It was God's Idea

I just read something profound on the Jesus Culture Myspace Blog. It goes like this:


Revival in America is God's idea. Salvation is God's idea. Healing is God's idea. Crippled people walking. Missing limbs returning. The blind seeing. Foggy minds clear. Broken hearts whole.

For so long ,we have viewed God as someone who can;t wait to punish America when He really can't wait to pour out Hid love on her, when He really loves this nation and the people in it. As the blog put it, when we would pray with this outlook, we would feel like we were twisting God's arm to bring revival and healing and salvation.

This just isn't the case. The Truth is that God is in a good mood. And He wants you to be in a good mood too. So Rejoice, and be EXCEEDINGLY glad, for great is your reward in heaven ..."- Matthew 5:12

With that outlook we can really pray that God wants to do something and will do something. Pretty cool huh?

What do we deserve?

Y'know, many Christians, myself included, have thought some pretty rotten things about themselves. Mostly, self-hatred.

I like what Kris Vallotton says in his book The Supernatural Ways of Royalty: Discovering Your Rights and Privileges of Being a Son or Daughter of God.

He has a lot to say on the subject, namely that as those who have accepted Jesus, we are now royalty and ought not to hate ourselves but rather to love ourselves and who God made us to be. It's about seeing ourselves in a different light.

Instead of saying "I am such a horrible person with a rotten evil heart," begin to live like the Prince or Princess that God made you to be.

'Cause man, we got it made.

For those that aren't saved, ask God who he is and what He is all about. You might be surprised at the answer. How about a call to royalty? To be a son or a daughter of the Most High of the Universe?


And that's all I have to say tonight. Sleep well. Rest. Peace.

Gerstmann-Gate

Here is an article written by a friend of mine on the Gerstmann-Gate scandal. It is a very well written piece on how a lack of journalistic integrity hurts a publication's bottom line.


Bad, Bad Boy
A story recently has caused much uproar throughout the video-game community. Gamespot, one of the largest video-game review websites, recently fired its editorial director Jeff Gerstmann under suspicious circumstances. Gamespot claims no wrongdoing, but Gerstmann was handed his pink slip shortly after giving a negative review to a game called “Kane & Lynch: Dead Men,” which is published by, Eidos, one of Gamespot's advertisers. In addition, the video review was removed from the site, and the text portion of the review has undergone several changes since its original post. Many in the video-game community think that the timing of Gamespot's actions is too coincidental, and that its refusal to comment on the issue in the days following the break of the scandal damns them further.(Joystiq)In order to gain the public's trust and increase revenue, journalistic publications must strive for honesty and integrity in their work despite the temptation of advertising dollars.

Although the facts of the case don't lead to a definitive answer, the kernel of the Gamespot-Gerstmann story reintroduces the topic of journalistic integrity into the minds of the gaming public. Supposing the allegations are true, is it a sound business move to fire a writer for giving a bad review to a sponsor? The simple answer is that it is not. The cons outweigh the pros definitively on a completely rational basis. The obvious benefit to this behavior is that being sponsor-friendly leads to higher ad revenues; but all is not well in Fist-full-of-dollars-land. Firstly, this is bad journalism, and it causes deep-cutting effects that undermine the quality of the publication. Instead of honest reviews that feel personal, the reader will be left with cookie-cutter turnouts that are more advertisement than editorial. And this in turn is bad for business, even if nobody finds out.

Most people don't like to be deceived. When a publisher deceives its reader-base, it undermines the very public that it serves. This stigmatizes the publisher and defames its brand-name.

Sponsors pay a lot of money for their ads to be shown by a publisher; the more people see the ads, the more potential buyers they will have for their product. So it makes sense then that a company would not want to sponsor a publication that essentially tells its readers not to buy that product. It also makes sense that if the publisher puts pressure on its writers to endorse its sponsor's products, then they stand to make a lot of money in ad revenue. But there is much more at play here than ad revenue. Once this course of action is decided upon, it leads down an unbeneficial path. Essentially, the benefit only continues as long as the public is unaware of this relationship. If readers find out that the publisher of their favorite reviews is being paid for giving good reviews, then it is not in their best interest to continue reading the publication: it has ceased its utility, because they are essentially getting the same information from the reviews as from the company itself. The surprising thing is, people don't have to explicitly find out about this relationship in order for it to affect their choice of reading material.

Bad journalism begets bad journalism. Once the publisher makes it clear that they will fire writers if they don't tow the company line, the quality of the reviews begins to diminish. The writing staff begins to fear standing on its integrity, because that could get someone fired. If continued firings or pressure is used, the reviewers will no longer be able to tell what their bosses expect; they will take fewer risks; they will take less interest in their assignments; the overall quality of the writing will decrease. Even if that series of events does not occur, if readers figure out that the reviews don't agree with their own sensibilities, they will stop trusting the reviews and eventually stop reading them.

