The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 2,700 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 45 trips to carry that many people.
Remember when you were in school and your teachers talked about how to write a resume and cover letter? How many of you were told the following:
1. Keep it clean and concise (i.e., don’t include your senior picture, quotes, one-liners or jokes)
2. Put it on nice, clean neutral colored or white paper
3. Keep the resume and letter to one page each
They would then direct you to a page in the textbook, where you’d find a generic cover letter that starts with something like “I would like to submit my resume…,” tell you to model it, and then send you out with instructions to research all the companies you want to work for, network (the favorite buzz word) and find someone who works there to whom you can refer by name, preferably the top dog. Sounded so easy, right?
I’m just wondering….was the job market back in the 80s and 90s really that unoriginal and rigid? How were you supposed to snag an interview when your potential interviewer was falling asleep in his Maxwell House wading through all that white paper?
I heard a piece on the radio the other day about how the “rules” for job hunting have changed dramatically in recent years. In short, the commentator said that gimmicks–not conventions–are not only gaining acceptance–but, in some cases, are actually working to the advantage of job hunters. He cited a woman who had written and recorded a song about the company she wanted to work for, a man who created an entire website devoted to the hunt for his dream job. People who get creative can, and do, get interviews.
So just how creative can you get?
Here’s something that doesn’t work, according to this commentator (because employers say it’s been done to death): Putting your resume in a shoebox with a note inside that says, “Just trying to get my foot in the door….” Oh, brother. I can’t believe someone (er, many someones) tried this.
I must admit, I like the idea of gimmicks. After all, there are just so many darn ways to get attention these days. So, in the spirit of the new job hunting rules, here are my top ten ways to stay unemployed, guaranteed:
10. Tattoo company’s name on your rear end. Take pic, include caption: “I would be an asset to your company…”
9. Occupy: Need I say more?
8. Crumple up resume, put in small garbage bag and mail with a note: “I know you’re going to trash this, so I saved you the trouble.”
7. Dress up in a cowboy costume and pose as a singing telegram to the CEO. Sing your resume to the tune of William Tell Overture.
6. Put yourself in a large box. Send via certified, grade-A crazy mail.
5. Write resume on toilet paper. Include note: “Just go ahead and wipe your *** with those other resumes…”
4. Write resume in blood. Include suicidal note. “If I don’t get this job…waaaaa!”
3. Create giant replica of your dream company’s logo out of cheese and post it on FB with the caption, “Hire me! I have too much time on my hands!” Tag all relevant, potential employers.
2. Your resume, envelope, white powder, note that says, “Now that I’ve got your attention….”
1. Life-size cardboard cutout of you. Recording in your voice: “I’m a real people person…”
Waaaaaaaaa
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:11
We will not be saved from heartache, nor from bad relationships, nor pain, nor death, nor illness. We will not be saved from disappointment. We will not be saved from deceit, nor from the misinformed and judgmental eye of others. We will not be saved from doubt, nor rage, nor hatred. We will experience all these things in this world, and more.
But yet we will be saved. We have a Savior. What does that mean?
There’s a song on the album Lost Christmas Eve by Transsiberian Orchestra called “Back To A Reason.” If you’ve never listened to this song, I highly recommend it. It’s one of my favorite Christmas songs. The following is a link if you’d like to check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EqHNktfDJ4
I think the song speaks to not only “getting back” to the true meaning of Christmas, but also to rediscovering the core of who we are. We have all suffered; we’ve all been lost. We’ve all stood at the “great divides” looking for the “bridge.” That bridge is, and will always be, for me, Jesus Christ. He is the Savior that will bring us across the bridge, back to the reason, the part of us that began, so long ago, with a simple birth.
The vocalist drives home this point in a soulful arrangement that concludes with a passionate statement that says it all:
… somewhere in the dark beyond all the cold there is a child that’s part of my soul.
Did you notice, the scripture, Luke 2:11, says born to you? As it turns out, the New Age mantra that became a silly cliché and the source of many jokes, ”find your inner child,” doesn’t miss the mark by too far. There is, indeed, a child in our heart. And as we all know, the heart isn’t always a lovely, perfect place. But even there, a savior can be born. Born to us. Born for us. The birth of Jesus holds a distant, oft forgotten part of who we are. Sometimes spend our whole lives trying to find it, and yet, it’s been there the whole time. Everything we need to be saved is within us.
It’s sort of like Dorothy’s ruby slippers. She had the power to go home, all along, even when things got scary and tough, and confusing. Even when things seemed about as far away from the comforts of home as one could get.
As the song “Manger Throne” by Third Day goes:
That dirty manger is my heart, too I’ll make it a royal throne for You
My heart is a throne My heart is a throne for God’s own Son
If a manger can hold a King, our beaten down, imperfect hearts can surely hold one. No matter the condition of your heart, it’s valuable beyond measure. It’s where the final authority is born, and rests.
