dramatic chipmunk

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1764124

trimming the fat

kristy and i have been on a diet for about a month now. we began trying to eat better and then went on weight watchers. in that time, i have lost around 13 pounds. it started with completely cutting meat out of our diet. the realization of how many chemicals are added to meat, plus the high content of fat (yes, i know there is low fat meat but it still is over-processed and full of chemicals) just became a no brainer for us. since we stopped eating meat, i have felt so much healthier. not to be gross, but i had bathroom issues for years and they have cleared up just this past month. i have more energy and my body is starting to look different. i completely agree that God gave us permission to eat meat (only certain types in the OT, and then all types in the NT), but a careful reading of the first few chapters of Genesis shows that it was not always that way. God only gives us the green plants of the world to eat. we were created vegetarians! in God's perfect design (Eden), we don't eat meat at all. again, i know that God has since given us permission to eat meat so i will not argue that it is wrong to eat meat by any means. but, i have come to really believe that it is not in God's perfect plan for us. what He originally intended was for us to not eat meat. in the month i have stopped (i stopped for a year once before and felt the same effects) i have become convinced that this is how our bodies are supposed to function. i still have around 30 pounds more to lose to get back to a healthy weight for me, but i feel well on my way.

big, hairy, issue

This map ranks states by their abortion rates per 1,000 live births. California ranks highest with approximately 575 abortions for every 1,000 live births; Idaho ranks lowest with only 36 abortions per 1,000. The CDC tracks some cities individually as well as in their state totals: New York City gets the prize with 767 abortions per 1,000, with Washington, D.C., not far behind at 706. To be fair, California cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco may be just as high, but California stopped reporting its abortion statistics to the CDC in 1998, making information about abortions trends there hard to discover (the point, I suppose). Other non-reporting states are New Hampshire and Alaska. Hawaii ranks 23rd. Wyoming's abortion numbers are so low that meaningful statistics are hard to come by. Accurate data would probably rank Wyoming as the state with the fewest abortions in the nation.

this website here has some great info on abortion. although the founder is a Christian, he and the rest are using purely rational arguments against abortion. no matter what side you are on in this debate, i think we can all agree that abortion rates need to be lowered (if not completely wiped out).

get ready to drink from the fire-hose

all year long we've been talking about what it means to believe in God. we looked at what other world religions say and we studied the creeds of the Christian faith. we spent time talking about what our lives would look like if we truly believed the things we say we do. well, this summer is going to be a chance to see how to live it all out practically. we are going to love God and others this summer by serving them in an everyday way. the calendar will be out soon, and you will see all the different opportunities we will have for you to not only talk the talk, but walk the walk as well.

Spider Man 3 Review

Spider-Man, Spider-Man, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Spins a web steals my dough for making me watch his awful show. Look out! Here comes the Spider-Man

Spider-Man 3 is out! A cause for celebration? Sorry, but no. It is terrible! Don't waste your time or money. People actually laughed out loud at how corny it was and some wondered how to get there money back. And this was at a midnight show that is usually filled with loyal, over-excited fans. Sam Raimi, the producers, and the cast should all apologize over this debacle they dare to call an action movie. There is a freakin' dance scene for crying out loud!! I thought Toby Maguire was trying out for a role in West Side Story (I'm sure he'd make a good Jet... too caucasian for the Sharks) instead of playing our favorite webslinger. It's just awful.

barf jar

just a little something for you

Happy Birthday

so, it's my birthday. i am 31 years old today. it's kind of a tough one because i am no longer 30, i am now "in my 30's". there is a difference. but to be honest, i've never really cared about my birthday. my parents never threw me a big party (although my mom would take me out for dinner on my birthday), and i never got presents. i get a few cards and that's about it. i think it's weird to have a day that is all about you. two of my really great friends in life have the same birthday as me so it's never felt all that special. the best birthdays i've ever had is when i did something for some one else. maybe that's what this day should be about. not a celebration of me being alive and in this world, but a demonstration of why i am alive and in this world. this, as every other day, should be a shining example of me trying to love God and love others.

i hate my super sweet sixteen, it goes against everything i've come to believe about birthdays.

