When You Take The Time

I was walking down Carson Street in the South Side looking for the place I was supposed to meet my friend. Her initial directions were close, but not spot on. I walk with a confused look on my face, scanning and rescanning the names displayed on each establishment. I ask some people if they know where it is, and they point me down the street further. As I walk, I'm trying not to be in too much of a rush. A man sitting on the curb asks if I would give money to a veteran. Usually I am pretty open to such a request for charity; but I hesitated. I didn't know if I was going to. He looked to be in good, healthy condition, and he wasn't too old either. Why does he need my money? The call to "give to anyone who asks of you" stirred my heart and I pulled a $5 bill out of my wallet.

His name was Raymond. I asked where the man had served. He had been on active duty for several years, and spent a good amount of time in Germany. As I asked this I found a seat next to him on the curb. He told me about the problems with the military, where once you come back there is no longer a job for you. This is an circumstance he found himself in years back. He went on to tell me some things that he stands for, like living together with people, not differentiating between skin color, and being an example of how African Americans and all people should act. He likes peace, which is why he spends time just sitting in South Side, avoiding the business of downtown, where he lives.

As our conversation continued he told me his "girl" recently passed away. When he continued to speak of her, and his eyes became glassy and watery, it was apparent how much she meant to him. He told me of all the things they planned to do, but never did, like visit the zoo and aviary. He also reminisced of the times they would walk together in the park, and she would teach him how to use the buses in this city, being that he's a Southern boy.

One of the top priorities on his mind was to do something as a memorial to her. He wanted to give back to a city and an area he had appreciation for. Creatively and innocently enough, he told me he wanted to get a few thousand dollars so he could rent an ice cream stand for two days and give free ice cream to children in the South Side. He perked up at the thought of that. It was encouraging to see this middle aged, African American, who detested stealing, lying, and substance abuse. His father died from alcoholism, and his mother currently was an alcoholic and addicted to cigarettes. He encouraged me not to drink, as he doesn't.

Raymond would readily admit that he was having a hard time since the passing of his girlfriend, and had also had some bad luck; having gone to prison for a month by a case of mistaken identity (according to him), and for some reason I actually believe him. He grew one little clump of hair on his otherwise shaved head. This was to distinguish himself, so he would not be mistaken for any other criminals. Even through all these things he spoke of God being there. He knew that there was hope in God. The man had a good story and a hope for the future.

I felt a tugging on my heart to pray for him. I have trouble with this, and usually don't go through with it, whether stranger or friend. But this time I did. On a public street, sitting on a little brick step, I put my hand on his shoulder and prayed for him. I gave him my card so that I could continue to help him in whatever he needed, and to allow us to continue our new friendship.

And I wasn't the first. Others had come to know this man and help him. This coming weekend, someone he made friends with was driving to Richmond, and taking Raymond with him, so Ray could visit his family in Richmond. I could tell he was excited and felt blessed to have such an opportunity, in a city where he is very much on his own now. It all comes together with everyone doing a little or big part for those going through a rough spot or a rough life.

I'm glad I sat. I'm glad I started conversation and progressed it beyond the initial shallow niceties. This isn't about me doing something nice. This is about all of us realizing that there are people in need all around us, and we need to learn to sacrifice our schedules and our wants a little bit in order to make a new friend and show God's love. I have no regrets about what happened tonight.

Why Do English People Stammer So Much?

N.T. Wright was on The Colbert Report last night. As most guests, he didn't get to say a ton, but it's still kind of neat.

Letter To A Son

I've mentioned this author, Matthew Paul Turner before. He's a really neat guy, from what I've deducted from his books, videos, and blog posts. What distinguishes him from many other authors is his complete transparency. He is never afraid to bring forth his hopes, fears, mistakes, wisdom, embarrassments, triumphs, observations, and questions in a way that makes me feel like he's a good friend looking out for me.

He is now a father to be and wrote a letter to his son expressing the things he anticipates in their relationship to come. It's honest and close to the hopes and concerns that I have anytime I think of me one day being a father. I thought my reader(s) may enjoy it.

If They Can Pee Oil, Can They Crap Gold?

Alright, first off, I stole this picture from Engadget.com, where I first read about this story.

