Create Your Own Caption, #7

There will be Adam going to see this movie.

There Will Be Blood.

Looks awesome.

I purchased the soundtrack yesterday - original music by Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead.

Now I can't wait to see this movie.

Daniel Day Lewis supposedly gives "the best acting performance of this decade", according to one review.

I will give my own review once I see it.

A Great Year For My Friend

So...as I've mentioned before in my blog, I have a famous friend. At least famous in music circles.

I met Chris Simpson when I was still in high school, and he and a couple of my friends were forming a band. They tried me out on drums, and I did okay, so I joined the band. We did okay, sold a couple of demos and almost got signed to R.E.X. Records (which I'm glad didn't happen), but the band broke up soon after that (I was already out, because of college). Well, Chris went on to bigger and better things after us, moving to Austin and forming the band Mineral, and then after Mineral broke up, The Gloria Record.

Now he's recording solo under the moniker "Zookeeper".

I was reading the top 100 albums according to Yahoo Music, and congratulations, Chris - you put out album #47 of this year.

Here is what it says:

Becoming All Things by Zookeeper
You won't find this on many year-end lists. Zookeeper is still, for the most part, under-the-radar. The newest project of former Mineral and The Gloria Record member Chris Simpson. Becoming All Things is a sweeping, pop-infused epic of an album that was a true surprise. Don't miss it.


Way to go, Chris!

My personality trait, part 2

So, here is my personality when it comes to relationships, I guess.

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INFPs present a calm, pleasant face to the world. They appear to be tranquil and peaceful to others, with simple desires. In fact, the INFP internally feels his or her life intensely. In the relationship arena, this causes them to have a very deep capacity for love and caring which is not frequently found with such intensity in the other types. The INFP does not devote their intense feelings towards just anyone, and are relatively reserved about expressing their inner-most feelings. They reserve their deepest love and caring for a select few who are closest to them. INFPs are generally laid-back, supportive and nurturing in their close relationships. With Introverted Feeling dominating their personality, they're very sensitive and in-tune with people's feelings, and feel genuine concern and caring for others. Slow to trust others and cautious in the beginning of a relationship, an INFP will be fiercely loyal once they are committed. With their strong inner core of values, they are intense individuals who value depth and authenticity in their relationships, and hold those who understand and accept the INFP's perspectives in especially high regard. INFPs are usually adaptable and congenial, unless one of their ruling principles has been violated, in which case they stop adapting and become staunch defenders of their values. They will be uncharacteristically harsh and rigid in such a situation.

Most INFPs will exhibit the following strengths with regards to relationship issues:

Warmly concerned and caring towards others
Sensitive and perceptive about what others are feeling
Loyal and committed - they want lifelong relationships
Deep capacity for love and caring
Driven to meet other's needs
Strive for "win-win" situations
Nurturing, supportive and encouraging
Likely to recognize and appreciate other's need for space
Able to express themselves well
Flexible and diverse

Most INFPs will exhibit the following weaknesses with regards to relationship issues:

May tend to be shy and reserved
Don't like to have their "space" invaded
Extreme dislike of conflict
Extreme dislike of criticism
Strong need to receive praise and positive affirmation
May react very emotionally to stressful situations
Have difficulty leaving a bad relationship
Have difficulty scolding or punishing others
Tend to be reserved about expressing their feelings
Perfectionistic tendancies may cause them to not give themselves enough credit
Tendency to blame themselves for problems, and hold everything on their own shoulders


INFPs as Parents:

INFPs are "natural" parents. They accept and enjoy the parental role, seeing it as the natural extension of their value systems. They make use of the parental role for developing and defining their values further, and consider it their task to pass their values on to their children. They take their role quite seriously. Warm, affirming, and flexible, the INFP generally makes a gentle and easy-going parent in many respects.

INFPs do not like conflict situations, and will keep themselves flexible and diverse to promote a positive, conflict-free environment in their home. The INFP is not naturally prone to dole out punishment or discipline, and so is likely to adapt to their mate's disciplinary policy, or to rely on their mates to administer discipline with the children. In the absence of a mating parent, the INFP will need to make a conscious effort of creating a structure for their children to live within.

Although the INFP dislikes punishing others, they hold strong values and will not tolerate the violation of a strongly-held belief. If they feel that their child has truly committed a wrong, the INFP parent will not have a problem administering discipline. They will directly confront the child, stubbornly digging in their heels and demanding recourse.

The INFP parent is likely to value their children as individuals, and to give them room for growth. They will let the children have their own voice and place in the family.

Extremely loving and devoted parents, INFPs will fiercely protect and support their children. If there is an issue involving "taking sides", you can bet the INFP will always be loyal to their children.

INFPs are usually remembered by their children as loving, patient, devoted, and flexible parents.


