Slobotski.com

Big Omaha Photo Booth

2010-05-19T12:08:00.001-05:00

Big Omaha Photo Booth
Originally uploaded by Silicon Prairie News.

Photobooth fun at Big Omaha 2010!

Big Omaha Photo Booth

2010-05-19T12:07:00.001-05:00

Big Omaha Photo Booth
Originally uploaded by Silicon Prairie News.

My boy @ Big Omaha 2010

I've Moved!

2009-10-12T15:27:00.001-05:00

I'm no longer blogging here...

But come see me over here at...

Slobotski.com

The Crew of @Big Omaha 2009

2009-05-20T22:36:00.001-05:00

29203_1728
Originally uploaded by jjsnyc.

Wow...amazing day, amazing people and amazing event.

Jeff & Dusty at MBJ 40 Under 40 Breakfast

2008-12-08T23:09:00.001-06:00

Jeff & Dusty at MBJ 40 Under 40 Breakfast
Originally uploaded by BrightMix.

So here's the two masterminds behind Silicon Prairie News

Made the Switch to Wordpress...

2008-07-21T15:56:00.001-05:00

Adios, yet please come visit me here...

Slobotski.com on Wordpress

SecretPenguin Clean Up

2008-07-02T14:46:00.001-05:00

cleanup4.jpg
Originally uploaded by secretpenguin.

Yea! I'm famous for tearing down that tree you see just by jumping on it...well maybe not jumping, that bad boy was B-I-G!

Weekend Fun...

2008-06-29T20:53:00.001-05:00

Well there was a lot going on this weekend. After Friday's freaky bad storm I helped my buddy Dave clean up the mess at his home.

Check out these amazing photos of what he was left to deal with.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/secretpenguin/sets/72157605856670625/

Saturday Night Omaha held it's first TweetUp...well attended and @joeschmidt has a great write up and summary here:

http://www.joeschmidt.com/archives/2008/06/omahas_first_ever_tweetup.php

Sigur Ros = Amazing

2008-06-12T09:32:00.003-05:00

Molly and I went to the Sigur Ros concert last night at the Orpheum. Amazing. These guys are for real. I invite all who have a desire to hear beautiful sounds with heavenly melodies to listen to Sigur Ros.

You can stream the new album here:

http://www.last.fm/music/Sigur+R%C3%B3s/me%C3%B0+su%C3%B0+%C3%AD+eyrum+vi%C3%B0+spilum+endalaust

Hoppipolla

2008-06-09T14:31:00.001-05:00

Hoppipolla
Originally uploaded by . Dancing Through Life ..

Getting ready, and extremely excited for this week's Sigur Ros concert at the Orpheum....

Hoppípolla = Icelandic for puddle jumping

3g iPhone

2008-06-09T13:56:00.001-05:00

Well---just after I make a post on called "Cell Sin" I've been convicted...to buy the new iPhone...

What do you think?

Cell Sin

2008-05-31T09:37:00.000-05:00

OK, I've been convicted. I just read a great article by Mark Driscoll found here:

http://theresurgence.com/md_blog_2007-10-16_cell_sin
It really points out the trouble we have as a society in completely shutting off, when it's needed most of all--while we're with our family and on vacation.

I know it's hard for me to "shut completely off" but know that the time spent with my family and sons isn't time I can get back, I can catch up during the week if I fall behind, but I can't catch up on the time we have together.

Criteria This Friday!

2008-05-23T11:17:00.001-05:00

steve in single
Originally uploaded by chickadee32.

check them out---Friday @ Slowdown

Who Wouldn't Want to Work For This Company?

2008-05-21T15:44:00.001-05:00

From my friend Amanda...

Lip Dub - Flagpole Sitta by Harvey Danger from amandalynferri on Vimeo.

3G iPhone 6/9/2008

2008-05-20T15:07:00.001-05:00

How do you like all those numbers?

Apple 3G, get out the credit card...

Text to Give

2008-05-18T20:15:00.002-05:00

It's amazing that the dust still hasn't fully settled from the text to give campaign. Philanthropy.com had a great article last week on the work we did.

Now I just have to think of the next project...

Cayden at Swim Lessons

2008-05-14T10:44:00.002-05:00

If you listen very closely you can hear the little man saying "Hi Daddy!" I love this guy so much---he's a little fish in water too. Loves to swim and is doing a great job. It's crazy how fast he's growing and turning into such a little man.

Robin Sharma's Blog Post...

2008-05-14T10:39:00.002-05:00

Enjoyed this post by Robin Sharma today:

So today, please remember the power of the next 12 hours. A white sheet of time. That you can draw whatever you want on. Leadership and personal success is all about those little choices that you make every day. Choices to shrink from being your best or to expand into the possibilities that lie just in front of you. And my greatest wish is that you choose to play amidst possibility.

Twitter...the new great timewaster...

2008-05-13T21:22:00.001-05:00

So I've found some good through Twitter, but overall it's a big drain on my resources. Follow me, if you're signed up at jjsnyc

Love These Guys...

2008-05-12T15:14:00.001-05:00

They're coming to Omaha @ Slowdown in June

3G iPhone Sooner than Expected?

2008-05-11T20:49:00.003-05:00

So, it was supposedly to arrive in June, but check this out, sold out even online!

So Excited to Pull This Off..

2008-05-11T09:52:00.004-05:00

In Omaha. The pieces are quickly coming together!

FriendFeed Party

2008-05-09T10:31:00.001-05:00

These guys are great...

