unMediocre

Here’s our new little bit. This is the first time we’ve actually gotten to SEE any of kids’ hearts beating. Very cool.
Official due date: January 31, 2009!

I told some friends today that this had been rocking around in my head like a dozen lead marbles the last few days. (Translation: it’s making all kinds of noise, and won’t let me ignore it.)

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
Hebrews 12:4

Oops, upside ya head. Oops upside ya head. Pay attention now. [credit]

Here’s the context.

I’ll shut up and let the Spirit do some preachin’.

So what with the internet world look like in the not to distant future? I read a couple of blogs tonight that had some interesting thoughts. The real question after reading is, “Can the church help shape the effectiveness of the internet?”

Are you good enough? Are you smart enough? And gosh-darn-it, do you think you could make something of all this world-wide-wackiness?

Some interesting links: The Clowd [Godin], IT 2.0? [Morgan]

I need one of these:

Annette is definitely pregnant, and in turn, definitely sick. She gets sick like no other mother to be. We hoped this go ’round would be easier…but it’s worse.

Sooooo, instead of me feeling guilty for going for a jog while she’s at home miserable with the girls, I figure, let’s kill two birds with one stone!

If you know of a jogging stroller (2-seater) OR a 2-seater bike trailer that’s not in use any more, let me know! I’d love to clear out some room in someone’s garage or basement! (I’ll pay fair market value, of course.)

So I had this dream last night that I won American Idol. But it was very anti-climactic because the next morning, no one cared. I didn’t make front page of the newspaper. None of the news channels called. I didn’t getting any late night talk show invitations.

What a rip! Isn’t that the whole point?

In my sleepy dejection, I recalled all the criticism that had been circulating the media as the finale approached. “He can sing, but he’s just not as cool as the Idols who have won in the past.” “Did you see what he was wearing? It was like he didn’t even buy anything new for the show. He was just in his everyday clothes.” It MIGHT have been the kind of feeling that a kid may get while walking down a middle or high school hallway…NOT that I would know.

And then I looked at this this morning…

12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Colossians 3:12-17 [nasv]

Is that passage not straight up perfect for us in our Idolizing world? We’re not looking for the vote of the masses. Our faith in God is not a democratic event. The only ‘third party’ who has to certify the vote is Jesus Christ. And there’s only one vote that counts. Winner takes all. It’s His show, and he’s the only judge. He likes the song choice, because He wrote the song. He likes our ‘look’ because He’s the fashion designer. Jesus the all time star mentor. When it’s time to perform, the buzz in the room is fueled by the Spirit of God. And when the finale is over, we’re not dependent on trends, Clyve Davis, or digital sales to make our mark: Our mark is the Word of God, and it will top the charts for eternity.

So, the million dollar question: Why do YOU sing? Maybe you DON’T sing! If not, why do you write? Or draw? Or take pictures? Why do you teach in front of a crowd, or a small group? Why do you write contracts, paint, sell, program, assist? Why do you wake up every morning to the same routine hoping to just keep the kids fed, bathed, alive?

Who is your audience? My dream last night, as big a let down as it was, was a very good reminder that there is only One person in the crowd who is really listening to my song. If others join to sing along, it’s because they’re impressed by Him, not by me.

Yep. That’s right. Someone found my blog by searching for “Neil Diamond’s Ears.” No lie.

Here’s the post that made it possible.

Go figure.

So we used to have 2 cats in our house. But then we kicked them out because we were tired of cleaning up after them. One ran away (or so we thought until we were trick-or-treating last fall and found her living at a house down the street). The other one has been more loyal than a seeing eye dog through feast and famine (meaning: sometimes we forget to feed her for 2 or 3 days).

She loves us dearly, for some reason. She lets the girls torture her. And like any good kitty, she brings us mostly dead offerings. Sometimes she brings us birds. Sometimes it’s chipmunks.

Today…she brought us a crawfish. (From a distance, though, it looked like a huge scorpion. Kinda freaked me out.)

Definitely a first.

Carlos over at ragamuffinsoul.com has asked his readers to chime in each Thursday with random examples of creativity in action. We call it “Creative Chaos.”

I’m a little late in the game this week, but I still want to share something that to me represents the highest possible form of creativity…

With the news of the tragedy that struck the Chapmans yesterday, I was blindsided by the eerily similar story of my friends Julie and Smith Peck. They lost their 4 year old son, Jackson, on December 23, 2004. While leaving to go caroling with family and friends, Smith’s mom Roz accidentally backed her SUV into her grandson. Jackson lost his life, but his family took the horror of it all and did something very much after God’s own heart… They turned their tragedy into a message of hope and forgiveness.

I first struck up my friendship with the Pecks while on a mission trip with a team from our church. I’ve wept as I edited home videos of Jackson to be shown on television shows. We’ve taken our family to Jackson’s birthday parties that his parents and sisters have thrown every year since they lost him… What I’ve seen is a family who has a deep understanding of the sovereignty of God and a rich knowledge that He doesn’t always rely on sunny days to brighten the world.

The fruit of their courage has been federal legislation that has helped prevent similar accidents from happening to other families. Locally, they lead a ministry called “Grief Share” that gives families dealing with loss a network of support. They have also been given opportunities to share the story of their faith with a national audience. In fact, the story that The Oprah Show ran to tell their story is being re-aired this Friday (May 23), and will feature a letter sent by an Oprah watcher who credits the Peck’s story for saving her own daughter’s life.

Tragedy is often a catalyst for new life. Anything that lives is given the opportunity for life by something else that gives its own life away. I pray for the Chapmans’ son to run full speed into this chapter with courage and hope. It will always hurt, but there IS a redemption. Redemption is simply in God’s nature.

The Jackson Smith Peck Foundation – jspfoundation.com

How random. The top search engine phrases that lead people to my blog are: “snl just kidding,” and “snl funny again.” Go figure. I reckon it’s ’cause I posted this a few weeks ago. Still random.

So a friend sent me this Facebook Quiz called the “Dr. Phil Personality Quiz.” Have you taken it? I took the quiz, and this was the result…

Others see you as someone they should “handle with care.” You’re seen as vain, self-centered, and extremely dominant. Others may admire you, wishing they could be more like you. However, they don’t always trust you, hesitating to become too deeply involved with you.

If Dr. Phil is right, I’m sorry. I tend to think of myself as fairly insecure and poorly adjusted in social situations. So I guess I can come across this way to some folks.

I’m going to go sulk.

UPDATE! Annette just took the test, too, and she got the same result. I know my wife, and anyone who sees her as “extremely dominent” doesn’t know my wife.

I feel better now.

If you’ve taken it, what did it say about you? I’ll crack up if it gives everyone the same result.