Did You Know?

This clip has been sent to me multiple times. It's great stuff on how fast things change. If you haven't seen it, it's worth a viewing.



It reminds me a bit of a book called FASTER: the acceleration of just about everything by James Gleick. Also worth a look.

**facebookers, if you can't see anything, click HERE.

Chicago Goes Dark

Chicago is one of several cities around the globe participating in earth hour, one hour to raise awareness about our enormous energy consumption. So 8:30 rolled around and we lit the candles and spent a full hour with no noise, no lights and no electric.

This is the second year we have done it and it's kind of nice... and quiet. Last year we read a bit and talked. This year the little girls were in bed with candles for night lights, Stacey was exercising, Raegan talked on her cell phone with friends and I chilled by candle light.

They say that Chicago energy use during the hour dipped about 5% which amounts to 850,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. It's a drop in bucket, but still a good reminder of how much energy we use and how everyone's efforts could help us do some good for the God-given gift of our planet.

Does Getting Angry Make You Angrier?

There was a time when the trend to deal with anger was to LET IT OUT! But like so many counseling fads, studies have shown that the opposite is true. It seems that anger begets anger. And when we act out on that anger, it actually feeds our anger which produces more... well, you get the idea. Here is an excerpt from the story.

Anger seems to be the emotion of the moment. The president says he's angry.
Members of Congress say they're angry. The public, we're told, is angry. But
should angry people act out how they feel? The popular idea is that venting your
anger helps get rid of it. There's even a woman in San Diego who makes money
helping people do that. But now, psychologists are saying that venting does more
harm than good.

So next time you get angry, don't punch the wall or go into the forest for a primal scream...try taking a deep breath and chillax.

peace.

Oodles of Doodles

It was Psychology of Learning (or maybe Psyc of Memory, can't remember) circa 1989 and for the first time a professional (my prof) told our class that doodling is a good thing. Whew! After all of those years of chicken scratch art, I finally felt free to do what came natural during boring classes, lectures, sermons etc. ... DOODLE!

But now it is official. I heard on NPR last week that in a recent study in England, they have shown that doodling actually keeps the brain from daydreaming which is much more distracting than doodling. And the doodlers recalled 30% more information that was given than non-doodlers.

And I believe it. When I was living in Cleveland we eliminated lines on the back of the bulletin and actually put "notes and doodles" on the back. It encouraged "doodle listening" and a little creative expression as well.

So next time you find your mind wondering as you are listening to someone drone on and on... grab a pencil and paper and doodle away.

March Madness + John 3:16 = Security Guard

It's not the 70's anymore. Remember the rainbow-haired guy with the John 3:16 signs at all of the major sporting events? Watch this video of a guy trying to do the same thing at a March Madness game. Maybe he should have put "sponsored by AT&T" at the bottom.


**if you can't see the video click HERE.

The Mother of all Newtube Mixes

Here we have technology + creativity + a LOT of time on your hands...




**if you can't see it, click HERE.

Remembering Patrick

I grew up knowing very little about St. Patrick except that I had better wear green on March 17th or risk being pinched. Then in the late 90's I read an excellent book by Thomas Cahill called How the Irish Saved Civilization and all of that changed.

Patrick grew up in Britain and as a teenager was kidnapped by the barbaric Irish and forced into slavery. Living in isolation as a slave for 6 years, he one day was guided by God's hand to trek 200 miles to his freedom.

The story could have ended there and we would consider it a miraculous tale. But Patrick decides that his time with the lowly Irish was not finished. God gave him a dream that the Irish people were begging for him to return. And with no schooling and the label of a slave on the run, he returned to Ireland to eventually become the most celebrated Irish legend.

And Cahill's book talks of how Patrick "saved" the Irish and it was the Irish who worked at keeping mankind's greatest writings and treasures in tact during the dark ages. And when the time came, they reintroduced them to a world that was was ripe for understanding, thus saving civilization as we know it today.

There is a prayer called St. Patrick's breastplate that is attributed to him, though probably written after he died. Either way it is a fitting tribute nonetheless to a man who overcame so many obstacles to bring the light of salvation to the people of Ireland and affect the rest of the world. We read it on Sunday and it is a good reminder of deep spiritual reality. Happy St. Patrick's Day.

I bind unto myself today the strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same the Three in One and One in Three.

I bind this today to me forever by power of faith, Christ’s incarnation;
His baptism in Jordan river, His death on Cross for my salvation;
His bursting from the spicèd tomb, His riding up the heavenly way,
His coming at the day of doom I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power of the great love of cherubim;
The sweet ‘Well done’ in judgment hour, the service of the seraphim,
Confessors’ faith, Apostles’ word, the Patriarchs’ prayers, the prophets’ scrolls,
All good deeds done unto the Lord and purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today the virtues of the star lit heaven,
The glorious sun’s life giving ray, the whiteness of the moon at even,
The flashing of the lightning free, the whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today the power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch,
His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, His shield to ward;
The word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.

Against the demon snares of sin, the vice that gives temptation force,
The natural lusts that war within, the hostile men that mar my course;
Or few or many, far or nigh, in every place and in all hours,
Against their fierce hostility I bind to me these holy powers.

Against all Satan’s spells and wiles, against false words of heresy,
Against the knowledge that defiles, against the heart’s idolatry,
Against the wizard’s evil craft, against the death wound and the burning,
The choking wave, the poisoned shaft, protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.

Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name, the strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same, the Three in One and One in Three.
By Whom all nature hath creation, Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation, Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

U2360

Theeeeere baaaaaaack...


Leave it to U2 to change the world of concerts as we know it. You want some creative steroids? Click the pic.

Some Good News Please!

Bryan Williams of NBC was getting as tired as everyone of the negative pall cast over every newscast. So he asked if people could send him some good news. Was there any good news? They were overwhelmed with the response! It is good to know that despite what we hear, there is still a LOT of good going on out there.

Being optimistic can sometimes be difficult, but the alternative to hope isn't pretty. Thank you Bryan for finding some light in dark times.

