I found this photo yesterday. I took it at Universal studios back in March of 2007. Then I read this post, Healthy Belonging Makes People Our Priority, today by Kathy and thought, "I'm going to post this picture." So here it is ... … [Read more...]
Saying Goodbye to a Finished Season in Life
February 19, 2012 By 5 Comments
Sitting here with all the windows open is very refreshing. Not quite sure what it is but the air is different this time of year; fresh, inviting and full of reminders that beach days are around the corner. I love living in Florida. I don't love it so much from about July through September. Those three months are like living in a full-time steam room, in hell, but even then ... you can always go to the pool or beach. That is why, while I am moving this week, I will only be moving two miles down the road. Selling my condo was a strictly financially based decision. I praise God that it has sold and things have worked out as they have. … [Read more...]
BrainStorms & ThoughtBolts #21: Gay Marriage, Homosexuality & The Church, Music and More!
February 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment
We lost Whitney at the beginning of the week. Of all the stars who have died this one affected me personally the most. Joe did a *great* job memorializing and honoring her on his blog: As for Houston, I hope and believe she’s absent from the body and present with the Lord. She was raised in church, after all, heiress to a gospel singing legacy and surely familiar with Christ’s promises. I see Him receiving her, judging and rewarding her works, then ushering her in. I also see myself registering, when my gig’s done, for a bass part in the heavenly choir Sister Whitney, eternity’s duly appointed vocal champ, will no doubt be directing … [Read more...]
The Power of One Word to Contextualize and Stevie Nicks
February 17, 2012 By 4 Comments
From "The Edge of Seventeen" (emphasis mine): Just like the wide-winged dove sings a song sounds like she's singin' oooooo.. baby oooo say ooo.... All the Cult of Stevie Nicks members just cringed at the heresy represented in the lyric line above. However, that is how I sang that song literally for decades. Hint for the non Cult of Stevie Nicks members ... it is not "wide" winged dove. Interestingly, a former co-worker corrected me one afternoon as I was playfully butchering the song. With almost tears of laughter (about the whole conversation) in his eyes he sang (emphasis mine): Just like the one-winged dove sings a song sounds like … [Read more...]
Jeff Buchanan and “The Absolutists of Change”
February 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Jeff Buchanan, Executive Vice President of Exodus, writes and excellent post titled The Absolutists of Change: Change is an unavoidable and necessary part of life. Sometimes it may involve the smallest adjustment in our day and other times it might involve a radical transformation. Some people like change and others will do everything in their power to avoid it (and often these two types are married to each other). As it relates to sexual orientation, the term “change” has often been a point of confusion. But does it have to be? Is the problem that there are those who insist that change be defined as an absolute and … [Read more...]
In Christ, My Heart is At Home – Happy Valentines Day from a Single Guy!
February 14, 2012 By 10 Comments
Every year, I like to joke around about how February 14th is the official start to Cupid Hunting Season. This year my good friend David Hernandez drew the awesome cartoon featured in this post. Thank you David! Truth be told. I really like Valentine's Day. I have to play the "let's HUNT Stupid Cupid down!" bit every year to maintain my self-righteous single-man street creds (you can follow the hunt during the 14th via my Twitter and Facebook feeds)... but all in all... Valentine's Day is a cool holiday. Love and romance are beautiful aspects of relational intimacy. In their purest and truest forms they are reflections of a deeply … [Read more...]
BrainStorms & ThoughtBolts #20: Migraines Are Evil
February 11, 2012 By 7 Comments
Evil, Evil, Evil. I haven't done a normal BrainStorms & ThoughtBolts in a while but fully intended on doing one yesterday. Unfortunately I had a literal BrainStorm with tons of PainBolts in the form of a migraine yesterday. It was the third worst migraine I can remember. The other two landed me in the hospital. It started setting in around 11:30 ish am. The problem with my migraines is I do weird things and for some reason, before it fully set in, I decided to change my blog layout ... and didn't finish it (that's why it looked wonky yesterday). The scary part is that I probably abandoned the site changes when I remembered I also … [Read more...]
Mad Max Doesn’t Like to Cuss … but Did … Twice
February 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment
I started following Max Andrew Dubinsky's blog Make it Mad. a few months ago. He was recently attacked (verbally and with spit) by a homeless guy in Los Angeles. He shared what the man said verbatim which included the f* bomb. I will include an extensive quote but it is a long article. Please read his whole post. Now for the quote: I know this isn’t a very Christian thing for me to do or think, but I’ve already said the F word twice in this article so you know how my week’s going. Congratulations if you’re still reading and not already down in the comment section rebuking me. I’ve got a book you might enjoy. It’s called We … [Read more...]
Can a Current Brutal Communist Dictator Go To Heaven? Fidel Castro Hopes So
February 7, 2012 By 3 Comments
From GetReligion's The Last Temptation of Castro (linkage and emphasis theirs except I italicized the quote from Fidel's daughter.): Fidel Castro will be received back into the communion of the Roman Catholic Church during Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the island in March, the Italian press is reporting. If true, this is a remarkable story — and one that has yet to catch the attention of editors this side of the Atlantic. On 1 Feb 2012, La Republicca — [Italy’s second largest circulation daily newspaper, La Republicca follows a center-left political line and is strongly anti-clerical; not anti-Catholic per se but a critic of … [Read more...]
Susan G. Komen is “Crushed” – My Wallet Is Closed
February 6, 2012 By 2 Comments
Everyone is talking about how Planned Parenthood "crushed" The Komen Foundation via an online campaign. They succeeded in getting Komen to cave and start sending money their way again. Many are calling it a Social Media win. Jilly Stanek says this is a clear example of why it is important to have a social media strategy. I completely agree with that. That said, honestly, this situations looks more like online extortion by manipulating masses of people through social networking and the liberally biased media. It's an interesting new twist in the culture war where "friends" devour friends to make a name, or raise money, for themselves. … [Read more...]