Finding the Balance

2008-05-06T16:11:00.001-05:00

Finding the Balance
Phil White

Hard work is extolled in our society, and even in the Bible. But it seems we’ve taken this supposed virtue and added globalization, copious amounts of caffeine and unlimited Blackberry access to create a society in which our worth is almost solely defined by what we do. It’s time to take a step back and restore healthy balance to our lives. Here are 10 ways you can get started.

1. Observe the Sabbath
After God had spent six days creating the earth, He rested on the seventh day and sanctified it. In Exodus 20: 8:10, we’re instructed: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work” (TNIV). This isn’t just a suggestion—Sabbath observance is the fourth of the Ten Commandments. Going to church and then coming home to plug in your laptop so you can work the rest of the day just won’t cut it. If you know there’s a big meeting or a final coming up at the start of the week, push yourself hard on the previous Thursday and Friday. Bottom line: If a day of rest is good enough for God, it’s good enough for you, too.

2. Unplug From Technology
Dr. Bryan Robinson, author of Chained to the Desk, calls technology “the opium of our generation,” and few of us can claim we’ve never felt something of a rush when using a tech toy. But just because you’ve got a new, flashy cell phone, Blackberry or iPhone doesn’t mean you have to answer it, even if your company’s paying for it. Weekends and evenings are what the “ringer off” setting is designed for, so use it. You won’t be able to check work email if you don’t plug in your laptop, and let’s be honest: What could have happened at your job that’s so urgent it needs your immediate attention at 11 p.m. on a Saturday night?

3. Get a Hobby
Get a gym membership, sign up for a service project or become part of a whitewater rafting club. It doesn’t matter what you do, just commit to any new activity or rediscover an old hobby that requires you to dedicate at least one night a week to it. If you’re worried that you’ll start skipping it so you can work, get involved in a group activity that will depend on your participation or ask someone to keep you accountable. At first you may feel like you’re slacking, but you’ll find life more invigorating, meet new people and have something more to talk about than another oh-so-exciting 70-hour work week. If you don’t believe that having no interests outside of work is lame, rent In Good Company and see how much fun Topher Grace’s character has when he’s living in his office.

4. Set and Enforce Reasonable Boundaries
Trust us, your boss doesn’t work that much overtime, despite what he or she may claim, and your professors didn’t study 24/7 when they were in school. That’s because they learned that to be successful you don’t have to devote every spare minute to work. If you’re toiling far too long each week because of the unrealistic expectations of others, the only one who can change the situation is you. Tell your boss you’ll work as hard as you can during the week and occasionally put in overtime when it’s needed—but that’s it. Be respectful when you do this, and you’ll get respect back. Once the boundary is set, enforce it by not checking or returning voicemails and emails after hours. Your boss and co-workers will soon realize that you’re serious, and as long as you don’t slack when you’re at work, you’ll be in the clear.

5. Stop Procrastinating
How long do you spend each workday on the Web? If the answer is more than your one-hour lunch break, there’s a problem. It’s all too tempting to write emails, update your MySpace page or check out the latest dumb celebrity video on YouTube, but each trip to your Web browser halts your work momentum. Even responding immediately to colleagues’ voicemails, IMs and emails adds up, eventually creating a mountain between you and what you need to get done before the end of the day. Leaving projects until the last minute can be even worse, as it creates unnecessary pressure and can leave you unprepared for that important presentation to your boss. If you plan ahead, particularly for big projects, and block off time daily during which phone, IM and email are off limits, you’ll have no problem getting tasks finished. “Productivity studies show that the most effective workers don’t procrastinate and only respond to email twice a day, because any more than that interrupts the flow of work,” Karen Sumberg, of the Center for Work-Life Policy, says.

6. Reassess Your Priorities
You’ll probably claim that your relationships with family, friends and God are more important to you than work, but your daily schedule may tell a different story. To find out if your work habits are detracting from the rest of your life, we’ve devised a simple exercise. Write a list of the five things that are most important to you. Then, each day for a week, log how much time you’re devoting to these activities. At the end of the week, add up the figures. Even for people who don’t struggle with workaholism, work will probably be number one on the list—and that’s OK, but if the things you value most are getting little or none of your time, you’re working too much. Just creating these two lists can help you rediscover what is important to you, and how much work you need to cut back on to be truly happy.

7. Go to Counseling
If you know you’re struggling with workaholism and just can’t break the cycle of one extreme work week on top of another, you may need professional help. Admitting you have a problem doesn’t mean you’re weak. On the contrary, it shows that you have the strength to change your situation for the better. A counselor can help identify why you feel compelled to work long hours, how your work habits are damaging yourself and those around you and what you can do to free yourself from the shackles of workaholism. If you’re married or in a serious relationship, couples or family therapy can also help the people affected by your overwork tendencies talk through the resentment, bitterness and loneliness they may be feeling.

8. Create a Budget
Debt is one of the main causes of workaholism. Student loans and rent or mortgage payments may be unavoidable, but spending too much on a car, putting every expense on your credit card and even going through the Starbucks drive-through every day can put your finances in a dire state that demands working extra hours to pay for excessive spending. Websites such as Mvelopes.com divide your income between customizable categories such as housing, car, entertainment and tithe to help you manage your finances more responsibly. If you can break the habit of overspending, there will be one less reason to live in the office. That George Constanza nap area under your desk isn’t that comfortable anyway, is it?

9. Get Perspective
Sometimes it’s hard to examine ourselves to find areas of fault or weakness, and denial is one of the key factors that stops people from identifying and then dealing with workaholism. Ask a colleague, family member, friend or someone else you trust to discuss your work habits. Does this person think you spend too much time working? Have there been negative changes in your mood and personality since you started working longer hours? A few minutes of honest dialogue may seem uncomfortable, but it will give you a valuable outside view of your working life that could help you make the first step in overcoming workaholism.

