Tag: Christian

Funny Friday: Phone Tips Video (from Tripp and Tyler)

Screen Shot 2014-11-12 at 2.43.35 PMNew to Funny Fridays…Tripp and Tyler.

These near-Christian comedians have had some really enjoyable videos lately and seem to be enjoying some increased popularity and sponsorship. Dudes went pro, yo.

I’ve liked them since the Christian Aerobics workout days: Godz Bodz.

Here’s the new one. It also includes a sweet little cameo (of sorts) with Bryan Allain (well, his phone makes it in…but that’s practically the same thing) because he owns a lot of yard equipment.

Hope you like this one. Let me know which tip was your favorite.

Notes from Dr Batluck-Don’t Grow Weary of Doing Right

The CEO of the Teen Challenge Training Center near Bethel, PA spoke at the recent prisoner graduation (LIFE MINISTRIES) ceremony at FCI Schuylkill. Dr Joseph Batluck.

Batluck_-_Formal_portrait

I wanted to take some time to post the highlights from his talk because they impressed me. It wasn’t just a good message for inmates, but for all of us.

THEME

Galatians 6:7-10

 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

 NOTES:

We will harvest what we sow.

Bad seed reaps bad.

Good seed reaps good.

Don’t grow weary of doing right.

Even in doing right we will grow weary.

The Christian Walk of Faith is like a stool with four legs.

1. Reading the Bible

In it we learn who God is.

2. Prayer

Communication with God.

Don’t pray boring prayers. If your prayers are boring they don’t do any good.

Let the Psalms be your prayers if your prayers have gotten dull.

3. Accountability

Fellow believers build us us and help to make us more like Christ.

We must find someone to be honest with and get encouragement from. Iron sharpens iron.

4. Service

In service to others we become more like Christ. It’s not about us.

The walk of faith moves through three components:

First: CREATION

Re-birth into a new identity and connection to Christ through faith a repentance.

Second: FORMATION

Through discipleship and obedience we are formed within and beomce more like Christ

Third: DIRECTION

God directs our paths and our life. We follow him in faith and allow God to be in charge. We rest in his provision and care for us and he decides where we go.

Don’t grow weary of doing right.

Upcoming SERIES: The Science & Spirituality of HUMOR

grouchoNo, I’m not kidding.

This is happening.

So, what makes something funny?

There’s a whole science behind finding this out. It’s not merely about personal taste.

The science behind might be the butt of the joke, in some ways, but my new series will provoke thought and attempt to answer some questions:

How and why do we find things funny?

What difference can it make to our development and well-being?

How you can get 16-31% funnier.

Why humor helps heal, learn, and grow.

Why and when does humor fail to be funny? and does it matter?

How to develop your sense of humor so unfunny people won’t drive you crazy.

Does a sense of humor reflect something of God in us?

Why do legions of cat video exist?

and plenty of other things.

 

So far, in researching the science of humor I’ve learned that even babies find things funny.
Okay. That was not a surprise.

I already knew this. For instance, when I would rip junk mail in front of my 6 month old daughter, she’d go into hysteric fits of hilarious laughter. I kept ripping and she kept laughing. Later, when she could talk she mentioned that it wasn’t because of the paper at all. She was thinking of something else that was funny from earlier in the day.

Something filthy.

There’s a biological reason for babies laughing at paper shredding…

The unformulated concept object permanence?

Maybe, or maybe they are just thinking of something filthy.

 

So, yes, I am starting with baby steps, as it were.

FACT: Humor is universal and germane to humans even at infancy.

(Picture Stone Philips saying that.)

 

So, yes. In the end, so to speak, babies think peek-a-boo is funny because they are super immature. (like this baby)

 

 More in the SERIES here–

Thanks for reading.

xo,

-L

For the latest info on my humor related projects sign up here.

Dispatch from Prison: The Question I Couldn’t Answer

inmatereading

“Why don’t people from your church come and help you here? It says it the Bible to visit us…”

A man asked me this question at the end of class.
He was an inmate: a lifer.

Prison is a place of lasting aloneness. A place where you are reminded that you are forgotten.

Trying to overcome it is a big deal.

Volunteer groups are cherished by inmates like fresh air. They thank us each time we come.

I didn’t know how to answer him. I sort of felt crushed.

Not just that he would ask, but that the truth was so simple and unreachable.

He suggested I speak to my church and invite them to participate. I already had.

“It does say that is the Bible. You’re right. I don’t know….

I’m sorry,” I told him.

 

“What keeps them from coming?” another man asked.

 

“Maybe because all people know about prison is what they see in movies. Maybe they are afraid.” I said.

That comment incited and 3 page letter the prisoner brought back the next week to help convince people from our church that they were not violent and they were also Christians who love the Lord, were re-paying their debt to society, and wanted the support and Christian brotherhood.

But, nothing like that can be taken out of a prison. (It’s a felony.) He had to keep his correspondence. I thought he was going to cry when he explained that he needed to keep what he wrote. Abandonment? That was probably what I was on his face.

It’s heartbreaking.

 

But, I also wondered if some of the reasons were really a greater indictment on Christians and human nature.

• Laziness

• Lack of compassion

• Self-centeredness

• Distain for outcasts

Could this be it?

If I asked people from my church, face-to-face this time, what keeps them from being involved, they might say,

“I’m just too busy.”

Or “I’m not really interested in that (in them).”

Or, “I don’t like criminals. They deserve to be where they are and we shouldn’t make things easier for them.”

or maybe,

“I’d rather be doing two million different things than that!”

And whatever the reasons, good or not, they hamper the work of Love.

 

 

 

Protected: Stepping into the quiet: before Discernment (follow up post; part II)

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