leviBethune

cereal number

2008-11-06T14:54:00.006-05:00

Before I start to ramble, I would just like to say that I am proud to live in a period of history where Americans can vote for a mixed-race politician as President of the United States. The supreme reason Barack Obama did not get my vote last Tuesday is his stance on Abortion, but I can respect the office he will hold, and I will not be counted as one who abandons his country.

With that said, I would like to share my personal views and opinions about politics as a whole, regardless of who may have won in our most recent elections. Some may call this ranting. I would tend to agree.

I stole these political axioms from the comments section of a popular "news reporting" site. I have not cross-checked them for validity, but I thought they were snarky quips that hold weight on their own despite the person quoting them:

"I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle."
-Winston Churchill

"Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner."
-James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)

"Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys."
-P.J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian

"Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else."
-Frederic Bastiat, French Economist (1801-1850)

"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it."
-Ronald Reagan (1986)

"If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free!"
- P.J. O'Rourke

"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have."
-Thomas Jefferson

---

I love my country, and I am very happy to be living here, to have lived here my whole life, and I would like to continue to live here freely with life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I support the office of President of the United States, and I stand behind and under the Constitution penned by our Founding Fathers. I do not, however, get along with ANY politician completely, nor will I ever trust blindly anything that any of them say. I know that they have an agenda to be successful as well as a passion for upholding certain inalienable rights, but the problem comes when agendas overshadow the people. If the government is no longer by the people, then the government cannot be for the people. When corporations and lobbyists can make decisions more than the majority vote of a selected body, then the government is no longer by the people, for the people.

I did not take a class in government, so I'm sure I'm making some errors in the way I view the politics of this country. But if I, a mostly-intelligent, average, young adult who works hard to support his family, can vote confidently based on a logical and moral standard, then I would hope that a political leader with more education, more years of wisdom, and more responsibility, regardless of class or race, can make decisions that will sustain life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Nothing makes me more ashamed of our country from a world-view more than when I see the squelching of freedoms by powerful men with wicked ambitions.

I'm intentionally being vague about specific issues and trying to be careful not to single out any one man or woman. I'm talking about politicians on the whole. But honestly, I have an immense amount of respect for anyone who seeks public office.

I do not, however, have respect for the media who comments on it with their opinions and tries to pass it off as fact.

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed."
-Mark Twain

in the dead of night

2008-10-23T13:09:00.004-04:00

It's that time of year again. Things tend to shift, change, and move me and my family when fall hits. It seems to be the time that all the work put into the past year draws fruit. Go ahead, say it. 'Harvest'. (rolls eyes, changes subject)

I'm trying to eliminate certain words and phrases from my vocabulary. I realize that often times when I meet someone new I can deduce so much about them and what their mindset is just from hearing them use particular combinations of words. I don't really want to be the type of person that you could label and dismiss, I would rather be heard and considered. I certainly don't want to be stuck on a treadmill of rhetoric.

abccnbcbs fox

My kids are so rad. Isaiah is two-years-old now. People will refer to that specific age as the 'Terrible Twos'. I like to think of it as the 'I'm Practicing Being a Teenager Twos'. He is so dramatic and emphatic about his personal opinions and ideas on what he wants to do. With sarcasm I wonder where he gets that from. The more I get to know my children, the more I get to know my parents, and then I am filled with remorse and get the urge to send them a card, but then I snap out of it because, well, I guess some things never change.

Zoyenka is equally dramatic and has reached the point where she can see things farther off in the distance. She then will proceed to tell us about what she is looking at by singing us a song. And then she poops. She is a delight.

I am up to here in tapes and disks for the MorningStar TV show that I'm working on. I just uploaded the current season to Cross.tv, and here is the link: http://cross.tv/tvshows/122 I think I should be honest in saying that although I love my job because I get to edit material and exercise my creativity, I don't always agree with the material, or opinions expressed in the content I produce. On the other hand, I am grateful I'm not stuck in a terrible job selling fish, or making sandwiches... anymore. I am willing to work on projects simply for the money, so that I can support my family and fund the projects that I believe in. Increasingly more so, I am working toward that end.

