dog: the bounty hunter

Have you seen this show?

This show is wild...and it's A&E's highest-rated show ever.

And, I have to admit, I like the show. It's kinda like watching a train wreck...you just can't turn away. It's predictable--same thing happens every week...chase the bad guys, cuss at the bad guys, threaten them, catch them, buckle them with seatbelts into your wife's minivan, give them a lecture on life and all the lessons you've learned, get emotional and sentimental with them, give them a hug, turn them over to the authorities.

It's must-see TV!

Here's a bit of a paradox that seems to happen every week on the show: red-neck, cig-smokin', mullet-boy Dog circles his team up for prayer before a hunt. They pray for safety, success, etc. in Jesus' name and then they go and cuss people out. Dog claims to be a born-again Christian. It's...well, let's just say...it's very interesting.

And how 'bout Dog's wife, Beth. I'm guessing that we all know someone like Beth... You know, she thinks she's hot but she's really just...well...large? Got the long fingernails going, lots of makeup, tight clothes, bleached hair, etc. Cracks me up.

I wonder if someday I will hear or read about the Dog getting shot and killed. I have always thought the same about The Croc Hunter, too.

I read an article recently where Dog was asked what he'd be doing if he wasn't a bounty hunter (which, by the way, he says is his "destiny").

His answer? Robbing banks.

marketing ploys that give me fits

I was getting gas today...btw, gas prices are OUTRAGEOUS--$2.899.What ever happened to $1.79? I'd be happy to pay $1.79...although 2 years ago I'da been ticked to have to pay even $1.79...but I'm off topic.

So as I'm getting gas, I'm looking at the sign with the prices on it...And I'm thinkin' a couple of things...1. Why do they stick the signs way up in the air for interstate traffic to see, boasting their price (which, btw, is the same as everyone else's)? And they do this even if the price is too high. Puzzles me.

But even more...who is the stinkin' guy that came up with the little "9" that get tagged on to the end of all the prices (as in $2.899)? I HATE that.Why can't it just be $2.90? And the crazy thing of it is...every gas station does it...so nobody's gaining any advantage by using the little nine...but they all have to because everyone else does it. What's up with that?

And how's this for another crazy marketing ploy (or should I say, "scam")?

About a week ago, my computer got hijacked. Ever happen to you? My homepage was changed and I COULD NOT fix it. I kept getting message alerts telling me I had to buy software that would fix the problem...the problem started by the company trying to sell me the software. It's like online extortion. They wanted $49.95 to fix the problem they created. Unbelivable.I finally fixed the problem for free...but it took me about 2.5 hours to figure out how to do it.

Grrrr.

so if sfmc small groups are now 'closed', how do new folks get in a small group?

This is a question that I get asked from time to time. There are three primary ways for people to connect to a small group at SFMC:

1. Attend a Starting Point Orientation. Starting Point is a 13-week small group experience that offers a taste of small group life while providing a next-step for participants to get into a group. After the 13-week SP group, group members have the option of continuing as a “regular” small group or attending the next GroupLINK event. Follow this link for more information.
2. Attend a GroupLINK. GroupLINK is the primary way we connect people to groups at SFMC. GroupLINK is offered four times a year (the next one is August 25). At GroupLINK people get to meet and connect with others in their area and/or stage of life to start an eight-week Starter Group. At the end of the eight weeks, group members have the option to continue in the group for an additional 10-22 months or they can bail out…and maybe try another GroupLINK hoping to find a better “fit.” To learn more about GroupLINK, follow this link.
3. Get invited to a new group that’s forming. When it’s time for your group to multiply, the new groups that are forming will populate their groups in two primary ways: 1. the leaders of the new groups can attend a GroupLINK event and hook up with people looking for groups. 2. The leaders of the new groups can invite folks they know who aren’t already in a group. They can bypass the GroupLINK experience if they want to. For example, I know my group is set to multiply in January, 2007. And I’ve already invited people to be a part of my next small group. In the meantime, they can attend Starting Point, or if they don’t want to wait that long to get into a group, the can go ahead and attend a GroupLINK.

guess i opened a can of da vinci worms

Here are a couple of people's responses to what I had to say about The Da Vinci Code movie last week (along with my latest response):

Response #1:

Yay for John! That's exactly how I was going to respond but he said it
better than I would have. We are actually going to have some training
sessions with our Starting Point leaders on how to answer questions about
this. There were many questions when the book was really popular a few
years back too.

