actions of those who are older. If you talk a great talk, but your walk is a bit shaky, be warned. Your legacy will live on despite what you do or do not say. What did you do today?

A Revolution

2009-10-23T16:43:00.008-04:00

I have spent the past nine and a half years of my life actively involved in the ministry of my church. My focus has been with middle school, then high school, then college, and now, something else. This something else has been new place for me to be. In all these years that have passed, I have been responsible for making sure things happen - studies, events, and whatever else in an oversight capacity. However, I am now working in a role that doesn't involve these things. In January, I handed over my most recent set of responsibilities, leading our college ministry that I helped build four years ago, to a rapidly rising leader from within. I still participate in the same sort of activities that I had in the past, however I am no longer responsible for their execution.

The reason for this transition has been obvious, but also not so obvious. This year has been a big year in my life. Getting married, and now with a baby girl on the way, it makes sense that I would need to stop and adapt my old normal to my new one; figuring out how to optimize my life to accomplish the work of ministry that I have focused my life to do.

However, the not so obvious reason for transition involved the personal struggles of figuring out my ideal position of ministry, wondering if what I had to offer could actually meet a need that existed within my current setting. At that juncture, the needs of our college ministry could be better met by another so the most responsible action I knew I could take was to ensure that the need was met.

Shortly after I made this decision, another ministry opportunity presented itself before me. Instead of looking at things from the ground level as I have spent almost a decade, I now had the chance to look the at the big picture because I had decided to take a step back.

I have spent 2009 thus far meeting, learning, experiencing, talking, listening, and reading. After deep reflection, last week I had my "a ha!" moment.

You know how you like to kill two birds with one stone? Or when you are lucky, three? Or when you have one of those obnoxiously productive days where like all your errands are off of the very same road? Like like everywhere you need to be for the day is right off of 29?

This is like that, except different. By virtue of my church involvement, I have been able to experience ministry teams from every age group. The one missing link that I have come to find that can explain a multitude of problems that I have seen over the years is the lack of inter-generational ministry.

While some take this to mean that teenagers could be paired with a responsible adult, I believe it needs to be of a far larger scale. Anybody, regardless of age needs to be deliberate in developing relationships with those who are older than them to learn from, but also finding those who are younger who they can mentor. Actively.

Additionally, this means coming to the understanding that generations truly approach the world differently. These differences are shaped by various societal issues taking place as they come of age: war, technology, social unrest. But regardless of why, the sooner we accept that people of different generations will try to solve the same problem using their own approaches, the quicker we can join together in actually solving it in the most effective way. Together.

The solution is not simply to sit around a table with every age demographic represented. Instead, it is the idea that regardless of a persons age, each provides something of value. The goal would be harnessing and utilizing it. This is not each generation marching side-by-side. Rather, this is a giant blob of people of varying talents, gifts, and age all working in sync with one another. Instead of a fruit cocktail, a fruit smoothie. Instead of a random, yet distinctly obvious, assortment of plastic parts sitting together in a bin, a fully assembled Mr. Potato Head.

The nuance of the difference may be lost on some, but this is what I have discovered to be my new approach to ministry. The beauty of the situation is that it works in every circumstance. There are studies to prove it. The benefits are huge, but for some reason very few are talking about it.

But now, I will be.

She's Pregnant!

2009-09-10T18:37:00.004-04:00

Today, I had the opportunity to listen to the beating heart of my first child scheduled to make his or her arrival into the outside world on March 14, 2010.

I did not know what to expect when "listen for the heartbeat" time came during today's appointment at the doctor's office today. I imagined I would hear some static-y sounding something that the doctor (or the midwife, in our case) would say, "Can you hear it? Right there!," to which I'd reply, "Um, yeah! I think I do," when in reality I had no idea what the sound actually was, but I'd just play along so as to not appear as a complete stooge.

The realty was the sound on a large speaker projected clearly upon the four walls (and a window) of the brightly lit examination room. A loud, rapid, distinct pulsation. A tiny, beating heart caused more blood to circulate for those 10 mere seconds than it has pumped so far in its fairly young life.

Crazy. I have somehow managed to add the title "Father" to my resume.

Let me take you back about two months ago. My wife Ruth and I got married on June 14, 2009 and had the incredible opportunity to spend three weeks together in Hawaii on our honeymoon. So we go. Honeymoon. Relax. Enjoy life.

At the end of the trip, we began joking about the possibility that we'd have a "honeymoon baby." Not really conceiving it being a realistic outcome, we kind of went with it. However, upon our return from the trip, after the first week back it became apparent that we needed to take a test to see if what seemed to be happening actually was. God being up to something. The joke was on us.

So, I (yes it was I) went to Target and picked up a home pregnancy test kit (3 for the price of 2!) using none other than EPT, which promised me the greatest accuracy from the products that I briefly reviewed as I awkwardly gazed at the products in an aisle of the store that really doesn't have too many window shoppers.