Know Thy Limits...Boost Creativity

Wired in my opinion is one of the intelligent creative mags out there. The current issue has an article about how design limits can actually enhance the creative process. A designers worst words to hear are "do whatever you want" because it gives no parameters, no limits. Here is a quote...

...designers understand the power of limits. Constraint offers an unparalleled opportunity for growth and innovation.

In these times when all of us need to look at doing more with less, this is a great reminder.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

The good doctor would have been 105 today. And even this evening my children picked out a Dr. Seuss book for bedtime. We love Seuss and to honor him (wish I had the time to make a weird rhyme here), here are a few of my Seussian favs (and a few not-so)...


Funniest Seuss line-
About Mr. Grinch- "The three words that best describe you are, and I quote: 'Stink. Stank. Stunk.'"

Saddest Seuss story-
The Lorax

Most Inspirational story-
Oh, The Places You'll Go!

Hardest to read to the kids-
Fox in Socks (please NO!)

Statement book-
Tie between The Lorax and The Sneetches

Fav to read to kids-
Green Eggs and Ham (it never gets old)

Fav rhyming book-
There's a Wocket in my Pocket

Most creative-
Oh the Thinks you can Think!

Most Un-Seuss-like-
The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins

One that Seuss shouldn't have written-
The Cat in the Hat comes back

Book that I wish HE could have finished himself-
Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!


So there it is. Happy birthday Dr. Seuss. The world is a better place because of your creative brilliance.

This is My Kind of Train Ride

Did they have to pay extra for this ride?

Facebook Made Me Do It

Facebook has become to social networking what Google has become to search. It has also created a whole lot of questions about social networking behavior, ethics and even myths and assumptions that we believe about it. So while we are still in the early stages of this phenomenon, here is link to an article in Newsweek that any facebook user should read. It's called "Seven Lies We Tell Ourselves About Facebook". I gave you the link to the full article, here are the lies. Can you relate?

1. I Only Friend People I Really Know

2. Facebook Made Me Do It

3. Wall-to-Wall Flirting Isn't Cheating

4. I Use Facebook to Keep in Touch With People

5. I'm Soooo Over Facebook

6. And I am Soooo Not Competitive

7. Facebook is My Friend

grace

I love the word and concept of grace. It's, well, amazing. We wound up giving our youngest the middle name of Grace because the season of our life that she was born in was a time of serious grace. I was reminded of the depth of grace today while listening to U2's song of the same name. Love the lines "She travels outside of karma" and "She carries a world on her hips, No champagne flute for her lips".

Grace is a hardworker with little reward. Almost everything today is about "put something in, get something out." Or "nothing's free." This isn't to say that these ideas are wrong, it's just that sometimes you just need a little grace that comes at you with no strings attached.

Here's the full lyric from U2. It's worth looking at again...

Grace
She takes the blame
She covers the shame
Removes the stain
It could be her name

Grace
It's a name for a girl
It's also a thought that
Changed the world

And when she walks on the street
You can hear the strings
Grace finds goodness
In everything

Grace
She's got the walk
Not on a wrapper on chalk
She's got the time to talk

She travels outside
Of karma, karma
She travels outside
Of karma

When she goes to work
You can hear the strings
Grace finds beauty
In everything

Grace
She carries a world on her hips
No champagne flute for her lips
No twirls or skips
Between her fingertips

She carries a pearl
In perfect condition
What once was hers
What once was friction
What left a mark
No longer stains

Because grace makes beauty
Out of ugly things

Grace finds beauty
In everything

Grace finds goodness
In everything

Have some grace on me today!

Happy Birthday

Happy 200th Abe. You've never looked better.

Blogging for Dollars

I read in this week's Newsweek about the guy who blogged as Steve Jobs. His article titled "Time to Hang up the Pajamas" is a confession about his inability to make a business career out of blogging. Using Google's adsense, posting 10-20 items a day and with hundreds of thousands of hits Each day, he made a "whopping total of $1,039.81." His conclusion is that blogging will not lead to financial prosperity. So why blog if you are not able to make a living with it?

While I can appreciate people's reasons for blogging for dollars, or selling a book, or becoming popular etc. etc., my purpose for blogging is a bit simpler, I like it. Here's why...

1. I like a good creative outlet.
I enjoy the creative process of writing and blogging allows me to communicate some things that might otherwise just continue to rattle around in my brain.

2. I like staying connected with people.
I have had the good fortune of meeting some amazing people over my lifetime and although I enjoy the new found connectedness of facebooking with people, I find that blogging allows for a bit of a deeper connect than a simple status update.

3. I enjoy passing on things that I find interesting, funny, challenging, educational etc.
This is my networking side that I cannot shut off.

I do NOT blog for money or to be known or to see how many hits or comments I can get in a day. If a blogger is not careful, he can begin to take himself too seriously. I have vowed to try my best to not make that mistake. If you have tried to look for a place to comment here, sorry, I shut that off a while ago to protect from myself from that (unless of course you are my facebook friend- can't shut that one off I don't think).

So, hope you have enjoyed some of my blogging. If any of them have made you smile, laugh, think, act or change in even a small way...then I've gotten all the compensation I need.

Louis C.K. waxes on about the GOOD in today's BAD Realities

A friend of mine posted this on facebook (thank you Corrie) and it has to be one of the funniest and saddest commentaries on today's society that I have seen in a while. The clip is of Louis C.K. on Conan O'brien talking about how a little dose of reality can help this generation figure out just how good we have it. This is MUST SEE TV. I will be making sure that my teenager sees it and hope that it goes wildly viral.


**facebook users click HERE.

The Feel-Good Remake of... The Shining

What happens when you combine You-tube, humor and one of the great scary movies of all time? You get the remake of The Shining trailer.


**facebook users, this is a feed from my blog that has video- click HERE.

Is It Time to Make the Mac Switch?