And another thing, what the heck is up with me only wanting Chik-fil-a on Sundays! Whenever I'm out on a Sunday, and drive by the best Chicken Sandwich joint in the world, I suddenly want it like no other day. I admire them and loathe them at the same time. It's a very complicated emotion, amplified by my hunger.

The Professional's Choice

2008-09-30T14:28:00.002-04:00

I don't want to vote for a politician. I don't want to vote for someone who tries to go out of their way to cover their butt in every possible scenario. I don't want to elect someone into office, any office, if they keep spending time trying to convince me to NOT vote for the other guy. I want to vote for someone who will make mistakes, be honest about them, and move on. I want to follow a leader who makes a decision, popular or not, and sticks with it. I want to be lead by a person who isn't concerned about 'looking' good.

I fear that it is too much to ask for a politician though. I can only imagine the amount of pressure that people in public office get from lobbyists, donors, staff members, and peers, but really, is the final result always a slimy, scheming, two-faced 'leader' who uses tactics to tear people down? What's wrong with saying something good and true?

So maybe I'm mostly sick of political advertisements on TV. I think there should be a rule that the democrats have to make commercials for the republicans, and vice-versa. That would be interesting.

I like to think that I'm smart enough to filter through the CRAP that people chuck at each other, but I weep for the generation that takes the words of movie stars and 'celebrities' as advice and not just uneducated opinion.

Ok, that's the end of my rant.

Wait, no, I'm not done. I don't care WHO our President is, he or she deserves respect. You don't have to agree with policies, actions, or background, but that doesn't mean you dishonor the person who has been put as leader of our great country. To insult the president, past as present, is an insult to the American People. And yes, I get offended at anyone who openly mocks our leader. To disagree is one thing, but to insult is another. And don't even pretend like it falls under 'free speech'. You could call my mother something nasty, call it 'free speech', but that doesn't mean I'm not going to defend her honor by punching you squarely in the face.

Anyway, I digress.

Following the political outburst, I find it fitting that I should be going to Washington DC this weekend with my beautiful family. We will be taking a little vacation alongside an opportunity for me to help out Bound4LIFE during the opening day of the court on October 6th, as they stand in front of the Supreme Court with Life Tape over their mouths, praying that God would turn the hearts of our nation's judges, and end abortion in America.

You should come.

Bound4LIFE Facedown40 2008

2008-09-18T16:00:00.000-04:00

Ice Cold & Refreshing

2008-09-05T10:04:00.002-04:00

Zoyenka Aulana Bethune. Pronounced Zoi-Yen-Kah Awe-Law-Nah Beth-Yoon. We just call her Zoe, like most people thought we would name our daughter anyway. She is beautiful and plump.

Heather did an awesome job. She was starting to get a little anxious for Zoe to come, seeing as we thought our original due date was August 22nd(ish). The paper work was never updated with the "revised" due date of Sept. 1st(ish), so our mindset was that the baby was a couple weeks late, instead of basically on-time.

The labor lasted about 2 hours and little Zoyenka was born around 5:20am(ish). The nurses at the Piedmont Medical Center Labor and Delivery were awesome. They weren't pushy or demanding, they let Heather do her thing, and then left us alone. I got to catch our daughter, and Heather got to hold her straight away, and then cut the cord. They didn't even take her away to weight and measure her for a couple hours. It was just what we wanted, and they were very accommodating.

I have a daughter. All of a sudden, I get struck with everything that I think that means, and everything that I don't know. Isaiah was, and is, a challenge to my patience, love, energy, and mind, but just like I felt when he came into our lives, I have NO IDEA what to expect with Zoe. It's a scary and exciting feeling all wrapped into the thought that we get to keep her around.

Isaiah will have to get used to that last notion. He loves to look at her and give her sweet kisses on her head. He likes to point out that she has a nose like he has a nose, and her eyes are in the same place as his, but I don't think he realizes that she's not going anywhere. He's going to be a great big brother, I have no doubt, but it will be interesting to see how he tries to maintain his place as primary attention getter in our house.

