Ooze Select Blogger

So I have been selected as an "Ooze Select Blogger" and I am going to be getting books and other things from some publishers to review on this blog. Here is part of the email that I got a while back:

For the past 18 months, http://theOoze.com and I have been piloting a program with select publishers where we send you (at no cost to you) new and even upcoming releases—some before anyone else sees them. We ask that you read these when you can and blog about them within six weeks. Whenever possible, I also get you unprecedented access to the authors of these titles, so you can host a blog interview, if you're inclined. This platform has been a delight to participants so far and we're happy to open it up to additional bloggers. You are part of a core group of 50 bloggers who will be receiving select books from us.

So I got my first book and I am going to read it as soon as I get done with all of my coursework that is already past due... be on the lookout!

The Cowboys go down

You heard it here first! The Dallas Cowboys will crash and burn this year! With T.O., Tank Johnson, and now Pacman Jones the team is going to implode. The straw that will break the camels back is that Wade Phillips has no backbone. He coached the Bills for several years and I know his style well. Dallas could have seriously made a dent last year, and they didn't because of Coach Phillips. He lets anything go and he neglects to hold his players accountable for anything. It could work ok on some teams but with this group of troublemakers, this is going to be a disaster.

Maybe this is just wishful thinking, but I hope not!

Quote of the day

Quote of the day: "No farmer ever plowed a field by turning it over in his mind."

Enterprise Rent a Car Sucks! (at least in this story)

My boy, Carlos from Atlanta, had a very bad experience with "Enterprise Rent a Car." In order to help get his experience on the first page of Google when you search for the company, I am going to link it here to give it one more link. So if you would at least click on the link so that Google will put the link higher on the search pages. This kind of thing helps everyone get better service when companies know that there is going to be some attention for bad service. Here is the experience: http://www.ragamuffinsoul.com/?p=4977

Power to the People!

new look

I decided to do something different. I only know how to use the preset templates for this blog and none of them really seem to fit me. I'll try this look out for a while, let me know what you think...

Image is Everything

Carlos at "Ragamuffin Soul" posted here to put something creative that we've done recently. So here we go:

Recently my band, Next 2 the Tracks has been working on our image. We are going for a desert rock kind of southwestern image. Image is more than what we look like, so we have been tweaking our sound. We have been throwing some acoustic stuff in and using a lot of different percussion stuff. The cool thing is that we can just set up our amps early and the stage looks very empty. We can just come in and go right up and start playing, like we just came out of the desert. It's pretty cool and is fitting our image and sound together!

Emergency Room Fun!

I spent 8 hours in the emergency room on Friday night. I was really stupid and there was a spider bite or something on my finger so I poked at it... it got really infected. I was on my way to band practice on Friday and I decided just to run by urgent care and get a prescription for some antibiotics. To make a long story short the Dr. sent me to the emergency room immediately and I was there for 8 hours while they have me antibiotic shots, a tetanus shot, and 4 shots into my knuckle to numb my finger while they cut it open and dug out all of the poison and infection in my finger. Needless to say, the whole numbing thing didn't work so well and I definitely felt them cutting me open and digging around. All in all, it was a very long and painful night. It has been healing pretty well, but is still very sore. They gave me some Vicodin if that is any indication of the pain. I am hoping that it keeps getting better very quickly, because my band has a show on Saturday and I am playing on my djembe cuz this is an acoustic show. It will be very painful if it's not better... I wonder how Vicodin affects your rhythm?

moving

So I'm moving in June! I am going to be one of the ministers at St. John's United Methodist Church in Albuquerque, NM. I have a lot of new ideas for church and it looks like I am going to be able to try them out here. This is a really good church that has grown into a pretty big church. Someone told me recently that churches don't want to grow. They said that pastors want churches to grow, but that churches aren't interested in growth. I feel like this church is... at least they seem like they will tolerate many of the things it takes to grow, where most churches don't seem to. This is why there is such a big push to start new churches. So it's a sad time as I say goodbye to many special friends. I announced it in church last Sunday and there have been tears (not my tears) both Sundays. I hope this is not a trend that continues, cuz it makes me feel bad, but it does mean that my time here has been meaningful to people... so that's how I take it. A new chapter is gonna be starting and I am pretty pumped! I'm thinking about buying a house in Albuquerque, but I have no idea what I am doing. Seems like a good idea at the time though :)

Easter with Nirvana

The words for Nirvana's song "In Bloom" has a special meaning to me on Easter Sunday...

