Today was upside down in almost every way.
First off, I ran Grayson to the Loux Academy for Hopeful Homeschoolers, then returned home where Jackson was waiting for his carpool ride to school. At fifteen minutes past the appointed time, I called the other dad in the carpool. I heard panick in his voice. "Uh, we forgot to tell you - we're on our way out of town!" What he didn't realize was that it didn't matter because it was our turn to drive and we spaced it out....
I jumped in the Montero and hauled Jackson to school (30 min one way), where he later aced his 160 word vocab test. Whooohooo Jackson!
Kelsey and I are teaching the Omega material to the Simeon Company internship. Today was her turn to teach, which translates into my day to cover the kids. While she went to IHOP to finish studying and teach, I installed curtain rods and juggled Zoe.
She returned home at noon and I left for IHOP. When I arrived, I realized I'd left my backpack leaning against the dining room wall...with all my work and my powerbook. Back to the house, then back to IHOP
The afteroon was a series of short meetings and then the 4-6pm intercession meeting. Immediately after that meeting ended, I bolted down the sidewalk to the Seminar Room, where I'm helping the good Reverend Mills critique sermons as preached by the junior associate preaching class. (OK, honestly, I don't remember what the class is called. All I know is that they preach and we tell'm what worked and what didn't."
I arrived home about 8:30pm to a house full of people (Kelsey was hosting a meeting)...I'm starving because I had no dinner, and all I can see in obvious range is a bowl of M&Ms.
I'm hoping tomorrow's a little more normative....
1.30.2007
In the News....
Prozac. For a cat.
Nothing that I could add right now seems appropriate, but feel free to talk amongst yourselves about this.
They discovered Stonehedge Acres.
Apparently there are remains of a town near the site of Stonehendge. What tipped them off was a cave drawing of the Starbucks logo and a receipt from Home Depot.
Think you're a savant?
Probably not, unless you can match this dude. A fascinating article about one man's brain power.
Nothing that I could add right now seems appropriate, but feel free to talk amongst yourselves about this.
They discovered Stonehedge Acres.
Apparently there are remains of a town near the site of Stonehendge. What tipped them off was a cave drawing of the Starbucks logo and a receipt from Home Depot.
Think you're a savant?
Probably not, unless you can match this dude. A fascinating article about one man's brain power.
edit: Ok, if you're jammed for time and can only check out one link, investigate the third one. This guy is unbelievable. While seeming very normal, he learned Icelandic in a week. He sees numbers as colors and shapes ("281 is rather ugly....") and recites pi to the 22,000th decimal. Watch the imbedded video if you can - unless you're in the prayer room (Steeno!).
resonant or dessonant
This morning, I find myself stuck in scripture again. The Word's really not a bad place to be stuck, because if you're hung on a verse, you're not spinning your wheels - chances are there is something there for you.
Proverbs 1:20-23 is a warning against rejecting wisdom. It goes so far as to say that Wisdom calls out aloud in the streets, raising her voice against the din of noise that is everyday life. In other words, Wisdom is out there. It's not silent. It's screaming.
And we regularly miss it.
I read verse 23 specifically in a hushed voice...from God to His people, in a sober, you need to know this tone.
"If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you..."
Here's the deal: I don't want to find myself at the end of my days having missed the voice of God, particularly if He was calling out in the streets as I wandered through life. Think about it - the Voice is there. What's stopping us from responding?
I think a large part of it is too much ambient noise. How busy - or distracted - are we that the Voice of God calling in the street is barely heard over all of the other voices...and I don't even think it has as much to do with the volume of the other voices as it does the sound they omit.
If we were honest, we'd have to admit that much of the sound we tune into is not in resonance with the Voice of Wisdom. Rather, we seem to be drawn to the dissonant voices...the voices omitting wavelengths that actually counter the Voice of Wisdom in our lives.
You can only hear and process so much. Do you want to hear the Voice so badly that you're willing to shut out some of the dissonance?
Many will say "I listen to a fair amount of dissonant voices right now, and I manage to hear Him pretty well." And perhaps you do hear Him pretty well, better than most, better than me....but could you hear Him better? And are you really measuring your ability to hear and respond to Him based on the success or failure of those around you? That does make it easier....all you need to do is surround yourself with semi-failures and you feel pretty good about your ability to hear.
"If you had responded to my rebuke...." says the Lord. Not "if you had figured it out...if you had only known....." or "if I had only spoken up..." but "I made it clear, and you weren't listening."
That's a hard thing to live with. It's a horrible thing to die with.
----
This train of thought built up steam in the scripture I was reading as well as this good post by Zach.
Any time someone starts asking honest questions about entertainment, all sorts of bells and whistles go off. Those making an honest attempt to silence the dissonant voices in their own lives are quickly warned against legalism, because in our western culture, choice is king. Hmmm. Perhaps there's another post in that thought alone.
Proverbs 1:20-23 is a warning against rejecting wisdom. It goes so far as to say that Wisdom calls out aloud in the streets, raising her voice against the din of noise that is everyday life. In other words, Wisdom is out there. It's not silent. It's screaming.
And we regularly miss it.
I read verse 23 specifically in a hushed voice...from God to His people, in a sober, you need to know this tone.
"If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you..."
Here's the deal: I don't want to find myself at the end of my days having missed the voice of God, particularly if He was calling out in the streets as I wandered through life. Think about it - the Voice is there. What's stopping us from responding?
I think a large part of it is too much ambient noise. How busy - or distracted - are we that the Voice of God calling in the street is barely heard over all of the other voices...and I don't even think it has as much to do with the volume of the other voices as it does the sound they omit.
If we were honest, we'd have to admit that much of the sound we tune into is not in resonance with the Voice of Wisdom. Rather, we seem to be drawn to the dissonant voices...the voices omitting wavelengths that actually counter the Voice of Wisdom in our lives.
You can only hear and process so much. Do you want to hear the Voice so badly that you're willing to shut out some of the dissonance?
Many will say "I listen to a fair amount of dissonant voices right now, and I manage to hear Him pretty well." And perhaps you do hear Him pretty well, better than most, better than me....but could you hear Him better? And are you really measuring your ability to hear and respond to Him based on the success or failure of those around you? That does make it easier....all you need to do is surround yourself with semi-failures and you feel pretty good about your ability to hear.
"If you had responded to my rebuke...." says the Lord. Not "if you had figured it out...if you had only known....." or "if I had only spoken up..." but "I made it clear, and you weren't listening."
That's a hard thing to live with. It's a horrible thing to die with.
----
This train of thought built up steam in the scripture I was reading as well as this good post by Zach.
Any time someone starts asking honest questions about entertainment, all sorts of bells and whistles go off. Those making an honest attempt to silence the dissonant voices in their own lives are quickly warned against legalism, because in our western culture, choice is king. Hmmm. Perhaps there's another post in that thought alone.
1.29.2007
A Phrase is Coined...
Perma-Pigs: (noun) The state of a 4 month old girl's hair to remain in the pig-tail formation hours after the actual pig tail rubber bands have been removed.
Peace through Vandalism?
We spent the better part of 2005 praying in Washington, DC. Each day, we spent an hour or more praying at the base of the steps of the Supreme Court. The US Capitol building was across the street, directly behind us as we faced the Court...and it was like a freaking Fort Knox.
The Court Security had rules....while people wandered up and down the stairs at will to enter the building, take pictures, etc., we were told that as protesters we had to stand at the bottom of the stairs....and it was strictly enforced. Periodically, we'd have a newbie join us who would plop their backpack on the first step. Court Security would be there in less than a minute, reminding us to stay off the steps. Fair enough. We weren't there to disrupt proceedings....we were just praying.
Once in a while, as we stood toes-to-the-bottom-step, an officer would come and pace two feet in front of us while glaring at us. This happened more than you would imagine. In time, we got to know some of them and they responded to us with a little less hostility, but warmth was probably never a word used to describe them.
The Capitol Hill Police were no slouches either. These were men and women in no mood to be messed with. Your reaction to them was "Yes Sir" or "Yes Ma'am" or it was "Watch your head....get in the back of the cruiser." Given their mission and the weird world we live in, I don't blame them.
Having been there, lived that....you can imagine how surprised I was to read that war protesters were allowed to cross the security line and in some cases, spray paint graffiti on Capitol grounds.
The Court Security had rules....while people wandered up and down the stairs at will to enter the building, take pictures, etc., we were told that as protesters we had to stand at the bottom of the stairs....and it was strictly enforced. Periodically, we'd have a newbie join us who would plop their backpack on the first step. Court Security would be there in less than a minute, reminding us to stay off the steps. Fair enough. We weren't there to disrupt proceedings....we were just praying.
Once in a while, as we stood toes-to-the-bottom-step, an officer would come and pace two feet in front of us while glaring at us. This happened more than you would imagine. In time, we got to know some of them and they responded to us with a little less hostility, but warmth was probably never a word used to describe them.
The Capitol Hill Police were no slouches either. These were men and women in no mood to be messed with. Your reaction to them was "Yes Sir" or "Yes Ma'am" or it was "Watch your head....get in the back of the cruiser." Given their mission and the weird world we live in, I don't blame them.