Readers don't want to read reviews they can't trust, so they will naturally move to more reliable sources. Readership slowly drops as more readers catch wise. This makes the advertisers nervous; ads are definitely not going to be effective if nobody ever sees them. The demand for ad-space drops and the ad revenue with it. The publishing company is now making less money, and they have two options: fire some writers, or pay writers less money. In either case the effect is the same, the quality of the writing gets worse; either the workload increases and there is less time to do a decent job, or the staff has less motivation to produce high-quality writing.

If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas; advertisers have heard this saying too. They know it is bad for business to be associated with a disreputable company. And that is exactly what lies do to whomever is caught telling them, make them disreputable. Most people are unlikely to buy a product if they think that the company selling it cannot be trusted, and this makes companies very careful about whom they do business with. This effectively can cause a major loss of ad revenue for the hypothetical review website that gets caught in this scenario. Whether or not the website has a loss in readership, the advertisers may decide to withdraw their sponsorship in order to distance themselves from the scandal. It is very easy to see what a negative impact this can have on the publisher's bottom-line.
The scenario is admittedly hypothetical, and the publisher could potentially reverse the process at any point. However, it is a road that leads only one direction; if a publisher consistently does not make journalistic integrity a priority, then it will eventually lead to the publication's financial ruin.

It all comes down to trust. If people trust a website or a publication, the publication will see it's readership increase and revenue streams grow. When a publication betrays the public trust, it becomes useless.

Recently, Gamespot issued a statement saying that Gerstmann was fired only after an internal review. The company denies any wrong-doings or that Gerstmann was fired because of the scathing review. Still, since the story broke, Gamespot's web traffic has significantly declined.(Alexa) Pandering to the advertisers costs money. It's that simple.

Glicker Returns, Gaming Steve is back!

So, for those that don't know and even for those who don't care, Gaming Steve has returned. To commemorate his return, I designed a fan-made magazine cover. Read: This is in no way whatsoever authorized, approved, recommended by, endorsed by, or has anything to do with Gaming Steve aka Stephen Glicker. It's just something I made because I love to design and I enjoyed listening to his podcast for the first time in months.

The two major graphics used in it do not belong to me. The headshot of Steve is from his website, www.gamingsteve.com, and does not belong to me. If requested, it will be taken down. Likewise, the image of Mario used is from Nintendo, straight and simple. Once again, just ask and it will be removed.

So, without further adieu, here is my magazine cover for Gaming Steve. It took between 2-3 hours to find the pictures, decide on the design, and layout the page. I used LongIsland for the Masthead, Trajan Pro for the headlines, and Existential for the subhead. There ya go. Enjoy!

So now I am a graphic designer

Did you know that? Guess what, it's true.

Here is a sample of my work. It is a simple business card with some important info blotted out (it is still in the draft stages).

Just a suggestion:

Watch the GOP democratic debates on YouTube. They are excellent. The questions are really pointed and attempt to force the GOP candidates into a specific Yes or No answer.
So, whether you are democrat, republican, or a jedi, I strongly suggest that you watch these debates ... oh, and vote Simon in 2032. I'm already preparing the signs . . .

You are worth more than a mountain of diamonds

Did you know that you are worth more than a mountain of diamonds? have you taken time to fully comprehend what it is that you are worth? So check this out, 'cause I am gonna tell you:



We have more value than everything on this planet.
One person is worth more than the universe.
A mountain of perfect diamonds couldn't buy us.
How do we know this? Jesus died for us. he was the price, and he is worth more than the everything. We are worth the price of God.
He said that we are worth Him coming to earth as frail flesh.
Worth having hunger and weakness.
Worth the worst heart wrenching pain, loving those who don't love you back.
Worth being separated from His Father (however that worked).
Worth being abandoned by his best friends.
Worth being lashed to near death with sharp whips.
Worth bleeding from His pours from stress.
Worth being tempted in the desert and the Garden of Gethsemane
Worth fasting 40 days in that desert.
Worth a plucked beard.
Worth having His clothes stolen.
Worth being humiliated by a public which had adored him just a week earlier. A public that called for his death.
We are worth the agony of His waiting for us.

How cool is that?! Get excited! That is a lot of worth!

'Been Thinkin

Yeah, I know ... dangerous.

So here's the deal. I am gonna make this blog short and sweet. A one-liner. Ready for it? Here it is:

God Likes You =)

Freewrite #4 Jack Fletcher Series pt.4

IMPORTANT: If you have not read both Freewrites #1,2, and 3, go back and read them first. The order of the freewrites is the by DATE PUBLISHED. They are not in chronological order.