I'm about to take him for a walk, and when daddy takes him for a walk, he actually walks. None of this sissy stroller stuff. We are men of action, coasting does not become us.

master log

2008-08-21T14:17:00.003-04:00

So, now I own a motorcycle. Again. If you've been watching my Qik feed, or following me on Twitter, then you already know this. It's a 1978 Honda cx500 that has been chopped and modded and re-wired and probably crashed and definitely painted a few times. But... It runs. I have decided to use the bike in the nice weather, and work on the bike during the bad weather. It will be my on-going and slow project. Craig Kuhns helped me decide on a name, something that I used on Xbox LIVE once upon a time: Kernel Panic. If you don't get it, that's ok.

Heather got my iPhone, and I "down-graded" to a Nokia E61i so that I could stream video LIVE to Qik.com and then it dumps it straight to YouTube as well. Oh, and I just got in to the Alpha release of 12seconds.tv and it's a quaint little service that is basically a video version of twitter. Where twitter caps you off at 140 characters per update, 12seconds.tv caps you off at, you guessed it, 15 seconds. Oh wait, I mean, 12 seconds. I like the service, but I'm not sure how much I'm going to use it. I like Qik a lot, and I know I'm not going to replace it with 12seconds, but with two kids, I know I won't be able to fit their cuteness into a mere 12 seconds of footage. I'll probably use 12seconds for my personal updates, and qik will stay strictly on the phone.

Oh, and organic visual got a face-lift and botox injection last week. Matches the new business cards better, and includes more ways to contact me and view our stuff in a single page.

peak limiter

2008-08-06T08:54:00.003-04:00

So I'm back in The United States, and I'm getting back in the groove. Jackson.

After spending 2 weeks in India, and almost 3 days of that in the air, I arrived back in Carolina to pack up and drive up to Virginia to see family. I rented a car for the weekend, and used it primarily for the Air Conditioning. When you're taking a 6-hour car ride with a 2-year old and a pregnant woman, paying extra money for AC is well worth it. When we got up there, I started feeling sick, and spend a couple days in a bed, sneezing, sniffling, coughing and sleeping. I'm still suffering from the effects of having that cold all weekend, but those symptoms are for a different blog post.

Relatives I had never met, my father's siblings, and family friends all converged on a borrowed North Carolina cottage on an inlet to celebrate the fact that we were finally able to see each other. Four generations of the Bethune Family were represented, with my Father's mother as the matriarch. I met uncles and aunts I had never met, and my father got to see brothers of his that he hadn't seen in 25 years. It was a gracious and elegant reunion considering the potential for outbursts and tension. The combined culinary skills in the Bethune name made for amazing meals, and the humor that I thought was unique to only my father, was multiplied by his four siblings and their mother. We got to see some old pictures of the family growing up in the 50's, and hear some stories that my parents never told us.

I love my family, and my family name so much more, now that I know who's behind it all.

I'll be talking about India more and more as well, but that dialogue will be better portrayed at Hope Takes Flight along with Joel Khouri and the rest of the team.

Also, don't forget about organic visual and the featured videos.

Hudson News

2008-07-16T16:42:00.002-04:00

Why don't airports have more power outlets?

I'm sitting on the floor right outside of Gate 18 in the Raleigh-Durham International Airport waiting for our 5:20 boarding time. We fly straight to London Heathrow and then on to Delhi, India. It's actually happening.

I would be sitting with the rest of the team, Joel, Monique, and Elizabeth, but the only outlet that isn't being used near a seat, is a random one right by the "authorized personnel only" door. Besides, right after I moved to this very uncomfortable position, it looks like Joel spilled a drink under the seats they were all sitting on.

I am so ready for this trip, but man, it was really really hard to say goodbye to Heather and Zay. I don't even know how much i'm going to miss them.

Please pray for my luggage because it has the equipment needed to produce a good documentary. I haven't had any trouble with security or customs so far, and I took a little preemptive trip to the Department of Homeland Security to check-in my gear. I'm not worried so much about my JVC, but more about the batteries and chargers that are in the checked bag.

This is my last post before I go overseas, so follow me on hopeUPDATES.com

and then... boom!

2008-06-23T15:31:00.002-04:00

I've been splitting my blogging between here and Hope Takes Flight, but that doesn't mean I'm splitting them right down the middle. Because this trip, and this project is so important to me, I'm spending a lot of my time and money investing in what we're doing with Hope Takes Flight.

Wednesday, I'm going to the Public Radio show at Tremont Music Hall to record their show (like I did for Songs of Water last week). Hope Takes Flight will have a table there as well, so it will be a good time to connect with more people and spread the message.

