Winning on Wednesday - Exercising the Soul

What do I mean by that? Well, just that. Exercise. Here we are at the start of a new year. Like many others, I have made the New Year's resolution to lose weight. I need to shed some pounds. But, I have also reached an age where I can't lose weight that easily any more. I have to make changes to my diet and, more importantly, get more exercise to get my heart rate up, increase my muscle mass, and improve my overall physical condition.

To this end, I am cutting excess calories out of my diet, trying to eat more healthy foods and do some physical activity nearly every day. Each day at lunch, I try to walk for at least 20 minutes. I have also joined a countywide effort here called York County Shrinkdown, where I have to weigh in each week. So, I have made changes to my lifestyle and have added a modicum of accountability by weighing in. But, you're wondering, what does this have to do with my soul. It's simple.

Just like I need to exercise my body, I need to exercise my soul - or more specifically, my relationship with God. During the Holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year), my quiet times and study, sadly, suffered. I have noticed this, just like the extra pounds I put on in the last half of 2006. Beginning the year, I am out of shape physically and spiritually, both of which will require work. This is where I see my challenge:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

1 Corinthians 9:24

As a Christian, how can I run the race if I am out of shape. So, for the new year, I guess you could say my Resolution is to improve my condition both physically and spiritually.

Now Playing: "Lost at Sea" by Jimmy Needham

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Global Warming - Are Absolute Arguments Causing Problems?

I'm sure that some that read my blog would agree that the topic of Global Warming has become too political. That's why I was interested to come across this article in the Houston Chronicle. The article presents some interesting concerns from those that are studying the planet's climate regarding the Global Warming debate.

The article gets right to one of the concerns:

"Some of us are wondering if we have created a monster," says Kevin Vranes, a climate scientist at the University of Colorado.

Vranes, who is not considered a global warming skeptic by his peers, came to this conclusion after attending an American Geophysical Union meeting last month. Vranes says he detected "tension" among scientists, notably because projections of the future climate carry uncertainties — a point that hasn't been fully communicated to the public.

The science of climate change often is expressed publicly in unambiguous terms.

For example, last summer, Ralph Cicerone, president of the National Academy of Sciences, told the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce: "I think we understand the mechanisms of CO2 and climate better than we do of what causes lung cancer. ... In fact, it is fair to say that global warming may be the most carefully and fully studied scientific topic in human history."

Vranes says, "When I hear things like that, I go crazy."

But, he's not the only one expressing concern. The article states that although there is consensus that the climate has warmed, there is debate as to the details.

Gerald North, professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University, dismisses the notion of widespread tension among climate scientists on the course of the public debate. But he acknowledges that considerable uncertainty exists with key events such as the melting of Antarctica, which contains enough ice to raise sea levels by 200 feet.

"We honestly don't know that much about the big ice sheets," North says. "We don't have great equations that cover glacial movements. But let's say there's just a 10 percent chance of significant melting in the next century. That would be catastrophic, and it's worth protecting ourselves from that risk."

One of the other interesting observations presented in the article deals with the way the Global Warming discussion has been handled up to now. Unfortunately, both sides have chosen to deal in absolutes.

Judith Curry, an atmospheric scientist at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has published several research papers arguing that a link between a warmer climate and hurricane activity exists, but she admits uncertainty remains.

Like North, Curry says she doubts there is undue tension among climate scientists but says Vranes could be sensing a scientific community reaction to some of the more alarmist claims in the public debate.

For years, Curry says, the public debate on climate change has been dominated by skeptics, such as Richard Lindzen of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and strong advocates such as NASA's James Hansen, who calls global warming a ticking "time bomb" and talks about the potential inundation of all global coastlines within a few centuries.

I would agree with her assessment on this. I am also glad to see, as the article notes, that more and more scientists are entering the discussion, but from a position that is less absolutist in nature.

To clarify for my readers - yes, both of you :-) - I agree with the observations that our climate has warmed some recently. However, I still have questions regarding the details. What percentage of this increase is due to human activity? What percentage is due to natural cyclicality? What percentage is due to variability in solar output? What percentage is due to changes in our planet's orbital ellipse and axis tilt? Can these questions be answered simply and definitively, I'm not sure. But they are questions that I have.

I welcome more moderate minds to the debate. Dealing less in absolutes, I believe, will make folks more willing to debate and ask questions. The quote provided at the end of the article from Roger Pielke is quite appropriate:

"The case for action on climate science, both for energy policy and adaptation, is overwhelming," Pielke says. "But if we oversell the science, our credibility is at stake."