10. Read The Bible
Several books in the Bible, particularly Proverbs, advocate hard work, calling those who don’t have jobs “sluggards.” However, contrary to what many Christians have come to believe, Scripture does not encourage or exalt extreme work habits. The third of the Ten Commandments says, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). Too often we let work become a false idol, to which we sacrifice relationships and time with the one true God. Making time to study the Word, to pray and to be in fellowship with other believers helps re-center our focus on the Lord and to put work in its proper place—as an important part of our lives but not the reason to live.

Logan's First Birthday

2008-04-28T13:22:00.000-05:00

Thanks Scoble!

2008-04-22T15:17:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Robert Scoble for inspiring me to talk about Omaha's next generation of movers and shakers...

Check out the new blog a team of folks and I launched last week:

Midwest to Manhattan

Let me know what you think----and yes, we're going to rename and rebrand the site soon!

Gina @ Ning

2008-04-22T11:07:00.003-05:00

Great video showing Ning and congrats Gina on making the cover of Fast Company!

Gina & Ning's Fast Company Article

8.4 miles....

2008-04-21T17:50:00.006-05:00

Just got back from biking 8.4 roundtrip, no stopping...well except when the wind was kicking my butt, but feel good for the very first time out this year!

...but yeah, so going to wonder about a new seat and some nifty goggles to keep my eyes dust free...it's west Omaha where they cut down the trees...should explain all you need to know...

View Larger Map

Patrick Awuah: Educating a new generation of African leaders

2008-04-17T16:12:00.001-05:00

Brilliant. I enjoying working with people like Patrick.

Cayden & Logan Playing

2008-04-16T16:55:00.003-05:00

This cracks me up after I watching the editing...notice the baby almost falling down the stairs at the end...

2008-04-14T13:59:00.001-05:00

Forgiveness is not an occasional art, it is a permanent attitude.

- Martin Luther

Shane

2008-04-13T15:00:00.000-05:00

“Being a Christian isn’t just about having better vision, but having new eyes. Jesus never talked to a prostitute because he never saw them as a prostitute.”

Shane Claiborne

C.S. Lewis

2008-04-08T15:32:00.000-05:00

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. but in that casket - safe, dark, motionless, airless - it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy is damnation. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.”

-C.S. Lewis

Did Topps Tip Off MLB's Steroid Era?

2008-04-08T15:29:00.001-05:00

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7926552?MSNHPHCP>1=39002

Going to Heaven on Sunday?

2008-04-07T14:28:00.002-05:00

“would you rather your children grow up in uganda or america?”

2008-04-03T14:52:00.001-05:00

I read this great post today on a friend's blog...very insightful and called out things in my own life that I think we really, REALLY take for granted...thoughts?

“would you rather your children grow up in uganda or america?”

this hit...

in uganda, you may not know where your next meal comes from. you have no money. you have nothing to depend upon but God. and i would rather have my children rely on God more than i would want them to be distracted by everything else.

The Sabbath

2008-04-01T21:34:00.000-05:00

Read this great quote from Sojourners...

Sabbath ceasing [means] to cease not only from work itself, but also from the need to accomplish and be productive, from the worry and tension that accompany our modern criterion of efficiency, from our efforts to be in control of our lives as if we were God, from our possessiveness and our enculturation, and finally, from the humdrum and meaninglessness that result when life is pursued without the Lord at the center of it all.

- Marva J. Dawn
Keeping the Sabbath Wholly

St. Augustine

2008-03-24T15:43:00.001-05:00

My soul’s house is cramped. Expand it, so that you may enter in. It is in ruins. Restore it. It must offend your eyes. I confess and know it, but who will cleanse it? To whom shall I cry but to you? Clear me from hidden faults, O Lord.

- St. Augustine

Old Man vs. New Man

2008-03-10T12:25:00.001-05:00

Releasing

2008-03-04T22:19:00.002-06:00

the moment we begin to worry about something, we need to let it go. never let anything or anyone get in the way of you and Jesus. if it is a dream we so desperately want, release it to Him. if it is material, give it away to someone else. then you can experience the freedom of not being tied down to anything on Earth... and then there is no more cause for worry.

So Badly Want to do Something Here...

2008-02-22T23:03:00.001-06:00

Except instead of just a "learning center" to be a community outreach center too...

Jesus an ENFP?

2008-02-19T14:23:00.001-06:00

Jesus had a remarkable way of being a friend to every person he met. We sense in him the ability to welcome the stranger, to find the hidden gift in those others called sinners, to strengthen the ability of the loving to love more. He loved some by confronting them with the ways in which they were unloving and exploitative of others. He challenged the hypocritical in those who made it their right to judge others with constant reminders that we not only must not but cannot judge another He found important ways to invite all to discover and cherish the lovable in themselves.

- Paula Ripple
Called to Be Friends

Text to Give Hits the US

2008-02-13T21:08:00.001-06:00

http://mobileactive.org/mobile-giving-about-take-united-states

Great Quote...

2008-02-08T14:00:00.000-06:00

Bleeding-heart liberals could accomplish far more if they reached out to build common cause with bleeding-heart conservatives.

- Columnist Nicholas Kristof, in an article titled, "Evangelicals a Liberal Can Love."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/opinion/03kristof.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

United Way Text to Give

2008-02-01T17:31:00.001-06:00

Finally---after 2 years of work we did it!!!!

Over 7,000 hits and counting...

Love

2008-01-26T07:26:00.001-06:00

100_6087
Originally uploaded by JJ...S.

Bill Strickland @ TED

2008-01-23T21:52:00.001-06:00

An amazing, amazing video---take the time to watch the entire video.