I love

i love the Family Guy. there is just something about irreverent humor that makes me laugh so hard i almost pee myself. i do struggle though wondering where the line is. the New Testament says to remove "coarse joking" from our speech. i definitely belive that God has an amazing sense of humor (look at His creation of Bob Saget (that was for you murph!)), but where does He stop laughing and start feeling the pain that some jokes cause? i really don't know. any comments?

Long Time

It's been a while since I've been on here. I guess I haven't felt really inspired in a while. My wife and I went on a ski trip (great weather, great snow, great time) and then went out to Durango to visit her parents for a week. It's just tough to get back into a rhythm after time off. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a vacation now and then, but a week off definitely translates into more time off than that. You have to consider that for at least the 2 days before you leave, you won't be getting much work done. And when you get back you usually blow off at least the first day (sharing stories and what not). So, it's taken me a long time to get back into sharing on here at least once a week. But now I'm back so hope you'll enjoy my ramblings.

Bad Idea

If you've never seen the SNL commercial parody of "Bad Idea Jeans," it's okay. I'll give you the gist of it. A group of guys are sitting around getting ready to play basketball while wearing jeans and each is thinking of doing something that is a "bad idea". It ends with them playing against a bunch of enourmous african american guys for money (another "bad idea" when you're on a team with a bunch of older white guys).

We've all had bad ideas. Most of us have jumped all the way in with one of our bad ideas.

Some of us are still experiencing the repercussions of our bad ideas. But I don't want to get discouraged by my own bad ideas. Yes, it would have been great not to have dropped my life savings on some swampland in Florida. Yes, it would have been great if I hadn't tried to dunk last week and fallen flat on my back. Yes, it would be awesome to get a "do-over" on that last job interview.

Some mistakes can hit more personally. A bad relationship we were banking on lasting forever, hurting some one we really care about, and (the ultimate) sin. I know that that has become a "four-letter word" today (yes I can count), but we've all done it. We've all not lived up to the standards God demands, heck, we've all not lived up to the standards we would want ourselves to live up to.

Television usually has some good shows on. But for every good show, there are hundreds of bad ones. Which means they rarely live up to their own standards let alone their viewers'. Of course you will always have that "great" show that no one watches (WHY DID WE LET ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT DIE!!!! <---- greatest show ever). We will always have those situations that we have to do the right thing instead of the popular thing. But usually we pick the wrong side.

The beauty of it all is that we can learn from our mistakes. There is always a lesson. Whether it's as simple as "Hey! No more shows like 'Homeboys in Outer Space'!" Or if it's a bit more subtle in how we deal with others.

It's tough to say. But God can turn the bad stuff to good. I don't want to use this as an excuse to do bad stuff or to allow bad stuff to enter my life, but I also have to be able to move forward from the bad stuff and closer to God.

Lots of mistakes in this life. We need to do everything we can to avoid them. I heavily rely on the counsel of others, especially those who have gone before me. They've made the mistakes, or they've seen the mistakes made before and have a unique insight into how to avoid them.


Mistakes aren't the end of the world (just like they're not the end of television). They can be a HUGE roadblock on our journey, but there is always a way to overcome them, to learn from them, and to be closer to God after them. I do believe that wherever God wants to take us, we can get there without making any of these mistakes. In fact, that's the way He wants us to get there. But we are human and are going to screw up. We need to just remember that He has bright skies ahead.

"My Mother the Car" starred Jerry Van Dyke. He turned down the role of Gilligan on "Gilligan's Island" because he thought that show wouldn't last and instead, starred in (what's widely regarded as) the worst show of all time. But he eventually bounced back. Years later, he landed a role on "Coach", a very successful series. His character (the loveable Luther) was accepted into the hearts of the millions of people who loved the show. It just goes to show you that the worst thing in the world cannot keep us from the best thing in creation.