INFPs as friends:

INFPs are warm and caring individuals who highly value authenticity and depth in their personal relationships. They are usually quite perceptive about other people's feelings and motives, and are consequently able to get along with all sorts of different people. However, the INFP will keep their true selves reserved from others except for a select few, with whom they will form close and lasting friendships. With their high ideals, they are likely to be drawn to other iNtuitive Feelers for their closer friendships.

With their strong need for harmony and dislike of conflict, INFPs may feel threatened by people with strong Judging and Thinking preferences. Although they're likely to be able to work well professionally with such individuals, they may have difficulty accepting or appreciating them on a personal level. They generally feel a kinship and affinity with other Feeling types.

INFPs will be valued by their confidantes as genuine, altruistic, deep, caring, original individuals.


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So there you go.

My personality trait, part 1

Merry Christmas by the way!

For some reason, I was thinking about my personality type today. Although there have been many things that have changed in my life, and although I hope I've grown in my spiritual maturity as well as my regular maturity (although the two aren't really separate, in my opinion), there has been one thing that has been a definite constant in my life and has never changed. That would be my Meyers-Briggs personality. I have always been an INFP and will always be an INFP. It's been awhile since I've looked at the description of my personality, so I did so today - and was once again completely confirmed in who I am. It's also good to know that my personality matches what I love to do in life (as well as what I do for a living): among the list of professions that INFP are most likely to succeed in are ministers (my profession), musicians (my profession and passion), and writers (something I love doing and have been encouraged by many to continue doing so).

Here are some other details about INFP's.

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As an INFP, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you deal with things according to how you feel about them, or how they fit into your personal value system. Your secondary mode is external, where you take things in primarily via your intuition.

INFPs, more than other iNtuitive Feeling types, are focused on making the world a better place for people. Their primary goal is to find out their meaning in life. What is their purpose? How can they best serve humanity in their lives? They are idealists and perfectionists, who drive themselves hard in their quest for achieving the goals they have identified for themselves

INFPs are highly intuitive about people. They rely heavily on their intuitions to guide them, and use their discoveries to constantly search for value in life. They are on a continuous mission to find the truth and meaning underlying things. Every encounter and every piece of knowledge gained gets sifted through the INFP's value system, and is evaluated to see if it has any potential to help the INFP define or refine their own path in life. The goal at the end of the path is always the same - the INFP is driven to help people and make the world a better place.

Generally thoughtful and considerate, INFPs are good listeners and put people at ease. Although they may be reserved in expressing emotion, they have a very deep well of caring and are genuinely interested in understanding people. This sincerity is sensed by others, making the INFP a valued friend and confidante. An INFP can be quite warm with people he or she knows well.

INFPs do not like conflict, and go to great lengths to avoid it. If they must face it, they will always approach it from the perspective of their feelings. In conflict situations, INFPs place little importance on who is right and who is wrong. They focus on the way that the conflict makes them feel, and indeed don't really care whether or not they're right. They don't want to feel badly. This trait sometimes makes them appear irrational and illogical in conflict situations. On the other hand, INFPs make very good mediators, and are typically good at solving other people's conflicts, because they intuitively understand people's perspectives and feelings, and genuinely want to help them.

INFPs are flexible and laid-back, until one of their values is violated. In the face of their value system being threatened, INFPs can become aggressive defenders, fighting passionately for their cause. When an INFP has adopted a project or job which they're interested in, it usually becomes a "cause" for them. Although they are not detail-oriented individuals, they will cover every possible detail with determination and vigor when working for their "cause".

When it comes to the mundane details of life maintenance, INFPs are typically completely unaware of such things. They might go for long periods without noticing a stain on the carpet, but carefully and meticulously brush a speck of dust off of their project booklet.

INFPs do not like to deal with hard facts and logic. Their focus on their feelings and the Human Condition makes it difficult for them to deal with impersonal judgment. They don't understand or believe in the validity of impersonal judgment, which makes them naturally rather ineffective at using it. Most INFPs will avoid impersonal analysis, although some have developed this ability and are able to be quite logical. Under stress, it's not uncommon for INFPs to mis-use hard logic in the heat of anger, throwing out fact after (often inaccurate) fact in an emotional outburst.

INFPs have very high standards and are perfectionists. Consequently, they are usually hard on themselves, and don't give themselves enough credit. INFPs may have problems working on a project in a group, because their standards are likely to be higher than other members' of the group. In group situations, they may have a "control" problem. The INFP needs to work on balancing their high ideals with the requirements of every day living. Without resolving this conflict, they will never be happy with themselves, and they may become confused and paralyzed about what to do with their lives.