Ok, bye.

it's going to be crowded

2008-06-15T13:09:00.003-04:00

Today is my 3rd Father's Day in a row!

Heather and I are on "Vacation" this weekend. I put the word vacation in quotes because growing up, when my parents would take us on vacation, it was a lot of fun, relaxing, we didn't ever want to go home... but now that I am the parent, I understand how my parents needed to rest when we got back from vacation. I am the parent, and I will need a vacation from my vacation when I get home.

I'll post pictures and videos when i get back home Monday night, Tuesday morning.

i don't really want to cook anything

2008-06-10T19:39:00.005-04:00

I'm working late all this week, frantically trying to get a few shows in the bag so I can go to India. Two months ago, I was six weeks ahead, but due to certain events which led to certain preempting of shows, I am now 2 weeks behind. So I'm biting the bullet and working overtime. We are going back home to VA this weekend, and I'll be getting back into work on Tuesday, so I'm trying to get a head start on that as well.

My toe is now taped to my neighboring toe for moral support. It still hurts a lot, and the fact that I can't wear shoes in the house aggravates it even more.

So, I'm blogging over at hopetakesflight.com as part of the team. I'm really excited about that website. We just need the critical mass of people behind it to propel the community. Start a conversation, get on and comment on the blog, connect with other people. I built the site on a Content Management System (CMS) that makes it really easy to update and add components. I'm still in the process of getting the design elements all sorted out, but I think it's pretty good for a 5-day setup. :) I'm actually very proud of it.

it's always 5-till something

2008-06-07T21:34:00.002-04:00

Heather and I were dancing to a Coldplay song just now and Isaiah tries to cut in and take Heather away from me. Get your own girl. Silly kid.

hope takes flight is finished and ready for users... so please log in and join the community and the discussion that surrounds the social injustices where love is the only remedy. Founded by Joel Khouri, hope takes flight is kind of a mash-up of arts and awareness that centers around loving the hurt and enslaved. Our first trip will be a documented journey across the beautiful country of India. That's right, I'm going to be documenting it. And I'll be getting back in the US about 3 weeks before Heather is due. God bless her for letting me even go.

We are trying to sell the blueberry (our VW Van) now and get a small vehicle that runs consistently. I could probably get more money out of the VW if it was actually running consistently itself, but I just don't have the time, money, or energy to keep working on that thing. I'm kind of selling it out of frustration.

You can't touch them, no. 'Cause they're all spies.

I'm super pumped and totally amped and in several other ways very excited about going to Virginia next weekend for the annual Crane Family Vacation Extravaganza on the Atlantic Coast. How was that for a over-enthused run-on sentence? :) Seriously I can't wait to visit family and friends in a summertime relaxed setting. I mean, the last time I saw my family and friends in VA was under incredibly stressful and pressurized moments. I really miss Reigner.

Great Multigrain Taste!

2008-06-02T10:47:00.003-04:00

I stubbed my toe last night. Epic pain. I know, it sounds childish, but until it actually happens on a biblical scale, you just can't understand. I wanted it to be broken, just so that I could justify the pain. I think Isaiah got a little scared because I was dancing around the living room like a maniac on one foot. Now the left side of my left foot is swollen and my shoe doesn't fit, and it doesn't help that I walk to work. Oh well, it will get better, and then I can continue breakdancing barefoot in the kitchen.

So I replaced the ground straps and some of the heavy wiring on the VW Van, and it started. And it kept starting. All day long, Heather and I took it out around Charlotte and it ran just great. Then I brought it home, installed the CD player, let Isaiah play in it (he stuck a screwdriver in the cigarette lighter, blew a fuse), cleaned it out, replaced some trim, and then tried to start it again, and.... nothing. But hey, at least it turns over, now it's back to the problem I had on day one. So the electrical problem is fixed, but now I have a fuel delivery problem. I'm guessing it's a fuel pump, but those are kind of expensive, so I'm going to try working on the vacuum lines and making sure all the cracked hoses are replaced first. Then I'll try the 02 sensor and work my way up to the fuel pump. It's just, I don't really want to keep pouring money into this guy not knowing if it will solve the problem. I really want to keep the van, but it's almost not worth it, despite how awesome it is to drive it. Maybe someone will want to trade it for a jeep.

