Controversy is Stirring!

Okay, so Granger Community Church in Granger, IN put this billboard up to advertise for a new series on sex that they are doing at their church. I found out about this ad thru ChurchMarketingSucks.com. This is one of my favorite sites becasue it so often makes fun of really lame church ads. So, they asked for comments on the ad. You can check out the entire discussion here. The first response says this (among several other points):

"Another question is, do the billboards use deception? This church knows that signs saying "sex talks next week at Granger" won't work, so have they resorted to a form of trickery to get people to visit their website? Is God happy with this kind of "sneaky evangelism"?"

No big deal, that's his opinion, right? So, I responded with my opinion:

"man, come on. Did Jesus use billboards? Did Jesus even go to church? It's all your opinion what you think God would do. Here's the truth...Jesus "advertised" by word of mouth. He would do a miracle, preach a sermon, etc. and people would talk. Here's the deal now. Everyone has heard of who Jesus is. Now we have to spread the message by marketing. Even if a huge miracle happened in your church there are still people who wouldn't come because they would be skeptical, or just wouldn't care about us crazy, weird Christians. I love the ad and would be proud if my church put out something like that."

So, you can disagree with me if you want. But, here's what someone wrote in response to me:

"Pretty ironic that some of you have no problem with Granger's billboards, and then we see pictures like this on your own blogs. What should that tell us about your morality standards and your credibility on this issue, Brian?"

The picture referenced was of Los' head with the boob statue from my Vegas post. I found this hilarious that someone would pull that out of context and try to tear me down with it. My response to this guy (Not sure if it really is a guy or girl, because they didn't sign in when making their comment):

"I think it's pretty ironic that "Ironic" would attack my character but not even list his name/website. At least I'm willing to put myself and my beliefs out there for people to see. If you can't stand behind your own words, then the weight of those words isn't much. Also, in terms of my morality... wow, that is a big statement to make. I'm not sure if you can judge that. James 4:11 says, 11Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. Also, when speaking of "credibility" on the isssue, I'm not sure what to say to that except that everyone here has about the same credibility level since we are all viewers of the ad. All these people have their own opinions and that is what we are giving. So, I don't see how that becomes a credibility issue unless you are more saved than I am. And since I am the worldly one, and therefore the target audience that needs to be more moral, my opinion would probably hold more weight."

So, what do you think of that? How do you feel about the billboard? Oh, and please sign in so we know who you are.

It's official

Yep, I finally went to the Dr.'s office today. I have bronchitis. What a drag. I am still working today, but afraid to call anyone just to have them hear me hacking on the other side of phone while trying to talk. My voice is very weak, so I'm on 3 different medications. 1 for my sinus infection, 1 for my bronchitis, and 1 for my cough at night. I hate it when you get the pill bottle from your local pharmacist and it says, "warning: may cause dizziness". It forces you to make that decision, "do i want to stop coughing or fall over while walking?" They can do so much with modern medicine...so why all the side effects. AND, they are always random. It's like you're taking some aspirin and the warning says, "may cause your left foot to itch." so, i'm on the meds and hopefully will be back to normal in a couple days. I did lose a couple pounds because of my lack of appetite. Now if I could just get the flu... Oh, and thanks for all the comments on the Michael Vick thing. No, I don't know who he is. I saw the guy up close and I still haven't googled him to see who he is. I'll take ya'lls word for it. and Heather, I do know who Michael Jordan is...he used to play basebal for the white sox!

JR's dream comes true!

Well, today Jacinda and I led worship for JR's first service. He is calling his new church, the Word of Faith Community Church. There were a little over 250 people there which was a lot more than I thought there would be. He's still looking for a full-time worship leader, but we are going to fill in for another 2 weeks. In was cool to be there for his first service and to be a part of that moment with him. He's been sitting on this vision for years and to see it finally come to fruition was amazing. We saw some old faces and several families that we've known from our church. I uploaded some pics to Flickr! So go check to see what our family has been up to.

Pictures

I am going to try to update some pictures tomorrow, especially from the trip. Crossing my fingers...

