Why I Hate Thanksgiving

Okay, maybe hate is a strong word, but it got you here and reading this, didn't it?

First I would like to say that my dislike of this particular holiday has nothing to do with the fact that I spent all of last week, Thanksgiving break, laying on a couch trying to conquer the Swine Flu. Fortunately, my campaign was successful, but it was an altogether NOT enjoyable experience. I don't suggest getting it, if anyone was still up in the air about it.

Now, why do I dislike Thanksgiving? There are a number of different reasons.

1. It takes away from Christmas.

I don't care if it's not your favorite holiday, or if you're disgusted by the way it's become commercialized and a big greed-fest, you better listen to the daggum song--it IS the most wonderful time of the year. And people getting angry at Christmas music starting early because "Oh, what about Thanksgiving?" is getting me pretty torqued myself. What about Thanksgiving? What about it? It's like a warm-up for the real holiday season.

2. Original meaning of Thanksgiving = Sketch.

Not you-shouldn't-have-made-that-innuendo sketch, but more of let's-think-about-what-really-went-down sketch. Pilgrims hate Church of England. Church of England say "F-off!" Pilgrims flee to create isolated moralistic society. Pilgrims barely survive in New World, except for the help of the Indians. Pilgrims are Thankful, yay! Pilgrims later unwittingly or willfully assist in extermination of a large portion of North America's indigenous people. Yay! Thanks Church of England!

3. Most people aren't really Thankful.

Okay, except for you. Yeah, I'm talking to you, Mr. Person-Who-Posted-A-"Things I'm Thankful For"-List on their blog. Or that guy in that one Thanksgiving Hallmark special. Or everyone for that five minutes before you cut into the Turkey when Mom makes everyone say one thing they are thankful for. But really, the week has never contained a "spirit of gratitude" in my experience. Am I wrong? Now, I'm not saying we should just through it out, and I think we could strive for it, but right now, that's just simply no the case.

4. It's at the wrong time.

This sort of coincides with point #1, but honestly, shouldn't the thankful season come after the "season of greed?" Wouldn't that at least be a little more honest? I mean, who arranged the holidays anyway, because I have a big problem with not getting St. Patrick's Day off from school. That, and it's what, four or five days to celebrate gratitude? Like we couldn't use more of it the rest of the year?

Conclusion:

I understand this is not a perfectly reasonable view to hold, but I really do think we are into consolidating good things to certain time periods: Gratitude at Thanksgiving. Cheer, Joy, and Generosity at Christmas. Appreciation of our parents on the respective Mothers and Fathers Days. (In some cases) Love on St. Valentine's Day.

I nominate the rest of the year to celebrate these much-needed qualities.

Día De Los Gracías

I figured that I should do the obligatory Thanksgiving Day post. I have my thoughts about Thanksgiving, which I will share soon. But for now, things I am thankful for:

• A Love That Will Not Let Me Go--'nuff said.
• Truth--all truth is God's truth. I've come to realize that the truth is key to all aspects of life. (John 8:32).
• Friends--what can I say: You are who you surround yourself with. If that's the case, then I am awesome.
• Art--From poetry to literature to painting to graphic design, it's fun stuff. Go figure that my major is English Literature & Language, right?
• RUF--really has been a life saver for me at Winthrop.

And then, on the less profound side:

• Disc-Based Games--who cares if I broke my arm playing Ultimate Frisbee? I love me some disc golf.
• Google--From Blogger to Reader, to Docs, to especially G-mail. They do awesome stuff, and it's all super-integrated. Too bad they're looking to take over every aspect of our electronic lives.
• The recent resurgence of all things comics--Mostly the movies, even though a lot of them have sucked. Marvel celebrated it's 70th anniversary this year. While I like me some DC, I am pretty stoked about most things "comical."

The Fun Theory

What if we could change behavior for the better by making things fun to do?

That is the essential question that The Fun Theory, "an initiative of Volkswagen," asks.

And my response is: why didn't I think of this first!?! This could have major repercussions, if these things were actually implemented, and if Volkswagen follows up instead of just using it as some dumb publicity stunt.

I'll share one of the ideas they tried out, and let you check out the others for yourself:

A Glass Recycling Bank that doubles as a game where you can get a score--



How fun is that? I would be trying to find stuff to recycle all the live-long day if that was in my neighborhood or on Winthrop's campus!

Other ideas include Piano Stairs, the "World's Deepest" Trashcan, and I saw one person's suggestion for a sink that made colors flash across the screen as you washed your hands.

Do you think that fun can change people behavior?

What do you think we could get people to do by making it fun?

School Kills Creativity

It is astounding to me how nearly everyone thinks education is important, and most have education opinions based primarily on their own experience in school and a few random facts they've picked up from an article or random study or the like.

Not that this is wrong, just that it seems interesting that so many people "care," but not enough to really do something about it, beyond the occasional rally or protest or "get out the vote" campaign.

I'm not going to give you my ideas that I think will solve all issues. Even the video I'm about to introduce I don't think offers the end-all solution.

