Six months ago right now, I was 30 minutes outside of the best event of my life - marrying Karen Brown. These past six months have been awesome! I love spending the days with my best friend. Those of you that know me and/or my wife know the wonderful blessing that she is to me. I really don't know how I survived life without her. Don't get me wrong, I can still feed myself & dress myself. Although, some might disagree with the latter statement. Karen has revolutionized my life, and I am so glad that the revolution has come.
God has continued to reveal Himself to me through this marriage. I understand more of God's love to us. I can't fathom the depths of His love nor the intimacy that we will share with Him in the next world. But I tell you this much - if my marriage is this good and it is a mirror of God's love to us, I can't wait for the next age!
Monday, January 30, 2006
Monday, January 23, 2006
Just in case . . .
If anyone was wondering, I have not, I repeat, I have not lost any weight in my odyssey to 170 lbs. The truth of the matter is that I have never had to lose weight by conventional means. I've previously had exellent tools at my disposal: harsh wrestling practices, hours to spend sweating weight off, and the ultimatum of making weight. None of those things are present, and for the record I didn't have the BULGE I do now. I would think that with all this weight, dropping weight should be easy.
If I must confess, vanilla cokes have never tasted so good, and reeses have never been so easy to unwrap. Plus, the ice cream I just bought last night night is so sweet and creamy. There are so many enemies plotting their fat against me.
With all that being said, I still believe that as long as I work out really, really hard, then it doens't matter if I dig into the great $3 investment at MacDonalds for 2 quarterpounders :)
We are on are way!!!
If I must confess, vanilla cokes have never tasted so good, and reeses have never been so easy to unwrap. Plus, the ice cream I just bought last night night is so sweet and creamy. There are so many enemies plotting their fat against me.
With all that being said, I still believe that as long as I work out really, really hard, then it doens't matter if I dig into the great $3 investment at MacDonalds for 2 quarterpounders :)
We are on are way!!!
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Chia prophecies
Ever since I can remember, I have wanted a Chia Pet. With the latest Chia technology, I thought the Chia Head was even better. I know. Who thought the Chia Pet could be improved?
Nonetheless, I finally received my heart's desire this year for Christmas when my wife gave me this wonderful gift. In all of my excitement I never thought the Chia Head would be fruitless, but to my surprise, I had no success.
As you can see the Chia Head did give way to small sprouts. Over the past few days the Chia Head has sprung to life, but to my dismay there are glaring bald spots.
Is this a note of what's to come in my own life? Let's hope not. Let's hope it represents me not becoming a hairy back monster later in life for my sake and Karen's sake.
Broken & Desperate
Hollywood's glitter and glamor will never fail to disappoint. Although, the thrill that Hollywood gives you may not be exactly what you were looking for.
The Golden Globe Awards awards is put on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association each year recognizing the year's best films, television shows and those that make them happen.
This year's list of top picks dawns a new height of controversy. One that leaps and bounds past last year's divisive "Million Dollar Baby," whose plotline directs the viewer to sympathize with euthanasia. "Brokeback Mountain" features homosexuality at a new cinematic level. It was nominated for seven awards and walked away with Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Song, "A Love That Will Never Grow Old," and Best Screenplay.
Morality is not only pushed out of bounds on the big screen. The entertainment line continues to digress with such award winning shows as "Desperate Housewives." The shows executive director said it himself when he thanked creator, Marc Cherry, "thank you for looking into your dark and twisted heart and giving us this show."
One cannot be surprised that such accolades would be awarded to such masterpieces. Afterall, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has in their primary interest to "disseminate information concerning the American culture and traditions as depicted in motion pictures and television through news media in various foreign countries." Our culture and traditions are swaying into new territories. It is exactly through these transmissions on screen that it is happening such as "Brokeback Mountain" director Ang Lee said himself, "ideas can change through movies." He along with all of Hollywood wants to push an ideology of tolerance and indulgence of personal freedom.
What freedom?
