Thursday, September 28, 2006

Labels: Christian Carnival

Posted by Amanda at 9/28/2006 03:25:00 PM 2 Comments

Busy Busy!

I know it's been awhile since I've been able to post, but don't worry! Regular posting will resume soon (I hope!). Things have really picked up at work so I'm finding less time to write. By the time I get home at night, my brain doesn't want to be near a computer. If you're a newer reader, feel free to browse my archives. There's some good stuff in there (if I do say so myself). And hopefully, regular posting will resume within a week or so.

Labels: Personal

Posted by Amanda at 9/28/2006 11:34:00 AM 0 Comments

Sunday, September 24, 2006

I was surprised to find this posted over on Martian's blog, but it's definitely something Christians need to read.

I believe there are millions of Americans--faithful Christians, Jews and Muslims--who are tired, fed up and angry. They want this country to once again be the beacon of moral clarity it once was. They want this nation to lead when it sees fellow human beings dying of hunger and disease. They want this nation to lead when it sees melting glaciers and rising oceans due to global warming. They want this nation to reflect the best of their religious traditions when it comes to taking care of our brothers and sisters no matter where they live, of taking care of this planet that God created and entrusted to us to cherish and respect.

In my book, "Middle Church, Reclaiming the Moral Values of the Faithful Majority from the Religious Right," I have a chapter entitled, "Changing our Beatitudes: Guideposts for Deep-Water Citizenship." The Beatitudes refers to the section of the Gospel of Matthew (5:3-12) and Luke (6:20-23) where Jesus has a list outlining what are his priorities for his followers: "Blesses are the peacemakers..., Blessed are the meek..., Blessed are the poor in spirit...," etc. It is my firm belief that if we are to reclaim our nation's values that the rest of the world has looked up to for so many years we must shake ourselves from our complacency and connect the values of the faith we share with the faith of the nation we cherish. I know that we can do this.

The reference to "deep waters" refers to a saying of Jesus in Luke's Gospel. I see it today as Deep-Water Citizenship which is a simple plan I humbly offer to change today's world with seven beatitudes.

1. Blessed are the faithful risk-takers. Too many faith leaders are silent on matters Jesus cared about deeply. My evangelical friend, Tony Campolo, laments that he can't quote Jesus in churches these days because folks don't want to hear about loving your enemies or overcoming evil with good. Faith leaders should be grounding their message from the pulpit in the deep waters of Jesus.

2. Blessed is the courageous remnant. The Hebrew prophets were not very popular. But they remind us even majorities can be wrong. Jesus quoted those prophets all the time. They were vilified by those in power. Some were stoned. But they spoke the truth and found the courage to do so. We need to find that same courage and speak up for what is right. Sometimes the majority needs to be led.

3. Blessed are those who love the stranger. If there is one thing common to the religious traditions of Abraham--the Muslims, Christians and Jews--it's the Golden rule. If we really, really kept that law there would fewer people killed in name of God in the world today.

4. Blessed are those who read the Whole Bible. I've often said you can use various verses of the Bible to justify almost anything...slavery, polygamy, subjugation of women and children, even child sacrifice. But Middle Church has to own up to the whole of the Bible. We have to take seriously the words of Jesus when he tells us to love God with all our heart, mind and strength, and to love our neighbor as we love our very selves. How important is what is called the Greatest Commandment? Jesus even answered that: "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:40)

5. Blessed are the Faithful Voters. What would our government do if Middle Church voters followed the Greatest Commandment? We would trigger a seismic and historic change in American politics. I don't care which party is in power because I think the faithful voter should speak Gospel truth to power regardless of party loyalty. If we are to be faithful voters, politicians must be afraid to cut welfare as they are to raise taxes, as eager to make peace as they are to start wars.

6. Blessed are those who challenge us to work for Justice. A lot of mainline Protestant pastors tell me they're afraid if they preach prophetically they'll lose members in their already dwindling congregations. They'll lose those members if they don't preach prophetically. We need leaders with vision who can take the Gospel imperatives to help "the least of these", our brothers and sisters, in cooperation with corporations and government. We need everyone's shoulder to the wheel to rid our towns and cities of poverty, homelessness and hunger. We are the leaders we've been waiting for. Let's get to work.

7. Blessed are those with a sense of humor and a sense of hope. At the heart of Christianity is hope. We are a people of hope. And we should be people who can laugh in the face of great adversity. We must not let the enormity of what we see in today's world to overwhelm us into inaction. We must always draw on that hope with its companion joyful laughter to carry on this Gospel gladness. The question I ask my fellow Christians in Middle Church is, "Do we value our faith enough to reclaim it?"

I do. I believe in my hopeful heart of hearts there are millions like me who want to reclaim the values this country once held dear. We've been distracted recently. We need to get back to the Greatest Commandment, the Sermon on the Mount and the Jesus who reached beyond the boundaries of his society to include everyone.

