No, Michael Jon you cannot take Crisana to Arkansas.

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From Yahoo!

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A law passed this year allows Arkansans of any age — even infants — to marry if their parents agree, and the governor may have to call a special session to fix the mistake, lawmakers said Friday.
…

“It’s clearly not the intent to allow 10-year-olds or 11-year-olds to get married,” Bond said. “The legislation was screwed up.”

The bill reads: “In order for a person who is younger than eighteen (18) years of age and who is not pregnant to obtain a marriage license, the person must provide the county clerk with evidence of parental consent to the marriage.”

Better tell Timmy too.

Well that was one option…

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Your Score: 2 – the Helper

Thanks for taking the test !

  you chose CX – your Enneagram type is TWO (aka “The Charmer”).

“I must help others”

Helpers are warm, concerned, nurturing, and sensitive to other people’s
needs.

How to Get Along with Me

  • Tell me that you appreciate me. Be specific.
  • Share fun times with me.
  • Take an interest in my problems, though I will probably try to focus
    on yours.
  • Let me know that I am important and special to you.
  • Be gentle if you decide to criticize me.
    In Intimate Relationships

  • Reassure me that I am interesting to you.
  • Reassure me often that you love me.
  • Tell me I’m attractive and that you’re glad to be seen with me.

What I Like About Being a TWO

  • being able to relate easily to people and to make friends
  • knowing what people need and being able to make their lives better
  • being generous, caring, and warm
  • being sensitive to and perceptive about others’ feelings
  • being enthusiastic and fun-loving, and having a good sense of humor

What’s Hard About Being a TWO

  • not being able to say no
  • having low self-esteem
  • feeling drained from overdoing for others
  • not doing things I really like to do for myself for fear of being selfish
  • criticizing myself for not feeling as loving as I think I should
  • being upset that others don’t tune in to me as much as I tume in to
    them
  • working so hard to be tactful and considerate that I suppress my real feelings

TWOs as Children Often

  • are very sensitive to disapproval and criticism
  • try hard to please their parents by being helpful and understanding
  • are outwardly compliant
  • are popular or try to be popular with other children
  • act coy, precocious, or dramatic in order to get attention
  • are clowns and jokers (the more extroverted TWOs), or quiet and shy
    (the more introverted TWOs)

TWOs as Parents

  • are good listeners, love their children unconditionally, and are warm
    and encouraging (or suffer guilt if they aren’t)
  • are often playful with their children
  • wonder: “Am I doing it right?” “Am I giving enough?””Have I caused irreparable damage?”
  • can become fiercely protective

Angie (the asserter) thinks I’m this one.

Everything you wanted to know…

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about shoelaces, but were afraid to ask.

Including the world’s fastest way to tie your shoes, the Ian Knot.

And how to tie shoelaces that don’t end up in a Granny Knot.

Where was this when I was in Elementary school.  I sure this knowledge has been hidden from public knowledge from the evil Velcro Cartel, that doesn’t want little boys and girls to know the wonder and mystery of shoelace tying.  So I’m gonna speak truth to power, and point you to the site with the truth. (I only hope I don’t endanger Ian, that would be bad)

Ian Knot Video

Gospel Driven Church

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No not the book, the blog.

Thinkling Jared’s new blog. He’s had a few and I’m glad to see him start this new one. His theological musings have always inspired and enlightened me. He has the awesome ability to write clearly, and make a point that sticks (and sometimes stings).

Here is a snippet from one of his posts, A Post-It Theses for these Newfangled Glass Church Doors :

1. Discipleship is designed to be experienced in community. God saves individuals, but He does not save them to an individual faith but to a kingdom life populated with other citizens who share that faith.

2. The Bible designates one vessel to hold this kingdom community, and it is The Church. You might fraternize with other believers in coffee shops, informal communes, online chat rooms or forums, blogs, bars, or the big outdoors, but only biblical churches satisfy the discipleship need for The Church.

3. Honest Christians will differ on what constitutes a “biblical church,” and while disagreement is understandable and okay, beware of any church that says, explicitly or implicitly, “we do it right” or “we do it better” than the church down the street.

4. Ecclesiological one-upmanship (“My church is better than your church”) is a sin.

5. The reason you should not give up on church or The Church is because Jesus did not give up on you. And if He calls the church His Body, giving up on it means giving up on Him.

6. There are no perfect churches, especially if they have people in them.

7. Expecting a church to “fit” you or to always be comfortable or catering to your needs is arrogance and foolishness.

I look forward to reading more of his posts, and who knows… maybe it will inspire me to write better, or at least more often.

Honor Thy Parents

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I’m speaking tonight (on a whim) at the closing of our church’s youth camp. It has been a series of evening activities, culminating in this night. Tacky Night. Topic of the person that I’m stepping in for: ‘Touching the lives of your Family’, with the tag line – Christians are hard on their families.

Well yeah.

There was also some discussion on focusing it on how teens can bless their families, particularly their siblings, by not being selfish, but be generous.

So I look to the biblical texts to find some great examples of sibling generosity.

Practically a null set. From Cain and Abel to John and James (the sons of Thunder) there is a dearth of sibling kindness to each other. Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son is the hallmark of selfish behavior, with both the wayward and the homebody brother being entirely selfish. So what can I point to to show a clear instruction, where is the point where I can hammer home the point of sibling good will?

