sadly, I possess an inky past with the law. it deserves no additional attention, here; I merely wish to confess up front that my experiences blur my objectivity and stifle grace.

a busy intersection in Garland, TX, just outside of a massive Wal-mart, inspires rushed drivers to loose their minds. certainly I have been inspired to such great heights. I now seek to observe the lines and patiently wait in line to turn left. drivers often coast in the lane immediately beside the turn lane and then cut over into a much-too-small space so they can turn left. this saves time, but hacks everybody off.

yesterday I approached this intersection and noticed a cop hovering in the lane beside me. fully confident that this law-abiding, law-upholding, law-enforcing patrol would not pull such a stunt, I accelerated to the light to turn left. just as I reached the light, however, the cop nudged into my lane! what in the world? I assumed it was my ungenerous imagination. in the next second, however, he confirmed my fear…the cop nudged into the lane, flashed his lights to force me to stop, and then cut across a solid white line, a lane of traffic, and my trust, to turn left.

attempting to assume the best about him, I told myself he had urgent cop stuff to do. but if so, why not have the lights on before that? I watched him drive unhurriedly down the access lane to…where?  I don’t know. hopefully, an emergency.

an amazing display of sovereignty. God will accomplish his will.

On August 10, 2008, in Beijing, President Bush went to church. It was a hugely symbolic gesture for millions of Christians in China. Dallas Theological Seminary president Mark Bailey was there with him. He tells FOX 4’s Richard Ray about China, religion and the growing Dallas connection.

watch video

I buy my mp3’s on amazon, now, whenever possible. usually, I find what I’m looking for, even indie stuff. God bless iTunes for starting the digital download revolution, but “move over bacon, make room for something better!”

simply…

amazon offers mp3’s, which are cross-platform…

…iTunes forces you to use mp4’s.

amazon offers DRM-free downloads…

…iTunes makes you pay more for DRM-free, and doesn’t even offer it for most titles.

amazon offers a 256kbps bit rate…

…iTunes gives you 128kbps.

the match goes to amazon, 3-0.

now, here’s a cool story:

While driving down a dirt road in rural India during a summer internship, Michael Dwork saw a woman pressing leaves soaked in water in something that looked like a crude waffle iron. She pulled out what appeared to be a plate and served the food she was selling on it.

Plates made from only leaves and steam that are also completely compostable?

“verterra” is “based on the Latin phrase Veritas Terra or ‘true to the earth.’ We do this by using pure materials that we borrow—and then return—to the earth.”

genius.

granted, the products are pricey, but reusable. and ultimately, 100% biodegradable.

The president of Dallas Theological Seminary, Dr. Mark Bailey, traveled to Beijing, China, to meet up with President George Bush to celebrate the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Bailey, along with the president of BSF, received a personal invitation from Bush to represent the United States, but more specifically, religious freedom.

This, on the heels of Dallas Seminary’s successful launch of an online Chinese program of study, comes as a huge boost for potential ministry in China.

May the Lord richly bless the three presidents as they arrive on Chinese soil as ambassadors of more than a state, but a kingdom.

as I stepped up to the counter to request my locker at the fitness center, I saw it. a crisp, folded bill, staring up at me from the ground. without pause, I picked it up, handed it to the attendant at the desk, and said, “Someone dropped this. If someone comes by looking for missing money, it’s probably theirs.”

then I kicked myself. “DUDE. You just threw away $10! It was yours, all yours! No one is going to claim it. It’s just going to sit there. You bonehead.”

then I kicked myself for kicking myself. I know I did the right thing. conditioned and energized by the grace of the Spirit, I immediately turned the money in, hoping the “someone” would realize it fell out when they pulled their keys out of their pocket at that same desk.

what if a few key elements of this story were tweaked? what if:

someone found money outside the office I work in?

they turned the money in to one of my staff personnel?

it was ten times this amount?

at what point do I consider the money as officially, completely, irrevocably lost? when is it no longer “someone’s”?

as Bono says, it’s easier to work with friends than fight your enemies. with that in mind, I want to offer a gush of praises for The Woman…instead of railing against The Man. he doesn’t deserve our time.

I praise God for gifted women who lead with courage…and it takes courage to live as a gifted woman.

I praise God for nurturing women who raise children in the fear of the Lord.

I praise God for righteous women who burn with anger over injustice.

I praise God for women who put up with The Man…

…and I don’t mean “men,” but The Man. The System. The Machine. too often, men mirror The Man, and for that, my beloved sisters, I beg your forgiveness.