Sell the kids for food
Weather changes moods
Spring is here again
Reproductive glands

He’s the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he don't know what it means
don't know what it means
and I say

He’s the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he don't know what it means
don't know what it means
and I say yeeeaaahhh

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

We can have some more
Nature is a whore
Bruises on the fruit
Tender age in bloom

He’s the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he don't know what it means
don't know what it means
and I say

He’s the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he don't know what it means
don't know what it means
and I say yeeeaaahhh

He’s the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he don't know what it means
don't know what it means
and I say

He’s the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he don't know what it means
Don't know what it means
Don't know what it means
Don't know what it means and I say yeeeaaahhh

Easter with Powerman 5000

This is a great Easter song... when you think about the physical world colliding with the Kingdom of God... that's Easter! I would play it in church if it meant something to the people in the churches that I serve, but I thought it might mean more to you out there...

[Now this is what it's like when worlds collide
Now this is what it's like
Now this is what it's like when worlds collide
Now this is what it's like]

What is it really, That's going on here..
You've got the system for total control..
Now is there any, body out there..
Now watch us suffer yeah cause we can't go.
What is it really that is in your head
What little life that you had just died
I'm gonna be the one that's taking over
Now this is what it's like when worlds collide!

Are you ready to go
Cause I'm ready to go
What you gonna do baby, baby
Are you going with me
Cause I'm going with you
That's the end of all time

What is it really, That motivates you..
This need to fly or this, fear to stop.
I'll go along, when you realise..
When we get there I say 9 to 10 drop
Now who's alive and who is the devil...
You can't decide so I'll be your guide..
And one by one they will be hand chosen..
Now this is what it's like when worlds collide!!

Are you ready to go
Cause I'm ready to go
What you gonna do baby, baby
Are you going with me
Cause I'm going with you
That's the end of all time

(You will find, a robot)

[Now this is what it's like when worlds collide
Now this is what it's like
Now this is what it's like when worlds collide
Now this is what it's like]

What is it really when they're falling over
Everything that you thought was denied
I'm gonna be the one that's taking over
Now this is what it's like when worlds collide

Are you ready to go
Cause I'm ready to go
What you gonna do baby, baby
Are you going with me
Cause I'm going with you
That's the end of all time!!

Are you ready to go
Cause I'm ready to go
What you gonna do baby, baby
Are you going with me
Cause I'm going with you
That's the end of all time

Are you ready
Yeah, I'm ready
That's the end of all time
Are you going
Yeah I'm going
That's the end of all time!!!

My First Movie Review: Juno

These will soon be more creative, but for now I am going to start reviewing movies because as someone recently pointed out to me, "Good movies are the literature of our time." I recently saw "Juno" and the more I think about it, the more I like it.

1. This presented a very real view of sex and pregnancy that was based on reality, not some horror story or some romantic view. It was a great and realistic balance.

2. This was a movie that people can relate to, that shined a light into the mystery of what makes up Generation Y. The characters were very real and likable and it made the movie very enjoyable.

3. It was straight up funny! The dialogue was brilliant and believable and funny in a way that many movies aren't. It was like Napoleon Dynamite funny, without the stupid stuff (don't get me wrong, Napoleon Dynamite was super funny and I like stupid humor, I was just making the distinction).

4. It really had some good lessons in it and the girl was super cool! Really... she is one character that I seriously look up to and wish I was more like. You may laugh, but just check out the movie and see if you don't agree...

Grunge Messiah

I think that there is a theological reason that I was and still am moved by the grunge movement in the early 90's. This kind of pattern happens all throughout the Bible, the music scene and probably in just about every platform and movement. I will just focus on Jesus and music and you can make all of your own connections. There is something about the punk rock movement and the grunge movement and all the other changes in music scenes... they resonate with so many people because of something spiritual I would argue.

