YouTube community

Michael Wesch, an anthropologist at K-State, presented An Anthropological Introduction of YouTube at the Library of Congress on June 23. The presentation is almost an hour long (so it's a bit of a committment to watch.) I've watched the first few minutes and it's very insightful. Wesch discusses the community YouTube is creating and the changes it is bringing to media.

The most interesting quote I've heard so far: "I don't think of (media) as content, and I don't even think of it as tools of communication. I think of media as mediating human relationships. And that's important, because when media changed, then human relationships changed. ...And that's why I wanted to suggest that we're gonna have to rethink all of these things, including ourselves."

How human relationships are changing in response to technology is fascinating to me. I'd like to say that I'm developing a theory on it, but that would be stretching it a bit. Right now I'm just observing and thinking.... (My groundbreaking theory will be out later this month.) :)

By the way Wesch's first video, Web 2.0...The Machine is Using Us, has over 6 million views (and ranked above superbowl commercials when it was posted).

Fred

Meet Fred. He greets us each night when we come home. Rumor has it that he's lived around our house for several years. Lately we have seen little Freds, so Fred obviously feels like this is a good place to start a family.

The Lost Sheep (or iPod)

Last week wasn't a good one for keeping things. At the beginning of the week I thought I had lost some music--Sufjan Stevens, who I've really come to enjoy. I let someone (I don't remember who) borrow the CD thinking it was on my computer. When I went to look for it, it wasn't there. I racked my brain for a couple of days trying to remember who had the CD and why the music wasn't on my computer. Then I thought to look on my computer at work. Wouldn't you know it, there it was! Found!

Then a couple days later I wanted to go for a run and was looking for my iPod. It was nowhere to be found. I dug around my room, no iPod. I retraced my steps in my mind. I had worked out a couple days earlier and I distinctively remembered walking back to the locker room listening to music, so I knew I had it after my workout. Beyond that things got fuzzy. Did I put it in my locker? Did I wear it to the car (which I almost never do)? I decided to check with the people who work around the building to see if some honest soul had turned it in. As I asked various people I got the same look, a look that said "Do you really think someone would turn in an iPod if they found one?" They all looked for me in their respective lost and found piles. The searches' results were all the same: no iPod. As I thought of where I might have left it and what it would cost to replace it, I realized that I would have gladly lost several CDs of music if I only hadn't lost the iPod. Finally I decided that I should search my room from top to bottom one last time. Not five minutes into my search I spotted it, underneath a Kleenex box underneath my dresser. Whew! I was elated! The lost had been found!

As I thought of these two things I lost last week I was reminded of the parables of the lost coin, the lost sheep and the lost son in Luke 15. I read a book by Kenneth E. Bailey on Luke 15 once called The Cross and the Prodigal: Luke 15 Through the Eyes of Middle Eastern Peasants. The book gave amazing insight into the parable of the Prodigal Son. I highly recommend it. Bailey talks about how the three stories go together, each one telling of a more valueable loss. That thought is what triggered my memory: first I lost my music then I lost my iPod. Maybe the next in line would be the loss of my hearing.

The book also emphasized that in each story there was celebration over the item (or person) when it(he) was found. I have rejoiced over the finding of the things I lost, but I haven't celebrated. The people in these stories really celebrated. The lady who found the coin called all her neighbors and they had a party to celebrate her finding it!

Lastly, of course I am reminded of how lost we were. (Sometimes I feel like I still am in my understanding of different issues, especially grace.) And our Father runs to us as we, with unsure steps, walk towards Him. He takes our shame and welcomes us as sons while we are completely unworthy. He even throws a party in our honor and rejoices with us that He has given us something we could never deserve!

Dr. Horrible and other cultural phenomenons

While I'm don't know much about blog etiquette I feel like I should apologize for not posting here for a time. I'm still alive and kicking. If you were worried about that, then see my post below about worrying. You might want to take some time and see what's at the root of it. ;)

Like most people, I find myself wondering where the summer has gone. I went on a wonderful vacation in Colorado where I enjoyed the mountains, shopped, read, and slept. It doesn't get much better than that! The temperature and humidity rose as we drove back to Kansas and I asked myself, "Why am I doing this again? It's so beautiful and unhumid in Colorado!" Since I've been back home I've discovered that Kansas is sometimes hotter (and most times more humid) than Saudi Arabia! One upside to this is that you don't get spoiled by the weather when you live in Kansas, it toughens you up!

