Enklings Studio

Hope Video From Sharefaith

Check out the new video from Sharefaith and 1Word Studios. I really enjoy writing video scripts for these guys, they truly make words come alive!

How Do I Connect With Thee?

Let me count the ways...

Friend me, facebook me, tweet me, link me, myspace me, google me, youtube me, yahoo me, IM me, plurk me, twine me, reddit me, stumble upon me, digg me, flicker me, delicio.us me, blink me, rss me, furl me, fark me, blog me, post me, text me.... (yes, I know there's 100 more)

I'm not sure this is what Elizabeth Barrett Browning had in mind.  With all the opportunity for connection, the world should be a better place, shouldn't it?  Perhaps we spend too much time connecting with each other and not enough loving each other.  Time will tell....

Simply,

Tim

Pictures of Typhoon Ondoy in the Philippines

My friend Jeff Uy from the Bayan-Anihan Foundation in the Philippines sent along these photos and a plea for help in relief from the ravages of Typhoon Ondoy.

Anything you can do to help - here are the links from Jeff:

ANCOP USA
www.ancopusa.org
or you can send your checks to
ANCOP USA, PO Box 10095, Torrance, CA 90505.Or go
to www.ancopusa.org if you prefer to do it online via credit card.

AYALA FOUNDATION USA
You can issue checks payable to Ayala Foundation USA with project noted (Gawad Kalinga Ondoy Relief) and send to :

Ayala Foundation USA255 Shoreline Drive, Suite 428
Redwood City, CA 94065
Tel. no. 1-650-598-3126Fax No. 1-650-508-8898
Email info@af-usa.org

or you can donate to Ayala Foundation USA via credit card by visiting http://www.af-usa.org/donate_now_form.asp.
In "choosing organization to receive the donation", please choose
"Gawad Kalinga-Community Infrastructure Program" for now.

By tomorrow, September 29, Tuesday Philippine Time, you will be able to choose
"Gawad Kalinga-Relief".  DONATE ONLINE AT www.gk1world.com. Visit us at www.gk1world.com and click on "Operation GK Walang Iwanan
(Click to Donate)".

This facility can accept donations from all over the world.
Daily updates on the needs of affected communities will be posted
on www.gk1world.com so we can respond quickly and appropriately.

Simply,

Tim

The Heart of Christianity - Marcus Borg

The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith by Marcus J. Borg

My rating: 5 of 5 stars I think this is a must read for any person of faith who wants to understand the emerging Church movement. Marcus Borg wonderfully writes his thesis and nails it to the door of the fundamentalist evangelical Church that has emerged in the U.S. in last century and a half.

His main points of seeing Christianity as metaphor and sacramental are beautifully written. His acceptance of other religions as sacred and metaphor for the same path to God is something I've experienced reading the ancient Chinese literature. Both areas are worth reading, especially in the U.S.'s pluralistic society where we rub shoulders daily with people of different faiths.

His view of God as Just, not as Judge, brings amazing clarity to solving the worlds injustices through belief in God. I resonate with his thought that the current focus on eternity by the evangelical Church does not help bring the justice of God today to the people dying for lack of basic necessities.

Must reads are Borg's chapter on the kingdom of God and his view of the Lord's Prayer. Both eye opening interpretations.

I can see why Marcus Borg is labeled a heretic by many. Personally, I find new thought refreshing and I guess I have enough gray hair to be able to read opposing opinions and find truth in each. We need more Marcus Borgs to shock us out of the comfort of our street corner lifeboats so we can put our collective efforts into saving the ship.

Simply,

Tim

View all my reviews >>

Outside In or Inside Out?

Frederick Buechner once wrote that "we live in falsity when we live from the outside in rather than from the inside out." I came across this quote while reading a different author last week and can't get the thought out of my mind.