Apparently scientists have genetically tweaked bacteria, similar to E. coli, into secreting an oil that is almost usable for cars right out of their butt (if they have a "butt"). With some minor processing of their secretion, it can be used for basically anything crude oil can. They are referring to this new way to attain oil, in our computerized world, as Oil 2.0. Following this will be water 2.0 (no wetness required), Air 2.0 (no breathing required), and Fire 2.0 (It's not even hot!).

The scientists say that these strans of E. coli-like bacteria, which they will be mass producing like crazy (how do you do that with living organisms? Do you play Barry White 24/7?), will be non-pathogenic. Even so, a factory the size of Chicag filled with bacteria that pee oil just seems like the premise for a bad science fiction movie.

One of the more interesting points to this otherwise bland story (yeah right!), is that Oil 2.0 is actually carbon negative. This means that the carbon smoke you see coming out of those big semis, making you want to cover your nose and tear up for mother nature, will actually be decreasing the overall carbon in our world, compared to the carbon used (diminished) in the process with making the oil. I guess that means that Oil 2.0 is usable just like Oil 1.0 was, but is different chemically, as shown be it's carbon emissions.

This certainly sounds good, but here's a good question. When you compare Oil 2.0's negative carbon emissions to the electric or hydrogen alternative which has essentially no carbon emissions (although there probably are in the process of creating electricity or hydrogen, but still much less), will this really become a fast enough solution to the global environmental crisis? As Americans we will eat this up because it means we don't need to buy new cars or use our cars less or change much of anything, except how much we pay at the pump (which they estimate would be a third of what we pay now); however, real environmental scientists may not see this as our best option. I mean think about it if we are way over carbonated in our world/atmosphere, and it's of utmost imprtance to lower that ASAP, this Oil 2.0 may get us there in 50 years, where hydrogen r electric could get us there in 10. I pulled those numbers out of my butt, but it's fair to reason that hydrogen/electric would allow us to arrive at that destinatin much faster than Oil 2.0.

Also, they decided not to use food crops to feed these bacteria, which don't seem too picky as to what they eat (they are strictly vegan though!). After seeing how ethanol using corn is destroying our food prices, that's a smart move. I still am concerned that generating enough oil 2.0 for the U.S. would require more resources than our waste vegetables would currently allow. They will have to produce, and a portion of our countries farms would have to be geared to crops for oil bugs. I guess it's not so bad, but stuff always goes wrong. Like...

Mutated bacteria getting out into the world, crapping their crude oil all over the place. Native Americans everywhere will shed single tears, and punk kids with lighters will incinerate large areas of "pooped on" land. These bacteria will mate with E. coli, since they're kissing cousins, and infect the American population with their own sickening, oil producing abilities. And you know that stuff will burn on the way out. We will truly be able to light a fart like never before. And that's all we'll do. Sit around lighting crazy fart explosions. Thus is the fate of humanity.

I think the whole idea is genius. I am hesitant to having the next "Big Oil" being a company with "Big Oil 2.0." Ultimately it will become what it always does. A business holding the American people by the throat and dictating what our future will be. Is there a way around that, I don't know. But as always, technology is very interesting, bringing hope for solutions to problems, but also potential for corruption and destruction.

Being GOOD Christians: Part 1

This is the desire of all those who follow Jesus, isn't it, being good?

Thinking of a Christian I often picture the clean-cut appearance, with a pressed shirt and tie. Mr. Always Smiling, and his wife tending to the 3.2 kids while ironing and making dinner. Really, Mr. and Mrs. Always Smiling Christian look a lot like the American Dream with a Bible in it's hand. Their kids don't watch bad TV shows or movies and go to Christian school. These people look like great role models, removing themselves from the temptations of the world and appear to be living a life very untainted by sin, to the point you might not even know sin existed.

Of course there are other depictions, such as Mr. Pull Over Christian. This is the Christian that pulls over when someone has a flat on the side of the road. This guy is willing to get his clothes dirty and sacrifice half an hour to make sure that you can get that tire changed or put some gas in your empty tank. I'm sure there are many out there who are very thankful for Pull Over Christian guy.

