Can Someone Explain This To Me!

What you are viewing is a picture of a video game called Guitar Praise. It is based off of Guitar Hero. It's the same game with Christian songs...

Why...oh why do christians insist on copying and trying to make things that are "Secular" and make them "Christian." I've said it once and I will say it again; the word Christian works better as a noun not an adjective.

Aargh...I seriously have no energy to write something really witty right now about this...this sucked all of the energy out of me...

Tell Me How You Really Feel

So my wonderful, beautiful wife Holly Rodrigo gets these random emails from a source to remain anonymous that are the upmost cheesiest of christian emails. She doesn't even know how she got on the mailing list of this particular source. So she forwards me this particular email infuriated by the tone and underlying agenda that was presented by the un-named source. I kinda got mad as well as I continued to read. What do you all think about this? Below is the email that was sent to holly:

This is the ticket! : ) <------this is the unnamed source

:America needs a President like this <-----as is this


Prime Minister John Howard - Australia <------this is where the beginning of the forwarded transcript begins

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out ofAustralia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.

Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote: 'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians'.

'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom'. 'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!'

'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.'

'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'

'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom,
'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.'

'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We idn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.'

Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, American citizens will find the backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths.

If you agree, please SEND THIS ON.

What a J E R K!!!

You have GOT to see this Olympic video. I could not believe this coach.

Ok let me set the stage for you; The American pole vaulter has only been pole vaulting for 4 years. She won the silver. The chances of her winning the gold were slim because she was going against the best pole vaulter of all time in Yelena Isinbayeva. Yelena has broken the 24 world records in pole vaulting throughout her career. Every time there was a record to break she would break it. This olympics was none different. So for the American, to win silver and only pole vaulting for 4 years is tremendous...now watch...this coach should have his junk cut off...YEAH I SAID IT!! Junk!

Click Here

What Else Can I Get Cancer From???

So seriously...is there any wonder why we get cancers that did not use to exist like 50 years ago from the crap we put into everything to give the product a longer shelf life or to cut costs or to make food faster at fast food joints. Read this article. It isn't that long but just absolutely amazing at the stuff we put into our bodies!!

Weddings

Can i say that I officially dislike weddings a great deal!! I have been to 4 weddings in 4 weekends and I still have one more coming this Saturday...that is 5 weddings in a row. Now I love the people getting married, let us not forget that I love the people...but the event, the getting ready, the buying of the present, the "should we get babysitting or bring Audrey"; At least I am not in the weddings. I have played in 3 of the 5 weddings, which to me is way better than being in the wedding. Ok technically I am in the weddings but you get what I mean. I think more than anything I am just burnt out on weddings. I think Holly and I are going to be a bit more selective on the weddings we attend. The Bride and Groom won't remember if we were there or not anyway and we don't have the money to keep buying presents. Ok...got that off my chest. 

Am I alone on this...???

Another Anthropological Lesson

I am studying for my final in Anthro today and unlike my nursing classes, I half-heartedly pay attention in this class. It is interesting but my class is from 2-4:30...of Anthro...you get my drift. Anyways this is from my book...soooo interesting:

About Hunger

1. Ironically while many millions of people in some parts of the world are starving, many millions of others are overeating - quite literally eating themselves to death. In fact, the number of overfed people now exceeds those who are underfed. According to the World Watch Institute in Washington, D.C., more than 1.1 billion people world wide are now overweight. And 300 million of these are obese (but still malnourished in that their diets lack certain nutrients). 

In light of the food shortage, I would venture to say that this could be part of it. Interesting though, right?

1: Cultural Anthropology: The Human Challenge 12 edition by William A. Haviland et al.

Food, Food, and More Food!

I got this email from my wife, Holly, who got this email from Jim McGillicuty, which had a link of different pictures from Time Magazine of what other people (families) around the world are eating on a weeks groceries. Very telling of a lot of things. 

1. Now I KNOW why americans are so fat in general
2. Now I KNOW why italians live for so freakn long
3. World hunger does indeed exist (duh)
4. I wish my eating habits were broader. there is some good looking food in these pictures.

Check this out and let me know what you are thinking. Here is the link 

Peace out sucka foos...Oh and Go Lakers!!!

