My List of 10 Things

Just yesterday I received two similar posts, 10 Things to do Before I Die from Wayne and 10 Things to do to Improve Your Blog Karma from Rohit.   Like the previous "5 things you didn't know about me" thing there must be a "List of 10 things" thing going around.  And hating to be left out of the party, I figured what he heck, let me come up with my list of ten . . . Read on if you dare.

Now what will my list be . . .
10 most awesome muppets
10 ways to to look like you are working at a coffee shop
10 ways to shame your children while seemingly being a good parent
10 Cheesy "Chick Flicks" that I totally cried at
10 Ways to prove to haters that I still have testosterone after said movies

Aw, heck with it, "10 Random Things That Have Been in My Head" and in no particular order.

1. I love family // yesterday I had dinner with my cousin, Tiffini, and her beau after she spent the afternoon mallratting with Annie.  It is always fun to help further explain the intricacies of family systems to one who was not raised in said family system.  Hey, if you can't laugh at your own dysfunctions how will we keep ignoring them?
2. When blogging turns ugly // Damn, this sucks.  Brian Bailey tells the story of a blogger who has had to shut down because of death threats.  If you proceed to the the bloggers explanations, be warned that some of the stuff is graphic.  I guess it is bound to happen, but man, what is this about?!?!?!?
3. What does a yellow light mean? //  While "researching" for sermon clips, I ran across this clip from Taxi.  Quite possibly the funniest TV gag EVER.  It is the episode when Jim takes his driver's licence test.   It is five minutes long and builds up speed.  You will giggle in your head at every traffic light. [YouTube Clip]
4. So you think you're hip? // As part of my Doctor of Ministry program I am studying these people called the Cultural Creatives or Creative Class.  Mostly they are, well . . . YOU!  So as soon as you/we/I think we are these very cool with-it independent thinkers.  Guess again!  We are merely lab rats - although trendy, progressive-minded lab rats - for the sociologists, advertisers and church planters to manipulate and mold.  Case in point, Richard Florida's blog on the Creative Class of which he is "The Guy" - The Creative Exchange.  LOVE IT!
5. Even good transitions are hard. // What happens when the church one serves starts to grow even a little faster than one thought it would?  Hmmm . . . let me think, you run away and hide amidst the onslaught of administrative and pastoral duties . . . oh no, that's not it.  Oh yes, we are proactive and we talk, think, pray through stuff.  So at the end of this week I will recently have had Coffee Conversations - why do I capitalize that? - with 18 leadership and members about our growth and how not to stifle it.  For those churches on the way up or down in size, here is a MUST READ Alban Institute article on Church Growth Stages.  Invaluable.
6. I claim my dorky old-schoolness. // Yes, my 20th HS Reunion is coming up this year, but so what!  I love my MTV!  As a continuation of my sermon "research" I bring to you for your listening enjoyment and old school loving: Lakeside's [Fantastic Voyage] // Chaka Khan [Through the Fire] // Young MC [Bust a Move] // DeBarge's [Rhythm of the Night] // and before the principal nixed it, the original theme for my senior ball Freddie Jackson's [Rock Me Tonight]. I can't imagine why he felt it was inappropriate ;-)
7. It is a cult, because Wired says it is.  // Last week I posted two entries [#1] [#2] on this weird world of the Apple Macintosh "Cult."  Thanks to DJ Chuang who sent me this NY Times article Apple Cult Becoming a Religion and the Cult of Mac blog from Wired Magazine, I now know that I am correct.  Oh well, drinking our own kool-aid as they say . . . ew.
8. Quiet is over-rated. // With Robin, Evelyn and Abigail in France [See Blog] [See pics] and Annie with my mom, the house and life are eerily quiet for most of the day when I usually am with them.  Then comes the night . . . nope, still quiet.
9. Mid-terms are for losers. // I still have a paper that I have to write that I am disparately avoiding doing.  Of course today is really the only day to do it as I packed the rest of the week with aforementioned Coffee Conversations, meetings and other random church activities.  Hmmm . . . wonder if anything good is at the movies?
10. Play Ball!!!!! // Only six more days until Major League Baseball's - the only true American sport, that and competitive eating BTW - OPENING DAY BABY and only 13 days until the Oakland Athletic's Home Opener.  Oh yeah and just 12 days from the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, of course I remembered ;-) . . . hmmm, I wonder what position Jesus would play?

Damn, there is a lot of useless crap rolling around in my head.  Enjoy!

Comments

[Wayne]

Hey thanks for the link! I like your 10..
thursday? I am confused.. email me...

[LadyBurg]

You have a lot of randomness in your head but it all makes sense somehow.

That is one scary looking animal! What is it?

[Mark]

#1 - I've seen this too.

Recently, my wife and I went to a family gathering (her side) for her Mom's birthday. One cousin brought a new boyfriend. It was interesting watching my wife take him through Brennan Indoctrination Class during dinner. Interesting because her brother had taken ME through the same class almost 20 years ago.

The Circle of Life.