Posted by Amanda at 9/24/2006 05:26:00 PM 8 Comments

Friday, September 22, 2006

Labels: Music Videos

Posted by Amanda at 9/22/2006 06:55:00 PM 0 Comments

Thursday, September 21, 2006

This is a question I had for years growing up. In fact, for most of my life I was taught the wrong thing. I was always taught that blaspheming the Holy Spirit was simply rejecting God. But then I found the definition of blaspheming the Holy Spirit in the Bible.

But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit has never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: Because they said, He has an unclean spirit. Mark 3:29-30

So, blasphemy is denying God is who He says He is.

A friend of mine put it this way:

If you don’t believe that the Holy Spirit is capable of working miracles, etc., then you’ll attribute it to something else (Satan, witchcraft, liars, etc.). If you don’t believe the Holy Spirit inspired the Bible, you’ll attribute it to someone else (stories taken out of context or blown out of proportion, etc.).

When the grace of God (his forgiveness) covers you, you could have the most vile sins on your record, but you’re still forgiven and able to enter Heaven. The reason blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is unforgiveable is this: You have to believe that God is who He says He is before you can ask him to forgive you.

Taking the Lord's name in vain or mocking Jesus is not blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Both are sins, but neither is the "unpardonable sin" spoken of in Mark 3.

Posted by Amanda at 9/21/2006 09:28:00 AM 7 Comments

Christian Carnival

This week's Christian Carnival is up at Lux Venit. Be sure and check it out!

Labels: Christian Carnival

Posted by Amanda at 9/21/2006 09:26:00 AM 0 Comments

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Laura has posted about a petition the AFA is circulating to censor Madonna's show that mocks the Crucifixion when it airs on NBC. The petitions states:

Following the lead of Rosie O'Donnell and ABC, NBC has decided to join in the bashing of Christians by airing a Madonna special in November. A specific date has not been released.

In the show, Madonna, wearing a fake crown of thorns, descends on a suspended mirrored, disco ball-type cross. When some Christian leaders complained about the mockery, NBC ignored their concerns.

I want to applaud Laura for her take on it.

Christians will protest furiously if the American Family Association has anything to say about it. And that is our right. However, before we act on this, let’s take a moment to think. It’s ironic that at the same time conservative Christians are signing petitions and blogging in support of Denmark’s right to publish cartoons of Mohamed that offend Muslims, that we are going to scream and yell about a TV show that is not exactly the epitome of Christian values to begin with. […]

It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison to say that Christians are engaging in the hysteria Muslims do where blasphemy or even mild criticism of their religion is concerned. We’re not burning flags, making bomb threats, and threatening to kidnap people. However, of a billion or so Muslims, most of them are not either. They may tacitly agree with it - many have said in interviews or on websites that they find it understandable - but the actions of most are to boycott, sign petitions, and make phone calls. Are they correct in demanding that newspapers refrain from printing cartoons that depict their faith in an unflattering light? Can we demand to be free from the possibility of being offended and still remain a free society?

Let’s keep in mind that the gospel offends. Someday our “freedom” to not be offended by entertainment may turn into someone else’s freedom to not be offended by the gospel.

This is the attitude that all Christians should have towards offensive things. You have the right to turn your TV off the night this is aired. You have the right not to watch.

Why should we expect the rights of the world to be taken away and ours to remain in place?

Laura suggests that we use this as an opportunity to educate people on why something like this is offensive to the Christian, rather than massively protesting and trying to censor it. I agree with her. This is an opportunity to be Christ-like and educate people. I fear that more Christians will perpetuate the idea that we should become angry and launch protests.

Posted by Amanda at 9/19/2006 01:32:00 PM 13 Comments

Torturing Prisoners

Zach has a great article that deals with the moral implications of torturing prisoners of war.

It is unfortunate that our President, who is a Christian, has misunderstood the teachings of Jesus in a way that makes him believe that torturing our enemies in this war on terror is acceptable. In Article 3 of the Geneva convention, it stipulates against “cruel, inhumane and degrading” treatment of prisoners and “outrages upon personal dignity, in particular, humiliating and degrading treatment.” Bush has called the language used in this article “vague” and not clear enough in order for our intelligence officers to know where the legal limit is in regards to “tough interrogation” techniques. Maybe I’m wrong here, but the only reason the language in Article 3 would be called “vague” is because the President wants to extend beyond where the current standard is currently set. If he were not interested in torturing prisoners, then there would be no reason to characterize the Geneva Convention’s language as “vague” and in need of revision.

Read the whole thingand visit the National Religious Campaign Against Torture.