I'm getting too old for this

alright, we are back from Vegas. The flight was so much better this time. It was a little rough on the way out, but a perfect landing. My parents picked us up, dropped us and the luggage back at home, and then we went and picked up our little girl who was purposely made to stay awake to see us. Kiara freaked out when we came to get her and she couldn't stop hugging our necks or telling us that she loved mommy and loved daddy. That is seriously one of the best feelings ever. You should have kids just to hear that. So, staying out past 2 am three nights in a row is awesome right? Not when your internal clock is used to waking up at five and going to bed at 9. I know I am getting old, because three nights of hanging out late has summed up to me being pretty sick. I slept for eleven hours last night and woke up with my eyes practically sealed shut. So, after clearing my sinuses into a kleenex, I began to feel a little better, but my voice is gone. AND, we are leading worship for our friend JR's church opening! We had to pick songs that Jacinda is strong at and can carry by herself just in case. So, pray that my voice gets better. That's enough for now. If you want something a little more interesting to read go check this guy's site out:

Jaw Dropping

Last night we went and saw the "O" show by Cirque du Soleil. It was at the Bellagio. The show was so amazing that I honestly didn't know how to react. I was just going, "no way, no way" the entire show. I cannot thouroughly do it justice. We weren't too sure about the whole show thing, but it was well worth the $150 a ticket. All four of us were just freaking out. The stage was ginormous (that's one of my wife's famous words: you can use it if you want). It was the only thing that I have ever seen that beats out Disney in detail, style, and performance. We all declare ourselves the new spokespeople for anything "O". I wonder if anyone else has seen the Cirque du Soleil shows and which they liked best. I think the next one we'll try would be Mystere. But I honestly don't know how it could be better than people flying through the air, divers, and 2 hilarious clowns. I'm posting from the airport awaiting our flight back to Fresno. I'm just praying the flight goes smoother than the one on the way here. Jacinda and I almost lost our breakfast. The plane was so squirrely, rotating side to side, barrel rolls, flips, and sharp decents to shoot at enemy targets. It's true, I swear.

It's just money!?

We went out to lunch to Maggiano's little Italy. Moises and Lori-Lynn Navarro were also in Vegas for a couple days, so we met up with them. Moi, the name of the band and his nickname, is an awesome musician and worship leader. They are doing the Hume Lake gig right now, but they are about to start their northern california tour. We ate family style which let us pick two different kinds of salad, pasta, entree, and dessert. I actually am not a big fan of the Italian food. If you know me at all, then you probably know there are two things that I absolutely hate: red sauce italian food and alcohol. What combines both of those nasty things? Tiramasu. I'm not even sure if that is how you spell it, but it is so discusting that it doesn't even deserve the spell check. Now red sauce I can force down, but that cough medicine that people pay to drink just makes me hack. Jacinda and I enjoyed being in the presence of soon to be rockstars! Seriously, these guys are about to blow-up on the music/worship scene. Be looking for them. Oh, but the Creme Brulee was amazing. I could've just eaten that all day. Then, for dinner we thought we'd clean up and go to DelMonico. It is one of Emerill's restaurants and BAM! it was awesome. The reason that Carlos and I are smiling is because we hadn't yet seen the bill. Let's just say that I could've gone to city college for a semester for the price of that bill. The food was incredible. Jacinda had the Filet Mignon, and the rest of us had the bone-in rib eye. Medium rare. Perfect. Asparagus, garlic "smashed" potatoes, french onion soup. Lose $40 on craps at the venetian, win $38 at craps at the low-rent hotel next door, $320 on dinner, Relaxing in bed with my wife with nothing to do...priceless.

New Experiences

So, we're here in Vegas and so far only lost money on good food! Jacinda and I flew in yesterday from FAT. Our flight was delayed for 45 minutes which meant we were there for quite some time. You see, last time I tried to fly out of Fresno to Dallas for work, I waited in line for an hour to find out that I missed the "check-in" time by 5 minutes. I wanted to yell at the guy, "no wonder people try to bomb your stupid airport!" but, didn't think that would be such a great idea. So, I listened to some stand-up by Mitch Hedberg. He isn't a dirty comic, but he has some spicy language. Thanks Dave! I was laughing so hard in the airport lobby that Jacinda was getting embarrassed. So here we are in "old-town" Vegas. All the classic sites that you are use to seeing in the pictures, except that, you can't smell pictures. It's like sitting in a bathroom while guys blow smoke at you. I know the Rat Pack used to kick it here, but that place was pretty lame. So, we headed to the south end of the strip to take in some of the finer art-driven hotels and exhibits. That is where we found this: Don't judge us, our wives were right there with us. After we experienced some art, Los introduced me to the some crap...I mean craps. We played the $3 table to get my wings. It was awesome. I was up, I was down, I rolled a seven, I was up, and I ended even. Not bad for a couple hours of entertainment. I think I might even get up enough courage to gamble at our hotel (Venetian has $10 minimums). We'll see. Oh, and we saw Michael Vick in our restaurant. Los and I chased after him like an elementary kid meeting a jr. high football star.