Heather and I bought a little kiddie pool for Isaiah, and he loves it. We're trying to get him comfortable around water, but instill a healthy respect for it as well. At the neigborhood pool, He gets a little too enthusiastic about sitting at the edge of the pool, but then he freaks out when we take him all the way in. He's going to love the pool at the Crane summer vacation hotel this summer.

the problem persists

2008-05-30T10:55:00.002-04:00

We got a Wii at the house now, and I think I threw my shoulder out the first few swings of the racket in Wii Sports. It's a lot more fun than I thought it would be at first. Even adventure games are a lot more immersive because your entire body is engaged in the control of your character, and not just your fingers and thumbs. It reminds me of when I used to play duck hunt on the old NES at the Bolger's house. Speaking of NES, I have downloaded Super Mario Brothers 3 and the original Zelda. Wow, talk about a flashback.

So, I didn't take the Bound4LIFE staff photos yesterday, but I'll take them this evening as we ride into Charlotte on the LightRail. I'm loving this new lens that I got, but I think I'm going to also get something a little wider. It's a 50mm, but I think I might go to a 28mm or 24mm. I'm also going to look at selling the Nikon D50 and step up to a D300 or even a D80. Let me know if you're interested in a Nikon D50 with Sigma 28-80.

We had another India Trip meeting last night, and we decided on a name for our website, but I'm not going to tell you right now because it's not fully online yet. hahaha, suspense.

If you love me...

2008-05-29T11:14:00.001-04:00

This is an older picture, but adorable. This was right before he got his hair cut.

posted from iPhoneSlide.com

we've taken the lead!

2008-05-26T14:03:00.004-04:00

I'm still looking for a good desktop blogger app so I don't have to log in every time and fill out the web form. I might be lazy.

It's Memorial Day today, so naturally that means you're supposed to cook your food outside. I don't really understand these holiday traditions sometimes, like Easter. We celebrate Christ's resurrection from the dead by hiding eggs and eating lamb, Fourth of July, we blow stuff up, and who knows how St. Valentine translates to romance. Memorial Day is about honoring those who served and died to protect our freedoms and borders, and we do that by setting raw meat on fire. Don't get me wrong, I like steak as much as the next I'm kissing my wife as I type this ok I'm back, like I was saying, I like steak as much as the next American Patriot, but I still don't see the correlation. I'm not complaining, I'm just thinking through my fingers.

I'm going to go take some pictures of my boy.

num lock

2008-05-23T13:54:00.002-04:00

The more I get to interact with Isaiah, the more I understand about how God must feel about me. Isaiah can do the most destructive thing to our house, put himself in danger, scream, hit, cry, or disobey, and I will still love the crap out of him. He's my boy, and I love him. I don't love him perfectly, and that's where I can't wrap my head around how God can love me perfectly. He doesn't mess up, He doesn't stop loving me, and there is no lapse in His love. I cannot love Isaiah perfectly, shoot, I can't even focus long enough to think about how to love him perfectly, but just in the ways I know how to love my son, It blows my mind to think that someone can do better. That's God for you, always one-upping us.

(that was my Jason Upton "storyaboutmykidwhilevamping" moment)

Recently I haven't been able to hold back tears. I guess I haven't really tried very hard my whole life, but lately I start crying at the oddest times. It's all had to do with physical and emotional exhaustion and memories of Amy. The crazy thing, and what gets me even more worked up is that when I think of Amy, I think of sadness and pain, but then my thought process brings me to realize where she is, and it just overwhelms me with the Majesty and Goodness of God. And I cry more because He's just so good. He didn't try His best on the cross, He gave EVERYTHING so that we could live forever with Him. I wrote a song about the goodness of God and how my insides can't hold in the praise, and I've been singing it in the Prayer Room at TheCause during my early morning sets, and I get a new picture of who God is every time I sing it. And so naturally it changes every time I sing it. "Someday I'll get to say this to your face, I'll use a better language, one that only speaks your name, I'll shine with you in Heaven, like you shine through me on earth, but until that instant turns into eternity, my tongue has limitations so my soul sings, hallelujah."

now you know. and knowing is half the battle!