Posted by Amanda at 9/19/2006 09:50:00 AM 1 Comments

Pastors who Plagiarize

Brent has posted about an article that has left me completely shocked. The article in question completely advocates and justifies plagiarizing from the pulpit. It even goes so far as to suggest that not plagiarizing them is a symptom of pride.

I love Brent's rebuttal to the article:

The real issues here are not even about originality, but about respect for the Word and obedience to Christ’s command of making disciples (Matthew 28:18-20) as our principle ends. Sjogren has reduced effective preaching to mere pragmatics and numbers. How do you know when you are preaching “homeruns,” when you have numbers and if you don’t have numbers, then you ought to consider cutting corners and refashioning your product! This is a blatant lack of respect for the Word and the Church and in the end, God will not honor such approaches. Large numbers sometimes mean that more ears are being tickled than souls edified (2 Timothy 4:3), yet such concerns do not seem to appear on Sjogren’s radar.

The very notion that we must preach “homeruns” is in itself misguided and borrows more from marketing than Scripture. Not that we do not strive for excellence, we certainly do, but the excellence that we strive for is properly understanding, explaining and applying the Word, not “wowing” our audience. If that happens in the process, that’s fine, but once that “wow” becomes our focus, we’ve lost sight of true preaching. The question of the “communicator/preacher/pastor” as “entertainer is a crucial one. Is it possible that driving a Corvette and pulling things from the trunk while you preach on letting God deal with “your junk in the trunk” is perhaps going too far?

Read Brent's full post.

Read Steve Sjogren's article Don't Be Original, Be Effective!

Posted by Amanda at 9/19/2006 09:41:00 AM 1 Comments

Monday, September 18, 2006

Posted by Amanda at 9/18/2006 03:32:00 PM 2 Comments

Multiple-Choice God

An article in the LA Times tells of a new survey called, "American Piety in the 21st Century," that reveals that Americans believe in four basic types of deity. The survey was conducted by the Gallup Organization for Baylor University.

According to the survey, 85-90% of Americans answered "yes" when asked if they personally believe in God.

But the study went further by asking respondents what sort of God they believed in. The results put the perennial debate over the role of religion in public life in a new light.

The survey identifies four conceptions of God, which it labels A, B, C and D.

A is the Authoritarian God, worshiped by 31.4% of respondents. This deity is highly involved, responsible for Earthly events such as tsunamis or economic upturns and "capable of meting out punishment to those who are unfaithful or ungodly."

B is the Benevolent God, the choice of 23% of respondents. He also is involved in human affairs but isn't in the smiting business. This God is "mainly a force of positive influence in the world and is less willing to condemn or punish individuals."

C is the Critical God, who "really does not interact with the world." But believers in this God — 16% of the sample — still watch their Ps and Qs because God C "views the current state of the world unfavorably" and will punish evildoers "in another life."

Last but not least is D, the Distant God. Twenty-four percent of respondents endorsed — "embraced" is probably too strong a word — this version of the deity, "a cosmic force which set the laws of nature in motion" but has no interest in human activities.

Finally, there are the atheists, who accounted for 5.2% of respondents. (They aren't dignified with an abbreviation. F for faithless?)

This seems just a little too simplistic to me. If I had been polled, I wouldn't have chosen any of those options because God can't be limited to a simple label like these. The closest thing to who I think God is a combination of both A and B. And even that is still too simplistic for my taste.

One good thing I think this survey does is to dispel the notion that the religion of Americans is uniform.

From the actual findings:

Americans may agree that God exists. They do not agree about what God is like, what God wants for the world, or how God feels about politics. Most Americans pray. They differ widely on to whom they pray, what they pray about, and whether or not they say grace.

I must admit I am surprised at the numbers given in this study. According to the study, barely 1 in 10 Americans is NOT affiliated with a congregation; fewer than 5% of the US population claim a faith outside of the Judeo-Christian mainstream; and Fully a third of Americans, roughly 100 million people, are Evangelical Protestant by affiliation.

This study even found that those who claim to be unaffiliated still have some traditional forms of faith. The majority of Americans not affiliated with a religious tradition believe in God or some higher power; Almost a third of those unaffiliated with organized religion pray at least occasionally; Religiously unaffiliated people are unlikely to attend church. Nine out of ten report never attending religious services; and at least one in 10 religiously unaffiliated Americans has no doubt in the existence of God, believes Jesus is the son of God, and prays daily or more.

This is fascinating stuff to me. They even surveyed these folks on what term they think best describes them and nearly half of them called themselves "Bible believing." Only 15% call themselves "Evangelical" and only 2 in 100 believe that is the best description.

This is only a small sampling of the findings, as the document is 74 pages long.

My question is this: It's obvious that American religion/Christianity is incredibly diverse. So 1) When will people start recognizing that fact and stop lumping everyone together under the title "Fundamentalist" and 2) If this many people really do believe in God, Jesus, and attend church, where are the fruits of it?

