UNTIL JUNE

If you have a few moments on your computer, you have got to check out this band "Until June" because they are creating some beautiful music.

In my opinion the best track that I have heard thus far is called "What I've Done" and it's just a great sound with great lyrics.

You can go to their purevolume.com page or their MySpace page to listen. If you like the sounds of the Fray, Five for Fighting or maybe a little bit of Coldplay you will most likely enjoy these guys.

CHUCK SWINDOLL

I was just so floored by this I had to stop and post this on the blog. This is freakin' unreal and hilarious. (I found this via Monday Morning Insight)

Who's next ... Billy Graham?
_____________


Chuck Swindoll Dropped from Radio Network for “Crude, Vulgar, From the Gutter” Language.

Huh, Chuck Swindoll? Yes that’s not a typo. It seems even Chuck Swindoll has been not been able to pass the Christian censors at the VCY Radio Network. Last week, VCY released a statement telling why they have dropped Swindoll from their stations. Among the bad words Chuck has used since 2000 (yes, they’ve been keeping a tally for 7 years now): buns, heck, crap, balls, and also for mentioning (and encouraging the viewing of) the Lion King.

WEDDING DRESS - DEREK WEBB

I first heard Derek Webb's "Wedding Dress" song about two years ago and thought it was pretty freakin' amazing. It's from his album to She Must and Shall Go Free and lyrics like this intrigue me ...

I am a whore I do confess and I put you on like a wedding dress and I run down the aisle

There are many more brilliant lines in the song and please feel free to check out the lyrics to the entire song - here.

It's a good thing that there is YouTube because he explains the meaning on this video - here. In case you want to watch a live version of the song - here.

QUOTABLE MOTHER TERESA

I was listening to Rob Bell's Easter Message (P.S. -- it's good, go listen - here) and for a brief moment he was taking about how Mother Teresa followed the authority that was laid forth by Jesus Christ. This is a quote that Bell used from Mother Teresa on her stance on abortion. It's amazing (emphasis is mine) ...

"Please don't kill the child. I want the child. Please give me the child. I am willing to accept any child who would be aborted, and to give that child to a married couple who will love the child, and be loved by the child."

CITY DATA

A few years ago I stumbled onto this website called City Data where you can look up Census Bureau stats on a variety of towns across the U.S. For a person who likes random stats and such it's a festive website.

Anyway, I was curious to know how diverse my hometown of Maytown, Pa. (pop. 2604) was. This pie chart shows how "white" my childhood was:

Races in Maytown: White Non-Hispanic (96.2%), Hispanic (2.0%), Black (0.7%), Two or more races (0.7%)

MINORITY REPORT

I remember I was really intrigued to see this movie when it came out in the summer of 2002. So last night I finally had the chance to watch Minority Report for the first time.

There are a few things that caught my attention:

1) Tom Cruise is perfect in this role. Just for this simple reason - it is an odd movie and, well, he is an odd person.

2) It was a little to creepy and sinister for my taste. When did Steven Spielberg start directing such "dark" films?

3) If the future of the U.S. is like it portrays in the movie (which is set in 2054) then I'm moving to Canada.

While the plot is fairly intriguing and keeps your attention through out, it's just a strange movie. Maybe a little long as well. I am glad that I didn't pay money at a movie theater to see it.

GOTTA BE THE SHOES!

So I think that I am totally into this whole running thing. I woke up today more excited to run than ever before ... I got some new shoes!

There great (although I still can't run faster)! A pair of nice, comfortable fitting Brooks. My first "real pair" of running shoes. Just after one morning of running, I'm already wondering what took me so long to buy a pair of actual running shoes instead of using basketball or tennis shoes.

If you ever want to buy a pair of nice running shoes, be sure to visit Metro Run/Walk. They are 100 percent on top of what they do.

COWBOY CHURCH

One of the most hilarious videos I have ever seen - here! Just check out some of the one-liners:

“Just like any other church we worship, we have baked sales and we have organized sports leagues.”

“We pray that nobody gets hurts, even those Methodists.”

“I’d like to think Jesus was a ‘baller.’ I mean if He could walk on water imagine how fast he could run on the hardwood.”

DEEP SHIFT

For the better part of the last three years I have been intrigued with the thinking of Brian McLaren. He is a brilliant person and an individual that is really trying to wrestle with the ideas of God, Christianity, The Message of Jesus and Spirituality just to name a few topics.

With all this in mind, he has launched Deep Shift. Beginning in early 2008 he will be touring the U.S. with the following message:

We are committed to walking with you in the Way of the life that Jesus calls us to...

…to help bring about the Kingdom, the Dream of God on earth today
…to “let go” and surrender our egotistical self to our true selves as children of God
…to take time to listen to who God is calling us uniquely to be as a blessing for the world
…to challenge the systems of our day that hold people back from living freely as children of God

Currently, his team is signed on for two-day visits to New York, Chicago, L.A., Seattle and Goshen, IN (let's hear it for Goshen - woo hoo!!).