2008-05-18T20:16:00.002-04:00

Ableton LIVE 7 LE just came out and I've been playing around with the MIDI sequencer for my set at TheCause, and I'm having a lot of fun programming music. I played around with MIDI a few years ago, and it wasn't fun, this program makes it simple, and enjoyable.

So we're getting a Wii soon. I'm going to trade in a few more games and then I'll have enough credit to buy the system for like 50 bucks. I think we're also going to get Wii Fit as well. Heather is looking forward to that.

Another thing Heather is looking forward to is getting my iPhone. I told her I would give her the first gen iPhone when the new one comes out. haha, I'm such a tech-head. I'm actually VERY happy that she'll have one because she could really use the maps and internet when she's out and about. It's really a very helpful tool.

Sarah posted a really sweet time-lapse video on her blog. To me, it's a good representation of how I usually clean my room or office. I'll get side-tracked and take little micro-breaks in the middle.

Speaking of Sarah, I think she's coming in to visit us, so I'm trying to get a bed set up in my office as a guest room. And that's why I was cleaning my office.

Now you have to pray your way back

2008-05-17T22:32:00.002-04:00

Andrew and I were just talking about Los Angeles and West Coast living, and I just thought, what if? What if I moved out to Hollywood and I was in the environment of movie production. Would I settle for mediocre PA and grip jobs? Would I be able to hold my ground on principle and ethics and not compromise?

I like asking "what if" questions. I like trying to figure out what the possible answers could be.

What if I won the lottery? What if I was wrongfully imprisoned? What if I died tomorrow? What if revival actually hit America? What if abortion was outlawed? What if I lost my memory? What if an earthquake hit right now?

Some "what if" questions bring fear, and that is to be guarded against, and most what if questions are just asked to make you think. It can bring perspective, truth, gratitude, but it can also bring pain, hopelessness and doubt. So be careful when you ask "what if" questions, but NEVER be afraid. Taking risks is what life is all about, and if we never ask "what if?", then we'll never take a chance. Even if it's for a fraction of a moment, right before you make a decision, you always ask "what if..." and it's how long you dwell on that question that usually determines the outcome of the choice.

So, what if you had read this yesterday?

the body needs some sun sometimes

2008-05-16T10:02:00.003-04:00

My data and personal files are on a mass exodus from Yahoo to Google. I've tossed out orangestickman.com in favor of blogger hosted on levibethune.com, and even though I like Flickr's interface and features, I realy don't like the way that Yahoo corners my logins and IDs, so I'm leaving Flickr for Picasa. I've already been using gmail for a couple years now, but I've officially made it my email of choice, and so I am no longer reachable at levi(at)orangestickman.com, you can now find me at levibethune@gmail.com

I've been doing some early morning worship/intercession sets at TheCause base, and although I am not a fan of getting up at 6:30 in the morning, the chance to lead a set it probably the only thing that can do it for me.

We are still waiting on getting the title for the van that was given to us, and we need to have the rear axle looked at as well. I think it looks like a pirate ship.

I have had this desire lately to live in the city. Like on the 30th floor of something. I get inspired looking out the window of a skyscraper at a busy street below. And rain in the big city is always better than anywhere else. Charlotte, New York, Atlanta, San Francisco or DC, those are pretty much the only places I would move to at this point, and I would need a better reason than a 34th floor apartment.

My Switch from Boot Camp to VMWare Fusion

2008-05-14T22:59:00.003-04:00

http://www.vmware.com/switchtofusion

I used to have to wait for my Apple Computer to re-boot before I could test a website with Internet Explorer in Microsoft Windows XP.

Now, with VMWare Fusion for Mac OSX, I can run any Window's application alongside my Macintosh Apps right on my Mac Desktop.

I made this video in a mad rush to meet the deadline and still go to work the next day. It is a video contest to be in the running for a macbook air computer. This is my entry.

Again and Again

2008-05-11T11:40:00.001-04:00

Max 4.5A per receptacle

2008-05-10T19:41:00.003-04:00

I don't know what to talk about. I'm kind of in a bad mood right now. I set up a photo shoot for Heather's website and then hardly any of the photos turned out the way I wanted them to. I just don't feel like a good photographer. Things like that really get me down, when I can imagine how I want something to look, and after I work on it, it doesn't look anything like what was in my head. How do I balance it?