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/209

Happy New Year

2007-12-31T20:29:00.001-06:00

Crazy to think we're already going into 2008. I was telling Molly this morning that I remember all of crazyness surrounding Y2K...yes, remember partying like it was 1999?

Moving ahead 8 years, here we are today. 2007 was a great year for me---moved homes, a new little boy to Team Slobotski and a bunch of other things.

These past few months have been great with the launch of Packs of Promise. I've been meeting a ton more energetic and forward thinking "young professionals" in Omaha---there seems to be a steady buzz of late of creative talent here in Omaha that excites me, and makes the case even easier to make to my friends on the coast who consider us flyover country...

I have a lot going through my head of things I want to set up and get started in 2008---we'll see if it's the year.

To all dear friends, family and internet readers (phrased coined from Joshua Longbrake) I wish you the best for the coming year and please do keep in touch.

NYCbeauty

2007-12-23T08:16:00.001-06:00

NYCbeauty
Originally uploaded by JJ...S.

Merry Christmas!

A Balmy 74 During Winter Storm?

2007-12-22T10:32:00.000-06:00

Crazy stuff I just found this morning, and no, I didn't have to open Photoshop to produce this...

It's Coming...

2007-12-06T23:18:00.000-06:00

My nonprofit, Packs of Promise, that I've been working on for about a year now is just about ready to launch!

Thanks to the killer work that Dave @ SecretPenguin and the team at OBI Creative lent to the project thus far...

Stay tuned...we'll push it!

2007-11-30T20:01:00.000-06:00

Learning to Pray

2007-11-29T11:24:00.000-06:00

I am learning a new way to pray. I'm learning to hold people before Jesus, without even having to speak words for them. When I pray this way, I place the person in my hands and with my palms open lift them up into His lap. The Holy Spirit knows what we need, more than we even know for ourselves or for others, so I am learning to allow the Holy Spirit to guide my prayer requests.

Please hold the WMF Team in your hands.

Pray for visions. Pray for miracles. Pray for dreams.

Most of all, pray for love.

3!

2007-11-25T21:53:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe he's 3 already...

Thanksgiving Fun!

2007-11-25T21:41:00.000-06:00

Dinner with the little rascals!

Thanksgiving Sledding!

2007-11-25T21:27:00.000-06:00

2007-11-23T13:32:00.000-06:00

It is a blessed thing to know that no power on earth, no temptation, no human frailty can dissolve what God holds together.

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Letters and Papers from Prison

Summation of Where I'm At

2007-11-23T10:02:00.001-06:00

This post does a great job of summing up where I'm at right now...more to come...

http://drawingcloser.blogspot.com/

Finding rhythm

These have been my lessons as of late:

Close your ears. Close your mouth. And listen.

When noise seems to surround me on every side, I start to grow accustomed to it, allowing it to permeate me and become part of who I am. But when I come to the realization that I've allowed this to go on, I cut it off. Turn off the cell phone, the TV, the computer, the radio. I light some candles and sit on my living room floor and just regroup. I talk to God. Journal my thoughts and have a real conversation with Him. I pull out some acryllics and canvas and paint. I try to do whatever makes me focus best. And most of all, I have learned to take time to listen.

Don't get me wrong, I have not arrived by any means. In fact, I'm feeling pretty fed up with myself today, trying to cut the crap and get to where I need to be with God and with my life.

Cherish solitude.

Although community is something I believe to be vital to our existence both as humans and as Christians, there is such value in solitude. Something about solitude reminds me of how small I am, because when I'm alone I tend to look around at the world and remember that I am only a single part of a beautiul tapestry. But I also remember that I belong.

Embrace silence.

Silence used to make me uncomfortable, especially in the company of someone else. But now, I feel like I cannot live without times of silence in each day. Granted I am not a morning person, I greatly enjoy not having to speak for the first hour or so of my day. I can just quietly allow the day to begin and wait for the rest of me to catch up. It works well.

Another value of silence I've found is when an entire room full of people is perfectly quiet together in the presence of God. I've heard people recount stories time and time again of how some of the most potent times of corporate worship they've experience is when everyone and everything was still and quiet. I can tell similar stories, indeed.

Simplify.

I hate clutter, even though my mother may tell you otherwise when I lived under the same roof as them. Either way, at the core, I am something of a minimalist. Although I love decorating and coordinating colors and themes, I don't like to have a lot of unnecessary stuff. I'm not a pack rat. I organize often. Yet, somehow, I allow clutter into my life in the form of distractions.

Media can be a big downfall for me, considering I am a communicator by nature. I love hearing stories as much as I enjoy telling them. I love interacting with others as much as I love watching people interact with each other and with their surroundings. I enjoy watching people go about their time in an airport or at a coffee shop. I'm not easily bored, really. And I very much enjoy a well-scripted and strongly produced TV show.

All this to say, I have to keep myself in check with how much I allow media to be a part of my life. I find nothing wrong with enjoying a good episode of my favorite show or time spent skipping around Facebook. But it really is about balance and priority. It's a battle all of us fight, one way or another.

Don't get comfortable.

I was laying in my bed one night, overwhelmed at how faithful God has been. I feel like I'm finally on my own two feet. His perfect will has been so evident in my life lately (especially when I fight it), and it's undoubtedly taken me by surprise. But as I looked around me that night, I felt God speak to me.

None of this should make you happy. None of this should make feel secure. Only I can do that.

Wow. How true it is when I look at my recent striving for security and my bitter failure at finding it outside His arms. I fall to pieces every time I try to battle it out and find some sort of temporal security blanket. And then I come back to Him, laying the whole mess of me at His feet. He embraces me every time.

