Grand Central Station Frozen in Time

I think this is one of the coolest things I have seen. I'm not sure how I would have reacted if I saw this happen in person. If it were a group of 10 people it wouldn't have been a big deal, but to see 200 people across this huge venue, I'm not sure if I would have freaked out or not. This took place back in 2006.

Over 200 Improv Everywhere Agents froze in place at the exact same second for five minutes in the Main Concourse of Grand Central Station. Over 500,000 people rush through Grand Central every day, but today, things slowed down just a bit as commuters and tourists alike stopped to notice what was happening around them.

Does Satan encourage atheism?

So, after reading some last night a question occurred to me. Does Satan encourage atheism - the doctrine or belief that there is no God?

I understand that Satan would not want you to believe in God, but if you do not believe in God, then likewise wouldn't you also have to put aside any belief in Satan? Some people may argue that Satan would leverage atheism to keep you from following God, but what if that's not really even Satan's motivation? Does he just want to keep us from God, or does he want to be like God and have us follow after him instead? In that case, wouldn't atheism work against him? If the devil just gets his kick out of seeing you not believe, then atheism could certainly help him accomplish what he wants, but then what is in it for Satan?

So, your thoughts...

Doubt vs Faith

I began a book yesterday by Timothy Keller entitled The Reason for God. It is a book that a new friend sent to me. So far I am enjoying it a lot but I will review it more in depth when I complete it. Still, I may make several posts in the meantime on a few things it caused me to think about. The first of which is the question that relates to having doubt and faith.

Keller pointed out how both of these characteristics are learned. To have faith in something or someone is a learned response, just as it is with learning to doubt. So, if they are learned and we all experience each of them let me ask a few tough questions that have me thinking (Since I am thinking, I figured someone out there might want to to think a little too).

In terms of your relationship with God which do you feel like you experience more, doubt or faith? How do you use one to counteract the other? Can you? How did you learn each of those responses in the first place?

Are you a Dave Ramsey fan?

If you are wondering about how big of a Dave Ramsey fan you are, you may want to read through this pretty extensive list to find out.

I have to say some of these are pretty good. So, you might be a Dave Ramsey fan if...(find out).

Velvet Elvis

Recently I have heard a lot of people talking about Velvet Elvis written by Rob Bell. I have actually heard a lot of mixed reviews. Some love it and others didn't really care for it at all. Since so many people have talked about it, I decided to take a look under the hood.

I wasn't impressed. Still, it was worth my money because I got several good thoughts out of it. The only thing about the book is that I never felt like I was following a pattern. I got a few good nuggets here or there but I just kind of wondered where the author was trying to take me. I'll admit, it could have just been me. I was reading through a lot of it while being distracted by my one year old.

I don't think this book will challenge any seasoned Christian with thinking, but I can see how this book would be a nice little read for those in the beginning of their faith. I do appreciate Bell's aptitude for research. He does manage to reflect on some historical facts that pertain to the setting of several Bible passages, that many ministers or authors would have chosen to ignore (ex. Jesus's garment and Jewish education for children)

Have you read it? Thoughts?

Where are you in this story?

To set the stage, I'm reading Rob Bell's Velvet Elvis and last night I read where he said to claim someone else's story. If my tired self comprehended it correctly, I understood him to say that basically it's God's story.

I recall about a month ago a new friend saying, "I don't have a story". He had not had any major turn around or ever hit rock bottom with his faith. His story didn't seem as exciting to him. It was almost as if his story wasn't worth telling and he appeared disappointed. I thought to myself, that's me too.

So, as I drifted off into thought last night, it hit me that it's not just my story, or your story. It's our story. No, that's not right either. It's God's story and we are just characters. My story isn't exciting, until I place it within the greater collective story of God's people and His redemption for all mankind. Yeah...I like his story better now.

Does that make sense? If so, where do you fit into God's story?

Creating your first budget

I mentioned this tool sometime ago after our team finished developing it, but the more I talk about it with others the more I realized how effective this is for people who are new to budgeting. So, what is it?

It's Dave Ramsey's Gazelle Budget Lite. It's not the full blown version, but what it does is allow you to simply plug in your monthly income and quickly see what a budget would look like based on the percentages Dave would recommend. If you have never done a budget before, this might be a good starting point. I'm proud of this little tool, so I thought I would share it. Go ahead and try it.

