AMITTAI

Honeyman 2008 is in the Books

2008-07-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

I know, it's been too long since my last post. I've been a little busy lately. But, there are definitely some things to post about. Especially with all the news surrounding Iran lately. Man, some incredible stuff. But, anyway, I figured not a better way to get back on track by posting our video from the 4th of July camping trip to Honeyman. It's arguably, the most anticipated week of the year outside of Christmas. And this years' trip was a tribute to Nels and his singleness. Cheers to Nels and Katie. Also, you can check out my Honeyman pics here...

Walking the Streets of Downtown PDX

2008-06-23T17:32:00.000-07:00

Thought I would share what I came across when walking the streets of the Pearl District on Saturday. I'm a DSLR beginner and am in love with my camera. If only I had some funds to get a new lens. Time will take care of that hopefully. Or maybe just throw that on the wedding gift registry? Can I do that? Anyway, I like to have my camera ready when I'm wandering Portland, there's always interesting details or architecture to shoot. I really like street art, graffiti, you know, the whole urban deal. It's kinda fascinating. So, here's a mailbox I came across. The composition isn't too great looking at it now, could have been better. But, I think it turned out alright. Love the vibrant colors and the detail of the mailbox and it's surroundings. So, there you go. Here's the link to it on my Flickr profile.

Something From the Movies

2008-06-22T16:17:00.001-07:00

One of the blogs I hit on a daily basis, actually I find myself there a couple times a day is Notcot.org. I was on there yesterday and came across this amazing image. It was posted on Dailymail.co.uk back in early May of this year. Anyway, the pictures were taken of Chaiten Volcano in southern Chile. There's so much scientific jargon behind this volcanic phenomenon, I'm not even going to begin to try and explain. I could barely understand what I was reading in the article. Basically, I think it was a massive eruption of toxic ash which some how led to or helped create a violent electrical storm. To make matters worse, scientists thought this may lead to a catastrophic "pyroclastic flow." Don't really know what that is, but it was such that is believed to have destroyed Pompeii in AD79. Anyway, what an amazing picture. How great would it have been to be the guy to snap that pic. Not only that, but you would have been able to see it first hand. Talk about scary. Kudos to Carlos.

Just Another Day At the BES

2008-06-20T20:48:00.000-07:00

Been a good couple of days at the old Beaverton Employee Store. I don't really have a whole lot to say for this post, but my last two shifts at the BES have definitely been interesting and fairly exciting ones. Yesterday, there was a charity auction at the Tiger Woods Center on campus (and apparently a celebrity golf tournament today) so, naturally there were some celebs browsing through the store. I was lucky enough to help out Moses Malone for a minute and later met baseball HOF'er Ozzie Smith and said what's up to Pittsburgh Steeler great, Jerome Bettis. All the while, former USC Trojan and upcoming NBA draft pick OJ Mayo was wandering around close by. Kind of cool really.

Then today, while working I spotted a pair of Nike's upcoming Lunar Racers on a pair of feet. Can't wait for these to release (July release, the first picture above is actually the Lunar Trainer. Thought it was a sweet pic. The second picture is of the Lunar Racer). They combine a pair of Nike's latest technologies Lunarlite Foam and Flywire. Anyway, lastly, I caught a guy on what looked to be the new Apple iPhone 3G. Which doesn't release until July 11th I believe. So, an interesting last two days. Fun stuff.

Top 50 Websites of 2008

2008-06-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

So, I got some cool new stuff for you guys. I was breezing through Hypebeast yesterday, I think it was, and they were selected as one of the best websites of 2008 by Time. So, that interested me a little bit. I didn't quite realize it is such a mainstream site, or has such a large market of people behind it to be recognized by Time. Anyway, moving on, you can find the list of websites here, Time's top 50 websites for 2008. I would suggest browsing through them a bit, some real gems I hadn't stumbled across before. Only downer is, at least that I could find, is that you can't just simply view a list of the 50. You have to go from one to the next and so on. But, maybe that's just me being a bad browser. So, with that, here's a handful of sites that I've bookmarked thanks to Time and their efforts.

Mint.com
A sweet, and FREE, finance software for personal use. Not only is it way awesome, it's so easy to setup. Takes no time at all. Just input some of your numbers and accounts and what not, then you're good to go. The design is superb. Very simple and easy to follow. Their attention to detail is great for free software. I've always wanted to record and watch my transactions, categorize them, lay out my spending trends, and break it down into different time intervals. I guess that's the nerd in me when it comes to numbers and statistics. Anyway, now with Mint, I can rely on them for this great data. And, as a bonus, I get to be reminded of just how much money I put toward school loans and that hole I'm eagerly awaiting to climb out of. So, check it out. I recommend it for sure.

Colourlovers.com
This one might not be to applicable for everyone out there. But, as a designer, it's awesome. I've looked for a site like this before, but never got lucky enough to come across one. It's basically a place that deals with color trends and gives people who use color for who knows what a world of their own in color. It's updated regularly with information and examples of how color is used in the real world. You can find out what's hot and what's not, find inspiration for your use of color by searching, sorting, filtering through tons of data. And, can also create and share your own ideas. Pretty dang cool. So helpful. So, from palettes to patterns, to colors and color trends; you got it all. Make sure you check out this awesome resource, of course, only if any of this applies to you. Which, I'm sure, in many ways it does. Might be of some help picking out wedding colors? You see.

Digitalvaults.org
Here you can view more than 1,200 national archives. I'm a bigtime history guy, so naturally this is pretty sweet. Not only is all the information, documents, and images great; but the site is put together so well. It makes you even more excited to browse through our history.

And, a few more...
Apartmenttherapy.com
Digg.com
Petfinder.com

The image I used for this post was taken from Flickr user, Stick-A-Thing _ _ _S_____A_____T. This reminds me of a complete creative breakdown and the desire to go no further on a project. Just wanting to give up. Great times.

Quandary with the Apple iPhone 3G

2008-06-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

So, this past Monday Apple announced an updated version of their iPhone, the iPhone 3G. Now, just by looking at it there's not too much of a difference. Very minor aesthetic changes were might. It's slightly thinner and comes with a black or white casing on the back. Those are really the most notable tweaks implemented, visually. But, the fact that it is now 3G-capable is cool enough by itself. This basically means you've got much faster access to the net, I think something like approximately 2.8 times more snappy than the EDGE network. Also, 3G allows you to surf the net while you're on a call, if the situation ever was to arise. Another new feature is the assisted-GPS which leads to cool stuff like geotagging, finding your location, driving directions and much more. Other big selling points were the 2.0 update firmware, Microsoft Exchange Activesync, and better battery life.

But, here's the real dilemma. I'm not with AT&T currently. I used to be with AT&T, and it was a horrible experience. The only thing I have to justify how bad it was, was that we were kinda lost in the whole AT&T to Cingular to AT&T process. We just had absolutely the worst customer service and reception was far inferior to that of Verizon. Maybe because we were still on the old towers and hadn't switched over. Anyway. Regardless of that, all my friends are on Verizon and I have absolutely no reason to switch over. I've been nothing short of pure happiness with my current service. So, is it worth the switch?

Second, the cutting of the price for the new iPhone 3G is quite tempting. That's also what's kinda luring me in. $199 for 8G and $299 for 16G. At first sight, I was so excited. But, then, reading that AT&T bumped it's 3G data plan by $10, which for the two year contract would make $240-thus kinda wiping out the initial $200 savings you would get when purchasing the phone.

So, it's definitely something to think about I guess. But, really, do I currently find myself in a career calling for the need of a smart phone? Nope, not yet. Do I really have the money to pay for this added expense monthly? Probably not needed. And, it would only be a matter of time before that terrifying first-drop would occur. Then it's game over.

Final thought, for $200 I don't think you can buy a better phone. Especially if you're a satisfied AT&T customer. This wouldn't be such an issue if Verizon had some halfway decent phones. Might have to wait and see on the Blackberry Bold when it comes.

News Concerning the Middle East, Education

2008-06-10T15:22:00.001-07:00

Obama clarifies united Jerusalem comment
June 6, 2008, The Jerusalem Post
When I saw that Obama proclaimed that Jerusalem must remain the Israeli capital and that it must stay undivided, I got a little bit excited. I'm not lying. With all the things that I'm not so hot about concerning Obama, and with some of the ideas and beliefs that people close to him stand for (speaking to do with his council on foreign policy), this seemed to be a step in the wright... I mean, right direction. But, this glimmer of hope didn't last for long, when not even days later, a campaign adviser neatly clarified just exactly what Mr. Obama was implying when making these statements. Anyway, it's all good though. Things happen for a reason, and I tell you what, neither John McCain or Obama are going to save this country from the path that lay ahead of us. So, I'll leave you with this tid-bit of wisdom, "It is what it is."

Council: Mongtomery schools cave to pressue with Islam book
June 7, 2008, The Examiner
This really isn't surprising is it? I mean, it's not like it hasn't been happening all around us for years now. Schools (now, it's not necessarily the schools themselves that do this completely, but it's just easier to say that than textbook manufacturers, school boards, or other educational organizations. So, I will just use that term for now.) have been slowly cutting the truth out of politically/culturally "controversial" topics, or not even that controversial for that matter sometimes. But, it's really a said situation. To see what students across America more often that not are being taught in the classrooms. I mean, you have the ever present butting of heads with evolution versus creation or the truth surrounding fundamental Islam. But, you see more and more the truth about the founding of our nation and it's history being skewed. Anyway, that's that. Not really a huge deal, just an interesting article that I stumbled across.

A Bit on the Lighter Side

2008-06-05T14:22:00.000-07:00

So, I figured, I'm starting to see a pattern. Middle East News. Shoes. Middle East News. Shoes. That's about all I've covered over the past several posts. So, it's time to turn over a new leaf. Time to get a little more personal and a little more light hearted. So, here we go. Let's give it a try.

After watching some of the Yankees game yesterday and getting lunch at Panera, I realized two things. One. You know when you have this great piece of bread that would be so delicious with some good butter, but you make your way to get some and come to find out the only butter available is that in the little packet/container that's been kept cold and when you open it up you find it seemingly to familiar to a rock. You then proceed and try spreading it on your bread and it's nothing short of a disaster. Eh. Such a horrible feeling. You're so close to such a great addition to your lunch. Yet you're so far away because of this irritating piece of butter. Putting this all aside, you know it's good bread when after finishing you still want more regardless of the problematic butter situation. Enough said about that though.

Second. I've taken notice that New York Yankee slugger Jason Giambi, for some unknown reason, has decided to rock such a bad mustache that even Tom Selleck would be terrified. And the fact he hit a walk-off bomb against the Blue Jays today makes it so much better. Eh. Compounding the issue, it was hit off of Blue Jays closer BJ Ryan to give him the loss and three earned runs in the brief appearance. Who happens to be on one of my fantasy teams. Awesome.