Posted by Amanda at 9/18/2006 11:40:00 AM 6 Comments

How Star Trek Changed This Guy's Life

In the NY Times:

FOUR decades ago, when the starship Enterprise first settled into orbit around Planet M-113 on Sept. 8, 1966, I was 2 years old. I could not have known it at the time, but “Star Trek” would literally change my life.

To say that any television show has changed one’s life is to invite both mockery and pity for a poor, shuttered geek who must surely have been denied direct sunlight and the attention of women for the better part of his days. But in lieu of offering documentary proof that I do not, in fact, still reside in my parents’ basement, let me simply tell you how “Star Trek” informed the way I look at the world.

“Star Trek” is often reduced to kitsch: Kirk’s paunch, Spock’s pointy ears, green-skinned alien girls. But it was more than escapism and rubber-suited aliens. It was a morality play, with Capt. James T. Kirk as a futuristic John F. Kennedy piloting a warp-driven PT-109 through the far reaches of the galaxy.

Kirk, for me, embodied an American idea: His mission was to explore the final frontier, not to conquer it. He was moral without moralizing. Week after week, he confronted the specters of intolerance and injustice, and week after week found a way to defeat them without ever becoming them. Jim Kirk may have beat up his share of bad guys, but you could never imagine him torturing them.

A favorite quote: “We’re human beings, with the blood of a million savage years on our hands. But we can stop it. We can admit that we’re killers, but we won’t kill today.” Kirk clearly understood humanity’s many flaws, yet never lost faith in our ability to rise above the muck and reach for the stars.

“Star Trek” painted a noble, heroic vision of the future, and that vision became my lodestar.

As I grew into adolescence, the show provided a handy reference against which to judge the questions that my young mind began to ask: What is the obligation of a free society toward the less fortunate? Does an “advanced” culture have the right to spread its ideas among more “primitive” ones? What does it mean to be human, and at what point do we lose our humanity to our technology?

And as I grew into an adult, and my political views took shape, I treasured “Star Trek” as a dream of what my country could one day become — a liberal and tolerant society, unafraid to live by its ideals in a dangerous universe, and secure in the knowledge that its greatness derived from the strength of its ideas rather than the power of its phasers.

In my 20’s, through a combination of luck and determination, I fulfilled my childhood dream — I became a writer for “Star Trek.”

For 10 years, I helped propel the latter-day incarnations of “Trek” into new territory while keeping alive the set of moral principles I’d taken to heart. As I plotted the adventures of the Enterprise-D and the travails of the space station Deep Space 9, I gradually became interested in pushing the boundaries of “Star Trek,” and began to let Captains Picard and Sisko find the shades of gray in a universe Kirk sometimes saw only in black and white.

Science fiction on film and television has, over the past four decades, moved decisively away from the optimism of “Star Trek.” “Blade Runner,” “Alien” and “The Matrix” posit much darker, dystopian futures; even the “Star Wars” movies posit the rise of a galactic empire founded on “the dark side.” Social and commercial explanations abound for this shift, but my theory is that “Star Trek” set the gold standard for the idealistic vision of tomorrow and no one has successfully challenged it.

Nowadays, it may appear that I’ve turned a blind eye to my lodestar as the crew of the battlestar Galactica behave in ways that would’ve been unthinkable in the “Star Trek” universe that Gene Roddenberry created. But “Battlestar Galactica” remains very much informed by the lessons I learned from that slightly paunchy man in the gold pajama top on the good ship Enterprise.

My characters may not have all the answers (sometimes they’re not even aware of the questions) but they contain kernels of both good and evil in their hearts and continue to struggle for salvation and redemption against the darker angels of their natures. Their defeats are many, their victories few, but somehow, some way, they never give up the dream of finding a better tomorrow.

And, thanks to a 40-year-old television show, neither do I.

Ronald D. Moore is the writer of “Battlestar Galactica.”

He has a point.

Posted by Amanda at 9/18/2006 11:30:00 AM 1 Comments

Veggie Tales joins Saturday Morning Cartoons

NBC will begin broadcasting the popular Christian cartoon Veggie Tales on Saturday mornings. Unfortunately, NBC is insisting that biblical and evangelical messages be taken out.

What will be left of Bob and Larry once those things are edited out?

According to an Associated Press report, VeggieTales creator and consultant Phil Vischer is, at NBC's insistence, retooling the popular cartoons for network television. The cartoon still presents Bible stories, he notes, but the network has said they cannot preach to kids or show Scriptures at the end of each episode, so "we have had to make some edits."

