McBee's Musings

Reminder. Your Kids Are Watching.

2011-10-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to an open house for my two boys at their school. The more I grow up and mature and watch my boys, the more I am reminded about how much they enjoy the time we spend together and that time we spend together is what influences them the most. I wrote a post on "Everyone Makes Disciples" and I was reminded just how much this is true last night.

My 8 year old had to do a "September Project" and he decided he wanted to do a project on how much he likes baking with his mom. It was awesome. I wish I had pictures for you, but it was a great example of our boy telling us with his actions how much we influence him.

Then, as we entered his classroom, it was filled with the reminders of our times together and another reminder of how much food is central to our family and our society.

Check out these different things my boy wrote and drew about that were in his classroom. Just be reminded...you are discipling your children, and those around you...whether you know or like it.

Foodie Friday: Recipe for Korean Steak and Taqueria Steak Tacos

2011-10-07T08:52:00.000-07:00

So this past Tuesday night, I made some tacos...some real.good.tacos. Figured I'd share the recipe here.

Korean Steak Tacos

Marinade

3/4 cup soy sauce

3/4 cup water

3 tablespoons white vinegar

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/4 cup minced garlic

1/2 white onioin minced

3 lbs of short ribs or Korean cut ribs. Both will work...you can use this recipe with rib eye. If you buy short ribs or rib eye, make sure you cut it to the thickness of an actual rib, so the flavors soak into the meat.

Here is the easy part. Just combine all that crap above in a non reactive bowl, throw the meat in and then marinate for at least 8 hours.

Korean Sweet and Spicy Sauce

5 tablespoons Kochujang (Korean sweet and spicy paste) Hard to find...I found at Whole Foods

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Again...take all this, mix it up and it's ready. This sauce is not that spicy, so I might add more of the paste, or I might try to add some srichacha next time.

Outcome

I tried to use a bagged coleslaw and mixed an Asian dressing in the slaw. It sucked. I also tried to use dry slaw with the Korean sauce over the top...that was much better. Next time, I am going to make some homemade spicy slaw to put on top, will be much better. I used corn tortillas, which is a must in my mind...my guests and family all used flour tortillas...they liked that better.

Taqueria Steak Tacos w/ Homemade Salsa

3 pounds flank steak or short ribs

1/3 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 limes, juiced

1/2 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

Combine all the above in ziplock bag, marinade for at least 8 hours.

Homemade Salsa (got this from a neighbor...great taste)

3 Tomatoes

1 Onion (I usually chicken out and don't put a whole onion in...up to your taste. Yellow onions are better than white for this recipe)

1 tablespoon garlic (minced)

1 lime zest

1 1/2 limes juiced

2 jalapenos

1 head of cilantro

1 packet of salsa seasoning

salt to taste

Take all the above and put in food processor to mix. Ready to serve. The longer it is in the fridge, the spicier it gets. If you think it lacks taste, add lime or salt.

To make a pico de gallo, take all the above ingredients, but instead of putting in food processor, chop the tomatoes, mince the onion, chop the jalapeno & mince the cilantro.

After having this salsa, you'll understand why I never buy salsa from the store.

Why I Believe in God. The Basics

2011-10-06T10:38:00.000-07:00

I am, by no means, a highly intelligent individual, but these reasons have given me a deeper understanding of why I believe in God. If you want to read some dudes that are far smarter than I am who can give deeper explanations...check these out:

The Francis Schaeffer Trilogy: The God Who is There; Escape From Reason; He is There and He is Not Silent

Apologetics to the Glory of God: An Introduction by John Frame

The Reason for God by Timothy Keller

Here are my basic reasons:

1. We are Most Like God, Not Some Impersonal Matter

Metaphysics, which I am no way a professional in this area, tells us that when something is brought into the world, it comes from something that is like them. So, a tree that drops seeds from its branches will bring forth another tree, not a horse. When a horse has a baby, it doesn't birth a 7-11. My wife is due to give birth to our daughter in 4 days, not an iPod.

We are personal beings, with thoughts, emotions, a moral conscience, wisdom, etc. A big bang doesn't make sense to be the thing that created us. A personal God that thinks, has wisdom, emotions, a conscience, etc. makes a lot more sense to have created us, because we are most like him, not some luck of the draw with impersonal matter that has none of these traits creating something with all of these traits. It simply doesn't make sense. Now, if we kept seeing Lego sets creating babies, we might have to rethink some of this, but the fact is, we keep seeing the same thing in creation that happened at the beginning. Like kind coming from like kind.

2. Evil Sucks...I Hope There is Meaning

Most people see evil around us and think, "there can't be a God, because of all the evil we see." Actually, dismissing God because of evil doesn't solve things. If there is no God, then who says what is evil and what isn't? The moral majority? So if we all decided it was cool to kill prostitutes on the streets, does that make it right? Where do we get the understanding of what is good and what is evil? It can't merely come from culture, because then we can't tell headhunters that when they kill your dad on an expedition to their land that they are wrong. We have to just allow it because it is part of their culture. What if people decided it was cool to rape children? Who can say that they are wrong? There has to be One who says what is right and wrong for everyone. Now, will there be some cultural understandings of right and wrong? Yes. But what about the big issues? Based on this understanding of culture creating right and wrong, who could say that Hitler was wrong for wanting one white race without Jews and down syndrome children?

Not only do we have an issue of what is evil if we don't have an ultimate moral authority, but what about the meaning of evil in our generations? Without God: cancer, rape, tsunamis, famines, war...all tragedies have zero meaning. They just happen because we haven't been perfected yet as humans. With a God, because he is infinite with all wisdom, can allow this stuff to happen for a greater purpose. God creates purpose for this brokenness.

On a much smaller scale, and I don't want you to think this is equal to those huge tragedies. But, I allow my child to fall off of his bike when he is learning so that he'll ride a bike. His injuries seem small in the bigger scope of learning to ride a bike, as riding the bike is the end goal.

If being like God is the end goal. If glorifying his name for all eternity is the end goal, then these finite diseases and tragedies can have an ultimate, eternal purpose. God is not seen as evil to allow these things to happen, if he is giving the gift of eternity with perfection in the end. Without a God, they have no purpose and we are left empty.

3. The Bible & My Heart Testifies to This Fact

The Bible, over and over again, continues this huge story of a God in history that continues to point towards a day when the Messiah would come. Over and over again, prophecies came true and then when Jesus entered earth, he completed most of the prophecies and when he returns again, he'll complete the remaining ones. The Bible was written by 40 authors over 1500 years and it's like one person was writing it based on the harmony and pointers forward to both the first coming of the Christ to the second coming of the Christ. It is quite astonishing to see over and over again the Bible speaking truth to the understanding of it's ultimate author: God.

I could go on and on to God's own testimony in his Word, but we'll leave that off for another time. Just know that if you read the Bible as one huge story...it all fits perfectly together...was this just dumb luck? Or was there, and is there, one grand Author who tells the story, is in the story and is making the story happen?

My own heart also is a testimony. My heart continues to tell me that there is something more in this life. It keeps longing for something greater. I keep trying to fill it with temporary things, but it is never satisfied.

Let me elaborate.

I thought as a kid, "If I could just get some Nike basketball shoes...I'd be good." I finally got my first pair in the 7th grade. I was still the same and found out that I still wanted more. I then thought this:

If I could just graduate high school
If I could just graduate college
If I could just have sex
If I could just get married
If I could just get a good job
If I could just buy a house
If I could just have kids
If I could just have my own business
If I could just...

This just keeps going. I keep thinking if I could just have this next thing...I'll be good. The problem is that my heart keeps wanting more and I am a "want factory." The more I succeed, the more I want. It's a vicious cycle of emptiness. In the end, I see that my life is much like the movie "Groundhog Day", if I allow this to continually happen.

Have you never woken up and thought, "What really makes today any different than yesterday?" If this life is all about a life without a God who rules it, it becomes a life of "live for today, because tomorrow isn't promised, but will be basically the same as today if it comes."

My heart testifies that there has to be something more to this life than the same ole thing as yesterday. Not only that, but think of those people in starving countries. It's easy for us to get comfortable in our lives in the Western world, but what about those that are starving each day? Is that really it for them? Was it just for them to show up, starve then die?