Having been there, lived that....you can imagine how surprised I was to read that war protesters were allowed to cross the security line and in some cases, spray paint graffiti on Capitol grounds. Anti-war protesters were allowed to spray paint on part of thewest front steps of the United States Capitol building after police were ordered to break their security line by their leadership, two sources told The Hill.
In arguably the most tightly secured city in the free world, how did this happen?!?! I'm no conspiracy buff, but someone somewhere had to make a call.
This is just hard to understand. It's no wonder we struggle to hold Iraq when we don't have the wherewithall to secure our own capitol building from Peace Vandals.
1.28.2007
Lucky Duck, part the second
RE: my earlier post about the duck who survived two gunshots and days in the freezer, only to freak the living daylights of the folks when he pulled a Lazurus from the freezer.
Apparently, the duck is at it again.
Apparently, the duck is at it again.
The one-pound female duck stopped breathing Saturday during surgery to repair gunshot damage to one wing, said Noni Beck of the Goose Creek Wildlife Sanctuary.CPR on a duck. Let's just think about that for a bit and see what fits the bill.Veterinarian David Hale revived the bird after several tense moments by performing CPR.
"I started crying, 'She's alive!"' Beck said.
1.27.2007
Early morning at the breakfast bar....
I'm back at my favorite perch this morning, with two cups of Over the Rhine Chuck Roast sitting beside my Powerbook. "Two cups?" you ask. Yes. I poured one for Jackson, who is becoming quite the coffee affectionado, and then realized he's not getting up for 30 more minutes, so....this stuff's too good to pour back.
While it may have seemed hard to believe, our failed election attempt was not all I thought about over the last few days. Far from it. I spent every spare moment I could eek out of my schedule staring at the book of Joel...thinking of the day of solemn assemblies, wholesale repentance and contrition that not only turns the hearts of people but alters the course of history. Little stuff like that.
The early part of Joel 2 describes a calamity. It's a living nightmare of famine and invastion...of a disciplined army tearing through the land and showing no mercy. The Bible says they don't even break ranks. They don't push, they don't shove, they just come like a wave of locusts. If you read through it slowly and project it on to the backdrop of your own life, your own city....it's chilling.
Then God gives us a hint of hope. He suggests we turn to Him with fasting, weeping and mourning....that we quit making a show of religion and make a heart-felt return to Him. Suddenly, He gives us a peek into His real intentions:
Two words in that passage have been dogging me. "Who knows..." Who knows? The God of the universe is laying a course of action for the history of all humanity and He shrugs His shoulders and says "who knows?" as if He were flipping some cosmic coin and catching it in space? His point is not to be vague. His point is to accentuate your role in His relenting. The real what if lies in your response, in your fasting, weeping and mourning.
Some translations use the phrase "Perhaps God." Never have to words been so heavily loaded in all of history. "Perhaps the Lord" is what Jonathan and his armor bearer had to go on when they attacked the Philistine camp (and won....perhaps God, indeed). Facing sure annihilation (Saul's army of 3,000 men were down to two spears. This is not good...). Jonathan and his buddy take one of the spears (odd that no one noticed when half the arsenal disappeared...) and climb up to take a look at the bad guys. Jonathan spurs his friend forward with thoughts of "Perhaps God." It's sort of a spin off of "What's the worst that could happen?" exept they both knew that the worst was already happening, and if God didn't intervene, hiding with the rest of the army wasn't going to be very effective anyway. Note to self: When back against the wall, "Perhaps God" is the best thing you've got going for you.
Another perhaps God comes not from believers, but from the pagan sailors who were carting Jonah far from Ninivah. A storm is raging and they're fearing for their lives. They shake Jonah and shout some of the most chilling words that unbelievers have ever said to the people of God:
What a rude awakening. Not only the "perhaps God...." but the source - the unbelievers, shaking him from his sleep to get him to pray because "perhaps God....". I wonder - if the church does not grab ahold of her role in calling for solemn assemblies - how long will it be before the headlines of the pagan print scream it out...."wake up, Church. Perhaps your God...."
Our directions are clear. Joel in chapter 2, vs 15-17:
Perhaps, indeed.
I'm back at my favorite perch this morning, with two cups of Over the Rhine Chuck Roast sitting beside my Powerbook. "Two cups?" you ask. Yes. I poured one for Jackson, who is becoming quite the coffee affectionado, and then realized he's not getting up for 30 more minutes, so....this stuff's too good to pour back.
While it may have seemed hard to believe, our failed election attempt was not all I thought about over the last few days. Far from it. I spent every spare moment I could eek out of my schedule staring at the book of Joel...thinking of the day of solemn assemblies, wholesale repentance and contrition that not only turns the hearts of people but alters the course of history. Little stuff like that.
The early part of Joel 2 describes a calamity. It's a living nightmare of famine and invastion...of a disciplined army tearing through the land and showing no mercy. The Bible says they don't even break ranks. They don't push, they don't shove, they just come like a wave of locusts. If you read through it slowly and project it on to the backdrop of your own life, your own city....it's chilling.
Then God gives us a hint of hope. He suggests we turn to Him with fasting, weeping and mourning....that we quit making a show of religion and make a heart-felt return to Him. Suddenly, He gives us a peek into His real intentions:
Joel 2:13,14
So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him-- A grain offering and a drink offering For the Lord your God?
So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him-- A grain offering and a drink offering For the Lord your God?
Two words in that passage have been dogging me. "Who knows..." Who knows? The God of the universe is laying a course of action for the history of all humanity and He shrugs His shoulders and says "who knows?" as if He were flipping some cosmic coin and catching it in space? His point is not to be vague. His point is to accentuate your role in His relenting. The real what if lies in your response, in your fasting, weeping and mourning.
Some translations use the phrase "Perhaps God." Never have to words been so heavily loaded in all of history. "Perhaps the Lord" is what Jonathan and his armor bearer had to go on when they attacked the Philistine camp (and won....perhaps God, indeed). Facing sure annihilation (Saul's army of 3,000 men were down to two spears. This is not good...). Jonathan and his buddy take one of the spears (odd that no one noticed when half the arsenal disappeared...) and climb up to take a look at the bad guys. Jonathan spurs his friend forward with thoughts of "Perhaps God." It's sort of a spin off of "What's the worst that could happen?" exept they both knew that the worst was already happening, and if God didn't intervene, hiding with the rest of the army wasn't going to be very effective anyway. Note to self: When back against the wall, "Perhaps God" is the best thing you've got going for you.
Another perhaps God comes not from believers, but from the pagan sailors who were carting Jonah far from Ninivah. A storm is raging and they're fearing for their lives. They shake Jonah and shout some of the most chilling words that unbelievers have ever said to the people of God:
“What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.” (in context)
What a rude awakening. Not only the "perhaps God...." but the source - the unbelievers, shaking him from his sleep to get him to pray because "perhaps God....". I wonder - if the church does not grab ahold of her role in calling for solemn assemblies - how long will it be before the headlines of the pagan print scream it out...."wake up, Church. Perhaps your God...."
Our directions are clear. Joel in chapter 2, vs 15-17:
Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room. Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, Weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, "Spare Your people, O Lord, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, "Where is their God?".
Perhaps, indeed.
1.26.2007
Stick a fork in it.
After an extensive meeting with our expansive staff, Brent and I have decided to call off our bid for the presidential and vice presidential offices. While we still think that we could make a better mess than anyone and that indeed, dumber things have happened, for the sake of our families, we feel it best to pull out of the race now rather than expose them to continual paparazzi coverage while taxing our volunteer base to the point of exhaustion.
At this moment, we would prefer not to talk to the press. For all of you who put up yard signs, pledged your vote or your kidney, or just cheered us on we humbly say thank you, and God bless America.
Regular blogging will now resume.
Brent Responds to the Scandal
Vice Presidential Candidate Brent Steeno has issued a statement regarding yesterday's turn of events.
You may read it here and judge for yourself.
You may read it here and judge for yourself.
1.25.2007
TOP SECRET - INTEROFFICE CAMPAIGN MEMO
Much to our horror, the following memo was leaked to FOX News, MSNBC, and the Food Channel late this evening.
Office of the Presidential Candidate
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Dear Brent,
The past twenty four hours have been a whirlwind in our campaign. Since naming you as my running mate, nearly everything that can go wrong has gone wrong.I cannot adequately express to you how grevious these errors are for our campaign. We have assured our supporters that "Together, we can make a mess." You are apparently subverting the team effort by making a serious mess on your own.
- While making a speech in Detroit, you rented a Kia to get from their airport to the UAW headquarters.
- You referred to Massachussets as "One of those dinky, throw-away states out east."
- When introduced to the former leader of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, you snort-laughed and said "Kofi? You want cream with that?"
If tomorrow does not get better, we shall be forced to publicize the fact that you hired Jono Combrink to do your laundry and failed to withhold his social security. This is the very sort of thing that tanked Zoe Baird's bid for the Supreme Court.
