The Times They Are A Changin'

The local news had a couple of articles that interested me today.

This article talks about how the rate of Churchgoers in Arizona is far behind that of the rest of the nation. I believe it. I would say except for California, but Churches there are starting to connect more with people and bring God's message in ways people can understand. I think we are still behind that curve in Arizona. At least in Tucson.

Here is an article talking about how neighborhoods are trying to become more friendly to kids for accessing. According to Chris Poirier, county planner, 15% of kids walk to school now, as opposed to 50% 40 years ago. There are many reasons for this, besides just the high walls and inaccessible cul de sacs that the article sites, but I think it shows how we have become more and more disconnected with our neighbors and less likely to walk anywhere.

Morgan Spurlock, in his Super Size Me movie, decided to limit his daily walking to under 2 miles a day to emulate an average U.S. Mcdonald's eating citizen. He said he had a hard time with it. Do we have a hard time limiting our walking to under 2 miles a day?

And finally, here is an article about a man from Holland bitten by a javelina while has was visiting the Desert Museum. The Rodents of Unusual Size (ROUS') strike again.

Who says there is nothing interesting going on around here in the summer?

A Tribute to the Swatter

My friend Jason (Ethan knows him as Mister Near/Far) has decided it is time to step down from his position as worship team leader at his Church. He has been the worship team leader there for about six years and was a member of the team for about a year and a half before that. This Sunday is his last Sunday in this position and they are having a send off for him.

The Church he is at also happens to be the one I started about Nine years ago in West Sacramento. So, Jason was a member of the team that helped get our church up and running and has been a key leader in the Church for about two years while I was there and in the four years since. He is also a great friend.

It is easy for us to overlook the contributions people make both into the organizations we are a part of and into our lives. Jason has done a great job in the position at the Church and has always been loyal, trustworthy and able to put up with stuff from his friends. So, even though he is being replaced, I am sure he will be greatly missed at the Church

I plan on keeping him as a friend.

A few books I have ran through recently and an explanation of why I read them

The Men Who Stare at Goats:
A look at the U.S. Army's dive into the Paranormal, led by a General who was convinced he could walk through walls, if he just got into the right state of mind. Apparently, this weirdness is all true and it is very bizarre. Soon to be a movie starring George Clooney.

Alice Cooper, Golf Monster:
His story in his words. Includes some interesting insights into how he replaced alcoholism with a golf addiction and is now a 5 handicap player. He also talks some about how his Christian Faith impacted his career and relationships.

What Got You Here Won't Get You There:
A look at the annoying bad habits that keep successful people from obtaining greater success. Ok, here is the list of those habits-
1. Winning too much: The need to win at all costs and in all situations - when it matters, when it doesn’t, and when it’s totally beside the point.
2. Adding too much value: The overwhelming desire to add our two cents to every discussion.
3. Passing judgment: The need to rate others and impose our standards on them
4. Making destructive comments: The needless sarcasms and cutting remarks that we think make us sound sharp and witty.
5. Starting with “No,” “But,” or “However”: The overuse of these negative qualifiers which secretly say to everyone, “I’m right. You’re wrong.”
6. Telling the world how smart we are: The need to show people we’re smarter than they think we are.
7. Speaking when angry: Using emotional volatility as a management tool.
8. Negativity, or “Let me explain why that won’t work”: The need to share our negative thoughts even when we weren’t asked.
9. Withholding information: The refusal to share information in order to maintain an advantage over others.
10. Failing to give proper recognition: The inability to praise and reward.
11. Claiming credit that we don’t deserve: The most annoying way to overestimate our contribution to any success.
12. Making excuses: The need to reposition our annoying behavior as a permanent fixture so people excuse us for it.
13. Clinging to the past: The need to deflect blame away from ourselves and onto events and people from our past; a subset of blaming everyone else.
14. Playing favorites: Failing to see that we are treating someone unfairly.
15. Refusing to express regret: The inability to take responsibility for our actions, admit when we’re wrong, or recognize how our actions affect others.
16. Not listening: The most passive-aggressive form of disrespect for colleagues.
17. Failing to express gratitude: The most basic form of bad manners.
18. Punishing the messenger: The misguided need to attack the innocent who are usually trying to help us.
19. Passing the buck: The need to blame everyone but ourselves.
20. An excessive need to be “me”: Exalting our faults as virtues simply because they’re who we are.
I find myself picking out leaders I have dealt with recently as I go through this list. I think the intent of it is to apply it to ourselves, rather than others.

