duke basketball.

so if you have been lucky enough to have any free time lately, or just haven't been getting things done that you should have, you probably have been watching a lot of basketball. It is the month of March.. and there is a big tournament going on.. but you probably haven't been watching any basketball like this >> check out the video.

now of course duke would go on to lose the next game.. you might have loved that or hated that.. but I personally think it was because they didn't have the frog in the game.

test drive.

Over the past few years, I've been able to buy and sell cars through Wholesale Auto Plus. It has been an outstanding deal as my form of the apostle Paul's "tent-making" alongside ministry. I've given test drives of many types of cars to many types of people.. some legit folks.. some not-so-legit folks.. but here is a story of a man that definitely took a test drive of a car way too far >> 2,000 miles too far.

by the way.. here are the two cars that I currently have for sale >> come on, you know you want a convertible!!

defense.

so I know that I'm not the greatest of basketball players out there.. but I do know that this ain't the way that you are suppose to play defense...

and this dude actually made it to the NBA. Well he definitely just got posterized.

encyclopedia.

a new site launched today.. well.. for a bit. the Encyclopedia of Life site had 11.5 million hits in over 5 1/2 hours, which is just a few more than here. but because of the massive demand, the site crashed. I'm sure they are working on increasing that broadband.

the AP describes the new site as offering "limited Web pages for 30,000 species. There are also "exemplar pages" that go into more depth with photos, video, scientific references, maps and text of 25 species... Eventually, planners hope to have all 1.8 million species on the Web and already have set up 1 million placeholder pages."

dang, just another thing on the web to distract us from the work that needs to get done.

referral.

sinful.

I came across a very interesting article today :: America's Most Sinful Cities.

The article displays, in accordance to the "7 Deadly Sins" :: lust, gluttony, avarice, sloth, wrath, envy and pride :: the American cities that have "fallen the farthest from grace." It is extremely interesting to see the cities in the ratings.. but a question hit my heart.. is that the right thing to rate??

Just because my city is rated #2 in gluttony and #5 in sloth doesn't mean that we have turned more from grace.. or even that we need it more. We all need it. But it could mean that we love the One who gives grace more..

Jesus asked him, "A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?" -- Luke 7:41-42

We all have a sinful debt. We all owe something for it.. and none of us can repay it.. no point in gauging the debt.. the gauge must be in how much we love the gracious Forgiver of our debt. Where do you rank in that?

Insert song :: Jesus Paid It All.

love.

with this being the weekend after Valentine's day.. I thought that I would share an old video that I came across from way back in the day. One of Frazer's finest -- keeping in mind that this was done while the Budweiser "Wazzz up" commercials were rolling.



It includes John Schmidt, Rob Webster, Shane Segars, John Ed Mathison, and Bruce Wilkinson - the guy who wrote Prayer of Jabez.

the winning three.

the Giants pulled an upset by three.. so I thought I'd give you my winning three.. my favorite commercials from the night >>

The Uni-Brow, by Planters :: funny because its ugly.. and I'm sure its one of David Nasser's favs.

Baby II, by E-trade :: funny because its like a Mikey flashback from Look Who's Talking.

What is Love, by Diet Pepsi :: funny because it reminds me of a guy in seminary with me.. seriously, wake-up.

similarity.

I don't know if it is only because my friend Brad George has gotten me back into playing Halo (the original) or not. But when I came across photos of the new Hummer HX concept car, I could not keep from picturing the always helpful Warthog from the game. Whether you consider using it as a panzy-way to play or not.. you have to see the similarity...

- okay, so minus the whole guns and aliens thing.

If you want to check out some of the other concept cars revealed at the Detriot 2008 show.. check them out here.

ripple.

so you might have read the post from yesterday and thought.. that's great.. but I don't have the spare cash to give each month -- even for the better causes. I understand. I might aim to challenge you some in what you use that cash for.. but I understand. So let me show something that will offer support for some cool causes that you can do.. because its Free.


here is a site that you can offer support towards your choice of causes :: water, food, education, or money. And all that you have to do is click.. you've already done it probably 50-100 times today.. why not one more to help a great cause. It is a brilliant concept that is connected with money through marketing.. but in a legit way. Check it out -- view how it works -- and make it your home-page. Why not start each day with something that helps other folks of the world. Make a click.. start a ripple (sorry, I know its cheesy, but I couldn't resist).

hate.

There are not many things that really get to me. I don't have that many things which I can say that I really hate. But I hate a certain tv commercial. No way around it.. I hate it. It rubs me wrong every time that I see it. It is the commercial with Sarah McLachlan about abused animals, set to her "In the Arms of an Angel" song. (I would post the video on here.. but I don't want to let more people see it.)