The Tanakh- 656 and the Quran- 0

2008-06-04T23:48:00.001-07:00

Temple Mount '100% Islamic'
June 1, 2008, World Net Daily
I'm not going to say anything about this one here. Except throw up a two quotes both used in the article. The first is from the Palestinian President's Chief of Staff and the second is taken from the chief Palestinian Justice, one of the most influential Muslim leaders in Israel. So, check the article out, it's not too long. With that said, here we go.

"Jerusalem is Muslim. The blessed Al Aqsa mosque and Harem Al Sharif (Temple Mount) is 100 percent Muslim. The Israelis are playing with fire when they threaten Al Aqsa with digging that is taking place." and...

"Israel started since 1967 making archeological digs to show Jewish signs to prove the relationship between Judaism and the city and they found nothing. There is no Jewish connection to Israel before the Jews invaded in the 1880s," said Tamimi.
"About these so-called two Temples, they never existed, certainly not at the [Temple Mount]."

(Deep Sigh)

The Swoosh and Piet Mondrian

2008-06-04T23:12:00.000-07:00

A new release from Nike SB, the Dunk Low Premium, Piet Mondrian edition, is looking pretty fresh. I haven't been onboard with too many of the recent dunk releases, but this one is sweet. Too bad it's limited to a select number of Nike SB retailers, and needing a size 14 doesn't help the cause either.

Just in case you're not one with much study in the history of design, I'll clue you in real quick. And, I mean quick. You might be better off to Wiki him. Anyway, Piet Mondrian was a renown dutch artist that played a very influential role in the De Stijl art movement which stood in the early 1900's. Then he would make familiar the term Neo-Plasticism. And so on and so forth... Grid-based paintings with the use of primary colors ended up being his calling card and, thus, the Mondrian edition Nike Dunk Low Premium.

Picture again made possible by our Sweedish friends at Caliroots.com

Ahmadinejad Running Amok Again

2008-06-04T22:41:00.000-07:00

Ahmadinejad Calls U.S. 'Satanic,' Israel 'About to Die'
June 2, 2008, Foxnews
This isn't the first time I've tracked the latest to come out of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's mouth. Like I've said before, it's by no means a surprise, but should most definitely be taken seriously what this man says. I think too many people simply dismiss what he proclaims and don't take it as seriously as they ought. Hopefully we won't write him off simply as a madman and ignore what he believes and wants to see happen. Because, if that's so and if the United States doesn't come to realize that he and what he stands for is an absolute threat to not only Israel, but us as well--our nation could be in for something very tragic.

Anyway, I'm not going to dive into it too much. There's really not much to the article and I don't want to be here all night getting into Ahmadinejad, Iran and Israel, the Mahdi, how Ahmadinejad believes he is the one to hasten the coming of the Mahdi which means complete chaos for everyone, yata yata yata I have some other things on the agenda, like sleep. I'm sure we'll be hearing more from the Iranian president soon enough. None of this probably made much sense, it's getting decently late and I don't want to bore you. I've got some interesting stuff coming up.

Oh, the image I used of Mahmoud was pulled off Flickr and it was taken while he was speaking at Columbia University here in the States.

Some More of that Interestingness

2008-05-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

May 27, 2008, Foxnews
GAO: Port Security Program Faces Deficiencies
I find this fairly worrisome. You never hear anyone talk about our port security and what not, our airports always steal the headlines and then of course, every now and again sparks begin to fly about our border security. But, who really knows what all is getting down there. I mean, from what I can see, there ain't no security wall. Anyway, this whole deal about port security is a lot bigger than most people think. At least, from my perspective. And no, it's no just because I've read Joel Rosenberg's latest novel, Dead Heat. Who knows what's brought over in all these container ships. And, that's just the problem.

May 29, 2008, Jerusalem Post
Netanyahu: The Golan will stay Israeli
It's good to see someone has their head on straight. I think Netanyahu got it right when he said, "Whoever settles the Golan Heights secures Israel's security. Here can be seen the connection that exists between security and peace." Couldn't have said it better myself. This is such a crucial region for the Israelis, man, if they were to give up the Golan to Syria... Goodnight moon. Well, temporarily speaking.

Just for kicks...

The Voluntary Human Extinction Movement
Talk about extreme environmentalism. More like extreme stupidity. Yes, this is a real organization. Trust me, if I was trying to be funny, I would hope I could do a much better job than this. But, really, if you want to be amused or amazed at just another look into the awesomeness we live in these days, flip through their site real quick. Honestly though, this is all you need to know. Taken straight from their home page, "Phasing out the human race by voluntarily ceasing to breed will allow Earth's biosphere to return to good health. Crowded conditions and resource shortages will improve as we become less dense."

One More Series to Go, Bring on Beantown...

2008-05-29T21:09:00.000-07:00

To pay tribute to the big victory in Los Angeles tonight, I decided to throw up a great pair of kicks. Here, you're lookin' at a pair of quickstrike Dunk High Premium 1-Piece's that I believe were a Medicom release? I could be wrong. Either way, these are fresh. Saw them awhile back and stumbled across this pic by yours truly at Caliroots.com. So, it's a one piece-upper, with laser details and a paint job that screams vintage.

So, for all those Kobe haters. For all those Laker haters.

Viva Los Angeles. Champs in '08.

Why Josh Hamilton is Better Than A-Rod

2008-05-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

Just another reason why Josh Hamilton is not only one of my favorite baseball players, but one of my favorite athletes altogether. He's rakin' this year for the Texas Rangers (big surprise), so he's continuing to get press time for his success. There are so many pieces done on Hamilton, they're all good reads. If I had more energy and, well, more desire, I would post an assortment for you guys. But, instead, I'll just give you this recent interview he did with ESPN and then another article that ran in ESPN the magazine about a year or so back I think it was. So, take the time to read his story, it's well worth it. And, beyond that, well, when it comes time to vote for the all-star game, you know who's name to check.

Here's the link to the article. Trust me, it's an inspirational and feel good story for anyone, even if you despise baseball.

More Interesting News from the Middle East

2008-05-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

May 16, 2008, The Jerusalem Post
Dramatic New Regional Support for Red-Dead Seas Canal Plan
Just reading through this article evokes the fun times I had while visiting the Arabah, more specifically the Dead Sea. But, more than that, reading in this article that businessmen and bankers want put in place a canal, desalinate the water, produce hydroelectric power, all in all give the region great prosperity and bring in enormous amounts of tourism. And, this would only be the beginning they say. The article also makes mention they are expecting benefits such as large botanical gardens, greenhouses which would enhance winter vegetation, and much more. All this possible because the way the climate is today.

This is just all a little interesting to me after reading the scriptures out of Ezekiel 47:8,9. Just interesting that's all. How the scriptures say water will flow towards the eastern region and go down into the Arabah, where it will enter into the Dead Sea. And goes on to talk about how there will be new fresh waters and the land will be full of living creatures, and fish because of the salt water made fresh. Basically, how during this time there will be a remarkable amount of life surrounding and within what was once the Dead Sea.

Just interesting, that's all.

Recent Headlines that Caught My Attention

2008-05-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

May 6, 2008, The UK Guardian
Luxury Hotels and Golf: Welcome to the Green Zone
Thought this was pretty interesting, the US military sees a future for the Green Zone of Baghdad. If the plan is carried out, the banks of the Tigris River in the current Iraqi capital would get a complete makeover. Which would then make the area an instant attraction for Iraqis, tourists, and others.

May 10, 2008, Reuters
Tanks Back in Red Square for Russia Victory Parade
Of course, there are several bigger headlines out of Russia recently that make you think twice. The new Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev and his so-called "appointing" of Vladimir Putin as prime minister. The Russian Orthodox Church becoming basically the new official religion of Russia while any other Protestant or Christian worship have been all but banned. Ties with Iran and other enemies of Israel coming to view in even more detail. But, this one just continues on down the list. Not since the collapse of the Soviet Union have tanks, missile launchers and other military hardware paraded through the Red Square. Anyway, all this is interesting to see how Russia is shaping up and the personality the government is continuing to take on. I caught a video clip of the parade and it was almost surreal watching it, like something you would see in the movies.

May 14, 2008, Reuters
Ahmadinejad: Israel is Doomed
It's not like this is at all surprising. So, I don't know if it should really be classified as news even. Seems like these words come out of his mouth on a daily basis. But, here we just have Ahmadinejad saying once again, well, it's easier to use the words right out of his mouth, "The Zionist (Israeli) regime is dying," said Ahmadinejad during a speech in northern Iran. "The criminals assume that by holding celebrations... they can save the sinister Zionist regime from death and annihilation."

May 15, 2008, Los Angeles Times
California Supreme Court Overturns Gay Marriage Ban

Lastly...
As of today, it is thought the death toll in China from the 7.9 earthquake that hit a few days back could reach 50,000. Also as of today, the death toll of the cyclone that hit Burma could wind up somewhere in between 68,000-128,000 sources say. The UN has said that up to 2.5 million were severely affected. Keep all people involved in your prayers. And, remember Matthew 24.

The Lone Reason to Support the Gators

2008-05-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

I had this article passed my way from a buddy of mine and just had to throw it out into the blogosphere. Being a young Christian man, it's great to see one of those "good guys" every now and again in the arena of sports. Tim Tebow has everything you could imagine being a collegiate athlete and yet he has still remained grounded in the Lord. It makes for a good read, and gives a glimmer of hope amongst all the bad things out there in sports and the professional athletes that make such bad decisions with their lives in the public spotlight. So, give it a read, you might be impressed.

By Mark Schlabach
ESPN.com

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow took the microphone, scanned the 14 rows of grim-faced men sitting in folding metal chairs and recognized the familiar hue of blue.

"How many Gator fans do we have in the house today?" Tebow asked.

After more than half the men raised their hands, Tebow added, "All right, those who didn't raise their hands, that's who I'm preaching to today."

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow delivered his message at two Florida prisons on April 19. On a balmy Saturday morning in mid-April -- the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback's first weekend away from the bright spotlight of Florida football -- Tebow had never seemed more comfortable. His playing field was a concrete basketball court in the middle of Gainesville Correctional Institute, a minimum-medium security state prison where banished major league baseball stars Doc Gooden and Darryl Strawberry once served hard time. His sideline was a 15-foot metal fence topped by razor wire and guarded by a correctional officer carrying a shotgun and driving a small pickup truck. His audience no longer was tens of thousands of Gator fans cheering his every move, but rather more than 150 inmates, many of whom are serving at least three-year prison sentences for drug-related offenses and still trying to kick the habit that put them in there. Still, Tebow seemed as confident as when he lowers his broad shoulders into SEC defenders. He delivered his message loud and clear, as if he were barking orders in the Gators' huddle.