In the Bible it tells us that God has put eternity in each of our hearts. The reason is that he wants us to know that there is something more out there. This life isn't about us living out Groundhog Day. This eternity in our hearts will drive us all crazy, unless we understand that there is a God, He is here with us and he desires to be in relationship with us. He wants to put an end to our Groundhog Day and fulfill that eternal longing that we all have in our hearts. Why can he fulfill that eternal longing? Because he is the only eternal One, everything else is finite. So, no matter how much we try to fill our hearts to shut it up from its longing...we'll always be searching for something more, because all those things are finite. It's like trying to fill a bucket with water, when the bucket has holes in the bottom.

I know this isn't an exhaustive list. I'm sure many smart people can shoot holes in my arguments, but this is primarily why I believe there is a God.

Hope this helps.

To My Daughter

2011-10-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

On Monday, October 10th, 2011, my little daughter Madelynn will be born to my wife, my two sons and I. We are really excited to meet her and I figured I'd write her a letter to inform her of a few things.

Dear Madelynn.

Your mom, your two brothers and I are very excited to see your face. We have been talking about it for months and were stoked when we saw on the video screen during the ultrasound that you were missing the key ingredient of being a boy. As an aside, if you are a Benjamin and not a Madelynn, you will probably beat everyone in hide-and-seek. As you prepared to come into this world, I figured I'd give you some things that you'll need to know in preparation.

1. The two animals that are in your face all day talking like little squeaky creatures...those are your brothers. They are going to fight to hold you, fight to get your attention and fight for your right to be virgin until you are 35. Their names are Caleb and Coleman, but you can call them whatever you want because they are already wrapped around your finger.

2. The older, more wise one is me...your dad. I will also be in your face all day, throwing elbows at your older brothers for the right to hold you. I hope you like Little House on the Prairie, because that's how you'll be dressing to make sure that no boy looks at you until we deem it appropriate. I'll get back to you on how old that is. Everyone says that you'll get whatever you want from me...okay...that's true. Might as well let the cat out of the bag on that one.

3. The one who you need to listen to the most, grow closest with, and bond with deeply, will be the one you are around the most...your mom. She cried when she heard that she was going to have a little girl and is excited to do girl things with you. I'm not sure what that all means, but know that you'll be getting your nails done before you know it. She'll be the one that looks like a zombie warlock when you wake up at 2am crying to eat. Let me just give you some advice. I've tried crying to get food at 2am from her and it didn't work...I think she through a chair at me, I'm really not sure as I don't remember anything from 2001 to 2003 because of that incident. Just sayin'...I would just ask, no need to cry.

4. You are being born pretty late in the game. Your brothers are 8 and 5, so most people will think you were a surprise. Not a surprise like chocolate in the middle of a piece of candy surprise, but a surprise when someone jumps out of the closet and literally scares the crap out of you surprise. You were not. God put it on your mom's heart that we weren't done. That our family wasn't complete without you. Because of this, we surprised your grandparents and aunties and uncles (think chocolate in the middle of candy) and they are freakishly excited. We apologize for them ahead of time. They bought you a ton of pink things with lots of ruffles...I still am not sure how all of that works and you'll probably end up with pants on your head and a tank top for shorts.

5. All the other people that surround you and pass you around like they are playing hot potato will be who we call "our family." Now...with most people that merely means those that have the same blood running through them, for us, that not only includes those people like your grandma, grandpa, nanny, papa, aunties and uncles, but it will also include those who don't have our blood in them, but are still our family. We call them our "neighbors", but they are really are family. They'll be over a lot. There's a saying that says, "it takes a village to raise a child" and based on our neighbors, they take this very literally. They are a huge blessing and you might not be able to tell who is your blood family, and who we consider family because of how much they care for us. They are very excited to meet you, hold you and give your mom a "break" because everyone needs a break from "perfection." You'll get that joke later when you realize how sarcastic I am.

6. Boy bands come from the greek term for "stealing from the innocent." I know that they sound and look like Greek gods, but in reality, they only want to steal your toys and candy. I'd stay away from them.

7. Anything that is in a group, have bright colors and dance around and sing on TV should be avoided at all costs. Some examples would be Go Gabba Gabba, Barney, and the Wiggles. They are scary.

8. The best food in the world comes from Food Trucks. We are still trying to work out a plan to sneak you out of the hospital to take you to The Box on Wheels which will be across the street from the hospital so you can experience some amazing food. Although you can't eat it...you should be allowed to visit and experience the greatness of food that comes from a mobile vehicle. After that, we'll have to take you to meet Barb at the Bistro Box...she'll want to make sure you think her food is legit.

9. Zombies are real. You'll see when you wake up crying at 2am. They look like your parents, but are a mere shell of your real parents. Sorry ahead of time on how Zombies respond to you at 2am.

10. Advertising Companies rule the world. Don't buy into their crap. You're smarter than that.

11. Can you try and remind me "front to back"? Thanks.

Madelynn.

With all this said, we can't wait to meet you. I want you to know something above all these things. God has known you before time began. He knew you and loved you before your mom and dad ever even thought about having you in our life. He has knit you into exactly the little girl he wants you to be. The doctors asked if we wanted to test to see if you had any "defects", like down syndrome, but we don't believe God has any defects and believe that God has made you in his image to be exactly who he desires you to be. We didn't understand why we'd want that test done as you will come out exactly how you are supposed to and we'll love you because God has given you to us.

Know that no matter how much we love you, your brothers love you, your grandparents love you, your aunties and uncles, and our neighbors that we consider family all love you very much. But, God loves you even more. Our house and lives are filled with examples of God's love for us, and we'll tell you as you grow up about this great rescue mission that God did for all of us by sending us a King that rules a great Kingdom. I can't wait to show you and tell you about this great King who came and served us even when we hated him and how he even died on our behalf, when we should have died. Not only that, but he actually was raised from the dead to show us how much power he had. Sorry...I'm getting ahead of myself...I know the story sounds crazy and maybe a little confusing, but we get to chat about this as a family and learn about this King on a daily basis and how much God loves us.

We can't wait to meet you. You are what we call "an example of God's grace in our lives." Your parents will fail you often, your brothers will too, but God will never fail you. That's good news.

I'm not sure why God has given us such a great gift, but know we'll do everything in our power to raise you in the ways and the wisdom of God. We will have a lot of fun together, a lot of hard times, we'll laugh, we'll cry, you'll love us at times, hate us at times, but there is one thing that is always true.

You'll always be my daughter and loved by me.

Don't ever think you have to earn my love. You already have it because God first loved us.

May God make you into the woman that he desires and may we celebrate together the many victories and trials God puts in your life to make you more like him.

Only 5 more sleeps Madelynn until we look into each other's eyes. I can't wait.

I just hope I don't squeeze you too tight.

I love you my daughter.

Love,

Your Daddy.

God's Recipe

2011-10-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

Forgive me up front for this being cornier than a knock knock joke from a Christian radio DJ. But, I had to give this perspective of God and desire for our joy, not our demise.

I have been reading a couple of books. One is "A Meal with Jesus" by Tim Chester and the other being "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain. Both are a really good read and the first one will give anyone insight to why I believe meals and food are to be central in my life as I desire to bless my community.

Anyways.

Yesterday I was following a couple of recipes to make Korean steak tacos and also just some regular marinated steak Mexican tacos. This got me thinking.

Never once did I think, "Man...this person who gave me this recipe is a jerk for making me follow all these rules of the recipe. Why can't I add peanut butter and popcorn seeds to this recipe?"

You see, we have recipes from people for a reason. It's so the final product will be the best culmination of our work and our taste buds will jump for joy when we put the food to our mouths. There are not only certain things we add to the recipe, but we also get the precise measurement of how much to add. So, we don't just add as much salt as we want, we add a pinch, or a teaspoon.

Again, we never think, "this person who made this recipe just wants my food to suck and me to hate the end product."

What is interesting as you think through this is that this relates to God very well.

