Shaverrhea!

I haven’t written because Life has really been in the way of everything. This hasn’t been bad, it’s just been a lot of things going on at once. I guess I can’t multi-task at life. I can’t really begin to explain what all has happened these past few weeks, so I figured I will do a quick overview of things going on. As always, I am sure I will leave something out, and that is OK. I don’t intend to keep up with everything going on in my mind. This is in no particular order either.

• The Church Basement Roadshow was about a week ago. That was pretty amazing. I got to hear three of the most outspoken Emergent Christian speakers/writers speak and do their book tour in a really original fashion. The speakers were Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt and Mark Scandrette. I got to help set up and work the event, that meant that I actually ended up wearing a dress….yeah—I am secure in my masculinity to do that! It was an old-timey revival type of thing. So, I got a bottle of their Healing Balm of Gilead and a book just for fun. Doug signed it and I got to talk with the others. Fun Times! It really helped with “de-cynicizing” me a little more. I have been trying to become less cynical and more community oriented. That’s hard so many days–but I reckon I better take things one day at a time. It was great because they truly did have a message of hope and love. Such a nice reprieve from other stuff.
• Went to see The Dark Knight. It kept me thinking philosophy and the nature of God. I won’t go much further than that. I just loved the movie and thought Eckhart and Ledger were amazing.  [As was Gary Oldman].
• I read through “The Shack,” this week. It’s such an awe inspiring book and I really appreciate my friend, Steve, for passing the word along about it. It’s really right along with where I am theologically. It was such a good reminder to have read that. I get to meet the author this Friday and I am stoked about that.
• I have met the most amazing girl in the world. I had to write about this last, because you ALWAYS save the best for last…right? Anyways, she and I have really connected and we’re working on a long distance relationship. I initially wouldn’t have ever done that, but she’s different and totally worth working through whatever just to be with her. I can’t get into things too much because of the length of this blog and I am insanely tired….but right now—I am thinking of a wonderful and gorgeous green eyed girl going to Nebraska! [Yay, alliteration!]

So, that’s about it for right now. I have more to say, but I will talk later. Shalom.

I often listen to music to feel connected, to escape or to really find a different way to express my emotions I am feeling at the moment. I’ve been in a reggae mood lately. I haven’t really gotten into listening to reggae since Senior year of high school. It all really faded through Freshman year of college. I remembered it just made me feel like things would really be OK–even when things didn’t seem to look up for me. It’s really had a deep impact on my life.

Things have been kind of crazy on my end with various things. It seems that people get set off by so many things that don’t matter. Today a lady was cursing and pitching this huge fit about things she couldn’t really change. Children were in her car and a nice big Jesus fish on the back. Our lives are models for kids. What we say or do is embedded into our brains somehow. Stories like this have crept back into my life again and again. Negativity rubs off on other people. Road Rage started to get me again—I keep having to step back and wonder about how I could incorporate Love into each situation. That’s the hardest thing in the world for me. Reggae has helped me get back to that mindset though. It was the people that really made it for me during senior year. The best people in the world weren’t even “Christian.” They were the Agnostics and Pot Heads. I learned what true friendship was and how to really Love. I’ll never forget their impact and forever be in debt to those type of people who keep popping into my life. I hope my kids can learn that type of “Reggae Mindset.” It doesn’t have to be the way I learned—I hope it’s their own way and it can be just as powerful in others’ lives. They don’t even have to like Reggae :-p.

I was going to make a post about James Dobson and his comment on Obama, but I really am tired of being cynical. I was reading something that Coldplay’s Chris Martin said about negativity in the latest edition of Rolling Stone. He essentially said it only gets you a radio show and there’s really no good in that. I started thinking about that–and I think he’s right. I don’t ever listen to the radio mainly due to that reason—plus the music just isn’t quality anymore. I’ll stop on there for the moment. I have more thoughts coming very soon.

I finished reading Stephen King’s “On Writing. A Memoir of the Craft.” It turned out to be a huge help for me as a writer. Most of it was stuff I’ve heard through journalism classes–but it’s still nice to hear it from someone else. I never really thought about it, but you have the same rules as fiction writers in the Journalism field. Of course, there are a few things that are different–AP Style Anyone?–but other than that…it’s surprisingly similar. It’s just interesting at how you come at these stories with two very different approaches with the same rules and can still come out with two wonderful pieces!

I am starting to get more and more excited about the presidential election as I continue to watch the news and hear others talk. They reassure me that I’m not the only one supporting Obama. It seems that all I hear around here is how Obama is evil because 1) he has “got that funny name,” 2) he is black and apparently unpatriotic for not putting his hand over his heart during the national anthem [he was singing it instead], 3) and of course, he’s a Democrat. It’s exciting to be part of a team of people who can really make history. People are saying how my generation sucks, but honestly, we’re seeing some pretty cool stuff going down [unless you're an Ultra-Conservative---then the world may still be going to hell...which is a bad label and I apologize because blanket statements really do suck].

Although I’m not a homosexual, I think they need their rights just as I do—and it’s awesome to see another step in that direction with California legalizing Gay Marriage. The world is becoming more and more accessible, which is helping with communication and is helping authorities get the right guys as opposed to the wrong “bad guys.” [Of course, its not fool proof, but things are getting better.] We also have problems that can be solved! We don’t get to just sit around—but we actually have to carry various issues out to make this world part of us. We’re the next generation of people to come along and change things. Maybe we can find ways to really run water cars or find more ways to truly help protect people as opposed to obliterating families. There’s this great quote I heard at the Brian McLaren tour when he came in January. It’s from a song we sang that said: “Churches pray for peace, but then they vote for war.” Maybe one day we’ll learn that it’s about loving each other and not so much about killing some to protect others. I love what Gandhi said about violence.

“I oppose violence because the good it does is temporary, the evil it does is permanent.”

I wonder how history will treat us. I pray they see this war with frowns upon their faces and will learn from the mistakes of others….