For many of us, Mac is an unknown world. We have tasted the Kool-aid on the whole ipod thing and the itunes thing. But the Mac computer still feels a bit out there. We see the Mac users swear by their machines. We see their mouths water as once a year they watch Steve Jobs pull out another lighter, sleeker version of their favorite toys. So finally, Mac may have created something that causes me and the other 94% of computer users in the US (96% worldwide) to make the change...the macwheel!


*facebook users click here- the mac wheel!

He Saw It From The Mountaintop

Today marks one of the most significant Martin Luther King holidays ever. It falls on the eve of the inauguration of the nation's first African-American president. Troy Jackson, a friend of mine who pastors a church in Cincinnati, came out with an excellent book on Dr. King called Becoming King. The book is about King's life before he was a national figure. It chronicles his life while he was a 25 year old preacher and pastor of a church in Montgomery, Alabama. Not too long after he was there, a seamstress at a downtown apartment store boarded a bus and refused to give up her seat to a white woman. Mrs. Park's case sparked a boycott that lasted close to a year and was one of the pivotal events that thrust this young preacher onto the national stage. Troy's done the world a great service with this book that provides us a look at a very human young man who would become "King".

This past week, I have watched several of Dr. King's speeches. One of the most inspiring is his "Mountaintop Speech" where it seems he knew that his time had come to an end. The clip that I embedded into the blog only gives the closing. There are several significant passages in the speech that move me including this one about the Good Samaritan's and the Priest's response to the man in distress:

"And you know, it's possible that the priest and the Levite looked over that man on the ground and wondered if the robbers were still around. Or it's possible that they felt that the man on the ground was merely faking. And he was acting like he had been robbed and hurt, in order to seize them over there, lure them there for quick and easy seizure. And so the first question that the Levite asked was, "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" But then the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: "If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?"

Good words for all of us to take to heart as we honor Dr. King today. He concludes his speech about not being afraid of anyone because he has been to the mountaintop and has seen the promised land. Of course we know that he was shot and killed the very next day. Part of me wonders if in his mind's eye what he saw from that mountaintop looked a lot like inauguration day tomorrow.

pro life versus PRO LIFE

On the weekend of Sanctity of Life Sunday, it's interesting to note the shift taking place in the way that young Christians are defining pro-life. I have seen it happening for a few years now and it seems to be gaining momentum with the recent election. These young people are expanding the definition beyond abortion. Two articles that I read this week speak to this shift.

The first is called 'Life' Movement Evolves by Tom Krattenmaker of USA Today. He writes-

Christians have taken up a fight for global good, targeting human trafficking
and the sex trade industry that tortures souls around the world. Consider this a
new face of the "pro-life" movement.

And the other one is Redefining ProLife from Skye Jethani, managing editor of Leadership. He writes,

Christians have always been pro-life. During the Roman Empire when
infanticide was rampant, it was Christians who retrieved abandoned babies from
outside the city walls to raise them as their own. But it was also the church
that gave unprecedented dignity to slaves, women, and social outcasts. Some have
even hypothesized that it was Christianity's appeal to the disenfranchised
masses that fueled its rapid expansion.

But since Roe vs. Wade, the way "pro-life" has been defined by many
evangelicals has been very narrow. It has simply meant anti-abortion. But now
that seems to be changing. Growing numbers of Christians are embracing a wider
ethic of life. Jim Wallis has called for a Christian agenda that is pro-life
"from the womb to the tomb." That means valuing people after they are born, and
not just before. It means pursuing social justice, equality, education, health
care, and human rights. It means fighting poverty and advocating for those
without a voice.

Will this redefinition take root? If so, what will this do for the "Pro-Life" movement? Will it bring more people in and strenghten the message or water it down so that it loses its focus and passion?

Whatever happens, it does seem that this conversation is a healthy one to have. Poverty and injustice are issues that all people of faith must address whether or not they are included on the pro-life agenda. By drawing added attention to these needs, the conversation might be as good as the end result.

Changing my mind about changing my mind

I just read an article in Newsweek about when scientists change their mind. Tucked away at the end of the article, the columnist throws in a little interesting finding about people's happiness and their ability to change their minds.

"Let's end on an up note. Like every other psychology researcher, Harvard's Daniel Gilbert believed that people are happier when they can change their minds. But in 2002 he and a colleague discovered that people are generally happier about irrevocable decisions: once you are locked in to a decision, you tend to focus on its positive aspects and ignore the negative ones. But if you are allowed to change your mind, you ruminate on both the positive and negative aspects of the choice, which makes you less happy. Inspired by his findings, Gilbert proposed to his girlfriend. Since the "till death" vow makes marriage an (almost)irrevocable decision, the result is that "I love my wife more than I loved my girlfriend."

The article has little to do with this study, but it really made me think. Could this be why our culture is increasingly unhappy? We are inundated with choices. We can't seem to commit to anything. Vows scare us. We like to leave our options open, in case something better comes along.

Maybe the ability to change our minds and not fully commit to anything actually creates more uncertainty which leads to more stress, more anxiety and more unhappiness.

But maybe not.

What to do with a Forgettable Year...

2008 was a year that many would like to forget. The worst economic situation since the great depression and unemployment soaring while our retirement accounts and the value of our homes headed south. To add insult to injury, it was a leap year WITH an added second on the final day due to a slower earth rotation. It was a year that just didn't want to go away.

Ahhh, 2009. Fresh starts, new resolutions and goals.

But what do we do with 2008? It happened. It's part of us, part of our story. We cannot simply delete it. A few thoughts...

1. Celebrate what you can.

It couldn't be ALL bad. And like mom used to say "count your blessings". It might sound corny, but it's old wisdom that doesn't expire.

And really there were some amazing milestones, even collective ones that we can look back on and celebrate. It would be a mark of an ungrateful person who didn't celebrate even the small positives during the last year, even if they were all small positives.

2. Learn what you can.

The biggest downer of 2008 for most people was the financial crisis. It is no secret that part of the problem that got us to this point was our collective bad decisions on credit, consumerism and lack of savings. That's a recipe for disaster. The lessons are obvious. Consume less. Save more. A priority shift in our spending from disposable, consumable goods to long-lasting, altruistic investments will help all of us get over our hangover of excess.

