The Weirdest Book I've Ever Seen

I was searching Amazon.ca for e-books, and this came up. I'm almost inspired to create a new category for it called 'complete weirdness'. Enjoy!

Book Description: Since Matthew Delooze's encounters with interdimensional beings during his childhood, and a spiritual awakening in 1998, he has been directed by mysterious forces. In 2005 he found himself being guided to visit Egypt, specifically the Temple of Hathor at Dendera. The astonishing photographs he took there suggest that we were ruled then by a race of reptilian aliens. Matthew believes that those reptilian aliens, that he calls the Serpent Cult, still rules us today, using their human puppets to deceive us into surrendering our spiritual self-possession. He draws parallels between ancient Egyptian gods, the Live 8 concerts, monuments in our towns and cities and the imagery in the Pope's regalia to show us how. He also suggests how you, the reader, can awaken from you trance and reclaim your true spiritual legacy.

Ouch!

While in the throes of a migraine, Lydia "PRUNES" her flowers.

Migraine by Crystal Star &Peggy Hoffman

I've been battling a migraine for over two weeks now, so I haven't had a lot of original thoughts to post here. It's amazing how something so seemingly minor can (temporarily) transform my journey into a holding pattern. I've been thinking about the poor a lot during this time - I know that many of the world's poorest poor have no access to HIV or malaria medication. The sad truth is that something as accessible as aspirin is also hard to come by - a migraine like mine with no treatment could lay someone flat, robbing them of their ability to work. Bono's words really stand out to me right now: "I'm talking about the right to live like a human, the right to live, period. Those are the stakes in Africa right now."

Technorati tags: migraine, poverty, social justice

Bono Teaches Us True Religion

Here are some powerful quotes from Bono's speech:

"I'm talking about the right to live like a human, the right to live, period. Those are the stakes in Africa right now."

"This is not about charity...It's about justice, justice and equality."

"This is true religion. True religion will not let us fall asleep in the comfort of our freedom. Love thy neighbor is not a piece of advice, it's a command. That means, in the global village, we're going to have to start loving a whole lot more people, that's what that means."

"Because where you live should not decide whether you live, or whether you die. And to those in the church who still sit in judgement on the AIDS emergency, let me climb into the pulpit for just one moment. Because whatever thoughts we have about God, who He is, or even if God exists, most will agree that God has a special place for the poor. The poor are where God lives. God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes, where the poor play house. God is where opportunity is lost and lives are shattered. God is with the mother who has infected her child with a virus that will take both their lives. God is under the rubble, the cries we hear during wartime. God, my friends, is with the poor, and God is with us if we are with them. This is not a burden, this is an adventure. Don't let anyone tell you it cannot be done. We can be the generation that ends extreme poverty."

Thank you, Bono, for being a prophet to the western world.

Technorati Tags: Bono, Africa, Make poverty history, poverty, HIV, pure religion, social justice

Neighborhood Kitty

Week in Review

Lent

“I remember sitting in the seat of the Ford Explorer as it finally stopped rolling, with its engine still running, and thinking, "This begins chapter two of my life." Indeed it does, though with considerably brighter prospects than it seemed at the time.”

Phillip Yancey writes about his recent car accident, which he miraculously survived without paralysis, in 'I'm Okay! Honest'.

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“Can you be both purpose-driven and emerging? We say that we are both, but some people wonder if that is possible. I think it depends on what you mean by the terms.”

Article Purpose Driven & Emerging? on a newly discovered site St. Paul's Collegiate Church at Storrs. Looking at their site, I almost wish I lived in Connecticut.

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Another newly discovered blogger, JR Woodward of Dream Awakener, has been posting articles about the book of Ephesians. The final article, Stand, concludes “three-part series on an overview of the book of Ephesians.” It’s my favorite type of reading – short, but packed with content. His whole blog is worth a look-see.

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Stephen Shields of Emergesque provides The "Jesus Family Tomb" Roundup, a list of articles discussing the issue with links to more extensive resources.

Flying Motorcycle

I really want one of these!

Brian McLaren Writes to Barack Obama

Photo by Robert F. Riberion

Tell us, as you just did in your campaign-launch speech, inconvenient truths – that we and our leaders have a habit of making mistakes and blaming others – whether it's in New Orleans or Baghdad. Tell us the truth about our past – from our own original genocide and ongoing apartheid regarding the Native peoples of this land, to our profoundly unacknowledged and unhealed legacy of slavery and racism, to our failure to care properly for this beautiful part of God's green earth, to our desperate and shameful violations of our own principles and ideals around the world, from Congo to Chile, and from Central America to the Middle East.

And of course, please tell us the truth about the hope that comes through truth-telling.

This is an excerpt from Brian Maclaren's open letter to Barack Obama. It shows a lot of faith on McLaren's part in Obama and other candidates to be real agents of change for the first time in almost a decade. A faith that I'm guessing is felt by many Americans, as it is by those of us north of the border. Let's hope the candidates come through.

Saffron in the Sun

New Template

I've broken down and switched to one of the new Blogger Beta templates. While it's not as colorful as my old one, it's sure a lot easier to use, especially for a non-tech like me. So be patient while I switch everything over, and enjoy the new features!

The Apprentice Year

In a 24 hour whirlwind trip to Winnipeg, I officially graduated Year 1 of NDGU, my company's leadership training program.

It's been an incredible blessing - I've experienced as much personal development and core leadership training as I did in a couple years of 'real' university. The truths I've learned apply to all areas of my life - my job, my personal relationships, and my church planting journey will all benefit.

My congratulations to the rest of our class - The Guinea Pig Grads!