Best Actress recipient, Felicity Huffman, starred in "Transamerica." The movie's tagline reads, "Life is more than the sum of its body parts." Another triumph for Hollywood as the main character's odyssey is to truly become whom he desires to be - a she. The snag and plot of the journey is that Huffman's character, Stanley, just found out he(she) is a parent of a 17 year old boy. The movie describes itself as a "funny, touching, completely modern look at the modern American family. . . ." Notice the slight of hand. Hollywood is quick and has a tendency to sneak this line in - COMPLETELY MODERN! Ang Lee's dream of changing the moral culture is coming true.
Huffman did not fail to disappoint either in her pithy description about the meaning of life amoungst her thanksgivings. She explained that actors have to shed their skin. . . . In doing that we just push through and we are who we really are. "Find yourself, and be who you are."
Amen to the sermon at the Hollywood Church.
The truth is that our culture is changing, but Hollywood doesn't know how broken and desperate they are. We have to live the truth and show our neighbors who watch these shows, our coworkers who said it was a good movie, and our a dying world who craves a love that will never grow old that there is something that is truly worthy. Live the truth so you'll be ready to tell the truth.
The Golden Globe Awards awards is put on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association each year recognizing the year's best films, television shows and those that make them happen.
This year's list of top picks dawns a new height of controversy. One that leaps and bounds past last year's divisive "Million Dollar Baby," whose plotline directs the viewer to sympathize with euthanasia. "Brokeback Mountain" features homosexuality at a new cinematic level. It was nominated for seven awards and walked away with Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Song, "A Love That Will Never Grow Old," and Best Screenplay.
Morality is not only pushed out of bounds on the big screen. The entertainment line continues to digress with such award winning shows as "Desperate Housewives." The shows executive director said it himself when he thanked creator, Marc Cherry, "thank you for looking into your dark and twisted heart and giving us this show."
One cannot be surprised that such accolades would be awarded to such masterpieces. Afterall, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has in their primary interest to "disseminate information concerning the American culture and traditions as depicted in motion pictures and television through news media in various foreign countries." Our culture and traditions are swaying into new territories. It is exactly through these transmissions on screen that it is happening such as "Brokeback Mountain" director Ang Lee said himself, "ideas can change through movies." He along with all of Hollywood wants to push an ideology of tolerance and indulgence of personal freedom.
What freedom?
Best Actress recipient, Felicity Huffman, starred in "Transamerica." The movie's tagline reads, "Life is more than the sum of its body parts." Another triumph for Hollywood as the main character's odyssey is to truly become whom he desires to be - a she. The snag and plot of the journey is that Huffman's character, Stanley, just found out he(she) is a parent of a 17 year old boy. The movie describes itself as a "funny, touching, completely modern look at the modern American family. . . ." Notice the slight of hand. Hollywood is quick and has a tendency to sneak this line in - COMPLETELY MODERN! Ang Lee's dream of changing the moral culture is coming true.
Huffman did not fail to disappoint either in her pithy description about the meaning of life amoungst her thanksgivings. She explained that actors have to shed their skin. . . . In doing that we just push through and we are who we really are. "Find yourself, and be who you are."
Amen to the sermon at the Hollywood Church.
The truth is that our culture is changing, but Hollywood doesn't know how broken and desperate they are. We have to live the truth and show our neighbors who watch these shows, our coworkers who said it was a good movie, and our a dying world who craves a love that will never grow old that there is something that is truly worthy. Live the truth so you'll be ready to tell the truth.
Friday, January 06, 2006
Girl-cotting Abercrombie
A group of teeangers launched a nation wide campaign to "girl-cott" a line of T-shirts recenty designed by Ambercrombie & Fitch that were deemed offensive to women.
Ambercrombie is known for it's overtly sexual style of clothing. Their catalogue is sexually explicit often including many pictures that include no fashion at all, rather suggestive pictures of females or of males lying chest on chest together. Hmmm, what clothes am I interested in here?