That being said, I think that what Sir Ken Robinson says is this video is really intriguing. Now, it is a 20 minute video, but I know you can stick it out, tiger.

Like he says: Where in the world can you find an education system that doesn't have a hierarchy of subjects with Math, Science, History at the top and the Arts at the bottom?

Oh, I forgot to mention that he is hilarious even through his serious subject matter.



So what do you think?

Do schools kill creativity?

How could we change this?

[Tip o' the Hat to Doug McAbee]

Auto Complete Me

I've come to realize that a good bit of this blog is dedicated to the awareness of internet hilarities. That is, I use the blog very often to just share things I find on the internet and think are hilarious. This is one such thing.

Autocomplete Me is a website dedicated to odd auto complete suggestions in the Google. These things are seriously funny, else I would not be sharing them with you. Some responses that got me guffawing:

• do midgets have night vision
• if i ate myself would i become twice as big or disappear completely
• why can't i own a canadian
• help a bear is eating me

Granted, most of these were not the first suggestion available, but still. "Wha!?" Was my reaction (amid suppressed chuckling) at seeing most of what was there.

I do find it interesting that these types of websites, that share some funny, strange, or odd internet occurrence, are becoming more and more widespread in their implementation. Another I've come across: Jerks In Your Area (Craigslist posts).

[Tip o'the Hat to Tyler Stanton]

mewithoutYou -- "the Fox, the Crow And the Cookie"

What could be better than a band made up of two English teachers whose music is quite literally poetry set to music, redoing one of Aesop's fables?

How about if said band used puppets in the music video of said song? Yes, methinks.

If you don't know much about mewithoutYou, I highly recommend them and their new album, "It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All A Dream! It's Alright!"

What I'm Reading

Mere Christanity by C.S. Lewis.

[for the record, I used this picture because that is the same cover as the copy I have. It's ancient]

It's one of the classics, so I've been told. This will be the first bit by Lewis that I have read outside of the Chronicles of Narnia.

How can I have not read this book by now, seeing as I am an ardent lover of theology and Christian thought? I dunno, your guess is as good as mine.

So far, I am a big fan of what he's saying, and the way he's saying it. I could give you several quotes, and I'm not that far in. I am very much amazed at Lewis ability to articulate in a clear and (maybe not) concise matter the amazing truths we find in the world around us.

I'm a big fan of the style he is writing in this book: building and growing a philosophy from very fundamental, observable roots. It reminds of why I enjoy many of Paul's letters.

"First, of all He left us conscience, the sense of right and wrong: and all through history there have been people trying (some of them very hard) to obey it. None of them ever quite succeeded.

Secondly, he sent the human race what I call good dreams: I mean those queer stories scattered all through the heathen religions about a god who dies and comes to life again and, by his death, a, has somehow given new life to men.

[and then, one of the best explanations for why God "chose" the nation of Israel I've ever heard]

Thirdly, He selected one particular people and spent several centuries hammering into their heads the sort of God He was--that there was only one of Him and that He cared about right conduct. Those people were the Jews, and the Old Testament gives an account of the hammering process."
--pg. 54

Things That Make Me Laugh

1. Marc Johns:


...list to be continued.

RUF Barn Dance

..was a lot of fun, as you can see:


This was just half of the awesomeness that transpired, the other half being square dancing. You have no idea. It will literally rock your face off. Face replacements not provided.

Christians Know How to Hate

This is a long one, so strap in. I've been trying to keep 'em short but I think this one is worth the long read.

A recent Wall Street Journal article by Lauren Winner demonstrates so often what people think about Christians.

The article cleverly titled "Burnt Offerings" is about a church in North Carolina that took it upon themselves to rid the world of unholy literature. Some of the books "thrown into the flames included those by supposed heretics Billy Graham, Mother Teresa and emergent church guru Brian McLaren."

What?

"Most disturbing," Winner correctly states, "Scripture itself was burned—onto the pyre flew modern translations of the Bible."

What!?

Christians, burned books!? Well, we've been doing that for some time. Wait, they burned copies of The Bible, the inspired word of God!?!

"We believe that the King James Bible is the Word of God" declares the church's website, a perfect justification for their actions.

Since I have gotten into blogging, I've come to realize something that I've always known: Christians really know how to hate well. I mean some people are haters, but we have made it dang near professional.

I am hesitant even to write this, because I am in a sense doing the same thing, hating on Christians who I think am doing something wrong. It just tears me up inside

It reminds me of Relient K's old song "Down in Flames:"

Christians--we mourn, the thorn is stuck

In the side of the body watch it self-destruct.

The enemy is much ignored

While we fight this Christian civil war.

We're cannibals.

We watch our brothers fall.

We eat our own, the bones and all.

I used to subscribe to Matthew Turner's blog Jesus Needs New PR, but I had to leave after a long time of just hearing his, to put it plainly, whining about the Church. Granted, what he had to say about John Piper is what really set me off, but my departure was a long time coming.

I find it ironic that many people take huge issue with fundamentalist Christians, attempt to embrace a more "radical," love-based ministry and outlook toward those around them, and then proceed to demonstrate the most skilled, virulent hate toward those who are part of the same body!