He is a good God, who desires for our lives to be filled with joy. He has certain things that he calls us to, he has certain things he tells us to add to our lives, certain things to avoid, but this isn't so our life is full of crap and demise, but is full of the most joy we could ever imagine.

He might tell us things like, "don't have sex outside of marriage." We, as people, think, "that's cruel...why not?" But God, wanting our most joy, knows the joy thief this can be. We think, "how is it different in marriage or outside of marriage...isn't it the same?" That's like saying, "it says to add onions to the recipe, what the difference if I cook them or not?" There's a huge difference and even if we don't recognize the effects right away, it will come out in the end.

What if we saw God, not as someone trying to steal our joy, not as someone giving us a recipe for a nasty outcome, but as someone who knows exactly how to have the most joy and contentment in this life and the life to come?

What if we gave him the benefit of the doubt as we do with those that give us recipes over the internet that we've never met?

What if we trusted God, like we trust the one giving us a recipe that corn doesn't go well with peanut butter and vinegar?

Even more so, we sometimes make something that tastes good, but will make us sick if we eat too much of it, or drink too much of it. God, the one who knows all things also gives us wisdom on how to use his good gifts that he gives to us.

God does tell us those things to stay away from, the type of people we should avoid to seek wisdom from. He also tells us those things which are good for us, those things we should continually seek. This is all for our joy and his glory. This is so we, in the end, live this life in a way that gives us a joy that surpasses all understanding.

I wish I didn't doubt God as much as I do, but if I can see him as a good God, who doesn't desire my demise, but my joy...that is a God that can be trusted.

Sorry for the corny explanation...now back to your regular scheduled programming.

Everyone Makes Disciples

2011-09-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

I know I have people who follow Jesus and those that don't that read my blog, so when one hears me use the term "disciple" it might be a loaded word. What do I mean when I say "disciple"?

The term merely means one who follows another in their ways or teachings. It can also mean a "learner" of someone or something.

The problem is that most of us don't think we are being discipled nor do we believe that we are discipling someone else. We believe that we are living our life how we deem best and we don't want to bother others with what we believe or think. The issue is, in fact, we are all being discipled and we are all discipling others. This really isn't the question. The question is: To whom or what am I discipling others to?

How is One Discipled?

Most of us think that we learn the most through what we read or what we are taught verbally. The problem with that thinking is that most of us don't read, nor do most of us sit under teachings as we did when we were in school. Here are some reading statistics:

1/3 of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives.
42 percent of college graduates never read another book after college.
80 percent of U.S. families did not buy or read a book last year.
70 percent of U.S. adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years.
57 percent of new books are not read to completion.
70 percent of books published do not earn back their advance.
70 percent of the books published do not make a profit

So, then how are we discipled? Most of us are discipled by either watching TV, listening to music, or by being around others.

Most of us are most influenced by others and the way that they lead their own lives and what they share with us. The crazy thing is that this doesn't happen in a classroom, but in everyday life.

We are discipled by seeing how those we look up to (whether in life or on TV or in music) by:

How they respond to those that hate them
How they respond to those who love them
What angers them
What excited them
How they spend their day (is it spent on themselves or helping others?)
What they spend their money on
How they speak and what they speak about
Their logic in life
Who they look up to
Who they live for
What their hobbies are
How they dress
What they drive
What they eat
Who they eat with

The list goes on and on, but the main point is that the more one can see the life of another lived out holistically, which means in every aspect of their life, the more one will be discipled by that person.

Those that usually disciple you the most will be those you open up to you the most and share life with you the most. You might not agree with them, or ever convert to their way of thinking, but they are discipling you to understand what they deem to be the most important thing or person in their life.

This is key.

Those that we come in contact with the most will be the ones that disciple us the most.

For me, this is my wife, my kids and my neighbors. They show me what is important in their lives by what they speak about, what they spend their money on, what angers them, what makes them excited and how they spend their days at work and at play.

What is key in all this is that usually what angers us or excites us the most, is what we'll talk about and live for the most. Therefore, this thing, or person, will be the one to whom or what we'll disciple others towards.

If it's politics, we'll talk about, spend our time and money doing campaigning for the particular party or issues and desire for everyone to be discipled into becoming into agreement in our ways of politics. When people disagree with them on political issues, this is usually when their faces turn red with anger and they make oddball comments. When someone changes their mind to their way of thinking on an issue is when they are the happiest and most excited.

If it's sports for our kids, the same will happen. We will disciple others into thinking that our kids are the most important thing in our lives, and that it should be the most important in their lives. We might never say this outright, but our lives will point to this fact.

Usually, when this happens, all our time, energy and money will be spent to hold up these values of discipleship. And to be honest, because of this, this is how others are discipled by us into our understanding of life and what motivates us.

If you are a parent, your kids are watching and learning from you. They are learning from you what it looks like to be like their mother or father. What is important, how we should be spending our days, our money, our time and our energy. So, although we say, "do what I say, not what I do" our kids see right through this and will emulate more of what they see from us, not what we say to them.

I always find the irony funny when I scream at my kids, "Stop yelling at your brother!"

I actually think this is why so many of us live for self these days, is because our parents have always made it about us. "You can be whatever you want when you grow up" is a common saying and the way that we surround our lives as a taxi service for our kids sports and activities, shows them, life is all about them. The sad thing is that when they get out of high school or college, the stark reality of the understanding that not only can they NOT do anything they put their mind to, but life isn't about them, hits them like a donut to Fat Albert's lips.

When I realized that my life is a picture of who I follow or what I follow, I was struck. I had to ask myself, "what is most important in my life and am I showing that off particularly well?"

I have said many times that I am a follower of Jesus, or a disciple of Jesus, but rarely in my life have I actually shown that.

Now, because of this understanding, I desire to disciple others what it looks like to follow Jesus and be one of his disciples. Please hear this: This doesn't mean that my family, friends or neighbors have to be a follower of Jesus for me to like them...me being like isn't the motivation...the motivation is the love of God towards me. I know Christians haven't done this well for centuries, and I don't "have it down." But, I never want someone to think that if they don't follow in the ways of Jesus then my love stops for them. My motivation is NOT "convert others to my way of thinking."

Christians for years have shown people that to follow Jesus, to be a disciple of Jesus that meant:

Vote like me
Talk like me
Dress like me
Believe like me
Hate like me (meaning say, "speak truth in love" and then speak against whatever or whomever you want however you want)
Love like me (meaning only love those who agree with me)
Go to church like me
Buy what I buy
Listen to what I listen to
Watch what I watch

What you'll notice is that is all about the person, the "Christian", and has nothing to do with discipling someone to look like Jesus.

What if we asked instead, "How could I show love to others where they would also believe it was love and not hate?" Then take that and start doing it without a covert operation of merely trying to get people to be like you?

This is why I try to do so many community events within my neighborhood. It's not because I'm motivated to make people like me, but I'm motivated by the love of God towards me and desire for people to see what the neighborhood would be like if Jesus lived among us.

I will fail in this and do well in this. But understanding that all my actions, everyday, will either point towards this fact or away from this fact; point towards Jesus or away from Jesus, is mind blowing.

So, again, the question comes:

Who or what are you discipling others to, and who or what are you being discipled into?

Foodie Friday: It's All About the Rodeo

2011-09-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow myself and a few friends will be heading to the Seattle Mobile Food Truck Rodeo. There have been a couple of very helpful articles written by the Rodeo and also SeattleFoodTruck.com. I wanted to put them up here to make it easier to find all the links and then give my top picks for the Rodeo that I am going to make sure and get a taste of.

Helpful Tips For Newbies to Mobile Food Truck Festivals

This article is a great starter for those of us who have never been to one of these. Because I am coming with 6 families, I am hoping we can divide and conquer. The real test for the organizers for the Rodeo will be making sure there is just the right amount of entertainment to aid standing in line, without being overly entertaining, taking away from the food.

After reading that article, you'll want to take a look at the great articles from SeattleFoodTruck.com that goes into a small description of each truck that will be at the Rodeo. I've listed them below with my top places I'm going to make sure I visit while at the Rodeo. I'll also link to each truck at the bottom if they have a webpage.

