Check out what Steve says about “third place.”

PSP Commercial - Dude Get Your Own #6 - Air Hair

PSP Commercial - Dude Get Your Own #1 - Departure

awesome…awesome to the max.

While I was visiting the beach this past weekend I stumbled upon a Walden Books that was going out of buisness.

Guess what I found? - 2 Copies of An Emergent Manifesto of Hope.

I got them for almost 50% off.

So, I’m giving them away to the first two people that want them that I know. Either someone from the cohort or a friend.

Let me know if you don’t have this book yet:

Live Free Or Die Hard Trailer

You knew it was coming. Here it is. My most anticipated movie of the Summer.

One of the really cool things about the Emergent movement is the people. You might say that friendship is the building block of Emergent. The ability to look at any person and see that imago dei (image of God), that divine spark in each human. The imago dei demands respect, love, care, grace, and understanding. Speaking with friends and learning about their lives, I have come to the beginnings of seeing that image in each of them.

You see, until we can see each other as equals being worthy to be served and recognize the imago dei in each individual, we cannot by any means overcome racism, oppression, violence, homophobia, or hate. The “Emergents” (I use this term loosely and with great care) are seeking to converse about such issues as well as provide practical ways of implementing change and influencing a pandemic of love and grace.

Jesus, Help me to Love more Extravagantly!

God, Help me to Practice Peace and Give Grace!

Holy Spirit, Bring to me Wisdom to live the Good News!

May your Kingdom be here as it is in Heaven!

Thank You Lord Jesus. Amen.

©

“The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted.”
-Mother Teresa

I worked with youth for 3 years in the local church context and I have interacted with students throughout college. I love kids because I see the struggle in their lives. The struggle between keeping their “masks of coolness” and letting themselves be loved and being able to give love. They desire a community of people that would embrace them and tell them they are worthy; that they are loved; that no matter what they do, they will always be welcomed back with open arms and a party.

Many of the kids I worked with filled this “love gap” with material possesions, destructive behavior, cutting themselves, or a confused identity. Kids are constantly being left and abandoned by their closest family members, friendships ruined for stupid reasons, and are left feeling unwanted and unloved by those who are supposed to love them without condition. So, when we say God is Love, they ask if God is like the father that left them at the age of four or if God is like the boyfriend that promised he would love her forever until she got pregnant.

It is sad that all of God’s beautiful characteristics must now be redefined so as to not portray hatred, condemnation, or confusion. A great deal of forgiveness and a great deal of grace are needed to encourage the world to rethink true LOVE and true WANTEDNESS.

May we begin to bring reconciliation to the world through the mysterious and powerful love of God and the hope God provides.

That’s right my friends. I just found out that I will be sitting in one of the first 20 rows for the Def Leppard, Styx, Foreigner Concert at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. Sweet. You know what happens when you get three of the greatest bands in Rock History together? Musical Fusion the likes of which have never been seen by the eyes heard by the ears of men.

Spiderman 3

So, this movie has not had the best feedback from all the viewers so far. However, I quite enjoyed it. Here’s why:

1. Entertainment Value = 9/10 Excellent……. I was absorbed by all this movie had to offer.
2. Themes of Forgiveness, Restoration, and Redemption
3. Theme of Overcoming Selfishness, Pride, and Revenge
4. Multiple scenes of hilarity coupled with dancing… yes… you heard it here first… I actually enjoyed the Tobey Maguire dancing scenes… ridiculous? maybe.
5. Action packed visual stimulation… Spidey as usual.
6. Web-Slinging Fun… Check.
7. Fight Sequences= 9.5/10 Rockin’- Spiderman getting smashed by sand, cut to pieces, and not to mention slapped, punched, and thrown through every object possible (favorite object is apparently “buildings”)

Lacking:

1. The awesome comeback we saw in Spiderman 2 when Spidey catches the brick wall about to fall on M.J. and reveals his true identity and love for M.J. (but can you really do this twice??)
2. Spideman 3 may jump around a bit too much, refusing to focus on development of some characters and storyline
3. Some parts are a little dorky, but hey, it’s a movie based on a comic book… not Schindler’s List.

Overall: 9.0/10.0 Awesome

I enjoyed this movie. I’m trying not to be too analytical. It was fun, and a decent 3rd installment with some great story and fight scenes.

Upcoming Movies:

Spiderman 3

Hot Fuzz

Shrek the Third

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

Kickin’ It Old School

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

Rush Hour 3

Live Free or Die Hard

License to Wed

Evan Almighty

The Bourne Ultimatum

Knocked Up

The Simpsons Movie

Transformers

A while back I wrote on what a New Monastic Community might look like. Well, Steve Knight, myself, and a few others enjoyed a wonderful meal and conversation on what that kind of Community might look like. We discussed ideas that might incorporate all or perhaps only some of the following:

• House Churches
• An actual intentional community/ New Monastic Community formed of people living together…and other things…read a few posts back!
• “Inviting people over for dinner”- Bravo, Steve and Becky. Bravo.
• Home Groups
• Acts of Social Justice on a regular basis
• Was there anything else?

Anyway, I think I will be attempting to buy a house somewhere in Charlotte and start an Intentional Community soon. (I put the word “soon” in italics because it will show up red on my blog!) How exciting! Ahem…so…

I believe I have access to some monetary funds that might be used for such things as placing a down payment on a house.

Intentional Community here we come.