And here I am. I know that I am perfectly safe where I belong, even though I have had more than one nay-sayer about my disposition recently. And though it may seem strange (even to me) that I chose to come back to Tulsa when I could have gone almost anywhere, I am thoroughly enjoying this season of my life. I feel like I have grown more into who I am. I'm also learning about parts of me that I never realized existed and about things that make me come alive that I haven't done before. It's beautiful, and I'm grateful. So once again I say...

Here's to the journey.

Painting found in trash sells for $1M

2007-11-22T14:12:00.000-06:00

Nuts...why can't I be this lucky?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071121/ap_on_fe_st/trash_treasure

Wed Nov 21, 10:16 AM ET

NEW YORK - An abstract masterpiece by a Mexican artist that was found in the trash by a woman who knew little about modern art has been sold for more than $1 million.
ADVERTISEMENT

The painting "Tres Personajes" by Rufino Tamayo was discovered in 2003 by Elizabeth Gibson, who spotted it on her morning walk on Manhattan's Upper West Side. She said she took it home because "even though I didn't understand it, I knew it had power."

The brightly colored abstract work was purchased for $1,049,000 by an unidentified private American collector bidding by phone at Sotheby's Latin American Art sale Tuesday night.

Gibson spent four years trying to find out about the painting, finally discovering on the "Antiques Roadshow" Web site that it had been featured on the popular PBS program and described as a missing masterpiece stolen in 1989.

Gibson has received a $15,000 reward for turning in "Tres Personajes" and also will get a percentage of the sale price.

Painted in 1970, "Tres Personajes" was purchased by a Houston collector for $55,000 as a gift for his wife at a Sotheby's auction in 1977. Ten years later, as the couple was moving to a new home, it was stolen from storage.

The husband has since died, and the widow, who wished to remain anonymous, decided to sell it.

Tamayo was born in 1899 and died in 1991. His early work has similarities to that of famed 20th century muralist Diego Rivera. His later work features the vivid colors and expressions of his native state of Oaxaca.

___

Favorite Artist, Best Song...

2007-11-09T14:20:00.000-06:00

Sam Beam's Resurrection Fern

Josh Ritter

2007-11-05T09:38:00.001-06:00

DSC_0161
Originally uploaded by unrulybadger.

Got to see this man, Josh Ritter, in concert at the Exit In in Nashville on Friday night. Great show, great venue and felt a bit of nostalgia seeing him play where anyone who is anyone plays in Nashville.

Cayden the Cowboy!

2007-10-29T17:03:00.001-05:00

Cayden the Cowboy!
Originally uploaded by JJ S.

Cayden decided to be a cowboy for the Kids Day Out parade...

Mr. Wormy & Cayden

2007-10-24T11:51:00.001-05:00

Mr. Wormy & Cayden
Originally uploaded by JJ S.

Cayden & Mr. Wormy on the park trail!

Beirut Video

2007-10-05T09:50:00.001-05:00

Here's a great video by one of my favorite artists BEIRUT (Zach Condon)

It gives me hope through the past joys of others...enjoy and have a great weekend!

3 Monkeys

2007-10-01T10:47:00.001-05:00

Find the monkey!
Originally uploaded by JJ S.

Someone isn't paying attention here...

Driscoll's Rant

2007-09-30T21:56:00.000-05:00

So a friend of ours who was actually at this service in Seattle, keyed me into the Tolerance Rant...some good stuff. Worth watching until the end...keep it up Mark!

Thoughts for my 100th post

2007-09-20T20:45:00.001-05:00

Death has a way of transcending us out of the blinders of today and giving us a glimpse of the blink that is one's lifetime. Eternity is just a breath away--a thin supernatural veil--truer and closer than we realize. It causes us to re-evaluate our life's pursuits, our passions, our priorities. How am I using my time? It awakens a renewal of relationships...the realization of what we hold most dear. I want more time knowing and glorifying Jesus...more time to show my wife and children love, respect, and kindnesses....more time to drink deeply from the friendship well...more time to spend myself in sacrificial service to the poor, broken, and hurting.

What would others say about me if my memorial service was tomorrow? What is my legacy? Did I love and live well? Was I true to my beliefs and ideals? Was I true to Jesus? Was He glorified?
I was faced with areas that I want to re-prioritize. Action steps are being made to reorient myself to the things that matter most. One small step at a time. Mostly it was a heart change...a willingness to let go of things that are ultimately unimportant and an embracing of the things that really are and that I can so easily move away from with the blinding distractions of life.

We will all "fly away" soon. Very soon. Do we need to pause, reflect, regroup, and return to the simplicity of knowing Jesus, loving Jesus, and loving others? Do we need a retreat to the house of mourning in order to find real life and real living? Simple living takes on a whole new meaning in the face of death.

Psalm 90:12

"So teach us to number our days, that we may get us a heart of wisdom."

Don't Waste Your Life

2007-09-16T22:02:00.000-05:00

Interesting post from a friend at Mars Hill

http://www.whatarewemissing.blogspot.com/

“If Christ is an all-satisfying treasure and promises to provide all our needs, even through famine and nakedness, then to live as though we had all the same values as the world would betray him. I have in mind mainly how we use our money and how we feel about our possessions. I hear the haunting words of Jesus, ‘Don’t be anxious, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the Gentiles seek after all these things’ (Matthew 6:31-32). In other words, if we look like our lives are devoted to getting and maintaining things, we will look like the world, and that will not make Christ look great. He will look like a religious side-interest that may be useful for escaping hell in the end, but doesn’t make much difference in what we live and love here. He will not look like an all-satisfying treasure. And that will not make others glad in God.” [John Piper, Don’t Waste Your Life (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2003), 107-108.]

