emergingmethodists.org

One of the first books that I read this summer which has definitely delivered on it’s promise is the David Allen book. Getting Things Done. The subtitle of the book, “the art of stress free productivity” is the premise of Allen’s system which seeks to maximize your productivity while minimizing the level of stress that you carry around with you everyday while trying to hold together in your mind everything you need to do. Are you feeling stressed? BUY THIS BOOK and look forward to your first “mind dump!”

I am always looking for ways to make my life easier, manage my time better, and reduce my level of stress. I frequently change systems and within a week it explodes into total failure. I am only a month into this system, but I cannot even describe to you the level of freedom that I feel and the amount of anxiety that has been removed from my life. This stuff really works. I just spend about 30 minutes mapping out the next 2-3 weeks and I can’t wait to hit the ground running tomorrow at the office. I do highly recommend the book, and if you are a Mac user, this website has an incredible set of scripts to be used with Omnioutliner pro which creates a wonderful framework for using the Getting Things Done system. It is well worth the $70 for Omnioutliner pro and the set of scripts are currently free. I was using this website, but have found the kinkless system to be much more effective.

For more info on GTD, here’s a blog dedicated to it.

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During his visit to Auschwitz, Pope Benedict said this…

“To speak in this place of horror, in this place where unprecedented mass crimes were committed against God and man, is almost impossible — and it is particularly difficult and troubling for a Christian, for a pope from Germany… In a place like this, words fail; in the end, there can be only a dread silence, a silence which itself is a heartfelt cry to God: Why, Lord, did you remain silent? How could you tolerate all this?”

Perhaps I am overly sensitive to the question because of the recent class that I took called Christian theological reflection on the Holocaust, but this statement bothers me. To approach the horrors of the Holocaust with the idea that God was somehow asleep or somehow “tolerant” of the violent acts of Nazism is not only inappropriate but historically offensive. Perhaps a more appropriate question would be, how could we let this happen? How could the Catholic church and the Protestant church, and the (you fill in the blank) church have let this happen? To ask the question seems to me to misunderstand the fundamental issue and lesson that the Holocaust teaches us. Repentance, humility, and a profound commitment to root out hate in our world today is the only response that I can resonate with. This pope from Germany doesn’t seem to get that.

A few more lines from the article…

Benedict did not refer to collective guilt of the German people but instead focused on the Nazi regime. He said he was “a son of that people over which a ring of criminals rose to power by false promises of future greatness.”

Typically, Benedict did not mention his own personal experiences during the war. Raised by his anti-Nazi father, Benedict was enrolled in the Hitler Youth as a teenager against his will and then was drafted into the German army in the last months of the war.

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I am excited to announce that the Bucket turned one year old yesterday!

256 posts.

109 comments.

It’s been a fun journey I look forward to continuing… In lieu of gifts, please send money to this guy.

I am so lucky to work with a creative genius.

Johnny’s latest creation…

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We love football so much, we bought a stadium… This has to be the one instance where I want a corporation’s name on the side of the building!

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You are going to have people remind you today that this is only a chance to advance to the Western Conference Finals. You are going to have people (especially Spurs fans) remind you that you haven’t won anything yet. This is only the Final 4, and only 1 of these 4 teams is going to end the season with a smile and celebration.

The Mavericks are the 2nd team in the history of the NBA to win a Game 7 in overtime on the road. Let that soak in.

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Today I leave for Glen Lake Camp. I will be spending a few days down there working with the staff as they prepare for summer camp as well as taking some study leave time. I am really looking forward to some time of retreat even though I have a fair share of mind-numbing work to get done as well. In the next few days, I hope to provide some reviews for two of the books that I have completed on my summer reading list; Emerging Churches and Preaching Reimagined.

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Lost fans! You have to see this.

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San antonio fans by our bench will curse early, often and loud. Personally, I dont care. My attitude at spurs games, and really anywhere on the road, is that i would much rather have them heckle me than the players. I want to be the center of their attacks. Better me than the players. Our last game in SA, every time I stood up to see the game better, the cursing and yelling would start. So I did the only smart thing. I started standing up only when the Spurs were shooting free throws at our end. It took the hecklers and yellers several free throws before they figured out what I was doing and why Tim Duncan must have been mystified why there was booing while he was at the foul line.

It’s a shame that I am even given the opportunity to make this statement today, but I am so I will. I wonder how different that game might have been with Jason Terry.

In any sport it is shame when you feel like outside factors, whether it be the officiating or the League office or some other external event plays a major role in the outcome of a game, series, or championship. In my estimation, no sport has a bigger problem with this than the NBA. I don’t say that as a bitter Dallas fan or a bitter San Antonio fan. I think fans often make the mistake of believing that the officiating is for/against a particular team. I don’t buy that. Instead I think the officiating is guided by what is good for the NBA. (And by NBA I mean the multi-billion dollar business) And what is good for the NBA is to have their superstars on the floor and every series to go 7 games. The problem with this is that has nothing to do with the game of basketball. I think fans don’t scream louder about it because we want our superstars to have “special rules.” We like those night when enough bad calls go our way, but the problem remains. Each night is filled with inappropriate officiating. Some night’s it goes your way. Some night’s it doesn’t. But I don’t watch basketball to see the performance of the guys in the gray shirts.

I think there is something fundamentally wrong with the way the NBA is run and officiated, and I hate it that such a tremendous series has been tainted by a questionable decision by the league office.

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