Category Archives: Soapbox

PC Christmas

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For those of you that were offend by our “Merry CHRISTmas” yesterday… We’re sorry.

Not really, but for those of you that are overly sensitive here is a PC Holiday Greeting: Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. We also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2006, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. And without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee. PS: If you ARE offended by this whole Christmas thing, We — as a matter of personal social conscience — will thoughtfully take any and all Christmas presents off your hands. Simply contact us via our email or text the word “Gifts” to 101909 and we will send you information on how to ship them to us.Thanks Sarah

Reasons Not To Be A Minister

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I met a girl on ThanksMas that was looking to move down here from Boston. She liked the area and was pursuing a career with Young Life. Apparently there are more positions available locally than up North. After further conversation she admitted the following:

…Well, I dropped out of college… I tried the whole job thing and I didn’t like it — so I decided I’m going into full time ministry… Yeah. Ok, I understand not everyone sees the problem — people seem to be commonly blinded by religious commitment and miss the motives. Not liking work is not a “calling” to ministry. There’s a reason it’s called “work” and not “fun” or “play time”. Don’t like your job? Get a new one. Don’t like your options? Get additional training or education.Now don’t get me wrong… I don’t have anything against a calling for ministry in general or Young Life in particular. But a calling is more than avoiding pain, responsibility or effort. Personally, I believe everyone is “called” to something — some vision, some milestone, some purpose. Your calling may have a spiritual aspect, but I view a “calling” more holistically. What makes you tick on the inside, your passion in life will effect more in your life than just your job or your spiritual walk. It will affect every aspect of your life.

Don’t know your calling? I recommend 48 Days To The Work You Love. While this is a work focused book, it approaches it in such a way as to discover your gifts and passion and move you towards things that use them in the real world. So while it is task driven, your task may end up be feeding the homeless in Nigeria… or clearing mine fields in the Balkans… or even becoming the music minister at your church. BUT more importantly than the tasks it helps you find, is the clear sense of purpose you can discover while ferreting out said tasks.

French React

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Now as we enter day 13 of rioting in France… the French finally admit it is an emergency. Hundreds of people were arrested last night, which lessened the destruction by about half. 600 cars and several business still burned despite the curfew and police actions.Apparently the mulism youths are using blogs, cel phones, and text messages to coordinate their efforts and evade police. Time will tell if the new measures will put out this firey outrage or simply slow its spread… as copycat riots have begun to spring up in Germany.

I heard someone on the radio ask “So, when the insurgency in Iraq becomes less than the insurgency in France… does that mean we’ve won?”

  • State of Emergency Declared in France (Nov 8)
  • State of Emergency Begins in France (Nov 9)

    • French Riots

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    Muslim youths have been rioting for days with no apparent end in sight. Burning cars seem to be the destruction of choice. Initially, I thought the rising numbers of burned cars reported on the news was a running total… 300, 600, 800, 1000… and then I learned it was actually an escalating number of cars burned per night.

    The scary part is that France doesn’t seem to have a good handle on how to quell the unrest. When many would think clamping down on the rioters is the proper course of action, the French government seems to be teetering towards appeasement by promising to increase welfare benefits to the “suburbs” (projects).

    Myers Changes My Outlook

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    Harriet Meyers withdrew her nomination to the Supreme Court yesterday, but you'd never know it to look at the news feeds. I actually had to search to find any word of her today. Apparently Mrs. Miers has already faded into history. The withdrawl was a big victory for Conservative Republicans who were shocked to find out that controling the House, Senate, and the White House was not enough to merit a stronger candidate. In fact the nomination was so "stealth" that it seemed neither the Republican Majority nor the Democratic Minority knew what to make of her. The end result was both sides at the same time attacking and defending her with pauses for confused contemplation. But the nomination was actually a watershed moment for me. It was her nomination that I realized that solution to "legislating from the bench" and the need for "judicial restraint" was not going found where most were looking for it: a Supreme Court nomination. A supreme court nomination. A nomination that would upset the balance — or maintain it. As long as the nominee ends up being who everyone thinks they will be — perceptions which have turned out wrong on many occasions. No, the problem will not be solved by "a" or even several nominations. The problem can only be truely stemmed by something stronger: a constitutional ammendment. We actually need three. Three seperate ammendments to steer this country back to the greatness it once held and guard to it's path in the future. But more on that later…