It was Friday evening, and after assembling our new bed from Ikea with the assistance of people we love dearly but were hoping would leave so that we could continue with the agenda of day, Ruth went to the bathroom to take the test.

She took it, left it on the counter, and we sat together on our newly built bed awaiting the results. For those two minutes life was what it was. But at the end of the two, things had the potential to change significantly. And they certainly did.

Upon seeing the results, both Ruth and I initially came away with different reactions - Ruth in denial that the test said what it did, and me with my hand covering my mouth repeatedly yelling at the top of my lungs "OH MY GOODNESS!" We eventually came to agree that it was, despite the faintness of the plus sign on the test, that it was positive.

However, some doubt arose on Saturday morning and since we had two tests left to go, Ruth took one again just to be sure that we saw what we thought we did. But the test came out looking the same exact way that it did the previous evening.

We had a third test in the package, and Ruth really wanted to see what a negative test looked like. So after a brief discussion on how to make it happen, I volunteered to take the third test. I figured, we paid for two and got the third one for free... no money lost on this venture.

So I went to the bathroom and took a pregnancy test. I had the strong desire to update my Facebook status with "took a pregnancy test" that morning but figured it was a bit to soon for that sort of thing. During our joking about pregnancy, I expressed my annoyance at the concept of, "We're pregnant!," because it just sounds so hokey. So from the bathroom I jubilantly exclaimed to Ruth upon seeing the result... "WE are not pregnant! But YOU are!"

So there you have it. That's what the last two months have been like. Wrapping my head around the whole concept of fatherhood which seems to be a job that's way to big for me. I enjoy running around, screaming at the top of my lungs with my nieces and nephews. But parenting? Wow.

I heard my baby's heartbeat today. Big day.

So you wanna blog do you?

2009-09-05T18:19:00.005-04:00

So. It has apparently been nearly four months since my last blog post. Much has happened in those past four months--among other things, I got married, and purchased a condo with my wife which we are currently working on making some fun updates to (more on this in a future post).

While I haven't posted, it hasn't been because I have forgotten about the blog--heavens no. It's really been much more based upon my lack of a clear idea as to what on earth I could/should post about. Just random/boring incidents from my life? A more thematic focus on some personal goals and my efforts in achieving them? Commentary on religion and/or politics? A combination of all of the above? NONE of the above?

I really need to come up with my plan because the problem is I hate wasting time. Like, spending time in ways that shows no benefit. This irritates me immensely. I really like the concept of a blog, if for no other reason, it provides a sort of written history as to my thoughts so I can laugh at myself after the fact. However, my issue is with the whole concept of having a personal online presence. Like streamlining my operation so its not like... blog, Facebook, Twitter, and whatever else is out there/comes up, but figuring out how to keep things simple(r).

So, point of story--while I previously was wanting to be more focused on the subject matter of the blog, I think I will make an attempt to not really care about that and simply write things and see what happens. Let something evolve into being, rather than design it from the start. (Oh, wait. That just seems wrong for some reason.)

So You Want to Kill the President...

2009-05-28T10:13:00.003-04:00

This morning as I was getting ready for work, I was watching the Today Show, as I do every morning. Today was a relatively slow news day because the story that received the most coverage during the 7:00-7:22 segment involved the false report filed by a woman who really took her daughter to Disney World. Every element of the story was repeated twice, both in the setup piece and then again when Natalie Morales was interviewing a police officer involved with the case. There were many elements in that reporting piece that were annoying to have to listen to (mainly Natalie Morales' misunderstanding of what racial profiling is), but I digress.

The far more shocking story to me was the one involving Sara Jane Moore who tried to kill President Gerald Ford in 1975 but failed because an onlooker twisted her arm causing the bullet to miss. The entire story was presented as a big reveal with it being teased throughout the morning with an old woman whose identity was shielded because they didn't have lights on her. When it came time for her interview, they undimmed the light in the studio so we could see her face.

Matt Lauer's biggest shock was that she looked like somebody who could be our aunt or (dare he say) grandmother. Sara Jane felt that she needed to do the interview so that people didn't think she was a monster, but just a human being.

It was all rather odd to me. Matt Lauer was honored to meet her. She had been in jail since her attempt and was on parole. I simply cannot understand how somebody who tried to kill a president is sought to be understood under the lights of a morning news show studio. If somebody tried to kill President Obama, would we eagerly look forward to an interview many years in the future so that they can present themselves not as a monster, but as a human? So we can seek to understand them? Please.

The Goatee Saver

2009-05-21T14:46:00.006-04:00

I stumbled upon this post on Ragamuffin Soul. For twenty bucks, if you sport a goatee (as all youth pastors do apparently... except for those who have a soul patch), this handy gadget might the be the answer to your prayers. Check it out.

