Joel Osteen's Wife Causes Airline Issues:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,399503,00.html
I guess the health and wealth "gospel" does not apply to flights.
Did you notice who her attorney is? Maybe I am a huge baseball fan and the only one who cares, but her attorney is the same Rusty Hardin that is representing Roger Clemens in his Perjury/Obstruction charges.
Rusty Hardin: Attorney to the Stars!
The Montauk Monster:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,399803,00.html
Is this all the Cloverfield Monster was? That movie was a bit dramatic for such a small thing.
Brett Favre Now a New York Jet:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3523490
Really? I thought he was still retired. The real question will be how many times is he going to do this before he actually stays away. Also, how long will Mike McCarthy (Packers Coach), Ted Thompson (Packers GM), and Aaron Rodgers (Packers QB) keep their jobs?
Gas Prices Continue to Fall:
http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/08/news/economy/gas_prices/index.htm?cnn=yes
Just celebrating with you. Whoo Hoo!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Christianity and Race in America
Please go to http://www.downshoredrift.com and read Alan Cross' post about racism in the church and the mission of the church in light of these issues. White Southern Christians have for a long time been unwilling to address the prejudices that still exist in our communities. I believe that some of these issues come from a tendency for us to try and keep our skeletons in the closet rather than address the mistakes made in the past and the prejudice we carry now.
Montgomery, AL has a tremendous history in race and should be the community of racial diversity, yet it seems that we have our white churches and our black churches and that we are perfectly okay with that. We have maintained an unfortunate cultural divide by not challenging people to think in terms of Christ and how he makes us one by his death on the cross.
What kind of church are we if all we do is reflect the culture rather than impact it? What good is our message then?
Montgomery, AL has a tremendous history in race and should be the community of racial diversity, yet it seems that we have our white churches and our black churches and that we are perfectly okay with that. We have maintained an unfortunate cultural divide by not challenging people to think in terms of Christ and how he makes us one by his death on the cross.
What kind of church are we if all we do is reflect the culture rather than impact it? What good is our message then?
Friday, August 1, 2008
Writing Hiatus
Sorry for the long delay between posts. I am travelling a good bit with work and just finished school. I have a couple of weeks before I start again and I will be posting regularly.
Upcoming Topics Include:
- Humility and Using your Gifts.
- The true Jesus.
- "Moneyball" by Michael Lewis. (One of the better non-fiction books I have read in a while.
-"The Blindside" by Michael Lewis.
- Thoughts on the future of radio and podcasting. (Dave Dameshek from 710 ESPN from LA in particular).
- Hilarious Movie Moments.
- One Hit Wonders in Music.
As always, check Mandy's blog for her thoughts and information on the family:
http://thatmoodyfamily.blogspot.com
Upcoming Topics Include:
- Humility and Using your Gifts.
- The true Jesus.
- "Moneyball" by Michael Lewis. (One of the better non-fiction books I have read in a while.
-"The Blindside" by Michael Lewis.
- Thoughts on the future of radio and podcasting. (Dave Dameshek from 710 ESPN from LA in particular).
- Hilarious Movie Moments.
- One Hit Wonders in Music.
As always, check Mandy's blog for her thoughts and information on the family:
http://thatmoodyfamily.blogspot.com
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Great Movie Quotes
Since I am out of town and I have finished the studying I need to do for tonight, I thought I would publish another post and I would like your help in the comment thread.
What are some of the great movie quotes and scenes of all time? Originally, this post was going to be limited to just movies quotes, but sometimes the whole scene informs the individual lines. I was thinking about this topic the other day and rattled off a few of my favorites: (Some are more recent than others). Please comment with some of your best lines and scenes.
"Creasy's art is death. And he is about to paint his masterpiece." Christopher Walken, Man on Fire. This movie is one of the best in the last decade and does not get the credit it deserves.
"You know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in France? A Royale with cheese." - Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Pulp Fiction The whole scene with the guys in the apartment is hilarious in my opinion.
Both Theoden's and Aragorn's speeches in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King These speeches make me want to jump off the couch and go to war.
Mel Gibson's speech in Braveheart. Same reaction as above.
"So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life." Peter Gibbons Office Space. Kind of sets the tone for one of the funniesy movies of the 90's.