I think I’ll turn to the fourth commandment. Indeed the one that Paul says comes with a blessing.

“Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the Land the Lord is giving you” (Ex 20:12)

The longest relationship we’ll have while living might be with our siblings. Some of the memories I have of family reunions are of siblings getting together to honor their parents. Then after the parents are gone, some siblings continue the tradition, in honor of their parents.

It is odd that a similar command to love ones children isn’t on the big ten list of commandments. Perhaps because that is part of us, to love our children. Each individually, as a singular expression of ourselves. And corporately as part of the larger organism we call family. Many of my audience tonight will be youth, those preparing to make the leap into adulthood, leaving the nest. With that time in life comes a natural friction, a yearning to leave our parents, and strike out on our own. How can they possibly do that, and still honor their parents? For kids and teens still in the home. You know the sullen and bershon teens that are slowly withdrawing, wanting to be grown up, but to young to be able to. How can they honor their parents?

Love the ones the parents love. Serve the ones the parents serve. Love your brother/sister as you would love yourself. I think that act of unselfishness, putting our siblings before ourselves, is the strongest act of love we can show our parents.  One that at age 39 and a half, I know I need to improve.

New Foxhole Podcast

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foxhole.pngA new John from Cincinnati podcast is out from Jay, Chris, Mark and Justin at the Foxhole Podcast site. Also they started a message board (see link in the sidebar) where lots of JFC conversations are being bandied about.

The podcast is well produced, and the discussions on the podcast are very enlightening. I think their production is much like Lostcasts podcast (LOST), or the 10th Wonder podcast (Heroes). In this format a discussion focusing on a popular television show is a great way to understand some of the finer details of a show.

While John From Cincinnati only has two episodes left in this season (and hopefully will be picked up for another season.. please HBO) the Foxhole guys are going to keep podcasting, starting over with Deadwood, season one episode one. The hosts are big David Milch fans, and their commentary regarding his dramas will be time well spent.

Thanks for the shout out on the podcast guys!

Upward Leadership Conference – KC

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Attending with 5 great friends (including my wife, who is still my best friend…) the Upward Leadership Conference to help us prepare for Upward Basketball. I’ve been involved with Upward sinece 1999, and this is my first year to step up and be the League Director at our church. We’re haveing a good time, and the worship and vision ‘seed casting’ last night was just the right way to kick off the event. Click to read more about the Upward Mission Statement and Values

Continue reading →

Give the Rangers a broom…

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The cellar dwelling Rangers, swept the AL West second place Mariner’s adding another day of no-joy in Mudville for the Seattle faithful. Five sixths of the Stueve clan was in attendance whooping it up in section 318. (Lauren had youth camp to attend, and she ate too much Pizza, and too much ice cream, but had a lot of fun).

The Missus has a post up with pics and a description of dealing with bershon tween Brenna, who took many of the pictures in the flickr set (click the photo to see all the shots…)

Special note on this picture taken by Angie:

I am smiling! There on the left side, is Ramon Vazquez swinging on the game winning shot in the bottom of the 8th. Relief pitcher Joaquin Benoit owes Ramon about a case of beers, after giving up 3 runs in the top of the night, Ramon saved his bacon with his two-run dinger, after Marlon Byrd led off the eighth with a single and got to second on a sacrifice bunt by Frank Catalanotto. The game winner was a the expense of the M’s relief ace J.J. Putz (oh how HE must’ve hated High School).

It was a fun night in Arlington.

John from Cincinnati

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jfc.pngAs the spring television season wound down, I was wondering what would capture my attention for periodic television watching over the summer. We decided to order the movie package from Verizon FIOS, as we thought it might be cheaper than pay-per-view and blockbuster late fees. With that package came HBO.

I’d heard rumblings from TVSquad about this new show, John from Cincinnati, that was made from the producers of Deadwood (which I’ve never watched, but heard it was very good) so I made a point of watching the first episode about this guy that shows up in Imperial Beach, California and starts to work/observe positive changes in a circle of relationship surrounding a very dysfunctional family of surfers.

That synopsis doesn’t give the show justice. I’m really liking the show, and have become a fan of David Milch, the creator of JFC and Deadwood just from the concepts portrayed in the show. But, word of warning, this is a show on HBO, and as such, the language and themes are not what you’d find on the networks. Both in a good a bad way, perhaps. If you pale at the use of strong words starting with ‘F’, then you’ll probably be put off by the show. A word of advice, the language is there for a reason, and the advice from Milch is watch the actions, don’t listen to the words. And after hearing that and re-watching the episodes, there is some real gems and some great acting.

The great thing about HBO is that there are lots of options for watching the show, it airs at many times, and it is available on VOD. But for now, I’ve got the HD version of it airing Sunday night locked in on my DVR. Though I have to find alone time to watch it, since Angie doesn’t care for the language, and it probably shouldn’t be heard by the kids either. Also, it being on HBO, the amount of people I know that might watch it is reduced as well.

It is hard to describe the amount of wonder, confusion and then satisfaction I get from this show. It has taken its time in setting up the stories the show will tell. The characters aren’t always likable, or ever do or say the right thing. The themes are redemptive in nature, oddly reminiscent of some themes from The Shawshank Redemption (a wonderful movie… go watch it).

So while my water-cooler talks with friends might not occur about JFC, there are a few online places I can turn to: wiki, podcast, forums, blog and more blogs. What about you, do you watch John from Cincinnati?