Anyway, I'm at work tonight, and I'm not too happy about that either. When I was hired here I was very clear and was reassured that it wouldn't turn into a typical "get taken advantage of because it's a ministry" deal. And I'm starting to feel it. When I started, I didn't want to say "no", and now I feel like a heathen if I do say "no". I think I'm just tired of being pressured into working more than what I'm getting paid for. I don't mind working extra, and I'll bend over backward for something I believe in, but I don't appreciate being shoved into it and then taken for granted. I guess it's me, it feels personal all the time, so maybe it's me.

I think being named Max is a blessing and a curse. That's just what I can imagine though, I wouldn't know for sure.

So our good friend Brad Tretola (remember that name, he's going to be famous) gave us a van. It's a sweet 1994 Dodge Ram Custom Van. It needs some work on the rear axle, and we're waiting on a new title to be mailed from Minnesota, but we're excited about having a vehicle soon. Thank you God for providing! Now we just need money for gas to feed it's 8 cylinders of raging fury.

Speaking of guns, Heather and I are going to use some of the money from our government stimulus check to buy a gun for home defense. Probably a shotgun. And a few grenades. I just like the idea of the government paying for our weapons. :) South Carolina is nice, you don't need a permit, you just need a driver's license. I guess, by their estimates, if you can parallel park, you can shoot a gun. Heck, even if you can't park at all, go hunting. Welcome to South Carolina, here's your 12 gauge.

The Original Celebrated

2008-05-06T19:25:00.002-04:00

Today is Day 14. What does that mean? It means that two weeks ago, full-fledged revival broke out at MorningStar with the Highschool Bible Class. Everyday since then we've had evening meetings, and I've been shooting and editing daily recap videos for practically every one of those meetings. Tiring, yes. Fulfilling, Yes. I'm seeing some really crazy stuff man. Arms growing out, hearing restored, people getting gold teeth, oil and gold dust coming out of people's hands... It's nuts.

And I've realized that God ALWAYS wants to break out like this in the church. I'm grateful that I'm in an environment that doesn't put him in a box.

Also, this morning I started playing a prayer/worship set at TheCause.

No Todd, not now.

There's no time!

CAUTION: MEN WORKING ABOVE!

2008-05-03T09:58:00.005-04:00

So, the reason I've been absent from the internet lately is because of this following video. This is week one of the revival that is breaking out at MorningStar. I've been shooting and editing these daily updates and then after a week, I compiled them into a weekly recap. As you can probably imagine, I'm very busy, and very tired at this point. Please pray for Heather and I as I work 14+ hours per day to support this move of God. We are seeing miracles and witnessing people being touched by God. I've always been a skeptic of this kind of stuff, but you'll see footage of people acting like fools, and trust me, I know these people. They don't always act this way.

(sorry if this takes a while to load, it's 15min, so youtube wasn't an option)
UPDATE: Auto-play turned off.

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tick-le (tkl)
v. tick-led, tick-ling, tick-les
1. To touch (the body) lightly so as to cause laughter or twitching movements.

Our Senior Pastor here, Robin McMillan, explained it really well. He said that the "stuff" that happens doesn't all come from God. He said that it's our response to the Power of God. Rick Joyner said that each one of his kids would react differently when he would tickle them. Some of them would go crazy, and other it just wouldn't affect. It's not that the ticklish kids loved their dad any more, or were being loved more, and it's not that the dad was tickling them differently, it's just in the individual reaction of the children, and how ticklish they are.

I'm not a very ticklish person spiritually. God is working on my doubt and faith is rising up, but I'm not the type of person that will collapse when I'm prayed for. But I'm not saying that it can't happen.

I have a friend here who is just like me, not very ticklish when it comes to these kind of things. He was standing there, facing the stage and Jason Hooper comes up from behind him, filled with the Power of God, and blew on my friend's head. Jason didn't touch him, he just blew on the back of his head, and my friend went down. I mean, dropped. He was out for the rest of the night with visions of Heaven, conversations with Angels... dudes, God is doing amazing stuff.

The beauty of it all, is that this is how God wants it to be everyday, especially in church. We just need to be willing to take a risk, and act a fool.

See more videos, and get more information at MorningStarMinistries.org