Jesus Manifesto by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola do a great job at restoring the Supremacy and Sovereignty of Jesus Christ.  At, times I felt this book lacked a flow from chapter to chapter.  It made up for in in Chapter 3 titled, If God Wrote your Biography.  For the rest of the book, it felt like I have read this all before.  I enjoyed the way it was written and felt that Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola did justice of Jesus’ Supremacy and Sovereignty in layman’s terms.

If there was any reason to read this book it would be because of chapter 3, titled, If God Wrote your Biography.  Leonard Sweet starts by saying, “We open this chapter by making an incredible statement: If God were to write your biography, it would be Jesus Christ.”  I think that living in a culture where life is all about me, this is such a radical concept.  Our life is Christ.  We make it about everything else, my possession’s, my health, security, ect.  Life isn’t about that, it really is about Jesus Christ.  They the author moves on to ask a question, “How would your biography read if God were to write it?”  That is a great question.  I think that takes more than a chapter to think about.  We are so focused on ourselves.  We think that we are inviting God into our stories, but we really God is inviting us into his.  It isn’t about us.  This was a hard chapter to read in a society that I live in.  I think that this book is worth it just for this one chapter.

Do you really need another book on the Supremacy and Sovereignty of Christ?  Maybe you really love Leonard Sweet?  I would recommend this book to a friend in ministry because of chapter 3.  I enjoy Leonard Sweet’s books in the past, and I enjoyed this one.  I give this book 4 out of 5 review.

I came across this article about how the world unfriend has become the word of the year according to oxford.  What a great word for 2009.  I wonder how many people I can unfriend this year.  Here is the word, its a good one:

the 2009 Word of the Year is: unfriend.

unfriend – verb – To remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook.

As in, “I decided to unfriend my roommate on Facebook after we had a fight.”

There is a great article on icons in youth culture from mtv sticky.  They released these results from who teens look up to as icons.  There is some good news from this study.  The great news is that family members are on top at 29%.  That is great.  In youth ministry it is so important to help the teens  family because they are the people will all the influence.  Youth workers out there, don’t forget about the parents of your teens.

Check out the stats below.

An ‘Icon’ is defined as the object of great attention and devotion: an idol…

Full results:
Family Members: 29%
Musicians: 28%
No Icon: 11%
Actors: 10%
Politicians: 5%
Religion / Religious Figures: 4%
Sports People: 3%

Myself: 3%

Historical figures: 2%

Music itself: 1%
TV Personalities: 1%
Life itself: 1%
Business People: 1%
Fictional Characters: 1%

So, my co-worker and I were in a conversation a couple of days ago.  I was sitting at my desk, and he said, that once you become a dad you automatically become uncool.  This one comment turned into jokes, and it kept on going.  I decided one night that I will make a list of all the ways I am cool and a list of all the ways that I am becoming uncool.  I will keep on adding on to this to see how this all evolves.

Cool

1. Masters Degree

2. Skateboarding

3. Snowboarding

4. traveling

5. surfing

uncool

1. masters degree

2.  knows the difference between different types of strollers (I know…how sad!)

3. Mini-van (There it is…I drive a mini-van.  What else can I say?)

….to be continued….

The last month has been a blur.  My wife lori gave birth to our first baby.  His name is beckett louis milton.  watch out world, here is a mini milton.

Thats a beauty.  Venice next week.  Oh I miss Rome.

In a recent report on music week 55% of teens said they don’t intend to pay for acquired through the internet.  I think we are living in a world where people want content for free.  The problem is that it isn’t free.  People put their life and money on the line to make a cd or movie.  I do think in the next few years we need to rethink what copyrights mean in a digital era.

This is a great game.  It is similar to flight simulator.  Just don’t waste too much time with this game.  [Train Conductor 2]

Johnny Cash is a genius.  I just saw a documentary on him and was blown away by his life.   I purchased the cd, American VI and was amazed by his song Redemption day.  Check out the lyrics,

I’ve wept for those who suffer long
But how I weep for those who’ve gone
Into rooms of grief and questioned wrong
But keep on killing

It’s in the soul to feel such things
But weak to watch without speaking
Oh what mercy sadness brings
If God be willing

There is a train that’s heading straight
To heaven’s gate, to heaven’s gate
And on the way, child and man,
And woman wait, watch and wait
For redemption day

Fire rages in the streets
And swallows everything it meets
It’s just an image often seen
On television
Come leaders, come you men of great
Let us hear you pontificate
Your many virtues laid to waste
And we aren’t listening

There is a train that’s heading straight
To heaven’s gate, to heaven’s gate
And on the way, child and man,
And woman wait, watch and wait
For redemption day

What do you have for us today?
Throw us a bone but save the plate
On why we waited til so late
Was there no oil to excavate
No riches in trade for the fate
Of every person who died in hate
Throw us a bone, you men of great

There is a train that’s heading straight
To heaven’s gate, to heaven’s gate
And on the way, child and man,
And woman wait, watch and wait
For redemption day

It’s buried in the countryside
It’s exploding in the shells at night
It’s everywhere a baby cries
Freedom
Freedom
Freedom

T.V in the summer sucks.  That is why I always try to find new shows to watch.  I have seen this show before but it is hard to get in canada.  If you love cars, and random challenges then you will like this show.