As soon as I got back from vacation I started a seminary class called Cultural Literacy. As the name implies, we are learning to read culture. What do trends in a culture tell us about who people understand themselves to be? What do they tell us about their view of others? Of God? We are studying American pop culture as an example, but the questions we are attempting to answer can be applied to any culture. We've had some fascinating discussions and I feel much more ready to engage culture (my own and others) as a result.

Just last night we learned about Mixed Martial Arts (http://www.ufc.com/), Twitter (www.twitter.com) , and Superheroes. We watched part of an entertaining new superhero musical blog (http://drhorrible.com/). Topics slated for the rest of the week include online dating, road rage, increased anxiety, and others. I will keep posting tidbits...

The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name

But God saved the best for last. From the beginning, God had a shining dream in his heart. He would make people to share his Forever Happiness. They would be his children, and the world would be their perfect home.

So God breathed life into Adam and Eve. When they opened their eyes, the first thing they ever saw was God's face. And when God saw them he was like a new dad. "You look like me," he said. "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever made!"

God loved them with all of his heart. And they were lovely because he loved them.

And Adam and Eve joined in the song of the stars and the streams and the wind in the trees, the wonderful song of love to the one who made them. Their hearts were filled with happiness. And nothing ever made them sad or lonely or sick or afraid.

God looked at everything he had made. "Perfect!" he said. And it was.

But all the stars and the mountains and oceans and galaxies and everything were nothing compared to how much God loved his children. He would move heaven and earth to be near them. Always. Whatever happened, whatever it cost him, he would always love them.

And so it was that the wonderful love story began...


This is a part of the creation story from The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Many of you reading have heard me talk about this book. It is amazing! I've often wondered how stories written for children can have such an impact on an adult too. The fatherly love and the abundant grace of God overflow from each page. Sometimes I think that a book like this is exactly what we American church people need--a focus not on what we should or shouldn't do but on the beautiful story God has written and is writing to win back the one He loves (His church--us--you and me).

Embracing Worry

I worry. I spend much of my time and energy worrying about things--many of which will never happen. I try not to worry. I try really hard, but it doesn't seem to work. As I was talking to a friend about this the other day, she asked "What would it be like for you to embrace your anxiety?" As I've thought about this, I have had some ideas that, if they are true, could be very freeing.

Embracing my anxiety would be allowing myself the freedom to worry. I'm not sure what that would do. My guess is that I would worry about something for a while and then eventually see that: 1) I started worrying for an irrational reason, and 2) if the things I am worrying about happen, then maybe God is just providing something else for me. For example I worry about my job. What if I don't do well enough at it? What if I don't work hard enough? What if I can't accomplish some of the things I'm given to do? (I've been trying to write an overview of the goat industry for months and it's just not coming together...wonder why?) Well, maybe I would lose my job. If that would happen then maybe God has another means of provision in mind for me. Maybe He would be nudging me toward something that's more in line with what I want to do anyway. That wouldn't be so bad.

I think that I'm scared to embrace anxiety because I don't want it to define me. I want who I am in Christ to define me. Right now worry feels like this huge river that I have to hold back. It's hard. I can't do it, and inevitably I let some water leak out. Each time I do the river gets closer and closer to gushing over me. So, naturally I get mad at myself for letting a little water out because with each trickle I get closer and closer to being washed away.

But maybe there's not a river. Maybe there are just a few trickles and after that the "river" would be dry. If that's true, I am exerting a whole lot of energy for nothing. I'm trying to hold back something that doesn't exist.

I think it comes back to the issue of trusting myself. If I were to embrace worrying, I would be trusing that God's mark on me runs deeper than my worrying does--that at my core I am not a worrier, I am a child of God (which means I trust Him as my father). I would be trusting that God is already in the deepest parts of my heart, even when it looks like nothing but ugliness is there. Can I believe that?

A Freight Train's Damage

Although I've lived in Kansas most of my life, I have never heard the foreboding freight train-like roar of an approaching tornado. Last week, however I was convinced that would change. A tornado that had started some 80 miles ago was approaching the town I live in. Despite being in the middle of Tornado Alley we seldom get hit. In fact I believe (if I remember what I heard correctly) that it has been 40-odd years since our town has seen a tornado. Since this tornado had already traveled 80 miles the chances that it would break up before it hit us were slim.

As we watched the storm coverage from the basement we started hearing reports of damage near our house--just blocks away. We moved to the hallway away from any windows and listened and waited. Nothing, except of course the pounding of rain and rumbles of thunder. But no freight train.

