weed

Took this shot with my iphone "shake it" application at the beach in California. This weed, with the foggy ocean as a background, really captured my attention. I could have stayed shooting it for another hour except my friends just didn't "get" how mysterious these shots would be. There was something beautiful in the shapes and the "feel" of the landscapes as the fog covered most of it.

U2 livestreaming concert

U2 Live Stream

From a technical perspective, this is the most exciting thing ever! Perhaps up to a billion people across the planet watching one band live in concert.
Amazing times we're living in!

Did you watch?
Why or why not?

tale of 2 churches

Trying to decide which of 2 churches to call "home".

I feel a connection to both and both have some great features to them.
One has a pastor with over 35 years of bible teaching. he does a great job of explaining the story of the bible and I love listening to him.

The other, a distance away, has only a couple years of pastoring, but he's got a generous spirit that amazes me every time I'm around him.

The first guy's church is local, vibrant and welcoming. They make a real effort to speak words of kindness and optomisim. The second guy's group seems to have a spirit about them of judgementalism and cynisism about each other. Guy A's group likes to hang out with each other, whereas the other group seems to have a bad habit of talking behind each other's backs.

I have lots of stuff in common with the first group and nothing in common with the second.

My heart feels like being with the first group. My head tells me to go with the second.

Hard decision

100 Best Logo Tutorials

100 Best Logo Tutorials

ht:Ross Hagen

Ooze tv interview with Diana Butler Bass

I'm currently reading a book by Justo Gonzalez called The Story of Christianity. It's pretty light weight, just barely introducing themes and characters before moving on to the next topic. But, it has reawaked my interest in the subject. I was a religious studies minor in college and quite enjoyed my history classes in particular.

Just watched TheOOZE.TV interview with Diana Butler Bass. She has a new book out called The People's History of Christianity. It looks like a pretty good easy read as well so I'm going to check it out. I enjoyed the interview and look forward to checking out the book.

Loony Bin Art

Just ran across this site and love the art she does here.

Loony Bin Art

Enjoy!!


ht:Naked Pastor

Change

For the last several months, my life has been full of change. Change of attitude, change of beliefs, change of direction and change of behavior.
It's an odd thing really because it's not always dramatic or easily seen on the outside. But inside, almost every step has been taken with fear. Not really fear of the step itself, but fear of the step after that. If I go visit someone at the hospital today...what am I going to have to do tomorrow? Visit someone at prision?
Then what??

I've been praying alot (another change) lately about just where my career should go and where my life should go. I think the answer is just to do the next thing...just be faithful to the thing that comes up next and do that. Eventually, I'll sort out what the path was.

I think this gapingvoid cartoon describes it pretty well though it's sometimes hard to remember.

Quotable Quotes

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy." Dale Carnegie


This has become my motto as I start the process of looking for work again.
The last year has been full of so many changes in my attitude towards money, my role as a contributor to a community and learing to trust other people and I guess ultimately God for my provision.
Although I would love to be working in the non-profit field in some form, I don't think the timing for me is right. There's some ways that I think my income can go further and do more good if I'm contributing to some other people's lives with it.
It's not about tithing, but about being a contributing member of a community that I'd come to understand is important.

I feel motivated this time, not just by the fear of becoming skint, but also by a desire to make an impact in the world through not only volunteer time, but monetarily as well.

Before, I was motivated by always trying to move up in my career. Take on harder and harder roles to prove myself somehow. Now, I just want to work, make money and pour it back into the groups I support. Kingdom economics I suppose some would say...

Box

This cracked me up because I know so many people like this.
found here: Naked Pastor

Pray for Baby Seth

Please pray for 5 month old Seth, child of my friends Oden and Sam Fong.
Seth is having problems with his liver and needs a liver transplant.
You can find out more about his story here at his mom's blog here.