Now, I'm FOR helping stop abuse of animals. I really am. And I'm not against Sarah McLachlan.. according to this, she helps out some good charities. But I hate the fact that the commercial is produced in the exact way as commercials for supporting impoverished children. It forces my mind to connect the two.. and in comparison.. one totally outweighs the other.

This is goes sort of in step with my boy B's post about the amount of money spent by Americans on their pets. I get that the charity for abused animals needs financial support. But how can a person feel obligated to send $20 a month to help an animal, when there is a massive need to help a person!! Which cause is more worthy of the support?? There are plenty of great organizations -- Christian based and non -- that accomplish great things in support of people, through monthly contributions :: World Vision, End Homelessness, or Give Grace -- just to name a few... you can check out the charity navigator for others.

Its really not that I hate animals.. cause I don't.. but that commercial.. the way that it is presented.. I'm sorry, but I hate it.

just crazy.

so a good friend of mine, Taylor, revealed to me just how crazy Tom Cruise really is... if you haven't seen it yet... you need to just watch this video.

and then once you've seen the craziness there... check out some funniness here.

fame.

"Fame is just having your name known by a lot of strangers."

- this is a great quote by Robert Zimmerman... a man who would change perspective on a lot of things while being known to those strangers by a differnt name. there is some strong irony there.

Christmas Mix 2007.

so here is the order to the Christmas Mix that has been going over and over in my playlist... getting me fully ready for the travels and time with family and friends ahead. Merry Christmas.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Coldplay
Winter Wonderland - Jason Mraz
Angels We Have Heard on High - Chris Tomlin
Baby, It's Cold Outside - James Taylor
I'll Be Home for Christmas - Tony Bennett
Silent Night - Sanctus Real
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Bethany Dillon
Let It Snow - Michael Buble
O Holy Night - The New Orleans Horns
O Come, All Ye Faithful - Starfield
What Child Is This? - ZOEgirl
Go Tell It On The Mountain - James Taylor
Santa Clause is Coming to Town - Ray Charles
Carol of the Bells - Harlem Boys Choir
Jingle Bells - James Taylor
My Favorite Things - Tony Bennett
O Holy Night - Shawn McDonald

you can check out some of the tracks thru i-tunes by clicking on them.. you can actually download for free the New Orleans Horns - O Holy Night ... by clicking on it. Enjoy.

you got a song worth adding?? let me know.. even if it's that great old school n*sync christmas.

Foy getting some love..

so the great info line at Foy Student Union of Auburn University with the classic phone number >> eight.foy.foy - foy.two.foy.foy .. is getting some Today show attention. Pretty cool. War Eagle.

Mr. Football nominations.

The Alabama Sports Writers Association has just released its list of nominees for the 2007 Mr. Football Award. Check it out... in the 5A Offensive listing there is a name that you might recognize.

Birmingham News article

Way to go, Bro.. but remember, I can still take you!

The Bible Experience

so I think I'm sold! With a cast like that... and the power in those words... yeah, it's going onto this year's Christmas list. You can check out more at InspiredBy.com.

around the world... on your own strength.

So how long do you think it would take you to travel all the way around the world by your own power?? -- not with a motor, not with a sail, but moving by your own strength -- pedaling a bike, padling a boat, even rollerblading like its the 90's. well these folks did it.. and it only took 13 years!!!

check out their story.. it is amazing and crazy all at the same time!

the ESPN article and the Expedition 360 website

60-year-old with no shame..

so as I was taking a break from working on a paper this morning on Church Leadership, I came across this article on Reuters. The dude is just wrong, but very bold in his actions...

check it out >> no shame "art"

The boldness connected with this guy's wrong decision-making reminded me of a quote from Calvin Miller's book The Empowered Leader. In it a fictional letter is written to a pastor with the following words expressed, “Anyway, Pastor, make a decision and take off. I’ll follow you even if your decision is wrong. I’d just as soon go the wrong direction now and then, as never go anywhere.”

interesting words... interesting thoughts. I'm okay with bold... not so much wrong.

now thats what i'm talking about...

this little "princess" has got it.. she knows her King.. well done. Psalm 23.

just a little bit of what i'm feeling..

When the brilliant ethicist John Kavanaugh went to work for three months at "the house of the dying" in Calcutta, he was seeking a clear answer as to how best to spend the rest of his life. On the first morning there he met Mother Tersa. She asked, "And what can I do for you?" Kavanaugh asked her to pray for him.

"What do you want me to pray for?" she asked. He voiced the request that he had borne thousands of miles from the United States: "Pray that I have clarity."

She said firmly, "No, I will not do that." When he asked her why, she said, "Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of." When Kavanaugh commented that she always seemed to have the clarity he longed for, she laughed and said, "I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God."

- from Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning

So as another semester comes to a close, I start to hear the question put before me more and more... "What are you going to do after seminary?"

My response is simple >> Continue to Trust.