Do not think for a moment that we would not distance ourselves from your nomination and replace you with someone who could successfully complete a 50-states map without having to use Mapquest.
Tomorrow is another day. May it be better than today.
Randy Bohlender
Candidate for President
Press Release 1.25.07
Kansas City, MO Presidential Candidate Randy Bohlender made the following statement on the steps of the Royal Order of the Gun Club international headquarters this morning.
Good morning! It's so wonderful to see so many of our friends gathered with us here this morning...people committed to making a mess like ourselves.
You all know that the road to the White House is a long and bumpy one. There are treacherous curves, high peaks, low valleys, and some really creepy rest stops. No one should travel these roads alone.
You also know that behind every great candidate, there is another individual. This individual works primarily in the background, negotiating with third world potentates, keeping the presidential Caddy waxed, and making crank calls to the Prime Minister of Canada. This individual is the Vice President, and is only one pretzel-choking incident away from the highest office in the land.
Many good names came to mind in discussing a running mate. Good arguments were made for a number of qualified individuals. When the discussion closed, however, one name stood head and shoulders above the rest.
I am proud to name Brent Steeno as my Vice Presidential candidate. Together, we can make a bigger mess than ever.
1.24.2007
It's a Voter Tsunami...
Tomorrow is a big day.
I'll be announcing my choice for a running mate. We have a long road ahead of us but we relish the challenge. Truly...truly, friends - dumber things have happened.
Support for the Bohlender Presidential Campaign continues to roll in like some electoral high tide. I recently landed the Josh Motlong endorsement. Also, pictured here are the West Central Ohio campaign coordinators, Ronni Hall and Eric Wright.
Grab the camera and show off your Bohlender Campaign gear today!
I'll be announcing my choice for a running mate. We have a long road ahead of us but we relish the challenge. Truly...truly, friends - dumber things have happened.Support for the Bohlender Presidential Campaign continues to roll in like some electoral high tide. I recently landed the Josh Motlong endorsement. Also, pictured here are the West Central Ohio campaign coordinators, Ronni Hall and Eric Wright.
Grab the camera and show off your Bohlender Campaign gear today!
We are making a difference!
Just one day after I enter the presidential race:
Friends, we are making a difference! Think of what we can do in a week, a month, or four long years!
Randy Bohlender for President
Together, We Can Make a Mess
WASHINGTON --Senator John F. Kerry plans to announce today that he will not run in the 2008 presidential race, and will instead remain in Congress and seek reelection to his Senate seat next year, according to senior Democratic officials.
Friends, we are making a difference! Think of what we can do in a week, a month, or four long years!
Randy Bohlender for PresidentTogether, We Can Make a Mess
Last Night's Speech by the President
As I'm sure you've read in all the papers, the President delivered his State of the Union address last night.
It was a particularly special evening for me as the President looked directly up at me in the balcony (see photo).
This picture was taken right after I yelled "Play Freebird" and before the Capitol Police asked if I would go outside and talk with them about some things. I thought the police union was going to endorse me but the conversation kind of drifted another direction and I did not think it wise to press them at that time.
The Capitol Rotunda was absolutely crammed with tv crews doing interviews. Two of my political challengers actually ended up hogging most of the time in front of the cameras, so I was relegated to doing interviews with the B list of broadcasting.
In a series of interviews with the Gerlach, Nevada Free Press, the Milton County Junior High Paper, and the US Farm and Hog Report, I was able to stay on message and articulate our platform well. I think our supporters will be pleased and our detractors will be mortified.
Thanks for all your support yesterday as we launched this campaign..and it's still not too late to post a sign on your blog declaring your support.
Some time later today I'll be posting a few more of my novel ideas for running the country. Until then, remember, together we can make a mess.
Randy Bohlender
Candidate for President.
It was a particularly special evening for me as the President looked directly up at me in the balcony (see photo).
This picture was taken right after I yelled "Play Freebird" and before the Capitol Police asked if I would go outside and talk with them about some things. I thought the police union was going to endorse me but the conversation kind of drifted another direction and I did not think it wise to press them at that time.The Capitol Rotunda was absolutely crammed with tv crews doing interviews. Two of my political challengers actually ended up hogging most of the time in front of the cameras, so I was relegated to doing interviews with the B list of broadcasting.
In a series of interviews with the Gerlach, Nevada Free Press, the Milton County Junior High Paper, and the US Farm and Hog Report, I was able to stay on message and articulate our platform well. I think our supporters will be pleased and our detractors will be mortified.
Thanks for all your support yesterday as we launched this campaign..and it's still not too late to post a sign on your blog declaring your support.
Some time later today I'll be posting a few more of my novel ideas for running the country. Until then, remember, together we can make a mess.
Randy Bohlender
Candidate for President.
1.23.2007
Two Late Night Endorsements...
It's been a long day of campaigning, fielding phone calls and talking to the press...but I wanted to give two shout outs before heading to the back of the bus to catch a nap.
Robert Pooley from Gulf Breeze, Florida, is on board with the campaign. He agrees that dumber things have most certainly happened, and obviously looks forward to being in on the next big dumb thing.
My man Adam in Fort Mill is also riding the Randy Train.
Of course, there are naysayers, consumed with the details, constantly pointing out that the campaign exists primarily between my ears, but this proves otherwise. Be of good cheer, supporters. We can do this, friends. Together, we can make a mess.
Robert Pooley from Gulf Breeze, Florida, is on board with the campaign. He agrees that dumber things have most certainly happened, and obviously looks forward to being in on the next big dumb thing.
My man Adam in Fort Mill is also riding the Randy Train.Of course, there are naysayers, consumed with the details, constantly pointing out that the campaign exists primarily between my ears, but this proves otherwise. Be of good cheer, supporters. We can do this, friends. Together, we can make a mess.
Voter's Forum 1.1
Concerned in Texas wrote:
Concerned, that's a great question. And it's great questions by great people like you that make Texas and the surrounding region such a vital part of the way forward for America.
Thanks for your support on the One Alien, One Vote initiative. Please be reminded that this extends to legal aliens only. Actually, an ammendment to the initiative may affect your area in a way that might surprise you.
Amendment 1 states that each state will have the number of resident illegal aliens deducted from it's total legal vote. In other words, if 10,000 people come across the border into your state, you lose 10,000 votes as a sort of penalty for not watching the border closely enough. Our team thinks this will go far towards building bipartisan support for completion of George Bush's "friendship fence".
And as for how big a mess I plan on creating? Well, let's just say I'll do whatever it takes to gum up the works sufficently to allow good citizens like yourselves to live in peace. That's my committment to you, friends.
Thanks for being a part of the conversation, Concerened.
Remember...together, we can make a mess.
Randy Bohlender
Candidate for President
I think your alien voting will go over big here in Texas. I also think someone who is committed to dividing the nation will be a refreshing change from those who have been uniting us for decades now. Please clarify your slogan, how big of a mess are you planning to make and how many groups of five voting felons will it take to clean said mess up in a day?
Concerned, that's a great question. And it's great questions by great people like you that make Texas and the surrounding region such a vital part of the way forward for America.Thanks for your support on the One Alien, One Vote initiative. Please be reminded that this extends to legal aliens only. Actually, an ammendment to the initiative may affect your area in a way that might surprise you.
Amendment 1 states that each state will have the number of resident illegal aliens deducted from it's total legal vote. In other words, if 10,000 people come across the border into your state, you lose 10,000 votes as a sort of penalty for not watching the border closely enough. Our team thinks this will go far towards building bipartisan support for completion of George Bush's "friendship fence".
And as for how big a mess I plan on creating? Well, let's just say I'll do whatever it takes to gum up the works sufficently to allow good citizens like yourselves to live in peace. That's my committment to you, friends.
Thanks for being a part of the conversation, Concerened.
Remember...together, we can make a mess.
Randy Bohlender
Candidate for President
Voter's Forum
Already, questions have started to come in regarding my Presidential campaign (see below). Greg Burnett from Fort Mill, South Carolina asks:
Greg, that's a great question. And it's great questions by great people like you that make Ft. Mill and the surrounding metro area such a vital part of the way forward for America.
I get asked a lot about global warming - am I for it or against it. So often, in fact, that I'm saddened by the black or white nature of the question, because I think we can have it both ways.
I'm for controlled, sustainable regional warming in certain areas of the globe.
For instance, I grew up in North Dakota. It was often -40 degrees F as I rode the school bus. No child should live like that...so in the case of North Dakota, yes, I'm all for regional warming.
On the other hand, I've been to some areas of our great nation that seem quite balmy in the winter and even hot in the summer, yet I hear no plea for global or regional cooling. It's balanced thoughts like those that I'd like to bring to Washington.
Thanks for being a part of the conversation, Greg. Remember...together, we can make a mess.
Randy Bohlender
Candidate for President.
"Are you for or against global warming?"
Greg, that's a great question. And it's great questions by great people like you that make Ft. Mill and the surrounding metro area such a vital part of the way forward for America.I get asked a lot about global warming - am I for it or against it. So often, in fact, that I'm saddened by the black or white nature of the question, because I think we can have it both ways.