"Everybody is telling me I've made it," Tebow told the inmates. "They tell me, 'Tim, you have success and you've made it.' I've won the Heisman Trophy, so I've got it made, right? One day, people are going to forget about me. One day, people are going to forget about the Heisman Trophy, the jump pass and the national championship. One day, this [championship] ring is going to rust. There are only four things that are going to last forever: God, his word, people and rewards.

"Because I'm so passionate about it, and because I learned that gift so early, I don't want to go to heaven and hear Jesus tell me, 'Tim, why didn't you tell someone else about it?' It's a choice each of you have to make. I can't make that choice for you. Your friend can't make that choice for you. It's up to you. No matter how bad your life has been, eternity can be great. It's not how you start, fellas, it's how you finish."

In the four months since Tebow became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy, he has sought to spread his message of faith as far as possible. Winning college football's most coveted individual award has provided him with a broader audience. Moving from the gridiron to the gospel is no big leap for Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.

"Because of my name recognition and because of who I am, I've been given an opportunity to go places where most other people can't go," Tebow said. "I can go into prisons and speak, and no one will say anything. I can go into schools and speak, and they'll love to have me. I can go to all these different places because of who I am as a football player. That's a platform the Lord has given me, and I think it's my responsibility to take advantage of it."

It's a lesson Tebow learned from his parents long ago. His father, Bob Tebow, helped start a campus Christian organization while attending Florida in the 1960s. After working as a pastor, he founded the Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association, which established an orphanage in the Philippines, among other endeavors. Bob and Pam Tebow and their five children lived in the Philippines for some time during the 1980s and 1990s. Each of their children was home-schooled, including Tim, who later became a star quarterback at Nease High School in Jacksonville before attending Florida.

"I've seen a lot of needy people and needy places in different countries," Tebow said. "I've seen a lot of people in prisons who really need the gospel. I've seen people change. It's encouraging to me that the Lord is using me to change people's lives, and there's not many other people who are willing to go out there. They don't do it because they're either scared or they're satisfied just sitting at their house and not doing much to change the world."

Florida coach Urban Meyer said Tebow is convinced he can help change the world one person at a time.

"If anybody ever knew the complete story about Tim Tebow, most people wouldn't believe it," Meyer said. "Every time he does something like this, it's not the first time he's taken his personal time to do something for someone else. Nothing surprises me about Tim. There's a skeptical side to all of us. We think, 'They talk the talk, but do they really walk the walk?' I can't say I've met many people that do, but Tim is definitely one of them."

During Tebow's spring break in March, he traveled to his father's Filipino orphanage for five days. He spent time with orphans, spoke about his faith in schools and market places, and even assisted doctors during medical procedures. Tebow said he removed cysts from patients and performed a few circumcisions.

"It's pretty nerve-racking at first, but you get your hands under control and do the work," Tebow said. "It's pretty cool."

Tebow, 20, considers his work at home as rewarding. On April 19, he spent more than eight hours inside two of Florida's state prisons, standing shoulder to shoulder with violent and non-violent offenders. At Gainesville Correctional Institute, Tebow's right tackle no longer was protecting his blind side. Four correctional officers stood several yards away in a grass yard -- and they didn't even carry guns. According to warden Buddy Roberts, Tim Tebow's message will have an impact on the inmates because he is in their age group.

"No matter where I am, if I'm preaching to Muslims or in a prison, if you're in the will of God, that's safer than driving down the interstate," Tebow said. "That's how I feel about it. He's in control of whatever happens. I'm thinking more about their needs than my needs. They need to hear what I'm sharing, so I don't think about any sense of fear. The Lord has it under control, and he'll take care of me."

But Tebow might have used a few blockers at Lancaster Correctional Institute in Trenton. The second stop on his prison tour was like going from a road game at Vanderbilt to a Saturday night contest at LSU. The minimum-medium security facility houses 580 inmates, nearly all of whom are youthful offenders from ages 18 to 24. They've been imprisoned for offenses ranging from drug trafficking to attempted murder. Correctional officers at LCI call the young inmates "jitterbugs" because they have so much energy. Two weeks earlier, a fight broke out in the cafeteria and inmates swung mop and broom handles at each other. A few minutes after Tebow arrived, a fight broke out at a nearby basketball court during mandatory calisthenics and a guard was knocked to the ground.

"You have a teenage son?" LCI warden Buddy Roberts asked. "Just imagine having 580 of them. I spent my entire career in adult facilities. This is worse."

Visitors are required to walk through two security gates and a metal detector at LCI. The inmates are divided into four populations, each designated by the color of a prisoner's hat. Inmates wearing orange hats are new arrivals, red hats are for those who have been there longer, blue hats are for those who are considered model inmates and yellow hats are for those with discipline problems. LCI offers prisoners educational programs in auto mechanics, computer science, irrigation, carpentry and other fields. Inmates can earn GEDs while they are imprisoned there. The prison has teachers, doctors, psychologists, nurses and a dentist on staff. The 84-acre facility has nine cottage-style dorms and two dorms with open bays, which house about 150 inmates each. The prison has a softball field, several basketball courts and workout area, which has dip and pull-up bars but no actual weights. Tim Tebow signed a few autographs after delivering his message to the inmates. A white chapel sits in the middle of the prison yard. Roberts said the chapel is home to different religious studies each night. LCI even has a faith-based dorm. But the prison isn't allowed to educate its prisoners about religion. That's where volunteers like Tebow are needed.

"His message gets through, especially with this age group," Roberts said. "I think the message he gives them will have an impact because it's coming from a kid of the same age group. They can relate to him better."

Jim Williams, who owns an electrical contracting company in Jacksonville, has spent more than four decades preaching inside Florida's prisons. Williams helped organize Tebow's trip. While Tebow was the main attraction, inmates also were entertained by Bunny Martin, a former team chaplain of the Dallas Cowboys and a world yo-yo champion. Bob Cole, a former con man and professional gambler, who inspired Robert Redford's role in the movie "The Sting," also was part of the prison ministry.

"Inmates won't go to the chapels," Williams said. "That's why we go to the recreation yards. That's the culture of prisons. They'll come see an athlete."

And many will even listen to Tebow's message.

"If you say, 'Timmy, I want that gift of eternal life, I want to have that gift you have,' then I want you to come stand up here with me right now," Tebow told the inmates at Gainesville Correctional Institute.

Nearly 80 inmates at GCI and another 40 at LCI joined Tebow on the basketball court. He led them in prayer, then helped distribute prison-based Bibles and other literature to inmates. Tebow spent even longer signing autographs for the inmates, leaving his signature on a few Bibles.

"It's about having an opportunity to go in there and change people's lives and give inmates hope when there's little hope in their lives," Tebow said. "Even though they're very hard people, most of them are so far down in a hole that they're in need of something. They need something to hold onto and something to pull themselves out. When their lives might seem like nothing and they feel like they're never going to be able to do anything with their lives, when they hear this message and hear they can have eternal life in heaven, that gives them hope. That's something they can hold on to. That's something that really does get through to them."

Joel Rosenberg on CNN Headline News

2008-05-01T20:44:00.000-07:00

I'm basically piggybacking off of Joel Rosenberg's blog, but CNN had Rosenberg on for a full hour talking about his novels, the Joshua Fund, and the End of Days as it relates to Bible prophecy. A lot of it is stuff I've heard before more time and stuff I've studied myself, but there was some updated stuff dealing with Russia's very own Vladimir Putin, Iraq, Hilary Clinton and more. I know to most people this probably isn't even on the radar or is considered crazy talk at the least, but it's so interesting to me. Anyway, this is some good stuff, I think it's interesting to think about or be aware of no matter what you might believe. Actually, thanks to a friend of mine, I had the chance to see Rosenberg speak this last weekend. Even though I was only able to catch him for about 45min and a good portion was about the Joshua Fund, it was still pretty sweet. Didn't think I'd have that opportunity ever. So, anyway. Check his blog, it's always full of interesting geopolitical/biblical stuff and read his books if you get a chance. Easy reads. Anyway, check out all 5 parts of the segment with Glenn Beck. It's worth the time in front of the computer. Here's the link to the rest of the video clips on Youtube, I just posted the intro clip. Link to all five parts of CNN special with Joel Rosenberg

Fight the Dark Side

2008-04-15T20:12:00.000-07:00

Stumbled across this ad from the company Atma. Never heard of the company, but they sure put out a great little campaign with "Fight the Dark Side" and these Star Wars-like images. Anyway, I found these on the great site Adgoodness. So, kudos to them. Not much else to say about this. Good deal.

The Nike Air Rejuven8

2008-04-11T09:34:00.001-07:00

Man, Kix-Files has been good as of late with some great articles. Or maybe I just need to check their stuff more often and stop going straight to their online store like some sort of zombie. Anyway, we (When I say we, I mean the employee store) got in the Nike Air Rejuven8 awhile back in several different mainstream general release colors. So, I slipped them on because I thought they would be comfortable but didn't think they'd sell through quickly because the design of the shoe would only reaches to a small part of the market. Well, boy was I wrong. Anyway, I'm not going to get into all the details behind the shoe. But, I'm going to throw up their story on here because it's not very long and hard to follow with all their pictures. But, make sure you check out their article because they have some cool pictures not only of the shoe, but of the process behind it, here's the link. Here's their story: (Okay, it's a little longer than I thought, maybe you just might want to look at the pictures. But, the story is interesting, I promise.)

Air Rejuven8 “A hard day of training should be followed by a day of easy training.” - Bill Bowerman

Designed with an intense focus on comfort and breathability, Nike launches the Air Rejuven8, an innovation that rejuvenates the foot during an athletes day off the field.

Nike’s heritage of 35 years of innovation “The great thing about innovating at NIKE is that we have iconic heritage products to draw from,” says Pam Greene. With help from the Innovation Kitchen team, and drawing from the experience of designers like Bob Mervar, who designed the Presto; Tinker Hatfield, creator of the Air Huarache; Sean McDowell, who brought the Air Kukini to the triathlon world; and Bruce Kilgore who invented the Sock Racer; Pam built upon their foundation concepts and pushed them to the next level of rejuvenating comfort and aesthetic functionality. The Zvezdockha, Nike’s innovation project with designer Marc Newson, introduced the idea of modularity to the NIKE family, and the Air Rejuven8 makes it accessible from a consumer and athletic standpoint. The Air Rejuven8 is the latest evolution and fusion of the aforementioned shoes in the NIKE family tree, combining great fit, breathability, and support in a seriously fun way that only Nike can deliver.

