iranian president commands no foreign words!

--> READ THIS <--

Then answer me this:

What's the new word for "crazy extremist mental-case"?

ask a ninja: question 22 "ninja excuses"

Ever need to come up with lightning-fast, ninja-style excuses? The Ninja tells us how!

when christians must buy gas

As I think about social responsibility and how that relates to my faith, the issue of gas usage comes to mind. I have to buy gas. I have to get back and forth to work. But I really don't feel good about supporting gas companies - many of whom have horrible relationships to the environment and humans alike.

While there isn't really a perfect answer, here's an article about how to choose the lesser of the evils available to us. Next time we have to fill up, this is good info to remember.

Quick List:
Best Options - BP, Sunoco, CITGO

Better Option - Shell

Worst Options - Chevron, Exxon

make it stop!

HT: Pete Kim


LOOK AT THIS

OK - who's gonna lead the petition drive to get this off the internet forever? There are so many issues here, it's hard to know exactly where to start. Let's see...

1. It's creepy!
2. Vidal Sassoon Jesus is so 1950s!
3. You know He didn't speak English, right?
4. It's REALLY creepy!

spiritual inventory time

C. Wess Daniels had some good questions for reflection over at his blog. I'll put them here and think about them for a while. Maybe they'll work for you too.

What have I rushed by so quickly that I have missed altogether?

Who have I harmed, ignored or worse used for my own gain in this time of negligence?

Where have I been dishonest with others, God or myself?

In what ways I can find wisdom to no fall into these ways again?

What Things must I turn my attention to in prayer?

woah!

I've seen stuff like this in the past and it never really works. This one works! A lot! Just press play, stare at the center of the animation and look away when it tells you to. For about 10-15 seconds, you get an incredible hallucinogenic visual effect.



WARNING: Do not do this if operating heavy machinery, driving or preparing to take a drunk driving test. It's FREAKY DEAKY!

the immigration debate answered!

I've been thinking about the whole immigration debate a lot lately. Living in San Antonio, it hits close to home. There are sincere, meaningful arguments on both sides. But today, I read something that settled it for me.

I've never been to Ellis Island, but I will go before I die - God willing. I've never really read and reflected on the inscription on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. If our desire is to have an America that lives up to the dreams its people once held for her, then the immigration question is settled upon reading this beautiful verse:

…Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

rating christianity?

Before proceeding, READ THIS ARTICLE.



OK. This article raised a few questions for me:

1. Why are our lawmakers - the people we pay to write laws to make everyone's lives better - worried about a Christian movie being rated PG? As I check the laundry list of real problems I'd like them working on, this doesn't even make the top 500.
2. Could the MPAA have a point? Shouldn't people understand that a movie is religiously-themed? Personally, I've had the experience of being lured in by a movie cover at Blockbuster only to find that I had just rented a movie produced by the Mormons (and not a good movie at that). I would venture a guess that most believers who are on the soapbox about this issue wouldn't be there if it had been rated PG for being buddhist-themed or and islamic-influen
   
3. More than rating the content of Christian movies, I think we need our own rating system to rate the QUALITY. Sadly, I've seen about three Christian-themed movies in my entire life that didn't completely suck eggs. I think we should have an alert system that steers everone clear of the next "Left Behind" or "Thief in the Night". Perhaps a modified "stars" system using eggs? If you see a 5 egg movie, cover your nose and run!
4. Perhaps making Christianity taboo is exactly what we should be praying for! As it is, many unbelieving teens wouldn't be caught dead doing something as square as watching a Christian movie. But, if going to a Christian flick had a hip, rebellious vibe to it - like smoking pot or attending an anti-war march - then maybe more un-churchy people would go to see these things.

I think it's easy as believers to get caught up in these distracting issues. They're easy. Let's choose sides and try to win. Let me go grab my soapbox and preach at the enemy. Let's blame Hollywood for the Church's failure to be what we are called to be.

All the while, the BIG issues remain - too imposing for us to actually do anything about. These are the things we need our senators and congressmen and representatives to be working on. Here's my list (in no particular order). Feel free to add to it:

• Affordable healthcare for all Americans
• Affordable prescriptions for everyone who need them
• A school system that falls behind a little more every year
• The shrinking middle class
• The polarization of red states vs black states
• Out of control government spending
• A misguided "war on terror"
• Darfur and other places where people are dying by the truck-full every day
• The fact that most Americans have no savings and are conditioned to spend everything we earn
• Poor nutrition and an unhealthy population
• Our dependence on oil, coal and other non-renewable, highly-polluting forms of energy
• Taking care of our elderly
  

As for we believers, here are a few things that should occupy our minds a bit more than a PG-rated religious flick:

• Loving each other more than ourselves
• Sharing what we have with those who need it
• Finding the collective will and resources to do things that matter while our lawmakers debate flag-burning, displays of the ten commandments in government buildings and PG-rated movies.