Freewrite #4

Today

The clouds started to part. It had stopped raining. White moonlight shined through, reflecting off of the wet, oily street.

Jack ran down the street., not sure of where he was going. He only knew that must not go with that man, John Fischer, whom he had spoken with almost 3 minutes ago.

Something about the man's voice didn't sit right with Jack.

And what about the man he had punched? He seemed familiar, though Jack didn't know why.

Jack didn't even know if his name really was Jack. It was just a name on a wristband. Jack Fletcher, #431.

The sun would be up in a few hours. He had to get out of sight. A near barefoot man wearing all white would stand out like a sore thumb here.

Speaking of which, where was “here” exactly?

A car could be heard in the distance, gaining on Jack.It was the doctor.

Jack ran hard. The black Honda's headlights were 300 yards away, and gaining. It would only be a couple of seconds now.

Shots rang out. Jack dove to the ground, , not knowing whether this would be a leap towards heaven or a fall to hell. He expected the latter.

Bullets whizzed by on his left and right. The headlights went out.

The bullets stopped.

Jack heard a car reverse and head in the opposite direction. It was the Honda!

Jack had survived!

Jack stood up, white clothes stained black by the wet asphalt. His socks had several new holes in them and his feet had developed a few blisters. Still, he lived! And the car was gone which meant Jack could relax for a moment.

Then Jack remembered what had just happened, why the car had left.

That's when several men emerged from the two alleys ahead where the bullets had flown from.

They closed in on Jack.

Freewrite #3

IMPORTANT: If you have not read both Freewrites #1 and #2, go back and read them first. The order of the freewrites is the by DATE PUBLISHED. They are not in chronological order.

Freewrite #3

Two Weeks Ago

Three men wearing white coats stood outside the room.

The second of the three men held a clipboard.

The third clenched a black and white BIC pen.

The first held nothing.

“When did he come out of it?” said Number One.

“We're not quite sure. He seems to have no recollection of where he is or who he is.” said the second, eyes squinting behind thick, broad rimmed black glasses. He stared at his clipboard.

“The polygraph says he is telling the truth.”

“We figured that there would be memory loss. The question was never 'if,' but 'how much?' Now we know.” said the third, shrugging.

“Still,” said Number One. “We can't be too careful. We have to make sure that this worked or it'll be our heads. Put Thompson in his room. See if he can get anything first. If that doesn't work, schedule a breakout.”

“A breakout? Are you sure? We don't know what kind of condition he is in, what kind of damage he can do.” said the second.

“It's the only way we will know.” said Number One.

A Note about the Freewrites

So, here's the deal:
I write these with the first word or image that pops into my head and go from there. There isn't a story board or much of a general outline. I have a couple ideas about what I want to write, but when I say a couple of ideas, I mean a COUPLE (maybe a Few) of ideas.
Anyhow, I can't tell you exactly where the story is going because, honestly, I don't even know.

My brief disclaimer: Any characters that appear in this story have no relation to anyone in the real world. Names that actually happen to exist in the real world are simply coincidence.

So with that, let 'er roll.

Freewrite #2

IMPORTANT: READ FREEWRITE #1 BEFORE READING #2. THEY ARE IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.

Freewrite #2

The injured man stopped crying and started to stand up.

"Here, let me help you." said Jack, with an outstretched arm, holding the baseball cap in his other hand.

The man spat on the hand. "Crazy lunatic. I Never should have listened to him. " Then the man walked off, opposite the way he had come, as if nothing had happened...

Listened to who?

A phone lying under a covered sidewalk rang. Sounds of Vivaldi's Four Seasons filled the atmosphere, underscoring the rainy weather.

Where did the phone come from?

It must have been that guy's. Strange that it landed on the sidewalk instead of the asphalt.

Jack picked up the phone.

“Who is this?” asked Jack.

“Hello Jack” answered a deep, calm voice. “How have you been? 'Things feeling a bit out of place? That's because they are Jack. Things change with time."

“Time? What do you mean? What are you talking about?” Jack responded.

“Oh? You don't remember? Jack, you've been a patient at the ward for three years. Please, come back and we will sort this all out.” said the voice.

“Ward? I don't remember any ward. Who are you?” said Jack.

“My name is John Fischer. I'm your doctor. And by the look of things you could use my help. You pack quite a punch!” said John, tone and pitch raised.

“I see. You are my doctor, and I am the simple patient who has lost his memory? That's pretty convenient. I will say, you have me on the memory bit. I can't remember a thing. But answer me this ... ” Jack said looking sideways at a black Honda across the street. A man with short, brown hair sat inside on a cellphone.