Response #2:

Dear (friend), I agree with your first rational (the original email sent to
everyone) and disagree with your pastor (John). Do not support Hollywood's
garbage by going to the movie. There are many ways to find out facts without
funding the evil. I would suggest going to the library and get the book
that the movie is based on. You do not have to see the movie. That is like
saying you have to watch porn to say that it is evil. I have been around a
long time and seen all the excuses and have seen the consequences of such
logic. It is wrong! Please, please do not go to the movie. Please, ask
your pastor if he is going to have an affair so he can relate to those that
do? Is this an exageration? Do you give money to the drug addict or
alcoholic when you know that they will take it immediately to buy what will
continue to destroy. Then why would you give money to a filmmaker that is
destroying? More thoughts to ponder.

At first I thought the above not worthy of a reply...but I just couldn't resist. Here's my response:

I hesitate to respond to the email you forwarded. Looks like someone who's
already made up their mind and cannot be reasoned with. But that's
okay...everyone's entitled to their opinion and I respect that one (although
some of the comments were ridiculous--porn, affairs, etc.). With that said,
here are a couple things we need to remember about this movie:

The Da Vinci Code is fiction. It has no basis in reality. It is a well-written, entertaining book (and movie, I'm sure) – but that is it. Dan Brown, the author, is of the persuasion that these ideas about Jesus are true. Since there is no historical, Biblical, or theological basis for his beliefs, Dan Brown presented them in a fictional account.

The movie will confuse lots of people, but Jesus will become the centerpiece of many conversations. For those who are prepared to explain that Christianity rests on solid foundations, the opportunity will be tremendous.

The Bible warns us of false teachers who "secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them" (2 Peter 2:21) — and stresses the importance of "speaking the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15). So to me that says we should educate ourselves so we're standing on a firm foundation of truth and can introduce others to the real Jesus Christ.

Care to weigh in? E-mail me. I open to all opinions and ideas.

how should christians respond to the da vinci code?

I received this email from one of our church attenders today. My guess is that this email is working its way around:

WHAT ARE YOU DOING MAY 19TH?

May 19th is the date the Da Vinci Code movie opens. A movie based on a book that wears its heresy and blasphemy as a badge of honor. What can we as Christians do in response to the release of this movie? I'm going to offer you the usual choices -- and a new one.

Here are the usual suspects:

A) We can ignore the movie. ........

The problem with this option: The box office is a ballot box. The only people whose votes are counted are those who buy tickets. And the ballot box closes on the Sunday of opening weekend. If you stay home, you have lost your chance to make your vote heard. You have thrown your vote away, and from Hollywood's point of view, you don't count. By staying home, you do nothing to shape the decision-making process regarding what movies will make it to the big screen.

B) We can protest. ........

The problem with this option: It doesn't work. Any publicity is good publicity. Protests not only fuel the box office, they make all Christians look like idiots. And again, protests and boycotts do nothing to help shape the decisions being made right now about what movies Hollywood will make in the next few years. (Or they convince Hollywood to make *more* movies that will provoke Christians to protest, which will drive the box office up.)

C) We can discuss the movie.

We can be rational and be ready with study guides and workshops and point-by-point refutations of the lies promulgated bythe movie. ........

The problem with this option: No one's listening. They think they know what we're going to say already. We'll lose most of these discussions anyway, no matter how prepared we are, because the power of story always trumps the power of facts (why do you think Jesus taught in parables?!). And once again: rational discussion of history does nothing to affect Hollywood's choices regarding what movies to make.

But there's a fourth choice.