You can also get access to this tool at www.DaveRamsey.com, where you can learn more about Dave and his principles on dealing with money.

Pagan Christianity

Frank Viola and George Barna have joined together to write a very challenging book for Christians today. It's called Pagan Christianity. If you enjoy "going to church" this book will challenge you. If you are not comfortable (I don't know, even if you are) with your faith, this book is not for the faint of heart.

The idea of this book challenges our current views of what exactly "church" is. Even for those who have sought out after the perfect church by asking how the first century church practiced, might discover that they still have not followed the early church's pattern. The authors set out to show how our Sunday patterns are not rooted in New Testament examples, but rather are influenced from pagan rituals from earlier centuries.

In the past I have fought through many of the thoughts Viola and Barna introduce, and after reading it I actually developed a greater appreciation for many ideals of my own heritage within churches of Christ. There were many things I was taught growing up that seemed petty and unsubstantial, ie. churches of Christ are not denominational, but this book gave credence to some of the stances that were taken. However, I revisited many areas of our heritage that I wasn't so proud of. Regardless of your heritage, I think you too, will experience similar feelings as you read it. It's a book by its very nature, that will call you to action - whatever that may be.

Compare People: A Facebook Application

I started using the Facebook application recently, "Compare People". I have to say that it's pretty fun to see which of your friends would win a fight, dresses nicer, or is more entertaining, but the other day I was comparing my friends and I came across one that rather hard for me to determine the winner. So without giving you name or pictures, I'd like to see what you think.

The question:
"Who can drink more?"

My two options:
1. A Church of Christ preacher who from is more commonly associate with traditional churches of Christ.
2. A theology professor at a more progressive Church of Christ affiliated University.

How would you vote - Preacher or Professor?

Redo Your Bedroom

If you are looking to redo your bedroom, you might like to take a look at this site. It is very well done and has a really cool slow motion effect. It is a site for IKEA.

Am I the only one that doesn't drink anymore?

I've never had a drink. It doesn't smell good to me and it's hard enough for me to justify a ridiculous amount of money for a cup of Starbucks coffee, much less a beer. Still that's not my reasoning for not drinking, and no, it's not because I have a moral, ethical, or religious objection either. But here is what I find interesting...

As an adult I have been faced with more peer pressures to drink than I ever did as a teen. I don't get it. What's the deal? I just don't get the fascination with beer and wine? I guess I would "just have to try it to understand" huh? Lately, I'm beginning to think me and my wife are just weird. Maybe we are. Still, I am curious about the following.

• Do you drink and how much?
  
• If so, would you admit the age you started and why you took your first sip? Why do you do it now - is it really that good? Would it make you uncomfortable if we hung out and I didn't drink? Why or why not?
  

The Blog Reaper

There is a new blog that has emerged onto the blog-o-sphere. It's The Blog Reaper. Run!!!

Okay, so maybe you don't have to run, but if you have a blog you better write. Otherwise, The Blog Reaper could show up on your site one day, take a look around, and add you to his list of blogs that are considered dead.

You know the blogs where people start them with good intentions but after 2 or 3 posts they just quit with no mention why. Then there are those bloggers that start them, but after a few posts take a 3 month sabbatical and return only to say, "I know I haven't blogged in awhile, but I plan to start again soon...seriously." Then another 3 months go by and we still haven't seen any new content.

It's been awhile since Pet Peeving has talked about a pet peeve, so here it is; Blog neglect. If you're not writing on your blog, delete it! However, you could also make a final post that states your intentions of never posting again or explain on one of your pages why your blog only has a few posts and why you quit.

One other peeve...a blog is not a Web site. It's a blog. A blog is a blog and Web site is a Web site and yes, they are different. So for those who try to pass their blogs off as a Web site, it annoys me.

What I remember most about Valentine's Day

For most people, today is Valentines Day. A day where people express their love for another through a variety of ways such as gifts and flowers. For me, this date holds another memory from the time I was only 12 years of age and in the 7th grade.

On the evening of Sunday, February 11, 1990, I had just finished getting ready for bed and instead of getting into bed, I made my way downstairs to talk to my dad. He was sitting in his chair reading a book, watching television, and taking a nap. I remember walking over to him and sitting down in the floor and as I began to cry, I said, "I want to get baptized."

He sat up in the recliner, turned off the television, an laid down his book. I don't recall exactly what he said, but it was some type of "I'm proud of you." Then he asked "why are you crying?"