The major TV networks have "some sensitivities," Vischer explains, "about 'preaching to kids' when you have an audience that's going to have atheist kids and, you know, Hindu kids," and so on. "And so we can tell Bible stories," he says, but "what we can't do is really turn to the audience and preach at them. What we can't do at the end is go to the computer and show a Bible verse, which clearly doesn't pass network standards."

For example, Vischer recalls, in one VeggieTales episode a character states, "The Bible says God gave Samson his strength," and NBC "didn't have a problem with that. But then the character kind of turns to the camera and says, 'And God can give us strength, too.' And that's kind of where [NBC] said, 'Okay, now you're preaching.'"

Phil Vischer, creator and producer of the show, doesn't seem too bothered by it. He said some of the changes were a surprise, but he still believes that the integrity of the show is left intact.

"There is the kind of compromise that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to do," Vischer says. "But there's also the kind of compromise that [the apostle] Paul did when he said, 'I will be all things to all people' -- where he wanted to kind of adopt the culture of the people he was trying to reach; not offend them, but find a way to get the gospel in front of them. And I think that's a little more what we're trying to do here."

It remains clear, even in the edited episodes, "that we're telling a Bible story and we're communicating something from the Bible," Vischer contends; but "what we haven't been able to do is really turn to the audience and apply it to them." He acknowledges that he and his associates are "not thrilled" about all the cuts, but says "we're doing the best we can. If someone invites you to a dinner party and you get to talk there, you kind of have to live by the rules of the host."

I think I am on the fence here. On one hand, it's pretty cool that a Christian cartoon will be joining MSM. On the other, I have to wonder how much compromise is too much. Is this compromise being done for the sake of spreading the Gospel? Or is it being done to line someone's pocket?

Read the full story here.

Posted by Amanda at 9/18/2006 09:50:00 AM 1 Comments

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Last night my roomies took me to dinner. D wanted to try this restaurant a coworker had been telling him about. He had a $25 off gift certificate, but they had to order a minimum of $35. He knew that he and AGG wouldn't get there by themselves, so they took me along.

D told us it was downtown at 15th and Blake, so AGG and I were thinking this was going to be a pretty nice place. We were going for some downtown dining.

Boy were we wrong!

We arrive at this hole in the wall dump. We walk in and surprisingly enough, it's crowded. So I'm thinking, well if this many people are here the food has to be good. The noise level was deafening. Our waiter not only had a hard time hearing us, but he had a hard time understanding us. They served us room temperature tap water.

But we all manage to find something on the menu that we think we'll like. D enjoyed his food--but he's a guy, which means he's a human garbage disposal. AGG discovered she really liked the tortillas, and the chicken she had with her fajitas was actually pretty tasty. Me? I ordered tostadas. How can you mess those up? Oh you can. The chicken was all dark meat, shredded. And it was cold. The beans were cold. The plates weren't even hot, as they usually are at mexican restaurants. The sour cream was congealed and kind of chunky.

The worst part? There was a couple sitting across from us making out the entire time we were there. AGG ended up turning her chair towards the wall just so she couldn't see them. I was honestly more amused than offended, and there were a few times I thought they were just going to eat each others faces off. It was not something you want to see in public, and definitely not while you're eating.

The ONE redeeming factor the restaurant had was the amazing sopapillas. Even the chips and salsa were gross. It tasted like they dumped an entire can of chili powder in the salsa. But the sopapillas were delightful.

Word to the wise: if you're ever in downtown Denver, don't go to D'Corazon. And don't let their website fool you. It was nowhere near as cool as it looks in the photos.

Labels: Personal

Posted by Amanda at 9/14/2006 03:45:00 PM 2 Comments

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

I've seen a lot of right-leaning folks give Rosie O'Donnell flak for her comment, "Radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam in a country like America."

Watch the video.

I have to agree with her. I don't agree with everything Rosie says. I'm right there with Elisabeth while she's defending the reasons this country is at war. But that one statement from Rosie does, in fact, hit the nail on the head.

We've got people in this country who are protesting the funerals of soldiers in the "name of God." We've got people in this country who are bombing abortion clinics in the "name of God." These people are terrorists too. The only difference is that they are Americans terrorizing America, rather than Islamists.

Posted by Amanda at 9/13/2006 10:03:00 AM 19 Comments

Are you ready?

Posted by Amanda at 9/13/2006 09:53:00 AM 1 Comments

Monday, September 11, 2006

Joseph Reina loved the New York Yankees.

He married Lisa on the day of Game 1 of the 1999 World Series, and a friend brought a small television set to the reception so Joe could check the progress of the game. Lisa didn't mind, but would have put her foot down if he had tried to go to the game! Both Lisa and Joe loved the sun and always vacationed where it was hot. Lisa reminisced, "He was the first guy I'd met who liked to take the sun as much as I did."

