linguistics, cryptology, and "idk my bff Jill?" (rough draft)

I love the At&t commercial where a mom is trying to tell her daughter to stop texting so much. Check it out if you have not seen it.



What I love about it the most is that it is a perfect picture of the natural evolution of language. Language adapts to its context fluidly. The same thought that can be expressed through a 200 page book, can be expressed in a scaled down form through text messages on email. People naturally adapt their message to fit the context they are trying to communicate in. Two prisoners can communicate with a series of taps on a rock, two teenagers can communicate by txt msging, pen pals write letters back and forth and then email each other to say that they are coming.

People today are natural born linguists... they have to be because everyday they make thousands of decisions about how to communicate their thoughts to the intricate web of the wide world of information. Should they call, email, text, write, visit, Im, leave a Myspace or face book message... or maybe poke, or blog, or video chat, or an online e-card, or perhaps I should make a short video about it to stick on youtube...

What is even more interested in how people try to stop the evolution of language. They get attached to the verbage they are used to and lock in... One only think of the King James Debate about the Bible to have a textbook example, but it is hardly the only example...

It is fascinating to me that In my preaching class at a well known seminary, none of these forms of communication seem worthy of mention or use in the formation of future "Pastors." Here for some reason, the books are still teaching a communication style that has not changed since the turn of the 19th century or even before. Stand behind the pulpit and talk. They do allow a little creativity... you can move from behind the lectern if you really want to wow your audience...

Why would it be taught this way you ask? ...IDK. Maybe because of nostalgia... it is a way of preserving comfort zone... or maybe because the form becomes indistinguishable from the function over time so that people truly cannot separate the two...

People wanted to communicate the truth so they preached.... therefore preaching and truth are locked together...

But what if the truth does just fine on YouTube

Motion:getting the ball rolling.

“Motion: getting the ball rolling is the first step... or ... it is really hard to turn a ship that isn't moving....”
A lot of people are frozen. They are "stuck in a moment and they can't get out of it." Even though we live in a free country, we are in captivity to so many things. We are slaves to fears, insecurities, emotions, expectations, materialism, entertainment, achievement, and more. While people want to get on with their life, they are too paralyzed by fear and doubt and insecurity to move. They just don't know what to do next... how to hear God's call... what they should make of their life... While this is very complex and hard to sort out, it is compounded by a total lack of context... We can be anything we are told... but so much potential is hard to live up to... Committing to one things feels wrong... like we are limiting ourselves... But... limits are part of life... and without risking the first step, no one has ever changed the world... While Jesus intended to set people free... often Christians are chained motionless conflicted voices of the CHURCH...

Should I be worried?

So I took this online quiz... and I am not sure I fully agree... but it seemed like it would create some discussion.
Why don't you take the quiz and see how you turn out

You scored as Emergent/Postmodern. You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this. Emergent/Postmodern 89% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 75% Neo orthodox 75% Charismatic/Pentecostal 57% Reformed Evangelical 50% Roman Catholic 43% Classical Liberal 39% Fundamentalist 29% Modern Liberal 14% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

Check out Toms Shoes

So I stumbled upon this and thought it was cool.

Check out the website if you don't want to watch the video

“gravity: caught in the invisible forces controlling our destiny”

Even after we discover the story we are living in, there are invisible forces that pull us off course. Gravity holds us to the ground and keeps us from floating away, but it also drags us relentlessly downward when fall. In the same way, a black hole serves as a gravity well consuming everything within its pull. Even light cannot escape it. This is a good but painful metaphor for the evangelical church. While it has so much to offer the world, often it is a source of gravity that swallows whole the very precious resources that the world needs. Jesus unleashed an radical movement upon the world 2000 years ago when he commissioned his believers... but now the movement has been swallowed hole by the gravity of mega buildings, professionals, structure, procedure, and many other excuses... The Movement meant to change the world is now chained and motionless in many places.

Some thoughts I am thinking about:
~God's intent was not that he would lavish love on a few lucky individuals, but that everyone would be restored to a loving fulfilling relationship with him...

~Christianity can become a monument to itself… When this happens, our faith goes stale, because it was meant to make a difference… without that difference, it is pointless..

~Whose Kingdom am I building? Even the early church, in all of its beauty, had to be “scattered” IT was having such a good time together that it did not want to part ways…

~But... Tearing down the Kingdom of Man, is not the same as building the kingdom of God… we are called to build… If you Faith has not touched the lives of those around us, it is not COMPLETE.

~Is the world a better place because of the presence of the Church of Christ?

~Is Milwaukee a better place because I am a Christian.

~What's my carbon footprint... ?

~If everyone in the world had the typical Christian attitude about __________ would Milwaukee be better?

Cool Stuff with Middle School Students.

