11.3.09

the Church divided makes things messy

...to attempt the very extirpation of the name of Christian; and it was unfortunate for the Gospel, that many errors had, about this time, crept into the Church: the Christians were at variance with each other; self-interest divided those whom social love ought to have united; and the virulence of pride occasioned a variety of factions.

--John Fox(e)
  Fox(e)'s Book fo Martyrs
  Regarding the persecution of Christians in 249 A.D


9.3.09

Handling Conflict Sermon Series Graphic


I'm pretty happy with the way this turned out.  It'll end up on the Saline Community Church website.

If you have a moment take a brief survey about that church's website here.

7.3.09

42 Things (at the behest of my wife)

1. Do you like blue cheese?
     Yes, preferably Maytag Blue Cheese

2. Have you ever smoked?
     Cigars and pipes...yes; salmon...not yet.

3. Do you own a gun?
     
Yes. a BB rifle.

4. What flavor of Kool-Aid was your favorite?   
    
Grape...and what this "was" business...I still buy it when the wife ain't lookin'.

5. Do you get nervous before a doctor appointment?
     Maybe "nervous" is the right word; who likes getting his prostate checked anyway (some of you need to refrain from answering that.

6. What do you think of hot dogs?
     I think they have magical properties that make them taste better than they really do, and that it's probably based on some kind of GPS system: my kitchen=low, the deck/porch=better, a campsite=delicious, the ballpark=sirloin.

7. Favorite Christmas movie?
     Die Hard

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? 
     Latte

9. Can you do push ups?
     As far as you know, yes.

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry?
     My wedding band. (A close second is the sweet turquoise bolo tie made by Grandpa Fred Lewis).

11. Favorite hobby?
     Sleep.

12. Do you have A.D.D?
     Depends on who you ask.

13. What's one trait you dislike about yourself?
     My affinity for food.

14. Middle name?
     John

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment?
     A. How long can a two year old repeat the exact same thing?
     B. This list is taking longer as I'm typing it with only one hand because of "A" above.
     C. Where's Aimee?

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?
     Water, Coke Classic, Coffee.

17. Current worry?
     I hate the word "worry"; my greatest concern my wife's upcoming neurology visit.

18. Favorite place to be?
     Walking in the woods.

19. Who did you ring in the New Year with?
     My wife, Caleb & Joshua, My brother-in-law & his wife from PA!

20. Where would you like to go?
     The British Isles, New Zealand, Anywhere in the world we have friends.

21. Name three people who will complete this?
     Me myself, and I.

22. Do you own slippers?
     Yes.

23. What color shirt are you wearing right now?
     White.

24. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?
     Aimee's answer: "Never have  :(  Matt is afraid he would slide out of bed.  :)"

25. Can you whistle?
     Yes.

26. Would you be a pirate?
     Not today.

27. What songs do you sing in the shower?
     Usually don't because it'd wake the family.

28. Favorite Girl's Name?
     Aimee

29. Favorite boy's name?
     Tie: Caleb and Joshua.

30. What's in your pocket right now?
     Nothing.

31. Last thing that made you laugh?
     My kids.

32. Best bed sheets as a child?
     I wanna say Star Wars (is that right mom or was it just sports stuff?)

33. Worst injury you've ever had?
     Broken left arm.

34. Do you love where you live?
     I agree with Aimee: "Saline is the best place I have ever lived.  I love the people here but not my house."

35. How many TV's do you have in your house?
     2, unless you count the computers and iPod.  I do.

36. Who is your loudest friend?
     Joshua.

37. How many dogs do you have?
     Pets = 0.
     Shoes = 3 pair.

38. Does someone have a crush on you?
     I hope so...where is my wife, anyway. Aimeeeeeeeeeee!

39. What is your favorite book?
     The Bible...sorry to get all churchy on ya, but its got a bit of everything in there.

40. What is your favorite candy?
     The kind you eat.

41. What is your favorite Sports Team?
     I am currently obligated to say the University of Michigan Wolverines.

42. What song do you want played at your funeral?
     This list grows constantly:

     Love That Will Not Let Me Go - Steve Camp

     Arise, My Soul, Arise - Charles Wesley (performed by Twila Paris)

    

Trading My Sorrows (worship video w/ lyrics)




The Wonderful Cross (worship video w/ lyrics)




Phil Collins - Take me home

23.2.09

Good Kids Make Good Music

How do you convey to people you invest in that they've got something valuable inside them, that they've got something special that could change their own lives and the lives of others?

As a former English teacher, it's so refreshing to see students of the past making their way. 

I guess I could say I was "proud" of them, couldn't I?  I don't think it would diminish their hard work.


Rodney Parker and Fifty Peso Reward from Sixgun Studios on Vimeo.

Rodney Parker, vocals
Brooks Kendall, bass (I think)
Danny Skinner, accordian

Way to go guys!  Hope your efforts bring you all the good stuff you desire!

17.2.09

They were out of the five gallon bucket...



12.2.09

"The Man" (humbly submitted for your enjoyment)

It should be noted that this post is scheduled to go live while I'm at my Wellness screening. I guess I'm just not well.

-----Original Message-----
From: Sean Green [mailto:sXXXXg@umich.edu]
Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2009 8:46 AM
To: Raghavan, Rajeev; Gheen, Brandon
Cc: Adams, Matthew
Subject: The man

Hi Rajeev and Brandon,

Brandon was there but these are the pics depict the awesome manly statement that Matthew made last week at the Active U salad potluck.

The man heated up cheeseburger pie during a salad fest.  Brilliant.

What more could you ask for?  Kudos Mr. Adams.

-Seanio

4.2.09

If you have a vested interest in humanity (or marketing), watch this 2x


Leo Burnett Group Predictions 2009, Future Trends in Marketing

  1. New Realism - a grounded social and creative phase
  2. Hyper Reality - changing the status quo in real time
  3. Trust Economy - the value of showing concern
  4. Eco Austerity - moving green from moral issue to and economic one
  5. Digital.tv - media neutral (tv) entertainment
  6. Thread Marketing - content free from central control
  7. Generation Game - economic climate pushes mass gaming at home
  8. The End of Fact - perceived wisdom changing and being cherry-picked
  9. Brands as Vehicles - not just a destination, but a vehicle
I look forward to #1 the most and detest #8 the most; perhaps the struggle in the current economic state is to both remain grounded in whatever reality we perceive.  Additionally, I feel a little anxiousness over the idea that individuals will force, by whatever means they deem necessary, self-serving agendas on the masses because the outworking of such a "factless" society is one where
only those with power can create right and wrong...a dangerous proposal. 


What Truth is unchanging/-able?