Scientists have a duty to explore our planet and the impact we have. But, I believe they also have a duty not to use scare tactics or absolutes on either side of the debate.

Now Playing: "Rock The Party" by POD

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Global Warming - Ah..The Open Minded Debate

It appears that some supporters of the Global Warming Theory have ratcheted up their desire to end all debate on the topic. Thanks to Drudge for posting a link to this blog post. It seems that Dr. Heidi Cullen from over at The Weather Channel wants to end any and all debate on Global Warming.

In her post she states:

I'd like to take that suggestion a step further. If a meteorologist has an AMS [American Meteorological Society] Seal of Approval, which is used to confer legitimacy to TV meteorologists, then meteorologists have a responsibility to truly educate themselves on the science of global warming. (One good resource if you don't have a lot of time is the Pew Center's Climate Change 101.)

Meteorologists are among the few people trained in the sciences who are permitted regular access to our living rooms. And in that sense, they owe it to their audience to distinguish between solid, peer-reviewed science and junk political controversy. If a meteorologist can't speak to the fundamental science of climate change, then maybe the AMS shouldn't give them a Seal of Approval. Clearly, the AMS doesn't agree that global warming can be blamed on cyclical weather patterns. It's like allowing a meteorologist to go on-air and say that hurricanes rotate clockwise and tsunamis are caused by the weather. It's not a political statement...it's just an incorrect statement.

This tirade was in response to an interview posted over at Capitolweather.com where a meteorologist questioned, albeit mildly, Global Warming theory. Interesting - although it should be noted that hurricanes do rotate clockwise, in the southern hemisphere.

Here's one more example.

A U.S. based environmental magazine that both former Vice President Al Gore and PBS newsman Bill Moyers, for his October 11th global warming edition of “Moyers on America” titled “Is God Green?” have deemed respectable enough to grant one-on-one interviews to promote their projects, is now advocating Nuremberg-style war crimes trials for skeptics of human caused catastrophic global warming.

Before anyone starts. Yes, I know that, currently, evidence is supporting the Global Warming theory. Yes, those that are skeptical or have ANY questions about Global Warming theory are in the minority. However, I find it, well, lamentable that there are those that would seek to squelch any debate on this topic.

Now Playing: "Rebirthing" by Skillet

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Winning on Wednesday - Patience.....patience

Not one of my strong points for sure. I don't have patience as a general rule.

Events of the past few days have reminded me of that. Several things have happened that have pushed my patience to the limit. Sadly, I don't turn to God and pray for patience as I should. That's probably also why this entry will be so short. So, what should I do? I should turn to God instead of turning to aggravation, anger and impatience.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.

For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
Psalm 37:7-9

Here are two more that hit me in the gut every time I read them:

The end of a matter is better than its beginning,
and patience is better than pride.
Ecclesiastes 7:8

Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit,
for anger resides in the lap of fools.
Ecclesiastes 7:9

I still have a lot to learn. I still have a lot of growing to do. It's not easy, but with God's help, I can get there.

Now Playing: "The Wait is Over" by Disciple

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2007 Winter Forecast - UPDATE

Accuweather issued a press release today providing their take on where this warmer-than-normal (so far) winter is headed. I've quoted some pretty significant portions from the release

The unseasonably warm winter experienced by much of the country is likely to "turn on a dime," in the words of AccuWeather.com Chief Long-Range Forecaster Joe Bastardi.

Bastardi said that the weather pattern from mid-January through mid-February has a chance to mimic the winters of 1965-66 and 1957-58, each of which ended cold and stormy after a warm start. A worst-case scenario would be if this winter plays out as did the winter of 1977-1978.

Similar to this year, 1977-1978 was a winter with a waning El Nino. After a tepid start, the second half of the winter was noted for its cold and remarkable storminess, including back-to-back-to-back blizzards in the Northeast.

"Those who think that winter 2006-2007 is going to remain mild are in for a shock," said Bastardi. "Winter is likely to come with a vengeance. A week from now, we'll start seeing truly cold air across much of the country, and we expect this change to last."

....

Much of the nation will then have a cold weather pattern for the second half of the month.

Long-range forecasting expert Bastardi points out that it's too early to say with certainty that the change in the weather pattern will be long-lasting or produce heavy amounts of snow. However, he believes that if the weather pattern reaches its full potential, the dramatic change from warmth to cold could result in "one of the top-five coldest 30-day stretches in the past half century."

