Sometimes I cuss in my conversations with God.
When I’m at the end of it all…
Weeping…
Sobbing…
Doubting…
Screaming…
Cursing…
Retreating…

And you know what?
I think that He hears a melody in those screams that He never hears on a Sunday morning.
The melody of authenticity in pain is so much better than an inauthentic melody of praise on a Sunday morning.

HE will comfort you.
And HE will sing with you.
So don’t be scared to sing in your screams ragamuffins.
Your haunting melody is music to His ears.
Los

[I am for hire if you need any photoshop help.  I mean, the skill set that it took to pull that image off is insane.  Only 900 dollars an hour]

So we have been at this since August of 2005.
Lot’s have changed around here…
Lot’s has stayed the same…
I need 2 minutes of your time to fill out this reader poll.
Could you fill out this short survey so we can correctly gather some information about where this blog is heading and needs to go? [yanked from Hyatt and the dirty flower]
This is a DIVERSE crew, soccer moms, CPA’s, PHD’s, NWA’s, LOS’s…
I need to know what you like to read about and who you are…
I’m also giving away my old iPhone 3G to one of you who fills out this poll and Drops A Comment On This Post Telling Me Why You Deserve My Old iPhone.
NO SHAME IN MY GAME PEOPLE
So FILL OUT THIS POLL…

Then tell me why you deserve get my iPhone 3G in the comment section.

NOW FILL OUT THIS POLL

Then tell me why you deserve get my iPhone…
Gracias.
Los

When I put Sohaila on the top of the hill, I told her to trust herself and go when she was ready…
But I forgot to tell her about the brakes.
Watch behind Seanna…
Ooops.

Still looking for the book on fatherhood…
Los

Tyler Stanton is meek. He is mild. He is also ruthlessly funny.
Funny people normally piss me off because they, well, are funnier than me. And that makes me mad. Oh. and they are not normally meek and mild. That sounds like a water park ride or an adult store.
See. I’m not funny.
And I know I’m going to get emails saying I shouldn’t say piss. Here is my response so you don’t have to write it…
“Hey! Sorry I offended you. Have a great day! Los”
He is the better looking half of the Tripp and Tyler duo.
Although when I introduce them I always say Tyler and Tripp.
Here is the deal.
Tyler just published a book.
He did it on his own.
No publisher.
Just a all in one scanner and a slew of trapper keepers to bind them together.
In all seriousness this book is brilliant.

Everyday Absurdities Book Promo from Tyler Stanton on Vimeo.

And again. Self published. He cut all 17 middlemen out and pulled this off on his own.
I did For Sale By Owner 2 houses ago. Never Again.
Props to you Tyler.
Spread the word…Buy the book…

————————————————————————

Nuts and Bolts Conference.
It is going to cost you more in gas to get to this conference than the conference.
Here’s the deal.
Oak Leaf Church is doing it right.
I get the privileged of working alongside these guys on a monthly basis and they are one of the best kept secrets in church planting world.
June 26th 2010. $10. Be there.

I’m all about the hustlers.
And these friends of mine are hustlin…
After you go buy the book and register for the conference…
Tell me…

What person or organization is out there hustlin that we need to know about?

Los

We don’t let our kids chew gum.
No reason. Besides they end up our of their mouths, and in hair, and in clothes, and in the carpet, and stomachs.
I found this in the cup holder in the back seat of our Santa Fe…

Someone has a stash…
Los

9/10 times we as creatives are use the internet to take ideas rather than give them.
After asking that storefront question yesterday, you guys are overflowing with ideas.
So let’s continue developing our creativity with simple questions with simple or not so simple answers…
Here is today’s slow Saturday Soul Creative Question Of The Day…

The Most Complicated Thing You Own Is…
I know…It’s not really a question. But you get it…

What would you do if you had your own storefront?
Los

I thought the title catchy…
And the weeks almost over…
So bear with me.
The conversation is too important to stop now.
Meet my friend Andrew.
Andrew Marin is the President and Founder of The Marin Foundation (www.themarinfoundation.org), a non-profit organization that seeks to build bridges between the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender (GLBT) and religious communities.
He wrote an award winning book called Love is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community.
His life changed forever when his three best friends came out to him in three consecutive months and he was compelled to understand how he could reconcile his friends to his faith.
So his wife and him moved to Boystown, a predominantly GLBT community in Chicago to jump into the conversation feet first.
I asked Andrew to jump into the conversation and he recorded this video for your discussion.
Andrew will be bouncing around the comment section interacting with you guys so feel free to ask him anything you are interested in!!!