The same look can be given to any bad situation we faced this last year. I looked at quite a few things that I needed to learn from. Hindsight is a beautiful thing, but unless we learn from our past mistakes, we're not making any progress, just repeating bad habits.

3. Move on.

One of my favorite passages in scripture is from Philippians 3, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on..." It's a great lesson for all of us that the past is really a memory, or a collection of memories in our heads. No matter what happened in 2008, we can't stay there. Press on is Paul's way of saying "move on towards something better."

So goodbye 2008. You'll always be with us, but we will not dwell on you. We will not let your mistakes defeat us. We will take what we can to make 2009 better and we'll pack the rest of you up in a box and put you on a shelf to collect dust.

Happy new year.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

You can't celebrate Christmas without retelling the story and no one does it better than Linus. Every depressing Charlie Brown needs a steady Linus to give us the bottom line.


(facebookers go to markmiller.blogspot.com to check out Linus.)

Must Have Holiday Gifts

Ever the creative comic, Dave Barry has compiled a list of must-have gifts of the season, compiled from his readers. Here is a sample...

Disaster Preparedness Activity Books

The holiday season is all about fun for kids, and if there's anything that will put a twinkle in a youngster's eye, it's a disaster-preparedness activity book from the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). There are several titles available, including Ready . . . Set . . . Prepare!

You can find the rest of the list at Dave's Miami Herald website.


Thanks Kelli for sending this one.

What if Starbucks Marketed like a Church?

A friend on facebook put this on his wall a couple of days ago and I thought it was worth posting. Thanks Dean.

Speaking of facebook, if you are getting this through a note in facebook, you probably will not get the video. Go to www.markmiller.blogspot.com to see the video.

What Do Your Christmas Lights Say About You?

The Tribune had an article today stating that psychologists say that your Christmas lights can say a lot about you as a person. If you have simple lights, that could be how you see the world. Or if you have shall we say an "abundance" of light and yard figures, well, you might need to see this next part.

They also highlighted a website called tackychristmasyards.com. The site comes complete with a list of violations. Here are a few of them. Have you violated any of them? If so, turn out your lights and step away (at least until the thaw).

--W.T.H. (What the Heck!?) Violation

Random, non-holiday decor has no place in December. Just because you were given a cool giant light up smiley face does not mean you should put it on the roof this month!

--Multiple Clauses Violation
There is one Santa Claus and only one. I repeat- you may not have more than ONE Santa in your yard at anytime. (The exception is this; if you have a Santa from another culture or a Santa of another ethnicity, THEN you may have another Santa among the deciduous forest that is your yard. This does not mean you may have an inflatable Santa AND a plastic, light-up Santa. Inflatable is not an ethnicity). The same rules apply for Mrs. Claus. Santa is not an adulterer. We must show Santa as an upstanding and moral citizen, despite the 3rd world wages he pays the elves.

--Fallen Figurines/Drive-by Shooting Victims Violation
These poor souls should not be illuminated. If you aren’t going to go outside to set them all back up, don’t plug them in. No one wants to see Mary and Joseph laying down as if involved in a deadly drive-by shooting.

And my personal fav,

--King Kong Complex Violation
If a giant polar bear is standing anywhere near a mid-sized Santa or the Abominable Snowman is lurking over the manger, do something, quick!

A Whopper of a Fragrance

In it's continued quest for creative superiority and downright creepy-factor, Burger King has topped themselves once again. They have now introduced FLAME, a new men's fragrance that they describe as a "scent of seduction, with a hint of flame-broiled meat."

This meaty fragrance can be purchased for about the same cost as a BK value meal, and MUCH less fat and calories. You've got to hand it to them in the creative department, but is seems to me that the king is just getting a little too creepy for my taste.

But according to sales, this could be the "musk-have" gift of the season.

If you can handle the heat, check out the website at http://www.firemeetsdesire.com.

Warren is Pastor America

Rick Warren is Obama's choice for giving the invocation at the inauguration. This has angered many on the left because he is at odds with them on abortion and gay marriage. It is also the same pulpit that for a generation has been given to Billy Graham. It sounds like the torch is being passed.

This reinforces what I had said in July that Rick Warren has reached that rare place of transcendence in the religious arena. Rick Warren is to religion what Obama is to politics (at least at the moment). Of course a lot can change in 24 hours, or minutes for that matter.

It's the Relationships Stupid!

For all of the talk about the financial meltdown or even terrorism that has cast a bit of a pall over 2008, there is a much greater meltdown that has occurred... trust. Our trust in our government has been shattered by a war that has questioned motives and honesty and continuous scandals from our "leaders", most recently Illinois's own governor. Our trust in our systems, financial or otherwise have also been strained.

Jim Wallis wrote these words in a Sojo eletter-

The heart of our faith is about relationships. How they are broken and how they are fixed. Righteousness is the term we use that means “right relationships.” It may sound like an oversimplification, especially in light of all of the complex market instruments that are in use today, but the root of all of this financial mess and turmoil are broken relationships, broken social covenants.

The relationship between employer and employee. The relationship between corporations and community. The relationship between stock holders and executives. The relationship between consumers and their creditors. The relationship between the businesses, the government, and our civic institutions. The relationship between people and the planet we live on. These relationships are broken, distorted, and even abandoned. All of them are in need of redemption.

Trust is the bedrock of relationships. When this has eroded, so has the relationship. And when we cease to have good-faith relationships, we are truly doomed. But it's in this season of gloom that I also take light in the fact that I have seen on a micro-scale trust being restored through the church. I have witnessed friends who have been through incredible heartbreak being comforted by their church family. I have seen those crushed by the economy who have been blessed by unexpected generosity, reminiscent of Acts 2 and 4. And I have observed people being loved on as they find their way back to God.

The universe began with relationships (God-three-in-one) and it will continue to be fueled by them as well. Forgiveness, redemption and restored trust is really the only thing that gives me hope for the coming year. And having witnessed what I have, I am hope(full).