Getting Married

2009-05-20T10:45:00.004-04:00

Back in 2007, I created a list of things to do on the site 43things.com Today, as I was working to streamline my personal online presence, I remembered the site and logged in and saw the list of life goals I had made then. Most of them are things that really seem once in a lifetime, if they were to ever happen at all (i.e. Watch Maryland win a national championship in person).

I also saw that I had posted on my list, "Marry a woman with character, intelligence, personality, and beauty." Those were the things Martin Luther King had sought in a wife, and when I heard about his list, I remember thinking to myself that those characteristics would also be the verbiage of what I, too, would seek.

Finding people with a combination of some of those traits was quite easy. But all four? Never. Until, later, in that very same year I got to get to know Ruth, the person who I will be marrying in 25 days, 1 hour, 45 minutes, 52 seconds.

To all the guys out there: Such women actually do exist in the world, despite my belief that they didn't. I don't know where you might find yours, but I am so glad that I found mine.

Too Many Tweets

2009-03-25T11:16:00.002-04:00

Recently joined Twitter, but am disappointed that so many posts disappear. This warning page makes it oh so nice.

Starting a new chapter

2009-02-22T22:55:00.002-05:00

The past several months have been quite transformative in my life for many reasons. Reasons that I will describe in upcoming posts. It has been four months since my last post, but really much longer if you don't count posts that involved a link to some article that I happened to be reading.

I promise some quality posts. Shortly.

Republicans Happier than Democrats?

2008-10-24T14:15:00.000-04:00

A Happiness Gap: Doomacrats And Republigrins

By David Montgomery
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, October 24, 2008; C01

Now the good news for Republicans: You are happier than Democrats. You always have been, and you probably always will be.

What Friends Are For

2008-10-07T15:13:00.002-04:00

Came across this article today. It is quite awesome. Perfect timing.

Key line: I know now to take the time to consider what a friend in need really needs.

What Friends Are For
In Trying Times, Help Is Often Near (If You Just Ask)
By Melissa Hart

The week my husband ended up in the hospital with an innocuous foot infection that snowballed, my girlfriends vanished. For seven nights, I lay sleepless and scared while my pale beloved soaked up antibiotics in Room 371 and prayed he wouldn't lose his foot.

My friends knew of our predicament, but only Sarah e-mailed to ask how she could help. In retrospect, a batch of chocolate chip cookies would have been comforting; likewise a shared bottle of cabernet or an offer to walk our three dogs. But I, like many in crisis, went blank. "I have no idea," I e-mailed back.

Click here for the rest. This is the essence of Christianity.

Free Internet

2008-10-06T20:25:00.004-04:00

Leading a life that includes an education dependent on internet access for assignment submission can be difficult if one does not have said internet access at home. Especially when one has been at the new place for more than a month.

Such is my life now that Comcast has broken its promises for an installation. I have previously blogged about my disfavor with Comcast from my old, old apartment (here and here), but silly me put economic needs over common sense and elected to go with Comcast.

I have been able to get online from home on occasion using a unsecured wireless network from a neighbor when I'm sitting out on the deck (thank you, whoever you are) but that can be spotty at times. When I first moved, it was still warm out, but now, sitting outside trying to get free internet requires protective garments.

So, right now, and tomorrow, and Wednesday, and every Sunday for the past several weeks, I have made my home Panera Bread. They have free internet, comfy tables, and sandwiches, soups, and salads that are quite good. Oh, and they have lemonade. And an awesome chocolate brownie.

Supposedly Comcast will be visiting on Wednesday to hook up internet and cable. I am hopeful that the third time will be the charm. But I also know with whom I am dealing.

My calendar for Sunday is cleared for a pleasant afternoon lunch at Panera Bread. With free internet access.

Welcome to Fall

2008-10-06T13:54:00.002-04:00

To welcome the fall, I have turned over a leaf and discovered my blog. It somehow got hidden. Now that it has been rediscovered, a new flurry of blogging will commence. That's until another object falls on top of it.

Oh bomb McCain!

2008-07-28T19:10:00.003-04:00

There is talk of Tim Kaine being picked as Barack Obama's choice for vice president. When you put their names together you get: Obama-Kaine.

If you ask what the democrats are going to try to do to the republicans in November, you get: Oh! Bomb McCain!

Get it?! GET it?!

There here post I say is the first post on the face of the planet taking note of this double entendre of a name.

Who Is In Control?

2008-07-28T16:26:00.002-04:00

From a blog I stumbled upon today. Great post.

Have you ever noticed how, when a person is looking for a house, driving slowly down a darkened street straining to see the numbers on the fronts of the homes or on the mailboxes at the end of the driveways, he automatically turns down the car radio? He does so because he instinctively knows that music or voices can be a distraction. A person cannot focus as well on the task at-hand when there is noise in the background. Noise is a distraction.