The whole scene when Dave Cujon droppes the coffee mug in The Usual Suspects. This movie is top 5 for me right now. When he reviews everything verbal has said up until this point and realizes that he is Keyser Soze, I want to jump out of my chair.
The service station scene in No Country for Old Men. This scene alone could have secured the Oscar for Javier Bardem.
"You want answers?" "I think I'm entitled to them." "You want answers?" "I want the truth!" "You can't handle the truth!" - Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, A Few Good Men. Great movie, great lines. Enough said.
"I'll never let go, Jack." - Kate Winslett, Titanic. Wait a minute, how did that get in here? I do think that this line ranks high on the unintentional comedy scale (I think I owe Bill Simmons a dollar). She says this emotional line and proceeds to break his frozen hand off her arm with a resounding CRACK and he sinks to the bottom of the ocean. I should have been crying, but I was laughing.
So, give me your favorite movie lines and scenes. Let's try and keep it clean as this is a family blog.
What are some of the great movie quotes and scenes of all time? Originally, this post was going to be limited to just movies quotes, but sometimes the whole scene informs the individual lines. I was thinking about this topic the other day and rattled off a few of my favorites: (Some are more recent than others). Please comment with some of your best lines and scenes.
"Creasy's art is death. And he is about to paint his masterpiece." Christopher Walken, Man on Fire. This movie is one of the best in the last decade and does not get the credit it deserves.
"You know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in France? A Royale with cheese." - Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Pulp Fiction The whole scene with the guys in the apartment is hilarious in my opinion.
Both Theoden's and Aragorn's speeches in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King These speeches make me want to jump off the couch and go to war.
Mel Gibson's speech in Braveheart. Same reaction as above.
"So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life." Peter Gibbons Office Space. Kind of sets the tone for one of the funniesy movies of the 90's.
The whole scene when Dave Cujon droppes the coffee mug in The Usual Suspects. This movie is top 5 for me right now. When he reviews everything verbal has said up until this point and realizes that he is Keyser Soze, I want to jump out of my chair.
The service station scene in No Country for Old Men. This scene alone could have secured the Oscar for Javier Bardem.
"You want answers?" "I think I'm entitled to them." "You want answers?" "I want the truth!" "You can't handle the truth!" - Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, A Few Good Men. Great movie, great lines. Enough said.
"I'll never let go, Jack." - Kate Winslett, Titanic. Wait a minute, how did that get in here? I do think that this line ranks high on the unintentional comedy scale (I think I owe Bill Simmons a dollar). She says this emotional line and proceeds to break his frozen hand off her arm with a resounding CRACK and he sinks to the bottom of the ocean. I should have been crying, but I was laughing.
So, give me your favorite movie lines and scenes. Let's try and keep it clean as this is a family blog.
A Beer By Any Other Name...
I enjoy beer.
Yes, it's true. Christians can enjoy alcohol (in moderation) and not sin. There has been much debate back and forth between many groups about the morality of drinking. I do not want to enter this argument in today's post. My conviction is that alcohol, like food, can be enjoyed in moderation as a gift from the Lord, provided you are te above the legal age and not breaking the law. I realize my convictions are not shared by all and I will not judge anyone who feels he cannot according to conviction. In fact, if you are convicted to not drink alcohol, then to drink would be a sin. I do not think the argument can be made from scripture that drinking is wrong, but it can cleary be shown that drunkeness is wrong. Also, to act against your own convictions is also wrong.
Well, I guess I did enter the debate. Oh well...
Anyway, the purpose of this post is to get some of your thoughts on various beers. I am a bit of a conisseur and my tastes change frequently from different types of beer. Right now, I really like a good brown ale. I travel a good bit with work and I get to try some different things wherever I go.
I am in Gillette, Wyoming (where?) right now because my company, Catoma Outdoor, has been developing tents for motorcycle campers and we are having the final prototypes tested at a big rally here. They have some great microbrewed beers out west that we have never heard of in Alabama. One of my favorites is out of New Belgium Brewery in Colorado and is called Fat Tire. Yesterday, I had Odell's 90 Shilling Ale on draft and it was very delicious, especially after being on my feet all day. I also enjoy a good porter or stout, depending on the food usually. For now, the brown ale is the way to go for me. The best ales usually finish with a unique flavor.
Post your comments with beer selections and recommendations. All are welcome, regardless of taste (I have been known to enjoy Miller High Life when faced with a tight beer budget).
