Total Eclipse of the Heart... Reconsidered

If, like me, you grew up in the 80's then you know the song mentioned in the title of this post. I admit that I enjoyed this song quite a bit in those days of leg warmers, florescent colors and huge hair...

That being said, I had completely forgotten about the video... I recall having seen it numerous times when the song was popular, yet I do not remember it being so completely off the wall and nonsensical. The song may tell a story, but whatever that story may be is completely lost is the insanity that is the video, and some folks have helped to make that unequivocally clear.

Enjoy - I thought this was HILARIOUS.

Good Song, Great Message

This song is about Nick Cannon's real life experience in utero, and just how close he came to not getting out alive. Powerful stuff.

Found this Particularly Powerful

Don't read into this... my wife loves me, very much I think. If anything, it is my love (evidenced by my actions, not my words or even my emotions) that is so undeserving of her.

But what I thought was so powerful was the connection JP made between this man's struggle to find favor with his wife, and how we respond to our Lord on a daily basis. I am a pastor who spends hours and hours a day right "next to" Jesus... but like many marriages, there are lots of times we can be sitting right next to our spouses and still be miles away. Let us all recommit to responding to our Savior with love and joy every time an opportunity arises... Let's love Him more than the worlds distractions. (Our spouses too!)

SNY Commercials are Pretty Funny

The Mets cable network channel, covering all NY Sports, has released several new commercials.
I don't have cable, so I have never seen them during an actual game, but luckily there is the interwebs. These are lots of fun, the last one is undoubtedly the best.
Of course, if you don't like sports, and particularly if you don't like NY Sports, you probably won't enjoy them nearly as much as I do... but I digress...

These are all courtesy of SNY.tv

Mandeep and Sharvarish, the owners of the souvenir store "NY NY Sports Sports" in SNY's latest TV campaign, learn about the city's passionate rivalries from the fans that frequent their store.

"The Cable Guy"
Mandeep & Sharvarish install a new television.



"Lessons Learned"
SNY teaches Mandeep and Sharvarish valuable lessons.



"Charades"
A Giants fan takes care of a Jets-dressed mannequin.



"Keith Day"
A Yankees fan faces off with Keith Hernandez.

No, Mr. President: John Piper's Response to President Obama on Abortion

Forms of Government 101

10 good minutes

Wow! 100 Million from the budget? ... not so Wow...

HT: Between Two Worlds

OH BOY...... I can hear it now.... THE END IS NEAR!

In Obama's defense... (wait, did I just type that?) I'm certain he had nothing personally to do with this person painting this picture. At least as far as we know he didn't... (cue conspiratorial theme music)

So before we get on the phone to Tim LaHaye about what comes next at the end of time and whether or not we've all been 'Left Behind', that the scripture says that the Anti-Christ (big A) will set himself up as God, and declare himself to be so (2 Thess 2:3-4). You can decide whether that is a literal declaration, or the implicit declaration we all make whenever we sin and set ourselves upon God's throne and against His authority, claiming ourselves to be God...

So, while personally disgusted and angry that this painting exists, and all of the implications for the one who painted it (can't bring myself to say 'the artist'), I will hold all the dispensationalists (and sensationalists) at bay from overreacting. At least for now... (cue dramatic suspense effect)

Thanks to Aron for bringing this to my attention, and worldnet daily for bringing it to everyone's.

My Sister Stephanie's Senior Recital

These will eventually be updated with the names and composers of the pieces, but I don't have them handy. Most of them are in other languages. If you can only listen to English, the last one in is the mother tongue.

We are very proud of Stephanie and are praising God for the gifts He's given her. Enjoy them with us.

Lecrae's Video - Don't Waste Your Life

Great Song. Desiring God Ministries actually produced this video. Enjoy.

Hide and Seek

I posted these on facebook, but not everyone who reads this is on facebook, so I wanted to post them here as well. Abby has begun a love affair with the game of Hide and Seek. Big Fun!


1, 2, 3, 4, 5,


6, 7, 8, 9, 10!


READY OR NOT, HERE I COME!!


Where could Daddy be?


There He is!


I FOUND YOU DADDA!


I Got You!

She's got me...

How Can We Create Communities of Grace?

I Appreciated this post by Tim Chester over at the Mars Hill Blog today:


How can we create communities of grace? Let me suggest seven ideas:

1. Make the connections

We need to teach, speak, sing, and pray grace. But we also need to make connections for people. We can believe in justification by faith for the final day, but doubt justification by faith for the next day. On a Monday morning in the workplace we are still trying to prove ourselves, to find identity in our achievements.

2. Welcome the mess

Welcome messy people. Don’t suppress conflict. Don’t hide problems.

3. Stop pretending

Don’t hide your own problems. You’ll need to exercise some discretion: let everyone know you struggle and let some people know what you struggle with.

4. Stop performing

Don’t put on a show. Don’t push people to perform, to produce results, to get it right all the time. Give people permission to fail. We’ve realized, for example, that polished Bible studies and articulate prayers disenfranchise semi-literate people.

5. Eat and drink with broken people

Jesus eats and drinks with sinners. It’s a powerful expression of community. We think we’re enacting grace if we run projects for the poor, but we’re only halfway there. We still act from a position of superiority, proclaiming that we are able and they are unable. The dynamic is totally different when we eat together. We meet as equals, share together, affirm one another, enjoy one another.

6. Give people time to change

How long did it take for you to become perfectly like Jesus? Of course, you’re still changing. There seem to be some sins we’re prepared to work on over a lifetime, but others where we demand instant change. Why is this? The answer, of course, is that we want people to be respectable. We don’t want a messy community.

7. Focus on the heart

All too often we focus on the behaviors we would like someone to stop or start. But Jesus says our behavior comes from the heart (Mark 7:20-23). Our focus needs to be on the heart. Our job is help people find joy in Christ.

No commentary from me... Let's get to it!

:-)