I’ve often found that when I am writing, and especially writing something that requires deep thought and consistent logic, I need to remove background distractions, whether that means I turn down the music playing from my computer or close the door to my office.... click here for the rest

Change Your Clothes

2008-07-26T00:02:00.004-04:00

One thing that I've been doing recently is changing my clothes after work. I don't really dress up for work - it's business casual so I wear khakis, some cords, or other pants in that family of clothing, and usually a button down shirt or a polo. These clothes aren't uncomfortable really... I don't spend my entire day thinking of how much they are irritating me having them on. (Shoes, though, are another matter.)

Usually when I get home, I feel pretty tired from the 8.5 hours spent at work, bookended by almost an hour and a half commuting each way. DC area traffic is grand.

I'm usually pretty exhausted when I arrive back at my apartment, and whenever I have somewhere to be in the evening, I usually make home a pitstop before I take the tiredness with me to the rest of my day.

But all of this has changed.

Yes, I still work my "9-5" and I still have a job that costs me 11.5 hours per day, but now when I get home during my pitstop before the rest of my day, I change my clothes.

This has changed everything.

I'm not a psychologist nor do I claim to be. Well, maybe sometimes I do. But regardless, I think that changing your clothes has a major impact on your brain. Because now, when I go out with my fiancée, make a trip out to the store, or go to a Bible study, I feel suddenly revived, and it feels like I am starting the evening with a fresh bank of energy. The day feels like a new day. I feel like I can forget that I had even gone to work that day, and that my day has been one of leisure.

No, I don't think I am alone in this. And yes, I have a spiritual application from this seemingly random concept.

In Colossians 3, Paul starts asking them to put to death all sorts of things that compose their earthly nature such as sexual immorality, greed, anger, slander, and filthy language. But he goes on to use the image of changing one's clothes. He writes, as recorded in verse 12, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."

This new life that we have in Christ is one that is like putting on some new clothes for the fun part of your day - the good life. Because we want to live a holy life, we need to remove the bad stuff (work clothes) and put on (because they won't get put on by themselves) the good stuff.

Going to Atlanta

2008-04-08T12:16:00.005-04:00

I am headed to Atlanta this weekend with CLiC for the Passion Conference. "But Ryan, you live near DC! Why didn't you and the group go to the conference when it was actually close to you?" is a possible question that you may be asking.

Here is the answer: Groupishness.

The lack of that in our newly developing group was evident so something needed to be done.

Being trapped in a 15 passenger van with some of your soon-to-be closer friends for hours on end can do wonders. Eating, living, praying, driving, worshiping, asking, sleeping, breathing, and jumping together for 4 days and 3 nights can help.

Can't wait.

April Fools

2008-03-31T23:52:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow, Gmail will have a "Custom Time" feature as their annual April Fool's Joke. No, I do not work for Google, yet I am privy to this information. I am breaking this news, so enjoy it.

Actually, it was broken by a broken link on my Gmail page, and already talked about on 1,600 pages on a Google search.

But yeah, YOU heard it here first.

You're welcome.

I'm Sorry

2008-03-28T12:03:00.002-04:00

Dear Blog,

I am sorry. I have neglected you for over a month. I've been busy....well, that's not entirely true. I had a week off from school and work that I thoroughly enjoyed. However, you were not thought of during that period, either.

It's not you. It's me.

The motivation and drive to provide something blogworthy in a sea of blogs is tough. There are so many amazing blogs out there, by people who actually have a "claim to fame" as it were. Authors, musicians, journalists... My traffic is driven by quite sad things, such as the antics of a local news anchor that I wrote about years (years!) ago.

Exciting things HAVE been happening in life. However, the whole factoring you into it is just a foreign concept to me right now. I'm glad that you have been there for me, having a place for me to document things through time so you will NEVER be deleted. I can promise you that. However, viewing life extraneously and sharing it with the masses... rather, making it available to the masses, is something that I need to figure out.

You are not about American Idol. People can get much better commentary elsewhere. Nor are you supposed to be about politics. There are enough blogs and articles about that, too. You are supposed to be about figuring out what the Christian church is supposed to be and the journey to get there.

It just seems that being on an uncharted course is a difficult place to write from. I know it can be done. I know it has been done. But I just don't know how to do it.

For this I am sorry because I feel the potential in it is quite great. I'll figure it out.

Til next time,

Ryan

Happy Together

2008-02-21T15:46:00.005-05:00

On a whole, the girls were far better than than the guys, once again. However, I didn't really have a clear stand out. That said, my favorite performer was Brooke White, the girl with the really curly blond hair who, coincidentally sang "Happy Together" which my favorite male sang this week.

Other than her, Amanda Overmeyer didn't live up to the hype that I had placed on her, but she wasn't bad at all.

Kady Malloy really reminded me of Shannon from "Lost."

Syesha Mercado (poofy hair) was exciting, borderline over the top for me though.