Now, here is why I read like I do:
As a former and future (perhaps) ministry professional and communicator, I think reading from a variety of subjects and fields is important. Yes, it is important to know and understand your field and to try to keep up with the latest and to stay grounded in God's word. But, I try to read outside of that as well.

Reading outside helps one understand the world from other perspectives, helps you see how others think, provides an ability to communicate on topics that appeal to others, thus giving you a chance to relate better to them, gives you more examples for teaching and illustrating, provides insights and outlines pitfalls relating to problems you may face, or be facing and is kinda fun.

Fireproof Viewing in Tucson

Diane and I saw the movie FIREPROOF at a special advanced leadership screening deal last night.

If you haven't heard of it, Fireproof is by the same guys who brought us Facing the Giants, a Church in, uh, somewhere in the south.

This movie stars Kirk Cameron (showing us that smile again) as a Fire Department Captain that is on the verge of a divorce with his wife. His Father talks him into taking a 40 day challenge of loving his wife.

It was a good story, it included some fun moments and it had some great marriage lessons. It also had some harrowing firefighter guy scenes. So, all around, it was a good time.

However, it was very, how shall I put this, preachy. Yes, that is it. Well, if you have seen Facing the Giants, you might understand. they spend a good deal of time explaining exactly what they mean when they are trying to say something of significance. This tendency might be a little much for some folks.

My only other criticism would be that it has about fifteen minutes straight of tear jerker time at the end. Good night, I felt like the Indian in the commercials looking at all the trash by the end of the show. It was one heart wrenching moment after the next. Whew!

Anyways, it was a good movie that reminded you what it meant to be in a marriage and how a commitment to that can bring hope and joy. It is not out 'til September, so eagerly anticipate it until then.

Words and the stories they can tell

As someone who used to make a living as a communicator (or partially made a living communicating, or made a partial living, depending on one's perspective), I am very interested in words and the stories they can tell.

Here is a list of some interesting words that I liberated from Lanny Donoho's blog. Pick any three and use them with your family and friends this week:

alexithymia (ah-lek-sah-THI-mee-ah) — inability to describe emotions in a verbal manner

assuage (ah-SWAJ) — 1. to make (something burdensome or painful) less intense or severe.

cacology (kah-KOL-ah-je) — bad choice or use of words

gesticulate (je-STIK-yah-late) — to make gestures especially while speaking, as for emphasis

indubitably (in-DOO-bi-tah-blee) — unquestionably; without doubt
The consonant combination is just fun to say.

malacophonous (mal-ah-KOF-i-nus) — having a soft voice

persiflage (PUR-sah-flazh) — banter; light, good-natured talk

propinquity (prah-PING-kwi-tee) — proximity; nearness

pulchritudinous (pul-kri-TOOD-en-es) — having great physical beauty or appeal

pusillanimous (pyoo-sah-LAN-ah-mes) — timid or cowardly; fainthearted

quatopygia (kwah-tah-PIJ-ee-ah) — the shaking of the buttocks while walking

quiddity (KWID-i-tee) — 1. the real nature of a thing; the essence. 2. a hairsplitting distinction;

sesquipedalian (ses-kwi-pi-DAY-lee-en) — 1. given to using long words.

triskaidekaphobia (tris-ki-dek-ah-FO-bee-ah) — an abnormal fear of the number 13

and just fyi…
the word latchstring has six consecutive consonants

and the word queueing has six consecutive vowels.

Sadness

Abigail has a bad cough and a stomach ache tonight. It always bothers me more when she is feeling sick, because of her history of operations, hospitalizations and the like. I think her last operation was about five years ago, but it is still quite fresh in my mind. Diane and I were just talking today about one of the times we took her to the hospital when she was horribly dehydrated.

Anyways, I suppose I ought to post a little of her story soon, since I told what I did, but you will have to wait. For now, we have to take care of her and try to get some sleep. Hopefully, she is just extra tired from a couple of hours at the pool.

A new thing

I put a new playlist on here. Some sweet songs. So, turn the sound on on your computer and you can listen while you read my updates.