MY WIFE THE COUGHER

Two or three times a week my wife, Amanda, wakes up coughing. It's not a "cold" type cough, but more like the kind of cough you have if you are sleeping and a say.....spider makes its way into your mouth and down the throat. Ok, that's sick. Anyway - it's weird. Of course I always come to her rescue with a bottle of water to wash "it" down - whatever the "it" is.

So, this blog post is dedicated to my coughing (and pregnant...) wife, Amanda.

Cough, Cough....

SUPER SIZE ME



Everyone's talking about it... Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock has super sized his eating habits by consuming nothing but McDonalds for 30 days straight. And it's all caught on film in his new movie Super Size Me.

According to the movie website, the rules of this "heart attack waiting to happen" frenzy were:

1) No options: he could only eat what was available over the counter (water included!)
2) No supersizing unless offered
3) No excuses: he had to eat every item on the menu at least once

I haven't seen the movie - yet... but it sounds like Morgan's body went through quite a shock and awe experience.

I'm sure the folks at McDonalds are loving the movie, probably about as much as they loved the book, Fast Food Nation, that came out a few years ago.

Have you seen it?

HYBRID PRODUCE



Worth 1000's Hybrid Produce entries - check them out.

Link

(Thanks Boing Boing)

MANIPULATION.COM



Manipulation.com is a photoblog featuring photos by San Francisco-an Jason Zada. He has some great photos of Wrigley Field that he took on a recent visit to Chicago.

Link

(Thanks Jordon Cooper)

CHICAGO SINKING - CANADA RISING

According to a recent study done at Northwestern University, Chicago is sinking. The study indicates that we are sinking at the rate of one millimeter a year. Not too bad - at least not enough to justify buying a boat...yet.

Canada, on the other hand is going up.

Canadian friends... Don't let this go to your heads.

(Thanks Gaper's Block)

SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY



The Seattle Times has featured some great images of the new Seattle Public Library. Check the photos out here.

(Link courtesy of Jordon Cooper)

ELVIN JONES FOREVER REMEMBERED



All time great jazz drummer, Elvin Jones, passed away on Tuesday (5/18). Jones was best known as a driving force behind the John Coltrane Quintet ensemble of the 1960's. I had the privilege of hearing Elvin Jones play at the Chicago Jazz Festival last summer. Between all the marijuna smoke (not mine) and the music, it was a pretty good night. :)

Thanks for the great music Elvin! I'm pretty sure there is going to be some nice jazz in Heaven - and I hope to see you kickin' it behind that drum set.

Links:
The Complete Blue Note Elvin Jones Sessions Review
Elvin Jones Official Site
Elvin Jones Images

JOLT GUM



I really want to try this. 2 pieces of gum = 1 cup of coffee. I'm curious if they mean coffee as in "Starbucks" powered coffee or the dark flavored water served at most gas stations.

What's next? A patch that you put on your arm that injects caffeine into your system? Oooh... I think that's my "free prize"... It could be called the "catch" - patch w/ a "c" for caffeine? Ok, sorry - lame...

A STORY

This weekend was awesome. Sunday morning Ted concluded our “Life Unscripted” series with a message entitled, “A Makeover Story” and I ended our worship gathering by interviewing a woman named Reema who just recently made a decision to become a Christ follower. Her story is amazing.

Reema was raised by her Muslim father and mother (non-Muslim) and grew up with religion playing a very minimal role in her life. As far back as she can remember she felt something missing in her life. Occasionally, as a teenager, she would sneak out and visit a local church. She loved the feeling that she got in church. She called that feeling the “Christmas feeling”.

About 10 or 11 months ago, Reema began attending our church (Orchard Valley Community Church). She had never been a part of a Christian church and had never even opened up a Bible.

Throughout the last year she became a part of our church community (see this post from September... it's about her!) and brought lots and lots of questions to the table. We did our best to offer her a safe place to ask questions and to seek answers. Reema and I began engaging in an ongoing email conversation about God, unconditional love, and a bunch of other subjects.

On several occasions, Reema would come up to me after church and say, “I’m not ready yet, but I’m almost there…” or “I just want to make sure I really mean it when I make that commitment.”

We became her friend. We didn’t try to “convert” her. We didn’t try to rush her into making a commitment that she didn’t understand. We told her to take her time – to ask questions and to get to know other Christ followers. And she did.

A few weeks ago on a Friday afternoon, Reema called me at my office and said, “Scott, I’m ready. I’m ready to say “that” prayer – I want to make it official.” So that following Sunday, Amanda and I sat down with her and prayed with her. It was an awesome moment.

Last Sunday after telling her story we water baptized her – in front of the entire church. As she walked up the steps of the baptism tank, tears began flowing down her cheeks as she realized the magnitude of what this meant. The second she came out of the water people jumped up on their feet and clapped and cried and clapped some more and cried some more. There wasn’t a dry eye in the place. It was powerful. Everyone in the room witnessed the next chapter in Reema’s spiritual journey.

I’m not sure I’ve ever been so moved by something in my life. Even as I write this I am overcome with emotion as I think about Reema and what I witnessed in her life over the past year.

THE TASK OF THE OFFICE

Jason Kottke has posted a brief piece about social environments - specifically the "office" environment. Good/interesting thoughts here...

Link

ROB BELL INTERVIEW

Interview w/ Rob Bell here. Rob is the teaching pastor at Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan where my friend Troy Hatfield is on staff.

If you've never heard Rob Bell teach, check it out here. You will enjoy this guy - no "fluff" here...

SATURDAY

My friend Ed made a quick trip down for a visit this weekend from Minneapolis. We did the 5 hour Chicago tour. Made a stop in Little Italy for an italian beef and italian lemonade. Shot over to Greek Town and walked and walked and walked. Here's a few pics from the day.




(From Top: Ed chowin' down an italian beef @ Al's Original in Little Italy, Al Capone mural along Michigan Avenue, Chicago Sun Times Building - future home of Chicago Trump Towers.)