Ok so I told you already about my other blog... Check it out: the life (five-three) There is a lot of stuff on it right now relating to our current series the Middle School Musical... This is a fun look at the world with a little help from Disney's High SChool Musical. The video is part of a Drama we are working on. It goes back and forth between live action and Video and really looks cool...

Movement Series at Impact...

Tonight is week #2 of a three part series that I am doing with the 20something at Elmbrook. The series is: "Movement...a part of a larger story... a group pursuing a cause... the act of going..."
Last week I talked about the story we are in. Unless we know the story that we are in, life has no meaning. Individual events cannot really be understood without a context, and even words do not have definitive meanings... context gives meaning to everything... The larger story we are in gives meaning to events, and days, and conversations, and to all of life. If someone misunderstands the story that they are in, it leads to great comedy at first... and often to tragedy.
As I read the Bible I find that it presents a compelling "meta" story that we are all in. It makes sense to me. I see God's early command to the first humans to fill the earth and care for it mirrored in Jesus prayer, "Father... your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." I think we are part of God's story to redeem all things.

The real question is "what's my part in the story?" Where are each of us to help him make things more like heaven?

Virginia... tragedy... entertainment.

I have been challenged by some friends of mine that I should have written a response to the recent events at Virginian Tech that are so mind numbing. 32 people dead... because a student snapped and went on a rampage.

I struggled with this quite a bit... because I am not sure what to say... So times up... here are my unedited thoughts... I do not have a neat "answer" to make the horrible reality of this event into something that is neat and encouraging. This is not an encouraging event.

...I think that our society is too quick to assign blame on others and too slow to look in the mirror. Reporters were taking poles about whether the administration should be fired within hours of the events taking place. Tragedy is their business... it sells headlines and gets marketshare...

... I think that we do not really understand tragedy... if this was a tragedy... as we would all assume that it is... then what is the 160 people who died in Iraq from a car bomb on the same day... or the countless suicide attacks in the middle east... or the millions dying of Aids in africa... or the thousands who are still slaves today in 2007...

...The Virginia Tech shootings were entirely tragic... they were in every sense a tragedy... But what is the hardest for us as Americans and even as Christians are how close they are to home. They happened here. I felt really convicted about how numb I am to tragedy. It is happening everyday... all around... in the suburbs and in Somalia... Over "there"... and occasionally over here...

...Yet even though tragedy is a daily reality for so many... I am safe... or at least I feel safe here.. and since I feel safe the tragedies of others becomes my entertainment as I watch the evening news...

...What is wrong with me? What is wrong with us?...

...I am not sure what else to say other than this... This is not the way that things are supposed to be. In times like this, I think that the best thing that Christians can do is to reach out in love... physically if possible. We can refuse to allow hopelessness to overcome the hope that we have in Jesus. The fools hope that God is here with us in our suffering and struggle... that he loves us... and that his love is the difference that the world needs... his love demonstrated through our lives. We are the living hope that stands against the darkness.... or as the Apostle Paul says...

"Therefore we do not give up... though outwardly we are wasting away... on the inside we are being renewed each day... Our current struggles are temporary and are achieving in us an eternal Glory that will surpass them all... "
(2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Smile.... Part 2

I have been amazed by the amount of response to both "I Have Issues" and "Smile...". The response over all has been incredibly positive, both the ones you can read in the comment section and also the emails that students and others have sent me because they did not want to post them publicly. While some have expressed reservations about my tone or honesty, the majority of students, teens, and twenty-somethings have expressed deep appreciation for being granted permission to feel!

I want to be clear. I think that expecting people to pretend to feel good when they do not is dangerous and wrong. I realize that Jesus is with us and that his love and grace changes everything, but it does not eliminate bad days or pain. In my blog I have issues I argue that I think it is ok to be a Christian and continue to have real struggles. I still believe that.

In Smile... I carry the argument further and express frustration about how we, including myself, deal with people who are legitimately suffering. I argue that we should not push them to feel better, but be sympathetic and sit down in the ashes with them... we should enter their suffering. I still believe this as well.

Someone rightfully pointed out that I must also accept that the "Happy people are happy" and not expect them to be sad for my sake. I agree with this, too...

... Our feelings are a gift from God... we feel them... but often we do not choose them.

I think that I, and many others, would do well to seek to learn how to suffer with people rather than try to give them advice or encouragement.

One of the most encouraging things I have ever heard was, "Hey I am really sorry this happened. I love you and am here for you." That is it... no attempt to tell me that my issue was part of God's bigger plan... not pressure to get me to move on... no desire to make me get better...

just an honest offer of concern and an invitation to reach out to them if I wanted too. I meant a lot to me.

I am trying to learn to be more like that...

"Smile, life is good."