Alexandréa Lushington (peace earing)... didn't really understand the praise from Randy and Paula. She CLEARLY wasn't strong when she left her normal singing voice range. Annoyingly weak. Sounded like a young Whitney Houston at parts.

Ramiele Malubay really has a nice big voice, though I don't know if she could be a successful American Idol winner.

Alaina Whitaker (Carrie Underwood clone) was decent though I don't know how I feel about clones.

Out of time, but the Britney Spears impersonator seems like she could be good.

We'll see who goes home tonight. Hopefully not my fave girl or guy.

American Idol (Guys)

2008-02-20T09:56:00.003-05:00

Wow, its amazing what can happen in a matter of days in the world of politics. I have been abstaining politics for more than a week now simply because I got overwhelmed by the 2008 presidential election and am ready for it to be over. The whole thing. And I majored in government in college.

Anyway, something far more enjoyable that involves "America" and "voting" is our collective guilty pleasure, American Idol. As a loyal watcher of the show (with the exception of season 2 which I had banned because Tamyra Gray got voted off season 1... yes, I do that...) I will provide regular commentary on this here blog, but hopefully only as a side note. Note. Get it? Ok.

Based on last night's show, I can say that I am honestly disappointed because NOBODY really stuck out as all that good. I only start watching after the auditions so don't have their history on the show to judge them on. So based on my one shot view of them last night, here are my thoughts (with the Fox website open so I can remember their names):

David Cook (wore that skinny tie, sang "Happy Together") - The only person who I listened to that I can see liking. Wasn't the most amazing performance but I liked his vocal quality.

David Archuleta (the 17 year old) - Wow. How 17. How 13, actually. Really was very bubbly you couldn't help but say, "Awwwwww."

Robbie Carrico (the guy who always wears a hat) - Please stop being such a poser.

Chikezie (the guy with the colorful suit) - Top 24 first song and already you have an ego problem. Ready for you to leave. A real "soul" singer would be preferred to this quota filler.

Danny Noriegoa (the guy with many "colors" as described by Paula) - His whole "sassy girl" production was just really annoying.

Jason Castro (guitar and dreads) - Nice to have somebody play an instrument on this show which is a staple on the actual talent based music shows (see: Rock Star, Nashville Star) but really didn't hit me as anything beyond I'd hear at like a county fair.

Michael Johns (the guy with the accent) - First thing I thought was "Tom Brady." I know he is supposed to be good, based on his show closing number, but I just wasn't into it at all.

THE REST - No comments.

The girls are usually better (bias noted) so I am hoping for them to salvage this possible wreck of a season tonight. Based on their visuals though, it seems like they have their "Mandisa" and "Carrie Underwood" slots filled. Having not heard her sing AT ALL, I am hoping that Amanda Overmyer's look isn't just for show and that she has the type of voice I totally dig.

The Maryland Primary

2008-02-12T11:33:00.000-05:00

I will be voting for Mike Huckabee today for whatever it's worth.

My 2008 Election Prediction

2008-02-08T11:06:00.001-05:00

It will be a Clinton/McCain matchup.

Hillary Clinton/Barack Obama against John McCain/Mike Huckabee.

Clinton will unite the Republican party and McCain will be sworn into office in January of next year.

Reasons for the Democratic ticket - delegate situation, as posted yesterday. Hillary's superdelegates will give her the nomination, with the delegates from Michigan and Florida added to the mix after their previous banishment creating a much argued about majority.

Reasons for the Republican ticket - McCain would need a way to pull Southern support, and Huckabee proved that he could do it on Super Tuesday. Both men like each other, with McCain saying recently that he had, "the greatest respect and frankly some affection," for Huckabee. He'll stick it to Rush.

Not enough delegates for the Democrats

2008-02-07T15:16:00.000-05:00

This is from a Washington Post chat that took place earlier today. Basically, the chances of Hillary or Obama picking up the needed delegates in the remaining primaries and caucus is virtually none, so its going to come down to the super delegates!

We've done a bad job of explaing this, but it is now basically mathematically impossible for either Clinton or Obama to win the nomination through the regular voting process (meaning the super-delegates decide this one, baby!).
Here's the math. There are 3,253 pledged delegates, those doled out based on actual voting in primaries and caucuses. And you need 2,025 to win the nomination.
To date, about 55% of those 3,253 delegates have been pledged in the voting process -- with Clinton and Obamb roughly splitting them at about 900 delegates a piece.
That means there are now only about 1,400 delegates left up for grabs in the remaining states and territories voting.
So, do the math. If they both have about 900 pledged delegates so far, they need to win more than 1,100 of the remaining 1,400 delegates to win the nomination through actual voting.
Ain't gonna happen, barring a stunning scandal or some new crazy revelation. So, they'll keep fighting this thing out, each accumulating their chunk of delegates, one of them holding a slight edge and bothing finishing the voting process with 1,600 or so delegates.
And then the super delegates decide this thing.
That's the math.

