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.