INFPs are usually talented writers. They may be awkard and uncomfortable with expressing themselves verbally, but have a wonderful ability to define and express what they're feeling on paper. INFPs also appear frequently in social service professions, such as counselling or teaching. They are at their best in situations where they're working towards the public good, and in which they don't need to use hard logic.

INFPs who function in their well-developed sides can accomplish great and wonderful things, which they will rarely give themselves credit for. Some of the great, humanistic catalysts in the world have been INFPs.

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Some of this may explain why in the past I have had some problems working for and with certain people, especially when it comes to the "cold hard logic" and "inflexibility" in leaders I have worked for.

Next post will be about relationships with INFPs (me).

If You Like Christmas Lights...

Check out this slideshow of some amazing Christmas light scenes around the world.

Top Ten Memorable Quotes of 2007

I don't quite understand why they can't wait until 2007 is over before coming up with this list - I mean, what happens if someone else says something quote-worthy - but, I thought this list was pretty good. I personally think Miss South Carolina's response at the Miss America Pageant should have won top honors, but oh well.

I bring you the Top Ten Most Memorable Quotes of 2007 (I found some of them on youtube for your viewing pleasure):

1. "Don't Tase Me, Bro." (followed by painful sounds of course)

2. "I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don't have maps and I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and Iraq and everywhere like such as and I believe that they should our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S. or should help South Africa and should help Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future for us." (Miss South Carolina)

3. "In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country." (president of Iran)

4. "That's some nappy-headed hos there," (Don Imus)

5. "I don't recall." -- Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' repeated response to questioning at a congressional hearing about the firing of U.S. attorneys.

6. "There's only three things he (Republican presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani) mentions in a sentence: a noun and a verb and 9/11." -- Sen. Joseph Biden, speaking at a Democratic presidential debate.

7. "I'm not going to get into a name-calling match with somebody (Vice President Dick Cheney) who has a 9 percent approval rating." -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat.

8. "(I have) a wide stance when going to the bathroom." -- Idaho Republican Sen. Larry Craig's explanation of why his foot touched that of an undercover policeman in a men's room.

9. "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man." -- Biden describing rival Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

10. "I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history." -- Former President Jimmy Carter in an interview in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper.

Centered, Generous and Dynamic Christianity

"In our faith community, which we do sometimes call church and other times just call the grace community, we affirm that we are centered in a generous and dynamic Christianity. There are three important words here: centered, generous, and dynamic. In being centered in Christianity, we are affirming that we are more concerned about where we find our center than our edges. Our permeable boundaries allow people to come in and also remind us to be continually engaged with the fullness of a world that is not primarily Christian. In all this, we are seeking to be centered in something specific, not just superficially perusing everything.

Being centered in a generous Christianity, we are committed to finding ways to love and serve the world as Jesus did. This is based on a belief that generosity will not only help the world, but it will deeply change us. Generosity is a direct challenge to the cultural forces that would isolate and make us fearful. Contemporary social/economic forces, for example, encourage us to hoard what we have or attend only to our own needs or our own family's needs. A generous Christianity is a more holistic Christianity, because it acknowledges how integrally interconnected we are with each other and with the world. We are striving to be with God and with our neighbors, as Jesus was and is with God and neighbor.

Dynamic Christianity is a spiritual way of being that is not afraid of change. In fact it affirms that Christianity has always been dynamic, that theologians have filled libraries with books recording their struggles with each other on the greatest metaphysical mysteries of all times. When we enter into this tradition of conversation, we enter in with our full voices, all our questions, and all our brilliant insights. We enter Christianity as full participants in discovering what the Spirit is speaking to us today and then articulating and enacting in the world what we hear."

--- Nanette Sawyer in the book "An Emergent Manifesto Of Hope"

Colorado Shootings

What a sad story coming out of Colorado this week. Two shootings, one at New Life Church in Colorado Springs (which had been in the news quite a bit last year because of its former pastor Ted Haggard), the other at the YWAM center in Arvada. I have been to that center, attended a couple of Friday morning worship services with a friend.

Please be in prayer for both the church and with YWAM as they cope with this terrible tragedy.

My Relationship With Patrick Roy, Mike Slaughter's Relationship With Pete Rose, And Our Relationship With God

That's the longest blog post title ever. Sweet.

Mike Slaughter, in his great book Unlearning Church, writes this:

I have an autographed baseball that reads, "To Mike, Pete Rose." I have one of Pete Rose's baseball bats that he used during the 1970's. I can tell you Pete Rose's batting averages and his all-time hit total. My family was in the stadium the night he made his most famous hit. I know all about Pete Rose, but I have never met him.