Knight Rider

Last night was the WORLD PREMIER of Knight Rider. Umm...it was fun. If anything it takes me back to my childhood. I loved Knight Rider when i was a kid. LOVED IT!!! The Hoff was awesome and Kit was a dream come true; a fast car that talks and can shoot people out of roof if he didn't like you...that is classic.
This new Knight Rider is fun. It isn't great but it is fun. The car is better (I am partial to Mustangs not T-Birds) but that is about it. The acting is horrible (what are you gonna do...it's freakn' Knight Rider) and the plot is going to be interesting to see. Yes I said plot. All 1 hour shows have their plot for that episode but apparently there is going to be more to this show. The Hoff showed up at the end of the 2 hour premier...enough said (Michael Knight...a fugitive of the law). The new character is name Mike. Oh and I don't think this show has any producers except Ford Motor Companies; can you say advertising. Every car in the show was a Ford and if the car wasn't a Ford (heaven forbid) than the camera angles made sure you had no idea what kind of car it was. Oh well. Maybe I like this show because there aren't a ton of main characters with the name Mike or Michael...hmmm...
Well you don't need to waste your time but I am going to because, well, it's freakn' Knight Rider. What kid doesn't want a car that is ridiculously amazing.

Toxicity

Well my wife has done it now...she has slowly and painfully but shirley (he he) changed me over to the dark side. She has made me concerned with the products I'm using...aaaaahhhhhh! No really, it is a great thing. I have never been one to use a ton of man made stuff on my body except for soap and shampoo and toothpaste and contact solution and shave gel and mouth wash and acne stuff and...well you get the point. If you have a brain and can critically think straight; does it really make sense to put man made stuff on your person? Does it? Out of the thousands upon thousands of ingredients that are used everyday for our care products do you actually think they check every single reaction and co-reaction of these products. No, they don't have the money or man power to check them. But this website that a friend of mine found is a great site to see which products you are using are safe, moderate, or dangerous.

There are two ratings that the website gives. One tells you how dangerous the product is. The second tells you what percentage of the ingredients used in the product have been tested for carcinogenic effects. If you click on this link you can get an idea of a product that I use in my hair: Garnier Fructis Hair Stuff. It is real eye opener and to me, it just makes sense to switch to something that is healthier.

Skin Deep is the name of the Website

Education

I just had the worst schoolastic day of my entire life...let's just say that I am inches from throwing in the towel. I don't give up but I am inches...mere inches. I really don't know what to do with myself right now...
AAAuugggh!

Dinner and Some Texas Hold'Em

So I am going to tag myself in on the whole "Worship" conversation that should be had and is well overdue. I have been someone that takes the subject of "worship" very seriously and I think that after 8 years of teaching countless students on the subject that my opinion has some weight and validity to it.
My brother Adam started the conversation with a bang I will continue to fuel the fire, and by brother I don't mean it in a Southern Baptist kind of way, I mean it in a his family is my family and I am an uncle to his kids and if something should happen to him I would pick up where he left off in loving his family kind of brother...now you see what I just did...I was worshiping.
How could this be, there is no music; we did not meet together in a building we call church? Not only that but how abstract is what I just called worship.
My favorite chapter in all the bible is Romans 12. I know, I know, everyone's favorite chapter is Romans 12...but I guarantee that most people read it in a personal, singular type of context and not in a familial context; a context that is about the greater good of humanity as a family. Let me get even more specific; the part I like best about the chapter is after Romans 12:2. You see, Romans 12:1-2 are why we all should offer our lives as worship to God after a long court case from Romans 1-11. Then Paul the writer of Romans shows us how to worship starting in Romans 12:3 and so on. But the one verse that I am trying to get better at in worship is Romans 12:13. This verse talks about worshiping God through food and family time with those around you. I don't just mean family with blood I mean family in the sense of the human race. So Holly and I did, with international students from all over. We made dinner for them at our house which was amazing, holly threw down on the crock pot. Then I taught these international students from Brazil, Poland, India, etc. how to play Texas Hold'em. It was so much fun and God was there accepting our worship to Him. This is everyday church life. The is what offering your lives as a living sacrifice should look like. It is organic and fluid. Worship adapts to our Creator as you live out every single moment of your life for others.
As my brother Adam said, he thinks, and so do I, that powerful things can happen when we sing corporately. But do you really want to settle for 20-30 minutes of worship through music a week when you have your life to offer. Not even the early Jewish Rabbis would settle for that. To the early Jewish Rabbi, and I would argue to the modern Rabbi, believed that the highest form of worship to be offered up to YHWH would be to read his very word in order to have it written on their hearts. To read the VERY WORD of YHWH was to thrust oneself into the very presence of God.
Whew...long enough...I think I used up all my words for the day...I am just a guy.

Names For The Baby Poll...