Jack looked forward.

“What kind of doctor stalks his patient?”

“The kind who cares.” said John, deeper again.

Jack glanced at the car once more. Something was different. Sitting in the passenger seat was a man in a brown fedora. It was him!

“Don't run Jack.” said John

“Run? Why would I run? You're just a doctor, right?” said Jack.

Jack ran.

Freewrite #1

Freewrite #1

Splash! Splash!

Splash Splash!

It was raining. And it was windy. And those were puddles. Puddles make noise. And he didn't want to make noise.

For man-on-the-run Jack Fletcher, this fit right in with his day. It wasn't bad enough that he was being hunted by some deranged killer. A man with blood on his hands. Quite literally.

It had been almost fifteen minutes, just past midnight, since the would-be assassin with the brown fedora had cornered him in a dark alley behind Jim's Pizza and Eatery.

Why was he chasing him? What had he done now?

This day made no sense. Neither did the white jumpsuit he was wearing or the fact that he was only wearing white socks.

Why can't I remember anything, thought Jack.

Pulling a memory over two weeks old from his brain was like wrestling a pit-bull from a raw, sirloin steak.

Forget it. 'Can't worry about that now. Stay focused Jack and we'll see if we can't keep you alive another day.

Jack rounded a blind corner. A perfect place to get the upper-hand.

Wait for it Jack. Wait for it.

Splash! Splash!

Here he comes. One more second.

A rounded head wearing a brown fedora peaked its head out of the corner.

Slam!

Knuckled flesh struck a glass jaw. A left hook connected with the man's nose. The fedora went flying.

The man hit the ground. Out cold. But that didn't stop the blood from gushing out of the assassin's broken nose.

Jack followed the blood as it mixed with rainwater and flowed downhill, across the street.

Jack stood, bewildered.

Did I just do that?

The man's eyelids cracked open. His mouth followed close behind.

“Ahhhhhh!” screamed the man. Though whether it was a cry of pain or a cry of anger, Jack didn't know.

Tears began to flow down the man's face. His wails grew louder.

No, thought Jack, this is definitely not the sound of anger This man is in pain! Well, serves him right for trying to kill me.

Jack kneeled down to get a closer look at the man who could have been his end. Who would dare try to kill him? Who had the guts? Didn't this guy know who he was?

I wish he did. At least then I might be able to get some answers.

Jack stood still for a second and looked at the man directly in the eyes, and recoiled.

This isn't him! This isn't the same person!

Jack looked over at where the fedora had landed, except it wasn't a fedora. It was a New York Yankees baseball cap.

What is going on? thought Jack.

SKYNET Delayed! End of the world pushed back.

November 7,2027

A soft light glows in the night sky. It circles around the earth in the same pattern that it has for the last three years. Calm. Normal. Not like the earth beneath it. On earth, metallic androids known as " Terminators" have taken over.

It turns out crazy kid and his mom were telling the truth.
Whooda thunk it?
Let's go back a decade or two.






November 7, 2007

In case you all missed it, the UK has delayed the launch of their 3.6 billion pound (the currency, not the weight) military Skynet 5B satellite.
5B was to join its sister satellite, the 5A, which was launched last March.

The satellite system is "designed to give British commanders access to more information, much faster," reported the BBC.

"The spacecraft's[5B] Ariane rocket has developed an electronic problem in one of its solid fuel boosters and will be rolled back to an inspection shed."

Electronic problem? Maybe Judgement Day isn't too far afterall.

The truth is that Skynet has been around for quite sometime. The 60's actually. In any case, I am sure that I one of millions that are making this joke.

Did you know that...?

Did you know that the man with $1 in his bank account and Jesus is more financially stable than the one who has $1 billion and is alone?

See, the man who has Jesus is promised that Jesus will take care of him, while the one without Jesus has no such promise.

So, when that financial crash comes, and it will, the man who had $1 billion will find that in the end he had nothing and was grabbing the wind, while the Christian who trusts in God for his provision will find himself still fed.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Writing about murder- Journaling about journalism

I promised in a twitter message that I would write about my experience on covering my first murder trial.

====Disclaimer====
As this is a journal of my experience, not a news article, you will be reading some of my opinion.
Once again, I am not a lawyer, a judge, or on the jury. This is a story coming from an up-and-coming journalist who is LEARNING. Thus, this article despite my best efforts, may contain an error or two. Treat this like Wikipedia, not the L.A. Times.
Got it? Good.
===============

The night before:
I was in class, stressing out about what I should do for my court article. It had to be on a criminal trial. The teacher was excellent at giving several tips including who I could rely on for information (read: not the court reporter, clerk, or judge. Who is left?) regarding the background of a specific case.