Which made me think of this:

The Colorado Avalanche are my favorite team - hockey and all sports. The year they moved to Colorado from Quebec was the year that Patrick Roy was traded to the Avs. I was a fan of Roy even before the Avalanche, when he played for Montreal. I have an autographed Patrick Roy card. I have an autographed Patrick Roy puck. One of the secretaries I worked with in Colorado and her husband were very good friends with Patrick Roy and his wife. I even have a piece of carpet from Patrick Roy's house that my secretary gave me (Don't ask why I asked for a piece of carpet, they were moving to another community and that was the only thing I could think of). When I lived in Dallas, I had the opportunity to go and see Patrick Roy win his 500th career game, against the Dallas Stars. I have even met one of Patrick Roy's kids.

True story: I was getting ready for a broomball event in Colorado, when a girl approached me and asked me if I played for the Colorado Avalanche. I was feeling pretty good about myself, until I realized I had my Avs jersey on (I thought I might have looked big enough to be a hockey player, ha ha). I told her no, and then she said, "My dad plays for the Avalanche." I'm thinking in my head, "Yeah, right." I asked her what her name was. She said, "Jenna Roy." My mouth dropped open. I have also met Patrick Roy's wife, because she came to my home church's Easter service one year. I know all about Patrick Roy, I've even met family members, but I've never met him. I have no relationship with Roy.


Which made me think of this:

Why am I so smug sometimes when it comes to my relationship with God? I know a lot about Him; I studied Him in college. Before that, I memorized books of the Bible in junior high and high school. But as Mike Slaughter says, "A relationship is an interchange of love and thought. More than knowledge alone, it involves intimacy." Why is it that sometimes, I fall back on my knowledge of God, and fail to realize my need to deepen my love and affection for Him every day, every hour, every minute, every second?


And then this came in my head:

This isn't new stuff. Yet why is the old stuff so hard to get through my thick skull sometimes?

"Just as knowing about Pete Rose doesn't mean I have a relationship with him, for many Christian leaders, knowledge about God doesn't mean they know God. In fact, sometimes our knowledge of God gets in the way of knowing God."

Amen, Mike.

A Christmas Statistic For You...

10 billion dollars gets clean water to everyone in the world.

15 billion dollars feeds everyone.

In America, we spend 450 billion dollars at Christmas.


--- from Rick McKinley's article in CreationCare Magazine

From La La La to Lyla

Here are the L songs in my iTunes. I don't know why you would care, and I don't know why I picked L, but here we go:

La La La - Bert and Ernie (one of my daughter's favorite songs)
A Lack Of Color - Death Cab For Cutie
Lacrimosa - Regina Spektor
Landed - Ben Folds
The Lark Ascending... - David Crowder Band
The Last Blueshift - Glisten
Last Christmas - Jimmy Eat World (definitely not the Wham version)
Last Days Of My Bitter Heart - Eels
The Last Man - The Fountain Soundtrack
Last Night On Earth Again - Over The Rhine
Late - Ben Folds
Latter Days - Over The Rhine
Lead Me To The Cross - Hillsong United
Lead Of Love - Caedmon's Call
Lead Us Up The Mountain - Matt Redman
Learn To Fly - Foo Fighters
Leaving So Soon? - Keane
Lebanese Blonde - Thievery Corporation
Leonard and Natalie - Memento Soundtrack
Less - Josh Bates
Let Go - BarlowGirl
Let God Arise - Chris Tomlin
Let It Go - Newsboys
Let It Happen - Jimmy Eat World
Let It Slide - Keane
Let My Words Be Few - Matt Redman
Letter To Sarah - Michael W. Smith
Life Is Good - Stellar Kart
Life Itself - Aaron Shust
Lift My Eyes - David Crowder Band
Lift Your Eyes - Leeland
Light Gives Heat - Jars Of Clay
Lighting The Way - Superdrag
Lightness - Death Cab For Cutie
Lily of the Valley - Mute Math
Limousine - Brand New
Lisa Listen - Lisa Loeb
Listen - Dignan
Little House - The Fray
Live and Let Die - Guns n' Roses
Live Forever - Oasis
Living In Your Letters - Dashboard Confessional
Lo How A Rose E'er Blooming - Sufjan Stevens
Long Live The King - Aaron Shust
Look Into The Air - Explosions In The Sky
Look To You - Hillsong United
Lorge - El Ten Eleven
Love Is A Fast Song - Copeland
Love Is Not Against The Law - Derek Webb
The Love of God - Rich Mullins
Love Song - Anberlin
Love Song - Mute Math
LoveLetter Typewriter - Mineral
Lover I Don't Have To Love - Bright Eyes
Lover's Spit - Broken Social Scene
Low - Coldplay
Luca - Brand New
Lucky Denver Mint - Jimmy Eat World
Luna - Smashing Pumpkins
LuvStory - Sigur Ros
Lux Venit - Michael W. Smith
Lyla - Oasis

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Yes, I'm bored.