Getting Anxious

I have been so stinking busy lately that I haven't had time to post. So lunchtime break and here it is. I was sick all day yesterday, not sure if it was bad food, or the flu. Whatever it was, it kept me on the couch. Besides my physical impairities it was actually kind of nice to just sit and veg. I caught up on some serious Tivo time. CSI Miami, Without a Trace, Four Kings, Grey's Anatomy, Biggest Loser. Also watched 2 movies: some old nicholas cage movie, "fire birds"? and "that thing you do", one of my favorites.

I don't know why, but I am helpless when I am sick. I can't read, I can't surf the net, I don't even like eating. I am one pitiful mess and I praise God for a wife who goes non-stop with no time for herself. Hopefully next week she will be able to relax as we hit vegas for our trip.

It feels like I have senior-itus. I have a lot of work to do, but I am so excited for our trip. Also, big things happening with work. I'll blog as soon as all the details are worked out. Just know that God always provides as soon as we figure out that we can't.

A True Story

Okay, this man to the left is Shaun Groves. I have been reading his blog for awhile now. Always witty, delving into thought provoking questions of the faith. But a little over two weeks ago, that all changed. He is a musician who has three albums on a major label. He is a husband, a father, and he is real. He is part of a group called Ikon. In the last week, Shaun has gotten really honest with his readers. He has battled depression, doubt, and truth. Please...Please go read his story. Click Here. You need to scroll down and start reading on his February 12th entry. This will take you awhile. Maybe even an hour, but trust me, print it out, read it on your break... today. Please.

Guy Night

So, Last night I was going to reconfigure my whole Home Theater set-up when I got a call from Dave Lebda. Amanda, his wife, is chilling with my wife down in the inland empire, so Dave called me and we through our steaks on the BBQ. His help was greatly appreciated especially since my new TV weighs like 160 pounds! But, we got it all organized, grabbed our steaks, I made some pasta thing from a box, and drank my other favorite, Wild Cherry Pepsi. It was nice to just chill, talk, eat some good meat, and watch the Olympics. This was my first time this year to actually watch them. So the girl above, Lindsey Kildow wiped out so freaking hard the day before that she was airlifted to the hospital. It had something to do with her pelvic area, but she fell so hard that her ski suit actually ripped on impact. She competed last night, and that is the victory in my book. Check out this statement: "Not racing wasn't an option. I was gonna go through everything I could today to start and I really wasn't thinking about not racing at all. I just learned that your body can go through a lot. And that you can push yourself as far as you want to push it." My first thought: Where is that kind of devotion in my life. Where is that passion that pushes me. I pray to God all the time for that kind of zeal for my faith. Last night I was so pumped up that I couldn't fall asleep. I normally go to bed before 10pm because I get up at 5am to go to work. The Stock Market opens at 6:30 here on the west coast. But, last night, even though I knew I had to wake up early, I was just driven to organize, clean, work, anything I could do productive at that time of night. I ended up not hitting the pillow until 1:30am. I just pray that God gives me that kind of spiritual vigor. Do you ever just want something so bad that you don't even know what to say or do? It's like my mind get's stalled. Anyway, I put the picture below because I don't know how this actually became an Olympic event and it's hilarious to watch. It's called curling and it is like ice-shuffleboard. I know that it takes finnesse but, it doesn't seem very athletic. I would say that cheerleading would be closer to a sport than this! Yeah, you heard me, bring on the comments girls!

New Convert

Bloggers: I have widened our influence. I signed my friend blake james up. So, check out his blog and make him get going. No pressure blake. Bring it. http://triplejames.blogspot.com

My Family Has Left Me!

That's right on Valentine's Day. Jacinda, Kiara, and our friend Amanda all drove down to LA to visit Heather and her girls. They are hitting the Fashion District in downtown today and not coming back until Thursday Night. What does this mean for me: Chipotle, movies, sleep, and my favorite: BBQ Rib-Eye Steak.

I bought the "King's Cut" at our local grocery store last night. Even now, it is sitting in the fridge marinating to perfection with my personal recipe of herbs and spices. You see, when you are married and have kids, even Taco Bell is going to cost you $15. If you hit say, Red Robin, You're talking $30 and that's drinking water. You think, I'll just get a burger: $9, Jacinda gets a burger: $9, then you have to buy some $6 Grilled Cheese Sandwich for the kid. Ahhh! So unless you want to pay $60 for dinner @ Applebee's, you won't be eating too much steak. So tonight, I feast. I even got a six-pack of Creme Soda in the bottle (my favorite by the way!).

I love going home everyday and coming through that door and hearing Kiara scream, "Daddy Home!" Tonight won't be that good, but at least I'll have a pound of meat to dry my tears. If you're reading family: I love you. Have fun!

Vegas Baby! Vegas!