This statement is so challenging, and yet it is so true. So how do I live in light of this? So much of the Christian life is counter-cultural. And I find that ironic in a culture many consider to be “Christian.” Most Christians don’t look much different from the rest of the world. At best, we look like a more moral version of our next door neighbor, and even that statement is debatable. Christians seek after wealth, comfort, a bigger house, a nicer car, vacations and status just as much as anybody. So how is the world supposed to see Christ in people who live no differently? If my neighbors don’t notice anything different in the way I live how can this be glorifying to God?

The Christian life is intended to be lived in such a way that people all around us are confronted by the reality of the existence of Christ. The first Christians were called Christians because they lived differently than everyone else; they lived like Christ, and that is how they got their name. Christians in that day had a reputation. The only reputation we have today is as hypocrites and judges. The world needs to see real Christianity lived out in front of them.

Carrots!

2007-09-16T14:51:00.001-05:00

Carrots!
Originally uploaded by JJ S.

It's funny how varied our tastes become as we get older. Here's a 4 month old baby who is overjoyed at the taste of water based carrots mixed in with cereal....

Think about it...

2007-09-07T23:28:00.000-05:00

Strive for this much...

2007-09-07T23:16:00.000-05:00

I've been dealing with things in my life over the last few weeks, but was reminded of this verse again as I was reading a book I picked up and remembered it was one of my wife's memory verses just a week or so ago...maybe I'm supposed to strive for this...

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

gPhone? Looks like it MIGHT be...

2007-09-04T20:41:00.000-05:00

After a lot of hype surrounding a possible Google Phone, it looks like it might be real after all?

Gizmodo has a link to the story here:

gPhone Possibilities?

Some REAL cool stuff!

There Is More

2007-08-29T20:33:00.001-05:00

From a student's blog at Mars Hill Graduate School

It’s about the process.

If it’s about the person, then why do I, and others, feel so lost and strung along?

Because, it’s about the process.

Last semester A 3rd year counseling student told me, “Trust the process and don’t get discouraged. It works out in the end.” Yeah, and I’ll be able to run in Heaven, too.

The process is great, as long as you don’t forget that there are people involved.

Get involved in a process that is fast moving, and I can guarantee that you’ll be lost.

Stand up and say that you’re being missed or overrun by the process, and you’ll be asked why you fell that way; how are you sitting with that; and tell me more.

I’m sure the process is great if all we’re looking to do is to create drones and robots that ask “x” when “y” happens. Is that all?

The problem is, “x” is a great question and, in spite of the intentions, usually allows for great things to take place. Which leads me to my next beef…. Why do “great things” have to take place for meaning to occur?

Are we so numb to actual life that we must experience the mountain every time we sit down with someone? can we not experience a grain of sand and the impact that it has? Why does the process require of us to glorify Buber and the genuine meeting every time we sit down?

It’s about the process. Look out, you’ll end up in a ditch with a frown on your face and no smile…if you’re not careful.

There is more to be had, here at MHGS, here in my marriage, here with my kids, and more importantly, here with God.

There is more. Do you see it, do you know that you’re not getting it all? There’s more. This is not it.

Search for more. Be more. Ask for more. Invite more. God more.

Why are you doing life, not how are you doing it. Don’t how life, why it. Life is more than what works and what doesn’t, life is about bigger; about more. Not about a bigger house, but about a bigger dream, a bigger me, a bigger you…A bigger GOD.

The sum has to be greater than the parts, or the process will be the more. the process will end up being the end; and we’ll miss people. We’ll miss me and we’ll miss you.

We’ll miss God.

Why do you miss God? Don’t how the question, why it.

Why More?
Why God?

There. Is. More.

Brothers

2007-08-24T22:54:00.000-05:00

iPhone Unlocked!

2007-08-24T14:45:00.000-05:00

Wow---I knew this wouldn't take long but hot tamale Holly this is crazy...engadget talks about the program and process here:

http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/24/iphone-unlocked-atandt-loses-iphone-exclusivity-august-24-2007/

Here's a link to the unlocked iPhone on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230164884672

The Invisible Children

2007-08-22T20:26:00.000-05:00

Here's an organization which I hope all readers of my blog will check out and seriously pray about how you may play a role in supporting the work they're doing. Denison Witmer has a great intro, and awesome song. Watch the video then visit:

Invisible Children

Time for Sufjan...

2007-08-22T20:15:00.000-05:00

It's been long enough without a post for my dear friend Sufjan's music. Incredible music by a talented musician...

SimpleSpark - 5000 Web Apps

2007-08-22T13:28:00.001-05:00

Just be careful, this could cause tremendous dizziness!

Video from the TED Conference...Outstanding

2007-08-01T20:14:00.000-05:00

Merlin Mann

2007-07-25T20:27:00.001-05:00

This man is great...

2007-07-10T22:53:00.001-05:00

The Difference between Religion and the Gospel

By Pastor Mark Driscoll

Religion says, if I obey, God will love me. Gospel says, because God loves me, I can obey.

Religion has good people & bad people. Gospel has only repentant and unrepentant people.

Religion values a birth family. Gospel values a new birth.

Religion depends on what I do. Gospel depends on what Jesus has done.

Religion claims that sanctification justifies me. Gospel claims that justification enables sanctification.

Religion has the goal to get from God. Gospel has the goal to get God.

Religion sees hardships as punishment for sin. Gospel sees hardship as sanctified affliction.

Religion is about me. Gospel is about Jesus.

Religion believes appearing as a good person is the key. Gospel believes that being honest is the key.

Religion has an uncertainty of standing before God. Gospel has certainty based upon Jesus' work.

