Are Americans Spoiled?
Apr 16, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
.:mood:. Spoiled
.:itunes:. The Show Goes On by Bruce Hornsby & The Range
Are Americans spoiled?
Do Americans like cereal?
In this video, my children and I answer both questions.
What Finger Are You?
Apr 12, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
.:mood:. Thankful
.:itunes:. Sooner Than You Think by New Order
(Via Couch)
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You Are the Thumb |
 You’re unique and flexible. And you defy any category. Mentally strong and agile, you do things your own way. And you do them well. You are a natural leader… but also truly a loner. You inspire many but connect with few. You get along well with: The Middle Finger Stay away from: The Pinky |
Little Ones
Apr 12, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
.:mood:. Mad
.:mashup:. Sweet Whoomp by GNR vs Tag Team
Two stories I have read in the last day or so have broken my heart and made me angry at the same time.
The first is: Father Shows Toddler How To Use AK-47
Pawnshop manager Dan Reese said he never thought he’d see a diaper-clad 2-year-old holding an AK-47.
But that’s exactly what happened inside BJ’s Pawn Shop on the Westbank, Reese said.
The toddler’s father gave him the gun and proceeded to show the child how to hold, load and operate it.
Click here to find out more!“He’s telling the boy, ‘This is how you hold it, like this. Anybody in front of you, you can mow them down. Kill everybody, soldier, because daddy’s going to buy you this chopper,’ repeating it over and over,” Reese said.
The second is a bunch of stats Kim pointed out:
Children’s Exposure to Pornography
* Average age of first Internet exposure to pornography ~11 years old
* Largest consumer of Internet pornography ~12-17 age group
* 15-17 year olds having multiple hard-core exposures ~80%
* 8-16 year olds having viewed porn online ~90% (most while doing homework)
* 7-17 year olds who would freely give out home address ~29%
* 7-17 year olds who would freely give out email address ~14%
* Children’s characters linked to thousands of porn links ~26 (including Pokeman and Action Man
For some reason, this verse kept running through my head.
Matthew 18:6
But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.
I like Jesus.
Daily Jeezit Podcast: Growing Up Christian
Apr 11, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
.:mood:. Good
.:mashup:. St Jimmy The Prankster by Green Day
{UPDATE: I uploaded a new version of the video and audio, so it should work now.]
In this dealio, I respond to this question:
Hey Noel-
So, I have a question.
I was brought up with about a year of Sunday School under my belt in regards to Christianity in our home. After that, my dad, who I looked up to as being a completely reasonable and rational person, would sometimes voice his stance of being an atheist. I feel as though my looking up to him, in addition to there being no Christian influences at the time, completely shaped how I personally viewed religion as I grew up. It wasn’t until I got out of the house and had some significant life experiences that I started reconsidering my own views on religion. However, it was only when I started to consider there being a balance among logic, emotion and faith in the core of Christianity that I truly opened my heart to God.
Now onto that question…
How do you feel that your “religious upbringing” has impacted your own approach to Christianity? If at all, for that matter.
Here’s the video, as always the audio links are at the bottom of the post:
Growing Up Christian [9:28m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
My Peculiar Aristocratic Title
Apr 9, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
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My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Count-Palatine Noel the Euphonious of Lower Slaughter Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title |
Quote of the Day
Apr 9, 2007 Quotes
.:mood:. Laughing
.:itunes:. Out Here All Night by Damone
(via the-firehead.com)
Two things worth remembering:
Today almost 2000 years ago, Jesus rose from the dead, defeating death and providing freedom from sin.
And also, be careful, because the Easter Bunny is on the hunt.
-Sean White
Sex Trafficking
Apr 9, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
.:mood:. Sad
.:itunes:. God Of Creation by David Crower Band
My heart continues to break every time I read about human trafficking, especially the sex trafficking of children. But I keep reading about it because I want to know about human atrocity. It’s why I do what I do.
Here’s an article in BBC about a sex trafficker in the Philippines. (via Protest4 )
Over the years, the chairman has worked his way up, from trainee field recruiter, to running individual brothels, and now to overseeing an entire network – an underworld association, he calls it. Hence his official title.
He agrees to show me round his patch. A maze of dark crowded alleys, throbbing with karaoke music. Young girls hover inside the bars – some smiling, some not.
Stephanie in a Manila slum
Stephanie, 14, says she was trafficked away from Manila to work in a brothel
It is late evening by the time we walk through the slum. Actually it is more like a jog. The chairman is worried my unexplained presence could attract the attention of rival gangs. So we leave within minutes.I do not get a chance to talk to any of his employees. But I have already seen plenty of victims at a safe-house in Manila.
Some had managed to run away, a few had been rescued by the police.
I met one girl who was 11. And another 14-year-old who believed she had been hired as a waitress, but ended up being raped by a Korean tourist who had paid for sex with a virgin.
The victims hardly ever press charges. They are either too scared, or they have been paid off, or both.
Peeps
Apr 8, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
There are a few Easter traditions in the Heikkinen family. Two of which are:
1) Kite joining us as a family member for the day.
2) Peeps
I hate Peeps. They taste gross.
So every year my mom buys us lots and lots of Peeps.
And every year I microwave them.
This year, she bought three different colors and I wanted to know what they would look like all microwaved together. My mom (Tata) on the other hand, did not. So we kindly waited until we got home and the kids microwaved them in her honor.
This video is for you, mom.
Happy Easter!
Easter Service
Apr 8, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
This weekend’s Easter services at Riverview had a unique musical treat for our church: a choir.
That’s right: a choir.
Add to that two guitars, a bass, a drum kit, some Brazilian drums, a cello, and a mandolin and you’ve got…well…something. It was actually really really good. I felt like so many brought their “A-Game” this weekend.
Even without half of his voice, Dan did a great job leading the music.
Steve also bridged the right and left brain for his message by talking both about the evidence for the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus as well as hitting on why that matters for us in a very creative way.
Every service except one (MSU Hockey killed our 8ish on Saturday) were packed out, even with all the college students out of town. I’m hoping a lot of the first-timers will be back next week.
Brett Maxwell took a great picture of the service. Click on it for a big copy.
In the Paper
Apr 8, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
I’m in the paper today. Oddly, it’s in an article on the Eastern Orthodox Church. Here’s part of the article:
According to a recent report on church growth released by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, congregations that use contemporary worship styles are more likely to grow.
That’s something Pastor Noel Heikkinen has seen at Riverview Church in Holt, a congregation that has gone from 240 members to more than 2,000 in the past six years.
Riverview’s services are very contemporary. The atmosphere is casual. The bands that play on Sundays range in style from praise music to punk rock and more.
“As the culture around us changes, we change to not only connect with the style of that culture,” he said, “but also to try to answer the questions that culture is asking.”