DUMPSTER DIVING

So how do you spend a Sunday night in South Bend?

First, you get onto Notre Dame's campus. After that you find a good pile of "garbage" by the trash dumpster then you find what is "usable" and take it out of the dumpster.

Never before have I heard of "dumpster diving" but it was a rather fun experience (please understand that this picture --> is some what staged. I think that Brady Quinn might have used this crutch I'm holding up).

It is absolutely un-real what some ND students throw away. During the evening we walked away with an amazing looking couch and love seat for zero dollars for Charissa Seitz's move to Indianapolis!

Ok, granted we didn't actually pull anything out of the dumpster but just the sheer hilarious nature of the evening was worth the experience.

Be sure to circle the date of May 18, 2008 for the second installment of dumpster diving on Notre Dame's campus. There's some good "stuff" out there to be found!

JESUS AND QUESTIONS

Check out this nugget of information ...

A theologian remarked that in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) people approached Jesus with a questions on 183 occasions and He replied with a direct answer on only three occasions.

TURTLE CAR

Umm ... What in the world was this person thinking? If they were thinking at all ...

SOUTH BEND

Last month a buddy of mine was visiting me from Grand Rapids and he had one simple questions, "What do you do in this town"? After thinking about this for quite some time I have come up with a few catagories that I label as "what I do" in South Bend for ...

... FOOD
1) Macri's
2) Chipotle
3) Carrabba's
4) Ritters Ice Cream (i.e. Dessert)

... PEACE
1) Starbucks
2) Chocolate Company
3) Barnes/Noble

... SPORTS
1) Notre Dame Athletics
2) Silver Hawks Game
3) Drive to Chicago

... SUNNY DAYS
1) Niles Riverfront
2) Silver Beach
3) Hit Golf Balls

I'm sure I am missing something but this is what I am going with for now.

KINGS OF LEON

Not too long ago I bought the Kings of Leon new CD "Because of the Times" mostly out of curiousity. I heard of these guys about a year ago and after listen to their MySpace page I figured the $7.99 price tag was worth the risk.

They have this odd sound that is part garage band, part rock, part punk that really blends together quite well. It's a cross of what Bruce Springsteen, Allman Brothers and Tom Petty might sound like together. Seems odd I know but it's a great sound.

SUNBURST

It's official! I am signed up to run the 5K at the 2007 Sunburst Races. This is something I've wanted to do for about a year.

I am excited and nervous at the same time. I'm not worrying about finishing the race or anything like that. But it is going to be weird running with hundreds of other people. I have only run with one another person each time I've run. So an increase from 2 to 1200 is, well, quite a lot. However, it will be fun to run my first official race.

At this point my goal is run the 3.1 mile race in less than 25 minutes (about an 8 minute mile pace). If I ran at that rate, I would finish in the top 250 based on last year's results. I would be flippin' thrilled if I finised in the upper quarter of the field.

Getting up to run a race at 7:15 a.m. on a Saturday isn't exactly ideal but it will just add to the experience. Plus the race at the 50-yard line at ND Stadium so that will be fun as well.

Less than 18 days till race day!

DIVORCE

There is absolutely no point to this post other than to have a good laugh.

I have no clue where this billboard was placed but in some odd way, this is extremely creative of this lady (click on the picture for a bigger view) ...

BASEBALL MOVIES

During a recent Silver Hawks game I got into a quick discussion of the best baseball movies ever made. There have been a decent number of baseball movies made over the years and there seems to be a good range of story lines that revolve around baseball in each movie. You know, some comedy while others more drama.

So here's my list of the best baseball movies made:

1) Field of Dreams

2) Bull Durham
3) The Natural
4) Major League

5) Eight Men Out

Others to consider (in no particular order): For the Love of the Game, Pride of the Yankees, Sandlot, Bad News Bears, A League of their Own, The Rookie

I found this website that had a list of all baseball movies made - here.

PSALM 12:5

I came across this great verse today - Psalm 12:5 ... Thanks to BibleGateway I copied and pasted a few versions:

- Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise," says the LORD. "I will protect them from those who malign them." (NIV)

- The Lord replies, “I have seen violence done to the helpless, and I have heard the groans of the poor. Now I will rise up to rescue them, as they have longed for me to do.” (NLT)

- Into the hovels of the poor, Into the dark streets where the homeless groan, God speaks: "I've had enough; I'm on my way To heal the ache in the heart of the wretched." (The Message)

- Now will I arise, says the Lord, because the poor are oppressed, because of the groans of the needy; I will set him in safety and in the salvation for which he pants. (Amplified)

Personally I love the way Eugene Peterson translate this verse in The Message. A while back I jokingly mentioned about trying to find each of the 2,100+ verses in the Bible and see how they can apply in the 21st century. One down and 2,099+ to go?

