Archive for category hot topic
A Fallen Sister
Posted by thelokey in hot topic, spiritual warfare on October 20th, 2008
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/10/20/afghanistan.violence/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
Here’s an excerpt of the story…
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the death, saying on its Web site that it killed the “foreign woman” for preaching Christianity in the country and adding that it had been following the woman for some time. – Source: CNN.com
Two things:
First, my prayers go out to this young women’s friends and family for their tragic loss. Gayle Williams is a modern day martyr and will receive her heavenly reward. She is a testimony to the rest of the Christian faith of what it means to follow Christ at all costs.
Secondly, I’m also proud that CNN ran the story and even put the “Christian” details in it. I’m not naive enough to think that Gayle Williams was the only person killed for her faith in Christ this week or even today. But I applaud them for reporting this in a tasteful fashion.
For more information on SERVE Afghanistan and Gayle, go here.
My Latest Influences
Anyone that knows anything about me knows that I’m a pretty heavy consumer of all things media. Here’s a list of my consumption lately:
Movies:
Prince Caspian – Great movie! The director really progressed the three children’s character and matured them well. The overall tone was a bit darker and more intense. I’m a HUGE fan of C.S. Lewis and have read the “Narnia” series many times, and Walden & Disney have done an excellent job of translating these stories to film
Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls – I don’t know what all the critics and fans are complaining about! The I.J. series is about one thing, having a fun experience at the movies. That is exactly what Spielberg & the gang accomplished. It’s supposed to be corny, unrealistic, and outlandish. If it were real, it would be…well, like watching PBS.
Music:
Hawk Nelson is My Friend – I went to see these guys in concert about a month ago and to be honest, what little of their new CD I listened to wasn’t impressive. But then I got the CD and started listening to it non-stop. I think it’s their best yet. They’ve matured in their delivery without straying too far from their strengths. And the choruses WILL get stuck in your head.
TV:
Samantha Who – I watched one episode of this show in the middle of its first season, I was NOT impressed at all! But then summer came and I got bored of watching nothing but The Office and Scrubs reruns. I wanted something new. So I got a hold of the entire first season of S.W. After watching the first episode I was hooked. And the only reason is Christina Applegate’s ability to create a likeable character. Now I’ll be the first to admit that in the past, her characters weren’t all that great, but people still liked them. That’s exactly what’s going to carry this show in the next few years.
So You Think You Can Dance – I might take some heat on this one, but hear me out! Watching people sing on TV is boring, I don’t care how good they are. But the difference with this show is that dancing is electrifying! It came be inspiring, jaw-dropping, sexy, sensual, and the list goes on. This show is so much fun to watch because they have so many styles of dance showcased. In one night, I could see hip hop, swing, jazz, a waltz, salsa, and contemporary. All in the course of an hour. Where else are you gonna get that much diversity? The only down side is Mary Murphy and her voice/laugh/cackle/screaming. Just have the mute button on standby.
If “Going Green” Was Really a Priority…
1. Business people and especially politicians would start insisting on using video conferencing for meetings instead of flying huge jets everywhere and using hundreds of gallons of fuel.
2. Magazines would be eliminated completely. Right now I have stacks of magazines that I never subscribed to that I will never read (I’m not racist, I just don’t find “Black Enterprise” to be a “must-read”)
3. People would stop printing out emails and putting them in my box outside my office.
4. Instead of trying to force our cars to have cleaner emissions, we’d go to other countries where cities are more densely populated that have no emissions regulations at all.
The All-American Gods Part 2
Posted by thelokey in commentary, hot topic, realizations on August 19th, 2009
I’ll admit, this post was hard to do without some serious self-evaluation.
Let me make sure I’m clear on what I’m talking about. There’s a difference between contentment and comfort. While sitting in jail, Paul said he as content, but he NEVER said anything about being comfortable. I’ve been wrestling with this post ever since the last one because I knew I’d already put it out there and now I HAD to do the part 2.
The best way I know how to describe the way God couldn’t care less about our comfort is through the very words of Christ.
Ouch! I’ve read that verse countless times, and every time it never gets any easier.
I’ve fallen in love with the Gospels all over again. Our pastor is doing a series through the book of Mark, our staff is walking through John, and I’ve been teaching out of Luke 15. It’s just been a lot of learning and teaching through Jesus’ teachings and words. The more I read them and understand that when Jesus said the things He said, they were EXTREMELY offensive and completely UNCOMFORTABLE. Uncomfortable to the religious people, but to the lost and far from God, His words brought hope, mercy, and ultimately forgiveness.
So my prayer is that I’ll stop playing things safe and seeking the easy way that is the most comfortable. I hope you do the same.
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