The rich get richer

The New York Yankees agreed to sign free-agent pitcher A.J. Burnett to a five-year, $82.5 million deal. The signing brings the total the Yankees have committed to pitching this week to $243.5 million after agreeing to a $161 million deal with Sabathia.

Sigh...

The Doghouse

You may have seen this already, if not, take the time to check it out...especially if you have XY chromosomes. It could spare you some serious pain this holiday season. Props to JC Penney (yes, JC Penney!) for some seriously creative comedy. I have been impressed with some of their creative projects lately, including one of their music releases that a friend of mine collaborated on (Ryan Lott- remake of "Don't You Forget About Me"- including a bfast club remake). Also, thanks to my sister Deb for sending me the link to the doghouse.




As always, facebookers, these are notes imported from my blog. To view the video, go to www.markmiller.blogspot.com.

Heading to Cleveland

Going to speak at Oak River tomorrow. Tonight will go to Todd Berger's record release. Love going to back to Cleveland and connecting again with lifelong friends.

It's hard to leave the cleve...

Miller Family is IN on the Advent Conspiracy

This year the Miller family is spending less on gifts and more on making a difference in the world. Our church is joining the Advent Conspiracy which is a movement dedicated to spreading the good news of spending less on stuff this Christmas and using that money to end the clean water crisis in our world.

The stats are sobering. The leading cause of death in under resourced countries is lack of access to clean water. 1.8 million people die every year from water born illnesses. That includes 3,900 children a day.

The other sobering stat- We spend 450 billion dollars each year on Christmas. The cost to end the clean water crisis? 10 billion dollars.

If you haven't joined the conspiracy, visit their site www.adventconspiracy.org. And make this the most merry Christmas EVER.

And if you need some ideas on how to spend less and give more, go to www.rethinkingchristmas.com.

God's Smiley Face

With all of the craziness in the world, the heavens gave the world a rare smiley face last night thanks to Jupiter, Venus and the moon. Of course it all depended on your vantage point. Asia got the smiley face, while the U.S. got a frown. Hmmm.

The Good News/Bad News about the Recession

Obviously, no one wants less money and no one desires to be fearful about employment, but there can be some good that comes from tougher times. I have noticed that this downtown has led to a lot of deep conversations that I probably would not have had without a recession. Christianity Today has an article called "Are Recessions Good?" from Rob Moll that highlights this mixed "blessing".

"We need silence to hear God."

I read an article in the Tribune a few days ago about the shrinking number of nuns worldwide. They are particularly falling in the more "advanced" countries.

Sister Maria, 79, from Italy has a theory,

"The young in Italy have TV. They have cell phones. They have these laptops they carry around... when you are going to discos, how can you expect to hear the word of God? You need silence to hear God."

Is this not also true for all believers? We cram our ears full of sound from television, movies, youtube, gossip and increasingly... earbuds. Is there any space left for the still small voice, much less a loud booming voice?

Silence didn't use to take discipline, but it does today. And silence should be practiced as part of a Jesus followers journey.

Unplug, listen UP, obey. (repeat)

Thanksgiving Proclamation... 1863

With a year full of drama, on this Thanksgiving day, I thought it might be good to reflect on a Thanksgiving past. The year was 1863, and Abraham Lincoln provided leadership and healing to a nation that desperately needed it during a tumultuous time. Here is Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Day proclamation in that year of 1863. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years, with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.

~Abraham Lincoln

The Eagles Are Still Flyin' High

I became a fan of the Eagles while I was a child because my older sisters listened to them. Much of my love for '70's music came this way. But by the time I became old enough to go to one of their concerts, they decided that the band was finished. Then came the "Hell Freezes Over" tour and my hopes were rekindled to see them again.

And that is exactly what happened last week in downtown Cincinnati. Stacey and I finally got to see Glenn, Don, Tim and Joe in person. After 40+ years of rockin' out, I was convinced that they could not sound as good as they did in their prime. And not only was I wrong, but I wonder if maybe now is their prime. They seem to be at peace with themselves and each other and making jokes about themselves and their past.

At 61, Glenn opened the concert by saying "Welcome to the Assisted Living Tour." He also dedicated "Lyin' Eyes" to his first wife, "Plaintiff". And he said that the band's wives think that "this next song is about credit cards", then proceeded to play "Take It To The Limit".

Dressed in black suits, white shirts and black ties, they played all of the hits that made them famous and some deep new songs from their new album from which they named their tour. "Hotel California", "Peaceful Easy Feeling", "The Long Run", "Take it Easy", with "Dirty Laundry"(great video primarily of FoxNews and Bill O'Reilly), "Life's Been Good" for good measure and ending with what else, "Desperado". And their "Long Road Out of Eden" song had a great rythym with deeply moving lyrics about America and the Iraq war. Showing that they still have great writing skill, here's a line from the song...

Behold the bitten apple, the power of the tools
But all the knowledge in the world is of no use to fools
And it's a long road out of Eden.

And for 3 hours and 45 minutes, these guys gave it all that they had. For someone just turning 40 (and I was one of the youngin's in the crowd), it was such an inspiration to see these men enjoying life and in top form at an age when most people would be playing parcheesi and counting their money.

So, my 40th birthday present (thank you Beard family) was one for the memory books and I can cross one more thing off of my bucket list. Next on the list, slightly younger rockers U2.

American Grief

A new report came out yesterday that said that American influence around the world will diminish by 2025. It's rival at that time? China, of course. You can read the full story HERE.

It's a new world that we live in and it might take some getting used to. The age that I have grown up in took a lot of things for granted. Like...

• Prosperity
• Unlimited lines of credit
• American dominance in the world
• That when the market goes down, it must go back up
• And that America always gets it's man

So much has happened over the last few weeks that has shaken many of these ideas. And a lot of soul-searching has begun for many Americans. It's almost as if we are entering in some sort of grief cycle. The reactions will vary greatly.

It is a great opportunity for the church to reassert the timeless truths of an unshakable God. Reminds me of one of the great songs that I've sung in church since I was a boy (and we will be singing it tomorrow as well). Markets, countries, kingdoms come and go but one thing is for sure...