NOTE: I didn't have a clue what I was going to report on last night. So I asked God to help me out.

Morning and Afternoon.

When I went into the court house, everything worked out PERFECTLY. While going through the metal detector, I asked an Sheriff's department officer if he knew of interesting cases today. He said that there was going to be something going on in A-5 at 11. A CLUE!
So I went to A-5 around 10-1030. The judge was hearing several cases.
I approached the baliff's in the room and asked for more information, which they provided.
I also was able to talk to one of the detectives in charge of the investigation. He was also a witness.
I obtained contact info from both the prosecutor and the defense to obtain a statement later.
It really was like a puzzle. Getting one whispered clue about where I should be at such and such a time or who I should talk to to get specific information.
So, some tips for my fellow freelancers and beginning journalists:

Things I have learned last night and today:
1. Baliffs are your best source for background info.
2. Be careful of how loud you ask certain questions and be aware of your surroundings as you don't know who might me behind you e.g. the defendants family.
3. Remember, ANYTHING said in a courtroom is public and can be legally written about. Use your own discretion.
4. Be Bold. Don't be intimidated. Some people won't like you. Some people will. Please the people is not your job, telling the truth as accurately as possible is.
5. Nevertheless, be sensitive. Having had family in prison for crimes, I can tell you it is important to remember what your words will do to the families left in their wake.

Well that, is about it. 'Til next time

Untitled by the Moment

"Untitled by the moment" Jacob Nahin

Have you ever felt like running away? 

A roller coaster, life, what a trite analogy

but fitting.

Time to start the next stanza,

next thing on the list,

pass the shovel please.

Performance based culture

It sucks

the life out I mean

Life, life, life

running around and 'round and 'round

the merry goes around

or does it?

Penny-less people

and pockets full of cash

both are alike:

eyes look at the ground

Smiles, smiles

tears,tears

these are a few of my favorite things

minus the tears

except when they help

I'm Rich!

Ok, Picture This:

A large diamond. A wall, forget that, a Truck Load, naw, too small, a 60,000 sq. ft HOUSE full of the latest and greatest in fashion and technology designed by the best in the biz. And that is just the start.

A beautiful wife (or husband), just the beginning. A person who is fully and completely all that you have, do, or could ever hope for in a lifetime mate. I mean, this person has it all. Personality, physical-ity (my own word?), Godly, good mom (or dad), the perfect balance to who you are. Yeah. Cool.

Not enough. Now you have the best children. Not always obedient (cause where is the fun in that?), but definitely the best. They run, jump, swim, and play.

Now, maybe the house isn't your style. Maybe you want quaint, small. Maybe you want to be single for life. Maybe you don't want kids
Whatever life looks like in your dreams, wherever your highest imaginations take you, go there for a moment.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Come on back.
The point:
The one who has all of that, and just that, is still a pauper compared to a Christian. Guys, Jesus, this Jesus whom we love so much, He is REAL. I mean REAL REAL, like more real than the bed you are sitting on or the chair you are sitting in, more real than school, more real than the disasters and the blessings of this life. He is real, and He is coming back. Now that IS cool. Man, I love Him.

No cause for love

A couple of days ago, I had a revelation, definitely God inspired.

Love does not have a cause.
More specifically, God's love doesn't have a cause.

Think about it. He has always existed as has His nature. Therefore, Love, a part of His nature, is eternal.

Cool. So what? What this means is that I never caused or did anything for Him to to make Him love me, He just does. Wow. And because I didn't do anything to get Him to love me and desire me in the first place, I can't do anything to make Him stop. Cool.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Walls and Posters and the existence of Something or Someone beyond us.

I'm sure that you have been in a room with a blank wall. I mean totally bare. Not a poster, picture, award, plague, drape, curtain ... you get my point. Just white primer.

Well if you have then there may have been something at the back of your head that asked, "Why isn't there something on this wall?"

At least with me it did. And that led me to this line of questioning:

What is it in us that longs for there to be something to take up that blank space?
Why is it there?
How did it come to be there?
Who or What put it there?
When did it happen?

Why do we desire to create? To design?

OK- So good news can be hard to come by...

...on the Internet. 'Turns out that most legitimate news organizations stick with the term "if it bleeds it leads." That sucks. Who wants to read about death and tragedy all of the time? Apparently a lot of people. I find myself sucked into the paper on a daily basis. I can't even tell ya how many RSS feeds I have.

So, I am going to type some of my own good news and I encourage you to do the same. It helps.

I successfully replaced my second sprinkler valve, 2 days after installing a valve stem in my shower. Both were very edifying with how much I have learned (by God's grace of course) over my 4.5 years at the hardware store.