In the 80's, rock music became increasingly shallow and materialistic. Everything seemed to be for show and I would even make the argument that it didn't much matter what a band sounded like... as Andre Agassi pointed out in that time, Image was everything! Jesus took a superficial religion and gave it a soul, just like the grunge movement gave rock back its soul. When I listen to Pearl Jam or Nirvana, or some of the lesser knows grunge bands like the Melvins and Mudhoney, it resonates with me in a spiritual way. These movements brought authenticity and spirituality to something that had lost it. If I work at a large church some day, I want to be an "alternative pastor" rather than an associate pastor in honor of the punk and alternative rock movements that revolutionized music as we know it and will continue to revolutionize it as time goes on.

not quite a macbook air

Embedded Video

following Jesus or already followed Jesus

Here's a thought... why do Christians act like their faith is based on something they DID rather than something that they are DOING? There is a difference between following Jesus and making a commitment to follow Jesus. We focus on what we did instead of what we are doing. Our language reflects this as well. I BECAME a Christian... When I BECAME a Christian... BEFORE I WAS a Christian etc. The word Christian means "Christ-like" we are striving to be more and more like Christ so to even claim that we are already there is both arrogant and ignorant. How would the perceptions of Christianity change if we acknowledged that we are in the process of being Christ-like (sanctification) instead of basing our identity on the past. If Christianity is a process it changes how we approach each other and how we approach issues. Perhaps this idea can help us be humble and loving... both huge topics that Jesus addressed often...

If what connects us is our desire to follow Christ instead of what we already believe about Christ... I think it is closer to the original discussion that Jesus had with his friends and I think it is much more constructive!

Born again and again

John 3:1-17

3Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. ²He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” ³Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” ⁴Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” ⁵Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. ⁶What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ ⁸The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” ⁹Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” ¹⁰Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? ¹¹“Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. ¹²If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. ¹⁴And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. ¹⁶“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. ¹⁷“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

1. the guy comes at night because he is one of the religious leaders that feel threatened by Jesus. He can't let anyone know that he is down with what Jesus is doing. He is afraid but he still comes.

2. Jesus' message to the religious people is to be "born again"! This is still Jesus message to the religious people. Be born again... so to "born again Christians", be born again... again. I would say that we need to continue to be born again. It is problematic when we stop growing or stop refreshing our worldview and sense of identity.

3. The famous John 3:16 verse, when put into context is in contrast to the oppressive, judgmental religion of that time. Jesus tells this guys that God isn't trying to condemn people so why are you? God loves. What if we asked religious people that right now, God didn't come here to condemn people, God came to love people. So why do you condemn __________? It is also a good question to ask ourselves.

Learning about me

This is what my personality test said about me... its the DISC test if that means anything to anyone. Seems to be a pretty accurate description in a lot of ways!

Entrepreneur

Aggressive, persuasive, active, and extremely independent: all these characterize you as an entrepreneur. You are a supreme individualist: confident, energetic, and persistent. You are incurably venturesome and will try anything once. Your desire for power is combined with a stubborn determination to control both events and people. You act decisively and positively, usually moving ahead without consultation or conference. Your impatience results in quick reactions, virtually instant boredom, and an itch for greener pastures. You are versatile, flexible, and self-motivated, with a great sense of urgency and a high tolerance for pressure.

You are hard-driving, sociable (on your own terms), alert, and very sure of yourself. In daily activities, you tend to charge ahead against resistance and opposition. You view restraints as a challenge to getting the quick results you want. You value freedom more than equality and want room to operate. You are most effective where innovation, experimentation, and results are important, and where there are few rules and guidelines.

You dislike corporate structures and controls unless you do the organizing and controlling. As a subordinate, you tend to be a maverick. You may usurp power, overstep bounds, and want to do it your way. You are often critical of supervisors and you resent criticism of your actions. As a young person, you are likely to move from job to job looking for the right challenge.

You can often be a challenge to manage. You must be given as much freedom as possible to run things your way, but you must also be made to understand that limits to your authority do exist. You are ambitious and want to move quickly toward greater responsibility. You work best for a positive, competent, friendly supervisor with whom you can honestly and openly discuss what is expected on a no-holds-barred basis.

Personable You can be impulsive and feel the need to attract attention. You reach out to people and initiate contact with them easily and smoothly. Your contagious optimism, instant enthusiasm, and spontaneous persuasiveness are geared to win people over, and you often succeed.
		Gets Results You are impatient for quick results and can have an instinctive drive for power. You react quickly, are easily bored and respond well to challenge. You are versatile, flexible, self-motivated, urgent, and sometimes irritable. You can withstand pressure and exert pressure on others. Critical and dissatisfied, you are comfortable with shifting goals, new projects, and innovative methods.
		Confident You are very sure of yourself. You need, and usually have, supreme confidence in your own ability. You prefer to act with others to get what you want. You can be stubborn in a friendly way, dominate a social situation, and smile while arguing the point. You display an effusive independence, and if people reject you or your ideas, you may reject them in return.
		Decisive You thrive on opposition; you will take a strong stand and fight for it. You are determined to do things your way. Frank, honest, and direct, you can take over, act positively, and move without consultation. You are usually well respected when things are going well, and you are right most of the time. When a shortfall occurs, someone will usually identify your rashness as the reason.

