February 2013
1 post
October 2012
2 posts
5 tags
The Machine
Tonight, I had the privilege of hearing my favorite singer-songwriter Derek Webb in concert, supporting his new concept album, CTRL. Webb’s album seeks to sort out the tenuous relationship between technology and culture. Under his own admission, he’s addicted to devices, as am I. He also sees trouble with this coming - somewhat prophetically. After wrestling with this relationship for...
July 2012
2 posts
11 tags
How American Healthcare Works Right Now & Why It...
Over the last few weeks, healthcare has been a hotter topic than usual thanks to a recent ruling by the Supreme Court making the Affordable Care Act (popularly/mockingly referred to as “Obamacare”). Click the video to see President Obama’s summary.
Many of my friends, family members, and colleagues have been asking me what I think about it. My response has been what it usually...
June 2012
1 post
May 2012
1 post
April 2012
1 post
March 2012
3 posts
15 tags
Hunger Games Review
My wife and I decided to visit the midnight showing of The Hunger Games, both knowing basically nothing of the books or story. Those who have read the books and bought the lunchboxes, give this pedestrian grace as I will analyze this piece of film.
For those who are in the dark as much as we were, Hunger Games is a story of post-apocolyptic world where a nation celebrates an important war victory...
7 tags
The Propaganda Wagon
This week’s monstrous Kony 12 video (which at the time of this writing has 38 million views on YouTube and 12 million on Vimeo) has rocked social media and the concept of non-profits. I’m not here to present a commentary on the video or its cause. I think there’s something perhaps more important going on, here.
For going on two days, the video and its organization have been in...
Plastic Culture
I worry about the humanness of my generation and those that follow us. I worry about myself, as well.
While I was driving two days ago, I reached for my cell phone which had notified me of a message that had the potential to be important. As I checked it while sitting at a stoplight, I had an epiphany: my world is plastic. For two days, I have been deliberately observing how much of the...
September 2011
1 post
How an Ex-Audiofile Rediscovered Music
Years ago as a teen, I found myself mowing yards and making money only to sink it quickly in CD purchases. That was the 90s when CDs were the only way to go and $14 would seem like a bargain. Then the Internet happened.
In 1999, I arrived in high school and heard a few peers talking about a bountiful forrest lush with free music called Napster. I had dabbled in a bit of online file sharing, but...
June 2011
1 post
4 tags
Repenting
Repenting is a tough thing to do. A lot of times, its easier to hold dearly to the things that we know we should rethink and change. I suppose the things that are hardest to repent might be the most important.
When I repent of my screw-ups, anger, jealousy, etc, I will find ways to examine it. Journaling. Sitting in silence to meditate about it. Exploring how it came to be. I pray for God to...
May 2011
1 post
“Classically, there are three ways in which humans try to find transcendence -...”
– The Pastor, A Memoir Eugene H. Peterson
April 2011
3 posts
3 tags
Rebuke
Years ago on an old blog, I received a comment that was the harshest rebuke I’ve ever received. The blog itself has questionable content, but looking back, this rebuke is still awesome.
What life-long profound and comprehensive discipline have you engaged in to enable you to presume to lecture others on how they should live?
Who were/are your LIVING Spiritual Teachers? Such Teachers...
15 tags
Re-placing Scripture
I’m a fan of the Bible. I’ve read it more than any other book and am moderately familiar with portions of its origins, (take the Deutero-Isaiah controversy or the “Q Source Hypothesis,” for example). All that being said, over the last few years, I’ve heard voices muttering concepts about the Scriptures that have helped me to re-place the Bible in a healthier context.
...
10 tags
Phelps
Tomorrow, I’ll be interviewed by a radio show on KVCO of Concordia, Kansas sometime from 5-7 PM. It might turn into a returning segment with the host. This week’s topic will be the lightning rod of controversy that is Westboro Baptist Church and the Phelps family. For those of you who have managed to avoid this group’s message, it involves a strong disdain for homosexuality and...
March 2011
2 posts
20 tags
Review: Love Wins
I finished up Rob Bell’s new book, Love Wins yesterday and have been surprised at the number of people asking what I think. I think all the hoopla surrounding the book is pretty staggering, with Good Morning America interviews, Twitter melting down with talk of theology, and more. Under his own admission, the book says nothing new - its a composite of a lot of other’s views with...
Dark
I would like to post more, but I’m tired of being criticized. So I don’t.
December 2010
2 posts
Forming Teens
I work full-time in a youth department for a large, suburban church. I have been there as a student or leader since 1999 and have seen several “cycles” of students come and go. All the while, it seems that there’s an underlying belief from parents and students that weekly Wednesday night experiences and supplemental meetings become the primary means of formation for young...
Why an Apple Hater got an iPad
This week, I tweeted that I had obtained an Apple iPad. My work laptop had died, and after a month of pondering and researching, i made the decision to move to Cupertino. Those who know me well know that I have a strong disdain for Apple, despite having been a former iPhone owner. I figured that explaining how I ended up with this may help some others as they consider iPad.
To begin, let’s...
March 2010
2 posts
15 tags
The Politics of Grey
I find myself in an intriguing position when it comes to politics. My family is traditionally conservative, while my wife’s family is more progressive/liberal. As a result, both sides are convinced that I’m “on the other team.” Perhaps I am in the middle somewhere. Or perhaps its something else.