HINKLE FIELDHOUSE

Although I spell my named Hinkel,I will put a partial claim that somewhere in my genealogy I am related to Paul Hinkle. He is the person that Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis is named after.

Who wouldn't have some sort of claim to that place? I mean, it's where the state championships scene in the movie Hoosiers was filmed! There aren't a lot of Hinkel's out there so I'll claim what I can get - HA! ;-)

AMERICAN IDOL THOUGHT ...

While I am not a fan of American Idol by any stretch (I may have have watched 3 or 4 episodes all the way through).

I did have this thought the other night -- how many current singers (singers, not groups) would not have enough talent to be among the show's finalists? The final 24? Just quickly thinking about this, I have come up with a quick list (in no particular order, except for No. 1):

1a) Macy Gray - Amazingly bad singer
1b) Michael Bolton - Really awful
3) David Hasselhoff - How he got a record deal is beyond me
4) Avril Lavigne - Not good
5) Pink - Umm ... ear piercing

I'm sure that there are more solo artists out there who wouldn't have a prayer against Simon and Company. But, none the less, they make records.

GUYS - WORDS TO REMEMBER

Just something a little fun I got in a forwarded e-mail ...

Words Women Use:

1) FINE: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right, and you need to shut up.

2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means half an hour. Don't be mad about this, it is just the same 5 minutes you use when it's your turn to help do things around the house.

3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine (see #1).

4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

5) Loud Sigh: This is not actually a word but a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of nothing.)

6) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. "That's okay" means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

7) Thanks: A woman is thanking you. Do not question or faint. Just say you're welcome.

8) Whatever: Is a woman's way of saying "%@&* YOU!"

9) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking "what's wrong" - for the woman's response refer to #3.

QUOTABLE ERWIN

I haven't posted a good Erwin McManus quote for a while so I came across this one and wanted to pass it along. The answer to the second question is brilliant...

Q: You’ve been on several overseas mission trips, how have they impacted you?

Erwin: I took my 11-year old daughter on multiple global journeys; we went to Korea, Indonesia, and France. I see it changing us because when you’re back home, you have a pattern of life. You think you’re living a life of faith, a life of adventure, a life of uncertainty, but you’re going to the same Starbucks, the same restaurants, the same places, the same office…when you get into another country, you don’t know anything, there is no map, you just have a compass…you have to depend on God in a new and entirely different way. God can take a fresh and greater opportunity to speak into your life and to move in new and unusual ways.

Q: What advice would you give people who are asking, ‘what is God’s will for my life?’

Erwin: Isn’t that such a great question? It’s as if the whole cosmos, the whole universe revolves around me! We need to stop asking, ‘what is God’s will for my life?’ and we need to start asking, ‘God, what is your will for human history and how do I get my life aligned with your will?’ If we would just stop and open the scriptures and open up our hearts, we would find enough of God’s will to fill our entire day.

WELCOME BACK!

So the Yankees have a disapointing 14-15 record at this point in the season but they just got a much needed boost -- Roger Clemens is pitching the pinstripers again!

One of my favorite players of all-time is back and more importantly playing for my favorite team. Is he the "cure-all" for their problems? Certainly not but, he presense will have a big effect the rest of the season!

Let's see ... New York plays a four-game set in Chicago from June 4-7. If anyone is looking for me on those dates and Clemens is pitching, I will be at U.S. Cellular Field!

GLOBAL RICH LIST

A few weeks back Rob Wenger spoke about this list during the New Community message so I'm finally passing this along:

Global Rich List

Hopefully it makes us all appreciate (and by all I mean Americans) how fortunate we really are! Also, very humbling ...

AND, just for the "fun of it" PARADE Magazine recently did there yearly issue of What People Earn - here.

CHURCH CARTOON

I found this via The Corner:

I'm not totally sure what I think of the cartoon. There is a lot of truth to it and that does disgust me. You know, there are many things that still resonates with me from my Mosaic experience but this one particular thought continues to ring in my head on a regular basis --

"The only people that Mosaic really makes angry and uncomfortable are the Christians. The ones who appreciate the most what we are doing are the non-Christians. In many ways we don't care if we upset those who already believe in Christ." (paraphrased quote)

Somehow and in someway that thought has some connection with the cartoon.

NORAH JONES, POST-CONCERT

After the show was over me and Angie walked back to her apartment which is right across the street from the Theatre were the concert was. We were looking out the window and saw about 70 (or so) people waiting outside the Theatre entrance.

I thought it would be cool to go and wait until Norah came out but didn't want to make Angie wait. But having the wonderful girlfriend that I have, after a few moments of prompting from Angie we went back outside and waited by the Theatre next to her tour bus.