Then there's Ms. Prayer Warrior. She is always willing to make time for you in her prayer routine. This motherly figure makes you feel like someone cares, and you KNOW she is always praying. It seems like she must do nothing else other than pray for others and spend time with her little Schitzu (usually both at the same time).

Hip Teen Christian is becoming a dominant force in the land of Christian stereotypes. This dude uses music, extreme sports, and popular movies to build his witness. The older Christians in his church, like Mr. Always Smiling Christian don't appreciate his ways too much, and suspect he's going down a dangerous path, but the dude is just trying to be like Jesus. He intertwines his life with the lives of those around him and popular culture. Because of Jesus he's not of the world, but he is most definitely in the world. In fact, you might not even know he is a Christian until he invites you to youth group sometime.

Those are some stereotypes that I feel I have earned the right to use, being in the church all my life. I have fallen in more than one of those categories, and I'm not saying that's a bad thing. Those who read this blog and know my sarcastic and critical tendencies are waiting for me to rip each of these descriptions to shreds, as to why they have no idea what a life toward Christ really looks like. I'm not going to do that, although I will give some advice in a little bit.

Each of these people have an understanding of great value. Mr. Always Smiling sees the value of purity and the joy of a close family. Mr. Pull Over Christian can grasp the idea of "Do Unto Others" and knows that by sacrificing he is really expanding God's Kingdom, something much more important than being late to wherever he was going. Ms. Prayer Warrior knows intimately that God listens to the prayers of his people, and although she feels she has limitations in her capabilities, prayer is an incredible tool that she can and will use to the best of her ability. Hip Teen Christian is someone who sees Jesus as someone who reached out to those beyond church walls. He wants to build trusting relationships with others so that he can have the opportunity to share and show the testimony of how Christ changed him.

All of these members are part of the body. When you bring them all together, the body looks pretty balanced (although I have excluded many parts, but just for an illustration). And this is a common understanding, I think. Certain people have certain gifts given to them to use, so it all evens out in the end and we are a complete body. This ought not negate our responsibility to be complete in our spirituality. In verse 7 it says, "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." All should benefit from spiritual gifts, and the spiritual gifts of some should generate spiritual fruit from all. The fruit of the spirit does not act in the same manner as the gifts of the spirit, where each gift is not given to all, but to some. The fruit of the spirit is for all, and all Christians should be partaking of all of the fruit.

28And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.

- 1 Corinthians 12:28

This verse is speaking of very specific gifts that make everyone valuable and no one complete without the other. You can say that even in other spiritual manners: grace, peace, love, charity, suffering, prayer, etc. some will have more of a natural inclination towards doing and being these virtues, but that does not exclude any from striving for all of them. In my experience people live a life of saying, well God has blessed me with being this way, so this is how I will serve Him. Since when is the easy and natural things in your life what God automatically calls you to?

Moses - Exodus 4:10-17 - God calls Moses to do something beyond what he feels is his natural ability. Moses complains, showing little faith in God and in himself, which kindled his anger against Moses.

Samson - Judges 13-16 - Samson is a man whose strength was his means of bringing about judgment on the captors of Isreal, the Philistines. He had killed thousands in his life, with impossible odds stacked against him. The Spirit of the Lord would come upon him and give him incredible strength. He was a man of pride, who could not be hurt. He did all of these things with no sacrifice to himself. In the end though, he learns humility from his pride, through weakness that he had never known. His final act is an act of sacrifice, where he will have to give his own life, and in doing that he destroys more Philistines than he had his entire life.


Isaiah - Isaiah 6 - Isaiah is a man who, by his own confession is not the pure man he wishes to be. He knows he is not worthy to be in the throne room of God, and not worthy to do the works of God. By the cleansing of his sin and a removal of his guilt Isaiah can respond to God's call of someone to send in His name, "Here am I; send me!"

Jesus - Matthew 26:39 - Jesus himself, who was lacking nothing, showed a preference to stay with his disciple and the ministry that had been established. But God's will showed that Jesus had to die on a cross for the salvation of all man, and Jesus made his will one with the Father's.

God does not use His followers in the way we might have Him. Since we know these stories through to completion, we know that all works out well. But if we had been there at the time, or even more, the person God called to do things contrary to our natural abilities, how could we not question Him? God's choices often times make no sense from our understanding. It's in this same regard that we must take up all of the fruit and all of the virtues of the Spirit and live them out.

