I Have A Theory:

The following video will help me to elucidate my belief that Asian’s have a super power. I grew up in a neighborhood with an asian family across the street. Those kids were some of my best friends ever. They were stunning athletes and really good dancers. I have never met an asian person who wasn’t a good dancer. I believe this is because deep down inside all Asian people have an inner ninja.

Because it has become socially unacceptable to lurk in the dark and assassinate people the inner ninja has been forced to take it’s incredible body control and turn it towards something else . . . dancing and athletics.

Watch below as you see two children’s inner ninjas take over.

The internet to this point in one video:

So, I just spent a solid week building amazing stories that I plan on telling, but I’m super tired and just feel like catching up on what’s been going on online between naps. This was on the Vitamin Z blog.

New Youth Group Game:

Radical:

Currently, I am reading David Platt’s book by the same name as this blogpost.  I’ve enjoyed the book in that perverse way that people enjoy really hard workouts.  It sucks and you feel absolutely destroyed but the end result is that you are a little bit healthier.  The book has been a heavy workout for my soul.  Particularly chapter 6 . . . which I finished just recently.

I want to share with you a section that hit me and has continued to resonate in my head.

A wealthier man in our faith family came to my office after we had been studying the story of the rich young man.  He sat down, looked at me, and said point-blank, “I think you’re crazy for saying some of the things you are saying.”  Then he paused, and I wasn’t sure what direction this conversation was going to go.  He continued, “But I think you’re right.  And so now I think I’m crazy for thinking the things I’m thinking.”

For the next few minutes, he described how he was selling his large house and had decided to give away many of his other possessions.  He talked about the needs he wanted to invest his resources in for the glory of Chrsit.  The he looked at me through tears in his eyes and said, “I wonder at some points if I’m being irresponsible or unwise.  But then I realize there is never going to come a day when I stand before God and he looks and me and says, ‘I wish you would have kept more for yourself.’  I’m confident that God will take care of me.”

 I think everyone should read this book.  You can buy it here.

The Mando:

I've been in North Carolina for the last couple days (which you'd know if you followed me on foursquare) and have spent a good chunk of it playing around with my sister in law's mandolin.  I don't think she can play the mandolin, but I do think it's mandatory for any self respecting hippy to have one.  Maybe I'm wrong.

Either way, this thing is super fun.  I have picked up a few chords and learned a couple of the catchy Mando licks.  Oh, I'm sorry, there I go using the secret language of the mandolin playing world.  That's right, in our tight knit circle of mandolin virtuosos we shorten the name.  It's just something we do.

Sometimes I like to play my mando while riding in a lambo.

I've got the little lead lick from Maggie Mae and some of Losing My Religion.  It's been fun playing all those old gospel tunes.  I'm about to dip into Hayseed Dixie's catalog and see if I can't learn some mando AC/DC.

Super fun.  Everyone should get a mandolin.




Basically, Marty Stuart is my new hero.

Jon Secada - Do You Believe In Us

This is my guilty pleasure. I'm a sucker for voices that convey soul. Even if they are wrapped in ridiculously poppy music from the 90's. But, what glorious ridiculous pop it is! I mean this comes from a kinder gentler time. I don't think people had even begun to wear their pants lower yet.

Did you catch that? I'm talking about the 90's like they were the 50's. My rose colored contacts are starting to go in. Either way, sometimes late at night I wish we had played some of this stuff at my wedding reception.

I know that we belong
Do you believe in us
Just give it half a chance

Yes our love
Will still be strong
Girl I believe in us
I'll give you all I can

Wow. And, if you were wondering homeboy knows the value of a good gospel choir. I feel like it gets worked into every song he does and I'm not complaining. It all comes back to this being the ultimate guilty pleasure music. Enjoy. The poet. The man. The . . . dry? (that's apparently what Secada means in spanish.)

And, if you ever doubt that this guy has the good live. One time I was watching the opening ceremony for some sporting event and he was on. As me and my too young to know it was uncool to like Jon Secada friends were watching him he fell through the floor of the stage he was on and never missed a beat. It was amazing.