Christmas Fun

Here's some Christmas fun!



I got this from my friend Josh's blog... check it out at http://www.loveisthemovement.com/

Follow the Leader

Matthew 3:1-12

3In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ²“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” ³This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” ⁴Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, ⁶and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁷But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸Bear fruit worthy of repentance. ⁹Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ¹⁰Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ¹¹“I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹²His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

• So... here is where the some of the difference comes from between Christians and Christian denominations. John the Baptist had followers just like Jesus later has followers. "Christian" means a follower of Christ.
• It is very easy to like what John the Baptist has to say or what Paul has to say versus what Jesus has to say. These aren't directly at odds with each other, but the question must be asked, "Who are you following?"
• If someone is following Paul, they are a Paul follower, not a Christ follower. I'm not making any judgments here, just by definition, that's what it is logically speaking. If someone is a John the Baptist follower than that is what they are.
  
• Both John the Baptist and Paul point to Jesus and tell people to follow him, not them, yet that's not what many of us do.
• Perspectives of these guys are part of a much bigger story and when we get caught up with them,such as with issues about baptism, homosexuality, calling out the "sin" of other people, etc. we miss the bigger picture of  Jesus.
  
• John the Baptist here, gives a sermon that you might here in many churches today, but it is just a small part of the point. These churches stop after the sermon and miss the part about looking to Jesus and the fact that there is WAY more to the story.

Jesus is coming... look busy!

Matthew 24:36-44

³⁶“But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, ³⁹and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. ⁴¹Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. ⁴²Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. ⁴³But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

This reminds me of those annoying "christian" bumper stickers that say something to the point of, "In case of the rapture, this car will be unmanned." or something similarly obnoxious.

This is a radical misinterpretation of this and many other parts of the bible in my opinion. This is about the beginning of a relationship with God, not the end.

The "coming of the Son of Man" is analogous to having a revelation or epiphany of some sort. A life-changing realization that completely alters your world view. So often, church people try to force this sort of thing or create an artificial conversion experience. As this part of the bible exposes, it should be something much more organic and authentic. We aren't supposed to be doing this or that, only being ready for what is about to happen.

Heaven isn't too far away!

Luke 20:27-38

²⁷Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him ²⁸and asked him a question, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. ²⁹Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; ³⁰then the second ³¹and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. ³²Finally the woman also died. ³³In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.” ³⁴Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; ³⁵but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. ³⁶Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. ³⁷And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. ³⁸Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.”

This is a bit confusing, and seemingly pointless... but once we discover a few things, it really opens up!

• Sadducees rely only on the Torah (1st 5 books of the Old Testament) they take it literally.
  
• Marriage in the Torah was the way to live on past death. It was about keeping your name going rather than romance or love like it is today. It was also about property as men would trade some property for their wives. The father owned the daughter until some dude would buy her from him, basically.
• If a guy dies, his brother marries his wife so that the name will live on. This is the Sadducees idea of "eternal life."
• This was a polygamous society so a brother could marry the wife even if he was already married.
  
• They are arguing about "life after death" not physical resurrection.
  
• The Torah doesn't talk specifically or directly about life after death, so the Sadducees reject the idea.
  

So the Sadducees concoct this absurd story to trick Jesus into either choosing 1. the Jewish Scripture or 2. His promise of eternal life. Jesus doesn't choose either, but shows them how they are idiots by

• reframing the idea of marriage, saying that his idea of eternal life has nothing to do with this institution of marriage which is ultimately self-serving and oppressive at that time.
• Using their own scripture to show them how silly their little story is.

This is relevant because

• Many "Christians" still read Scripture just like the Sadducees and molest it in a way that proves what they want to prove.
• Jesus speaks to them in their own language to show that their own scripture talks about resurrection.
• The idea of "heaven" isn't as simplistic as we like to make it... it may have a much deeper meaning.
• Many people, Christians and other people like to make these kind of ideas literal so they can try to "prove" or "disprove" something. If it is not meant to be so literal and the beauty comes out in symbolism, metaphor and poetry... we don't get into these arguments and we find truth in beautiful ways.
• This is a shift from "modern" logic and reason based thinking to "post-modern" creative and intuitive kind of thinking. Maybe Jesus was "post-modern" and that's why nobody gets him a lot of the time. (just a joke, kind of...)