Recovery There are three phases to an athlete’s competition cycle – training, competition and recovery. Athletes don’t stop being competitors when they step off the field of play. Recovery and training between contests are just as critical as the competition itself — maybe even more so. All three phases work together to create a more efficient and healthy athlete.

Designed with an intense focus on comfort and breathability, the Air Rejuven8 is specifically geared to be incorporated into an athlete’s days off the field to rejuvenate, repair, rebuild, refresh and restore the foot. Inspired by direct insight that the athlete’s body experiences high wear and tear from training and competition, the soothing aspect of the Air Rejuven8, according to testers, creates an almost a complete lack of sensation on the foot—in a good way.

nspiration * Design at NIKE follows a problem solving process and inspiration to solve the needs of an athlete can come from anywhere. At a Thanksgiving dinner in 1999, a NIKE innovation leader’s seven-year-old son took the protective fruit net off an Asian pear and placed it around his bare foot. It was a playful gesture that immediately sparked the imagination of NIKE’s design team, spawning the first Air Rejuven8 prototype—built from the very same netting and hot-glued to a last. What intrigued designers about the structure was the way the material worked in harmony with the foot’s shape, as well as its graphic look. But, at the time, the technology required to make the Air Rejuven8 was too complex and its various prototypes ended up at the bottom of a drawer for nearly five years, out of sight, but not out of mind.

Innovation* In 2003, NIKE innovation designer Pam Greene was studying the comfort aspects of a shoe, important foundation work for delivering recovery benefits to the feet of weary athletes. Greene, who was working in Nike’s Innovation Kitchen, Nike’s inner center of invention and ingenuity, immediately saw potential in the netting design, working out a tangible plan for the shoe’s construction. After six months researching materials and geometries for the net structure, Pam, a specialist in designing comfort footwear, crafted the shoe into a prototype phase that showed a unique ability to assist recovery and enable restorative running. After an additional year of testing and refinement by the Kitchen team, the Air Rejuven8 concept was ready to see the light of day.

The Air Rejuven8, the result of Nike’s design team Design at Nike is also the result of a collaborative effort, and the Innovation Kitchen is the heart of it all. Bob Mervar, Nike’s Outdoor Design Director formed a good duo with the Kitchen’s Greene and together they developed and created what would become the right answer. Mervar, who had experience building many of the ancestors to the Air Rejuven8— including the Presto—fine-tuned the in-line design into a product that instantly became iconic.

The key innovation of the Air Rejuven8 is its injection-molded exterior cage. Made from one shot of TPU polymer, the network of diamond-shaped “struts” is engineered and aligned to fit around the foot to be both supportive and non-restrictive. The spacing, orientation, and thickness of each strut adds support and flex only where it is needed, allowing the use of less material in the upper. The strength-to-flex characteristic of the diamond’s geometry gives the structure its minimal, yet highly functional quality. The entire network conforms dynamically to the changing shape of the athlete’s foot in motion and at rest, while the openness of the network allows for airflow, breathability, and the movement of moisture away from skin needed in comfort footwear.

Highly prioritized in athletic footwear, comfort, breathability and lightweight support are integrated into the Air Rejuven8 with a knit sandwich-mesh inner bootie and an 8mm sockliner, giving runners the additional snugness, stability, and insole cushioning necessary if they use the shoe for light running. Made of resilient EVA foam and housing a heel air packet, this is among the thickest, softest sockliners NIKE offers. Additionally, the seamless bootie also allows the footwear to be worn without socks for better airflow.

Air Rejuven8 also incorporates the same Natural Motion tooling used in the NIKE Free, allowing the outsole to flex organically with the upper and foot. Pads made from Duralon, NIKE’s softest rubber, create a modified waffle sole traction system that is optimally natural footbed alignment for running. Nike Air in the heel provides cushioning that deflects upon the impact of heel strike, transferring energy through the runners gait and toe-off. The protective toecap originally developed for the Presto shields the toe, allowing for complete pliability in the rest of the forefoot.

Nike Media Event of the 2008 Beijing Olympics

2008-04-11T09:19:00.000-07:00

While surfing the net looking for some kicks. I came across a cool photo essay of Nike's Media Event of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This took place last week, and the funny thing is, some of the people in these pictures came into the ES and now I get why there was a group from the Beijing Media here. Anyway, that was a sidenote. So, take a gander through these pics, some pretty cool stuff. Along with a general presentation of the Beijing Olympics, Nike showed off two of their newest technologies in Flywire and Lunar Foam. I got to check out the Flywire material awhile back when we got a sneak peek of the Hyperdunks. Seemed like pretty sweet stuff. Anyway, check out the following links. Photo essay of the Nike Media Event-- Link, the scoop on Nike's new Flywire technology-- Link, and lastly a look at the Nike Hyperdunk-- Link.

The Jordan AJF12 Outsole

2008-03-27T19:13:00.000-07:00

One of, if not thee sickest outsole of a sneaker I've ever seen. So good that it made it's way to my blog. I mean, we're talking about the outsole of a shoe here. That's pretty dang good. The colors used here remind me of the inspiration behind the Air Jordan XIII, tied together with a type of cat I think, the panther? Are they black with a piercing set of eyes? Anyway, just thought I would share this with 'yall. I'm not too big of a fan of this sneaker in general, but Jordan definitely has done a great job coloring them up. They've released some good colors. So, kudos to them. Catch this link and you'll see the whole sneaker via Flight Club.

Yo Joe! Coming to a Theater Near You

2008-03-25T09:58:00.000-07:00

Came across this image while checking up on KITSUNE NOIR. I vaguely remember the fact there was a GI Joe movie set to release. But, after seeing this picture, man I'm already getting excited. Back in the day, when kids had to be a little more creative in using their time, I'm talking about playing with actions figures such as GI Joe, TMNT, MASK, COPS, all the likes. Or snapping together Legos to make an X-Wing without an instructional booklet. Or fiddling with Micro Machines, anyway, you get the picture. Back, before video games took complete control of our youth. With that being said, if all the other Joe characters look as sweet as this image of Snake Eyes, we're all in for a treat. May August 7, 2009 approach even faster. I think it's time to youtube some old cartoon episodes. You feel me? Anyway, here's a link to the movie on IMDB.

Twenty Four and Engaged

2008-03-18T10:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess what a better way to find my way back to my blog by posting on this topic. For starters, I have now moved one year closer to thirty. I am now twenty four years old and... engaged. So, that's plenty exciting. Definitely enough excitement for one weekend I would say. But, it's pretty cool. I dunno if I really want to get into the whole story, how it happened, blah blah blah, you know... all those girly details which they can sit on for hours upon hours.

So, to make a long story short, I wanted to propose a week earlier and we were planning to go to the beach then, but the ring wasn't ready and guess who had to be chump and find a reason not to go down to the beach all the while the girlfriend was definitely not a happy camper. Anyway, after that, I picked up the ring a few Sundays ago, met with her parents on an evening she was slaving away in the classroom. Took care of all that fun stuff. That might have been more nerve-racking for the few minutes than proposing. Now, came the hard part. I had to hold onto the blasted ring for like 5 days or something. Regardless, it was too long. Waiting for the day to come was definitely not much fun. So, the day finally did come. She still had no idea at all, she of course, just thought we were going to the beach for my birthday and she would be treating me to a great birthday lunch at Dooger's (If you haven't tried their chowder, you should). So, that plan was still intact.

It was suppose to be around 50 and cloudy, so that was still looking good. Except for the drive to the coast. All of a sudden we hit rain. And a lot of it. And then to my surprise, a few minutes of snow going through the mountains. I was not happy at this point. Anyway, I'm making this way too long and girly, exactly what I swore not to do. So, we finally get into Cannon Beach, sit down eat a great lunch at Dooger's. Which took all of about forty minutes. Great. So, then we walked around the town a bit. Poking our heads in some shops and what not. All of which wasn't so interesting especially when I knew I could be proposing anytime now.

Finally we hoped back in the car and went back toward Haystack Rock. Parked, got bundled up a bit and made our way to the ocean. There wasn't as many people out as they're were earlier, which was nice. But, we ended up exploring the tidepools for quite awhile. Something we've done before together. Once we were over getting our feet soaked, checking out the starfish and plotting out the perfect route to safety through the rocky terrain, I convinced Rachael that we should walk a bit further up the beach. So, we did that for a few minutes, people started to clear out a bit, and she opened her mouth about some kind of treasure or something, basically unknowingly giving a perfect opportunity for the big question. So, by this time it was now or never. So, I fumbled the ring out of my pocket, got down on one knee in the awesome water soaked sand and popped the question.

One word to sum up her response. Whhaat? Yeah, that about six or seven times over a couple minutes with nothing else but silence. Then a gentle shove to my shoulder. That's all I got for the next few minutes. She just had no idea, no clue what to say and couldn't grab onto the fact what had just taken place. Then came the , I don't understand? and the Jeffff. But, finally the yes and she slipped on the ring and that was that. She was baffled all the way to the car, repeating the same questions over and over again with the biggest smile stretched from cheek to cheek. Then came the fun ride home where I think I heard her retell the story exactly how it had played out like four or five times. Was a lot of fun...

So, with that I think I'm pretty much done with the story. I really didn't want to be so girly about it, was definitely not planning on it. But, oh well. I guess it's worth it if it means I have to explain the story to one less person, right? So, in conclusion, Rachael and I are engaged and I could not be any happier. She is amazing and now I'm stuck (I mean, blessed) with that amazingness all my life. Life has taken a serious step for the better, now only if I could land a halfway decent job. That'd be nice. All in good time, the Lord's in control.

American Professor.. a Hezbollah Supporter?

2008-02-28T11:05:00.000-08:00

Well. This is quite unbelievable. An American professor, Norman Finkelstein to be specific, from DePaul University as he puts it, "expresses solidarity with them". What is the world coming to. Here's an interesting quote from this Finklestein dude:

"Do you want to pretend it is Hizbullah that is causing the trouble? No, there will be another war, and the destruction will probably be ten times worse – maybe even more – than July 2006, because Israel is determined, with the United States, to put the Arabs in their place and to keep them in their place."

Umm. Hello? Do I want to PRETEND that Hezbollah are causing the trouble? Hmm. I don't know what you call reigning down hundreds, even thousands in total, of rockets on Israel, a group that calls for terrorist attacks on Jews and Americans at all levels, proclaims hate and violence worldwide, a group that is known for broadcasting on their television network, "death to Americans", a group that glorifies suicide bombings and recruits Palestinian "martyrs" to kill Jews, and a group that is financially supported and encouraged by both Iran and Syria. Ehh. Now, I'm not saying the Israeli people are completely innocent themselves, but all they are trying to do is protect themselves and the land that is most definitely, completely their own. A nation that is about the size of New Jersey trying to defend itself amongst a mix of nations surrounding them eager to see them scattered, even "wiped off the map".