An old friend of Joe's remembered that he would often walk her and her daughter to the bus stop in Staten Island. Even after he moved away, Joe was remembered as a sweet, respectful young man.

On the morning of September 11, 2001 Joe went to work just like every other day. At the age of 32, he was a manager of operations for Cantor Fitzgerald, a leading financial services provider that offers clients an array of financial products and services in the equity and fixed income capital markets. The offices of Cantor Fitzgerald were located between the 101st and 105th floors of one of the twin towers.

Cantor Fitgerald lost 658 employees that day, and Joseph Reina was among them.

Lisa believes the Yankees lost the World Series that year because Joe, along with his Cantor friends, were not there. Little Joseph was born in October of 2001, and Lisa has every intention of raising him as a loyal Yankees fan in remembrance of his father.

Join me today in remembering the lives of those who were lost 5 years ago today.

Joe, you may be gone, but you are not forgotten.

See more tributes here.

Tags: 9/11, Tribute, 2996 Project

Posted by Amanda at 9/11/2006 09:46:00 AM 1 Comments

Friday, September 08, 2006

Sometimes when I'm bored at work, I will browse through the latest on Snopes.com to see what kinds of crazy things Americans are falling for these days. Today, I ran across the most amazing story that is true.

Be ready.....you WILL cry!

This is the most unbelievable thing I've ever seen. I am absolutely in AWE of this man. Please watch the video, too — I am sitting here at my computer at a loss for words. There are no words for this, only tears filled with emotion.

A MUST Watch Video

This Father does it all just for the purpose of seeing the smile on his son's face. If you want to see the most profound reflection of the Father's love for us that you've ever seen ... watch. Time taken to watch this is the best time you've ever spent on email.

Read this and then watch the video (the website link is at the end)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.

But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.

Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars — all in the same day.

Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. on a bike. Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much — except save his life.

This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.

"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life," Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. "Put him in an institution."

But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the boy communicate. "No way," Dick says he was told. "There's nothing going on in his brain."

"Tell him a joke," Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a lot was going on in his brain.

Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? "Go Bruins!" And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, "Dad, I want to do that."

Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described "porker" who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried. "Then it was me who was handicapped," Dick says. "I was sore for two weeks."

That day changed Rick's life. "Dad," he typed, "when we were running, it felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!"

And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

"No way," Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the race officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston the following year.

Then somebody said, "Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?"

How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried.

Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii. It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? "No way," he says. Dick does it purely for "the awesome feeling" he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992 — only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time.

"No question about it," Rick types. "My dad is the Father of the Century."

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95% clogged. "If you hadn't been in such great shape," one doctor told him, "you probably would've died 15 years ago."

So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass., always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.

That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.

"The thing I'd most like," Rick types, "is that my dad would sit in the chair and I would push him once."

Yes, I cried.

Posted by Amanda at 9/08/2006 04:31:00 PM 3 Comments

Armor of God PJs

What an interesting idea. Actually, I think this is a great idea, I just think the execution is poor.

Putting something like this on every night is a great reminder of what the full armor of God is. It's a great memory tool for kids. Unfortunately, I wouldn't wear these and wouldn't expect my children to wear something I wouldn't. If they improved the fashion, they would be able to market them better.

Posted by Amanda at 9/08/2006 03:27:00 PM 1 Comments

Whoever did this, you rock!

Someone has hung 2 flags from every overpass over Interstate 66 in Washington, DC. I think that's an awesome tribute.

These weren’t just little flags that someone had casually stuck in the fence, hoping they would last a few hours before blowing away. These were good quality, very large, all-weather flags with bright reds and blues that were carefully affixed to each overpass in flawless order so that they would not blow around or even wrinkle.

Read the story here (HT: Mary K).

Tags: Flags, Freedom

Posted by Amanda at 9/08/2006 03:17:00 PM 1 Comments

Thursday, September 07, 2006

I just found out about a new movie called Jesus Camp. I haven't really formed an opinion on it yet. Part of me thinks it is a great idea. Part of me thinks it's slightly cult-ish.

You can watch the trailer below:

The website for the movie says:

A growing number of Evangelical Christians believe there is a revival underway in America that requires Christian youth to assume leadership in advocating the causes of their religious movement.

Jesus Camp follows a group of young children to Pastor Becky Fischer's "Kids on Fire Summer Camp" where kids are taught to become dedicated Christian soldiers in God's army and are schooled in how to take back America for Christ. The film is a first-ever look into an intense training ground that recruits born-again Christian children to become an active part of America's political future.

Because of the time I spend interacting with nonChristians, I can already picture the reactions of athiests and agnostics. One thing I want to point out...camps like these are voluntary. People aren't pulled out of their homes, and the teaching of these kinds of camps are not forced onto anyone who doesn't want it.

