A little celebrating, a little shooting, a little sunshine…

We’re in Arizona. Follow along with our interactive photo map and mini blog. You’ll see stuff like this.

And who doesn’t want to see that?

And WildDog won’t stay out from underfoot as I shoot, so he gets the wirelessly triggered flash used against him.

Still labeling your boxes with descriptions like “fragile” or “kitchen stuff” or even “dangerous chemicals?” You can do better.

Add some drama. Create a little mystery. Do what this guy does.

Start boxing up your precious goodies by vaguely descriptive categories.

Now that’s interesting.

Enough said.
~darren.

Thanks for the great blog post. Refreshing to get another take on this idea.

~darren.

I had the melody and little bits of lyrics rattling around in my head for a while so I dusted off the ol’ microphone and laid down a few tracks in honor of Easter.

Sarah, on the other hand, went to watch Titanic 3D. Look who’s spiritual now.

Music is both relaxing and meaningful to me because the rules are few, it’s very subjective, but it can also be such a powerful tool to share emotions and ideas. You just turn on the mic and create a moment…

So here’s a little guitar, classical guitar, djembe, and Irish whistle…

an easter song

Jesus came
Born a babe
Empty of all but love.
Bethlehem
In God’s good plan
Joyed the earth at the Savior’s birth.

In a moment, in an instant
The Christ child is born
And the cold night of sin
By the dawn
Starts to warm
As a grateful world kneels and the angels all sing
Jesus is born for a sinner like me.

Jesus came
To seek and to save
All those lost and gone astray.
The way he showed
The truth he spoke
The life he gave
The world to save.

In a moment, in an instant
Was light first beheld
By eyes that sickness and sin once had veiled.
In a moment, in an instant
A dark heart believed
Jesus came that I might see.

Jesus came
Bore my shame
Shed his blood to bring me to God.
My sin he wore
My shame he bore
Up that hill where sinners where killed.

In a moment, in an instant
The cross raised to the sky
And the arms of my savior were nailed open wide.
Bought with blood sealed with love
This gift that he gives
Jesus died that I might live.

Three long days
The world awaits
What long foretold we soon would hold.
Death’s dungeon bars
At the cross set ajar
And now the King will come, life to bring.

In a moment, in an instant
light flashed through the tomb
And triumph took form from the shadows and the gloom.
In a moment, in an instant
For all the world to see
Jesus arose that I might be free.

Alleluia will be the song of all the redeemed
Alleluia throughout all eternity.

———————

RANDOM FUN BONUS:

click to enlarge

The image to the right is called a stereogram. A stereogram is a set of at least two separate images that are taken at slightly different angles. When you know how to look at it properly, a stereogram creates a 3D image. In this case, you’ll see a 3D picture of my recording setup!

To view a stereogram, look at the image then slowly let your eyes unfocus until you see a third “ghost” image appear between the two pictures. It’s like seeing double at first, but then your brain aligns the two images to make a new one appear. Cool!

It takes some practice, but once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty awesome.

Need more instructions? This article is a very handy resource!

April 6, 2011

April 6, 2012

Sarah has done an amazing job taking care of The Brown for one whole year!

I do not judge a person based on race. I do not judge a person based on economic status, gender, nationality, or religion. I judge a person based on one factor and one factor only: Interestingness.

If you’re not unique, engaging, original, experienced, reflective, charming, or witty — if you’re not interesting — I have no time for you. It’s that simple.

Lest you think it is cruel to pass such judgement, I must remind you that lack of interestingness is a choice.

The Great Equalizer

Interestingness is not limited to the rich, famous, or intellectual. Interestingness is not dependent on age or ideology. Everyone has an equal chance to be interesting, to be fascinating, to be one-of-a-kind. You can be an interesting king, cab driver, or accountant.

Interestingness is the great equalizer.

True, the measure of who is interesting and who is not is entirely subjective. Wonderfully subjective. It’s a subjectivity that puts you to the test in every conversation and every situation. Interaction becomes more than an exchange of information. Or a chance to vent your emotions. Or a place to kill time with shallow small talk.

When you are an interesting person, every exchange is an opportunity: To inspire, engage, overwhelm, and imprint. To sketch a picture of the world and color it with your hard-earned perspective.  It’s an opportunity to be unselfish. It’s an opportunity to hold another mind’s attention, to make another heart beat faster, to stir another action or reaction. It’s a chance to go off-script, off auto-pilot, and off the beaten path.

In other words, to be interesting.

Never Too Late

So, you’re not interesting? That’s ok. Being interesting doesn’t take much more time than you’re expending now but it will require your thought and attention.  It’s never too late to start.

Read something other than the back of a cereal box. Avoid identifying with any group of people because you are too lazy to form your own opinions. Lean less on labels and stereotypes. Ask more questions.

Talk about yourself less. Listen more than you speak. Watch the news channel that you don’t agree with. Stop eating lunch alone. Take a walk and notice the details you’ve never seen.

Keep a journal. Volunteer. Take a different way to work. Explain what you believe to someone who doesn’t. Take a class, a trip, or a ride. Face a fear. Become an expert. Laugh at the unexpected. 

In other words, become interesting.

I can’t wait.

Today was one of those days. Lewis made good use it.

I don’t know how to say this but, in Israel, I’m kind of a big deal.

Let me take you along the trail for gems like: “Texas….Oooo.” “A microphone!” and “Welcome to Israel…. I love you SO MUCH.” Along with two impromptu Hebrew lessons. Maganiv!

See more photos from my day at En Gedi here on the Insight for Living Tour Blog.

Today, Eggplant Bus 13 visited the traditional location of he house of Caiaphas the High Priest. The road in the foreground dates from the 1st cen. and may have been the road Jesus walked to Caiaphas’ house after his arrest at Gethsemane. The temple mount and the Mt. of Olives rise in the distance.

360 View: http://360.io/caDGSE

Click the photo to explore the 360 panorama….

RE: Christian Hedonism… Obviously, our motives are as important to God as our actions. But sometimes we have to “fake it ’til you make it” – start to obey even when we don’t feel like it. Once we’re in the flow of making good choices, the right motives will come. There are wrong choices, but thanks to the freedom we have in Christ, there are many, many options for being creative with our lives that still fall within God’s desires. The characteristics that make us who we are are part of God’s design for us, I think.