I'm for controlled, sustainable regional warming in certain areas of the globe.
For instance, I grew up in North Dakota. It was often -40 degrees F as I rode the school bus. No child should live like that...so in the case of North Dakota, yes, I'm all for regional warming.
On the other hand, I've been to some areas of our great nation that seem quite balmy in the winter and even hot in the summer, yet I hear no plea for global or regional cooling. It's balanced thoughts like those that I'd like to bring to Washington.
Thanks for being a part of the conversation, Greg. Remember...together, we can make a mess.
Randy Bohlender
Candidate for President.
1.22.2007
It's official. I'm in the ring.
I would like to use this opportunity to announce my entry into the race for the presidency of the United States. In recent days, Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama both announced their candidacy. Looking across the political landscape, I realized that I had as good a chance as any, arguably better.
Rather than give you high minded answers to substantial, legitimate questions, allow me to give you a couple of phrases that you'll be hearing from my campaign staff in the months to come.
I'm a divider, not a uniter.
Unity is all the rage right now, what with a Republican White House and Democrat Everything Else in Washington Including the Toll Booth Operators. Both sides are claiming to be eager to work together to move forward. I say baloney. Goverment moving forward is the last thing we want. If elected, I promise four years of gridlock. In many cases, the less government does, the better.
One Alien, One Vote.
In good faith toward our legal aliens, I propose that everyone in this country from another country - at least one we're not at war with - is allowed one vote prior to becoming a US citizen. If they later choose to become a citizen, they need to sit one election out just to be fair. This deal does not apply to illegal aliens, who by nature of the phrase, were illegal before they were alien. I am also open to package voting that allows felons who have lost voting priveliges to vote as a package with other felons, at the rate of 5 felons to one vote, just to keep it interesting.
No Chai Left Behind Act
It is also my intention to enact legislation forbiding coffee houses from reusing the previous day's supplies, guaranteeing your coffee or tea will be both hot AND fresh in the morning.
My name is Randy Bohlender, and I'm running for President. I hope I can count on your vote - or the block vote of you and your friends - in 2008. Together, we can make a mess.
---
Questions from the press will be entertained and perhaps addressed in the comment section. Be sure to state your name and the organization for which you are reporting. Thank you and good night.
1.21.2007
Arbitrary Decision #259
Anonymous comments will no longer be posted. You don't need to sign in to blogger, just sign your name.
Thank you. Back to your lives, citizens.
Thank you. Back to your lives, citizens.
Words in support of discomfort.
I had an online chat with a friend tonight about what it feels like to wrestle through desire, personal calling, and our own preferences. Sometimes, it's hard for us to understand...is this God or my own wiring....but then again, Who wired me?
The conversation led to thoughts of audacity...when is it audacious to presume that you're called to something great? And is there a value to just launching out there in the great unknown?
The whole conversation reminded me of a speaking engagement I had some years back where I shared the bulk of our Burning Man story.
I used it as a metaphor for daring to do things that were a little bit out there beyond the safety zone. Note dust on bald head at left, multiply x10 and add propane and matches to get a bit of the idea. I believe I used the opportunity to espouse audacity and inefficency as core values.
I listened to the message myself last night because I wanted to stir myself in hungering for the prophetic edge that Kelsey and I clung to so desperately back in 2000 as we fasted and prayed regarding attending the Burn and TheCall DC.
I want back on that edge...even as I sense it materializing on the horizon. I may not have my fingers locked into it yet, but I'm reaching, and it's getting nearer. People like us, we were not meant to live in the center. We were destined for the fringe. I'm sensing that we'll be there again very, very soon.
If you want to hear the story, email me and I'll send you a link to the mp3. It was recorded at the Ready, Fire, Aim conference, 2004, at the Dayton Vineyard.
The conversation led to thoughts of audacity...when is it audacious to presume that you're called to something great? And is there a value to just launching out there in the great unknown?
The whole conversation reminded me of a speaking engagement I had some years back where I shared the bulk of our Burning Man story.
I used it as a metaphor for daring to do things that were a little bit out there beyond the safety zone. Note dust on bald head at left, multiply x10 and add propane and matches to get a bit of the idea. I believe I used the opportunity to espouse audacity and inefficency as core values.I listened to the message myself last night because I wanted to stir myself in hungering for the prophetic edge that Kelsey and I clung to so desperately back in 2000 as we fasted and prayed regarding attending the Burn and TheCall DC.
I want back on that edge...even as I sense it materializing on the horizon. I may not have my fingers locked into it yet, but I'm reaching, and it's getting nearer. People like us, we were not meant to live in the center. We were destined for the fringe. I'm sensing that we'll be there again very, very soon.
If you want to hear the story, email me and I'll send you a link to the mp3. It was recorded at the Ready, Fire, Aim conference, 2004, at the Dayton Vineyard.
hmmmm
There is a big difference between a dead duck and a lame duck....but sometimes it's hard to tell the difference. For instance:
A duck in the US state of Florida has survived gunshot wounds and a two-day stint in a refrigerator.
A duck in the US state of Florida has survived gunshot wounds and a two-day stint in a refrigerator.
A hunter shot the duck, wounding it in the wing and leg. Believing the bird was dead, he left it in his fridge at his home in Tallahassee. The hunter's wife got a fright when she opened the fridge and the duck lifted its head, a local veterinarian said.
What I find so interesting is that he presumably shot to kill, but once it survived the onslaught, freezer burn and screaming wife, they send the thing to a vet who patches it up!
The lesson? Never give up if you're a duck, I guess.via Digg.
A Convergence of Good Taste
I got a call a few days ago that a special package had been sent back from Cincinnati via Steve & Lyne Willis...I picked it up today and K-WHAM! It's a doozy....
Feast your eyes, hipsters, on a convergence of good taste. Contents of the package were as follows:
Feast your eyes, hipsters, on a convergence of good taste. Contents of the package were as follows:
- Over The Rhine's new CD, Snow Angel. It's a Christmas CD that I'll be listening to year 'round. All twelve songs have their signature smoky, organic sound, and it's packaged in a trifold case that looks like jewelry. The artwork was all done by my friend, Owen, at Visual Fluency. It's a package to behold. I love the line in the liner notes that says "This music was recorded to be played at magnificant volumes." So shall I play it. Speaking of OTR, pickup a freebie MP3 of theirs right here and play it as intended.
- One pound of Chuck Roast's new Over the Rhine blend. I am drinking it even as I type, which is slowing me down considerably in my typing speed, but I'm happier than I would be without it. The label itself is artwork to behold - a cleverly done character by buddy/artist David Sheldon.
1.20.2007
There's always next year....
We were up and at'm this morning, putting the finishing touches on Gray's Pinewood Derby car.
Late last night we drilled holes underneath and inserted 3/4 oz fishing weights to bring the car right up to the 5 oz racing limit. This made Grayson exceedingly nervous, as he though that we might be cheating. He was greatly releaved to arrive trackside this afternoon to find kids attaching everything from fifty cent pieces to just inserting screws to the sides of their cars to bring them up to racing weight.
When the green flag dropped....uh, well, let's say we learned a lot of things. Even after taking most of Brent Steeno's suggestions, we managed to build a slug. Who knew you could alter the wheel base? Or raise one wheel off the track for decreased friction (I'm still debating the physics of that one, but I will admit there were some very fast 3 wheelers).Fortunately, we had fun...and Gray left saying "Next year, we'll.....". That's the sign of a good sport, and I'm plenty content with that.
1.18.2007
Workation 2007 continues....
Today we seemed to round the far corner and head down the home stretch for Workation - a week of vacation working on our house.
As promised, Bruce showed up and knocked a series of holes in our house where the windows used to be. He also put new windows where the holes were. He finished all but the big triple window in the front room and the results are astounding. First of all, I cannot tell which way the wind is blowing without going outside. It's never been that way before. Second of all, it's freakishly quiet in the house. Apparently the fifty year old windows were not terribly well insulated for sound. He'll finish tomorrow.
I installed two faucets in the hall bath, hung a towel rack and put up a new nickel finished, curved curtain rod. We stayed at a nice hotel a while back that had one and I said "I've gotta get me one of these....". It's makes your shower six inches wider....
We also installed the final light fixture in the kitchen, making our kitchen the brightest and all around funkiest lit kitchen in Kansas City.
When we originally picked out our lighting, we went with some very staid designs. Patti Coltun took one look and said "This is boring. It's for old people. Take it back." Sheepishly, we did...
In taking these shots, I discovered that it's hard to take photos in our kitchen. I'm only showing you two lights; the set above the bar are even funkier (and will match the one in the dining are when I get that finished), but I couldn't seem to get a shot of them. Perhaps Shelley's Kansas City protege might be able to help. :)
Hey, if you want some fun, go to Shelley's new site, enter the portraits section, click galleries, and play "find the ihopers". It's a little like "Where's Waldo", but there are a ton of Waldos. Or just keep hitting reload on the front page until someone you recognize pops up. It's like a slot machine. If two people you recognize (or two people and a horse) pop up, yell Jackpot! (Note - true to form for this blog, the only prize you should expect is the satisfaction you will garner from participating.)
