LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

- Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude"

Things I've learned...

This is a jar of Peter Pan peanut butter. Its almost three years old--which is no big deal in terms of peanut butter. However, this is one of the tainted jars. If you'll remember, there was a huge recall on Peter Pan peanut butter several years ago. (This isn't connected to the recall that happened in the last year from PCA products.) Hmmmm.... salmonella and creamy peanut buttery goodness.

I've kept the jar all this time. I found it in the top, back shelf of the pantry. I need to throw it away. But its a reminder...

Brittany and I have been married a little over two years now. She always used to tell me that I should buy JIF and not Peter Pan--she said Peter Pan was "ghetto peanut butter." I told her she was crazy and Peter Pan was smoother. Then I got a jar of tainted peanut butter and that changed everything. We now buy JIF only. Peter Pan isn't even an option.

So I learned it a long time ago, but finding this in the cupboard tonight reminded me of something: my wife is normally right. (To be more specific: she's right more often than I am.)

We're halfway through the year...

and this is my favorite blog post I've read in a while.

Jonathan Brink hits a home run with this entry.

I cannot help but to echo his thoughts: there isn't a universally accepted theological point of view. There just isn't. There isn't a single human who has every aspect of theological thought figured out. There isn't a single Christian who can point to the Scriptures and say: "I understand everything about this compilation of books."

It just doesn't work like that. We are all going to be wrong at some point. We are all going to screw something up. And the sooner we get that figured out, the better.

I have lots of theological ideas that various people disagree with. I have lots of non-theological views that various people disagree with. But isn't that what makes us all human and makes this life beautiful? Humanity is a gorgeous mosaic--lots of bright (re:different) and broken colors that come together to form one amazing masterpiece.

It seems like I've had this discussion with several people lately--and they tend to be people who disagree with me. So let this be said: I'm totally fine with disagreement. I think we're kidding ourselves if we don't allow discussion and analyzing of our points of view. Contrasting opinions are important. Let's at least agree on that.

I'd rather be having conversations about how we can improve local housing issues or provide health care to everyone or provide clean water to every human... maybe I'm changing. Maybe some of the fight within me is gone. Maybe I'm tired of arguing. As Tim told me once, I'm good with the propaganda. I know how to push an issue out there. But maybe I'm looking for more than discussion and arguments finally. Maybe I'm looking for change. Maybe I wanna see it happen. Maybe I wanna change the world. Maybe I think that we could actually do that.

Rick, our senior pastor here at Broadway, told me once: "Its more important that the work be done than the critics be answered."

I wanna see it happen. I wanna change the world. Yeah, I think we can actually do that... together.

eventhesky got some TV time!

Go watch it here.

There's some good shots of me and the band mixed in with Riley's story. If you listen close, you can hear us playing Led Zeppelin's "Hey, Hey, What Can I Do?" in the background. There's even a shot of Brittany, her dad Chris, and Tracie Greene.

Awesome.

Debbie Downer

Don't call me Debbie Downer.

People are all in a tizzy about Michael Jackson, Ed McMahon, and Farrah Fawcett dying this week. Listen, I read Perez Hilton occasionally. I read about stupid celebrity news every now and then. But how did we become such a celebrity obsessed culture? Why do papparazzi have a job? Why are there so many magazines at the check-out counter at Target and Kroger that are almost 100% about celebrities and their lives and their homes and their cars and their stalkers?

I just don't get it. Its a curious thing.

The World Water Council will tell you that 4,000-5,000 children die every day of preventable waterborne diseases. Every day.

Most people don't give a damn about it. But I can't go anywhere without hearing about freaking Michael Jackson or Farrah Fawcett.

We spend $450 billion on Christmas every year. Every year. It would take about $10 billion to provide every person in the world clean water--that's not a bottle of water. That's the cost of setting up clean water wells and purification systems. And it would only cost us 1/40 of what we spend on Christmas every year.

I'm not perfect. I'm to blame, too.

What happened to us?

How can thousands and thousands of people die every day of preventable diseases and lack of food and we not care? But the "king of pop" dies and that's all I can read about on news sites.

I just don't get it.

RIP

We've shared a lot of good times together. You were always there for me. No matter what I did to you, you were always there providing cool, refreshing liquid to my lips. I'm gonna miss you, Brunton water bottle. You're dented, scratched and peeling--but that doesn't mean I love you less. Its just time to move on to a Nalgene.

Spain (part 2) (just photos)