Second, the IHOP Prayer Room webstream video finally works without crashing IE in Windows Vista! THANK YOU GOD!

Third, and this is of UBER impotance to me, I got to hang out with a pretty cool group of individuals from a new church I started going to recently .Very cool, very loving, very motivated people with a heart for God that I love and adore. Thank yuo God for bringing me to this church! I actually DESIRE to go to church. I don't dread it. I love it. Cool. Here is a shout out to all of yas.

Lastly, though I could go on and on, I am SOO blessed to tell you that my hand(s) are almost back to full, painless strength. Praise you God. I can't even put it into proper words how happy I am about this.

For those that don't know, I was diagnosed with tendonitis, and ended up with it in both hands. For a computer junkie and journalist, this was a real blow to me.Glory to God for healing me and thanks to all of you who prayed for me!

One more thing, if you are saved, Do Not Fear (Joel 2:21), Do Not Fear (22), BE Strong and Courageous (Deuteronomy 31:6), BE Strong and Courageous (Joshua 1:9). Perfect love casts out ALL fear (1 John 1:18), Perfect love casts out ALL fear (1 John 1:18)

iPhone, iPod Touch, Now the Bod-Fi

=

Hopefully that headline has enough buzz words to land me a hit or two.

For those that aren't in touch with the latest and greatest gadgets, Apple just announced an iPod that can do everything that the iPhone can, minus the phone, and for $100 -200 less. Furthermore, Apple has dropped the price of the actual iPhone $200 for their 8gb model, and will be phasing out the 4gb model.

I would provide links. Instead, just go to Engadget.

So, this must really irk those that bought the iPhone on release. 200 dollars less. The good news:you stil have your iPhone and it still does more than the iPod Touch. As for the 200 bucks, that is unfortunately the price of this premium.

On another note:


These days you need a CAT 5 cable running from your veins to keep in touch with all the gadgeting going on. Kinda sucks. Kinda rocks.

Come to think of it, I am a bit outdated. Cat 5 is sooooo 20th century. Instead, why not have wi-fi built directly into the body and a chip with Safari attached to our retinas? I call it Bod-Fi. You heard it here first folks.

Now, lets take a look at that Hit Counter...

Blogging About Nothing to Blog About

Something to blog about. My kingdom for an idea.
And nothing springs to mind.

Here I sit, cruising over the headlines of at least 100 RSS headlines, with nothing that is worthy of note. Horrible.

Sure, there is plenty going on in the world, just nothing worth writing a blog about. Now that is news because those who know me know that I love to talk... alot.

It think I need a focus for my writing. That seems to be what all of the popular blogs advise and do.
I just am having trouble picking. Almost everything out there interests me to some degree. Maybe I should start two blogs like ShawnBlanc.

Naw, I should at least hit 101 total hits before I do that. (I currently have over 90 including my own.)

Something Positive

It's a good idea to say positive things, especially about the goodness of God. Even more so when one is not feeling so good.

So, without further adeu...

Good thing #1: I am able to clearly get IHOP's Audio webcast. Very thankful for this. I find that whenever I am at a prayer/intimacy slump in my relationship with God, He loves to use this cast to bring me back. w00t [wow loot for the non-geeks out there] indeed!

Good thing #2: God has given me a check in my spirit about going to the beach, and confirmed it with not one but two other people sp far. Guess I won't be going. I am so glad that He talks to me. I mean, He doesn't have to y'know. He CHOOSES to... that's just cool and more.

Good thing # 3 (because things have to come in threes): I got to work with Bob today. Y'know I love this guy. What a good heart. The man is a true blessing to me. And Travis. Gosh, I love this guy! Not saved, he truly puts saved people to shame in so many areas, especially his generosity. Like randomly buying me a red Gatorade. Tasty.
And Caleb. Evertime this former co-worker / best friend of mine/ awesome brother of God enters the store, it changes the ENTIRE atmosphere. he carries the presence of God with him wherever he goes.

Good thing #4 (because three is not enough): The lyrics, "Holy,Holy,Holy Open up our eyes to see," straight from the IHOP webcast about 45 seconds ago.

and the thank yous go on and on: Shawn blanc's many many blogs such as The Fight Spot, Randy Bohlender from stuff i think, Jackson Bohlender because the dude is just hilarious and downright honest, Trevor for being a good bud and carrying me through some difficult fires, and so on!

So thank you God for all of them and this.: My hands are working. AMEN AMEN AMEN! w00t! w00t! w00t! Thank you God Amen! Amen! Amen!

People are ready. Its harvest time!