Talk…
Los

IMPORTANT!!!
I NEVER moderate the comments here at RS, But since this is SO touchy…
I’m a gonna be watching you guys like white on rice.
I don’t even agree 100% with EVERYTHING Andrew is saying, but I do agree with what he is doing.
And hopefully you don’t agree with EVERYTHING I say on this blog.
Meekness wins…
Disagree all day and night.
But disagree like Christ would…
In love…
Or poof…
Out ya go!
Thanks.
Los

Yesterday I posted an email I received from a good friend who was laid off because he admitted that he struggled with homosexuality.
Go see the post and read the comments if you can stomach it.
Honestly…
If we spoke to each other in real life the way some of the commenters spoke to each other…
It could almost be enough to take a Bic to my ears.
Reminded me of this a bit…
Anyways…
I responded to him BEFORE I ever wrote that post.
While reading the comments I honestly almost decided not to post my reply…
Because I’m not NEAR as smart as most of you.
I mean I read my Bible…A Lot…
But I’m just a beautiful mess of a idiot.
So decided to post it anyways.
Because that is what I said I’d do.
Cause if the only people who can live a “true” Christian life are the smart ones who can read Greek, then we are all screwed.
Look at me. Full of integrity and stuff.
At least once a month or so.
So here is what I wrote my buddy *****.
I know many will want more, less, or whatever…Thank God I wasn’t writing it to the many…just to my buddy.

******,
Dude. That sucks. Sucks. I know your heart. I know your story. I know your struggle.
Well actually, I don’t know your struggle…but you know what I mean.
Listen. I’m not a theologian. I don’t have a doctorate. It took me like 10 years to get my BA.
So what I know is only from walking my journey with Jesus and not a greek dictionary. Here’s the deal.
You admit that it is a struggle. I admit that when a hot chick walks by I don’t always bounce my eyes. I try. But I fail.
That failure, whenever it happens in many other areas of my life as well cause a division between Jesus, Heather, and I.
Whether that be porn, lying, overeating, laziness, whatever. It drives a big fat steak between Jesus, Heather, and I.
Me? I am a lusting man that is on a journey towards redemption by the power and blood of Jesus Christ.
You? You are a gay man that is on a journey towards redemption by the power and blood of Jesus Christ.
Your gluttonous boss? He is a gluttonous man that is on a journey towards redemption by the power and blood of Jesus Christ.
The key to your question for me is “struggles”. This would assume that there is a conviction and wrestling match with sin in both of your lives. If you are struggling with this…and you went to your gluttonous pastor asking for help, and he drop kicked you without trying to come alongside you… Jesus would not have done that. Just an FYI.
But you know what? He’s also not Jesus. He might be trying like hell to be, or heaven, but he’s not Jesus.
So. Now what? As a gay man called to lead people to Jesus…
Love the crap out of your pastor. Love him till it hurts.
You are obviously not meant to work alongside him.
But if you are still the same ****** that I’ve always known…then you are called to ministry. You are.
And your ministry has just shifted… From loving 150 people from on stage… To loving 151 people off stage… And that one extra…love him like you would have wanted him to love you last week.
Jesus first…
second…
and third…
Carlos

In the coming days we will be diving in a bit closer to the heart of this as I interview a good friend of mine who is ready to come out of the blog closet with his struggle with being gay and working in a church…
So keep putting your bullhorn down and pick up a cup of coffee and whisper with me these next few days…
Drip Jesus…
Los

If you could make a documentary, it would be about…
Los