Religion sees Jesus as the means. Gospel sees Jesus as the end.

Religion ends in pride or despair. Gospel ends in humble joy.

Oh Joshua...

2007-07-04T21:18:00.001-05:00

You keep putting out the hits...

Here's a post from my friend Joshua's blog from a week or so ago, but much needed and things I'm dealing with lately...

The Essentials...

The less I have, the better off I am.

The more I have, the more complicated things become.

Traveling has been one of my greatest teachers in regards to these concepts. I value being taught by professors and such, but there’s nothing like getting your feet dirty in another culture’s soil. It is difficult to describe in text the experience of staying with a family that doesn’t speak your language. To some this would be very, very uncomfortable.

To me, it’s quite possibly heaven on earth.

I wish that I could sum up my experiences from this past year and a half throughout all 21 countries, but I think that would take an entire memoir, of which I do not feel qualified to write.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

One of the things I have learned, especially in that last year, is that I do not own anything, and yet I own everything.

All things are ~~mine.~~ Creation is ~~mine.~~ All truths are ~~mine~~ to claim. All teachings are ~~mine~~ to grasp.

And yet, in the same breath, all of my things are on loan. They are not really ~~mine. I~~ may seem to have possession of them, but they are not ~~mine.~~ They are only given to me to use. I hold them all open handedly.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I college I used spent one of my spring breaks living out of a backpack. I’d drive up north in Virginia, drop my car off at a not-so-reputable hotel, and then a buddy of mine would drive me maybe 50 or 60 miles south and drop me off to make my way back to my car on my own.

Me. A pair of boots. Food. Some clothes. Gear. A bible. A book. Sunflower seeds. A pipe. A backpack. Happiness.

As I walked I thought about how little I really needed to survive. Food. Shelter. Clothes. And I have noticed the same to be true in regards to how God designed us to live. It seems that Jesus was quite often found saying how difficult it is to be rich and how blessed the poor really are. Jesus is constantly frustrating me like that. In my opinion he could have made things much more believable and neat if he would have just explained things a tad bit more. This is only my opinion, and I have been known to be wrong ~~some~~ most of the time.

Traveling brought me to the same conclusions. I would go from country to country with only the things on my back to keep me going day to day. I would try to meet as many people as I could (sometimes to find a place to stay or some free food to eat. Stop judging me.). We would trade stories and books and advice on where to stay next. I discovered that I had been so dependent on so many things at home, thinking that I couldn’t live without them. How could I survive without a car? New clothes? or Apple products? NO! Impossible. I refuse to entertain it.

But I think Jesus was right.

And so I’ve been trying to change how I live. I am trying to realign my life to understand the essentials and to hold loosely the non-essentials. I’ve made a few lists. It’s ok if you disagree with them.

Let’s start with the essentials:

• Food

• Shelter

• Clothing

Right. That’s about it. It’s interesting to see what Jesus said was important and what was not.

There are a few places where Jesus says that we shouldn’t worry about what we’ll eat or what we’ll wear and such, because God loves to provide those things for everything and everyone. From birds to boys in Indiana. This has been huge for me. It is in God’s nature to give me the things that I really need, and so I don’t have to worry about them at all. He’ll take care of it.

(Now it should be noted that you and I and others might disagree on what it means to have food and clothes and shelter provided. Maybe someone can live on much, much less than I, and therefore their definition will be different of what it means for God to provide.)

Now let’s move to my list of non-essentials of which I am trying to hold with open hands.

The non-essentials:

• 1990 Honda Accord w/ moon roof

• The Soup on E!

• Apple

• Tents (including tarps strapped to trees)

• XMU on XM Radio

• Coffee (Believe it or not, I actually prefer Folgers.)

• NPR

• Nikon, Polaroid, Canon, Holga (Thanks Tim for the new Spectra.)

• 35 mm and medium format film

• Music:

My all time desert island top 5 albums (in chronological order):

1: Les Miserables || Original Broadway Cast Recording (1987)

2: Jimmy Eat World || Bleed American (2001)

3: Death Cab For Cutie || Transatlanticism (2003)

4: Matt Redman || Facedown (6.15.2004)

5: The Album Leaf || In A Safe Place (6.21.2004)

• Musical Instruments

• Montrail Running Shoes

• The Internet

• Flickr Pro Account

• Coca-Cola Classic

• A razor (That’s easy.)

• My Rainbows and Chacos

• B o o k s

• Wendy’s Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers

• The North Face Denali Fleece

• Nalgene Water Bottles

• Moleskine

• A few choice beverages

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

All of the non-essentials are nice to have, but are not necessary for living. When I start thinking that I can’t live without any of those items, that’s when I have to really reevaluate my priorities. Because if I don’t have them, tomorrow is still going to happen. Tomorrow will still come. If I lose something, it’s fine. Tomorrow will still come. If something gets stolen, it’s ok. If I or someone else breaks something, life will continue. We will be ok. (Hello Jeff Pamer.)

I want to hold all of my possessions with open hands. If I have food, shelter, and clothing then I’ll be alright.

I know a few people who are absolutely generous with everything they own because they know that it’s not really theirs. They’ll let you borrow any single thing they own if you need it (or even if you don’t need it, because need is a fascinating concept).

As I take steps toward these things, I find freedom. The less I have, the less I feel chained to having and gaining, and the more free I feel to share and be giving. I’ve also found that I’ve become more innovative with the things that I have. I have a few friends who can take a little and make it into a lot. They are thrifty and creative, and this is inspiring to me. Very McGuyver.

I do not claim to have arrived. I am at the beginning of this eternal process. It ranges from economical to financial to physical. It is a holistic shift that has begun to open my eyes to a new kingdom which was there the entire time, but I was unaware of it.