We all breathed a sigh of relief and ventured upstairs to see what there was to see. The damage reports were slow to start but soon became continuous. Flooding, limbs down, debris everywhere, entire homes destroyed, a car dealership badly hit, a hardware store leveled, and unconfirmed reports that it hit the college campus.

Since the reports were "unconfirmed" I didn't think much about showing up to work on campus the next day. After seeing a little of the damage I quickly decided that the reports were now confirmed and that the sheer power in a tornado is nothing to take lightly. I drove into my parking lot to find trees ripped up, light poles torn down, and a car overturned. As I explored the tornado's wake this surreal feeling came over me. How could something do so much damage so quickly?

I don't think I'll ever fully understand the wind's ability to bend and twist things. I found a tree and a light pole sitting by one another that were bent at the same angle. The window in my office was sucked out. (I know this because there were very few shards of glass in my office.) I realize that, being from Kansas, I should have a good idea of how this all works, but the power that is displayed in something like this is just amazing...breathtaking in its own way.

I use words like breathtaking and amazing because no one in my town was seriously injured in this storm. My home was not damaged. Its effect on me has been minimal. My tone would surely change if I had been more closely affected.

From the inside of the building where I work.

The tree is uprooted and the sign and stoplights are blown over.

A bent light pole.

Storm Clouds

I just heard on the radio that tonight we will have the worst storms since 1974. This brings many questions to my mind. How do they know that? Is what's happening in the atmosphere right now so telling that they can say we will have the worst storms in 34 years? That's a long time and a big claim. And what happened in 1974? (Obviously some big storms happened.)

It certainly feels like it's going to storm. It's overcast in the mid 80s with 40 mph wind. I was just noticing that as you walk outside you only see the underside of the leaves on the trees. This makes the trees have more of a grey tint to them. The grey trees juxtaposed with the the low-hanging dark clouds creates an ominous feeling. I feel small and insignifigant yet somehow excited to see whatever the storms will bring.

Am I missing it?

This last weekend I watched No Country for Old Men and The Darjeeling Limited, both of which disappointed me. I just read Rolling Stone's review of No Country for Old Men (here) and I really didn't think that the movie was as deep as they gave it credit for being. Have I missed something? They claim that the story is a picture of America as a whole with our eroded values and increasing appetite for violence. While I don't need a movie to convince me of those things, but I have a hard time seeing the typical American in the state that the movie depicts, even if it is figurative.

As far as The Darjeeling Limited, I'm not sure it even deserves as much space and energy as I've given it here. So, I'll stop.

Please enlighten me if I need to be...

Pink Fluffy Monsters or Firecracker Bunnies??

The process of choosing a team name has become rather all-encompassing for one of our team members and we have two options. But we need your help to choose the winner! Please vote on which you like better (or, for those of you who know one of us, which seems to fit us better). The choices are...Pink Fluffy Monsters or Firecracker Bunnies! Now you can understand our delimma in choosing between these to classic names. For those of you who are visual learners I have included graphics that will undoubtedly find their way onto a t-shirt by the end of this.


Are we:

(1)

or...

(2)

Up for an adventure?

I have just been introduced to the world of adventure races, competitions that combine several outdoor sports in one multiple-hour race. Usually the race includes running and cycling, but beyond that they vary widely. A friend and I are competing in one in July. We are currently accepting team name suggestions, so bring 'em on! The options so far are Pink Fluffy Monsters and Firecracker Bunnies. So, if you are bored with your regular old workouts or just want to try something different, come along!

Birds or Bats?

I hate birds! I just had a little run-in with one in my house and that thought ran over and over through my head as I frantically tried to open the windows in our second floor so the bird could find his way out. I much prefer bats to birds and living in this house has given me the opportunity to interact with both of them on ocassion. The house is three-stories, one hundred year old and seems to invite all sorts of species to find their way inside. The second floor is completely gutted and the sofets (part of the overhang of the roof) have holes in them so animals periodically end up inside. It is not an odd thing to hear something hitting the window and then the floor. First it's a resounding "boom" and then a more muffled one. After a few of these it's easy to know it's a bird trying to get out by flying into the window and being knocked onto the floor. When you see a bird to this repeatedly you begin to realized that the thing is probably not smart enough to avoid flying into you as you try to direct it out the window. That's why I don't like them; the thought of a bird in my face is just about as much as I can take. Bats, on the other hand, you never hear hitting anything. They just chirp or squeal and get quiet as you get close to them. As soon as you open a window they know it and fly right by you and out to freedom.