Frozen Grand Central

2008-02-04T12:31:00.001-05:00

This is quite amazing. Check it out.

Do church and football mix? Not according to the NFL.

2008-02-01T11:12:00.000-05:00

NFL Pulls Plug on Big-Screen Church Parties for Super Bowl

Battle between the F's and the T's

2008-02-01T10:22:00.000-05:00

I watched most of the Democratic debate last night and have come to the following conclusion. Hillary Clinton is very knowledgeable about policy. Always answered questions in terms of what she had done in the past and how that would move her forward. Barack Obama was extremely visionary and focused more on how his actions would be based on principles, rationalizing his actions this way.

My theory is that, if you are familiar with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Clinton supporters are more of the T(hinking)-type, whereas the Obama supporters are the F(eeling)-type.

I am speaking of the base of support here. This would not apply to strategy-minded people who simply support Obama because he is NOT Hillary since she would be the greatest unifier of the Republican party. It is the obsessed supporter types of which I speak. (i.e. Obama makes me feel so great!, or Hillary's experience is what we can count on!)

Why are Liberals so Afraid of Baby Jesus?

2008-01-31T10:46:00.000-05:00

Here's an article from this past Christmas that I just read. It was pretty good. Written by John Ridley, formerly of my favorite morning show, Morning Joe.

Getting raw (at lunchtime)

2008-01-28T09:18:00.000-05:00

Starting today, I will start a new food fad in my life. I will only be eating raw foods from now on - only for lunchtime, though. I'll still have a healthy share of chicken, deep fried foods, baked goods, and other things that are good for the soul.

Why?

How did I know that question was on your mind? I came to this decision late last week for several reasons. Firstly, I am trying to streamline my operating expenses so I figured bringing lunch from home could help. However, when all the costs do get factored in, the savings experienced really aren't that great when compared to eating out in the $5-$6 range. However, if I eat only fruit and vegetables, I can find savings.

Secondly, I had a nagging cold that just wouldn't go away. The worst of the cold was about a week and a half ago, but I still have the phlegm in my nose that doesn't require a Kleenex, but I can hear and feel when I breathe hard through my nostrils. So to help get that outta here, I figured eating "healthy" would help, which then led me to the conclusion... "why not eat healthy even when you are not sick... that might actually help in other ways..." So I decided to heed to my conscience.

And finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the concept of a "raw diet" was initially placed in my head a while back on Shaun Groves' blog which I read on a regular basis. I don't know if I can be as hardcore as he is doing this raw diet for all meals, but using it for one meal a day is a big first step. If I survive for the next 2 weeks, this will be a great feat.

So to kick things off, I went to the grocery store yesterday specifically to buy cereal for breakfast (which I have been skipping for the past few months) and a big bag of spinach I was going to consume today. However, in keeping with my tradition of starting things off on the right foot, I forgot it at home. So I will have to go buy a $8 salad for about $1.50 worth of ingredients. Which is more important? Health or wealth? I guess that makes the $8 salad a little easier to swallow...

The button has been pushed today

2008-01-27T15:08:00.000-05:00

Who am I? Who else is me?

2008-01-26T16:47:00.000-05:00

Have you searched for yourself on the internet? I just performed two searches. First on Facebook. Then on Google.

Ok, on Facebook. Turns out that there are 68 other "Ryan Abel"s on there. How bizarre. This is on only one site, so clearly there are a bunch more out there. I'm not sure if there is a need for a Ryan Abel convention were all of us can get together and talk about our shared name.

On Google, 523,000 hits came up. Two of the top 10 hits though are actually me so that is pretty cool. This blog is currently number 5 on a search of my name, and a news article that mentions me is number 7.

I guess by putting these screenshots up, you can discover that a Mac is my computer of choice. Oh yes, I did blog about it some time back when I broke it....

How to Save the Obama Campaign

2008-01-25T10:29:00.000-05:00

I wouldn't consider myself in the Obama camp. I would say he is the best orator of this new millennium. I could sit and listen to him talk for hours. Does that make him the best guy for president? Not sure about that. Mike Huckabee totally re-wowed me last night preventing my acceptance of any sort of defeat (reality, noted). Still my favorite candidate out of everybody is that guy. But if the Democrats pick Obama, and the Republicans pick Giuliani or Romney, I think I'd vote Obama.

But let's not get too ahead of ourselves here.

Obama's campaign is sinking because of several things, the biggest one being the Clinton attack machine. So if he wants to get the nomination, the following is my proposal to save his campaign. The Clintons have made race an issue. It can't be unmade at this point, and he can't clearly attack back successfully because it hasn't been working too well for him since the Clintons are just so good at it.

But I am a politics junkie, and I like to watch a good race, so here it is...

MY PLAN TO SAVE THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN

1. Hold a "major address" press conference. Let all the networks know that you have a major announcement to make. This would naturally result in coverage by CNN, Fox News, and my favorite, MSNBC. Deliver this next week, fresh off of your win in South Carolina.