I didn't know why. I wasn't sure if it was because of the way I perceived baptism at the time that I thought if something were to happen to me I'd go to hell or if it was a relief that I finally told someone. My dad told me to go upstairs and tell my mom, she would be excited to hear it. So, I did.

The next morning, my parents asked me how I was doing and if I still felt the same about my decision. I did. So, on Wednesday night, our little church gathered together for a mid-week bible study and that's when I decided I would confess Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior in front of the congregation and I was baptized with the understanding of Acts 2:38 - my sins are forgiven and I have received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Growing up in churches of Christ, it was impossible to not have that verse memorized.

It just happened to be on Valentine's day. Even though my theology and understanding of Scripture has changed and developed many times in the last 18 years, I still look back on that evening as one of the most defining moments of my life.

Hillary and Bill Clinton

I love seeing what people can do with Photoshop. I found the following picture pretty funny. It's a picture of Hillbilly.

Source: http://www.keithwhite.us/hillbilly.html

Virtual Bubble Wrap

Were you one of those people who loved to pop all of the bubbles on bubble wrap? If so, have fun!

Ask a Dave Ramsey Team Member a Question

Friend and colleague, Chris Thomas has added a post to Pour Out where people can submit a question that will be asked to a Dave Ramsey team member. The first two out of the gate for questioning is Producer, Blake Thompson and Associate Producer, Lara Johnson. This is your chance to ask them anything you want. Ask it here.

Also, feel free to ask me a question, but keep in mind that I reserve the right to decline an answer.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Do you remember Paul Potts, the singing salesman who dropped the jaws of millions with his performance on Britain's Got Talent? Well, until today I didn't know there was another performance on that same episode that will simply bring you to tears. A six year old named Connie sings Somewhere Over the Rainbow in a way that is "absolutely brilliant."

The Seven Minute Difference

This weekend I finished The Seven Minute Difference by Allyson Lewis. The title of the book caught my eye in the book store and since I was in a hurry and was using a gift card, I just decided to get it. The book is all about goal setting and making small changes in your life that lead to a big change. I have done a lot of reading in this area in the past year so there wasn't a whole lot in this book that was new to me. In fact, as I was reading it, I kept thinking Allyson has read all of the same things I've read and been to all the same courses I have been too. As I looked in the back of the book and saw her reading list (which is a good one), I realized we have looked at a lot of the same material.

However, as I was reading the book I picked up on something and gave it a little more attention than I did in a few other books I've read recently. It was the idea of selling yourself better when you meet people. From body posture to creating a personal introduction statement this book was a good source to remind me of some smaller details that I need to work on.

Squirrels will do anything

My parents had several bird feeders when we were growing up but the squirrels always ran the birds off. The squirrels could figure out how to do the impossible. There was no such thing as a squirrel proof bird feeder. It makes since I guess. A squirrel's life is spent entirely searching for food when humans only give a small portion of time trying to keep them out of feeders.

However, my dad thought about it for awhile and here is what he came up with. He took the guts out of an old Bug Zapper (don't you love that sound?). He then rewired it so that when a squirrel tried to jump from the bird feeder pole to the bird feeder itself, the squirrel would then complete the circuit and send 120 volts through the yard rat. The idea was to scare the thing from ever coming back. Well, the first squirrel got a jolt and took off but at the same time caused a short in the Bug Zapper. So the other squirrels enjoyed the bird buffet.

This idea has potential, but I think dad finally lost patience with them. Oh well, here is a clip that will show you what these varmints are pretty cunning. I ran across it and it reminded me of squirrel issue above.

Man's father killed by ninjas

This is one homeless guy I might give money to for creativity.

Source: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1423/823128157_485a04b41c.jpg

Do you have something to say?

If you have something to say to someone else, but you don't feel like taking the time to write it all out, maybe the Bureau of Communication can help you say it.

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing

A few years back (1993) Al Ries & Jack Trout introduced The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing. It's an extremely quick read and is a great beginners book to marketing. The 22 laws are applicable to marketing on any scale. However, the examples the authors use are just a touch out of date theses days. Companies such as MCI, Sega, Commodore, etc. are mentioned as examples. Some readers may say "who?"

Anyway, several people at work had read this book and it had come up in some discussions, so I decided to take a look myself. Combining these 22 laws within some of the other marketing frameworks we use will still be helpful.