Anyway, didn't mean to get into all this. But, I'm just baffled how such an "intellect" can stand so firmly behind a group of people with such characteristics. Oh, and by the way, did I mention he's an American? Here's a link to the article that was published on FOXnews.com, here's an excerpt to the actual interview that was conducted, and that's about all.

Bill Walton and Will Ferrell

2008-02-27T22:11:00.000-08:00

Now, this isn't some hilarious footage of Will Ferrell, or isn't filled with fantastic insight from yours truly, Bill Walton. But, it's one that makes for a good watch. Worth your couple minutes if your fans of either one of them. I really wish Bill would look like this everyday when he does his game commentary and what not. Should go a little retro. Spice things up a bit. But anyway, check it out. Taken from ESPN.com

Think If Your Hands Looked Like This

2008-02-23T19:09:00.000-08:00

This is part of a cool campaign for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). So, their slogan is something like "Give a hand to wildlife" I think. So, the first thing that came to your mind was finely-detailed hand puppets? Right? Every single one of these made me look twice. I think there was a bald eagle and type of alligator for the others. Might be more as well. But, just thought this was not only pretty creative, but they did a great job with it. Now, will it make me personally give a hand to the WWF, probably not. But, it definitely will make do for a post on the old blog.

One Reason to Go to the Opera

2008-02-22T18:57:00.000-08:00

Yet another cool find on NOTCOT. This one being the soon to open opera house in Oslo, Norway. This is really some great architecture. Would love to see it lit up at night. I'll have to do some searching online. Think I saw somewhere that this project costed around $745 million to complete. Might be wrong, but think that was it. And, due to open in early April this year I believe. Love how they incorporated the design with the water. All the diagonal lines running right into the aqua. Cool beans, huh? Anyway, take a look at it. Check it out. Maybe give it a Flickr. Picture I used for the post was taken by Flickr user Kris Taeleman. So, kudos to him.

Talk Some Trash with Nike

2008-02-20T13:46:00.000-08:00

Now, I'm about a week late to post. But, somehow, I was completely oblivious to this release. Which is a little weird these days. With the latest Air Jordan XX3 release and it's push to go green (posted about this awhile back) Nike is definitely making some serious strives to further the eco-friendly shoe community. All in all the shoe's design is based on the Nike Zoom BB II Low, which is worn by NBA MVP Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns, thus the colorway. Anyway, it's basically made up of factory waste and scraps from the floors of production. The outsole, shoe laces, and sock-liner are all made of environmentally preferred materials and the outsole incorporates Nike's Grind material also from former outsole waste. And, lastly, to top it off, Nike packs it's new product in a fully recycled shoebox. Kinda fun for the tree hugger side of you. So, go green with Nike. And, I'm guessing the price point here will be much lower than the $185 cost for the green Air Jordan XX3. Anyway, follow the link here to check out the official Nike press release off Nikebiz.com

It's a Bird.. It's a Plane..

2008-02-20T12:04:00.000-08:00

Now, I don't really care what people say. This years slam dunk contest was not comparable to the show that MJ and 'Nique once put on, or even the one man show Vince put on in 2000 I believe it was. Those were amazing. Legendary contests. This one was definitely better than the past couple years. I'll give you that. But, I'm not one for gimmicks really. So, this so called "creativity" is only relative I guess. Just wish there would be some more creativity with the dunks themselves. That's all. But, what Dwight Howard did was great, fun to watch and in the end, good for the game of basketball. It was definitely entertaining and what he does with the basketball is amazing. Anyway, just thought I would pay some dues there. It does make for a great lasting image though. You know, Superman flying through the air.

Perspective on the Simpsons

2008-02-20T11:34:00.000-08:00

Saw this and thought it was an interesting illustration depicting the artists' interpretation of all the major Simpson's characters. Just weird seeing all these characters you've grown so accustom to over the years, knowing in your mind's eye exactly what they are suppose to look like. But, here they don't. Dunno if this is truly post-worthy, but thought what the heck. Might as well. Enjoy.

He Has Been with Jesus

2008-02-20T11:03:00.000-08:00

I think it's time to share yet another one of my morning devo's with Mr. Spurgeon. This dates way back to the 11th of February, but it made quite an impact on me. Man, just talk about a way we should strive to live our lives. This is it. Such a perfect example and Spurgeon pours it all out with such language that truly shows it's beauty. One of the things I want to do while I'm here living this life of mine, is simply, to live a life with Jesus.

'And they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.' -Acts 4:13

A Christian should be a striking likeness of Jesus Christ. You have read lives of Christ, beautifully and eloquently written, but the best life of Christ is His living biography, written out in the words and actions of His people. If we were what we profess to be, and what we should be, we should be pictures of Christ; yea, such striking likenesses of Him, that the world would not have to hold us up by the hour together, and say, 'Well, it seems somewhat of a likeness'; but they would, when they once beheld us, exclaim, 'He has been with Jesus; he has been taught of Him; he is like Him; he has caught the very idea of the holy Man of Nazareth, and he works it out in his life and everyday actions'. A Christian should be like Christ in his boldness. Never blush to own your religion; your profession will never disgrace you: take care you never disgrace that. Be like Jesus, very valiant for your God. Imitate Him in your loving spirit; think kindly, speak kindly, and do kindly, that men may say of you, 'He has been with Jesus'. Imitate Him in His holiness. Was He zealous for His Master? So be you; ever go about doing good. Let not time be wasted: it is too precious. Was He self-denying, never looking to His own interest? Be the same. Was He devout? Be you fervent in your prayers. Had He deference to His Father's will? So submit yourselves to Him. Was He patient? So learn to endure. And best of all, as the highest portraiture of Jesus, try to forgive your enemies, as He did; and let those sublime words of your Master, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do', always ring in your ears. Forgive, as you hope to be forgiven. Heap coals of fire on the head of your foe by your kindness to him. Good for evil, recollect, is godlike. Be godlike, then; and in all ways and by all means, so live that all may say of you, 'He has been with Jesus'.

Do Work Son

2008-02-19T23:32:00.000-08:00

I just have to give some love to these guys and their show. Man, it always cracks me up. No matter what. Now, I never am one to market MTV because I really hate like pretty much everything they have to offer. Except this gem. It's so great. Like, its level of greatness must be seen in order to fully recognize. So, check it out. It's a must.

Considering the Upcoming Presidency

2008-02-19T22:07:00.000-08:00

So, it might be time for yet another political post. Who would have thought. I was having an interesting talk with a buddy of mine the other night and a couple good points were brought to my attention. Some of the stuff not necessarily being stuff that I've never wrestled with or taken into consideration, but more so just some things I'd not taken too seriously? I don't know. Something like that. Now, you need to know that I'm a Bible believing Christian, and one that takes Bible prophecy seriously at that, if you can't tell already from a handful of my other posts, and so you'll see that run into all facets (sp?) of my life.

That being said.. I do believe we're living in very dangerous times, some might say the last days or at least the times leading up to them. All the while, our Lord and Savior, I believe, could return at any time. Anyway, this will all fit together somehow, I said something kinda funny the other night to my friend, "I just want a president that's not gonna let the country go down the crapper." After I said this, I kind of got thinking about it for a bit. Ideally, this is what I want, it's what most everybody wants my guess is. And, I think somehow it is still possible. Believe it or not.

But, I began thinking what if that's not what the Lord has for this great country? I mean, look what happened to the once, strong, powerful and flourishing old Roman Empire? And then look at the path our nation has taken? Man, it's just scary. It's not looking so good. Not too mention the scriptures don't make mention of the United States during the end times, but definitely talk about nations such as Israel, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Ethiopia, Russia, etc. Which is a little scary to think about. But, there's definitely still hope to pull through all this. There's always hope. I just think to myself, what if we're destined to have a leader that doesn't do the nation so well? What if that's been the plan all along? This definitely seems like a time it could happen. But, maybe that's just me really not being in love so much with our presidential candidates.

Then again, trying to be positive, I think, well, maybe a young man in presidency is just what we need (someone once told me). Although I don't agree with a lot socially as well as lots of other stuff Obama represents, maybe he just might make a good president? Maybe there's not much that can be done about certain issues as abortion, same-sex marriage, you know, all those conservative things. Maybe that stuff is in full swing and can't be stopped at this point (though don't get me wrong, I definitely believe in fighting for what you believe in). Back to Obama.. so, getting over his lack of experience, and as scary as some of his advisors seem, maybe that's just destiny for the United States. I mean, he seems passionate, intelligent, and does seem like he would make a good leader and decision maker. Maybe it's the path God has for us? And, I can't be against that, can I? Regardless, I dread the day Hillary Clinton takes the presidency. Save us all. I just don't think we all are ready for that. And, you know, I'm not so sure about McCain either.

But, I can tell you that no matter who gets elected, it's definitely gonna get worse before things start getting better and whoever the new president is will not be the ultimate leader we're looking for. A true peace won't be brought to the Middle East. Our next president isn't going to be some saviour which certainly lots of people are looking for. The only one that will bring legitimate peace and prosperity is the Lord, Jesus Christ when he returns and reigns. That will be the day. In the meantime, maybe that best, ideal candidate for President of the United States who leads us toward excellence is not in the script. Maybe we are going to have to make the best of our given situation. Is that what God has for us as Americans? On the other hand, Obama or McCain might make great presidents and could impact us greatly. Either way, I'm here to make the best of what I can. More importantly, I will live my life as Christ could come back at any moment and take advantage of any and every blessing the Lord has given me. Especially that in the gift of living in such a great country.

On a side note, if Hillary does some how win. Like I said before. Save us all. Lord help us.

..hopefully all this came out right.

Colbert Defends the Faith

2008-02-13T12:03:00.000-08:00

Now, I can't tell you if I'm a big Colbert fan or not, really, I've only seen his show once, and it happened to be this one. So, it is what it is. But, man, this is an awesome clip. Here, this proclaimed "Stanford intellectual on GOD and Lucifer" gets absolutely demolished by Colbert. I guess you know his argument might be going downhill when he states that God was wrong. That should be a red flag right there. Then he pulls the much played card "If God is into reconciliation, then..." Anyway, how Colbert presents his case and knowledge of the Word, how he defends true Bible-teaching Christianity was awesome here. Just cracked me up. So, make sure you catch this clip. It's entertaining at the very least.