Skillet; Maximus/Minimus; Where Ya At; Fusion on the Run; Happy Grillmore

Charlie's Buns N' Stuff; Kaosamai Thai Cook Truck; El Camion; Street Treats; Robb's Really Good Food

Curry Now; Lumpia World; Molly Moon; Tacos El Campesino; Slice Brick Oven

Bistro Box; Bigfood Mobile; Buns; Leroy's Familiar Vittles

I'll be stopping by Maximus/Minimus; Where Ya At; Molly Moon; Street Treats & Bigfood Mobile for sure.

I've eaten a ton at The Bistro Box and will probably make a stop there to say hello and support Barb and Co. My boys and I have had a taste of what they are making for the Rodeo, special privileges because my boys are huge foodies and Barb loves them. I highly recommend you make the stop at The Bistro Box...the sliders they are serving for the Rodeo are insanely delicious.

I have also eaten at Fusion on the Run. Cassandra and Co. are extremely nice and their braised meat sandwiches are fantastic.

I hope to see you out there. If you want to carpool in with my caravan, drop me an email at smcbee at mcbeeadvisors dot com. Yes, I used the term caravan for a rodeo...

Truck Names and Info:

Skillet
Web
Twitter
Facebook

Maximus/Minimus
Web
Twitter
Facebook

Where Ya At
Web
Twitter
Facebook

Fusion on the Run
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Happy Grillmore
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Charlie's Buns N' Stuff
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Kaosamai Thai Cook Truck
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El Camion
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Street Treats
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Robb's Really Good Food
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Curry Now
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Lumpia World
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Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream
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Tacos El Campesino
No info on web that I can find.

Slice Brick Oven Pizza
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The Bistro Box
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Veraci Pizza
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Bigfood Mobile
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Buns
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Leroy's Familiar Vittles
No web info that I can find

The Flipped Classroom: Education a Different Way

2011-09-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

I like where this is going, but I still believe that we need to consider that learning in a community of peers is very helpful on many different levels. If they incorporated this learning with peers from different walks of life and different cultures, this would be taken to the next level. We just can't dismiss the long term affects of being a shut in when we learn new ideas in all walks of life.

Created by Knewton and Column Five Media

Inviting My Neighbors/Friends to Church?: Conclusion

2011-09-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

Hopefully through this short series (post 1, 2, 3) you can see some differences in how the Bible defines church and the people of God verses what you and I have been taught for generations. Church isnt' a place or a building but a people. This church should represent who Jesus is in the way they speak and act in the community. They aren't perfect, and that's the point, they point to Jesus, who is perfect, not to themselves. As they gather together on a Sunday (or other days) this is why they celebrate. They celebrate this very fact that they aren't perfect and Jesus is and he is the depth of their joy and desires.

So, with all this said...do I desire for my neighbors/friends to come to a church gathering with me on a Sunday? Will I ever invite a neighbor to church?

This is actually a yes and no answer. The first I will give is the "no" answer.

First, our gathering on a Sunday would be very boring for someone who doesn't follow Jesus. I'd much rather hang out with them smoking a pipe or cigar, have a drink, BBQ some food and answer questions they might have about Jesus or why I follow him. Plus, when we do that, I won't break out the guitar, hand them a song sheet and ask them to follow along as I sing hymns to Jesus. That's a little strange in general, but even more so for one who doesn't follow Jesus. I've actually thought about doing that as a joke with some of my neighbors as they know me well enough that they would find it hilarious.

If our entire reason for a Sunday gathering is for the sake of Jesus and praising him for what he has done, what he is doing and what he will do, then most of what happens on a Sunday is going to be very odd for my friends and neighbors. Not only that, but if I am living out who God is to my neighborhood, most of what I want them to see about God will be happening every day. They'll see the good in me, the bad in me, the fact that I am not into "converting them into my way of thinking" and hopefully will see my hope in Jesus.

So, the first part of this is "no, I'd never ask my neighbor to join me for a church gathering."

But wait...Yes, I would.

Let me be clear about this. I am not trying to create community or befriend people with an ulterior motivation. I am not seeking to do this so they'll "go to my church", think like me or become some sort of Americanized version of a Christian. I am motivated to create community because of what God has done for me. I am told to love God and love neighbor...so that is what I trying to do because God has shown so much love towards me. So, my neighbor/friend/family member can never become a follower of Jesus, never go to my church, never think in the ways that I do and I am totally okay with that and it won't affect our relationship at all. Literally, if God told me, "That guy will never follow me", I'd still love them just the same. Me converting another person to my way of thinking can never be my motivation for friendship.

The sad thing is that for most people, they've encountered Christians that desire to only convert someone to their way(s) of thinking and if the person didn't convert...they moved on. They are basically an Amway Salesman cloaked with a Christian jacket. They are trying to sell something and if you don't buy it...they move on. They have given Jesus a bad name for years and should really open a used car lot with slick sales promotions of "What do I have to do to get you into heaven today? Please just sign here, and repeat after me."

So, the question you might ask is this: Why then do you say you'd invite a neighbor to your church gathering?

Well, I truly believe that Jesus gives the greatest joy, greatest hope and fulfills our greatest desires. I desire to live this out and desire for people to follow Jesus. I am motivated by God's love for me to show this to others. So, I'd love for people to see who Jesus is through me, hear why he is my greatest hope, joy and desire through my words and then decide to follow him. If that happens, then it'd be awesome for them to come and celebrate with me on a Sunday...or any other day we get together to do this.

This isn't an end all. It's not "if they don't follow Jesus, then I'm done with them." They can disagree with my conclusions about Jesus, but that won't change how I love my neighbors, because God loves me even when I don't agree with what he says about me...which happens all the time.

I am on this road of following Jesus and ask anyone who wants to see what it's about to walk with me. But, I am not pushy about it, but pretty laid back.

I am going to fail my neighborhood and my friends in many ways. I am not going to love them well, I am not going to pursue them well, I am not going to take care of them well.

But that's the point. I can't be anyone's savior. I'm just a dude. I'm a follower of someone else who is greater. I am pointing to the one who will never fail, loves perfectly and pursues everyone perfectly.

May my neighbors and friends forgive this idiot who lives daily with them trying to build a true community of people who care for one another, have fun with one another and seek to respect and understand one another.

May they see what the church looks like beyond the walls of a Sunday morning and at least be able to say, "We saw someone once who resembled the Jesus we read about in the Bible."

Inviting My Neighbors/Friends to Church?: Part 3

2011-09-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

So far we've discussed what church is and isn't, and also some of the issues we've created in putting up a dichotomy of sacred and secular, now I want to end what happens at a church's gathering. The reason I want to end with this is simply: for years this has been the end all for a Christian. If we could just get people to go to church on a Sunday it was like we caught the leprechaun at the end of the rainbow. But, this has never been the point for those who follow Jesus and merely want to point to the works of Jesus through word and deed. The reason, which we've covered in the past posts is because what happens on a Sunday is not the end all for the follower of Jesus, but merely another expression of the church gathered.

So, what happens on a Sunday?

Depending on the church family, Sunday can be focused on many things. It can be focused on a great performance from the band on stage, from the dude speaking or the events for the kids. It can look anywhere from a mini Christian Disneyland, to a funeral and everywhere between. I am not going to try and break all this down, but want to focus on why my church gathers on a Sunday.

We see Sundays as a celebration. We see it as a bunch of people sent by God coming together glorifying what he has done, is doing and will do in our lives. One of my pastors put it, "It's like a mini missionary conference." When you come to our gathering we have people coming from all over South King County to sing to Jesus, talk about Jesus and tell how Jesus is informing us to build community in where we work and live. We understand that the only reason we are given the ability to build community and show off who he is, is because of what he has done in our lives. We hear the bible preached, or proclaimed to us, with the good news of what Jesus has done for us and is continuing to do and how Jesus is the answer to our greatest needs and desires.

After the bible is preached, we then take communion, which Jesus told us to do to remember him and what he did for us. The bread represents his body which was broken and represents his life that he lived on our behalf while he was on the earth. The wine or grape juice represents his blood that he shed for the forgiveness of our sins. We take this with those in our community, with our families and thank him for all he has done for us and continues to do for us. It is a time to remember Jesus.