Another issue I have is that the camp is very obviously charismatic in nature. I'm not a charismatic Christian. And while I no longer believe that charismatic Christians are of the devil (yes, I was actually taught that growing up), it's still something very different from me and that causes some bit of discomfort. That doesn't, however, make it wrong.

One of the video clips was of a 10 year old girl named Tory who loves to dance for the Lord. That's awesome! But they quoted her as saying that she has to be careful that her dancing isn't from the flesh. I think that is very noble and it's awesome that she's aware of that. But at the same time, she's only 10! How much of that is from actual Holy Spirit conviction and how much of it is this little girl parroting what she's heard from parents and pastors?

I wouldn't dream of saying that children can't be a formidable force in God's army. I know they can. But at the same time, I worry that camps like these are more cult-like in nature than Christian. These kids are being spoon fed their religion rather than being able to think for themselves and figure out what God is calling them to do rather than what their parents or the camp directors are calling them to. Especially since the director keeps comparing these Christian kids to Islamic kids who know how to use hand grenades and bomb belts.

I will probably watch the movie. I'm more interested in seeing the kids than anything else. I want to know how they talk and how they act. I'm not sure if it's possible to tell if the Holy Spirit is really moving through a movie, but that's what I want to know.

Blogs that link here: Pursuing Holiness, Conservative Cat Tags: Jesus Camp, Christianity

Posted by Amanda at 9/07/2006 09:44:00 AM 7 Comments

Blogger beta

Some of you may have had some problems leaving comments recently. I switched over to the new Blogger beta, and I can't switch back to the regular blogger. As a result, you can only log in and leave a comment if you have Blogger beta account. You can, however, get around that by clicking on "other" or "Anonymous" to leave your comment.

Sorry for any inconvenience...next time I decide to go with something still in the beta stage...somebody smack me and remind me not to!

Labels: Blogging

Posted by Amanda at 9/07/2006 09:41:00 AM 0 Comments

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Highlights:

Witnessing - Proselytizing - Defending the Faith Ever feel like somebody just dumped a trash can full of litter on your mission field?

Setting boundaries What are the house rules of Christianity? Are there any? Can they be enforced? Too often, we try to define Christianity --- to produce the definitive statement of faith / creed / doctrinal basis that well contain the essentials of the faith, and to which all "true" Christians must assent.

Ouestioning God? Sure!

A Believer Looks at the Human Genome - Part I A Christian perspective on evolution and genetics

Tags: Christian Carnival

Labels: Christian Carnival

Posted by Amanda at 9/06/2006 12:19:00 PM 0 Comments

NC has some great towns

Apparantly Katie Couric has a blog. Or at least, her team does. And there was an article posted about Jacksonville, NC that makes me miss home!

People there still have plenty of faith, but after nearly five years of war, let's say that faith has been redistributed distributed slightly.

Go read it. NC is a great place to live! One day, I'll be able to go home.

Posted by Amanda at 9/06/2006 11:50:00 AM 1 Comments

eBible

There's a new Bible program out there--eBible. It's pretty handy, but I still like eSword better. Unfortunately, I can't install eSword on my computer at work, so eBible is a good alternative. It is still in the beta stage, so you can only register by invitation. I have three, so if you want one leave a comment and let me know! For a great comparison of eBible and eSword, go here.

Posted by Amanda at 9/06/2006 09:15:00 AM 2 Comments

Polygamist leader forces child brides

This story absolutely horrifies me.

Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs warned a teenage girl forced into a "spiritual marriage" to submit to sex with her husband or face "losing your salvation," Utah authorities said in an affidavit.

The five-page document was filed in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Thursday in support of two charges that Jeffs' practice of arranging marriages between young girls and older men makes him an accomplice to rape.

Jeffs, who is believed by his followers to be a prophet, appeared in a Las Vegas courtroom and agreed to return to Utah to face the charges. Conviction carries a penalty of five years to life in prison.

Authorities in Arizona also have two counts of sexual conduct with a minor, along with an additional charge of conspiracy pending against the charismatic 50-year-old leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

The Utah case will be prosecuted first because it carries the harshest sentence. His maximum penalty in Arizona upon conviction would be six years in prison.

The girl, who was between 14 and 18, is identified in the document as Jane Doe. She was assigned a husband after a church leader had a "revelation," but told Jeffs she felt she was too young to marry, the affidavit states. Jeffs responded that it was her spiritual duty.

The marriage ceremony was performed in Las Vegas. Jeffs was captured outside the city on Monday night in a traffic stop, ending two years on the run.

A month after the marriage ceremony, the affidavit states, her husband reminded the girl that Jeffs had instructed them to have children to "replenish the earth," and "now was the time." She had sex against her will, according to the document.

According to the affidavit, she later told Jeffs she "hated having husband-wife relations" and was uncomfortable with her husband touching her, the affidavit states.