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
All other ground is
s
i
n
k
i
n
g

s
a
n
d.

Post-Election Thoughts- (please read this one!)

I had started several times to write some post-election thoughts and did not finish. I had a range of thoughts and emotions with this election as it was charged with fervor on both sides. Sadly, it pitted a lot of christians against one another and resulted in the opposite of Jesus' prayer in John 17 (summary- "Father make them ONE as we are ONE").

John Ortberg, who is pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in Menlo Park, California wrote an outstanding article that I read on Out of Ur's website that expresses better than I could my feelings about the election. So here is a shortened version of John's words and my heart in an article titled "The seven deadly sins of evangelicals in politics".

Messianism. The sin of believing that a merely human person or system can usher in the eschaton. This is often tipped off by phrases like: “The most important election of our lifetime” (which one wasn’t?); or “God’s man for the hour.”

Selective Scripturization. The sin of using Scripture to reinforce whatever attitude toward the president you feel like holding, while shellacking it with a thin spiritual veneer. If the candidate you like holds office, you consistently point people toward Romans 13: “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.” If your candidate lost, you consistently point people to Acts 4:10 where Peter and John say to the Sanhedrin: “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God.” It’s just lucky for us the Bible is such a big book.

Easy Believism. This is the sin of believing the worst about a candidate you disagree with, because when you want them to lose you actually want to believe bad things about them. “Love is patient, love is kind,” Paul said. “Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth.” But in Paul’s day nobody ran for Caesar. There was no talk radio.

Episodism. The sin of being engaged in civic life only on a random basis. The real issues never go away, but we’re tempted to give them our attention only when the news about them is controversial, or simplistic, or emotionally charged. Sustained attention to vital but unsexy issues is not our strong suit.

Alarmism. A friend of mine used to work for an organization that claimed both Christian identity and a particular political orientation. They actually liked it when a president was elected of the opposite persuasion, because it meant they could raise a lot more money. It is in their financial interests to convince their constituents that the president is less sane than Jack Nicholson in The Shining. Alarmists on both sides of the spectrum make it sound like we’re electing a Bogeyman-in-Chief every four years. I sometimes think we should move the election up a few days to October 31.

One Issue-ism. Justifying our intolerance of complexity and nuance by collapsing a decision into a simplistic and superficial framework.

Pride. I couldn’t think of a snappy title for this one. But politics, after all, is largely about power. And power goes to the core of our issues of control and narcissism and need to be right and tendency to divide the human race into ‘us’ vs. ‘them.’

What might happen if the world were to see those of us who claim to be the church vote, and speak, and campaign, and respond to the results in a humble and repentant spirit?

Thank you John. May we learn some valuable lessons and move together as ONE.

Homeless in the Suburbs- my trip to Lazarus House

Last week I saw firsthand how homelessness is not just an inner-city issue. We have a small group (Life Group) from our church that meets in our home on Thursday nights. We are currently reading a book called The Revolution that highlights many of the global issues that affect our world. The book has many contributors and provides some scriptural guidance as well as some practical things that we can do to "right" some of the "wrongs" in our world. Our group concluded that we didn't just want to sit around talking about God, but experiencing him as we serve. We spend one week learning about a topic and then the next week actually doing something about it.

Our current topic is poverty. The week after reading through the chapter on poverty, our group brought urgently needed hats and gloves to the Lazarus House in St. Charles. Lazarus House is located about 5 minutes from our home in typical suburbia, west of Chicago. This is not an area where you would expect to find a lot of homeless people. And yet as we toured the house, Donna, the volunteer coordinator, shared with us that last month they had a record 78 people at the home. She also expects more as the economic downturn continues to snowball.

We were all very impressed with how they discourage short-term help but encourage a 1-2 year commitment to receive education, job training, counseling and financial assistance with the goal of transitioning to a healthy and stable lifestyle. The House is divided into two levels. The lower level is for the newcomers who are in need of immediate assistance. On this level the people all stay in one room with many bunk beds with separate rooms for families. The second level is used for those who have completed their training and are transitioning into the world.

As I looked at the bunk beds in the downstairs area, I was struck by the 2 laundry baskets on the beds. This represented their entire possession...2 laundry basket. It was hard to even comprehend. And Donna said that the number one issue people face when they come to Lazarus House is their low self esteem. Many feel ashamed and stunned that their life has come to this and they need loving, caring people to surround them.

Our Life Group has committed to a regular night where we will cook and serve the people and continue to monitor the urgent needs listed on their website. The night reminded me of a quote from Mother Teresa who was talking to people in the U.S. when she said...

"There is plenty to do right around you... don't fly to Calcutta. Open your eyes and get to work!"

Veterans Day

Today is Veterans Day. In case you didn't know, it is on November 11th because on the 11th hour of the 11th month of the 11th day of 1918, WW I officially ended. I am amazed that there are still veterans alive from this first world war. But in light of the election of our first African-American president, I thought that we should remember those who fought in the Civil War. The Civil War was America's bloodiest conflict with casualties of around 1,100,000 and 620,000 deaths. Here is some incredible footage of civil war veterans gathered at the 75th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg.

How Storytelling Moved a Nation

We are a story culture; I think we always have been. The Master Storyteller (that would be Jesus) knew this as the Bible tells us that "he only spoke in parables (stories)." People relate to them, they are persuaded by them and they are motivated by them.

Drew Westen, Ph.D., professor of psychology and psychiatry at Emory University wrote about how Obama was able to use the power of story to captivate a nation and win the Presidency. He writes:

And in the last few weeks of the campaign, Obama finally began to control the four stories that matter in an election:

1. the story you tell about your yourself (that he was the candidate of change, fleshing out what he meant by change);

2. the story you tell about your opponent (that McCain was four more years of Bush);

3. the story the other candidate is telling about himself (McCain the maverick, which Obama countered by citing McCain's proud proclamation that he had voted with Bush over 90 percent of the time and parrying, "That's not a maverick, that's a sidekick"); and

4. the story McCain was telling about Obama (that he lacked the experience and judgment to lead, which Obama countered with his steadiness in the face of the Wall Street meltdown and his strong, steady performances in the debates).