So, here I am, in line at the campus bookstore...boring boring right? Wrong!
I was on my way to the bookstore and I saw a girl in long sleeves. In the summer.
Then I saw another girl, clutching a paper in her hand,crying, and I realized something (or should I say that God opened my eyes): this campus is ripe for the harvest. These people want to be saved. They want God!
God wants broken people folks. Those that know they can't do it on there own. Here they are God. Use me...I'll keep ya posted.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Oops

Y'know,
several days--weeks-- millenia--scratch that last one-- have passed since my last posting. Oops.

The last post I made was (and still is) horrible. It's one big complaint! And not a righteous one.

To sum it up:
I whined that my hand was hurting. Mostly wondering why God hadn't healed it yet.
And then at the end I blamed it on you guys-gals. Not cool. I am sorry. Very sorry.

And to God. I am VERY SORRY. You Lord want rejoicers, not complainers.
So I am sorry. To You Lord, and to those that read/have read my blog.

God bless you all,

In Him and most definitely for Him (and in love with Him!),

Enough is enough

I am tired of powerless Christianity. As I write to you, I type angry, angry that I am still writing one-handed (mostly) when my God is far above everything, full of love and dying to show it.

Y'see, in the Old Testament Abraham was likened to God as His Friend. God listened to Abraham, even when Abraham talked to God in a way that would have had me watching out for lightning bolts. Why? They had a bond, a promise to each other, unbreakable by ANYTHING.
I have that too.

Where am I going with this?

In Acts, everywhere the disciples went, people saw God working, inside and out. Today, people in other counties get healed on the spot. Rarely here.

Imagine for a second: You're on a university campus. There is a paralyzed, mentally disabled boy in a wheel chair. Drool leaks out of the right side of his mouth because that part of his brain has been damaged since birth. Why is he here? Who knows? but you are moved with compassion, the good kind, and you walk over to him and in Jesus name touch him. His head looks up, and he closes mouth. Then, he walks. What if?

I need Him in a way that I never have before. I am desperate for Jesus. I am desperate to know Him in all ways. I am desperate to see broken people walk and broken hearts whole. Guys, we need Him in this way.
No more programs. No more studies of the Word without THE WORD. Just Jesus. Its the Kingdom of God guys. Romans 14 stuff. His love for me, mine for Him. No more, no less. I laugh at anything else.
Please.
Get mad.
Get restless.
And pour out your hearts to Him.
Not later. Now.
Now. Now. Now.
Stop reading this blog
Get up Now and Pray.
I want to write with my left hand again. Soon.

Rules for Changing a Faucet or Toilet Supply Line

Working at a local hardware store teaches one a thing or two: in this case three:

Rule #1. Set aside a minimum of 1-2 hours for the job. This will leave room for any unforeseen circumstances, such as having a valve that has over 20 yrs of corrosion, or that the valve is of the older, aluminum tubing style...in which case it too will need to be replaced. This leads us to Rule #2

Rule #2. Make sure to turn off the valve before unscrewing anything. This may sound obvious...but its not. This is a pressurized line.

Rule #3. It ain't always easy.
Y'see, supply lines come in many threads and many sizes. Pipe thread (known as FIP) and Compression thread (Comp. or C) are the main ones.
In my experience, 1/2FIP x 1/2FIP is the most common supply line for a Delta faucet.

Simon

Man spends 19 yrs in a coma. People have cell phones.

Yesterday, Reuters announced that after having spent 19 yrs. in an accident induced coma, Jan Grzebski is awake.
This guy's wife took care of him, changing his position EVERY HOUR OF EVERY DAY. That is dedication folks.

That got me to thinkin', if a fallen human has that kind of dedication to her spouse, how much more does my perfect God have toward me? Amazing.

A lot has happened in these past 19 yrs:

-The cellular phone rose to popularity, becoming smaller than Smart's Shoephone. Speaking of which, I still want one of those, even though my phone is a 10th of the weight with 10 times as many functions.

- Computers are everywhere.

- Manufacturers now compress fruit into tear-able candies.

Happy Repeat Day!

That's right folks. Another Repeat Day is upon us. "What is Repeat Day," you might ask? Why, its just the most annoying holiday ever. Right next to National Yo-Yo Day.

Here is to another Repeat Day.
Here is to another...ah gosh, I can't do it. Bah humbug to Repeat Day.

I'm more of a National Chocolate Ice Cream Day kind a' guy anyway.