Another Piece on Obama and the Holy Land

2008-02-10T14:50:00.000-08:00

In my One Jerusalem newsletter, it made mention of Obama and his thoughts on Israel. Looked pretty interesting I thought. Anyway, turns out it was a two-piece segment they did. While reading this, it also made mention of the creditability of the piece done at American Thinker. So, that was encouraging. Anyway, part two, which is the article I've linked to was pretty good. As did the American Thinker piece, this one touches on Obama's advisers and what not. Some of the same info that Ed Lasky provided in the AT article. Anyway, just putting it out there. Link to the article.

The Woes of an Artist.. Or a Designer

2008-02-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

Thought this was so funny. But, unfortunately true. Just such a great description here. Anyway, don't have much to say about this in particular. Just if you're any kind of artist or designer, you know the feeling. Man. Do I ever know the feeling sometimes. Most of the time actually. I'm constantly humbled by the work of others. How about switching it up for a change? Thanks.

Obama, Israel, and a Heap of Trouble?

2008-02-06T10:15:00.000-08:00

So, for some reason, I felt like if I had used an image of Barak I would have somehow been issuing my approval for his election. Now, I know that maybe would reach like, what, maybe ten people that stumble across this blog, but still, it's the principle folks. Anyway, I'm not into bashing candidates or trying to push my personal opinion on the masses too much, but came across this article on Obama while trying to do some research of my own. What scares me, is as much as I disagree with Barak on, all signs point toward much worse with good ol' Hillary. And, not that I feel like the republican candidates are standout people for the job, because that's definitely not so. But, at least they suit me a little bit better. Anyway, not trying to get into any of that. But, found this article, it seems to be fairly creditable, sources are cited, it's documented and such. I tried to search it out a bit. Foreign Policy is a huge deal for me, especially concerning Israel, Iran and Russia. This article has much to do about Obama's relationship with Israel and the Middle East. But, also provides some interesting insight on his advisors. To quote a baseball coach from my past, "You are who you hang with." So true. Anyway, this is all stuff I consider pretty important, so it was intriguing to come across this while fumbling around on the net. Whether you're for or against Obama, it makes an interesting read. Especially if a close American-Israeli relationship is something you hold of some importance. Just putting it out there.. Here's the article. Oh. And what a cool macro shot of Honest Abe I used here, huh? I thought so.

Pretty Good Read on Nike

2008-02-06T09:45:00.000-08:00

The latest Forbes magazine cover showcased Nike CEO Mark Parker holding the new Mercurial Vapor IV FG reading, "Going for Gold." Now, I know this might be a shock, but I typically don't frequent Forbes magazine or even Forbes.com for that matter, but as you could guess if Nike is headlined, so is my attention. It doesn't take much apparently. All the while, it's a pretty interesting read. It touches on many different aspects of the company and other issues as well. To name a couple: Parker's implementation of changes after taking hold of the swoosh, Nike's aim for the Chinese market, direct shipment of product to both consumers and stores, opening of smaller-boutique'esk stores to boost sales and the narrowcasting of Nike's marketing budget to name a few. Anyway, it's not a real long read, but is worth the time if you might be interested. So, here's the link. Follow it for a journey through a corporate rabbit-hole.

August 24, 1970

2008-01-26T14:22:00.000-08:00

Man, what an extraordinary group of photographs that were taken during the French nuclear test that took place on August 24, 1970. I guess these were taken on site of the test and were made available at the time on a couple military bases. Anyway, I believe, this was one of the hard-copy photos scanned and then touched up a bit on the computer. But, so incredible. Can't ever imagine being there taking that picture. Anyway. I guess I could be in that very situation if we let Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have his wishes.

Bigger Than I Had Ever Imagined

2008-01-26T14:07:00.000-08:00

So, I've always had a hunch that Google would soon take over the world as we know it. Maybe along the way it would pick up some partners like Starbucks, Apple, and Martha Stewart. But, this recent find of the net only cements this much contemplated over hypothesis. This image reveals that Google was long in the works before we had ever thought. Before there were computers, before the internet was conceived, there was Google and it's eye-popping, yet confusing for the times, search engine beta. These ideas were first showcased on your typical run-of-the-mill parchment. Only thing standing in the creators way was how exactly to implement their earth-shattering concept. You think they've been revolutionary in recent years, this traces all the way back to at least 1407. Who would have thought they would have come this far? It's all a conspiracy with the US government, right? We've all learned about Columbus and his sailing the ocean blue in 1492, but why has the educational system blindfolded our youth to exactly what took place in 1407.

The XX3, Great Success

2008-01-10T22:22:00.000-08:00

Man. There's something to be said about this shoe. But. Strangely enough, I can't find it. I'm speechless. The best to come since oh, probably the Air Jordan XVII and definitely a top 10 in design cemented already. I can't remember the last pair of Air Jordan's that when first seen, there was instant attraction. Everything about this shoe, the form, shape, flow, detail, line, everything is jaw dropping. Two thumbs up already to Tinker and the crew over at Swoosh. And to think, I haven't even slipped those suckers on my feet yet. So, looking forward to that. Now all I have to do is try and figure out what color I want to get.

Also, another advancement with this shoe is it's "greeness". Made of partly recycled materials, reducing amount of toxic solvents and wastes, biodegradable additives, etc etc. If you want to know more, here's a good little read out from Oregonlive.com-- article.

Who Brought the Super Glue?

2008-01-10T17:09:00.000-08:00

I did the whole models thing a very tiny bit back in the day. But, never like this. You think putting together that snap-it plastic X-Wing from Star Wars was? I wouldn't recommend you moving on to a task such as this then. Might be a little tough. And might be a little tedious. But, interesting photograph and fun to look at none the less.

Oh, How I Miss Lego Time

2008-01-10T16:56:00.001-08:00

Legos just bleed creativity. Everything about them has to do with it. And, of course that even stretches into their advertising. Man, I know I'm a sucker for simplicity and a lot of negative space. But, these ads are pretty sweet. One simple image represents the toys and what they are about to the very core. Anyway, you can check out a couple more of the bright ads here

May the Force Be with You

2008-01-10T10:01:00.001-08:00

Stumbled across this on the net and loved it. What a great portrayal of the oh-so famous Last Supper painting. I thought it was kinda cool, you might not. But, I guess you may have to be some sort of star wars junkie for it to really do its way with you. Anyway, enjoy.

A Morning Spent with Spurgeon

2008-01-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

This was my morning devo for the 4th of January. It was pretty awesome. Started my day out nicely. So good actually, I'm deciding to share this wisdom with you all free of charge. So, soak it up and apply it as you may. So, here's Charles:

'Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ'
-2 Peter 3:18

'Grow in grace'- not in one grace only, but in all grace. Grow in that root-grace, faith. Believe the promises more firmly than you have done. Let faith increase in fulness, constancy, simplicity. Grow also in love. Ask that your love may become extended, more intense, more practical, influencing every thought, word, and deed. Grow likewise in humility. Seek to lie very low, and know more of your own nothingness. As you grow downward in humility, seek also to grow upward-having nearer approaches to God in prayer and more intimate fellowship with Jesus. May God the Holy Spirit enable you to 'grow in the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour.' He who grows not in the knowledge of Jesus, refuses to be blessed. To know Him is 'life eternal', and to advance in the knowledge of Him is to increase in happiness. He who does not long to know more of Christ, knows nothing of Him yet. Whoever hath sipped this wine will thirst for more, for although Christ doth satisfy, yet it is such a satisfaction, that the appetite is not cloyed, but whetted. If you know the love of Jesus-as the hart panteth for the water-brooks, so will you pant after deeper draughts of His love. If you do not desire to know Him better, then you love Him not, for love always cries, 'Nearer, nearer'. Absence from Christ is hell; but the presence of Jesus is heaven. Rest not then content without an increasing acquaintance with Jesus. Seek to know more of Him in His divine nature, in His human relationship, in His finished work, in His death, in His resurrection, in His present glorious intercession, and in His future royal advent. Abide hard by the Cross, and search the mystery of His wounds. An increase of love to Jesus, and a more perfect apprehension of His love to us, is one of the best tests of growth in grace.

Israel Trip, Day Three, Nov-09

2007-12-03T17:18:00.000-08:00

Here we go.

We made it through another night at the Tiberias Holiday Inn. That's a miracle in itself. This hotel was beyond reasonable doubt, how can I put this, the least impressive of the bunch. Chape and I woke up to another great view outside of our so-called balcony window, this time not looking just at the dumpster below us there were a few wild horses up on the hill top right across the street. This was kinda cool. Anyway, our first stop was a surprise, thanks to our bus driver Abner. Who, by the way was a "guy" (translation: Completely awesome dude). We stopped off at a site where on June 8, 2006 twelve IDF troops were killed by Hizbollah launched Katyusha rockets. It was a sobering visit being there was a memorial and we were standing on the very ground which they were killed and got to see the remains of one of the very rockets. It was tough, good thing we weren't there long.

Next stop, originally our first planned stop of the day was to Tel Dan which is near the Golan Heights in the Upper Galilee region of Israel. It is the northern most city in all of Israel, was known as Laish prior to the occupation of the Tribe of Dan, and is the largest source of the Jordan River. Just some tid-bits. It was pretty sweet because of what all took place biblically surrounding not only the Tribe of Dan, but this very location. There was a ton that had been dug up here, amazing actually. We were actually walking on some of the very stone that was walked on thousands of years ago. Also we got to see three pretty cool things that stood out for me at least. One, The city gate which was apart of the original outer wall, but it was a great visual because so many times we read in the Bible how the city gate was where the people of authority would sit as others would enter into the city. Here was the foundation of where the original King's throne sat as well. It was pretty cool to sit on the same bench where the city elders would have themselves. Continuing our hike we came to a low-stone podium where the golden calf was raised by Jeroboam. This was cool. To top it off we had a great worship session and message all while we sat on the very stairs that were used by Jezebel, which is nothing to brag about. But, just the fact this was a place where such pagan and godless acts took place yet we were singing out to the Lord and going through his Word. How awesome. Anyway, moving on, we got a few lessons from the Stevester and made the hike out of Tel Dan after walking by Abraham's Gate, the oldest arch ever found in the world, 4,000 years old. We couldn't really see it, but we got a great story about Steve and his Cutco knives. Also, Being in Dan helped understand a phrase that comes up in the Bible a bit, "From Dan to Beersheva," associating Dan with the northern border of Israel and this really symbolizing all of Israel. So, we then left. Oh, and we drove through a mine-field to get there. Cool beans.

To be continued...

Just a Little Something...

2007-11-28T12:05:00.000-08:00

There really is no reason for this posting. But, I came across this picture on my computer and just had to do something with it. Had to. Anyway, doesn't this just remind you of not so long ago in the midst of an unbelievable season. Oh, how the tables can turn so quickly. I think it's going to take an absolute miracle for the Ducks to pull out a victory against the Beavs, but time will tell. Above all of this nonsense, I thought it was a pretty fun picture. Looks like the Trojans are back to playing the football that should put them back atop of Pac-10 football.

