Ten things I’m thinking this morning

I’ve been letting neglecting this blog. I need to ease my way back into the process of writing, so I’ll do something a bit fluffy and roll out a little “Ten Things I’m Thinking This Morning.”

 

1. I think Facebook needs to add the capacity to write in italics so that its users can evolve beyond the ALL CAPS emphasis.

 

2. Book that I want to read this month: Thy Kingdom Connected by Dwight Friesen.

 

3. Book I’m glad I read this month: A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller. For the foreseeable future, my mantra is going to be “Live a good story.” I think this book changed me. Maybe in a few months I’ll be able to prove it.

 

4. I think that the Facebook pages created for non-entities (e.g., Bare Feet, Texting in Awkward Situations, Sunsets) contribute to the eventual undoing of Facebook, expediting Facebook’s destiny to become the new MySpace (embarrassingly juvenile, provoking shame) while some other social media site emerges as the new Facebook.

 

5. Book for which I’m becoming impatient: Myth of the Blueprint by Greg Boyd. This article (dense but lovely) has me salivating to read the entire work: http://www.gregboyd.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/two-motivations.pdf

 

6. Two more wins and Ohio State is in the BCS. Just saying.

 

7. I spend a lot of my time working in coffee shops — putting together Paradigm’s liturgies, updating our website and social media, assembling print materials, and meeting with people in our community. So having a few different coffee shops I can rotate between helps to keep me sane. 

 

Here are the factors that I consider when choosing a place to get some work done (listed in order of importance):

- availability of electrical outlets (if I can’t use my computer after a few hours, there’s no use)

- proximity to home

- quality of drinks

- quality of music played (none is better than bad, but good is best)

- design and decor of space (will sitting there for a couple hours stifle every ounce of creative spirit?)

- store hours (most mornings I get going at 6:30-6:45, and every now and then I have a night where I’m plugging away at 10:30)

- size of tables (can I have my computer, a stack of books, and a drink on the table and not feeling scrunched?) and space between tables (when I get up from my table, am I going to need to straddle five other customers to get to the door?)

- friendliness of staff

- vibe of customer base (can I get things done around these people?)

 

That said, my favorite place in Seattle to get things done is Q Cafe. They have plenty of outlets, Stumptown Coffee, solid music (almost always), and good-sized tables spread out in an open, creative-feeling space. On top of that, it’s six blocks from my house. And they donate 10% of their sales to organizations and non-profits that are making a difference in the world.

 

8. I taught at Paradigm last night — talked about Micah 6.8, Jewish imagery for “walking with God,” and mitzvot. I don’t hate teaching, but I’ve become less and less enthused about public speaking, in general. If I ever needed to teach on a regular basis, I feel like I could get by OK. But Julie is just so much more natural at it — she thinks as a teacher, and has such an authentic understanding of the material that she doesn’t need to give as many hours to on-the-spot preparation during the week. 

 

Julie and I are very big about moving into an ethos of teaching rather than preaching. Most Christians either have no understanding or alarming misunderstandings of the central narrative and major motifs of Scripture. They’re really good at being rallied and riled up, but they lack biblical literacy. I think I would be a good preacher, but I don’t think faith communities need preachers as much as they need to get a clue theologically. Good teaching helps toward that end. I’m glad Julie’s a natural teacher so that I won’t often have to be.

 

9. The Electronic Age is the great equalizer in our world today. Experience still matters in terms of character and wisdom, but in terms of navigating through our present world — regardless of what market/sphere you work in — rapid change humbles and equalizes. Financial recession aside, it’s a good time to be young, I suppose; you’re treading water, but so is everyone else.

 

10: Meh. It turns out I only had nine things to say.

NFL Week Eight preview: Colts and Saints give us more of the same

Last week: 10-3

Season total: 71-32

 

Houston at Buffalo

The Bills have been giving QBs fits in recent weeks, but none of those QBs were of Matt Schaub’s caliber.

Texans 24, Bills 19

 

Cleveland at Chicago

Are you kidding? Northwestern could best the Browns these days. OK, that’s exaggerating. But USC or Florida might smash them, for real.

Bears 34, Browns 10

 

Seattle at Dallas

They’re starting to heat up in Big D. Tony Romo throws for 300 yards and four scores.

Cowboys 38, Seahawks 21

 

St. Louis at Detroit

A multi-win season in Detroit after Matthew Stafford returns to the lineup.

Lions 27, Rams 24

 

San Francisco at Indianapolis

We might see WR Anthony Gonzalez back in the lineup this week. As if Peyton needs more weapons for his arsenal.

Colts 38, 49ers 16

 

Miami at New York Jets

Sanchize strikes back.

Jets 24, Dolphins 10

 

New York Giants at Philadelphia

Overshadowed by the World Series showdown between the same cities, the Big Apple has to settle for a split.

Giants 30, Eagles 27

(Phillies 8, Yankees 5)

 

Denver at Baltimore

The Broncos might have enough gap discipline to hold Ray Rice in check. I don’t see Joe Flacco winning this alone.

Broncos 20, Ravens 16

 

Jacksonville at Tennessee

It won’t necessarily be the result of the QB shift, but Vince Young will get to play hero for a day.

Titans 23, Jags 20

 

Oakland at San Diego

The Raiders almost robbed the Chargers in the season opener. I don’t see the Bolts being caught off-guard again. Lots of Philip Rivers in this one.

Chargers 35, Raiders 3

 

Carolina at Arizona

Jake Delhomme returns to face the team that assaulted him in his playoff meltdown last January. He’ll be revved up for this one. Maybe too revved up. 

Cardinals 38, Panthers 17

 

Minnesota at Green Bay

I’m picking with my heart on this one.

Packers 30, Vikings 24

 

Atlanta at New Orleans

The Saints have run-the-table potential. Drew Brees continues his mastery and the Saints play tough run defense against Michael Turner.

Saints 31, Falcons 24

Thanks, readers

I just want to thank everyone who has been stopping by this blog – this June has now brought in the most hits of any month in the blog’s year-long history. This blog has always leaned toward being more of an op-ed than a forum, and I appreciate that there is room in the blogosphere for that style of writing.

My commitment is to improve the amount of professionalism with which I write and to balance judiciousness with enough forthrightness to keep things interesting.

Shalom,

Paul

Fixed post

I edited one of my posts from the other day because I felt like I could be clearer in making my point. So I used better examples and made some categorical distinctions. 

Anyway, you can read it here.

Sorry…

… for the long hiatus. I’m a chump.

Or at least someone who’s been overzealous about his job and putting a lot of hours in, and had to replace his computer a few weeks back.

Nonetheless, I’m deserving of your smite.

Best time of the year

It’s finally here.

Let’s go to the highlights

I’ve been posting a lot in the past week – so much so that I’ve buried some of the week’s longer posts with some quicker thoughts. 

To look at the “best” posts of the week (and I use that word in the most relative sense), click here and maybe here. And if you’re really free on time and want to go for three, try here.

A word about this blog.

I constantly edit previous posts on this blog, sometimes for grammatical discrepancy and sometimes for content. Blogs can be fairly shameful in that opinions – even those opinions that are held for thirty seconds during a fit of rage – can be published for all the world to see. In situations where I find my previous posts to be unclear, malicious, false, or even too brilliant and true for the common man, I reserve the right to completely change my published opinions. Fittingly, we’re in an election year – what says politics like wavering stances?

 

So you’re going to want basically re-read the blog in its entirety each time you visit. 

 

(And thanks for visiting at all.)