In a couple weeks Jacinda and I will be hitting Las Vegas for the first time ever. We are going with our friends, Carlos and Heather. They are a little more "seasoned" at sin city, but we still need some fresh ideas. So, if you know of any restaurants, shows, clubs, or lucky casinos, let me know!

Golfing on Water

No, I don't normally wear capri's with black socks. I was just rolling up the pants so that I didn't get them wet. If you check out the pictures in the previous post you will see that it didn't matter. The mud slapped all the way up to my chest. Anyways, this is my first video post. My buddy Tim forwarded me the link, so I can't really take any credit for it, but I'll try this on my own soon. I promise. I have a couple great video shorts of Kiara.

Fore!

On Saturday, Tim, myself, Joe, and Mike drove up to Sierra Meadows Golf Club and spent the day chasing a little white ball. Jacinda's uncle Mike is the General Manager and Pro at the club and let us all play for free. What a guy! It had been a long time since Tim and I had played and Mike is still in the beginning stages. That makes Joe the pro in our group and he proved it by beating us by almost a stroke a hole. It was a good time and lots of great memories, most of which include Mike leaving his clubs on previous holes, mike hitting someone else's ball, and mike's clubs falling off the back of his cart! Oh, and my Tiger shot out of the shallow creek. I took a bath on that one. You can see the whole slideshow here.

The Grammys!

Well, I'm glad U2 cleaned up on the awards. I was actually scared that Kanye West was going to win. I don't know what it is about that guy, but I can't stand him. He is so cocky and I'm glad that he didn't win after just saying in his performance, "I better win this thing". Was it me, or was the production terrible? The sound was bad, people were getting cut-off by videos, or the videos didn't start. You would think that such a big event with all the pros, would run without a hitch. The worst was during one of U2's acceptance speaches when the speakers were buzzing in and out. When they panned to Sir Paul, he was pointing up as if to say, "what the heck was that?" Anyways, I thought it was terribly done. Man, I must be in a bad mood or something. I am going to my first local hockey game tonight. We are right on the glass, no kid, and we are hitting Dog House Grill right before. Tri-Tip steak sandwiches that will make you wish that you would never get full.

Coldplay Pics

Coldplay was awesome! I can barely explain how cool it was. I don't think I'll ever go to a better concert. The whole show was honest, raw, and just enjoyable to watch. I told my buddy, carlos, http://los.typepad.com, that it was practically a spiritual experience. The way that their music just ebbed and flowed throughout the night created an atmosphere of worship. I did an entire concert review on Los' Podcast which you can find by going to www.ragamuffinsoul.com. (a must for all you worship leaders out there!) Even though Coldplay doesn't promote God in their lyrics, their music speaks to the soul. Christ Martin...I mean, Chris Martin (freudian slip) didn't seem rehearsed with his words and won over the crowd from the first word in his british accent. Everything from the rocking, "Politik:, to the mellow, "Fix You", was amazing to watch and sing-a-long to. I can't remember a concert that I've been to that the crowd was so sold out. I saw on their website that they are coming back through California in the summer, so I would definitely check them out!

Exhausted!

I just wanted to let you know that I am still alive. I have been so busy this last weekend and with work this week. Thanks to all for visiting and I promise to post soon. I can't wait to tell you about the Coldplay concert and for you to see the pics.

Posting on the Road

I am posting this from the lobby of our hotel in San Jose. Four guys: Trevor Jones, Nick Chandler, Derrick Bryant, and I are all hitting the Coldplay concert tonight. Last night, after we checked in we hit a bar called Tres Gringos. As most of you know, I don't drink a lick of alcohol, not because I am some spiritual superpower, but because, I've tried it...and it's nasty! But, that didn't stop me from giving the other guys a bad time. "dude, I think that is maybe the second time i've ever had to show my ID to get into a place." "ahh man, I feel like we are corrupting you." Yeah, they don't know my other friends. Anyway, they had great dollar tacos which became my dinner for the night. After seeing one of the single guys hit on a girl with her boyfriend right there, we decided to go back to the hotel. After about 5 minutes back at the hotel, we got our first noise complaint. The father in me was freaking out. "oh man, this is going on my permanent record!" But hey, we're young. I thought I was young...about 1am was all i could handle. And I was fighting to stay awake that long. The other guys didn't hit the pillow until after 3. So here we are, 11:30, eating breakfast. Normally, I would be getting ready to go to lunch. Well, today should be awesome: downtown San Jose, buying food for only one person (i can get that steak i've been wanting), and Coldplay tonight. Their songs have been blarin' on our radio, on my iPod, and being sung in our heads already. "Where do we go, nobody knows Don't ever say you're on your way down, when.. God gave you style and gave you grace And put a smile upon your face"