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23
Merry Christmas to all. May you find the child that is part of your soul.
A Facebook friend of mine posted a photo recently that sparked a healthy debate about God and prayer and whether or not these things have any place in the world of football. The photo features Denver Bronco player Tim Tebow kneeled down in apparent prayer during a game, and includes an inserted “headline” that was the subject of the debate:
My initial reaction was ambivalence, then came an onslaught of questions. Was he indeed praying? If so, about what? Is it trivial to pray about things like football games? Does God indeed hear all prayers? What is the message, if any, that Tebow intended to convey?
One Facebook user pointed out that Tebow has actually donated a significant amount of time and money to various charities and missions work. His actions, in the real world, seem to reflect a devout Christian faith. His public expression of faith, then, is not only appropriate, but genuine. On the other hand, others argued that his actions were somehow self-serving, on the level with those players who “dance in the endzone” in an arrogant display of self congratulations.
Obviously, we have no way of knowing what this man is praying for. Yes, he could be asking for touchdowns. On the other hand, he could be praying for children in Africa. Further, prayers are not always requests. Prayers are also a way of praising God for what he has done for us. And anyway, the content of his prayer doesn’t really matter.
The Bible says that only God knows the interior of our hearts. He knows the substance of our prayers–our desires, our concerns, our praises–even before we know them ourselves:
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6:8
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. Romans 8:26
Who are we to judge his actions? If he is a devout believer–if he is a genuine Christian, his prayers are genuine, no matter the content. God knows his heart.
It is not only appropriate to pray in the midst of a football game, but anywhere, any time. The Bible says we are to pray continually (Thessalonians 5:17).
Indeed, our lives should be a prayer, lived in constant reminder of God’s glory and ultimate authority:
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6
Finally–and most importantly–the subject of this man’s prayer is far less noteworthy than the message his actions send. Here is a believer with a ministry. What if he inspires even one person to be curious about God, enough to go to church, to open his Bible, or to get on his knees and simply ask, Who are you?
God has just as much place in football as anywhere else. He isn’t picky when it comes to where, or under what circumstances, the Gospel is delivered.
According to Google Trends, the following are the ten most popular searched terms from 2004 to the present:
1. Facebook
2. Lyrics
3. You
4. Yahoo
5. YouTube
6. My
7. Google
8. Games
9. Weather
10. News
Is anyone surprise that Facebook topped the list? I’m not. But what I do find intriguing is that an internet tool based on something as fundamental and simple as human connection became a worldwide phenomenon basically overnight. Take a look at the other terms. You, YouTube, Google, My… We are a humanity literally obsessed with each other, a humanity desperate to find out more about the world and the people in it.
In 1855, Walt Whitman published a poem describing a spider spinning a web in his major work Leaves of Grass:
I mark’d where on a little promontory it stood isolated,
Mark’d how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,
It launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself,
Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them.
And you O my soul where you stand,
Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them,
Till the bridge you will need be form’d, till the ductile anchor hold,
Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul.
The spider, of course, is a metaphor for the narrator’s “soul,” that is lonely, yet full of ideas–”musing, venturing, throwing, seeking”–in a continual search for ways to connect.
You see where I’m going with this. We are like Whitman’s spider.
The human need for connection–to be entertained, educated, encouraged, validated, comforted–is certainly not a new concept. Yet, even in 1855, Whitman understood the necessity of building connections. They don’t just happen on their own. A spider has to build his own web.
Yet there’s another level of meaning here that perhaps Whitman didn’t recognize (or, more likely, did). A spider builds a web to survive. He builds it to trap his prey. Is communication an element of survival?
If is, if you think of communication as the survival of our self, the essence of who we are. As we build our little Facebook webs, we are not only anchoring ourselves, reinforcing where we are and who we are, but we also draw others into our web, and others cerainly shape our personalities. What’s the purpose of a status update? Do we honestly entertain the notion that we are that interesting? That people are generally curious, on a daily basis, about the comings and goings of our lives? We post our accomplishments, our fears, our complaints, our joys and disappointments, all for the purpose that one person will press on the all-mighty “like”–or, the Holy Grail of Facebookdom–post a comment. We put ourselves out there, in hopes that someone will take hold.
Sometimes we snag someone who genuinely wants to join us. And sometimes, we simply drag people into overbearing drama. But that’s another post…
What does all this really say about us? Are we lonely? Isolated? Bored? And are we, indeed, the people we present ourselves to be, on Facebook? How accurate is Facebook, at capturing character of humanity? In many ways, Facebook is about closing the gap between who we want to be and who we are.
