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connect the dots

lots on the go in my head, and in one way or another it’s all connected…

office hi jinks

commanding the attention of the male patrons, the slender blond makes her entrance. laid bare are her shoulders and perhaps an indication of her self esteem. she’s made her point, we’ve chomped at the lure. meanwhile behind the counter, the blond employee sneaks some festive looking chocolate chips. sometimes it’s so hard to hide things.

very short stories

a few weeks ago i was introduced to hemingway’s ‘6 word story’ over at the winterbeard. (which btw is becoming one of my favourite blogs to frequent). here are two that i’ve since written:

“bone on wood. door opens. yes?”

“pictures are face down. nobody’s noticed.”

in honour of blondel i too have grown a winterbeard:

photo-37.jpg

one hundred and twenty days

i can hardly believe that the first four months of life for theStory have passed. wow. january 7 we ‘publicly launch’. the living room days are over. i wonder if we’ll miss them.

saskatoon

for the first time ever, i’ll be in saskatoon this july speaking at a jr. high camp. this is part of the way i make my living these days (though i do have some reservations that i’ve been mulling over the last 18 months or so) so if you need someone to talk at people, please inquire. i can talk about anything…music, vintage automobiles, ice cream, God stuff…thanks to phil for passing my name along.

creativity

eugene peterson once said that pastoring can be one of the world’s most creative jobs. i need that to be true. but where does creativity and the pastorate truly intersect? what’s the difference between progress and abuse? for the love of the gospel, is there really a difference?

$14 including tip

once a month i engage in deep conversations with my 63 year old barber. religion, politics, tomato plants…you name it. i keep telling him i come back for the talks and not the haircuts (though he’s very good). in keeping with a tradition that calls back to the last time i lived in sarnia, today after my haircut he gave me a bottle of his homemade wine for xmas. what could be better than an italian barber?

touching bottom

for some reason mondays have been low and depressing days for me. they’ve also usually been my day off. i wonder if there’s a connection. this past monday in particular i was in the tank. anybody else ever felt that vibe?

crappy churches

how is it possible that poorly led churches continue to exist?

what’s worse?

annoying cell phone ringtones or the loudly obnoxious conversations that follow?

Filed by Joe at December 19th, 2006 under Church Planting, Office Stories

nice bread…jeffs brother grows his bread as well…he lets its grow from the opening to the closing of duck hunting season…which is from sept-dec. it gets crazy wild…he looks like a bush man…but i guess it keeps him warm on the lake on cold days. im glad i didnt marry that brother. ;)

Comment by ness — December 20, 2006 @ 5:43 am

ok it would be nice if i could spell @ 8:30am….so im sure that you understand i ment beard…NOT bread!!! hehehe

oh that note i think im going to have some toast.

Comment by ness — December 20, 2006 @ 5:46 am

Why do crappy churches exist?
They exist for the same reason crappy TV shows and crappy movies and crappy books and crappy magazines exist. Because the people buying them, for lack of a better term are ‘crappy’. People don’t want to be challenged or engaged they just want to zone out. So you have 20 seasons of Survivor and American Idol and only 2 of Arrested Development. This may sounds like an indictment but I think the less people like something or are attracted to something the better it is.
I’m sure US Weekly has a higher subscription rate than The Economist, but that sure doesn’t make it better.
And yes, I’m rambling.
BTW, nice beard. Are you just growing it to show everyone that you can?

Comment by Chris — December 20, 2006 @ 7:08 am

chris: agreed. and yes on the beard. :)

Comment by Joe — December 20, 2006 @ 8:44 am

Hey wait a minute - I’ve watched every season of Survivor…….(well maybe 8 of the 13) yet I too agree that the only reason crappy churches exist is because the people attending have no interest in being challenged or engaged. “Zoning out” makes sense to me - it’s the only way they could sit through some of those sermons and not question what the heck the preacher is talking about??? My real concern - when will the insanity end??

…. awaiting Survivor Fiji

Comment by Liz — December 20, 2006 @ 9:18 am

I stoped watching Survivor after the 1st guy won the million (what was his name).
I’ve noticed there’s nothing great on TV (especially the last 2 weeks since Studio 60 is pausing for the holidays).

Comment by david — December 20, 2006 @ 9:27 am

I hardly watch any TV anymore. But when I do, I end up watching Seinfeld or Simpsons re-runs. Is this because I don’t want to take the time to start watching a new show or because there is absolutely nothing worthwhile on TV?

Comment by Chris — December 20, 2006 @ 10:36 am

FYI - First survivor winner: Richard Hatch.

Might I suggest “24″ !!
New season begins in January …..

Funny, I find I still enjoy a Seinfeld episode. (Even the 3rd or 4th time around.)

Comment by Liz — December 20, 2006 @ 10:58 am

the office is hilarious. watch that.

curb your enthusiasm: funny too.

simpsons: i’ve lost my taste for it.

24: predictable.

survivor: helleishly redundant.

seinfeld: always a good watch.

Comment by Joe — December 20, 2006 @ 11:09 am

Present:
I’m into STUDIO 60 - I love the politics, and used to be a West wing fan back in the season 1-3… plus I think M Perry and B Witeford do a great job.

HEROES - bad acting, but interesting layered storyline

I’ve watched a whole of 2 episodes of SCRUBS, and I thought it was pretty good.

Past:
I watched every season of ALIAS - on TV - Franca and I got into that.

I’ll have to do 24 via DVD, b/c I’ve neve sat down to watch it, but heard it’s good.

People tel me I should watch LOST, but we’ll see about that.

Comment by david — December 20, 2006 @ 11:45 am

the first season of LOST was awesome. watch it.

Comment by Joe — December 20, 2006 @ 11:49 am

An Italian Barber…good Wine!

Crappy Churches exist because of 1) crappy chrisians or 2) Christians that put up with crappy churches

Comment by jonathan — December 23, 2006 @ 5:34 am

I think sin is the main reason there are so many crappy churches.

If there was less sin unatoned for and more people justified, then our churches would be godly. Since people do not believe in godly living, their salvation istelf could be questioned; as godly living is a product of salvation. If our congregations were godly, one would think twice rather than accusing them of being crappy. For a godly church is pleasing to God, and anyone who calls that church crappy would be disregarding the thoughts of God.

Comment by Brian — January 20, 2008 @ 12:55 pm

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