Anyway, I'll throw in one last shot of Zoe before her fans riot on me and then I'm off to bed. Mirrors to hang tomorrow....I'll need to go back to work on Monday to get some rest.
As promised, Bruce showed up and knocked a series of holes in our house where the windows used to be. He also put new windows where the holes were. He finished all but the big triple window in the front room and the results are astounding. First of all, I cannot tell which way the wind is blowing without going outside. It's never been that way before. Second of all, it's freakishly quiet in the house. Apparently the fifty year old windows were not terribly well insulated for sound. He'll finish tomorrow.
I installed two faucets in the hall bath, hung a towel rack and put up a new nickel finished, curved curtain rod. We stayed at a nice hotel a while back that had one and I said "I've gotta get me one of these....". It's makes your shower six inches wider....
We also installed the final light fixture in the kitchen, making our kitchen the brightest and all around funkiest lit kitchen in Kansas City.When we originally picked out our lighting, we went with some very staid designs. Patti Coltun took one look and said "This is boring. It's for old people. Take it back." Sheepishly, we did...
In taking these shots, I discovered that it's hard to take photos in our kitchen. I'm only showing you two lights; the set above the bar are even funkier (and will match the one in the dining are when I get that finished), but I couldn't seem to get a shot of them. Perhaps Shelley's Kansas City protege might be able to help. :)Hey, if you want some fun, go to Shelley's new site, enter the portraits section, click galleries, and play "find the ihopers". It's a little like "Where's Waldo", but there are a ton of Waldos. Or just keep hitting reload on the front page until someone you recognize pops up. It's like a slot machine. If two people you recognize (or two people and a horse) pop up, yell Jackpot! (Note - true to form for this blog, the only prize you should expect is the satisfaction you will garner from participating.)
Anyway, I'll throw in one last shot of Zoe before her fans riot on me and then I'm off to bed. Mirrors to hang tomorrow....I'll need to go back to work on Monday to get some rest.
1.17.2007
It's Practice Night
We cut it. We sanded it. We painted, wheeled and aligned it. Then we graphited the snot out of it and tonight, she's gonna run....
1.16.2007
I grout, therefore, I am
I spent the afternoon at the 'Pot with my new friend, Bruce. We were shopping for windows....thirteen of them, to be exact. We're putting new windows in the house. By that, I mean Bruce is putting new windows in our house, but I got to participate by being there when they rang up the bill.
Bruce moved here from Telluride, Colorado. It is perhaps the first time a rational person has ever done so without extradition being involved. In Telluride, he was a construction superintendent on multi million dollar homes being built by Trust Funders from California. He came to IHOP to pray. He puts in windows and things like that to support his prayer habit. I like Bruce.
This evening, I grouted the tile in the kitchen. If you have never grouted (and you should), it's just a matter of smearing wet sandy junk all over your previously clean tile. There are a few more details, but if you get that much, you get the bulk of it.
Tomorrow morning I'm going to sneak into my office at 6am, make a pot of coffee, and study. We start teaching the Simeon internship the Omega course tomorrow, so I'll teach at 10am and then come home to face my grout mistakes of tonight.
In unrelated thoughts, if you do not subscribe to the Onething Podcast, smack yourself in the head with a hammer. Then subscribe. The recent video podcast (whoohooo - what will they think of next) kicks bigtime. It's a 30 minute worship set from the Onething conference. The production is off the charts - made me proud to be an IHOPer (where at least I know I'm free...).
Around minute 18 of the podcast, the 10k+ people sing/yelling How far will you let me go? How abondon will you let me be? is flat phenomenal, even if I don't know what the heck Hey-a-ya, Hey-a-ya means. The last third of the podcast is Onething at it's best. And of course, you've got His Timness on the guitar, which is always cool. (Shout out to Tim Cone, 21 on Wednesday!).
Bruce moved here from Telluride, Colorado. It is perhaps the first time a rational person has ever done so without extradition being involved. In Telluride, he was a construction superintendent on multi million dollar homes being built by Trust Funders from California. He came to IHOP to pray. He puts in windows and things like that to support his prayer habit. I like Bruce.
This evening, I grouted the tile in the kitchen. If you have never grouted (and you should), it's just a matter of smearing wet sandy junk all over your previously clean tile. There are a few more details, but if you get that much, you get the bulk of it.
Tomorrow morning I'm going to sneak into my office at 6am, make a pot of coffee, and study. We start teaching the Simeon internship the Omega course tomorrow, so I'll teach at 10am and then come home to face my grout mistakes of tonight.
In unrelated thoughts, if you do not subscribe to the Onething Podcast, smack yourself in the head with a hammer. Then subscribe. The recent video podcast (whoohooo - what will they think of next) kicks bigtime. It's a 30 minute worship set from the Onething conference. The production is off the charts - made me proud to be an IHOPer (where at least I know I'm free...).
Around minute 18 of the podcast, the 10k+ people sing/yelling How far will you let me go? How abondon will you let me be? is flat phenomenal, even if I don't know what the heck Hey-a-ya, Hey-a-ya means. The last third of the podcast is Onething at it's best. And of course, you've got His Timness on the guitar, which is always cool. (Shout out to Tim Cone, 21 on Wednesday!).
It's easier to criticize than to create.
Recently I ran across a film produced by teaching pastor Francis Chan of Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, California. Chan has developed a fifteen minute basic presentation of Jesus' message for newbies in a conversational style.
In the film, entitled "Stop and Think", he carries his surfboard toward the beach and talks to the camera. He does not reference scripture by chapter and verse, although he paraphrases quite a bit. He talks about God's laws and how we all fall woefully short. He talks about God's pain upon seeing His Son mercilessly crucified. He talks about God looking to humanity searching for a bride for His Son. And Chan is getting the smackdown for it.
There are a host of bloggers who are frying him for his weak presentation of the gospel. They're accusing him of watering it down, not telling the whole story of propitiation and substitution. They're blasting him for neglecting to mention the exclusivity of the Gospel as opposed to other world religions.
I have never heard of Chan before this morning, but it was a quite moment in our house so I watched the whole film. I think it's ok. Actually, it's beautifully shot against the California coastline. I do think it's a little weird that he carries his surfboard for fifteen minutes and takes forever to get close to the water....but other than that, I think the guy has produced a helpful tool. Not the whole shebang, but a great tool. I cannot fathom why people are putting so much energy into bashing this guy.
Did I mention the film was only fifteen minutes long? Or that Chan thinks of this more as a starting point than a full theological presentation of the Gospel? Or that the critics are just blogging?
I think I'm going to refer to it as 'just blogging' from now on...because until you're creating something better, all you can do is blog.
In the film, entitled "Stop and Think", he carries his surfboard toward the beach and talks to the camera. He does not reference scripture by chapter and verse, although he paraphrases quite a bit. He talks about God's laws and how we all fall woefully short. He talks about God's pain upon seeing His Son mercilessly crucified. He talks about God looking to humanity searching for a bride for His Son. And Chan is getting the smackdown for it.
There are a host of bloggers who are frying him for his weak presentation of the gospel. They're accusing him of watering it down, not telling the whole story of propitiation and substitution. They're blasting him for neglecting to mention the exclusivity of the Gospel as opposed to other world religions.
I have never heard of Chan before this morning, but it was a quite moment in our house so I watched the whole film. I think it's ok. Actually, it's beautifully shot against the California coastline. I do think it's a little weird that he carries his surfboard for fifteen minutes and takes forever to get close to the water....but other than that, I think the guy has produced a helpful tool. Not the whole shebang, but a great tool. I cannot fathom why people are putting so much energy into bashing this guy.
Did I mention the film was only fifteen minutes long? Or that Chan thinks of this more as a starting point than a full theological presentation of the Gospel? Or that the critics are just blogging?
I think I'm going to refer to it as 'just blogging' from now on...because until you're creating something better, all you can do is blog.
1.15.2007
Stand on it, Grandpa!
James Hylton is 72 years old...and he's hoping to qualify for the Daytona 500. He's already there practicing...running laps at 181 mph, but it's 4 mph off the pack so it doesn't look good.Check out this story - you've got to cheer for the guy, driving a battered old car on someone else's nickle in hopes of making it to the big race. Note that he first raced in the 500 back in 1966.
About sixty drivers are competing for 43 slots. I seriously hope he makes it. I also hope that if he qualifies, he doesn't drive the whole 500 miles with the blinker on.
A Shout Out for the Cause...
I drove the Jack and Eddie Bauer edition Suburban to the airport this afternoon to pick up our good friend Paul Amabile. Paul, Cheryl and their six children were a part of our trek to DC in January of 2005. We shared living quarters - often close, close quarters! - for nine months and in general caused much mayhem on Capitol Hill together. Together, we prayed for hours, ate a ton of Cosi bread, argued Starbucks vs. Duncan Donuts, and wracked up hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars in parking tickets.
Amabile's stayed in DC when we returned to KC, and have been there since, save for a one month assignment in Boston (their home turf) and another in South Dakota. They are now moving to Ft. Mill, SC to continue their involvement with Lou Engle's ministry.