2. Start talking about the politics of hope, again.

3. Admit that your campaign shifted its focus to counter all the attacks from the Clinton camp. Acknowledge that the campaign has resorted to "politics as usual."

4. Make the vow that from this moment on, that you expect better from yourself, and that the people can expect better from you as well. That you will once again be talking about your grand vision for America. Not to worry, that each and every false attack hurled against you will be debunked on your website. But when you are addressing people directly, you will be talking about this vision. There is no time to waste on dirty politics.

5. Call on America to expect far more from its candidates than bickering. In turn, in addition to expecting more from you, tell the country that you expect a great deal from them.

6. A vision of America that isn't divided by party, age, race, or gender is possible. And we can't allow for those who choose to divide us this way to succeed. By falling to their level, they have won. We must rise above it. It might be hard, but we can do it.

7. Remind people that your campaign isn't about race. The Clintons sought to make it about race, and you had to defend yourself. Iowa answered the call and put America before race, and tell people that you no doubt that all of us can do that as well. Here on out, America is what it's going to be about.

8. The Clintons (yes, be blunt) have brought down the debate. Tell America that you and they are going to rise above it. A new day in politics.

Redskins, McCain

2008-01-24T12:46:00.000-05:00

There has been a lull in blogging! I apologize! School hit! I warned you, I guess.

Since last post, the Redskins are looking at Jim Fassel (gross... he's been with the Giants!) for the vacant head coaching job. A decision could be made any day now, but odds are against Gregg Williams. Looks like we get the classic Redskins coaching overhaul which has become standard operating practice with good old Danny boy. Great.

And secondly, John McCain has done pretty well, now with his win in South Carolina. I think Mike Huckabee's loss there has essentially ended his campaign. I think McCain is where it's at right now. I am morally against voting for Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Hillary Clinton, and John Edwards. McCain is a decent candidate... not my ideal, but very good nonetheless.

I got my copy of "Pagan Christianity" yesterday. I'm sure I will have response and reaction fairly soon.

That's all for now. I just wanted to let my legion of online readers know that I haven't fallen off them map. Yet, anyway.

Back to School!

2008-01-16T15:03:00.000-05:00

This week I have started my spring semester at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary through their distance learning program. For you regular visitors of my site, I thought I would use that as my excuse for not posting anything yesterday.

(Interestingly enough, I have recently gotten a surge in traffic due to my completely brief, random post on the Maryland tax increase. That is NOT the point of this blog, people!)

Anyway, I will be taking 2 classes for the next 8 weeks. And they are... (drumroll, please)

CLED510: The Foundations of Christian Leadership
NBST654: Hebrews

I will probably be commenting on random things about these topics sometime over the next few weeks so this will explain why.

Blessing the Food

2008-01-14T09:11:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we did the Lord's Supper as a part of our worship service at my church. I was asked if I could perform my elderly role by asking a blessing upon the grape juice. And this has resulted in another lack of understanding between myself, our modern church, and the scriptures.

I was supposed to ask a blessing upon the juice, which I guess is supposed to make it holy. When looking through scriptural references to this process in the Bible (found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and 1 Corinthians), I was unable to find a good model upon which to base my prayer or our service in general simply because it was rather different in both regards.

I thought my prayer should be a prayer of thanksgiving, thanking God for the blood of Jesus which gives us the gift of salvation. Apparently, I am supposed to be praying (in addition to thanksgiving, of course) mainly for the blessing upon the juice.

What this blessing is supposed to do, however, is what has got me all confused.

My church's position is that we pray for the bread crackers and the grape juice and they become holy. Leftovers must be disposed of in a very precise manner because of this holiness.

Something about this setup really baffles my mind because to me it seems like the process really is more people-based. To me, it seems, that we totally focus on the objects more so than what it is they represent. We are supposed to examine ourselves and not participate in an "unworthy" manner. Do we really ever address what this means?

Additionally, in our daily lives, when we ask for a blessing upon our meals, what exactly are we ask for? Is it a more "thank you God for giving me another meal and for not letting me go hungry" or is it "please transform nutrients/make this unhealthy meal healthy for me/cause this to become a holy meal" type prayer? What it it supposed to be?

This is a very recent development in my current state of confusion about the modern church so I will be looking deeper into it. I will hopefully share something helpful sometime very soon.

Building Without Cement (or Wood)

2008-01-11T23:57:00.000-05:00

If someone told you to build a church, what would you do? You'd probably contact an architect and describe to them your vision for a nice building. Steeple or no? Modern or traditional? What about ceilings? Windows?

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus says, "Now I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it."

Jesus says that he is going to build his church, but he makes no mention of blueprints, hammers, nails, windows, doors, or wood frames. None of this, yet the church will stand. And not only will it stand, but the supernatural powers of hell won't be able to destroy it.