Sweating the Small Stuff and a Morning with Jon

2007-11-28T10:58:00.000-08:00

In reading this afternoon, I covered some of Matthew. In chapter 16, I came across something pretty sweet. It's at the later end of the chapter when the Lord is talking to his disciples about losing their lives in gain among some other stuff. But, when skimming my footnotes I saw something that greatly impacted me. Speaking of verse 26, it said the following: "Evaluate all that happens from an eternal perspective, and you will find your values and decisions changing." This is particularly cool right now because since coming back from Israel, I think even more so than before, I've really learned not to sweat the small stuff. Not to dwell on all the stresses of this life. Man, the Lord has blessed us with way too much to waste time with really, meaningless things of the world. And, it's been so freeing since being home. So freeing. I'm just pushing myself not to fall right back into where I was before departing for the Holy Land. Anyway, one more thing. My devo this morning with Jon Courson was pretty neat to think about, how true it is. So, here it is:

"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." -1 John 4:4

The walls of the submarines which descend two miles in the Mariana Trench of the Pacific Ocean are constructed of thick steel plates to withstand the tremendous pressure placed upon them. But guess what the pictures taken from such heavily-protected submarines reveal: fish swimming two miles below the surface of the water with scales no thicker than that of any other fish. How can this be? The answer is simple: the pressure on the inside of those fish is equal to the pressure of the water around them.

That’s the beauty of Christianity. Some people erect massive walls to insulate themselves from the attacks of the enemy — only to find themselves filled with the frustration of isolation. The key is not to put up massive walls to protect you from the enemy — but to realize the One inside you is greater than whatever pressure threatens to attack you. When we understand that He that is in us is greater than any temptation, problem, trauma, or difficulty which could come against us, we can move through life freely.

PS Still working on my journal entries from the trip. All my pictures and now audio has kinda taken front seat. One day though, one day.

Israel Trip, Day Two, Nov-08

2007-11-22T10:48:00.000-08:00

So, day two was a great day. We started the day a little bit earlier because we had to beat the "Hinster's" to the baptismal spot on the Jordan River. We only had so long before they took over and started setting up shop for their big production. Going into the fact, I was 50/50 whether I was going to get baptized. I'd been praying about it for awhile and still felt it was up in the air. Being already baptized when I was in high school, I've seen my walk change drastically since then, felt like it would truly mean more to me personally where I'm at now in life. None the less, to Lord it couldn't matter less, I've professed my faith publicly once before, so there wasn't an issue of me having to get it done. Walking into the baptism site I was really turned off, it seemed to be this whole big deal, a little ritualistic the site seemed itself. Paying for this and that, not too mention some strange ritualistic things going on from the people already there. I was a little turned off. But then the Lord started working. We quickly went down to the river bank, no white robes, no man-made rituals, no weirdness. Just Brett standing in the Jordan, Matt on the guitar and others worshipping supporting one another. That's all I needed. I mean, who could pass up on an opportunity to get baptized in the Jordan River, the same "roaring river" that Jesus himself was baptized. By the way, it was not a mighty river, quite unimpressive actually. Which we kinda joked about the rest of the trip. Anyway, long story short, there was over 25 people I think that day that Brett baptized, it was pretty awesome. Just a great experience with the Lord and getting another chance to declare my faith and start over anew. And, to do it with some of my new church family was cool. So, it was pretty cool if you could ignore the setting up for the Hinsters, all this "Holy Water of the Jordan" being sold, having to pay to change, and so forth.

From there is was to the Mount of Beattitudes. Which was a pretty awe inspiring drive in itself, to just drive around the Sea of Galilee was pretty cool. We got up to the tourist site and it was fairly crowded, a lot of buses. As we walked up to the spot, we were lucky enough to find ourselves some alone time worshipping the Lord and getting a quick message out of the Word. Was pretty incredible to be in the same place where Jesus gave his most important sermon ever (Sermon on the mount, Matthew 5,6), to be looking out over the sea and going through the beattitudes. I found myself enjoying the worship at these spots awesome, which I'll talk about later. But, it was just nice that we got some alone time. Anyway, we wondered around the site a bit more, took some pictures and tried to soak up such a spot where Christ stood himself thousands of years ago. We made a hike down to the road where we would then make our way to the waters of Galilee. This same hike was such one that Jesus and his followers would have taken. Which was kind of exciting in itself. We walked past a ton of banana trees which was different and the view back up to the church on the hill was pretty neat also.

We then made it into Peter's Primacy on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. This spot was amazing as well, everything about the Sea of Galilee actually was amazing. It was these waters that some underground warm springs flowed into the waters which attracted large amounts of fish. This made this particular shoreline very popular for fishing, thus making it a great spot where Peter came to reel in the big ones. You can find the account of what happened on this exact shore in John 21:1-14. While we were here the Stevester had a few words for us and eventually we would get some great, quality free time with the Lord sitting among the rocks on the shore. It was pretty neat, just to get into the Bible on the very shore, the very waters where Jesus walked. But, maybe the highlight of the visit was the old man and his modesty kit. Will never forget that, nor will Amy.

After this we got back on the bus and made our way to the other side of the lake, En Gev. We drove past the place where the devils were cast into the pigs and they violently ran into their death, being swallowed up by the sea (Mark 5). So, at the Kibbutz where we at a lot of people tried the St. Peter's Tilapia, instead I had the pizza. But, I did try the fish. It was good, just didn't want to pick through all the bones. Too much work. Oh, and here, we met a waiter who just recently moved to Israel who went to Lakeridge High School. After eating we got onto a boat which took us across the middle of the sea, making our way toward Capernaum. It was kinda funny, the boat raised an American flag for us and played the national anthem. We stopped in the in the sea and Tad gave a quick message, was pretty cool since it was these waters where Jesus walked upon (Matthew 14:22-33).

Finally we made it to Capernaum, a hometown of Jesus (Matthew 4:13) as well as some of his disciples. This was one of my favorite spots. If I can even say that with all the awesome places we visited while in Israel. The Stevester had some great info for us here and it was awesome to hear a teaching from Brett in an ancient Synagogue which was built over the very foundation of the synagogue where Jesus taught (Luke 4:31-44). Just amazing really. This very area was a place where Jesus taught and worked miracles so long ago. Just awesome. The ruins were pretty cool, the synagogue dates back to the 4th or 5th century AD, I can't remember. There also remains the ruins of the house of Peter, unfortunately there is an whacky church that was built which currently hovers over the top of it. So, that's a little out of place. But, this was a great visit. A truly amazing site, to be in a place where Jesus called home.

Lastly, we stopped at a museum which held a 2,000 year old fishing boat. Which could possibly of held Jesus and his disciples at one point, who knows. But, I didn't find it to be so great. Spent more time here in the shop handing over my hard earned money for some shirts that I now regret buying. Let's just say the don't fit so well. But, I got a couple great books. So, it's all good. Then, it was back to Tiberias. To eat some dinner and call it a night. It was this night where we had a great talk with Steve for a long time at dinner. Was pretty neat.

Ok. This was way too long.

Israel Trip, Day One, Nov-07

2007-11-20T15:30:00.000-08:00

I know, a little late. But, it's time for me to journal my trip. So, if you're interested, which you might not be, you can catch the details now. I'm gonna try to post a journal entry each day for the next two weeks or so. Hopefully getting the whole trip taken care of. We'll see how that pans out.

Alright. Where to start. We stayed our first night in the Dan Panorama Hotel in Tel Aviv overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. It was pretty sweet. And, we were a couple miles north, I believe, of Joppa. Where Jonah tried to run away from the Lord's plan of him going to Ninevah, actually sail away. Long story short, he wound up there anyway and saved the entire city to boot. So, breakfast was absolutely amazing this first morning. By far one of the best meals of the entire trip. I should have taken some pictures. They had everything you could imagine (well, except for bacon), but their waffles and freshly squeezed orange juice was top notch. Didn't get much sleep the first night, between jet-lag and the eagerness to get the party started.

We got started late because the hotel was bombarded with tour groups, one group in particular that proved to be a bottleneck were the "Hinsters," as Steve the Tour Guide (which we be referred to as Stevester from now on) called them. So, we set out on the Coastal Highway (Highway 2, there's a name for it which I can't remember, but this is the same major route which was taken all the way from Egypt to Syria in Biblical times. One reference is in Acts 9, 10) and wound up in Caesarea Maritima for our first stop. It turned out to be such a great way to get our tour underway. What an amazing place. The sweetest thing about Caesarea was the fact that this is where Christianity first reached the gentiles. Think the story takes place in Acts 10, but it's incredible to think about, the impact that this very place has made in my life. This is where it all started for the gentiles. So, at this site was a very cool Roman theatre, foundation of Herod's "vacation home", remains of an aqueduct (12-14 mile span, I think) which was built under Herod's power to deliver fresh water all the way from Mt Carmel, ancient arena, and other ruins of this great Judean city. Also, this was a city where Paul the Apostle was imprisoned. We had a little worship time in the theatre with Hammy on the guitar and Brett gave a brief message out of Acts. We got a light rain for awhile, and was very worried at this point. That's what I left Oregon for.

Next was Mount Carmel. This was a good visit just because the history that came with it. This was the spot where Elijah challenged and was victorious over the 450 prophets of Baal, rebuilding of the altar (1 Kings 18). Rebuilding was a little theme while we were here. But, to me, the coolest part was looking out over the Valley of Armageddon. The place where everything will come to an end. But, even cooler is the fact that within the valley you see Nazareth, where Jesus was physically born, beginning, and you look upon the entire valley where he will intervene and the final battle on earth will take place. Looking out into the valley, it's huge, it makes sense that you would be able to fit a 200 million man army from the east here, spoken of in Revelation 9. But, within the valley you see so many places, including an Israeli air base where the planes that just recently took out a Syrian nuclear facility launched from. Kinda cool. Also, while we were here we saw jet fighters rip through the skies overhead which was fun. We had a good quite time here, finding ourselves a spot on the mountainside spending some time with the Lord.

This is getting a little more lengthy than I had anticipated, but, oh well. Next was the ruins of Tel Meggido. This wasn't the most exciting site for me, but it did have some interesting highlights. This was a very important settlement because of it's strategic location in the middle of some major trade routes. Within the remains were several city gates dating back from different time periods, what are likely some of King Solomon's stables, an altar to Baal, and King Ahab's water system. The water system was awesome, it basically provided a way for the city to get fresh water from outside the city walls. We climbed down a lot of stairs and walked through an underground tunnel which ended at a small water source. This was similar to our later hike through Hezekiah's Tunnel in the old City of David in "Jew-rusalem as the Stevester would say." The water system and the history behind Baal were the highpoints here.

