Penguin Sex

...is a chapter title in Blue Like Jazz, but really I just couldn't think of a good title for this post. Sorry, this post has nothing to do with sex or penguins or why these animals never wait til marriage to have it. This post is about some wise words that were said to me recently (by Greg Martin and Derek Webb) regarding an all too common mentality Christians have.

It is easy for myself and other Christians to have this mentality: "I don't need to work extremely hard at something because my identity is not in my performance or my work....it's in the Gospel." In other words, this mentality is expressed "I can do a sub-par job at whatever it is I do because I'm a Christian" or "because there are things more important to me in life, it's OK to do cruddy work at my current job." All the while, we're trying to be a good witness to the world we live in.

We think if we do a normal everyday job, then we better be witnessing to everyone since we didn't do the more holy thing and become a missionary. You don't have to tape Bible verses to pieces of plumbing to justify being both a plumber and a Christian. You do your work with excellence and let that speak to your worldview. It's when you do your job with excellence that people respect what you have to say. When you're a lousy worker, it disparages your witness. If anything, Christians should be the best workers because we work diligently unto the LORD and not just because our bosses will chastise us if we don't.

Got Toilet Paper?

When I don't know what to post, I take surveys.

After polling over 70 people (of course the majority are males due to the awkwardness experienced discussing this matter with females), the average WPD (wipes per dump) is 5.2*. I shamefully admit to you that my average WPD is a lofty 7.5. Man, I am messy.




* - This includes discounting the outliers: six females claimed their WPD was zero because they don't have bowel movements. Although I want badly to believe them, I can't risk skewing my survey results.

God pursues the ungodly

Ben Coppedge, the future RUF intern, shared an experience I myself often have. I fail daily. But fortunately, my guilt does not last long. Seeing my spiritual suckiness actually often ends in great joy and peace. He articulated it better than I could ever hope to:

As for me...I'm undone all over again when I look up from the pigsty of my defiled heart and see a familiar Shepherd who will not leave me regardless. My initial response to my sin is usually to tense up, feeling the sentence of guilt and condemnation that my conscience always hands down. So I run to hide thinking I am again in the presence of the Holy Judge. But in the course of running away, through one way or another, this Shepherd always directs my eyes to His hands...His scars...and in a rush of gut-wrenching gladness I remember that I'm not being pursued by a Judge, but by the Triune God who still seeks and saves the lost, even when they keep running away.

Soccer, we could have been great friends

Martin Davis two weeks ago: "I wish America would get on board with the rest of the world and realize soccer is an amazing sport."

Martin Davis two minutes ago: "Oh soccer, how you are laden with flaws!"


Believe it or not, the American soccer comentators (who once defined what a corner kick was for the viewers at home) have some very good points to say about how soccer's gone bad:

So much of the game is riding on how well you can fake being fouled. (Portugal for instance is the most guilty<---check this out.)
How many games have been won 1-0 based on a penalty kick. FOULS SHOULD NOT BE WINNING GAMES! This is why everyone's taking dives to draw fouls. The reason why this is so much of a problem is because there's not enough scoring. Pretending to get fouled is not that big of a deal in basketball or football, because there is enough scoring to counteract the mistake. But in soccer, it often costs you the entire game.
Soccer isn't as great as I thought it was................but it easily is the best game to play on video games. Fact, not opinion.


But, I still think it's an awesome thing in that it unites people in their respective countries like nothing else.