done

finally done with "Everything Must Change." maybe i'll post some more on it when i finish digesting it (a daunting task)... a must-read. next, i'm moving on to "unChristian," by Gabe Lyons & David Kinnaman. it's a book of extensive research on why so many people have negative perceptions of the Christian faith... and therefore refuse to consider the way of Jesus.

news-worthy

"slices" from Relevant Magazine:

a new washing machine is being developed that will use merely a cup of water per cycle; your clothes won't even need to be dried, eliminating the dryer as well.

the new iPhone will be better and cheaper.

zeppelins are making a comeback! maybe an alternative for more efficient air-travel?

slow movement

an interesting movement is taking place among American workers: the "slow movement."

here is their homepage.

it looks like they're even trying to create legislation to help people slow down!

fish/immobility

i went fishing yesterday morning with a buddy from work. we were in the boat from 5:45am to 12:45pm... my legs were STIFF when we got out (more on that in a moment)! here is a big bass that he caught; altogether we came home with 25-30 nice fish to eat.

stiff legs and all, we had a softball game last night. before the game, i noticed that i couldn't really stretch my quads out... they just wouldn't move past a certain point. aaaaaaand sure enough after a little running in the outfield, and eventually topped off by running to first after hitting, i think i pulled both quads... if that's possible. immense pain! i had to come out, because running even leisurely was out of the question; the legs just wouldn't move. i still had to bat once because it would've been an automatic out if i didn't... coach dan said to just stand there and hope for a walk. so i did... and struck out looking. i should have swung, then hoped it fell in for a hit and gotten a pinch runner... oh well. i think my team is mad at me. tell them to try and run with two pulled quads! i'm turning into an old man waaaay too early...

my footprint

i added some new links (myfootprint, trade as one, cooling creation). trade as one is really cool... check it out. my footprint is a quiz you can take to see what your carbon footprint is. after taking it, they tell me that if everyone lived as i do, we would need 3.76 earths... interesting.

pathways

we have been talking about pathways to experiencing God this week at church. the nine discussed were naturalist, sensate, ascetic, enthusiast, activist, caregiver, traditionalist, contemplative, and intellectual. here are mine and why, in no particular order (i have trouble ranking them):

sensate: God's creation enamors me. when i hear pleasing sounds (music, birds, babies crying), when i see things (art, nature, beauty), when i smell and taste goodness (a good homemade meal), it makes me think of the wonderful creation all around me... people say they look forward to going to an event where they'll feel "God's presence,"... i don't get that, because these things i mentioned above are God's presence to me... they're everywhere and inescapable.

activist: i think that God created us in a certain way, and that his ultimate "will" is for us to be able to live and enjoy life to the fullest - just like he intended. and that often when the bible speaks of the 'Kingdom of God', it's not talking about life after death, but life here on earth. therefore our job is to try and bring this life to fruition. to help end oppression, poverty, suffering, hate, etc., etc... how we (or i) do that is the tougher question for me. but i want to do something.

intellectual: one of the things that has always frustrated me is when people make the argument that being 'intellectual' implies that one can't believe in a higher power or divine being; that science and religion don't mix, etc... i believe the opposite, making it sort of a mission to help people see that the 'intellectual' things of this world actually point towards the God that we believe in. i think that our faith isn't as blind and science-hating as some people make it to be... i think that when we make a scientific discovery, we are doing what God would want us to do: explore this great place he made for us. he created us with brains and a curiosity for the world around us... i feel like when we find out more about the world, we find out a little more about God... and that not everything in the bible was intended to be literally interpreted, and that when we refuse to acknowledge that, we're being naive... slippery slope, i know...

random Harper pic