Ok.. I admit it I am mad... and you should never post mad... but here goes anyway... (clarification: I am not mad at the "Smile" person, I am mad that we deal with grief and pain so poorly)

Listen up world! Stop telling me how to feel!!! I don't need your opinion on how I should feel at a given time... I do not need your exhortation to smile... I did not ask for either.

Frankly I do not care if my being less that happy somehow drains an ounce of sunshine from your happy smiley day.

I have already stated that I have issues so please take a second to review them before exhorting me to feel better for your sake.

Seriously that is why I wrote I have issues I am tired of people thinking they have the right to impose their feeling preferences onto me.

The other day I was walking down the hallway where I work. I was really stressed because a video was not working right, I still didnt have a presentation done, and I didnt feel particularly worthy do stand in front of 300 students and tell them to love Jesus just like I do. I was worn out from a long day that was part of a long week that was part of a long month that is part of what is shaping up to be a long year.

Overdramatic? Probably so, but it is my life... and to me it was real...

So I am walking down the hall and someone looks over at me and says, "smile, life is good!"

I wonder if this statement made him feel better?

How does he know anything about my life? Its like, my being sad was somehow making his day less convienient or something?

Whatever... I think that really if he cared, he could have asked what was going on... or if I was ok... instead of commanding me to be happy... For all he knew my mom could have just died...

My POINT: if you are sad... be sad. Who cares what other people think... Sometimes people may have the authority and right to tell you how to behave... but they never have have the right to tell you how to feel.

Embrace your emotions... I think they are from God and make us who we are. Its not like he is offended with me if I am sad... in John 11 it even says that Jesus wept. If he can cry... even though he knows he can raise Lazarus from the dead... then I certainly can since I have no such power in my life.

And my friend (you know who you are) who is sad for her loss of a loved one..I am sad with you today.

I am sorry people, including me, are so stupid... especially around grief.

I am sorry for when I have also been guilty of commanding people to feel better instead of listening to their pain...

I am sorry for when I have been impatient with the suffering of others just because it didnt go away as quickly as I would have liked...

The Little boy and his seeds... (a story from Mark 4:1-20)

The once was a boy who had a secret. He collected seeds. He would find them everywhere and he thought they were great. He liked big ones and small ones. He had an incredible system for categorizing them and storing them. He even designed special vacuum sealed bags that would keep his collection from harm and the elements. Now it came to be that the village that the boy lived in suffered a severe food shortage, and even though there was plenty of space in his garden … the boy could not bring himself to part with his precious seeds. He loved his collection. Around him he watched as his neighbors grew gaunt and pale. Children lost the color in their cheeks. Even the true hunger rumblings in his own belly could not bring him to allow his seeds to leave their shelves and find their destiny in the soil. A tragedy, both personally and for his village, the young boy died of starvation... all the while having seed enough for a great harvest.

If the seed is the truth from the word of God... does knowing it really do anything...

...or do I have to plant it deep in my heart and let it grow up in my life through faith?

Truth is awesome... but it needs to be planted in good soil to meet its destiny!

Why I work with middle school students...

Many people have asked me with pity how I survive working with hundreds of middle school students... the truth is, it is easy most of the time, because I love them and it is a joy to be part of their lives at such a critical time.

Also, a middle school students really believes that the world is unlimited... they are not jaded and cynical... tell them they can change the world... and they do. This month I am learning lots from the passion of students...

Somehow the honda just doesnt seem to do it for me any more...

Bugatti Veyron at top speed
Uploaded by Flabber

Ok... this is pretty much a dream car... I am glad I cannot afford it... I would be dead in a few days if I did.

Here are some new IZzy shots... and random gerber daisies that represent a prayer for spring to hurry up!

The Life (five-three)

Hey... for the next month I am mainly writing at a new blog that is for a series I am doing with my Middle School students. Feel free to check it out.

The series is called "The Life" and it is about Jesus life and ours. As part of it, we challenged everyone in our ministry to do the "five-three challenge."

This is a committment to spend 5 minutes reading the Bible, 5 minutes talking to God, 5 times a week... thus 3 fives...

It sounds so simple, but I think that many of us have a hard time even committing a few minutes a day to reflecting on the God that we love... Life just seems more important than God... but... if I am really "following" Jesus... I have to shape my life around the time I spend with him. This truth has been convicting to me, and I am trying to really wrestle it down.

If you are a Christian... what does your walk with God look like?


Check it out: the life (five-three)

I have issues.

This week I had the opportunity to speak at the AVE , Elmbrooks College ministry. As I was reflecting on my topic, it occured to me how raw this is for me. Here are a few portions of the message... let me know what you think.

