I really have no room to talk, since I would always go outside during bad weather, but seriously this is a bit ridiculous. The Capital Weather Gang posted this as “How Not to React to a Tornado Siren.” 
The Washington Post ran an interesting article today about the Southern Baptist church’s decline in numbers. The article went on to talk about a conflict that arose in the ’70s and ’80s, which actually led the church to be even more conservative in regards to the role of women, biblical inerrancy, homosexuality, abortion and temperance.
Today, leaders of the church are worried it is moving toward a more fundamentalist stance, which is viewed unfavorably by many, including young adults and families - a demographic some in the church would like to reach out to. Calls have been made to make changes to appeal to these younger audiences, but are being met with backlash and even more limits on the church doctrine.
My question is this - why does any church feel the need to either remake its image or change its beliefs and policies when numbers start dropping? From the beginning, the only policies coming out of a church should be what the Bible teaches - not what the membership at the time wants. People are not perfect - we are selfish creatures, and 9 times out of 10 will probably choose to follow a way that is an easier option, a way that doesn’t follow the example Jesus provided. If we follow the teachings of the Bible, there should be no conflict, no need to redefine who we are as a church. After all, the Bible says nothing about the Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, etc. We are all Christians - following Christ. When that becomes the center of who we are, then we will find ourselves right on track with God.
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I feel that my coworkers and I have been complaining that it was taking forever for summer and warm weather to get to the DC area. Well, after today’s steamer, I think it’s safe to say summer is here. Seriously, where did this come from? I just checked the weather and not one day below 85 degrees - it’s only the beginning of June, not August! The good news is we had another round of severe thunderstorms today, which satisfied my longing for them.
The DCist just posted a rather disturbing article about new actions taken by the DC Metropolitan Police Department to curb violence. Their plan is to seal off neighborhoods requiring people to show valid identification or explain their reason for visiting the neighborhood. Here is an excerpt from Mayor Fenty’s news release:
Potential Neighborhood Safety Zones must be approved by the Chief of Police, and will be in effect for a maximum of 10 days. Public safety checks will be established along the main thoroughfares of the established neighborhoods. Anyone driving into a designated area may be asked to show valid identification with a home address in that neighborhood, or to provide an explanation for entering the NSZ, such as attending church, a doctor’s appointment or visiting friends or relatives. Pedestrians will not be subject to the public safety checks.
DCist hit the nail on the head . . . is this just like a police state? Does the government have any right to be restricting movement like this? What if the quickest way to get from point A to point B is through a sealed off neighborhood? Will it even work if pedestrians are not subject to the checks?
This type of action just points to MPD’s typical response to a rash of crime . . . it’s a response, just like the “all hand on deck” weekend. I’m no expert on what is being done in the district to prevent people from committing crimes in the first place, but the District has a big problem on its hands that will take more than a police state-like response.
Today United Airlines announced they were reducing domestic flight capacity by 17 to 18 percent in 2009. For me - that means small, cramped planes with less seats and higher prices.
I know the airlines are hurting right now, but I’m not sure if these practices will help “improv[e] our customer experience and reliability,” as Chief Operating Officer John Tague said in a statement. American Airlines flies at reduced capacity between Chicago and Omaha with planes having a 2/1 or 3/2 seat configuration. Anytime I’ve flown that route on United it’s been 3/3, although off-peak schedules show they run a 2/2 configuration as well.
I hate small planes, can’t stand them. They are crowded, cramped, the aisle is tiny and you can never fit your carry-on luggage in the overhead bins, meaning you have to valet check it. I also believe the flight attendants hate them as well, as they are always crabbier on those flights than the larger planes.
At what point is it less of a hassle to just drive home? I know it will take A LOT since I am not a fan of long car rides and gas prices are absolutely ridiculous right now.
I’m a little late on this, but I loved Sex and the City!
It had its fair share of cheesy moments, and I’ve never been in a room with that many women before - it was a bit overwhelming. Everyone (minus my group) starting cheering when the opening credits came up, there was clapping, oohing and awwing throughout, and I’m sure everyone cried at least once.