We try to do everything well, because we want represent God even as we celebrate. But, we aren't overly flashy. For example: we don't dress up, but dress in what we'd wear throughout the week. The reason for this is because Jesus wore what was common in the culture and when "dressing up" is mentioned in the New Testament when the church gathered, it was spoken, at best, in a negative fashion (James 2:1-7). So, when you enter our gathering you'll notice everyone wearing what you'd expect if you saw them on a Friday night hanging out at a BBQ.

Our gathering is pretty simplistic. We don't want to cause stress on people to put together some huge spectacle on a Sunday as that would take time away from them to be in their community showing off Jesus. Those churches that put together large gatherings with lots of production takes a ton of time and money, and although that might what they believe God is calling them to, it's just not what we feel God is calling us to on a Sunday.

What we want anyone to realize as they enter our gatherings on a Sunday is that there is truly one agenda: praise and worship God alone, because of Jesus, through the Holy Spirit.

We want anyone to feel welcome. We want them to see that this has nothing to do with who we are, but everything about who God is. We don't want it to be some sort of club one enters into and feels as though they are going to get a sales pitch about our church. We just want people to be comfortable to explore and celebrate who Jesus is. Sometimes we do this well, sometimes we do it very poorly. The one thing we always promise is that we as God's people will always do it imperfectly, so we ask for your forgiveness ahead of time.

We don't believe we have it "figured out" but what we do desire is for Sunday to be an extension of what the church is already doing throughout the week. We don't want Sundays to be an "end all" for the church. Sometimes we are packed on a Sunday, sometimes we are not. The reason is that when our people feel as though a neighbor needs help or that they can bless their community in another way on a Sunday morning, they are released to do so instead of feeling this burden to "go to church" on a Sunday. When one realizes that they are the sent one of God to show off what he is like, Sunday becomes a celebration with other sent ones, not a time to "get your fix of holiness" or some place that we just want to get our neighbors and friends into so that we can make them like us.

The next logical thing to ask is this: Do I desire for my neighbors and friends to go to my church gathering? This is a yes & no answer...which we'll leave for next time. But, my motivation for loving our neighborhood is NOT to get them to a church gathering or even become religious...my motivation is all about what God has done for me and I just want people to at least see what he is like.

Again...what if our neighbors and friends knew that we were building community and friendships without some hidden agenda to "get them into church" but merely were doing it because of what Jesus did for us and how he told us to live? What if we were honest with them and they knew we weren't perfect and we didn't pretend to be? What if we were honest with them and told them we don't have all the answers? What if we just started to be good humans? What if we loved neighbor like we love ourselves?

Maybe then Gandhi's words would be reversed:

I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians, they are so unlike your Christ.

Maybe.

Seattle Mobile Food Truck Rodeo

2011-09-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

If you are wondering where I'll be on the 17th to celebrate my birthday...this is where. Ticket information: click here. Mobile Food Truck Rodeo Website: Click Here

From their website:

Welcome the Mobile Food Rodeo 2011!

Thousands participate in the LA Street Food Fest Annually.

The Mobile Food Rodeo is slated to be the premier showcase for mobile cuisine in the Pacific Northwest. On the heels of recent legislation passed in Seattle that will allow mobile food vendors to operate easier and more effectively, we’re excited to celebrate this wonderful culture with the largest street festival.

Following the success of current popular mobile food festivals such as the LA Street Food Fest and Portland’s Eat Mobile, we round up some of the best street food wagons in the Seattle and Portland city limits; giving the public the opportunity to sample some of the most unique international flavors from some of today’s top mobile food trucks in the Northwest.

In the past three years, the mobile food renaissance has led the way to next wave of top chefs; helping to open Seattle’s hottest new restaurants like Skillet Diner and Marination Station in the past year. The festival will offer your audience the chance to sample over 20 food trucks with some of the Northwest’s most refreshing menus, and help them experience the next wave of chefs and culinary prospects. It’s sure to be Seattle’s next big thing for foodies everywhere.

The Mobile Food Rodeo offers an audience a deliciously fun “one-stop-shop” that will continue to grow year after year from two of the nation’s emerging mobile food. The Mobile Food Rodeo aims to offer micro-businesses the support to find their audience, by bringing thousands of people into Seattle neighborhoods that support local businesses 365 days a year.

See you at the rodeo!

Ryan Reiter and Jon Hegeman

Chief Food Wranglers

Mobile Food Rodeo

Foodie Friday: The Bistro Box vs Cilantro Cocina Mexicana

2011-09-09T11:44:00.000-07:00

This past Friday, my boys and I went out to stop by two food trucks so we could compare and judge the food from the two. We went to the two closest to us: The Bistro Box in Renton, WA and Cilantro Cocina Mexicana (CCM) in Bellevue.

First we stopped by CCM. The truck was clean, the service was great and they even had a seating area with come pretty comfy outdoor furniture. This was really nice to have, especially with Mexican food. This was the first time we had visited the truck so I asked them for their specialty. We ordered their tacos, which was the simple tacos on corn tortillas, with pico de gallo, cilantro with pork, chicken and beef. My oldest son, Caleb, decided on ordering their bean and cheese soft taco.

I was excited to try the food as it looked great, but the taste was flat. It was pretty odd. The flavor was just lacking. It was fresh, but it just didn't have that flavor one is accustomed to with Mexican food. I have had Americanized Mexican food, I've had real Mexican food and both do have one thing in common: big flavor. I was just disappointed in how lacking the flavor profile was, especially in the meat. I am not sure they cooked the meat in any spices at all. The boys agreed. Although they are young, they are great critics for food. Both of my boys gave the food a 5 out of 10. We actually ended up throwing most of it away, knowing we had another stop. I want to give them another chance, but I won't make a special trip to do so.

Pluses: Fresh food; clean truck; great service; great seating area

Negatives: Flavor was flat

Recommended?: Only if you are in the area, no need for a special trip. Worth it if you are in Eastgate.

After visiting CCM, we moved on The Bistro Box. This was our second time to the Bistro Box in Renton and we were happy we were ending here. The Bistro Box is awesome. The truck is clean, and the chefs are very personal and fun to talk to. Barb, the owner, takes great pride in food and the creations of flavor that they serve. My boys each ordered one of their Kobe Beef sliders called, "Joe's Special." Joe's Special was designed by Barb's son Joe, who also works at the truck. Joe's Special is served on a small potato bun, with chipotle BBQ sauce and bacon. Honestly, it's one of the best things you'll put in your mouth. My boys were stoked to pepper their palate with this beautiful creation and couldn't stop talking it up like Superman himself delivered it to them. I ordered the special of the day, which was a Chicago style pot roast sandwich with fresh veggies, I think a horseradish sauce on a baguette. The blend of veggies was a perfect combo and added some contrast of crunch to the to the mouth watering beef that melted in your mouth. This was in stark contrast to the beef that was served at that other truck that we had already forgot about. Not only that, but we also had some awesome french fries dipped in their homemade fry sauce (we've also had their garlic aioli dipping sauce which is amazing). Again. Awesome. After we were done, I had my boys go tell Barb & Co. how great the food was. Coleman, my 5 year old, ran up to Barb and gave her the 411: My sandwich was legit! Barb, thinking she couldn't have heard him right, asked, "Did you just say your sandwich was legit?" He shook his head in glee and excitedly told her how great his sandwich was. My boys gave their food 10 out of 10 stars. If they had any stars left over, they'd happily add those to the total as well.

Pluses: Clean truck, great service, great people, great menu items (Kobe Beef & coconut chicken sliders, salads, paninis, french fries (with five different dipping sauces) & daily sandwich specials), great flavors in all their food I've tried so far.

Negatives: No seating. But honestly...it's a food truck...you're supposed to eat off of your car.

Recommended?: Definitely. Go out of your way. I have now visited The Bistro Box four times and have yet to have anything that wasn't amazing. If it is anywhere near lunch time and you are on the West side of the United States, I'd recommend you change your Google map directions to include a stop to see Barb & Co.

