Ironman Finishers

Two weeks ago my wife and I competed with 2300 other people in the Florida Half Ironman. The total mileage we tracked Sunday was 70.3. It all begins with swimming 1.2 miles, biking 56, then running 13.1. My wife has done two marathons before but this was her first ever triathlon, and what a triathlon it was! Seth, my cousin also posted his first triathlon in the Ironman. Nathan Hardeman a fellow youth minister now in Orlando, FL finished his second half Ironman with us.
I can't tell you what an accomplishment this race was unless you were there to feel the heat. It was a HOT day. Nonetheless everyone finished! Everyone survived!
You might read the mileage a half Ironman entails and think it's impossible. The key element to accomplishing this event is determination. Karen showed great determination and tough grit in the half. The temperature was sweltering that day, and we all came to drastic thoughts of not finishing once we were on the run course. The driving motivation that pushed us through the race was to finish. The bottom line is you either finish or you don't. At the end of the day, did you finish? I don't care how bad it hurts - I WILL FINISH.
I say all of that to encourage you to be on Team Hutcheson, and do the next race with us. We're still planning out our races for next year - join us now and get in on all of the excitement.

Al Gore & Global Warming

"An Inconvenient Truth" features Al Gore's message of world destruction due to global warming. I don't support Gore politically or laugh at his opening in the movie, "I'm Al Gore, and I used to be the next president of the United States."
However, there is more to politics than the moral platform. I encourage everyone to vote for candidates that view sex and the family through a biblical worldview, but let's remember to be aware of environmental issues and speak accordingly as stewards of this world.
Read about "An Inconvenient Truth": New York Times Sundance Film Festival Junk science

Memorial Day Plans

If your planning your Memorial Day parties, let me add one to your list. At Louisville Slugger Field, EarthSave is hosting Taste of Health - a "healthy people, health planet festival".
There will be several restaurants on site offering samples from $1-2. EarthSave is not an exclusively vegetarian organization but this day will provide solely vegetarian dishes. The Slugger Field concessions will be closed but don't worry there will be plenty of veggy dogs on hand.
Parents don't throw this suggestion out the door just yet. One of the speakers during the 10 - 2 outing is Dr. Antonia Demas presenting "Kids and Vegetables: Can They be Friends?" The web site notes, "Created by Dr. Demas, “Food Is Elementary” is a remarkably successful, award-winning program that teaches children about food and nutrition through dynamic multi-cultural lessons which engage all the senses. This cooking demo will focus on making healthy foods appealing to kids." Vegetables were always more appealing to my napkin than my tastebuds when I was a child.
Plus, Wayne Pacelle CEO of The Humane Society will be present to "discusses the impacts our dietary and consumer choices have on the lives of animals, from pets to animals raised on factory farms."
The goal of the whole day is to provide education so people can make educated choices for a healthier lifestyle. I'm no vegetarian but I can afford to eat healthier rather than succomb to my double cheeseburger cravings. For all those that need to hear Wayne educate them on dietary choices, have a great time. For everyone else have a great grill day this holiday.

The Flaming Lips war with the Truth

The Flaming Lips released their new album "At War with the Mystics". They are considered one of the quintessential psychedelic rock groups making such intriging releases like the 4 CD album Zaireeka.
I heard a short piece of their interview last night with David Dye on the World Cafe as they discussed the meaning of their title "At War with the Mystics".
Listen here
The interesting dialoge happens around the 23 minute mark and goes on for about five minutes. In this segment, Wayne Coyne describes what he thinks of art and how the listener (or viewer) adds to the circle of interpretation. He says,
"Art reaches people who are curious about it's meaning . . . . Instead of me saying it means one specific thing and everybody else is wrong . . . I like the idea that it is sort of subjective."
Enjoy your meaning.

Liberalism's ethnocentricism

Once again, liberalism shows it's teeth against another nation determining it's morality. The objection comes against Jakarta, Indonesia attempting to criminalize the pornagraphy industry. Here we find the liberal agenda crying foul play because it sees personal rights (autonomy) limited.
The acts that would be considered criminal come from a non-Christian government but still view pornography as morally wrong and bad for society. There are presently laws forbidding pornography in Jakarta. However, there is a lack of enforcement to the present laws. The proposed law attempts to legislate morality not only against pornography but also what is permissible forms of affection and fashion in public.
By no means do I agree with the ideology behind Jakarta's Muslim government or the entire piece of legislation, but I do find interesting the opposition - intolerant toleration. Listen to the report from NPR here.

Farewell Myspace

As you might have noticed, I have been a very infrequent blogger over the past two months. After great pressure from various people, I finally succombed to the myspace craze. Yes, I even became a Myspace phanatic. For those unaware of the latest internet epidemic, Myspace is the culmination of everything that Internet communication has to offer: messaging, pictures, videos, all comments all on your own personal page with your own personal flare. Once you set up your page with it's cool background and your favorite song or song that describes you playing in the background, you are set to add friends to your page which links your pages together.
As a youth minister, it allowed me to view and read all that teenagers were writting about themselves and their life experience. Teenagers expose their emotions and desires for all to see and for anyone to fill. My job was to link parents up with their child's site and password in order to view not only their public page but private messages.
This craze is a great example of living in the world but not of this world. Is it wrong to be involved in something that has overtly sexual advertisements all over it? Is it wrong to allow a venue for women to mesage a married man requesting to be his friend? Is it wrong to have teenagers as your friend who have foul, rauchy pictures and messages all over their page?
There are many dangers on the internet in general and Myspace is a specific hub for sexual predators and sinful enticements to grab not only teenagers but any aged person. On the other hand, teenagers are on Myspace whether the Christian church is or not.
Our lifestyle must be determined by making the wisest choice rather than making an okay choice. Myspace has no real meaning for me now because I live for another space yet to come.