Econ 101

So get a blog feed from Brian McCLearn and he got an email from a friend of his explaining different global economies work...very funny and educational at the same time...take a gander!!

I'm Still Alive...

Yes it's true...

I have been:
Studying, Studying, Studying...Nursing School has kicked into full gear and I am barely keeping my head above water. Critical Care, most likely what I am going to go into, has been a great challenge to me in that I have basically had to teach myself out of the book because our teaching has been atrocious.

I have been learning a ton in my reading the scriptures and different books. I am still reading books by NT Wright, Brad Young, Rob Bell, Francis Chan to name a few. The next book I am going to read is a book by Phyllis Tickler about church history. I have read an excerpt and it is AMAZING...just to let you know...our church history SUCKS!!!

I have been praying and dealing with what God might be calling me to in the next season of my life. it is safe to say that it is not leading people through music. That season of my life lasted for 8 years of my life and it was fantastic but it is not me any longer. I mean I can lead people every once in a while but not as the main guy, all the time. I feel like God has given me a desire and passion to teach. I have been eating up theological books and historical content driven books that pertain to the 1st century. It's not like me...

Now I know what you're thinking, "Mike...you are training to be a nurse!" I will tell you, "You are right...I am." But ever since I started this journey of prerequisites for nursing years ago, I have also felt that nursing can be my "tent making" much like Paul. I think that pastors or "laymen" should have a skill that is tangible to the world that allows you an in so to speak. I have worked for a church for 8 years, loved it, but it is a bubble. I have seen more humanity and people in need (not just physically, 70% of people have Anxiety disorder diagnosed or not) through my school than I have seen while working for a church. Not to say that those things are not at church, because they are. However, I need to be clear in what I am saying; What I am saying is that there is more hurt outside than inside the church; there are just more people outside than inside the church period.

Well those are just some of my thoughts about the next season of life I will be entering into. I know that it is coming because I can't get my thoughts off of it...May 2, 2009 is graduation day and a lot of change will be coming my way whether I am ready or not

Voting Priorities

I'm really trying not to add too many "2 cents" into the political blogesphere but I thought this was a great article from Jim Wallis. If you have time read it. Is it me or has this election been so amped with how to vote by the christian community? If you have some more time on your hands (like 45mins) then listen to Rob Bell's new sermon from Mars Hill Bible Church on iTunes. It is a great sermon on tribes...I know it sounds weird but very thought provoking.

What Does This Mean??

Sorry I've been gone for a while...I have been studying so much crap that my brain no longer hurts but cannot feel much of anything. However, I have been keeping up with all of you on your particular blogs and they are all great stuff. Keep it up.

anyways, I love Google News. I have it on my iGoogle page to give me the latest and greatest in news. Well this article caught my eye and I don't normally do this, but I think you should read this article...I have no idea what it could mean but at least someone is admitting something. It's about the financial crisis and Allen Greenspan.

Click here for the article "Greenspan Concedes He `Found a Flaw' in His Free-Market Ideology"

Ok...so here it is...our consumers market has spoken at Hollister...Surf City belongs to Hunnington Beach. Any one who says other wise is sorely mistaken and must be prayed for! this picture is from a web cam off of surf.com that is being displayed in Holister.

Pastor Jim Wallis

This is Pastor Jim Wallis. I don't know much about Pastor Wallis so I went to wikipedia and copied some info for you to figure out who he is along with me me.

The Reverend Jim Wallis is an evangelical Christian writer and political activist, best known as the founder and editor of Sojourners Magazine and of the Washington, D.C.-based Christian community of the same name. Wallis actively eschews political labels, but his advocacy tends to focus on issues of peace and social justice.

Now that is out of the way I want you all to go to this link to view this wonderful perspective on our economy from Pastor Wallis' perspective...click here

Read This Letter...

This is a letter from our Southern Hemisphere bothers and sisters in Christ to the Church in the United States...click here to read the letter

Random Fixings

- Why is Heros such an amazing show? I still hate Dr. Suresh...horrible actor and his character sucks! I seriously can't stand how over zealous of a doc the show has made him. I really think it's the over zealousness that makes the actor a bad actor. They actor for Dr. Suresh can't seem to be over-zealous without it feeling like stage acting...I get mad every time he comes on. I hope what he injected himself with kills him off the show!
- Audrey is doing just great now. Thanks for the prayers...if you weren't praying, then I will pray that God makes you a better christian...just kidding!
- On the flip side of health...I am having ridiculous headaches because my wisdom teeth are finally giving me issues. Called Doc Mohn and I am going to have surgery soon.
- I have ICU clinical rotations this semester at Kaiser...I'm going to love it.
- Last but never least...Sunday night I, along with millions of other people said good bye to an old friend. Yankee Stadium had it's last game. Yankees won 7-3. Being that Audrey was still a bit contagious with Roseola, we stayed home and I watch ESPN coverage of the day from 10am till around 9pm of nothing but Yankee history. What an amazing day!!! I can't wait to watch a game in the New Yankee Stadium. I will do that as soon as I own a house, then re-Fi on the house so I can buy 2 tickets in the nose bleeds...geezz have you seen the price tag on the tickets for this stadium. Who does George think he is...The Boss!!

Fever!!!

My little Audrey has a fever ;-( She got some shots yesterday at Loma Linda and because her body was fighting the fake bacteria and viruses she spiked a little temp. It toped out at about 100.something (I don't remember) and now it is down to 99.0

She didn't sleep at all last night (neither did we) but she has been so much more cuddly. The fever knocked out some of her ridiculous energy. Cuddle Audrey is fun and cute and cuddly. Not that she is not all of those things when she is not febrile (fever).
Here are some pics of Audrey I don't think I have posted...

Ok...I Have Processed What I Think

So my first reaction to the documentary is WOW...is this for real...I had NOOoooo idea that it was this serious. Then I got mad at our media for not keeping us informed to the extent of this type of Islam. Then I felt sad and upset at how this could have gone this far; teaching and educating kids in this destructive worldview. After feeling these emotions I immediately started asking question after question.

How do I reconcile with a worldview such as this? How do I show love that will break through and connect to someone of this reality? How does one educate the public in a way that does not breed hatred and fear but awareness and non-hatred (I couldn't think of another word)?

I wish you could see the rest of the video. The documentaries' argument stated that this is not just happening in the US but in other parts of the world. It isn't just against Christianity but against Buddhism, Hindus, Jews, and Atheist.

Now I was struggling with, "well...what action is necessary to take," almost retaliatory but not. Then today I read Brian McLearn's blog and he talked about why he is voting for Obama vs. McCain (I high recommend that you read this blog. It is a great perspective that I haven't heard articulated before). The article landed squarely on the ministry we all have to each other, whether Christian or not...Reconciliation. We as simple human beings all have a need for each other, known or not. We are connected via God's grace for allowing us the ability to live...we and all the cosmos are His domain, are his Kingdom, are His creation and get the privilege of being the keepers of this domain. We GET the PRIVILEGE of loving each other!! So then my final question I asked myself was, "Does my love stop, to save my life?" I mean, in order to preserve my life from the apparent danger presented by this particular reality, do I stop loving in the name of Jesus the Christ?

You know...I can't help but think about Jesus asking Peter to love His sheep. If you love Me you will love My sheep. Peter LOVED "sheep" until he hung on a cross, upside down, in the face of a worldview that could not conquer what could not be conquered...The overwhelming, subversive, awkward, unrelenting, LOVE of Jesus Christ!!