This week’s debate about the merits of a more centralized health care...
Listen
February 2010
3 posts
19 tags
God's Multi-Generational Plot
I have come to embrace the idea that our beliefs need not be limited to a bulleted list of maxims. The tale of Christianity is one that stretches thousands of years of plot twists, betrayals, failure, and hope that can be told in many ways. Over the past year or so, I have been working to frame it into a summation. It is best conveyed verbally, but here is a stab at what it looks like.
From out...
2 tags
Accounts, Google, & YouTube
Tonight I went on a binge changing my personal email address and passwords associated with the address I’ve had since 2003. I still have my professional address, but but changing the ID, a Spamified account is now tamer.
What I realized from all this is JUST how integrated my life has become with the Internet. How many companies, ammenities, opportunities, and ideas are tied to a screen?...
Today
My wife began her new job at a local call center. I didn’t get called in to substitute teach today, so here I am at home with a rare day alone. I’ll probably do some church work today, but I haven’t had a day at home alone in about 6 weeks since The Wife got home from Korea.
January 2010
45 posts
6 tags
Doubledose of Big XBOX 360 News
Its not everyday that my two favorite video game franchises release huge news. But its very, very few days that both drop nuggets of goodness for us to devour.
Gears of War
Epic Games delicious franchise is allowing Capcom to utilize Marcus & Dom from Gears of War fame in their upcoming Lost Planet 2 title. Having recently purchased Lost Planet 1 (though not playing it yet), my interest is...
CNet: AT&T/Verizon raise prices, hidden under... →
MaBell & Veriwi have both dropped their unlimited calling packages, hoisted as a price war and giving more value for the consumer.
At the same time, they are now going to require people with quick messaging phones (ie LG Neon & LG Envy) to have a data plan. Great. So the Samsung Impression I bought to AVOID a data plan & the MotoQ we bought my wife to AVOID a data plan (by buying it...
Time For Kids | Classroom | Home | The State of... →
The big story here is not kids views about Obama, but what kids are wishing for. Our culture is “scripting” them to lust for certain things for their lives - charting their course with compasses of hope for (in this order):
Money (27%)
Possessions (15%)
And these rank higher than: happiness, a long life, and a better world.
Say hello to the children of Empire.
We have an...
10 tags
Why I don't play Modern Warfare 2 (but do play...
These days whenever I sign onto XBOX Live, I am greeted by a friends list of people who are almost all playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Over and over I receive online invites to play along, and a few friends who are stumped that I don’t play the game. That being said, I figured it might help to get a few thoughts about this subject out.
First and foremost, this is a finely crafted...
Pandora vs last.fm
Web radio is really coming into its own, and two services are really at the top of the heap (though others are also popular). Here are my thoughts about these two services:
Pandora For several years, I’ve been an off-and-on Pandora user. Fueled by what they call the “Music Genome Project” Pandora has a massive catalog of songs, each categorized by over 400 attributes, such as...
Hait’s annual GDP: $8.5 billion. Amount paid out in bonuses to executives of Goldman Sachs: $20 billion. http://bit.ly/8HknNm
For those wondering, I’ll admit: I missed 3/4 of my playoffs picks this weekend. And THAT is why I love this game! Vikings-Saints RAWKS!
Dear Wild Wings Patron: Still wearing Crocs? Thanks for sticking around! Sincerely, 2004
I am saddened today by the death of 2007 Buccaneers #4 overall pick, DE Gaines Adams. Dude was my go-to defensive player in Madden. RIP.
This is the biggest attendance i’ve seen in The Link, our tween service. NFL picks: Cowboys over Favre & Chargers beat J-E-T-S
Sports radio stations 610, 810, 1500, & 1550 all covering ncaa hoops instead of nfl playoffs. NO ONE CARES UNTIL MARCH! #terrestrialfail
Solomon’s Porch employee away so i answer phone. Prank call: “can you make love in the syrup?” me: no. “do you have any books on it?”
Check off bucket list item #48: nearly faint while donating blood.
Haven’t been in a Dollar General in a loooong time. This joint doesn’t look like a flea market anymore!
Carshopping. Two cars in bad shape with high repair costs. If anyone has a fresh car laying around you wanna give away, i’m your guy!
Heard a dastardly rumor about 22 inches of snow next week. If ANYONE mentions a white Christmas this year, i may go Ren Hoek.
Febreze is the college dorm’s equivalent to the washing machine, but far faster.
Late night tumblog “Wrestling with God.” Doubting God? Frustrated? Good news! http://bit.ly/7LHYGn. Site is http://bradmeyerlive.tumblr.com
Wrestling with God
In conversations with people both professionally and personally, a lot of people connected to me are wrestling with God. Some are doubting God, others are angry with God, while others just don’t know what to think.
Monotheistic history is riddled with tales of people who had epic struggles with God. Moses argued with God. Job blamed God for all his woes. Adam wanted to be like God, then hid...
Wondered how @stephaniemeyer has so many followers. She gets gobs of messages from fans of a poorly written saga thinking she is the author.
Wait: RISK is coming to XBOX Live? Wow - there’ll be nothing like building up Australia for hours my couch! SIIIIAM! http://bit.ly/6kMyG8
Oh Converse Chucks. Thou art so comfortable, yet in the snow, so incapable.
Listen
Getting radio station at 1500am out of Minneapolis coming in as clear as KGNM. Take that Michael W Smith!
