Holy Megachurches Batman
Dec 27, 2006 Uncategorized
.:mood:. Tiny
.:itunes:. Crawling In The Dark by Hoobastank
And I thought our 45,000 square foot addition was big!
I just read that Southeast Christian Church will have 1 Million Square Foot Building!
That, my friends, defines “mega.” Here’s a link to Southeast’s website.
Steve and Kim
Dec 27, 2006 Uncategorized
.:mood:. Chill
.:itunes:. Worldwide by Adam Again
I did a wedding for some friends (Steve and Kim) earlier this year. They wanted me to hang out so they could have a picture with me. When I walked to the stage, they said, “Now look serious.”
I did.
They snapped a picture.
I said, “that’s it?”
They said, “that’s exactly what we wanted.”
Okey Dokey.
The picture just came in. The happiest wedding picture ever.
Threes
Dec 27, 2006 Uncategorized
.:mood:. Thinking
.:itunes:. My Stupid Mouth by John Mayer
A few weeks ago, when Peter Boyle died, I remember hearing someone say on the radio, “Well, that’s one. There will be two more before the end of the year.” I don’t know why that struck in my head, but he was right:
Happy New Year, South Korea!
Dec 26, 2006 Uncategorized
.:mood:. Chill
.:itunes:. Terminator X by Public Enemy
Check out this news story from Reuters.com:
The South Korean government is handing out gifts for office workers who promise not to visit brothels this holiday season.
“If you promise yourself to make it a healthy night out at the end of the year, and if you recommend this to others, we are giving lots of prizes,” the Ministry of Gender Equality said in an Internet posting.
The ministry is offering to pay companies whose employees pledge not to buy sex after what are typically alcohol-soaked, year-end parties.
Xmas Porn
Dec 24, 2006 Uncategorized
.:mood:. Inspired
.:itunes:. Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus
Just read an amazing article on Xmas and Porn. Take the time to read it now on THEOOZE.
Here are a few excerpts, with the emphasis being mine.
Christmas is never the same until you have children of your own. Christmas of 2006 will be the 11th year we, as a family with children, celebrate Christmas. But this year, like last year, I’m not looking forward to it at all. In fact, I’m dreading it.
I know why that is: Ultimately, I’m teaching my children the value of porn. Yes, that’s right, porn, as in pornography. Not the culture of porn, and definitely not the imagery of porn, but the philosophy of it. The philosophy of porn teaches us the quick fix. It teaches us near instant gratification. It offers us something we all legitimately desire and crave, and hope and long for. But offers something shallow and hollow. I like what society thinks porn should be. It’s supposed to be fun and exciting, and alive and pleasurable. It supposed to simply be the celebration of normal human sexuality. Sexuality is a normal aspect of being human and we enjoy it within our marriages – it is supposed to be harmless. No one really gets hurt. But why does porn leave me empty? What’s missing? Porn is really a bait-and-switch sales tactic. Porn’s selling you one thing, but delivering you something else.
One kind of Christmas teaches our children and us materialism. And the fat ol’ jolly elf names Santa Clause – who Coca-Cola Ltd. played in big hand in creating and establishing – only adds to this frenzy. But, I say to myself, that’s only one kind of Xmas – that is only the secular, commercial-driven materialistic kind of Xmas. This kind of Xmas is so akin to porn that I have to start teaching my children otherwise.Another kind of Xmas is attempting to connect with the religious facet of it. “The real meaning of Xmas”, as some say. “Jesus: He’s the reason for the season”, and cute catchphrases like that. Of course it’s all true, but sometimes it sounds like a formulated marketing scheme, and I’m beginning to wonder if it really is…
The true meaning of Christmas has nothing to do with church. And it doesn’t have to do with giving to the poor. Giving to the poor is about being Christian, not about Christmas day. If you honestly believe Christmas is about giving to the poor, then you’re trying to fulfill some sort of checklist the easy way. And I know this is a cliché, but Christmas is about giving. But it’s not about giving gifts and presents. It’s not about volunteering at the soup-kitchen once a year and serving the poor. It’s about giving ourselves, our time, our relationship, our friendship. And not for just one season of the year! Strangers make the worst people to give these gifts to, because it makes these strangers nothing more than “projects” or receptive objects of our “obligatory” dues. These “gifts” do not come from the heart, they come from some sort of installed sense of obligation. We are attempting to appease our own sense of hollowness – our own senses of guilt. Because deep down inside, we know how miserable and wretched we truly are. Deep down inside we know that no one single day has that kind of magic to cure what ails us. We are fallen, and we damned well know it. To hope and search for this kind of magical cure at XXXmas is looking for love in porn. We will never succeed.
The Best Christmas Gift
Dec 24, 2006 Uncategorized
The Best Christmas Gift
Originally uploaded by Noel Jesse.
Thanks to Andy and Suzie for this amazing gift!
