I think about my friend Rick’s reaction to politics and the lack of a solution via any of the “prescribed parties”, and I think of Brian McClaren’s book “Everything Must Change”.

I’m not done with it yet, but the premise of the book is regarding the following two questions: What are the world’s top crises, and what do the life and message of Jesus say to those global crises?

Now, for where I am at in the book, so far, what has stood out to me is the fact that there are two groups in the world, or it seems like there are: The dominant and the subservient. Define it any way you want, one group is in charge, the other is not. And maybe groups can be interchangeable. Or to ask the brutal question: Are the groups interchangeable?

One group is the west. The other is not.

One group has the stuff. The other does not.

One group has the guns. The other does not.

One group is the Christian. The other is not.

One group has the power. The other does not.

One group knows “the way”. The other is lost.

Meanwhile, the trouble, the pain, the suffering, the issues, and the problems that the author speaks about get ignored/

What group would I rather be associated with?

How can I not be a part of one? Or both?

I have to be a part of the story. Either story. I am one of the characters.

What character are you?

The character that points the finger, prescribes the solution, then climbs back into a bubble of stuff, guns, and Christianity?

Or the character that’s killed, accused, isolated, not cared about?

Or are you neither?

And where does the Christ follower fall into all of this?

That’s a question worth asking.

Check out wordle. It takes your words, phrases, sentences, and makes them art.

Recently, my church went through a big change.
Our worship arts director left to a new city.
Her husband got a new job.
We miss her.
A friend of mine recently said:
"Change is change. It's not good. It's not bad. It's just change". I thought that sounded smart.


Gone, Goodbye
We weep, we cry
They leave. Goodbye
Bygones, memories
No more
A long time, so short
Here for a while
Then it's over, ended
No more
A song, a drum
A note, held, high
A clap, a beat, then silence
No more
Gathering, holding
Grasping, wishing
Wanting, groaning
No more
A tear, A sigh
A wave, goodby
A hug, a smile
No longer there.
Gone.
Goodbye.

By E. Obaka

I was at church today, and heard Joel Rosenberg speak.

He's the author of books: "The Last Jihad" and "The Ezekiel Option".

Wow did he have some good points for us christians.
Are we so comfortable in our "faith", that we have forgotten what we are here for?
Are we carrying out the great commission, to go into all the world and spread the good news of God's love?
Are we too insular, too exclusive, too judgemental, so that we look on the world around us with condemnation rather than with compassion?
Christians, are we awake at all?

I know I have not been feeding the hungry, or welcoming the stranger, or clothing the naked as I ought. Do I even think of them at all?
And guess what Jesus says. Whatever we do to the least of these, we do to Him. So if we're ignoring the needs around us, we're essentially ignoring Jesus.

So what do we seem to occupy our religious cathedrals with? Our theology, our knowledge, our big buildings, our selves.

How about we start to pray for a revival in the church?
How about we start to pray for forgiveness from God?
How about we begin to fulfil our commission, given by God?
How about we stop fighting amongst ourselves and get out there and love the world instead?

Browser issues

Microsoft really really needs to update their (Internet explorer) browser site. Because it's becoming worse in comparison to other systems such as firefox or safari. What the hey?

Instant messaging works ok, but the link between that and my hotmail account works when it feels like it. Sometimes my hotmail works, sometimes it doesn't. And talk about spam!

When I try to log in to my blogger account, it doesn't let me...
When I try to get on runnersworld.com...it balks most of the time.

It crashes, yields stupid results in their search engine, etc.

What else could potentially go wrong??
Yes, I'm ranting and raving right now, and I bet you're wondering why I even bother with IE anyway. Good question. I should just take it out of the equation all together.

Maybe I will.

I discovered a great podcast the other day. (ok it was last month). I just listened to my first cast. It was awesome! And now I'm motivated to run today. After work, I'll be going running a few miles, just for the heck of it. Even though I ran yesterday almost 10 miles.

Oh the podcast is http://phedippidations.com/

Enjoy!

I went running this morning around 10.30 a.m. I'm taking July 5th and 6th off from work and woke up late this morning. It was already in the low eighties by the time I made it out. And humid.

I was supposed to run 5 miles. I'm training for another half marathon you see.

Well I started out and felt tired after mile one. It was so humid! I was thirsty, with no water in sight.
I used markers down the bike trail.
I passed the wooden bridge that crosses the big sioux river, went past the mile 8 white pole marker, then the bridge I run past, then the water fountain, then the mile 7 white pole marker, then the sign right before minnesota ave. I turned around to go back home then.
I'd run halfway.

I was still tired and figured I could walk some of the rest of the run. I did, when I got back close to the wooden bridge. I walked for maybe half a block but it was too hot and humid and there was no shade around me. I just wanted to be home.

So I started running. I figured I would get home in half the time if I ran.

I finished my 5.1 mile run in about 50 minutes. Yes, I could have run faster, but...

The sweat that ran down my face was so salty, that I knew that water was in order "now".

Later on, sitting on my couch, I read the article in runner's world that told the story of Danelle Ballenger, one of the best endurance runners out there. She survived a big fall and injuries, to run again. I cried a little when I read the story.

But her story inspired me to run and push it and keep going for the love of running.

I have a bonneville. It's a 1994 model and it holds 15 gallons of gasoline. It now costs me $50 to fill my tank and that tank lasts a couple of weeks. I drive only 15 miles a day, and get maybe 18 miles to the gallon in town.
You say I have nothing to complain about. You drive 25 miles, 50 miles, 100 miles a day. You drive an SUV or a huge truck. So your gas mileage is worse than mine.

Ok, you may be right. But I have a few questions.

Why has it taken this long for us to complain this time? Are we getting used to the pain we feel at the pump?
Why is it that as soon as a few states began to raise the outcry, the price of gas dropped about ten cents?
Will you tell me it's because the demand reduced, or the inventory increased, or because the world suddenly was at peace?
Bull.

We're getting used, we're being hosed, and we're too stupid to really do anything about it.

American vehicle manufacturers GMC and Ford, aren't doing too good.

Hello! Isn't the obvious reason that smart people are buying the more efficient vehicles out there????

So why can't Ford and GMC get with the program? it's patents....lack of technology....more time...something...other....
Bull.

what's holding them up? Gasoline consumption. Who gains? Us? Of course not.

Are we just stupid, blindly believing that America is the land of the beautiful, the brave, the free? A democratic government of the people, for the people, by the people? Ha. Yeah right.

Middle class America is shrinking rapidly underneath the weight of debt and the pressures to adhere to an image.

Stupid!

And we wonder why the rest of the world tends to despise us!

Ok. I'm ranting.

But just how stupid can we get?
How much longer before we decide enough is enough and we take matters in our own hands to bring change? To better a system that's broken? Or just replace the whole system?

Will we? Or are we too chicken?