...I remember feeling like my world was coming unglued. I was a Junior in College when it began happening. I began to have doubts and issues that the “answer” wouldn’t fix. You know the “answer” don’t you? It is that answer which sounds to right, so spiritual in light of any issue that faces any person any day. THE Answer... Jesus will fix everything if you trust him. This means of course that if I am not fixed, the problem is that I am not believing enough or correctly. Maybe I should pray more...
I remember getting angry when the “answer” was given... really angry... I would tell someone how I felt, and then wait to see if the “answer” came. It has many forms you know...

The cruel part of the answer is that it is supposed to be immediately effective. I was expected to quickly get better in response to the “answer.” I remember hating people I loved for trying to give me the "Answer"... and hating myself for not getting better... for not being what I knew I was supposed to be. I remember driving by oncoming traffic wondering what it would feel like to swerve into it. I remember feeling so alone at church... the one fake among the sea of faithful. The one who didn’t understand... couldn’t live right... had such real issues. I have never done drugs... I have never been drunk... I grew up in the church more of less... yet my heart was so screwed up... my life was such a fraud... my heart was so cold. I felt like I would never get better... I think I was right. I am not sure I will ever will be better. I am not sure the “Answer” will ever work for me...

Whenever I was hit with the cookie cutter example of how the "answer" could "fix" me, I was left feeling like a spiritual amputee; Like this mold that had made so many good cooky christians somehow fell misaligned on me, leaving serrated lines across my fragile faith...

...It is sorta wierd to me that Jesus, the most put together person in history has such a group of misfits and losers for friends. Think about it. The Prostitutes and tax collectors were less offensive to God than the priests. He was more at home with the sinner than he was with you and I... it is almost like he isn't about the "Answer"... He just loves people as they are...

What if the ultimate goal of being a Christian isn’t being right? What if its being full? What if the goal isnt getting fixed... But inviting him into the mess that is my life. Following him in your life... not your friends life... not your parents life... yours... maybe your bi-polar... maybe you are a compulsive liar... maybe you are an alcoholic... Maybe you are just normal screwed up. Maybe Jesus is for you ... right now... even if you do not get better. Even if I do not get better... Maybe I have to invite jesus into my life... right here... with my issues... where I am really at... and let him just be my friend in this place... even if I do not get better...

... A few years ago I went through a difficult period of ministry where there were a lot of people that didnt like me. People don’t always like me. It’s true. In fact... actually I think a lot of people don’t like me. I have always hated that about myself. I can’t remember when it started, but I remember that at some point I started walking away from nearly every human interaction feeling like I had said or done something stupid... Worse... I felt (still struggle with feeling) that making people unhappy was somehow a moral failure... I remember preaching sermons, and then feeling so ashamed that I couldn’t make eye contact with anyone. I sorta just shuffled out of the church. I went to counseling... and In counseling I realized that I was probably going to have people not like me my whole life... that helped... It helped to hear someone say I might not get better... and that was ok... It is ok if I do not get better... Jesus still loves me...

... the "answer" never worked for me... and I think it actually has hurt many people many times... where as someones true concern and presence would have been a blessing... Have you ever been hit with the "answer" when you really just needed a friend... a hug... or even just someone to give you the space to be broken for a little while?

Crazy Times!

My good friend Kara works at a Humane Society. She fostered some puppies from there recently... puppy puggles... that is a beagle/pug mix for all you who are not up on your breads and halfbreeds.


Emily and I went to see her puppies... and decided Francis needs a freiend...


thus Izabel... or Izzy came home with us a week ago satuday.


she is 9 weeks old... and really cute.

Francis is also really cute... as you already know...


So we are a little crazy.

The Brown Bahama Adventure

More Pix to come... but here are some highlights of our Bahama trip in January... it was a really great time with family...

... This cruise was on national television because there was a bomb scare on the dock when we were setting sail... Turned out to be a box of unmarked pipe clamps...

All About Me

ENFP - "Journalist". Uncanny sense of the motivations of others. Life is an exciting drama. 8.1% of total population.

Free Jung Personality Test (similar to Myers-Briggs/MBTI)

My SisterinLaw Vicky posted this personality test on her page (which is listed to the right). I have taken it before and came out very different, but for today, I am a journalist! Go me!

September Wyoming Adventure

So in keeping with my tradition of not writing about my life until ridiculously after the fact, here are some picture from Emily and My Wyoming trip. We went with my parents to Jackson Hole Wyoming and the Grand Tetons in September.









We had awesome lattes....
















We were rained and snowed upon....


















We saw a bull moose up close and personal... "hey Bullwinkle..."















We hung out with my parents....




















We saw beautiful mountains....














I loved being in the Mountains... which I love so much... with Emily... who I love so much




It was a really fun time. We also visited yellowstone national park. I really enjoyed the trip.