So it seems like almost 40% of the people that voted like the name Lilly...WHY? Well we both don't like Lilly so the baby is not going to be named Lilly. 10 of you liked the name Maya...This could actually happen. It could happen because I like the name Sydney and Holly does not. I do like the name Audrey but not as much as Maya. The only problem I have with Maya is that I can't think of a middle name for Maya. I have one for Sydney; what do you think of Claire? Well I am extremely disappointed in the masses for siding with Holly on this one. I love Sydney Claire. Oh well we still have time...

Shoot Me Now For The Love!

Go to this link. africabeat. It is going to change your life! What kind of world do we live in. This is a story about Paris Hilton. Does that intrigue? I do think, however, that something good can come of this.

GREEN = CONTENTMENT

OK, so I have been giving this whole "Green" or "Save the Planet" thing, which I completely believe in doing, a lot of thought lately and I have come to a realization. This realization came to me when I was thinking about "why are so many people on this bandwagon?" and even more so "why does it seem that going 'green' means that you only conserve (in a generalized sense)?" Don't get me wrong, I myself am trying to go green. I am not good at it but I am making big improvements in my lifestyle; the biggest change is my Yamaha RoadStar Silverado 1600 (I love this thing. If Holly and I don't name our baby Sydney I am going to name my bike Sydney). I didn't need to make this change to get a motorcycle but I did. Which then got me thinking about what I gave up in making this change to go green. Which then got me to realize going green or what ever you want to call it, is not about giving up for the earths sake. Yes it should be for God and creation with in which we live but why...why are we giving up these things is the question. Again...I don't think it is for the health of the planet. That is a natural sequelae because of the original problem which is...us. You see to me recycling, reusing, reducing our waste and needs is our way of telling God, "I am content in You. I am content with what I have been given." In fact, for instance with my bike, I am perfectly content with the fact that I will be driving in the rain at times to go somewhere in Riverside. I am content that even now, in the fall, I am driving at 5:30am in 50 degree weather which really makes it about 40-45 degrees cold. I am content with the fact that Holly and I are having a baby and yes we are going to have issues with transportation but do we really need the extra car payment and insurance and the extra gas that this car will need. "Do we really," is a question that is great to ask yourself. What ends up happening is that when you ask this question you also get really good with rationalizing that yes I really do need _______, even though you don't. Contentment in God is so unconventional because it reaches into the far reaches of our cares and desires. If I care and desire to love God then I choose to go green which shows God my contentment in Him.
So what does all this mean to me, and if you choose, you. This whole green thing, it can totally get out of control and hippie like without it being centered around our connection with God and our role as care takers for this creation. And yes I can "do" stuff that makes it seem like I am caring for this earth but if I am not content with the fact that I don't need stuff or content with what I do have, all of this is just a lot of noise and clanging symbols.

Our Health Care System...

Something profound was said today (Wednesday the 19th) at Post Conference that I have at Loma Linda. My prof said that she believed that our generation and the one beneath our generation are going to make significant changes to our health care system. It is profound to me because, well...I have been thinking about how something really needs to change with regards to "heath care".

The other day, while I was frantically trying to get an immunization that I needed for my clinical rotations, I had made an appointment at a local county family health care facility. I am quite accustom to Kaiser and the private health facilities with all of the amenities; this place was nothing like Kaiser. Not only that but everyone, from the staff to the patients just looked different to me. Not different like, "Of course Mike they are not like you," but, "Wow...I have seen where 'The Least of These' are going to the doctors!" I do understand that these are people that can at the very least afford some medical benefits but just staring into the faces of these people got my brain moving beyond what I saw.

In my minds eye I began to visualize those on the streets, those who have lost everything, those who have lost hope and love and shalom. Even today (Wednesday the 19th) I got another lesson on the health care system while waiting for my TDaP shot. The facility was ran down in a three story building that looks like it needs to be imploded. All of the same people that don't "look like me" where there; the guy that paces to much do to some form of drug, the single mom with two kids that won't stop screaming (you know...the one where everyone around is judging the mothers parenting style); the gangster and his homies that are staring down everyone but all they want is an immunization. God has continued to open my eyes to those who have (me) and those who have not.



What makes me better than the least of these that I should get better health care? What makes me better than the rest of the world that I should receive or feel like I deserve better health care than the least of these? What makes me think that I am NOT apart of the least of these? or that I am NOT apart of the problem. What will our generation do for our family of human kind? Social Health care seems to be a common answer but it has shown to many holes in how it works in other countries.

So today (Thursday the 20th) I have seen a bit of my challenge to say the least. As someone apart of the heath care system I am obligated by God, no less, to turn my education around and make right what we have done wrong in God's wonderful cosmos.
Open your eyes and stretch yourself to visualize what can be fixed and that which will allow God's Kingdom to reign here on earth as it is in heaven.