I believe it's important to note that Joe Bastardi pointed out analog years for what we are seeing now. I'm sure he used modeling data in parts of his assessment. From reading his forecasts and columns in the past, it is apparent that he views historical trends, cycles and patterns as VERY important to predicting what is to come. Personally, I would like to see some snow and cold weather here...mainly to go sledding with my kids.

On a side note, We have already had one announcement this year that 2007 will probably be the warmest on record.

I guess we'll know when we know.

Now Playing: "The Feel Good Drive" by Anberlin

Technorati: 2007 Winter Forecast, Global Warming

Winning on Wednesday - What's My Purpose?

Why am I here? What's my purpose in life? What should I be doing RIGHT NOW, RIGHT HERE? What should I be planning to do in the next few years? I think these are all questions we have asked ourselves many times in our lives.

While sitting in our break room at work, I pointed out to a co-worker of mine that I had noticed something very odd about the snack machine. It wasn't that there weren't any cookies or no gum. This was even more strange. I asked him if he could use his BlackBerry Pearl and take a picture of it and send it to me so I could use it. Well, what WAS it, you're wondering?!?!

Simple, braille keys on a glassed-in snack machine!

No braille menu. No braille guide. Nothing. So, here's my question for this week.

Do you feel like braille keys on a snack machine? You know you must have a purpose, but no matter how hard you try, you can't figure out what that purpose might be. As in the example here, the braille keys are very useful to someone that is blind, if they have a guide. Perhaps a menu telling them what to do with the braille keys. Perhaps a friend or guide to tell them what's in the machine and tell them the right information so they can use the keys correctly.

But how does this apply to our Christian lives? I believe that many times, we view the skills, talents and gifts we've been given as braille keys on a snack machine. We know they are there, but have no idea what we should do with them. That's where depending on God through what He has revealed to us in the Bible and what He reveals to us through prayer comes into play. Here's what God has promised us:

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11

I don't have it all together by ANY stretch of the imagination. I still wonder what I'm going to do when I grow up. But I know if I stop and listen to God, His plan for me is for good.

Now Playing: "Breathe You In" by Thousand Foot Krutch

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Tase Me, Tase Me Please

WSJ Online is giving daily updates on what's going on at CES (the Consumer Electronics Show). Now, I've been to this show before and it is HUGE. It dwarfs all other trade shows I've ever attended - even the storied SuperComm of years past. Today's edition proves that people will try just about ANYTHING. Here's the first paragraph:

Taser International is showing off its new C2 Taser in a booth jointly sponsored by Nissan and Playboy, and if that doesn’t get people’s attention, nothing will. Deanna Brooks (Miss May 1998) and Alison Waite (Miss May 2006) are signing photos (there is a line), and a handful of Nascar-suited guys help volunteers experience a Tasering first-hand.

Hmm, not sure I see the connection between Taser International, Playboy and Nissan. Other than the pure play of fast cars and sex to get attendees, which are mostly men, to check out the new Taser.

So, that part is explained. But what about people choosing to be tased? The only people I've ever heard about choosing to be tased made those choices while under the influence of "adult" beverages or illegal substances. And only then after being urged to choose otherwise. The thrill? A t-shirt "I survived the TASER!"

This gives me an idea. If you've ever been to Myrtle Beach, SC, you see these businesses everywhere where tourists can climb a rock climbing tower, get a Henna tattoo, or other such fun. Now, I'm going to open one where you can rock climb, get tasered and get a t-shirt claiming you've done BOTH. I'd be a millionaire by July 4th!

Now Playing: "Forever" by Third Day

Technorati: CES, Consumer Electronics Show, taser

Five Things You May Not Have Known About Me

Well, I got called out to post this. According to Chris who called me out, I have to post 5 things you probably don't know about me. Then I get to link to 5 other people and challenge them to do the same.

So, here goes:

1. I met my wife at a funeral. Yeah, yeah....start with the comments.

2. I once gave the invocation at a Furman University football game. It is so hard to speak at a stadium and hear your own voice with a 1 second delay!!

3. I've worked in church multimedia production for nearly 20 years. I now teach volunteers at other churches about multimedia as a contractor for the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Over the 20 years, I have mixed house sound, mixed TV sound, run theatrical lighting (including programming custom shows), created multimedia presentations, edited video, worked as a camera operator and installed equipment. (I would LOVE to do this for a living...but then I probably wouldn't enjoy it so much.)