JFK Bomb plot foiled...no one cares

TVs shined and radios roared as news stations pumped the American public with yet another world-about-to-end story. At least that's the angle I gathered from my 2 minutes in front of the brainless box.
Not to undermine the severity of the situation, but it turned out that the JFK Airport "bomb plot" was foiled by The FBI while still in the planning stages. This just propagates fear and ticks me off.
I, personally, am still baffled as to why cable news exists. My former journalism mentor said that 90% of all questions can be answered with one word: Money. Someone somewhere along the line said that math is the universal language.
Advertising=Money. Eight ball, corner pocket.

Advice: Take a break from the TV, at least the news. You'll find yourself more happy and less stressed. Instead, read something wholesome and encouraging.

Thumper riding a rocket

Today at work, my boss's daughter told me that their old WWII jeep had a toon on it...of that lovable rabbit Thumper riding a rocket.
This got me thinking. This picture, this logo represented the person or persons driving it. Risk takers. Maybe men who fired rockets. I don't know. But I wonder...
If I had a logo, what would it be?
I honestly don't know.
In the Greek, Logos means word or The Word.
I am going to pull that out of context and have it mean the sum total of who a person is to be. A logo ought to represent where one is going, a goal.
I don't know what mine looks like, and that's ok. God does. I'm hoping that one day it will look like Jesus did carrying his cross.
He's my hero.

How about you?

People and Computers

God gives different gifts to different people.
God has given me the ability to write. And he has revealed to me the deep mysteries of the computer universe.

I understand that many people out there still don't know their monitors from their keyboards. I respect that. I mean, I can't crochet.
I can hardly spell the word.

But when I ran into this cartoon, I chuckled.

TTYL All,

Simon Limerick

Klorel, A Goa'uld and a High School Graduate

Klorel is the name of a very dead slug that was a bad guy on that sci-fi hit, Stargate SG-1.
It is also the AIM name of a guy I know who is graduating high school.
Yippe-yay.
Welcome to at least four more years of schooling buddy. From one prison to the next.

Anyhow, he said I need more posts for him to plug my blog.

Spread the word Klorel. or I will sic my dog on you.

Note to all: Fresh Carrots from Deutschland have arrived.

If you want to be Spiderman... here are the rules:

So, I was sitting down in my journalism class. I'd 'just seen Spiderman 3. That web-swinging blockbuster hit the pavement. Splat. And made money. Anyhow, now there is an opening.

Here are some requirements to consider before applying for the job:

By Simon Limerick

1. You may have superpowers, but you will never be normal again.

2. You can never settle down.

3. You will always feel the responsibility to help people

4. People you know and love may meet unfortunate ends.

5. Just because you have spider powers doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want. Like your uncle said, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

6. Every girl you ever date will be kidnapped by your arch nemesis.
   

7. Your list of enemies will grow exponentially with every bad guy you take down. The job will never be finished, only delayed.

8. In the end, the people you are trying to save may hate you for it.

9. Likewise, they may also love you for it. It’s a love-hate relationship.

10. You won’t get a dime for risking your neck day-after-day. Heroism is its own reward.

11. On second thought, you will get a reward. More bad guys. See Rule 7.

12. When your costume gets ripped, you have to sew it. When you get punched, you have to treat it. ‘Can’t let just anyone know who you are now can you?

13. Your costume must have colors, bright reds and eye-catching blues. Camouflage would make life too easy.

14. You can spin webs, but don’t let the city catch you doing it. That’s abandonment of personal property and littering.

15. You are a vigilante and vigilantism is illegal. Don’t be surprised if the cop you pushed out of harms way slaps the cuffs on your wrists.

16. You can’t break those cuffs. If you do, that’s illegal... and you’re the good guy. See where this is going?

17. If you jump into a burning building and save a woman, but leave her dog behind, the newspaper WILL call you a dog killer.

18. If you come across a black costume that regenerates itself, you absolutely, positively, MUST wear it, simply because its better for combat. See Rules 12 and 13.

19. However, if you wear it you will go from loveable nerd to arrogant jerk faster than a speeding bullet. Which brings us to the next rule.

20. You are not bullet proof. That’s some other guy. You do have spider-sense though so if bullets happen to fly your way move, think fast.

21. Remember what we were saying about bad guys? Yeah… every couple of years a really,really big one is going to come (we’ll call them supervillains). He or she could have anything, from oddly shaped explosives to big mechanical arms.Weird? Yes, but this is the life you have chosen.

22. The supervillain will probably be mentally unstable, psychotic, and prone to going off on long monologues about why you are the real bad guy. To top it all off, he will probably find out your secret identity and attempt to kill the ones you love. See Rule 6

23. Good news! You don’t have to wear glasses!

24. Bad news. You can’t go to a normal doctor. Why? If they decide to take your blood, they’ll notice that it isn’t entirely human…then the secret’s out.
25. To top it all off, as Spiderman, you don't have a steady job. Enjoy.