Elections are won by candidates who control those four stories and in so doing inspire the electorate and channel their fears (in this case, fears about the economy trumping all else).

I Was There!

I bought a button that had those words on it as I made my way to downtown Chicago to witness history. I've always been a bit of a political nerd and I could not resist being this close and not taking it in.

I am out of town speaking to young people (on justice) for a couple of days, but when I return I will post my pics and blog about the experience. Many of you shared this with me on facebook (both Republican and Democrat friends...proud to have both).

Whatever our political persuasion, I couldn't help but stand in a crowd of incredible diversity and look into the teary eyed faces of African-Americans and not feel a sense of history unfolding before my eyes. Racism will not end because of this election, but it does reveal to us that America truly is the land of opportunity and true freedom. And it shows that we can overcome our past sins.

I leave us with this thought. Let all of us be reminded that true power is not in a party or a country or any one person, true power is in the hands of the Lord. Let's pray that those who are now in power lead with this humbling reality as their guide.

WWJD with Election 2008? (yes, I pulled out the WWJD)

Yes, the tired and worn out four letter question is asked again. A friend of mine just voted and asked me if he had done WWJD. It made me think a bit. I have tried hard to look at both sides in this election and try to allay fears and combat misinformation with truth. At the end of the day, I hope I was successful. But back to the question, What Would Jesus Do on election day?

First off, big surprise, I'm not Jesus. Now that I came clean with that one, here are some thoughts...

Jesus would pray.

No surprise here, but ask yourself this- "have I prayed about this election?" I have heard several pastors from the pulpit pray that God would have mercy on their country and let their guy win. But I'm thinking more along the lines of "Father, give me humility as I make this decision. Let me not vote out of tradition, manipulation, fear or selfish motivation. Your kingdom come, your will be done. Amen."

Jesus would vote.

And he would probably bring some friends along the way to share in the experience.

Jesus would rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.

Emotions have been running high with this election. Whoever loses, there will always be those who take it very hard and some who will be so distraught they will mention moving to Canada (or an undisclosed bunker). Jesus would most likely lighten the mood and graciously remind them of a much greater entity than the United States...the kingdom of God.

Jesus would go on living life just like he had before.

God is never taken by surprise and he doesn't need elections or democracies or countries to have his will be done. Jesus would not be shaken by the outcome of an election and he would continue his mission that God gave him from the beginning (see Luke 4).

Just some thoughts on election eve. Now don't ask, DO!

The United States of FEAR and MISINFORMATION

The one downside of our freewheeling, information society is how quickly fear and misinformation can spread. I have been amazed at the generous portions of both of these being dished up in this election. It's the one thing that unites us ALL.

But nothing like some humor to drive home this point and hopefully make us do something we really need to do...laugh!

note- facebook friends can see this video at my blog- markmiller.blogspot.com

CT- How to Pick a President

I have seen some very poor and very good arguments during this campaign for why people are voting the way that they are. Christianity Today, who I believe has tried to remain neutral and truthful in it's reporting, published an article late spring that laid out the main reason we should vote for a candidate- virtue. Here is an excerpt from the article's closing argument. I hope to add some thoughts before election time.

The issue is not that candidates have failures, but how they have dealt with those failures. For they are certain to have public failures while in office. If in private life they run from failure or cover it up or rationalize it, are they not likely to do the same in public life? The goal of seeking virtuous people for high office is not to find perfect people, but to find people with the greatest potential to provide, despite their acknowledged limitations (humility being a prudent quality in a leader), the kind of leadership a community needs to flourish. We are not looking for saints to lead us, but we should be looking for people trying to live virtuously and largely succeeding.

It matters little that people will not agree exactly on a list of key virtues. The question of what virtues are most important, and how they should be defined and expressed, should be a fruitful part of an ongoing discussion. But it matters greatly that such a discussion take place. Recent polls indicate a broad recognition that we have a virtue deficit in this country and in its leaders that makes budget deficits pale in importance.

When we are choosing someone to lead us, we do best to look for a "good human being." Such a person is not likely to be moralistic or pious or politically correct. But he or she needs to be virtuous. Because, over time, nations flourish only to the degree that their collective virtue sustains.

Wired NextFest

I headed downtown via the train to catch Wired NextFest and it didn't disappoint. It was everything that I had hoped it would be- fun, informative, entertaining and inspirational. The creativity that was harnessed in the outdoor exhibition tent was palpable. From the interactive CG Dwayne Wade who commented on your shooting ability to the other end of the hall with the next generation People Movers, ingenuity was not in short supply. Curt and I played Pong with our fingers (he won), brain ball with...our brains (I won :-) and interacted with robots and computers all day long.

But the highlight of our time was the time spent with...humans. Yes, good old-fashioned communication with people as there were several of the inventors on hand to answer questions. And one person in particular was gracious with his time and inspirational with his words. He is Charles Greenwood, the inventor of the Human Car.

Charles has spent the last 4o years (since the year I was born) designing a car that could generate electricity simply by human power. And his dream is soon to become a reality with the Human Car, a car that can go up to 60mph powered by humans in a sort of "rowing" motion. Each passenger also can join in the fun, or just sit back and switch to all-electric power, your choice. Charles has been featured on CNN as well as Discovery Channel and Wired magazine to name a few.

But Charle's is much more than an entrepenuer out to make a buck. And it isn't about saving money from high gas prices. "When I started this project, gas was 32 cents. This wasn't about gas." He says that what fuels his passion is the human condition and what he calls "a broken infrastructure." He spoke with us at length about his desire to do something that lifts the human potential. This desire at first was from a purely humanistic view, but he later came to a crisis of faith knowing that there had to be something bigger fueling this passion. This led him to became an ordained minister. While our theology wouldn't match, our love for people and creativity was a perfect fit. Here are some of his thoughts...