8For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

- 1 Timothy 4:8

We are called to godliness, not in just some areas, but all areas. The book of Proverbs is a book of wisdom, which shows how to live, how to be good. Wisdom encompasses all we are to do, it shows the truths that were created from the beginning, and it brings us to life. When it comes down to it, Wisdom is the chief attribute we should strive toward, because through It we can can understand and work toward the others.

22 "The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, ^[b] , ^[c]
before his deeds of old;

23 I was appointed ^[d] from eternity,
from the beginning, before the world began.

24 When there were no oceans, I was given birth,
when there were no springs abounding with water;

25 before the mountains were settled in place,
before the hills, I was given birth,

26 before he made the earth or its fields
or any of the dust of the world.

27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,
when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,

28 when he established the clouds above
and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,

29 when he gave the sea its boundary
so the waters would not overstep his command,
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.

30 Then I was the craftsman at his side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
rejoicing always in his presence,

31 rejoicing in his whole world
and delighting in mankind.

32 "Now then, my sons, listen to me;
blessed are those who keep my ways.

33 Listen to my instruction and be wise;
do not ignore it.

34 Blessed is the man who listens to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorway.

35 For whoever finds me finds life
and receives favor from the LORD.

36 But whoever fails to find me harms himself;
all who hate me love death."

- Proverbs 8:22-36

We must move away from consciously accepting an unbalanced spiritual life. Once there is a decision to follow Christ, there is automatically a decision to follow the ways of Wisdom. Jesus said he was Life and Wisdom says she is Life, so logically they must be one in the same. A Christian must be seeking, aware, and available. Seeking Truth in every facet of life, being aware enough to notice Truth when it shows itself, and being available within yourself to apply what is revealed to you, changing wherever necessary.

Mr. and Mrs. Always Smiling and Hip Teen Christian could teach each other a lot about following Jesus. Both are correct, and both are not totally correct. Hip Teen Christian needs to learn that there is a difference between being available to people in society and surrounding yourself with corrupting influences. The Always Smiling's need to understand that Christianity isn't a perfect little bubble, but it's a place of getting out there and bringing light to darkness.

Pull Over Christian and Ms. Prayer Warrior could also teach each other much. Pull Over Christian needs to learn sacrifice doesn't just need to be a physical action, but it can be taking time away and caring enough to pray for someone, even when no one is watching. Ms. Prayer Warrior could learn to be imaginative in how she helps others. Exploring new ways where she is capable (whether she realizes it or not) to physically get out there and make a difference in someones life.

Obviously all of these stereotypical individuals can influence the others where they are lacking, but I just showed the most stand-out examples.

We have the Spirit, we have the Bible, and we have each other for a reason. All should be bringing us to a place of greater wisdom: greater spiritual understanding and a more complete living out of godliness. It is by the wisdom of the Bible, the revelation of the Spirit of God, and the testing in life of both that we are able to learn what is good. So let us strive to know good.

My Undesirable AB-sence

No, I'm not talking about why my abdominal muscles are so much better than yours. I'm referring to why I have not posted a blog in exactly 2 months. Wow, 2 months... I didn't realize it had been that long. You guys must be seriously depressed and lacking in wisdom.

There are a few reasons I haven't been around. First, I got a part time job for a few months, which will be done after Tuesday (woohoo!), that took over much of the free time previously dedicated to blogging and picking my nose. But due to the overflowing of need, both for my blog and my nostrils, I am here. There other thing kind of weighing on me was meeting up with Nash Garret (Mike) to learn how much I don't know. It's been a great time and I'm learning little by little; however, it left me feeling like maybe I should take time off from blogging. Especially early on I felt like I know nothing about anything, which I know is kind of true, but not totally. Either way, this blog is more for me than for the 3 who read it, so it's important to document how my thinking changes and stays the same over time.

For a while my brain was always thinking of things very easily translated into posts, but then it stopped for a few months, and I didn't even know what I would blog about, despite all this new information. Now I feel like I'm back, plugged in, clicked on, full speed ahead.

Let me know if you missed me.