The Pittsburg teenagers were successful in their march against Abercrombie pulling support from national organizations like Ms. Foundation for Women.
One surprising element is the offense these young girls directed to the large corporation.
Todd Corley, Abercrombie's vice president of diversity, told the girls the company's slogans are thoroughly tested before being put on the market. When challenged on the company's lack of diversity as far as its women models go — most appear to be thin, blonde and Caucasian — Corley urged the girls to visit the diversity section on company's official Web site. The girls responded by saying they shouldn't have to go to online to find people of color in their organization.
What is most intersting is the naivety that Ambercrombie spokesmen and businessmen regard these T-shirt slogans.
"We recognize that the shirts in question, while meant to be humorous, might be troubling to some," the company said in a statement.
"We want slogans that inspire girls and let them know it's OK to be smart and it's OK to look different from everyone else," said 15-year-old Zoe Feinstein, who explained the reasons behind the girl-cott to the panel. "Some people were saying, 'Why are you taking this so seriously?' since the shirts were meant to be taken as raw irony, but the problem we saw was that the girls wearing them didn't know that."
The bottom line is that many teenagers and young women don't see anything wrong with suggestive slogans and sexually alluring clothing. Many young girls would not sacrifice modesty for fashion. Look in my church. Look in your church. What do teenagers wear?
It is easy to paint a dark picture about a dark world. I urge everyone to pray that we are the counter cultural example. We, the church, have to tell teenagers the truth, show them the way, and give to them the satisfaction of God's Word so that they won't turn to crude shirts and alluring clothes simply to chase after cheap thrills and temporary affection. This task will not come by diagnosing the problem. The cure can only come through our Lord. We have to pray and pray and pray. When changes must happen, they come about through prayer. Be diligent in your prayers.
Ambercrombie is known for it's overtly sexual style of clothing. Their catalogue is sexually explicit often including many pictures that include no fashion at all, rather suggestive pictures of females or of males lying chest on chest together. Hmmm, what clothes am I interested in here?
The Pittsburg teenagers were successful in their march against Abercrombie pulling support from national organizations like Ms. Foundation for Women.
One surprising element is the offense these young girls directed to the large corporation.
Todd Corley, Abercrombie's vice president of diversity, told the girls the company's slogans are thoroughly tested before being put on the market. When challenged on the company's lack of diversity as far as its women models go — most appear to be thin, blonde and Caucasian — Corley urged the girls to visit the diversity section on company's official Web site. The girls responded by saying they shouldn't have to go to online to find people of color in their organization.
What is most intersting is the naivety that Ambercrombie spokesmen and businessmen regard these T-shirt slogans.
"We recognize that the shirts in question, while meant to be humorous, might be troubling to some," the company said in a statement.
"We want slogans that inspire girls and let them know it's OK to be smart and it's OK to look different from everyone else," said 15-year-old Zoe Feinstein, who explained the reasons behind the girl-cott to the panel. "Some people were saying, 'Why are you taking this so seriously?' since the shirts were meant to be taken as raw irony, but the problem we saw was that the girls wearing them didn't know that."
The bottom line is that many teenagers and young women don't see anything wrong with suggestive slogans and sexually alluring clothing. Many young girls would not sacrifice modesty for fashion. Look in my church. Look in your church. What do teenagers wear?
It is easy to paint a dark picture about a dark world. I urge everyone to pray that we are the counter cultural example. We, the church, have to tell teenagers the truth, show them the way, and give to them the satisfaction of God's Word so that they won't turn to crude shirts and alluring clothes simply to chase after cheap thrills and temporary affection. This task will not come by diagnosing the problem. The cure can only come through our Lord. We have to pray and pray and pray. When changes must happen, they come about through prayer. Be diligent in your prayers.
Dieting with Lindsay Lohan
Lohan was recently featurued on the cover of US Weekly for diet tips. The humor in "how she did it" is the fresh story in Vanity Fair. "How she did it" turns out to be, "I ate it. I threw it up."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)