We only waited for about 15 minutes before Norah came out. She took about 20 minutes and signed autographs, took pictures or both with everyone that was out there.

Needless to say I was one happy person. And, even more important, I kept my wits about myself and didn't say anything dumb (although I did call her Mrs. Jones before I corrected myself since she isn't married).

These were two moments my friends ...




She even took time to sign our tickets ...


Yes, it was flippin' awesome!

NORAH JONES, CONCERT

From the moment I ordered the tickets in early February, I had May 1st circled on my calendar with a great deal of excitement. In my humble (and bias) opinion she is the best female singer of my generation.

So let me think were to start with this post …

… the words: amazing, phenomenal, great, awesome and beautiful immediately come to mind.

This is my best shot at remembering the set list and I believe it’s fairly accurate:

Come Away with Me
Those Sweet Words
Thinking About You
Be My Somebody
Rosie's Lullaby
Not My Friend
I've Got to See You Again
Sunrise
Sinkin' Soon
Painter Song
My Dear Country
Little Room
Humble Me
I'm Gonna Get You Yet (Dixie Cups cover)
Broken
Until the End
Creepin' In
Hands on the Wheel (Willie Nelson cover)

ENCORE
Not Too Late
Don't Know Why
The Long Way Home (Tom Waits cover)

To start with “Come Away with Me” was great. I’d be willing to bet the smile on my face had to resemble what a clown’s would look like. You know, kind of silly but happy all the same. Plus she started the concert playing the guitar and not the piano so that was cool to watch her play a new instrument (she didn’t play anything except for the piano last time I saw her).

You know it is tough to start with one of your biggest hits and continue on with songs from there but everything sounded, at worst, good and most everything was great. She played everything that I wanted to hear and just was awesome through out. (Well, I wish she would have played the “Nearness of You” from her first album but I’m certainly not complaining).

Five Favorite Moments --

1) When she played “Come Away with Me” … It really was that awesome!

2) She’s not really a fan of George Bush at all so she wrote two songs on her current album that are respectfully critical of him – “Sinkin’ Soon” and “My Dear Country.” She played both of them at the show and someone near where we were sitting, someone shouted “Go Hillary” during one of the songs. Rather funny yet scary all the same!

3) “Don’t Know Why” during the encore … She could have played that all night and I would have been satisfied.

4) “Humble Me” … An absolutely great song on so many levels!

5) “Not My Friend … Probably my favorite song on the new album that sounded about as perfect as possible

SO, I was talking with a friend of mine who lives in California on Wednesday night and I have now described myself as – “the biggest male Norah Jones fan in Indiana.” And proud of it gosh dang it – HA!

I am already looking forward to the next show.

VEGETABLES ...

So I randomly came across this verse in Proverbs (Proverbs 15:17 to be exact) on Wednesday morning ...

- Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred. (NIV)

- Better a bread crust shared in love than a slab of prime rib served in hate. (The Message)

Does that mean the person who wrote this Proverb (most likely David) didn't like vegetables? OR maybe they knew love was more important than good meat. OR Is this passage both "pro-love" and "pro-meat"?

RANDOM FACT

For those of you who are really interested in random stuff like me ...

At three minutes and four seconds after 2 AM on the 6th of May; this year, the time and date will be:

02:03:04 05/06/07

It will never happen again (until 2:03 p.m. that day of course!)

FOR MEN ONLY

So a few weeks back I finished the book “for men only” and I have decided that after reading it, I was right. Women really are confusing but more than that, they really are wonderful.

I am still grateful for Proverbs 30:18-19.

There are, like always when I read books, a lot of yellow highlight marks so I just thought I would share a handful:

* “Buried inside most women is a latent insecurity about whether their man really loves them." – Pg. 27 (I was shocked about whole insecure most women are)

* The female multitasking of thoughts and feelings impacts how your wife or girlfriend relates to you every single day. – Pg. 53 (Who Knew?!?) … “There’s never a time that there’s nothing going on in my head.” (Pg. 57)

* I never would have guessed how much a woman’s past can invade the present on a frequent basis. – Pg. 61

* It was stunning to find how much more women seek relational security rather than financial or work security. – Pg. 76/77

* Listening Matters … A lot! Listening matters more than trying to fix the problem. Her feelings matter the most. – pg. 101-102, 104-105

* The Girl in the Mirror … “whether I find her beautiful may or may not be foremost in my mind, but it is an everyday (even if subconscious) issue for her.” – Pg. 155

* I was pretty stunned when I read that the most important thing to a wife is that her husband is her hero. (pg. 179) I’m not sure why that totally caught me off guard but it did but the more I thought about it the more it makes sense.

OK, overall it is a solid book that all men should be reading. If you can figure out a pitchers Earned Run Average (ERA) you should try and figure out how to understand women better even though you may never completely understand. Especially the one you are married to or dating.