Paul flew in this morning to rent a truck, gather the rest of their belongings, and truck them back to Ft. Mill. His trip was perfectly timed for the lousy winter weather. He is hauling their stuff to the first house they will solely occupy since January of 2005. Think about that for a second...for the first time in two years, they will be able to shut the door.
Slam it, Paul! Slam it! You deserve it!
Amabile's stayed in DC when we returned to KC, and have been there since, save for a one month assignment in Boston (their home turf) and another in South Dakota. They are now moving to Ft. Mill, SC to continue their involvement with Lou Engle's ministry.
Paul flew in this morning to rent a truck, gather the rest of their belongings, and truck them back to Ft. Mill. His trip was perfectly timed for the lousy winter weather. He is hauling their stuff to the first house they will solely occupy since January of 2005. Think about that for a second...for the first time in two years, they will be able to shut the door.
Slam it, Paul! Slam it! You deserve it!
Peepage Bestowed....
After working a complex algorythm factoring humidty, wind speed, word usage and just how I happen to feel at the moment, The Illustrious Roll of Peeps grows by one....
Jono Combrink, who we are relying on to give us the insider view of internship dynamics. Note: Jono is not an intern. He is merely a neutral observer. See his current entry for the role of pizza in intern relationship dynamics.
Jono Combrink, who we are relying on to give us the insider view of internship dynamics. Note: Jono is not an intern. He is merely a neutral observer. See his current entry for the role of pizza in intern relationship dynamics.
thoughts on creativity...
I have been in a low-grade lull. Not a downer, as the hippies would call it. Not a wilderness season, as the charismatics might say. Just a slight tip in the trajectory like one might feel when a plane goes from thirty thousand feed to twenty nine.
You probably wouldn't notice it. Kelsey did, though...and after some conversation we both realized we need to get excercise that goes beyond the one handed, 17lb baby lift. That will help...but that's not it in entirety.
I believe it also has something to do with creativity. Zack recently wrote about his desire to be great. Mine is a little like that, although more than I want to be great, I want to be creative. Not "that painting matches the couch" creative, but Holy Freaking Cow, Who Would Have Thought of Doing That creative. My assumption is it would involve writing, but who knows - maybe my assumption is wrong. I don't want to be so tied to a medium that I miss the one good idea God may have wired me for. I don't want to type. I want to create.
Via Guy Kawasaki's blog, I ran across an essay by Hugh MacLeod entitled "How to Be Creative." MacLeod is a hypercreative who draws and writes here. He is known for cartooning on business cards...the backs, not the fronts. He also makes some genius remarks about creativity in an essay he wrote for Change This, a site dedicated to New Media and clever dissemination of thoughts.
MacLeod's essay, simply entiteld "How to Be Creative" is a 49 page magazine style missive about what it takes to make ideas flow. It is insightful, funny and sometimes counterintuitive. He also uses some of the words we don't say in our house, so let that be your warning. If you're interested, you can download the entire .pdf here.
I will quote a few abbreviated thoughts that resonated with me, either because I'm already doing them or feel the challenge to adopt them. Again, these are from Hugh MacLeod's essay "How to Be Creative":
You probably wouldn't notice it. Kelsey did, though...and after some conversation we both realized we need to get excercise that goes beyond the one handed, 17lb baby lift. That will help...but that's not it in entirety.
I believe it also has something to do with creativity. Zack recently wrote about his desire to be great. Mine is a little like that, although more than I want to be great, I want to be creative. Not "that painting matches the couch" creative, but Holy Freaking Cow, Who Would Have Thought of Doing That creative. My assumption is it would involve writing, but who knows - maybe my assumption is wrong. I don't want to be so tied to a medium that I miss the one good idea God may have wired me for. I don't want to type. I want to create.
Via Guy Kawasaki's blog, I ran across an essay by Hugh MacLeod entitled "How to Be Creative." MacLeod is a hypercreative who draws and writes here. He is known for cartooning on business cards...the backs, not the fronts. He also makes some genius remarks about creativity in an essay he wrote for Change This, a site dedicated to New Media and clever dissemination of thoughts.
MacLeod's essay, simply entiteld "How to Be Creative" is a 49 page magazine style missive about what it takes to make ideas flow. It is insightful, funny and sometimes counterintuitive. He also uses some of the words we don't say in our house, so let that be your warning. If you're interested, you can download the entire .pdf here.
I will quote a few abbreviated thoughts that resonated with me, either because I'm already doing them or feel the challenge to adopt them. Again, these are from Hugh MacLeod's essay "How to Be Creative":
I'm committing to exploring this creativity within. I want to make something. It may or may not make sense, but it will be making something, and making something is inherently more interesting than worrying about making sense.
- Ignore everybody. The more original your idea is, the less good advice other people will be able to give you.
- Good ideas alter the power balance in relationships. That is why good ideas are always initially resisted. Good ideas come with a heavy burden, which is why so few people have them. So few people can handle it.
- Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten. Then when you hit puberty they take the crayons away and replace them with books on algebra. Being suddenly hit years later with the creative bug is just a wee voice telling you"I'd like my crayons back, please."....your wee voice doesn't want you to sell something. Your wee voice wants you to make something. There's a big difference...the wee voice didn't show up because it decided you need more money or need to hang out with movie stars. Your wee voice came back because your soul somehow depends on it.
1.14.2007
feeling like a new man...
After last night's tile-0-rama stretching to midnight, we went directly to bed, exhausted...I woke up this morning with tile dust on my head (I'd say in my hair, but, well, you know...) & caked in my ears. My arms were a little sore from wrestling the saw and my fingers were cracked from clawing at the tile.
Making the obligatory stop at the coffee pot, I stumbled into the shower and watched the proof of last night's work dissappear down the drain between my toes. Soap and hot water worked their magic and when I shut the water off, I pulled back the shower curtain and stepped out feeling like a new man.
But I wasn't.
I was the same, sorry 5 foot, 5 inch, shaven head, double pierced guy who got in the shower, minus some gunk. I felt completely refashioned, when in reality, I'd just been cleaned up. Then, a few hours later, I reached up behind my ear and found a pile of dust that somehow survived the shower. So much for being a new man.
It got me to thinking about oft-quoted verse in 2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things become new. How many times have we read that, assuming we have been completely changed and retro-fitted with some superspiritual armor, only to have our head handed to us days into the battle?
What good is becoming a new creation if it acts pretty much like the old creation? Is Me 2.0 much different than Me Beta? Yes. and No. We read 'creation' and immediately assume He makes us a 'finished work of art'. God looks at it a different way....when you come to Him, He makes you a new creation, but that creation is a work in progress. The most common use of that word creation is in reference to creating - not so much a finished piece of art as a long term project that God has set His hand to. We're a painting on the easel, not in the frame.
A friend of mine who leads many into a walk with God often tells people "Don't tell people 'God changed my life'...no one who knows you will believe that, although it's technically true. Say 'God is changing my life'. It speaks of hope yet explain why you're going to screw up."
All that to say that upon the act of giving yourself to God, God in turn starts making in you what would not have been had you kept yourself from Him. You become His handiwork, His soft lump of clay, His great opus.
I am grateful for the finished work of the cross - that salvation is ours to be sure of and celebrate. I am also thankful that God is looking at me as a long term project - that His creative work in me is not yet done today, and that what I will be is yet to be revealed.
Take heart. The Artist of the Ages is still putting the finishing touches on you, and the light is perfect for Him to work today.
Making the obligatory stop at the coffee pot, I stumbled into the shower and watched the proof of last night's work dissappear down the drain between my toes. Soap and hot water worked their magic and when I shut the water off, I pulled back the shower curtain and stepped out feeling like a new man.
But I wasn't.
I was the same, sorry 5 foot, 5 inch, shaven head, double pierced guy who got in the shower, minus some gunk. I felt completely refashioned, when in reality, I'd just been cleaned up. Then, a few hours later, I reached up behind my ear and found a pile of dust that somehow survived the shower. So much for being a new man.
It got me to thinking about oft-quoted verse in 2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things become new. How many times have we read that, assuming we have been completely changed and retro-fitted with some superspiritual armor, only to have our head handed to us days into the battle?
What good is becoming a new creation if it acts pretty much like the old creation? Is Me 2.0 much different than Me Beta? Yes. and No. We read 'creation' and immediately assume He makes us a 'finished work of art'. God looks at it a different way....when you come to Him, He makes you a new creation, but that creation is a work in progress. The most common use of that word creation is in reference to creating - not so much a finished piece of art as a long term project that God has set His hand to. We're a painting on the easel, not in the frame.
A friend of mine who leads many into a walk with God often tells people "Don't tell people 'God changed my life'...no one who knows you will believe that, although it's technically true. Say 'God is changing my life'. It speaks of hope yet explain why you're going to screw up."
All that to say that upon the act of giving yourself to God, God in turn starts making in you what would not have been had you kept yourself from Him. You become His handiwork, His soft lump of clay, His great opus.