On Ideas (after I mentioned the term "Big Idea":

"What we need are a lot of little ideas chaneled in one direction. For example, with the future of cars, we need all different types sharing information, brainstorming about lane sizes, regulations, technology etc."

On American Creativity:

"Some of the internationals who have come to visit my shop have asked themselves in my presence why their country is not as creative. I'm of Swiss decent and back in my home country there is a term that is common over there that means 'fit-in', or 'keep your head down and don't make waves.' I think in America there are number of factors that fuel our creativity. One of the best is humor, especially self-depracting humor. We laugh at ourselves and do not take ourselves too seriously. This allows us to take risks. And "different" is OK in America if it is connected to ingenuity."

He left us with quite a bit to think about. And if that was the goal of NextFest, then mission accomplished. Our heads were full of thoughtful, creative inspiration to fuel our next Big, I mean little idea that might just move us forward.

Bite-sized Proverb

Reading a Proverb a day has been a relatively consistent part of my routine. I will read a Proverb on the corresponding day (there are 31, how convenient) and then chew on one verse or two throughout the day. Starting a day with Godly wisdom is always a good idea. Here was the verse that stuck with me today ...

A tenderhearted person lives a blessed life;
a hardhearted person lives a hard life. (proverbs 28:14- the message)

my 2cents...

We live in an age of protection- from pollution, from crime, from terrorism, from STDs... from pain. We learn to build walls to protect, even around our hearts. A wall around the heart keeps everything out, the good and the bad leading to a lonely, shriveled up heart/life.

Stacey and I saw a funny movie on this very topic this past weekend called Ghosttown about a man (played by Ricky Gervais) who had been hurt so much in the past that he did not want to risk the pain again. The man lives a lonely, uncaring and unfeeling existence until something happens that opens a crack in the door of his heart. The result (spoiler alert) is that he not only allows love into his heart, but he then opens his life to love others.

And that sums up this Proverb- when we are loved and love others, we're blessed.

Pruney Hands

No these are not the hands of my great, great grandmother. They are of my 6 year old after some serious bath-fun. She's normally pruney after a bath, but this time she was beyond pruney.

A Franciscan Benediction

I just stumbled across this again and felt it was worth repeating.

May God bless us with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
So that we may live from deep within our hearts.

May God bless us with anger
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of God’s creations
So that we may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless us with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war,
So that we may reach out our hands to comfort them and
To turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless us with just enough foolishness
To believe that we can make a difference in the world,
So that we can do what others claim cannot be done:
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and all our neighbors who are poor.

Amen.

40

Stacey was in top form on planning a party that was exactly what I had hoped for- a casual event with lifelong friends and family with some of my favorite foods (La Rosa's Pizza, Graeter's ice cream and my mom's delicious cakes).

There was a time of "honoring" that was as much a roast as anything. I loved every minute of it. Although, when you hear those stories about what you did as a child, it makes you wonder "what was I thinking?"

Stacey got the ball rolling with her self-proclaimed "deep thoughts" as only she can write. Here's a sample of her strong closing...

You’re the coordinates in my GPS…the music on my iPod…my life-long facebook status update. In other words: Let’s do this for at least another 40 years.

To the man who laughs at most of my jokes…keeps all of my secrets…and thinks I’ve got the best singing voice on the planet.

From the woman who laughs at most of your jokes…keeps all of your secrets…and can’t wait to see your handsome self bald (if such a day arises).

I love you with my whole heart…forever and ever.

Stace

Wow! That started the "sharing" time and then it was all downhill from there. Actually, it was all very fun and even a bit enlightening. And it was a humbling to have so many of the people who have shaped my life in the same room. I shared with them (and I say this to those reading this blog who have impacted me), thank you all for being an important part of my story and for sharing your story with me. I have no idea what the next 40 years holds, but the older I get the more I realize that it is the relationships that matter most.

And to have an amazing wife who loves me deeply, incredible children who daily bring me joy and new lenses to view the world, wonderful family and friends who love me and keep me tethered to what is important and God who makes all of it happen, makes me one blessed, 40 year-old man!

DID YOU KNOW?

YOU PROBABLY MISSED THIS ONE. YESTERDAY WAS THE INTERNATIONAL "CAPS LOCK KEY" DAY. YOU KNOW, THE KEY THAT MAKES EVERYONE THINK THAT YOU ARE SCREAMING AT THEM?

WHILE ONE OF THE MORE USELESS KEYS ON OUR KEYBOARD, SOMEONE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO GIVE IT AN OFFICAL DAY.

thanks.

"Race" to the finish

It seems that race is now beginning to be talked about more on the campaign trail. We are living in an age of tension between the ugly side of racism and the beauty of racial barriers and stereotypes being broken. I loved David Andersen's talk a few years ago about the beauty of diversity looking at Acts 2 and how all of the different tribes were speaking different languages and yet unified because they were all declaring the wonders of God.

2 stories recently show both sides of race as the campaign winds down.

Ugly election incidents show lingering U.S. racism

Surging Obama campaign suggests US racism on the wane

Which article is right? Probably both. Let's pray that whatever the outcome of the election, that the church continues to function in it's unofficial cabinet position of the minister of reconciliation.

Election Roast 2008

Now here are a couple of clips from the Al Smith Dinner where we finally see some humor from both sides. Enjoy, it will be the last moment of levity until election time.

This is Your Brain on D...igital

Ever wonder if your lack of memory is from the fact that you are getting older or because we live in such a fast-paced world? How about, are people not as good at social skills like listening? What about attention spans? And have you had the thought that maybe all of that time spent on a computer, or looking at screen after screen of information might be having some sort profound but unknown affect on our lives?

As a pastor, I have wondered about this a lot. It seems that the more we get into the digital era the more I see changes in behaviors and even to some extent belief systems, or how we come to believe something.

Newsweek has a story on this called "Are You a 'Digital Native?'" that is somewhat inconclusive but highlights a study by UCLA that is beginning to shed some light on where our brains might be headed.



And long before the digital era were these words...

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2