An Evangelical Manifesto

This document was released about a week ago to declare "who Evangelicals are and what they stand for." Much talk and debate has since ensued over the focus of the Manifesto and who has signed or not. You can read the summary or the full document here.

The Contentment Myth

I've been thinking about contentment lately and I have this sneaking suspicion that it doesn't mean quite what I think it means. When someone talks about being content my mind automatically jumps to, "I can't need or want anything. If I do, then I'm not content with what I have." Paul talks about being content in every circumstance, yet Hebrews 11 lauds these heroes of the faith who were longing for a better country. Surely these people weren't content if they were longing for a better place. Was Paul saying that he never wanted anything different, anything more?

Specifically in Philippians 4:11-12 Paul says, "Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." Notice he included hunger and need, situations where he obviously wanted something more. Likewise Paul does not say, "I have learned not to need anything." Ultimately what he's saying is, "Jesus gives me the strength to face situations where I am in need."

Hebrews 13:5-6 also talks about being content, "Keep your life free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'" This reminds me of Romans 8:32, "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" God has provided in the most amazing way! Why should we doubt that He will continue to provide?

Maybe the contentment idea is not about not wanting, but about trusting God to provide. Maybe rather than taking away something we have (need) we should let it be and add something to it (trust). Why should we not trust our loving heavenly Father? Think about it, He gave us Jesus-part of himself-so that He (the Father) could be with us-filthy little creations stained with sin. If He wants to be with us that badly, why would He withhold something from us that will be good for us? He wouldn't! However trusting Him and His timing and His goodness is the difficult part because we have to give up control-our idea of what life should look like.

So many times I have gotten the message that I need to be less, long for less, desire less. Though it seems the words of Philippians, Hebrews, Romans and Psalms do not say, "You are longing for too much. Just temper those desires and when you get it right, God will meet them." Instead those books (or the passages above) seem to make God big, "Look at this: God will never leave. He will always be there for you. What do you have to worry about? You can trust Him for all things. He gave His son for you!" Everything else seems tiny compared to that.

One important step that I often skip over is asking the question, "What is at the root of what I am desiring?" or "What do I really want?" For example my desire to have a husband is not just for the sake of having a husband, I actually really long for someone to know me deeply. And being married does not ensure that someone knows you deeply. Further, I would guess that even if I were married, the longing to be known would seem just as strong as it does now. Maybe this could be because this desire to be known was placed in me by an eternal Creator who is not bound by any human limits. So there are really these deep desires running below the surface of our lives, like streams running underground. What we feel (or see) is just a little bit of what is really there.

However it is in these deep desires that we can know more of who God is because we learn more about how we were created. What does the fact that we have these deep longings tell us about God. If we have them they must be able to be filled. How great our God that He can fill these deep, eternal desires of our souls!

Glass Trees

The name of this blog came to me in the most unexpected way. I had been wanting to start a blog for a long time, for a place to share my writing and thoughts. But I needed a title, and not just any title. I needed something creative and original. So I thought. I had ideas but nothing seemed to just fit. Until...we had an ice storm. This last winter my Kansas town was pounded with a storm that coated everything with two inches of ice. "Everything" included the power lines, consequently many of the residents were without power for several days. Some went for over a week without electricity.

During those few days I felt like I was living in some sort of imaginary land. One day I went for a walk in the park to explore the storm's impact. The ice crunched under my feet with each step. I heard tree limbs cracking and falling from the weight of the ice every few minutes. While snow absorbs sound, I realized that ice reflects it because each time a branch fell the cracking of the tree would echo throughout our neighborhood. I ventured as close as I dared to trees to investigate what the ice had done. Evergreens drooped with sadness from the weight of the ice around each individual needle. They seemed to be mourning the other trees' loss of limbs. On a larger scale, the coat of ice brought a heaviness to the air, the type of heaviness that most imaginary lands have. One day as I was walking to work, marveling at how intricately the ice seemed to be placed around each little limb of each tree it hit me, "Glass Trees."

We got to live in an imaginary land of glass trees for a few days. Life slowed down. Community with friends was richer and more simple. All of our surroundings sparkled like glass as the sun shone on them. How amazing! This would have been so difficult for me to imagine; many had never seen anything like it. Yet, it was incredibly simple for God to put a little ice on the trees and stop "life" as we were used to living it. Maybe our life didn't actually stop for those days, maybe it began.

So with the title of Glass Trees, I hope to share my thoughts about living life, a true life. Often times this life looks different than we expect. Sometimes we resent God for making us live it, but other times, when we look, we find Him in it.

Test

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