Hands down, The Bistro Box wins this war. Barb and her crew are amazingly nice and take great care in regards to their food. Even with the flat flavors of CCM, I can say the same for them. I'd definitely recommend both trucks, but if you have one place to stop for the day, treat your belly to a carnival of excitement with the flavors that will be dancing inside by stopping by The Bistro Box.

If you want more information on either truck, here's the dealio:

Cilantro Cocina Mexicana (no website, link it to Yelp)

15220 SE 37th St
Bellevue, WA 98006

(206) 372-6632

Right behind the Pizza Hut and 76 station. Takes major credit cards. I believe they are open
for lunch Monday thru Friday.

The Bistro Box

Locations: (make sure to check their Facebook page for updated locations)

Tuesdays: Renton Farmers Market (without truck), 3rd & Burnett, 3 pm. – 7 pm
Wednesday thru Fridays (7:30am - 2pm) at Sips Espresso (315 Sunset Blvd)
Sips Espresso is a purple building down the street from the old Sunset Cars lot and the 405/Hwy 167 interchange.

They take all major credit cards.

Facebook: The Bistro Box
Twitter: @bistrobox
Phone: 206-406-6202

What Determines The Price Of Gas?

2011-09-08T21:27:00.001-07:00

Home Solar Power Discounts - One Block Off the Grid

Fantasy Football History

2011-09-08T12:36:00.000-07:00

With the start of the NFL tonight, and the great past time of fantasy football...figured I'd republish an article on the history of fantasy football. Enjoy:

Fantasy Football History

At its most basic, fantasy football is a game in which football fans use their knowledge of the sport to compete against each other in formats that relate to the actual performance of professional football teams. The goal of the fantasy football player is to select which athletes or teams will have the most impressive performances during a given week. In order to be successful at fantasy football, a fantasy player must follow the weekly happenings of the NFL and make better choices than his opponent makes.

Modern fantasy football can be traced back to the late Wilfred "Bill" Winkenbach, an Oakland area businessman and a limited partner in the Oakland Raiders. In a New York hotel room during a 1962 Raiders eastern cross-country trip, Winkenbach, along with Raiders Public Relations man Bill Tunnel and Tribune reporter Scotty Starling, developed a system of organization and a rulebook, which would eventually be the basis of modern fantasy football.

ocusing on AFL offensive skill players, Winkenbach's blueprint laid the groundwork for what would come to be known as the GOPPPL (Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Procrastinators League). Upon his return to Oakland, Winkenbach organized the inaugural eight teams, which consisted of individuals who met one of the following qualifications:

An administrative affiliate of the AFL

A journalist with direct relation to pro football

Someone who has purchased or sold 10 season tickets for the Raiders' 1963 season

As stated in the original rules, the purpose of the league was "to bring together some of Oakland's finest Saturday morning gridiron forecasters to pit their respective brains (and cash) against each other" in the hope that it would lead to "closer coverage of daily happenings in professional football" [ref]. The original rulebook stated that there were to be two league officials: a secretary who would keep scores, verify rosters, maintain records, and handle all monies and a commissioner who would preside over all league meetings, appoint any necessary committees, and mediate any league disputes. As the owner of a small business, Winkenbach had all the necessary tools (phone lines, typewriters, a mimeograph machine) to become the first fantasy football league commissioner. Following the assembly of the original eight teams in 1963, Winkenbach invited all of the team owners to the basement of his home to participate in an inaugural GOPPPL "draft."

The Fantasy Football Draft

In the first fantasy football draft, participants drew cards marked 1-8 for the privilege of choosing their drafting positions. The draft proceeded in a ladder order with the first position draftee making the first selection, the second position draftee making the second selection, and so on until the eighth position draftee makes the eighth selection. During the second round, the draft order reversed, with the eighth draftee starting with the ninth selection and the order continuing backward from the first round until eventually returning to the first draftee whose next pick would then be the 16th. Each subsequent round, the order would reverse with the last position draftee of the previous round making the first selection of the next round until each team's roster was full. This ladder order was implemented in order to make the teams equal and to promote a higher degree of competition. In subsequent years, after roster cuts were made, the team with the lowest record the previous season would have the opportunity to draft first. Teams were able to draft 20 players:

Four offensive ends

Four halfbacks

Two fullbacks

Two quarterbacks

Two kick/punt returners

Two field goal kickers

Two defensive backs/linebackers

Two defensive linemen

Since many players played at different positions in the 60s, the same player could play for different teams at different positions (for example, the #1 draft pick George Blanda played quarterback for one team and place kicker for another). Upon successful completion of the draft, each team was to submit their weekly lineup to the secretary before noon each Friday. Teams would compete on a weekly basis, and at the end of the season, teams would hold a championship to crown the league champion.

The GOPPL used the following method of payoffs for scoring:

50 cents for rushing touchdown by any player

25 cents for any player receiving a pass for a touchdown

25 cents for any player throwing a touchdown pass

Double the above for any score from more than 75 yards out

25 cents for each field goal

$2.50 for a kickoff or punt return for touchdown

$2.50 for a touchdown by a defensive back or linebacker on pass interception

$5.00 for a touchdown by defensive lineman

Fantasy Football Goes Public

Oakland restaurateur and GOPPL team coach Andy Mousalimas opened the first public fantasy football league to his patrons at the Kings X Sports Bar in 1969. By veering slightly from the original GOPPL formula, Mousalimas was responsible for the push toward the current practice of performance scoring, which rewards points to players who score touchdowns. Mousalimas has since retired from the restaurant business, but the Kings X remains the ground zero of fantasy football. Today, the Kings X continues to maintain six different real world fantasy divisions, including the Queens division -- a division especially reserved for the female patrons of the Kings X.

With the advent of the Internet, fantasy football has blossomed from a game played by an elite group of all-male sports enthusiasts in bars to a million-dollar industry reaching 30 million online players (including 6.5 million women) in America. On average, players spend $110 a year on their online fantasy franchises.

Early proponents of fantasy football struggled to get information about the condition of their competing players and relied heavily on such publications as Street and Smith's sports annuals to make draft day decisions. Today, Internet-savvy football fans can get a wealth of information online on any player currently in the NFL. They can easily compare and contrast both whole teams and individual players. "Virtual drafts" enable team owners to build teams from the comfort of their living rooms, and fans can create leagues with friends who live half a world away or test their skills against a group of total strangers. It is no wonder that "virtual" fantasy football has taken center stage, while public, non-digital fantasy football now finds itself fading into obscurity.

Great Infographic Sources

2011-09-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

If you like infographics as much as I do, you'll love these two suppliers of the sweet goodness. In the age of visual learning and the patience of 2 year olds, infographics feed our lust of the next thing and giving us just enough information to sound like we know what we are talking about when debating the drunk guy during half time of Monday night football. With that said:

First is a website: Cool Infographics

Second is an app: Infographics

Inviting My Neighbors/Friends to Church?: Part 2

2011-09-07T09:21:00.000-07:00

What is Sacred vs Secular?

This is kind of an odd thing to bring to bear in this discussion, but I believe it adds to the understanding of what this understanding of "church" has brought to the religion of Christianity.

Now, before we get started, I have started to rethink this understanding of calling myself a Christian for a myriad of reasons, the main one being the fact that Christian stands for a large organization that is not easily definable, yet has many definitions. Some think of the term to mean American politics, some say it is the Catholic religion, some say it is conservatism, specifically Republican, some say it is a religion that has ruined cultures around the world and some say it is a people who are unloving, picketing anything they disagree with and hateful. What you'll notice is that most would not equate a Christian with the Jesus that they read in the Bible. The term literally means, "follower of Jesus" so I would consider myself a follower or disciple of Jesus, but to say that I am part of the "Christian" religion, I'd have to ask you, "What do you mean by that?" I might be part of what you are asking, I might not be. I don't want to completely separate myself from those who currently or historically call themselves "Christian" but I definitely think the term needs more clarification than any other time in history.

</end of soapbox>

With that on the table, let's move on.

Because of the misunderstanding of what the church is, and because the definition has become what one does on a Sunday from 10-noon, it has created this idea of sacred vs secular.