Jeffs told her she had to stay in the marriage, according to the affidavit. The document said he advised her that her husband was her "priesthood head and leader."

According to the affidavit, Jeffs gave these instructions: "Go back and repent. You go give yourself mind, body and soul to your husband like you're supposed to. He will take you into the heavenly kingdom. Go back and do what he tells you to do."

Jeffs told the reluctant bride that having a baby would "change everything."

No matter what happens you cannot fight with the priesthood because if you do you'll lose your salvation," he said, according to the affidavit.

I don't know where to begin with this! I can tell you that this man is not of God! God doesn't sanction actions like that. I was having a conversation with someone last night and the point that I just could not seem to get across was that just because people do things in the name of God doesn't mean it is really of God (think about the jihadists). And by measuring all people who carry the name of Christ on the actions of a few is doing a grave disservice to Christians and to Jesus Christ.

The Bible is clear that there are false prophets who will try to deceive you.

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." Matthew 7:15

"But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works." 2 Corinthians 11:12-15

"But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction." 2 Peter 2:1

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world." 1 John 4:1

That is why we are given the Word of God, in order to test everything and see if it is truly of God.

Technorati Tags: Christianity, God

Posted by Amanda at 9/06/2006 08:59:00 AM 3 Comments

Monday, September 04, 2006

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Steve Irwin, the quirky Australian naturalist who won worldwide acclaim as TV's khaki-clad "Crocodile Hunter," was killed by a stingray barb through the heart while filming a new documentary on Monday.

Irwin, 44, tangled with some of the world's most dangerous animals but he died in an extremely rare attack by a normally placid sea creature while he was diving on a reef off Port Douglas in northern Queensland.

He came over the top of a stingray and the stingray's barb went up and went into his chest and put a hole into his heart," Irwin's shocked manager John Stainton told reporters in Cairns, south of Port Douglas.

A helicopter rushed paramedics to nearby Low Isles where Irwin was taken for treatment, but he was dead before they arrived, emergency officials said.

"It became clear fairly soon that he had non-survivable injuries," Dr. Ed O'Loughlin, who treated Irwin, told Nine Network television.

"He had a penetrating injury to the left front of his chest. He had lost his pulse and wasn't breathing," he said.

Irwin's death was likely only the third recorded fatal stingray attack in Australia, experts said. They said stingray venom was agonizingly painful but not lethal, although the barb was capable of causing horrific injuries like a knife or bayonet.

"It's not the going in, it's the coming out," Australian Venom Research Unit deputy director Dr Bryan Fry told Reuters.

"They have these deep serrations which tear and render the flesh as it comes out," he said.

"CRIKEY"

Known around the world for his catchphrase "Crikey" during close encounters with wild animals, Irwin made almost 50 documentaries which appeared on the cable TV channel Animal Planet. He became a virtual global industry generating books, interactive games and even toy action figures.

Irwin was described as "a modern-day Noah" and his death shocked world leaders, fellow naturalists and humble Australians who said he was "a bloody good bloke."

"I really do feel Australia has lost a wonderful and colorful son. He brought immense joy to millions of people, particularly to children, and it's just such a terrible loss," emotional Australian Prime Minister John Howard told reporters.

British naturalist and broadcaster David Bellamy described Irwin as a great performer and an excellent natural historian.

"He did take enormous risks, but he knew what he was doing. It was one of the terrible, terrible, terrible accidents and I wish to God it didn't happen," Bellamy told the BBC.

GREW UP WITH REPTILES

Born on February 22, 1962, in the southern Australian city of Melbourne, Irwin moved to tropical Queensland where his parents ran a small reptile and fauna park.

He grew up near crocodiles, trapping and removing them from populated areas and releasing them in his parent's park. He took over the park in 1991 and renamed it the "Australia Zoo."

Irwin became famous for his seemingly death-defying skill with wild animals, including crocodiles and snakes.

He met his U.S.-born wife Terri at the zoo and the footage of their honeymoon -- which they spent trapping crocodiles -- formed the basis of his first "Crocodile Hunter" documentary.

Later shows had a worldwide audience of 200 million, or 10 times the population of Australia. They had two children, Bindi Sue and Robert Clarence.

Irwin triggered outrage in 2004 by holding his then one-month-old son while feeding a snapping crocodile at his zoo.

He was also criticized for allegedly disturbing whales, seals and penguins while filming in Antarctica.

Irwin boasted that he had never been bitten by a venomous snake or seriously bitten by a crocodile, although admitted his worst injuries had been inflicted by parrots.

"I don't know what it is with parrots but they always bite me," Irwin once said. "A cockatoo once tried to rip the end of my nose off. I don't know what they've got against me."

Posted by Amanda at 9/04/2006 04:56:00 PM 1 Comments