I think this is the core issue with so much of the world today.  We have allowed outside influences to determine our path rather than choosing a path and walking it.  We buy what we are told is best to buy, we read what we are told is best to read, we drive what we are told is best to drive and we live where we are told it's best to live.  I'm not talking just about advertisement, but also of a societal movement to find equity in mimicry, i.e. we are better people because we do things alike and buy things alike.

Living from the inside out brings uniqueness.  Unfortunately in our society, uniqueness is not often rewarded. If it is rewarded, it soon turns into a trend to be followed, thus eliminating it as unique.  Competition, a religion in the U.S., is a matter of how I can be like you, but better.  Living from the inside out eliminates competition and encourages community.  If I intrinsically provide something different than you, we can work together as a support for each other and others.

Think about living from the inside out, at home, in your business, in your spiritual life.  Being self aware is the first step.  Self awareness is not nurtured in our society because we are taught to key on and react to external influences from an early age. Try this for a first step.  Take a walk and eliminate any outside input.  Walk very early before there is a lot of noise and leave your iPod at home. 

Listen.  I think you'll be amazed at what you hear.  More later....

Simply,

Tim

And When I Die - Peter, Paul and Mary

Sorry to hear of the passing of Mary Travers. 

I came of age in the late 60's and 70's. In 1968 I got my first guitar, a Gretsch acoustic 6 string, and one of the first songs I could play was If I had a Hammer, a Pete Seeger song made famous by Peter, Paul and Mary. 

There are not many artists whose music has ties so close to their mission and passion, but Mary was one. Radical peace and love we learned through both her life and her music.

Simply,

Tim

What Would Google do? - Jeff Jarvis

What Would Google Do? by Jeff Jarvis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars This one sentence was worth the price of the book: "competitors who learn to target customers-by relevance, not by content or demographics-will increase effectiveness and efficiency and lower their cost."

This is a fascinating study on how Google is changing life. If you step back and look at the enormity of Google's reach into most developed nations, it's amazing. Embracing the way they have done this is an important lesson for any business that wants to grow.

The business scenarios in the last half of the book are eye opening as to how industries could change to remain relevant in the new interconnected and instant society.

As a proponent of simplicity, I have been a Google fan since the early days when it was just a search engine. We can all learn a lot from their model and this book.

Simply,

Tim

View all my reviews >>

Psalm 71 and 9/11

The day after 9/11/2001 I wrote a song based on Psalm 71.  We sing it at our Church, but I don't think I've ever told anyone the significance that I came across this verse while the world was turned upside down those days after such a tragedy.

Here's the part of Psalm 71 that spoke to me that what was true thousands of years ago to a young Shepherd-King David, was also true as we looked to the sky for answers:

Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God,
       you who have done great things.
       Who, O God, is like you?

Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter,
       you will restore my life again;
       from the depths of the earth
       you will again bring me up.

You will increase my honor
       and comfort me once again.

I will praise you with the harp
       for your faithfulness, O my God;
       I will sing praise to you with the lyre,
       O Holy One of Israel.

My lips will shout for joy
       when I sing praise to you—
       I, whom you have redeemed.

My tongue will tell of your righteous acts
       all day long,
       for those who wanted to harm me
       have been put to shame and confusion.

Here's a video of the song.  Please excuse the quality, one of these days I'll get a better recorder (and a better voice!)

Simply,

Tim

Magnificent - U2

Magnificent

I was born
I was born to be with you
In this space and time
After that and ever after I haven’t had a clue
Only to break rhyme
This foolishness can leave a heart black and blue
Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar
I was born
I was born to sing for you
I didn’t have a choice but to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice
From the womb my first cry
It was a joyful noise
Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar
Justified till we die
You and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent
Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love unites our hearts
Justified till we die
You and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent
Magnificent

U2

Simply,

Tim

Idolizing Luxury?

When luxuries become perceived necessities, we fall into the danger of idolizing and ritualizing them.  

Houses
New cars
Church buildings
New Clothes
Retirement
Health care
Restaurants
Education
Chocolate
Stable income
The Food Pyramid
The American Dream

What else?

Simply,

Tim