But, while the movie is centered on love and relationships, the theme of the characters’ friendship shines through. I won’t give anything away, but my favorite part was when Carrie and Miranda are talking about forgiveness. Miranda is having a hard time forgiving Steve for something, but is expecting Carrie to forgive her for her actions. Carrie calls her out on it, but Miranda claims that “it’s different.” To which Carrie replies, “No, it’s still forgiveness.”
It’s all too true, it can be so hard to forgive others, but when we screw up, we so desperately crave forgiveness. I’m so thankful to be loved by a God who forgives me for all that I do, even the big mess ups.
Ok, now I’ve turned a fluffy post into something sappy . . .
P.S. Go see it!
Today we finally had a proper thunderstorm . . . and I do mean FINALLY! One of the things I really miss about Iowa is that when the storms come, they really come in. Thunder, lightning, sheets of pouring rain, and occasionally hail. It’s not that DC doesn’t get rain, but we rarely get a good, old-fashioned thunderstorm.
What a treat today when the clouds rolled in, the skies got dark and stormy, and the thunder and lightning started before the rain let loose. The rain was coming down so hard and the wind had really picked up that it started swirling through the tall buildings near my apartment building. Granted it only lasted about 10 minutes, but I got to enjoy the show from my balcony. On the downside, I was planning an outdoor movie event tonight to raise money for summer missions teams. I guess we’ll be indoors tonight!
The above quote comes from a Human Rights Watch news release. There have been several developments in the international aid crisis happening in Burma following Cyclone Nargis, which left 2.5 million homeless and killed 78,000 (according to the military junta). Here’s a rundown of the latest events.
There are a lot more stories out there, and a simple Google News search will have you reading for hours. What upsets me the most is how the junta is now criticizing foreign governments for not giving enough monetary aid, but has been rejecting relief supplies and workers for weeks now. Honestly, do they think we would just hand over money to a government who would use it to beef up its own coffers instead of helping the 2 million people who are desperately in need?
This one is for the ladies out there. Tomorrow is the day, the day we’ve all been waiting for since February 22, 2004, the day when Sex and the City hits the big screen. So girls, let’s get excited!
Recent news articles have questioned whether the women of this fine nation can make this movie a hit. Well, I can tell you this: I will be there, most of my friends will be there, and we’ve been eagerly anticipating this movie for months. Another indicator, as of Tuesday of this week (three full days before the movie opens), only a couple theaters hadn’t sold out for Friday night showings. I think we can safely assume that the female population will make this movie a huge success.
I have avoided all press on this movie, as I want to know nothing going in. I’ll post again after tomorrow night, so stay tuned. It’s going to be fantastic, I just know it!!
The past four months have had me surrounded in the fascinating world of social media. I’ve learned so much about how I can use these tools in my professional career. Well, I was a little shocked to see how social media has entered one realm of my life I didn’t think it would: church.
I attend Frontline, the young adult ministry of McLean Bible Church. And yes, the church has a website, complete with message boards, something that is off the map of most churches. Then, most recently they started an Internet campus, where you can literally attend a live Frontline worship service on the Internet, complete with video, a chat room, and a place to take notes. I was a little skeptical at first, but it’s proven quite useful when I’m traveling as I never have to miss church.
But as modern as an Internet campus might sound, the realization that Frontline actually “gets” what social media is all about didn’t hit me until tonight’s service. This evening, the service was all about our questions and answers . . . in the form of a Q & A session. And how did they gather our questions? Nope, we didn’t all rush toward a microphone, the ushers didn’t come around to collect questions written on scratch paper, and nope, we didn’t raise our hands either. Instead, a phone number appeared on the screen where we could text our questions to the moderator who received them on the stage from her laptop. Or, if you were participating via the Internet, you could send them in that way as well.
I’m not sure why I never really got it before, but it makes me really happy to be a part of a church that is sort of on the cutting edge of things. So many churches out there get bad raps for not meeting people where they’re at, be it emotionally, spiritually and even technologically. Frontline understands it’s demographic - 20 and 30-somethings who are attached to their cell phones and Blackberries. What better way to make use of our addictions than to incorporate them into the service.
Bravo Frontline!!
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