If somebody asks you to describe the word "church," please do not use any sort of physical structure in your definition.

The Polling Difference

2008-01-10T10:01:00.000-05:00

After watching some analysis last night as to why the polling on the Democrats side was so off, some said that after Hillary's "emotional, humanizing moment," a flurry of older women came to her defense which wasn't reflected in the polling.

Something else that Chris Matthews and Michael Dyson were promoting on Hardball was that race played a role with people saying that they were going to vote for Obama but then when it came down to it, they were scared of the "swagger" of a successful black man (according to Dyson) so they went with Hillary. The called it the Bradley effect redux.

I have problems with this theory simply because, A) Bradley happened 20 years ago and B) this was a DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY. Between the polling difference and the results, Obama lost in the double digits. Bradley was a GENERAL ELECTION campaign. Democrats who vote in the primary are of the more liberal wing of their party. There are certainly racists of every race in both parties, but not that many. I have a hard time believing that that many of them are racist.

MY THEORY:

Having not heard it from anyone else in the media, I am quite comfortable claiming it as solely my own.

The reason in the polling difference was that it was the Hillary factor. With all the media fueled momentum Obama was bringing with him after Iowa, Hillary was going to be the big loser. So if a pollster asked someone who they'd be voting for, it'd be FAR easier to go with the hot, young, Obama and be on the perceived winning side.

They said they were voting for Obama because they were ashamed to say they were voting for Hillary.

That, coupled with the "emotional, humanizing moment" which brought in older, sympathetic women (and some men, I'm sure) after the utter bashing Hillary was receiving, was easily enough to give her the thousands of vote needed to edge out Obama.

The Best Chicken Caesar Salad in the World

2008-01-09T15:12:00.001-05:00

Can be found at Panera Bread. Had it last night. Tried Cosi's today.

Yeah.

Panera's is amazing. It's pulled chicken instead of chicken cubes. Makes all the difference in the world.

Check it out.

How Embarassing!

2008-01-09T13:24:00.000-05:00

I got home late last night after a Bible study, and turned on the TV for a moment right before I was going to go to bed. I figured that the New Hampshire primary would be won by Barack Obama by a landslide, and John McCain by a hair. The plan was simple. Just confirm the results, and go to sleep.

However.

When I turned on the TV and saw that Hillary Clinton had defeated Obama, I was in shock. I yelled "Oh my goodness!" or "You've GOT to be kidding me!" for about five full minutes after I seeing the results. My roommate woke up and came to my room to see what was going on. (I thought I had covered my mouth effectively, but clearly not.)

Ever since Iowa, every single person who has a TV show who comments on politics was doing a postmortem on Hillary's campaign. What will she do now? Who will the republicans nominate to beat Obama? Even the Clintons were talking about how they were expecting to lose.

But somehow, EVERYBODY was wrong. Hillary won. The media hype was wrong.

Chris Matthews, who I really despise (banned him for a while, but now watch again in controlled settings), has been the biggest Obama pusher (not officially, of course... he thinks he is objective) sat it shock and amazement to see the election results. It was quite funny to me to see it.

These results are very refreshing to me, (not because I support Hillary... I'm a Huckabee man!) because the media totally created Obama mania and have been hyping him, hoping to shape our elections based on their preferences. However, New Hampshire showed us anyway, people actually do have the ability to think for themselves (sometimes) and will not lead them where the media is trying to take them.

So I got home a bit after midnight, but I sat in shock until about 2:30 AM watching re-airs of coverage, victory speeches from all candidates, and various media talking heads trying to wipe the egg off their faces.

Such exciting times to be a politics junkie.

Great (American) Expectations

2008-01-08T15:19:00.000-05:00

Here's an article I read today which is quite good. Really puts things into perspective. The church in Kenya has close connections to my own.

BY BRET STEPHENS

Barack Obama, still fresh from his victory in Iowa last week and confident of another in New Hampshire tonight, has as his signature campaign theme the promise to "end the division" in America. Notice the irony: The scale of his Iowa victory, in a state that's 94% white, is perhaps the clearest indication so far that the division Mr. Obama promises to end has largely been put to rest.

Meanwhile, in Kenya last week a mob surrounded a church in which, according to an Associated Press report, "hundreds of terrified people had taken refuge." The church was put to flame, while the mob used machetes, Hutu-style, to hack to death whoever tried to escape. The killers in this case were of the Luo tribe, their victims were of the Kikuyu, and the issue over which they are bleeding is their own presidential election.

Click here for the rest.

Such "big" problems that we Americans face. As a nation. As part of the church. As individuals. It's embarrassing, really.

Joe Gibbs Resigns

2008-01-08T10:57:00.000-05:00

It has taken me some time but the shock is wearing off about today's announcement. I thought at minimum he'd be around until the end of next season. I wonder who the next guy is going to be. Gregg Williams?