This idea goes back to the Roman Catholic Church where those that were the clergy were the sacred and those outside the clergy, just the regular church members, were part of the secular. Martin Luther pressed against this, along with his contemporaries to bring the faith and the "sacred" in all areas of life. Instead of the pastor being in the sacred work place and the carpenter being in the secular, Luther tried to narrow that gap by returning it to Scripture to show that all those who follow Jesus are part of God's sacred work. He leaned on the priesthood of all the saints as taught in Peter's writings, specifically 1 Peter 2.

You would have thought this would have helped to return us to everything being part of the sacred, but it didn't.

Because Christendom continued to have a higher view of what happens on Sunday mornings, instead of all of life, the sacred vs secular continued and has caused many followers of Jesus stop the mission we were called to do, namely to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Think of this. If you think that Sunday is when all that is holy happens, what do you do when you go home? Nothing. You did your deed of going to church, instead of being the church. Because of this, we have had many shortfalls within the church. Here are some I can think of on the top of my head:

1. The pastor, not me, is the one in charge of doing those "holy" things
2. My workplace is my workplace, I can act how I want there because I did my church thing
3. My neighborhood is where I live, not where I live out the good news. If my neighbors want to see Jesus, they can go to church and hear my pastor.
4. Christians began to create more "sacred" things by merely calling them Christian. So you have:

Christian schools
Christian radio
Christian bookstores
Christian t-shirts
Christian workplaces
Christian cars because I put a "Jesus fish" on it
Christian music
Christian conferences
Christian money management

So, what we've seen because of the church not understanding that they are the representation of Jesus to everyone, is this divide has happened. The sacred vs secular has seeped into all our lives. This one thing of not understanding that WE are the church, not some event has either caused us to leave culture completely and make everything "Christian" or has caused us to think that our whole "Christian" life only happens for two hours on a Sunday.

If you are reading this and you are not a follower of Jesus, this might give you some insight on why there has been such a big disconnect with the Jesus of the bible and the Christians you have come into contact with. This understanding is why you might have been invited to church by a neighbor or friend but never actually been friends with them on a day to day basis. Or, why it seems that your Christian friend doesn't actually live out what Jesus says on a day to day basis. I'm not saying that this okay, but we as followers are trying to change who the church is from the inside out. One pastor put it like this:

“The Gospel came to the Greeks and the Greeks turned it into a philosophy. The Gospel came to the Romans and the Romans turned it into a system. The Gospel came to the Europeans and the Europeans turned it into a culture. The Gospel came to America and the Americans turned it into a business.”
Even Madonna is seeing through the facade...she is known for saying:

Christianity is becoming more of a currency than a belief

Maybe at some point we'll put an end to:

Christian schools
Christian radio
Christian bookstores
Christian t-shirts
Christian workplaces
Christian cars because I put a "Jesus fish" on it
Christian music
Christian conferences
Christian money management

And we'll merely be people who follow Jesus in all aspects of life and show others who Jesus and what he is about.

Article on Community & Neighborhoods

2011-09-06T16:06:00.000-07:00

I took this from a couple of different interviews (here & here) with Peter Lovenhiem on his book: In the Neighborhood: The Search for Community on an American Street One Sleep Over at a Time.

Peter Lovenhiem—In the Neighborhood:The Search for Community on an American Street One Sleep Over at a Time.

In the year 2000, in a suburban New York neighborhood there was a tragedy that changed Peter Lovenheims view on community in his neighborhood. A married couple of physicians seemed to be the perfect family. Husband, wife, boy, girl and all was well. One night the father came home, shot his wife, shot himself, and the children went running into the darkness.

Beyond the horrific power of this going on in Peter Lovenheims neighborhood what really began to bother him viscerally was the fact that he didn’t know this family, and in asking around he discovered none of the other neighbors knew this family, and really no one knew anyone else on the street.

Peter set out to change this. In 2008 he published “In the Neighborhood: The Search for Community on an American Street One Sleep Over at a Time.” As a journalist Peter began to intentionally develop relationships with his neighbors asking if he could write about their lives. As the ultimate step of neighborly intrusion in the name of redeeming community Peter asked to stay the night at their homes and write about that 24 hour period. Over half of them responded with a yes.

Here is one of the interviews with Peter Lovenhiem:

Q: What is the importance of community? What does that give to a city? What does the lack of it take away?

A: On a personal level, I think neighborhoods are important because we are all subject to emergencies, whether they're related to health or crime. A friend 10 minutes away is sometimes a friend too far. Only your neighbor next door or across street can be there for them to help us or us to help them.

In a larger sense, strong neighborhoods can be a fundamental building block of a strong civil society. I think we're very fragmented as a society, that we divide ourselves from each other in many ways: income, politically, religiously. If you want to repair the social fabric, a good place to start doing that is in the apartment building you live in or in the block you live on.

On a personal level are other important reasons. ... Neighborhoods can enrich our lives, but we have to know what they have to offer. And in order to know what they have to offer, we have to know our neighbors.

Q: Why is reaching out to neighbors so scary for some people?

A: It is scary for many people. Statistics show that, on average, the number of meaningful contacts Americans have with their neighbors today have declined 50 percent over the last 50 years.

There's a lot of reasons why we don't know our neighbors the way we used to. One of them is a pervasive fear of strangers that's developed in our society. I teach at the college level, and I have 19-year-old students who have been growing up their whole lives hearing about stranger danger. If they see an unknown person walking across campus, they are far more likely to think of that person as a potential threat than as someone they might enjoy getting to know. The stranger danger has taken its toll in making people afraid of reaching out and getting to know the people who live closest by them.

There are other reasons for our increasing isolation as well: With dual-income households, there are fewer people home during day, we spend more time on television and Internet, front porches have largely disappeared. New suburban housing construstruction often comes with fencecs already built between houses, when a generation or two ago, that was considered a slightly hostile act, to put fence up in yard.

Macklemore Rapping on The Church and His Disdain For It

2011-09-06T14:19:00.000-07:00

After posting my thoughts on the church this morning, I thought this was a great follow up. Macklemore is not a follower of Jesus, but has a lot to say about the church & God. I found his thoughts interesting on the subject and figured it might help those in the church hear what others are saying about it. Disclaimer: The lyrics have some words that might offend some listeners.

It's better to be offended than not care at all.

Inviting My Neighbors/Friends to Church?: Part 1

2011-09-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

I was on twitter yesterday, when one of my buddies tweeted that we should all be inviting our neighbors to our corporate church gatherings...some would simply say, "you should be inviting your neighbors to church." I found that pretty interesting. I started to think...really? After asking for clarification on this, I am not sure I heard what he was saying...but it still convinced me that I needed to write something about this subject.

Now, back in the day, I would totally agree that I should inviting anyone and everyone to church, but as I have grown in my understanding of what it means to follow Jesus, I can't agree that my purpose in my neighborhood is to get my neighbors to a church gathering. I am going to show through a few posts:

What is Church?

What is the secular vs sacred?

What Happens at a Church Gathering on Sunday?
Why Would My Neighbors/Friends Want to Go to That?

What is Church?

If you ask most people what church is, most would say it is the thing that you have to wake up early for on a Sunday and then go to. Church is a thing you go to. Most people might ask, "Do you go to church?" Church has become a 2 to 3 hour event one attends to make amends with God. People have many views on how this Sunday should go down, some call it mass, some call it a service and how one goes about those two hours have separated people for centuries. But, is this really what church is? Is it an event on a Sunday?

What is interesting is that how we "do church" today isn't actually something we find in the Scriptures. The term church actually is a gathering of a people. The church is one that is a people, not an event. It is a people, not a building. You don't go to the church, if you are a follower of Jesus, you, along with others you gather with, are the church.

So, instead of thinking of a Sunday as "church", the bible actually speaks of something quite differently. It would include what happens on Sunday as church, but it would include many other things as "church" as well. When followers of Jesus gather, they are the church, no matter when they do it, or where they do it at. So, I am not merely dismissing 2000 years of church history here, but we do need a far wider definition of what it is, or better said, WHO we are.