On May 19th, you should go to the movies. Just go to another movie. Save the date now. May 19th, or May 20th. No later than Sunday, May 21st --that's the day the ballot box closes. You'll get a vote, the only vote Hollywood recognizes: The power of cold hard cash laid down on a box office window on opening weekend. Use your vote. Don't throw it away. Vote for a movie other than DVC. If enough people do it, the powers that be will notice. They won't have a choice. The major studio movie scheduled for release against DVC is the DreamWorks animated feature Over the Hedge. The trailers look fun, and you can take your kids. And your friends. And their friends. In fact, let's all go see it. Let's rock the box office in a way no one expects -- without protests, without boycotts, without arguments, without rancor. Let's show up at the box office ballot box and cast our votes. And buy some popcorn, too. May 19th. Mark your calendars now: Over the Hedge's opening weekend. Buy a ticket. And spread the word. Forward this e-mail to all the Christians in your address book. Post it on your blogs. Talk about it to your churches. And let's all go to the movies.

I sent an email back. Here's what I had to say about it:

May I offer an option "E"?

E. Go see the movie! Put yourself in a position where you can speak knowledgably to others about it...instead of just being "the Christian who's opposed to everything. I say go see it, learn about it, find out what they're saying about Christ...and then REDEEM the movie. Maybe as Christians we should be about to say to our friends, families, and coworkers, "Yeah, that was a great movie! If you're interested in learning more, well, our church is going to talk about the movie on weekends. And they're not going to slam it, or put it down...they're just going to investigate things more thoroughly...with an open mind...they'll probably even talk about some stuff that the movie hasn't even thought of.

I believe we have an incredible opportunity to take something that the Devil intended for evil and turn it around. This is a time when many people are going to be asking questions and exploring spiritual matters...let's redeem it! I don't want the church to be a bunch of fuddy-duddies who alway disapprove of everything. The movie is a fictional piece, and needs to be understood that way. I could go on and on but I won't. Anyway...I say we embrace it, and then we redeem it.

--JB

P.S. (and that doesn't stand for Princess Sophie either--you'll have to have read the book to get that)...Where did this email originate? My guess is that it MAY be from the marketing staff for the "Over The Hedge" movie. Just a thought.

tesh knows community

So I'm driving home from Cincinnati last night, scanning the radio stations looking for '80's music. No luck there, so I settled for the John Tesh Show. You know, "Intelligence for your life." Right...

Anyway, Tesh starts talking about stress in guys' lives, how it affects their health, and what they should do to combat it. Here's what he said:

• Are you stressed out the entire time you're at work?
• Do you feel like your office is a shark tank-With everyone fighting to stay afloat?
• And finally-Does your job require you to put in long hours with little recognition?

Guys, if you answered 'yes' to even one of these questions, you could be putting yourself in some serious danger! According to Prevention Magazine, men who constantly feel stressed at work have double the chance of developing diabetes than men who work under happier circumstances. And once someone gets diabetes, it puts them at risk for other life-threatening illnesses like heart disease, kidney damage, and even blindness!

So why does a high-stress job put men at risk for illness? Dr. Meena Kumari, an epidemiologist at University College London says men can get sick under high-stress situations like work because anxiety raises your level of stress hormones. These stress hormones wear down your body.

Dr. Kumari says high-anxiety jobs aren't as dangerous for women because when a woman is upset, she'll usually go talk to her friends about it...But men don't share their feelings as often, so the stress builds up.

So guys-How can you counter all that job stress? The experts at Prevention Magazine recommend the following:

• Number one: stay active. Studies show that 30 minutes of exercise 5 times a week can lower stress levels.
• Next: eat smart. Work stress can drive even the healthiest eaters to snack on fatty, sugary foods this is what causes Type II diabetes.
• And the final tip for staying healthy with a high-stress job: be social. Set up a regular night out with your friends. You'll find that relaxing with your pals once a week will help you feel less anxious.

So, of course, you already know what I'm thinkin' (outside the Bunn, right?)... I'm thinkin': Tesh's description of what to do sounds like a commercial for group life: Regular night out with your friends, relaxing with your pals once a week will help you feel less anxious...here's an idea, guys, join a small group!

Hey, if not for your spiritual health, will you at least do it for your physical health (and who knows, you may even get end up becoming spiritually healthy in the meantime--BONUS!).