From here on we started to make our way to Tiberias where we would be staying the next couple days. On our way there we drove through modern day Nazareth (which was so much bigger than I had imagined, we actually saw the two churches that currently sit on the entire grounds of ancient Nazareth from Jesus' time). And, drove through Cana, where Jesus performed his first miracle. This finally put us to our second hotel, the Holiday Inn at Tiberias. (Sigh) Not the best hotel we stayed at. And, that was that. Day one, concluded.

Making yourself right in the Lord

2007-11-19T07:35:00.000-08:00

Quickly, covered in my devo this morning was thought taken from Titus 3:9, "Avoid foolish questions". Man, just the talk about getting to the basics of our faith and walk with God. That's what you should be trying to meet. Not small, tedious theological differences that run full circle eventually putting people far off track than where they once started, or trying to solve questions that even the Lord leaves silent in his Scriptures. We just need to remember to talk about Jesus, and point towards him. And all the love, grace, and mercy which he has poured out upon everyone of us. Man, how simple it truly is. Jesus. (Had to add a bit to clarify)

In Matthew 5:23, 24 there is such a great picture of renewal to me. This offering your gift at the altar, but then remembering you have business to take care of with a brother. Leave the gift there, make good your differences and then go back and offer your gift. This is a perfect picture about being right in the sight of the Lord. This renewal of the spirit, cleansing of the heart. Man, it's like doing the right thing before another. As Brett has mentioned, you can't clean the fish before you catch it. Just doesn't work like that. So, I pray that in my life, may I renew my heart daily. May I go into things with a pure heart and a renewed spirit. Also, found in the footnotes of one of my Bibles, it says this about this passage, "Our attitudes toward others reflect our relationship with God (1 John 4:20)." How incredible is this.

...Back from the Holy Land

2007-11-19T01:39:00.000-08:00

Well, my ability to blog didn't exactly pan out how I envisioned it to. For some reason I was ignorantly banking on wifi to be of no charge through out my stay in Israel and Jordan. Was I ever wrong. Hotels sure make a killing on charging about $15 per day of wifi use. Oh well. I didn't take my computer anyway. So, I would have been filling you all in with brief messages via iPod. Anyway, so this is what I'm trying to say: I'll be posting tomorrow at some point about my trip in it's entirety, well, maybe might break it down into a few parts. We'll see. But, I'll try to get the show on the road tomorrow. Also, I'm now starting to throw up some of the 1,500+ pictures I took over on Flickr. So, be sure to check that out as well. In the meantime, I'm gonna try and grab some sleep even though I'm not real tired. That four hour nap absolutely sent me out of wack. So. I'll be back.

The "latest" Frank Lloyd Wright

2007-11-04T01:27:00.000-07:00

This looks to be some sweet architecture. I guess it's really touching some people the wrong way though. Apparently it's a an original Frank Lloyd Wright design, from some where of 50 years ago, but has just recently been built by Thomas A. Heinz. This home is absolutely amazing, not to mention it resides on it's own island. But, the 78 foot long wing that extends out over the water. So cool. Anyway, check out the article on 2Modern Design Talk for more detailed pictures and the story.

What has God shown you lately?

2007-11-04T00:45:00.000-07:00

So. I figure since I am gaining a hour of sleep tonight and I'm waiting for Transformers to finish ripping, I'll put in a few minutes worth of blogging. Not much happened today, I mean, I guess I had a pretty good day today minus the miserable meeting at work this morning. But, I hear all meetings aren't too hot. Some wisdom from my dad goes like this concerning meetings, "If something starts going wrong, people have meetings." Isn't this just the rake? Especially for two and a half hours. Anyway. The rest of the day was alright. Spent it with the girlfriend, had lunch at Noodles Company (name is something of that nature, and food was actually pretty good), purchased the book- Mere Christianity by CS Lewis (more reading for the upcoming flights), watched the Ducks beat up on the Sun Devils, and had a great dinner with the girlfriend's family (the norm). All in all, a good day I guess, looking back.

Anyway. What I really wanted to post about was just a little insight of what the Lord has been showing me in the past two months or so. What it is you ask? Man, just these basic truths. The Lord has given me this more complete understanding, just really kinda opened my eyes regarding some of the most simple Biblical truths. It's been so awesome to experience this. I mean, they are things that I've believed for so long, had no problem believing and believed with all my heart. But, God has just now given me this understanding, this strong grasp on a few of these truths you could say. It's so amazing, because you finally see this idea from just a slightly different perspective and you wonder how you had missed it all these years. I'll just give you one example, for now at least, well, maybe two.

So, a couple weeks ago it was a great day out and I decided to spend a few hours of my off day downtown testing out my new camera. Probably about a month ago, maybe longer, I picked up a Canon Rebel XTi DSLR (w/lens kit) for $631 at Office Depot. Since then, I've thrown money around picking up some additional gear like a case, portable tri-pod, lens filters, memory cards, the whole deal. Anyway, photography is something I love to do. If that makes sense. Taking pictures is something I love to do. And so, I was driving downtown and was thinking to myself, man, are these few hours of taking pictures really gonna make me happy? Is it really worth it? Now, don't get me wrong, I love taking pictures. But, this is so true. Man, if you want to find pleasure, like real happiness. Let me tell you this, don't look to the things of the world. Those things will only keep you happy for a short season, this is so true. Whether it be taking pictures for a day or I dunno, buying a new car. Now, these things will be cool, and you should totally do stuff like this, things you enjoy doing if you have the opportunities. But, if you want to be happy. If you want to experience a pure joy, this contentment of the heart. Seek the Lord. Get into His Word. Sing out praises to Him. Just listen to Paul (he's a great guy to listen to by the way), "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." -Colossians 3:2 KJV If you understand this, your time with God will truly be blessed I believe and also, all your high hopes for the things you do, purchase, or want on this earth- they won't be so high and you won't be so let down after the season passes, you know, after you drive that new car for a few weeks. You won't be let down. Because your hope is in the Lord.

I'm not going to get to my second story. Maybe another time. I'll just slip a little reminder for later. When you give up your sins to the Lord, He forgets. He deposits them in the depths of the sea and remembers them no more. You get that? Really, no more. It's like it never happened, how great is the Lord.

This post brought to you by the iPod Touch

2007-11-03T16:40:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to see how tough its gonna be to post from the iPod. Not as bad as I thought, but definitely going to be short messages. Well, back to the Oregon game.

Four ways to really take hold of what the Lord has for you

2007-11-02T18:25:00.000-07:00

'Renew a right spirit within me' -Psalm 51:10
There were a couple things that stood out to me in my morning devo on Halloween. I love spending some good time with CH Spurgeon, it's a part of the day that I really look forward to. Anyway, he pointed out four things that us as believers should take hold of and really apply to our daily lives, especially that in prayer. So, here they are: Be much in prayer; live much upon the Word of God; kill the lusts which have driven your Lord from you; be careful to watch over the future uprising of sin. These are such great things. Man, if you really claim just these four things, man you'll be so blessed. It's easy to do each of these on occasion, every so often, but, man, if you get yourself committed to these daily. You really will find yourself so content and on your way to leading a Christ-centered life. I know for me, it's tough to stay in prayer. I mean, Paul says to pray without ceasing, I'm so far from that. lol. But, it's something to strive for. As powerful as it is and how great it would be to stay in touch with God all throughout the day. That is something to long for. And, yet, it's so simple. So, I guess, coming away from the devo, man; Speak to the Lord (and speak a lot!), Meditate on the Word, Flee from sin, and steer clear of even the appearance of evil.

Wireframe Toyota Corolla

2007-11-02T17:52:00.001-07:00

I posted this on del.icio.us awhile back. I'm mainly just posting this because I wanted to test out making a post with an image. Well, and also because this is way cool. A great idea really. It looks like a technical illustration or drawing taken right out of the computer or a sketchbook and placed in a real environment. So fresh. Anyway, hoping this work. Check out the wireframe Toyota Corolla at Hemmy.net

Let's get this party started.

2007-11-02T14:21:00.000-07:00

So, I've finally crumbled. It seems to be that November 2nd, two thousand and seven will by a day to put in the books. No, not the day Jeff finally saw the light and found his way off MySpace (and it's support to over 29 thousand sexual predators nation-wide, heard that somewhere), although that was quite a day of victory. No, today Jeff gave way to the modern-techno savvy world and started a thing we call a "blog". So, with that for an introduction, I give you my first posting.

I'm going to be a little selfish, yet realistic with this. So, let me tell you. I'm really doing this for me. Well, a lot of it is meant for just me. I'm really doing this to start a journal, be it a public one with this bright idea of mine, but a journal for me. Yet, it will be mixed in with cool design stuff I stumble upon, news articles that take my interest, or even I dunno. Really anything that I find on the web which I feel necessary to share with you. Back to the whole journal thing. I'm not one to sit down and write, but put me in front of a keyboard and I'm all yours. I want this to be a place where I can record my spiritual walk with the Lord. My thoughts on scripture I'm pressing into, my blessings, my trials, anything. I want to make this another device that I can share with God and as a bonus, you guys. I'm finally taking heed to Brett's advice about coming up with a journal, because I do think it will be an awesome thing to look back and see what I was going through. And, hopefully, in the mean time, it might plant a seed within some one or bring forth some encouragement. And so, on top of this great stuff to chew on, you get bits and pieces of my life outside Jesus Christ. Whether that be design anything, sustainable living concepts, ESPN articles, news on Nike footwear, cool digital photography, news articles, interesting eBay auctions, or even commentary on how great a new pair of socks are. So, I guess what I'm saying is get ready for anything. Because anything is coming.

Also, I figured what a better time to start one. Being that I leave for the Holy Land, Israel, in oh, three days. How amazing that is going to be. Well, besides the plane ride for eternity (not quite eternity, but definitely too long to be on a plane). So, I'm hoping to grab a few spare minutes every so often while I'm over there and report back on life amongst God's chosen people.

So, I think this is good enough for a first post. Kinda gives you an idea of what I'm occupying this webspace for. Oh, and the title to my blog (currently at least, I don't know yet if it's going to be something that I change) is אמתי or "Amittai", which is a Hebrew name (was the name of the prophet Jonah's father) meaning "My Truth". So, for now I'll settle for the make-shift banner at the top.

Cheers.

Oh. And by no means will this blog show signs of perfection in the way of grammar, spelling, punctuation, you know, all the stuff you learned up through high school. I'll do my best, but there will be no proof-reading. I'm so out of college now.