We have taken this idea of church that Jesus speaks about and have turned it into an institution, which was never meant to be. And, when you turn it into an institution, it is very easy to hate it, it is easy to stop its movement, it is very easy to misunderstand it and it is very easy to abuse it.

Jesus has told us many things about his church:

1. The very gates of Hades couldn't stop it (Matthew 16:18)

2. It would be built on the good news of who Jesus is and what he has done (Matthew 16:13-20)

3. The church, the ones who follow Jesus, would be marked by their love for each other and others (1 John 4:7-21).

When the church becomes more about an institution and the mere men who run it, none of the above will be true. It has to be about something more. If it's about an institution, the only goal is to make that institution bigger and better and more rich. What have we seen in the history of the church as an institution? It looks more like a nation trying to force people in through forced conversions (look at the crusades) , it's run like a business that needs money to run and we try to get people to come to our church because ours is better than the other guys (think recruiting like a headhunter) and we draw lines in the sand and become all about advertising for the sake of our church instead of those other guys. It really does become a sleazeball paradigm.

This can't be what Jesus was trying to start when he came. Especially since you never see Jesus starting a church like a business or institution. But, he did start a movement of people on a mission sent out by him to show others what he is like.

This is what church is. We will gather on Sundays, or other days, to celebrate who God is and what he has done. But, we can't think that is where our time as the church stops. We are always the church. We are always about "our Father's business" showing people who he is and what he is like, not who we are and what we are like. This is actually pretty freeing for both me and my neighbor. I know I am not trying to recruit like a used car salesman and he doesn't have to be afraid to be my friend waiting for the sales pitch.

The church's job is simply this: show others what God is like through our actions and our words, and we are to be marked by the love for God and others more than ourselves.

This is not marked by me doing these things to try and get others to think like me, to get others to go to a building on a Sunday, to get others to be a "Christian." NO! We are to merely show and speak what God is like because we truly love God who loves others. If you are only showing others what God is like because you want something from them (i.e. get them to "church", get them baptized, get them like you) that isn't true love, that is a coercive love, a manipulative love. I never want my neighbors or friends to think the reason I am nice to them, the reason I throw BBQs, neighborhood breakfasts, 4th of July parties, etc. is to get them to be like me or to get something from them. How disgusting is that? Actually, one of the first times one of my neighbors came to a neighborhood breakfast he asked his wife:

Why are they doing this? Are they trying to sell us something? Are they Avon salesmen?

Pretty funny, yet pretty sad. Not the neighbors thinking, but the fact that people aren't nice and loving just for the sake of being nice and loving.

The reason I do all these things is simply because Jesus has been so good to me and he asks for me to show that to others. God first loved me, so now I can love both God and neighbor.

The real question we should be asking as the church, as followers of Jesus is this:

If I knew my neighbor would never think Jesus is Lord and Saviour, would I continue to pursue them and love them like I love myself?

If the answer is no, or not sure...you are doing these nice things for yourself, not for the sake of God's glory. Again, I would love any neighbor/friend that is reading this or that is living life with me to follow Jesus, but that isn't my end goal. My end goal is to simply love them, as the church sent out to them, as God loved me. As my friend will they see and hear the good news of Jesus...yes. Will it be rammed down their throat like a cold caller for new high speed internet? Not a chance.

The church is not supposed to be an institution or something you go to. The church is supposed to, and has always been supposed to, be about being a people of God showing others what God is like through our actions and our words. Sadly, we are human, and we have failed. Sadly, I will fail today showing this to my neighbor. But, again, it's not about me, it's about God. I am a hypocrite. I am a failure. But, the good news is that God isn't a hypocrite. God isn't a failure. He will continue to pursue me, he will continue to forgive me, he will continue to love me, even as I fail in this life...over...and over...and over.

Let's not make church about Sunday alone. Let's make it about Jesus alone.

Who Owns all the Beer in the U.S.?

2011-09-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

This is a pretty cool infographic that shows all who owns the beer in the United States...reminds me of what car companies used to look like back in the day. You can zoom in and out to see all the details. The full article can be found here that demonstrates the trends of what is happening in the beer industry. Concentration In the U.S. Beer Industry

Macklemore Rapping On Our Identity

2011-09-03T11:18:00.000-07:00

This is a great vid. The best line of the song is:

We are what we wear, we wear what we are
But see I look inside the mirror and think Phil Knight tricked us all
Will I stand for change, or stay in my box
These Nikes help me define me, but I’m trying to take mine, off

Musical Plates Food Tour

2011-09-02T15:03:00.000-07:00

This is pretty sweet from my buddy at the White Moustache Urban Adventure Tour. Bryce is legit and a lot of fun to hang out with and now you get to hang out with a band as well on the tour. To buy tickets, click here. Here are the details:

ABOUT SUNDAY MUSICAL PLATES

Join White Moustache for a once-a-month series of music-themed eating tours. Each month we invite a local Seattle band and ask them what their favorite foods are. We then create an epic food tour showcasing Seattle's best rendition of their favorite food. At each restaurant stop, the band will perform an intimate acoustic set.

These special events feature live music in an intimate atmosphere, a 3-hour tour of Seattle, generous amounts of food and a seat in a chauffeured charter bus.

ABOUT WHITE MOUSTACHE (whitemoustache.com)

White Moustache Urban Adventure Co. was founded on the idea that life is better spent when eating with others. Like Epicurus, we too believe friendship tastes better, especially when eating. We are ever on the hunt to find someone to eat with before we even decide what to eat. After all, it’s not just about the food. The most famous meals in history were never solo endeavors. Think Jesus AND the twelve disciples enjoying the Last Supper. Who can forget the Corleone family and their shared love of veal and cannolis?

We don’t believe anyone should ever eat alone. And we built a business on it.

ABOUT GOLDFINCH (goldfinchlovesme.com)

Goldfinch is Aaron Stevens (vocals, guitar), Paul Hirschl (drums), Steve Norman (trumpet, slide guitar), Emily Ann Peterson (vocals, cello), Luke Stevens (guitar, keyboard, vocals) & Mike Bergstrom (bass).

The Rise of the Social Food Truck

2011-09-02T10:45:00.000-07:00

I found this infographic pretty interesting. My boys and I have been watching "The Great Food Truck Race 2" and have started to delve into the food truck world. Today, we are visiting Cilantro Cocina Mexicana in Bellevue for lunch and have also really enjoyed the food over at The Bistro Box in Renton.

Foodie Fridays: BBQ Sauce Recipe

2011-09-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

Every Friday, I'm going to put up a recipe, a review of food or something to do with food. I'll also be taking any suggestions and/or write ups from readers or vendors who would like to submit something.

Today, it's my recipe for my BBQ sauce. I put this on everything when I make it. The measurements are approximates and ones you'll want to adjust to your palate.

Ingredients:

2 TBS vegetable oil
1/2 yellow onion (chopped)
3-4 scoops of minced garlic
2 TSP chili powder
2 TSP dry mustard
1 TSP sweet paprika
1/4 TSP cayenne pepper
1 cup bottled chili sauce
1 cup of tomato ketchup
1 cup of beer (Amber Ales work really well, I prefer Rogue)(you can also substitute ginger ale)
1/4 cup of molasses
3 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
3 TBS cider vinegar
Approx 3 TBS honey
Approx 6 drips of ghost pepper hot sauce

Make sure before you start to cook that you have everything measured out. The dry ingredients can be put into one bowl together and the wet ingredients into another. Keep chopped onion, garlic, honey and ghost pepper by themselves as they will be added separately.

To make the BBQ sauce heat the oil at medium heat until warm. Add onion until opaque, roughly 5 min. Add garlic for roughly 2 minutes, be sure not burn so consistently stir. Stir in the dry ingredients (chili powder; mustard; paprika and cayenne) Add the wet ingredients (chili sauce; ketchup; beer; molasses; Worcestershire sauce; vinegar) Simmer for about 5 min. Add the honey and the ghost pepper. Continue to keep over medium heat, uncovered and stir. I usually like to cook for 3 hours, but can be served a lot sooner if a must.

Either cook with the sauce immediately, or put in the fridge after it cools and it keeps for around a week.

Enjoy.

The Power of Words

2011-09-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

This video is moneyball.