I am grateful for the finished work of the cross - that salvation is ours to be sure of and celebrate. I am also thankful that God is looking at me as a long term project - that His creative work in me is not yet done today, and that what I will be is yet to be revealed.
Take heart. The Artist of the Ages is still putting the finishing touches on you, and the light is perfect for Him to work today.
The Bible, in Playmobil...
Our boys love Playmobil because they're useful for so much more than their intended design. If you need proof, I offer the following photos - Biblical scenes created by the boys with the items at hand. Click on any for an up close view.
The Four Horses of the book of Revelation.
The strange item in the hand of the rider of the black horse is, of course, a make-shift scale. Playmobil is decidedly lacking in apocalyptic accessories.
Obviously, Gideon, having already slain the Midianites.
Grayson was the director on this shot, and I believe truly captured it in all it's glory and gore. I never really thought of Gideon as a red head, although I'm not sure why.
David & Goliath
Zion's handiwork. I asked him about the beer mug in David's hand, and he explained he couldn't find a sling. Apparently, if you're lacking a sling, a good 16 oz. beer mug will slay giants. Or make you feel 10 feet tall.
Peter Whacking the Ear of the Soldier in the Garden
As you can see, the soldier was pretty fortified, although it's arguable that Peter was as well (if he followed David's example with the 16 oz. beer mug).
I like the color in this shot; particularly the yellow of the plume on the soldier's headgear.
These two are a set of sorts; "The Passion of the Playmobil", if you will.
The first one is a reenactment of the Last Supper, per Grayson's imagination. Frankly, I like how he's got them seated all around the table rather than all on one side like you see so often. Just seems more natural.
Below you will find Jesus washing the disciples feet. As you know, they put up a bit of a fuss at the beginning, but apparently once they got the hang of it, they all stood in line for their chance.
One final shot - Zion's rendition of Jesus returning to Jerusalem, banner in hand.
It all comes down to eschatology for ZB. Even Playmobil. I'm laughing typing this, knowing how nervous it probably makes some of you. Perhaps we should encourage them to watch tv so they'd live more balanced lives. Ha!
The Four Horses of the book of Revelation. The strange item in the hand of the rider of the black horse is, of course, a make-shift scale. Playmobil is decidedly lacking in apocalyptic accessories.
Obviously, Gideon, having already slain the Midianites. Grayson was the director on this shot, and I believe truly captured it in all it's glory and gore. I never really thought of Gideon as a red head, although I'm not sure why.
David & GoliathZion's handiwork. I asked him about the beer mug in David's hand, and he explained he couldn't find a sling. Apparently, if you're lacking a sling, a good 16 oz. beer mug will slay giants. Or make you feel 10 feet tall.
Peter Whacking the Ear of the Soldier in the GardenAs you can see, the soldier was pretty fortified, although it's arguable that Peter was as well (if he followed David's example with the 16 oz. beer mug).
I like the color in this shot; particularly the yellow of the plume on the soldier's headgear.
These two are a set of sorts; "The Passion of the Playmobil", if you will.
The first one is a reenactment of the Last Supper, per Grayson's imagination. Frankly, I like how he's got them seated all around the table rather than all on one side like you see so often. Just seems more natural.
Below you will find Jesus washing the disciples feet. As you know, they put up a bit of a fuss at the beginning, but apparently once they got the hang of it, they all stood in line for their chance.
One final shot - Zion's rendition of Jesus returning to Jerusalem, banner in hand.
It all comes down to eschatology for ZB. Even Playmobil. I'm laughing typing this, knowing how nervous it probably makes some of you. Perhaps we should encourage them to watch tv so they'd live more balanced lives. Ha!
Photo Comparo
Danielle, she of uber-assistant fame, spent the better part of last summer with us...before she married that boy.Anyway, she was with us through the kitchen demolition phase. When she saw our progress on the blog, she emailed this photo, reminding me of the kitchen at it's lowest phase (when I was rigging tubing and hose clamps to get the water shut off on the dishwasher line...).
As you can see, progress has been made.
1.13.2007
Workation Update
What is wrong in this picture, you ask?
Well, if you look closely, you'll see that in this woman's kitchen, the backsplash looks almost exactly like....drywall. That is no illusion, friends. It IS drywall.
We got the cabinets up late summer/early fall but never got around to dealing with the backsplash. I had grown accustom to it. Kelsey, on the other had, never really did like the industrial look, and it being her kitchen, we tackled that problem today.
We've done some tiling before, but never a wall. Have no fear. With Kelsey applying tile as I cut tile with the borrowed tile saw, we were in business in no time. Feast your eyes, peeps. And no, we're not looking for side work.
Well, if you look closely, you'll see that in this woman's kitchen, the backsplash looks almost exactly like....drywall. That is no illusion, friends. It IS drywall.We got the cabinets up late summer/early fall but never got around to dealing with the backsplash. I had grown accustom to it. Kelsey, on the other had, never really did like the industrial look, and it being her kitchen, we tackled that problem today.
We've done some tiling before, but never a wall. Have no fear. With Kelsey applying tile as I cut tile with the borrowed tile saw, we were in business in no time. Feast your eyes, peeps. And no, we're not looking for side work.
1.12.2007
a philosophy of blogging...
Blogging, it seems, is the topic of a lot of ihop blogs the last few days. Kind of funny. Lots of people sitting around blogging about blogging. How to blog. Why blog. Who should blog. What's in a blog. If a blog is posted in the forest and there's no one there to spell check it, does it get read?
True confession. In over four years of blogging, I never gave that much thought to how or why. That's not to say that there is anything wrong with doing so...but I do think that an over abundance of navel gazing can make a good thing a boring thing.
That being said, I hereby present you with my blogging manifesto, which I vow to never refer to again.
1) This blog will not be topical.
Common sense says to find your niche and work it. People with like interests will read. I think that's true. I also think it's incredibly boring. I really don't have A.D.D. - at least I don't think so. I didn't wait around for the test results. I just have a wide range of interests and don't want to quit blogging about any of the various tangents that I frequent. Welcome Burners, Christian mystics, and home improvement gurus. You all have a home here.
2) This blog will not be limited by the reader's understanding.
Maybe it's because the topics are so varied. Maybe it's because I have a tendency to make vague references to other posts or happenings. Maybe it's just because I don't make much sense. Whatever the case, I get 2 or 3 emails a month telling me "I don't understand half of what you write." I'm good with that. I'd kind of like to get it up closer to 6 a month, but building a confused readership takes time.
3) The blog is going to feature a lot of the mundane.
Most of life is mundane. I think there's a reason for that. There are lessons to be learned in the day in and day out of life. When we moved to IHOP, Kelsey gave me a gorgeous leather journal. I remember thinking "this is so beautiful, I'm going to only write profound things in it....". Quit laughing. Six months later I was on page fifteen. I finally gave up and started writing everything under the sun in it. The writing got to be a lot more fun (and probably better, although is still rarely profound).
4) This blog is going to be my mental petri dish.
I grow stuff here. Whims. Theories. Ideas. Sometimes, the stuff you're reading seems half baked because it is half baked. I need to roll it out in the pan of the blog to let it rise and see what it will be. Some ideas don't make it. Others have gone on to be articles, sermon illustrations and that sort of thing. If you hear me teach, take some strange solace that I have this spot to try things out. It could be worse. I could be testing these things live in front of people and not online where you can roll your eyes and hit delete.
That's enough for tonight.
True confession. In over four years of blogging, I never gave that much thought to how or why. That's not to say that there is anything wrong with doing so...but I do think that an over abundance of navel gazing can make a good thing a boring thing.
That being said, I hereby present you with my blogging manifesto, which I vow to never refer to again.
1) This blog will not be topical.
Common sense says to find your niche and work it. People with like interests will read. I think that's true. I also think it's incredibly boring. I really don't have A.D.D. - at least I don't think so. I didn't wait around for the test results. I just have a wide range of interests and don't want to quit blogging about any of the various tangents that I frequent. Welcome Burners, Christian mystics, and home improvement gurus. You all have a home here.
2) This blog will not be limited by the reader's understanding.
Maybe it's because the topics are so varied. Maybe it's because I have a tendency to make vague references to other posts or happenings. Maybe it's just because I don't make much sense. Whatever the case, I get 2 or 3 emails a month telling me "I don't understand half of what you write." I'm good with that. I'd kind of like to get it up closer to 6 a month, but building a confused readership takes time.
3) The blog is going to feature a lot of the mundane.
Most of life is mundane. I think there's a reason for that. There are lessons to be learned in the day in and day out of life. When we moved to IHOP, Kelsey gave me a gorgeous leather journal. I remember thinking "this is so beautiful, I'm going to only write profound things in it....". Quit laughing. Six months later I was on page fifteen. I finally gave up and started writing everything under the sun in it. The writing got to be a lot more fun (and probably better, although is still rarely profound).
4) This blog is going to be my mental petri dish.
I grow stuff here. Whims. Theories. Ideas. Sometimes, the stuff you're reading seems half baked because it is half baked. I need to roll it out in the pan of the blog to let it rise and see what it will be. Some ideas don't make it. Others have gone on to be articles, sermon illustrations and that sort of thing. If you hear me teach, take some strange solace that I have this spot to try things out. It could be worse. I could be testing these things live in front of people and not online where you can roll your eyes and hit delete.