2007-06-23T19:06:00.000-05:00

It's the night before Logan's 2 month birthday and he's taking his first plane ride tomorrow. Cayden is 2 1/2 tomorrow and it's his 100th flight. Amazing how time flies, literally...

I've been dealing a lot lately with the issues of simplicity. How does it look for someone in middle class America who has a good job, good home and a good family. How can one live out "simplicity" where we're at, and how does that differ from someone else in the inner city, say the Camden House, The Simple Way or other similar groups.

I'm getting closer to the position that God calls us all to different lifestyles, but it's what we do with our resources and how tightly we hold them that is the true issue. I've found myself ready to clean my office and closets over the past few weeks, but then realized two things---what is my motivation for doing so? Am I truly doing it out of a giving and sacrificial heart or to "check of the box" and feel good about myself.

The second thing is I realize how materialistic I really am as when I pick something up I can find a reason to justify why I can't give that away---point proven.

I really got to thinking more after reading Joshua's post over here:

http://www.thelongbrake.com/blog/2007/06/12/the-essentials/

He seems to have it right---at least in the mindset...oh well. Pressing forward for a busy week...and trying to do my best to keep my eyes on Him and off of me.

Timing

2007-06-21T09:47:00.000-05:00

I've read before that every nail Jesus nailed in as a carpenter was as much doing the will of God as each nail He was nailed to the cross by. A trembling thought.

When Would Jesus Do? When God said so.

Freedom

2007-06-18T16:24:00.000-05:00

Awesome post on RelevantMagazine.com right now...

Freedom—I want to be free.

I want to hold back the hands that cut, unlock the prison doors, dance in the sun rise and swim in the waves. I want to scream truth louder than the lies, give the hungry, thirsty, homeless and poor everything they need to meet every single need they have and will have. I want to not be crippled by my past and shortcomings. I want to encourage rather than gossip. I want to bring healing. I want to comfort those who mourn. I want to proclaim victory. I want to lead the way to freedom. Where children can laugh and dance and be embraced by their parents. Where the poor are rich and the last are first. Where addictions are weak and chains are broken. Where the only blood that will be shed has shed and cheeks know not the touch of tears. Where hearts are confident in love and community thrives in fellowship. Where slavery is nonexistent. Freedom. Freedom. Freedom.

I really believe on a deep level that you are reading this, and you agree. I really believe on a deep level that this desire is written on our hearts that beat and long to be intimately known and intimately loved, reverberating with souls craving intimate acceptance and intimate freedom. The rocks don’t need to cry out. Our hearts are loud enough.

I don’t claim Jesus of Nazareth because I think it makes me better than you on any falsely-determined level. I don’t claim Jesus of Nazareth because He told or forced me to. I claim Jesus of Nazareth because He didn’t just say these needs needed to be met and someone should do something about that. I claim Jesus of Nazareth because He rose up and met them, because He broke addictions, because He ended slavery, because He conquered evil, speaks only truth, comforts those who mourn and grasps every starving heart and holds it to His. I claim Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ because He proclaimed freedom to prisoners and liberty to captives.

I cannot offer you that kind of love. I claim the man who can.

Verily, today there is freedom.

Happy Logan

2007-06-16T14:21:00.001-05:00

Happy Logan
Originally uploaded by JJ S.

Finally managed to capture Logan when he's smiling!

Just a great expression...

Simple Summer Morning

2007-06-07T15:42:00.000-05:00

Logan

2007-05-10T14:16:00.001-05:00

Logan Matthew

2007-04-24T20:16:00.001-05:00

Logan Matthew
Originally uploaded by JJ S.

Born 4/24/07 at 5:14AM.

He is 7lbs 14oz.

20 1/2 inches long

Liviu Librescu: Holocaust survivor and Hero

2007-04-19T13:39:00.000-05:00

http://www.roanoke.com/vtvictims/wb/113497

Caroline Merrey is one of the students who jumped.

It was a frightening whirlwind. An average Monday in professor Liviu Librescu’s solid mechanics class that in a blink turned from reviewing homework to the unmistakable pop of gunshots outside her Norris Hall classroom.

In the flurry of students dialing 911 on cell phones, taking cover on the floor and twisting open second story windows to escape, Merrey, 22, glanced over her shoulder before jumping.

“I just remember looking back and seeing him at the door,” the Virginia Tech senior recalled of her professor. “I don’t think I would be here if it wasn’t for him.”

Help My Nonprofit, Packs of Promise

2007-04-10T11:33:00.000-05:00

Avaaz.org...Video Winner at NTEN

2007-04-09T22:30:00.001-05:00

What do you think?

NTEN Conference

2007-04-07T12:09:00.001-05:00

Click To Play

Techies for good talk about their work and vision.

Cayden is FAST.................

2007-03-15T23:22:00.001-05:00

Bye for now...

2007-03-15T22:42:00.000-05:00

Leaving Arizona...for now...

Riding the Train in Scottsdale

2007-03-09T20:07:00.000-06:00

A Thought for Lent

2007-02-26T22:55:00.000-06:00

“What matters in conversion is not how, or how quickly, we are turned around from going our own way to going God’s way, but that at the end of the day we have indeed been turned.”
—N.T. Wright

Messy Lives

2007-02-26T19:27:00.001-06:00

May we all give God room to get the glory in our broken, messy lives.

Kibera

2007-02-09T10:43:00.000-06:00

Puppy Playing in the Snow

2007-01-23T23:18:00.001-06:00

Puppy Playing in the Snow
Originally uploaded by JJ S.

Puppy doesn't like the snow very much...