4. I worked as a Spanish translator for a while, spending every day translating financial documents from Spanish into English for publication. Woohoo - - how mind numbing.

5. One of my lifetime goals is to set foot in all 50 states. Since I travel a good bit for work, I've picked up a fair number of states in the last few years. So far I've visited 25...I think. 25 to go.

So, now I'm passing the challenge to um, uh.....hmmmmm, I don't have any to refer to. Chris took one of the only personal blogs I read (other than his).

Now Playing: "No Longer" by Decyfer Down

Winning on Wednesday - Who's Welcome Here?

I guess this post will have to cover both last week's WoW and this week's WoW. I was home for 11 days straight during the holidays and didn't log on all week. That was strange. Anyway, for anybody that normally reads this column, I apologize for missing last week. So, where am I going today?
This week's topic was initiated by my wife. The day after Christmas, we were headed to visit my parents. We were driving on a two lane highway cutting between two of the Interstates we have to take to get to their house. Anyway, we passed a church with a sign out front that caught her eye. What did the sign say?

All Believers Welcome!

So what's wrong with that you might ask. Well, my wife was the first to react to it (I didn't see the sign), but the more she talked about it, the more I agreed with her. That's not the kind of sign that a church should put up. Why?

First, let me state that I believe I understand what the church was trying to accomplish. I believe they were simply trying to reach out to people of any denomination. But, in doing so, I believe they may have alienated many of those in the community they are trying to reach. Although the message was one of inclusion, many may interpret it as, "You can come, as long as you're a believer, otherwise...stay away." That's not the message any church should be communicating to their communities. But sadly, many are. There's a great article here that gives "10 Reasons Why People Skip Church". Let's look at the 10 reasons:

1. People in churches are hypocrites. (Or: You wouldn't believe what a Christian did to me!)
2. I don't have time. Sunday morning is the only day I can sleep late.
3. I don't have nice clothes to wear to church.
4. I don't need to go to church. I can worship God, even when I'm fishing.
5. Church is not important.
6. Church is for good people who haven't messed up. You don't know where I've been or what I've done.
7. There are so many churches ...
8. There are so many denominations ... even Christians can't agree among themselves about what the Bible means.
9. I don't believe in God. Christians are dangerous fanatics, politically unpopular and always trying to shove their beliefs on others.
10. I've been thinking I'd like to go to church. But I don't know anyone. And I don't know what to do, where to go, what to expect when I get there.

I added emphasis to five of the reasons above. I believe the type of sign put up by this particular church sadly strengthens these five reasons why people avoid church. As the Bible states:

So he told them this parable: "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Luke 15:3-7

Jesus came to save the those that are lost. If we are telling the lost they aren't welcome in our churches, then we are going against what Jesus intended for us to do.

I think the song "My Jesus" by Todd Agnew sums it up perfectly. I've heard the song many times, but on that same trip with my wife, she was driving and I finally listened to the words. I've emphasized some sections.

My Jesus
by: Todd Agnew
(Go here to listen)

Which Jesus do you follow?
Which Jesus do you serve?
If Ephesians says to imitate Christ,
Then why do you look so much like the world?

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the arrogant
So which one do you want to be?

Blessed are the poor in spirit
Or do we pray to be blessed with the wealth of this land
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness
Or do we ache for another taste of this world of shifting sands

Cause my Jesus bled and died for my sins
He spent His time with thieves and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the rich
So which one do you want to be?

Who is this that You follow
This picture of the American dream
If Jesus was here would you walk right by on the other side
Or fall down and worship at His holy feet

Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complexion
Is how you see Him as He dies for Your sins
But the Word says He was battered and scarred
Or did you miss that part
Sometimes I doubt we’d recognize Him

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and the least of these
He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable
So which one do you want to be?

Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church
The blood and dirt on His feet might stain the carpet
But He reaches for the hurting and despises the proud
I think He’d prefer Beale St. to the stained glass crowd
And I know that He can hear me if I cry out loud

I want to be like my Jesus

Not a posterchild for American prosperity, but like my Jesus
You see I’m tired of living for success and popularity
I want to be like my Jesus but I’m not sure what that means to be like You Jesus
Cause You said to live like You, love like You but then You died for me

Can I be like You Jesus?
I want to be like My Jesus

If you're a part of a church, where are you looking? Inside or out to those you need to reach?

Now Playing: "My Jesus" by Todd Agnew

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