OK Go is Astounding

This band, called OK Go, puts together some magnificently unique and stupendously creative music videos. Here is their latest one:



In case you've never experienced the internet before today and have never seen an OK Go music video previously, here are three of my favorites:

Outsourced

About a week and a half ago Sam and I watched a movie called "Outsourced" with my family in Clarion. We found it by accident on that new "stream-movies-for-free-through-your-Wii" program thingy that Netflix is doing. If you're like me, you've never heard of the movie before. I'd never seen a trailer or a promo.

Needless to say, I didn't expect much. It's about a guy's job at a call center getting outsourced to India, so I thought it would be funny for Sam to point out all of the movie's shortcomings since she spent two months in the country.

We were astounded not only by the accuracy of the movie, but by the funny and extremely clever writing and the excellent acting. It was fun for my family and me to get a better concept of my wife's time in India while laughing at the comedy created by the culture chasm.

Here's a trailer:


There are a two "awkward scenes" where sex is strongly implied, but neither shows anything and they are easy to skip. Other than that, I remember the movie being pretty clean. (It's such a low-budget film that Focus On the Family's "Plugged-In" doesn't even have a review of it.)

Despite skipping two scenes, this was one of the best movies I've seen in awhile. I'm excited to see that NBC has a new show based on the movie! It looks like "The Office" meets India. It will probably end up being tacky or inappropriate, but here's to hoping!

Spending Spree

Sorry it's been awhile since a real posting. Unfortunately, things haven't developed very much with our neighbors. Esther doesn't come by any more. We think her mom found out she was coming over and put a stop to it. Frank and Kevin are both around from time to time, but we haven't had a chance for any conversations.

So, instead of posting about our neighbors or a cool video, I'm going to post about my wonderful wife!

Yesterday, Sam and I took our first free Saturday in more than a month to go shopping in Des Moines. I needed a new pair of boots for work. I did a little shopping around, and ended up buying from Red Wing Boots. And I definitely recommend them.

I got some all leather, water-proof, GoreTex-lined, composite-toe boots (as opposed to steel-toe, which are heavier and get cold in the winter). It was one of those purchases that it seemed wisest to spend more money now and get a more quality product that will last several years. This is an exciting step up for me from the $6 work boots I got at Salvation Army and have been using for the past 6 months. They served me well, but it was time for them to go.

BEFORE RED WING:

 

AFTER RED WING:

In case you're in the market for some good work boots, Red Wing Boots rocks. Along with extending the 20% off State Fair discount for me, they provide free monthly boot cleaning, free laces for the life of the boots, and a good warranty.

After boot shopping, Sam took me on a surprise birthday excursion (a couple of weeks early) to Half-Price Books. I'd never been before, but her little plan was brilliant. Any time we go into a bookstore, we have to agree with a handshake that we won't spend anything. Bookstores are a budget-busting weakness for both of us!

Sam informed me that this time was different. Half-Price Books buys used books in good condition and sells them at super low prices. Most paperbacks range from $2-7 and hardcovers go for $5-10. And, once again, God blessed us with a 20% off sale! Best of all, Sam said for today only I was to be un-restrained by our budget. What an awesomely clever birthday gift! I love my wife.

Here's what I got for $45 total:

•  The Passion of Jesus Christ by John Piper (5)
  (I'll use this for a Bible study with the GABC high school guys)
• Epic by John Eldridge (2)
• What is Reformed Theology? by R.C. Sproul
• Where Your Treasure Is: What the Bible Says About Money a Bible study by James and Martha Reapsome
  (Sam and I need some help on this topic after our spending spree!)
• Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper
• The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
• To Live is Christ: Embracing the Passion of Paul by Beth Moore (this one's for Sam)
• And 3 movies for $3 each: "Gladiator," "The Recruit," and "Breach"

To end the night, Sam took me out to Texas Roadhouse. If you've never been there, you must go. I had an incredible sirloin and amazing cheesy mashed potatoes. But the best part? All you can eat shelled peanuts and soft, delicious dinner rolls for FREE!

Silent and Invisible U.S. Military Heat Ray Non-Lethal Anti-Riot Weapon

I saw this on TV a couple days ago. I thought it was fake at first, but this amazing piece of weaponry is for real. Astounding.

Fishy

I plan to post something a little more substantial soon, but it's already past my bedtime (man, I'm getting old...) and I just found this online.

The diversity of our King's Creation blows me away. What an awesome and creative God!

On a different note, how is it that we never learn about most of these creatures in school? Now that would've made elementary school interesting!

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1TPenW/www2.yk.psu.edu/~mer7/Phil/fish.htm/r:f

My Kind of Jokes

1. The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was --
--Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, --
--but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian .

3. She was only a whisky maker, --
--but he loved her still.

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class --
--because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. Time flies like an arrow. --
--Fruit flies like a banana.

6. Atheism --
--is a non-prophet organization.

7. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. --
--One hat said to the other, 'You stay here, I'll go on a head.'

8. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison --
--was a small medium at large.

9. A backward poet --
--writes inverse.

10. In democracy, it's your vote that counts. --
--In feudalism, it's your count that votes.

Legacy

Last night the guys in our youth group had an all-night hang out at the church. It was pretty sweet. We ate pizza, watched the Bourne Supremacy, and had a Nerf basketball tournament. I won. We also had an awesome late-night discussion about "legacy." Around the "campfire"-- a candle lit in the center of the room (we were forced to camp inside because of potentially tornadic weather)-- the question was asked, "If you died tonight, how would you be remembered by those closest to you? How about those who aren't as close to you (classmates, co-workers, etc.)?" In effect, the question was, "What would your legacy be?"

This is an extremely valuable question to help followers of Christ assess their ministries. It was convicting to me that my high school classmates, if I were to die today, would probably feel as though they lost a friend from high school who was a nice guy, smart, and a little bit too silly at times. I don't think they would remember me as a man who loved Christ with all his heart and was excitedly devoted to his Savior with all he had. Hopefully, those closer to me now would remember me a little bit nearer to the last description (though I'm still far from it). But what about my college classmates from last year? Or my co-workers? How would they remember me? Is the light of Christ shining bright enough through me that I would even be known as His follower?

These questions are important and convicting. I should revisit them often as my ministry and outreach develops over time. But we must also be careful how our hearts cling to our legacy. I've heard song after song play on Christian radio talking about leaving a legacy. Many pastors and preachers excite their listeners by challenging them to leave a legacy when their time is done on this earth. It seems like a very Christian idea to "leave a legacy of love," right?

So, I looked to see what the Bible hast to say about legacies:
Nothing.

Nothing at all. The word "legacy" is never once used in the NIV, ESV, CEV, or NLT translations of the Bible. Eugene Petersen paraphrased it out of scripture eight times in The Message version. Twice it was used to describe a negative inheritance left by a foolish or lazy person. The other six times he used it to refer to the legacy left by God.

What do I conclude from this? What our actual legacy ends up being is not important if we have lived our lives for the glory of God. It is extremely valuable to consider how boldly we are living out our faith by how those around us will remember us upon our death. Use that as a tool for changing your heart and lifestyle to proclaim the Truth of the Gospel. But do not get caught up in how your name will be remembered.

Life is not about my name on a plaque, how much is in my bank account, the tears and fond memories of family and friends when I die, or my four paragraphs in the obituaries section of the paper. In fact, it's not about ME at all. It's about Yahweh. It's about Jesus Christ. It's about the work of the Holy Spirit in the souls of believers around the world.

It's about the legacy of the Gospel. So let's live it out for the glory of our King.