That's enough for tonight.
The Master of Fabrication
"Let's buy a wall sconce" she says...
"OK" he says, not entirely sure what a wall sconce is...
Turns out it's a lamp bolted to the wall, although wall sconce does sound a little more elegant. We needed one at the top of the stairs, to replace the bare bulb fixture that looks like the one that rests over your granny's cellar door. We search the world over, find an elegant, brushed steel wall sconce, purchase it and bring it home.
Tonight, I decided to install said wall sconce. The prior fixture was about four inches across and nestled nicely up in the corner of the stairwell. This one is about....oh, eight or ten inches across. Is anyone tracking with me? The sconce....she could not fit.
Dead center in the back of the fixture was a hole. In theory, a threaded tube would stick out of the wall, go through the hole, and be capped off by a nut. Unfortunately, the center of the fixture would not fit that far up into the corner. Does that mean we give up? I don't think so.
Click either photo to take an up close and personal peek at the worlds first brushed steel off set mounting wall sconce, thanks to the fabrication department (yours truly) who drilled a second hole and made a way where there was no way. Looks a heck of a lot better than the bare bulb did.
"OK" he says, not entirely sure what a wall sconce is...
Turns out it's a lamp bolted to the wall, although wall sconce does sound a little more elegant. We needed one at the top of the stairs, to replace the bare bulb fixture that looks like the one that rests over your granny's cellar door. We search the world over, find an elegant, brushed steel wall sconce, purchase it and bring it home.
Tonight, I decided to install said wall sconce. The prior fixture was about four inches across and nestled nicely up in the corner of the stairwell. This one is about....oh, eight or ten inches across. Is anyone tracking with me? The sconce....she could not fit. Dead center in the back of the fixture was a hole. In theory, a threaded tube would stick out of the wall, go through the hole, and be capped off by a nut. Unfortunately, the center of the fixture would not fit that far up into the corner. Does that mean we give up? I don't think so.
Click either photo to take an up close and personal peek at the worlds first brushed steel off set mounting wall sconce, thanks to the fabrication department (yours truly) who drilled a second hole and made a way where there was no way. Looks a heck of a lot better than the bare bulb did.
iDoof
OK, I started wondering a little bit about this iPhone yesterday...yes, it's gorgeous, but does it really do much that we couldn't already do? Is it a Mensa member or just a pretty face in the Chemistry lab?
I'm leaning toward pretty face. For instance, according to this article, it will not do the following:
I wonder if they'll have a tough time keeping the buzz up when people realize it's a pretty presentation of same-ole same ol.
I'm leaning toward pretty face. For instance, according to this article, it will not do the following:
- Voice Memos
- iChat
- Record video
- Open Word or Excel documents
- Sync with Outlook
- Operate underwater
I wonder if they'll have a tough time keeping the buzz up when people realize it's a pretty presentation of same-ole same ol.
an afternoon off...
On the second day of our Workation, we left the tools and stuff for the afternoon to join the happy Rev. and Mrs. Dwayne Roberts at the Legends theater for a showing of Night at the Museum. Regular readers will know that I generally regard theaters as places of public sleep, but this show actually kept me awake through 99 percent of it. I particularly liked Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt, and the scene where Ben Stiller gets on the museum intercom late at night to sing "Eye of the Tiger". I give it a 9 for family friendly, having noted the one-time use of one of those words we do not say.
Following the movie, we went to dinner at T-Rex Cafe, which reminds us a lot of the Rainforest Cafe, delete the rain forest, add dinosaurs. It's a theme restaurant where every thirty minutes a deafening soundtrack of dinosaurs roars through the dining room.
After being assured that the fish was 'lightly breaded', three of the four adults ordered fish and chips, only to have them delivered and look like something that fell of the counter at Long John Silvers. Two of us chose to go ahead and eat them. The third, whom I will not name (but has, in the past, borne Dwayne Roberts' children) opted to send it back and order the meatloaf, which a few minutes after it arrived, she quickly pronounced 'awful'. I offered her five bucks to send it back and reorder the fish, but she declined. Chicken!
From the restaurant, our traveling party walked across the sidewalk to the Cold Stone Creamery. No complaints there of any kind, particularly after Miss Kelsey produced a fist full of coupons that allowed us all to eat without having to take out a second mortgage.
We returned home early in the evening to give the countertop one good coat of the noxious stuff that they tell us will stick like paint. Looks good, smells horrid. I also worked with Grayson on his Pinewood Derby car for Awanas. I don't want to make any hard predictions, but if heart and desire count for anything, this set of wheels is going to light up the track. Grayson sanded the Bohlender Hummer H1 Sliver Giver until it was smooth as silk. Tomorrow, we enter the paint booth and then put on the wheels in time for the practice runs later this week.
We haven't left town, but I am thoroughly enjoying this vacation. More than ever, the best times of my life are the unconstructed ones with my family. It rocks to be a dad.
1.10.2007
This Vacation is Sponsored by Home Depot
We've long planned to take some days off in January, and today those began. Where did we go...Cancun? Telluride? Martha's Vineyard? Uh, no. We stayed home to finish some projects that have gone undone too long.
Today's list including reorganizing a storage area off of our kitchen that had become the catch-all of junk. I found a lot of tools in there that I thought I'd lost. Also gallons and gallons of paint and sandpaper to no end.
We tackled the hall bathroom today in earnest. The room has been held hostage by a putrid green and white swirl countertop. We pondered replacing the countertop but budgets constrained us. Kelsey actually bought paint to match (semi gloss putrid green) but when we looked at it, we just couldn't do it. One quick google and we found a product that will allow us to paint the counter top, so she went to sLowe's and picked it up.
Pictured here is Kelsey in her trendy-yet-paint-stained Call DC shirt (will work for revolution and all that...). Zion is perched up top while we tear out the faucets in order to replace them once the countertop is finished. And the picture above - the person with their head under the cabinet? Oh, that's Kelsey too. She does all her own stunts.
Today's list including reorganizing a storage area off of our kitchen that had become the catch-all of junk. I found a lot of tools in there that I thought I'd lost. Also gallons and gallons of paint and sandpaper to no end.
We tackled the hall bathroom today in earnest. The room has been held hostage by a putrid green and white swirl countertop. We pondered replacing the countertop but budgets constrained us. Kelsey actually bought paint to match (semi gloss putrid green) but when we looked at it, we just couldn't do it. One quick google and we found a product that will allow us to paint the counter top, so she went to sLowe's and picked it up.
Pictured here is Kelsey in her trendy-yet-paint-stained Call DC shirt (will work for revolution and all that...). Zion is perched up top while we tear out the faucets in order to replace them once the countertop is finished. And the picture above - the person with their head under the cabinet? Oh, that's Kelsey too. She does all her own stunts.
1.09.2007
In the "Oh, by the way" department.
- The first CD I ever owned was by Billy Ocean. I am still embarrased about that.
- Never had Chinese food until I was 19.
- I'd rather go west than east and north than south almost any day.
- I don't paint very well. John and Tracie will testify.
- I attended K-12 in the same building and got through right on schedule, thank you very much.
- Oatmeal is a common late night snack for me.
- I knew I wanted to marry Kelsey a few weeks after I met her my senior year of college.
- My affinity for gadgetry was underdeveloped until I was in my 30's. It's this man's fault that I ever got started.
- I have more than my share of strange friends.
- I've been blogging since some of you were in high school.
- My favorite days, hands down, are spent with my wife and kids.
- My dream gig would be to write four or five days a week and speak once on a topic of my choice.
- Sitting by a fire, elk steak tips in Steamboat Springs while listening to Lyle Lovett at midnight on a cold, clear January night was just about nirvanic for me.
- My first name is neither Randall or Randolph.
- I can back up a trailer faster than would seem prudent.
- I did not like algebra in high school and it hasn't gotten much better.
- If it comes down to TriBond, I will eat your lunch.
- Every night, it takes five chargers to make my life work.
- I wept uncontrollably at TheCall DC in 2000.
- I once hot wired a 40ft rv because it needed to be done.
- I am not a party person.
- My iPod contains a 50/50 mix of music and spoken word.
- I know how to use a satellite phone and am a repeat customer of these peeps.
- Driving coast to coast in four or five days really sounds like a good time to me.
- I once ghost-wrote a 40,000 word manuscript in twenty days.
- If you find me at Mimi's, I'm eating fish and chips.
- Kelsey and I have moved 17 times in 17 years.
- The first time I ever remember dancing in public was 2005 at Adam and Taryn's wedding.
- I regularly skim about 25 blogs and am ready to chuck 20 of them to find 20 others.
- The outpouring of love towards Zoe - often by total strangers who have heard her story - has been a highlight of the last year of my life.
- I can eat oranges like there is no tomorrow.
- I once nearly lost a van in the Mississippi river while visiting this place.
- I'm taller than my father, who was taller than his father.
- I am not afraid to have the hard conversations.
- I'm going to bed now.
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