Monday, June 30, 2008
Love is Sacrifice
My class has been studying Romeo and Juliet and I think of the the amount of sacrifice they are willing to make for each other. Without thinking about the double suicide, consider what Romeo and Juliet are willing to do. Names meant everything and both children were willing to leave their legacy and financial well-being as well as the lives they knew in order to be with each other.
Reading this play has made me consider the nature of love and what love is supposed to look like. Love is sacrifice. Love can only be measured in my willingness to put the one I love ahead of myself. If my wife Mandy and I seek our own interests exclusively, then our marriage will be tumultuous at best. We would continue to argue and look to prove our own points and get our way. Love says "I care more about you than I care about myself." The amazing aspect of love is this: when we love sacrificially, we are so much more satisfied than if we love only ourselves.
I also have considered love with my 7 month old son. Hearing your child cry can be a difficult experience, but Mandy and I have learned that letting him cry sometimes can be the best thing for him. Yes, it hurts, but if we want what's best, then we are willing to deal with a little pain on our part.
The ultimate example of this love is Jesus. Romans 5:8 says: "God shows his great love for us in this; while we where still sinners, Christ died for us." Christ shows us true love in that he was willing to sacrifice his life for our sin. We are the recipients of the greatest love of all time.
Our culture throws the word love around all of the time, yet I wonder how much we really understand the type of love God shows us and the type of love we should show each other.
Love is sacrifice. Until we understand this truth, we cannot truly love others or experience the love God has for us.
Reading this play has made me consider the nature of love and what love is supposed to look like. Love is sacrifice. Love can only be measured in my willingness to put the one I love ahead of myself. If my wife Mandy and I seek our own interests exclusively, then our marriage will be tumultuous at best. We would continue to argue and look to prove our own points and get our way. Love says "I care more about you than I care about myself." The amazing aspect of love is this: when we love sacrificially, we are so much more satisfied than if we love only ourselves.
I also have considered love with my 7 month old son. Hearing your child cry can be a difficult experience, but Mandy and I have learned that letting him cry sometimes can be the best thing for him. Yes, it hurts, but if we want what's best, then we are willing to deal with a little pain on our part.
The ultimate example of this love is Jesus. Romans 5:8 says: "God shows his great love for us in this; while we where still sinners, Christ died for us." Christ shows us true love in that he was willing to sacrifice his life for our sin. We are the recipients of the greatest love of all time.
Our culture throws the word love around all of the time, yet I wonder how much we really understand the type of love God shows us and the type of love we should show each other.
Love is sacrifice. Until we understand this truth, we cannot truly love others or experience the love God has for us.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Thursday Blog: Cheesy Songs
I had a conversation the other night with several people about the best bands of all time. Naturally, style preferences come into play when discussing music, but I think music always makes for great conversation. Unfortunately, even some of the better bands over the years have fallen into the trap of the horribly cheesy song. There are a few requirements for the Horribly Cheesy Song: 1. It has to have been a popular song, 2. It has to be horribly cheesy. (Granted, cheesy is a very subjective term, but it still applies for most people). All bands have probably had cheesy songs at some point, but many may have not made the mainstream charts.
I am partial to U2 (as always) and my point behind them is that in almost 30 years, U2 has avoided the horribly cheesy song. They have varied in music choices, ranging from ballads to political music to techno, etc. Yet even when making a song for the Horribly Cheesy "Batman Forever," they still made a good song (Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me).
As for the example of the classic good band that fell into the Horribly Cheesy Song trap: Aerosmith. We all remember the "I don't want to Miss a Thing" for "Armageddon" in the 90's. I mentioned Aerosmith to a person in our discussion and she looked at me as if I just taken her money. Then, I immediatley sung the first few lines from the song and she had to admit that I had a point.
So, I will pose the question to you. What good bands do you know of that have fallen into the Trap of the Cheesy Song? Post comments and I will probably compile a list of the top winners. I also will appreciate comments on the cheesiest song ever.
Side Note: The discussion began with the proclamation (by me) that Patrick Swayze may be the cheesiest guy ever. Not only was he in Dirty Dancing, he sang the song from the movie: "She's Like the Wind." Obviously, no mention of Swayze needs to be made, as we all know how cheesy he is.
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