How can someone justify this? I could see someone saying "Look at when Jesus and John and Paul criticized people--it was when they were spreading lies or untruth about God and His kingdom." But many of the issues here are not straight-up lies, but rather simple theological disputes. "Kitchen-table arguments" my campus minister says.

If we believe the Bible (a question who's answer could be the root of this whole deal to begin with) then we know that the Church is Christ's bride. [II Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 21:2; Isaiah 54:5] Now, is there any married man you know who will be okay with you if you despise, hate, and ridicule his wife?

Likewise, we cannot expect Christ to be okay with us degrading, despising and hating our brothers and sisters, our own body. Yes, exhort one another, but on to good works, not on to universal theology.

We do have one theology: God, 3-in-1, Jesus, his son. Came, lived, loved, died, rose, ascended. Sin is gone, death is undone. Christ will come, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess. Now go and love everyone, including the disagreeable siblings you have to live with.

"Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

--1 Thessalonians 5:12-18

--and--

"Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."

--Hebrews 3:13

11:11 PM 11/11

What did you wish for (if you don't mind sharing)?

What did you do about it?

Did anything happen?

11:11 AM 11/11

Make a wish, say a prayer, hope. Then go do something about it.

Make A Wish

Tomorrow is the eleventh of November, a date that is relatively unremarkable aside from the noticeable number of '1's in its denotation: 11/11.

There is a well known social inclination, you could say, to tell someone to make a wish when the clock is at the time 11:11, AM or PM, supposedly because that time has semi-magical abilities to grant the wish. One would logically assume, then, that on the date 11/11, the magical powers possessed by the time 11:11 would be magnified exponentially.

While I personally employ the excuse of magic for many inexplicable things, I think people use it as a crutch when a fine and even better tool is simply action.

That is why tomorrow, 11/11, at 11:11 AM, I am going to post, challenging you, all 4 of my readers, to make a wish and then do something about it.

That's right, hope in the prospect of whatever you wished for, but then do something to make it happen. Talk to that person, write them a letter, take a picture, fill out that application, pray, read, write--whatever needs to be done to push your life in the direction you just wished it would go.

It doesn't have to be big, it doesn't have to be impossible. Just hope, and then act.

Johnny Cash -- "Hurt"

You may not be aware of this, but I love me some Johnny Cash. I particularly enjoy his ability to take a song, cover it, and make it a whole new song of sorts, often a better song.

It's an incredibly poignant music video: Cash surveys his whole life as he bravely declares "You can have it all/My empire of dirt." I highly suggest you watch it.

Also a bit ago, Brian Fulton of the Gospel Coalition took this song and replaced the lyrics with what Christ would have said if it were his song. Pretty interesting.

A Four-Year-Old, On Tithing

I went to Elevation last Sunday with my roommate because I'd never been before and I'd always been interested. I hesitate to "review" it but I will say that it was an enjoyable experience.

In a brief snippet, Elijah, Pastor Steven Furtick's son, talked about money managagement, God's way. I thought it was awesome:

Elijah Offering Video from Elevation Church on Vimeo.

Switchfoot -- "Mess of Me" Official Video

Switchfoot just released the official music video for the single from their new CD, which I have mentioned before. I am really looking forward to this album. I just got the e-mail saying it was shipped!

Again the lyrics strike me: "There ain't no drug that they can sell/No, there ain't no drug to make me well." Affirming the supremacy of Christ over idols in a bangin' rock song? Yes please.

.

Flying Apparati & Other Such Sundries

Stumbled upon (not using the website, I'm too professional for that crap) the Belgian 'Sculpteur' Stephane Halleux. He has some amazing work! I was literally caught off guard by some of his pieces. The intricacy, the detail, immaculate. Here are a few pieces:

"Flying Civil Servant"

"Batman Begins 2"

[As you can see, he's got a penchant for flying things.]

"Marathon Man"

And here is another gallery with some of his work, in addition to his website which I linked to earlier. I seriously encourage you to check him out.

[Tip o' the Hat to Cameron]

Youth Ministry

I

Youth Ministry

A lot. Seriously, what other job is built upon the principles of being as ridiculous as possible with the intent of sharing God's word and loving with His Love?

Back In The Day

So, you may think I'm an awesome person for doing this, or you may think it's a little strange, but I write my Grandma Schley. My Dad's Mom. I write her letters. And she sends me cards, WalMart giftcards and now...pictures:

First off, here is my Grandma with me, back in the day. You can't see it, but I'm actually wearing some old school, little-man, red Chuck Taylor Converse All-Stars. Ballin'



Then there's me with the paps. He looks young, to me at least. But then again, he hasn't changed too much. Just more facial hair and more glasses.



Now in this one I look dang professional. I wish I had a bangin' bowtie-and-suspenders combo to wear nowadays.



Those of you who have hung out with me a bit probably have seen this face before. As you can see, I have been a slave to fashion since birth:



Then there's the typical cute smile that could mean anything from "What you're doing is funny." to "You've got a surprise waiting in my pants."