I’ve quoted this line from the 1997 movie As Good As It Gets before, but it’s worth repeating. In a scene with Helen Hunt, Jack Nicholson describes a health ailment that he’s been ignoring. He tells her that after spending the night with her, he started taking the medication he’d previously refused to take, saying, “You make me want to be a better man.” She responds that it’s the best compliment anyone has ever given her.
All these filaments that we spin, that we tirelessly seek to connect–the ideas we have, the things we want to do, our goals and dreams… it only takes one person to make us want to be better. And sometimes, that is enough.
Can you name your favorite albums from each year of your life? How has music shaped who you are?
Even the years that I’d prefer to forget have left a bit of personality, an alluring mark on who I am ( It’s been a long, strange trip). Most interesting to me is that my musical journey has been a little chaotic at times, reflecting the often mixed-up process of growing. You won’t see a lot of consistency here. For me, music has been my frequent partner in what Jung called the development of personality, “an act of high courage flung in the face of life.” Life is messy and charming, all the more lovable when set to music. And yet it’s often an in-the-moment kind of love, a fickle kind of relationship. I suppose it’s appropriate then, that each of my years have had one (or, in some cases, two or three) musical flings.
And so, here’s my list. I should add that there are a few years for which I simply could not choose only one favorite album. After reviewing all the possible choices, some years’ albums, in my personal musical history book, must share the spotlight. Some of these I discovered in the year they were released, but in many cases, I discovered them, obviously, in retrospect.
Enjoy – and I hope you will create your own list. If you do, please send me a link to it!
1969: Live/Dead – Grateful Dead
1970: Workingman’s Dead – Grateful Dead
1971: Led Zeppelin IV – Led Zeppelin & Electric Warrior – T.Rex
1972: The Slider – T.Rex
1973: Ridin The Storm Out – REO Speedwagon
1974: It’ll Shine When It Shines – Ozark Mountain Daredevils
1975: Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood Mac
1976: Hotel California – The Eagles
1977: Rumors – Fleetwood Mac & News of the World – Queen
1978: The Cars – The Cars & Bursting Out – Jethro Tull
1979: The Wall – Pink Floyd
1980: Back in Black – AC/DC & Hi Infidelity – REO Speedwagon
1981: Dead Set – Grateful Dead
1982: American Fool – John Cougar Mellencamp & Thriller – Michael Jackson
1983: Colour By Numbers – Culture Club & Pyromania – Def Leppard
1984: Chicago 17 – Chicago & Love At First Sting – Scorpions & Purple Rain – Prince
1985: Brothers in Arms – Dire Straits & Five-0 – Hank Williams Jr.
1986: Slippery When Wet – Bon Jovi & Storms of Life – Randy Travis
1987: Appetite for Destruction – Guns N. Roses & Faith – George Michael
1988: And Justice For All – Metallica
1989: Pretty Hate Machine – Nine Inch Nails
1990: The Immaculate Collection – Madonna & I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got – Sinead O’Connor
1991: BloodSugarSexMagik – Red Hot Chili Peppers
1992: Little Earthquakes – Tori Amos
1993: Pablo Honey – Radiohead
1994: four – Blues Traveler & Under The Pink – Tori Amos & Pulp Fiction – Original Soundtrack
1995: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness – Smashing Pumpkins
1996: Crash – Dave Matthews Band
1997: Transistor – 311 & My Own Prison – Creed
1998: The Best of 1980-1990 – U2 & Teatro – Willie Nelson
1999: Human Clay – Creed & Live At Luther College – Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds
2000: All That You Can’t Leave Behind – U2
2001: Weathered – Creed
2002: Home – Dixie Chicks & Live – Alison Krauss & Union Station
2003: Come Away With Me – Norah Jones
2004: Beyond The Sea – Original Soundtrack
2005: Walk The Line – Original Soundtrack
2006: Wintersong – Sara Mclachlan & Superman Returns – Original Score
2007: The Darjeeling Limited – Original Soundtrack
2008: Any Port in a Storm – The Dirty Heads & Trading Snake Oil for Wolftickets – Gary Jules
2009: Battle Studies – John Mayer & Continuum – John Mayer
2010: Made Me Glad – Miriam Webster & Tarkan – Tarkan
2011: The Fame – Lady Gaga
A brisk evening in December, Christmas stars lit up along Tenth Street, a song of the season on the radio—I was driving along tonight, enjoying a rare moment of quiet reflection during a busy time of year, when a scene caught my eye: The serene, poignant figures of the lighted Nativity in front of a local church, encased in a metal cage. It’s a sad comment on the times, when the sacred must be protected from would-be thieves or naysayers. Nothing new, of course, but something I hadn’t really considered before, how the simple placement of a Christmas symbol could be cause for a discourse on security and vandalism.
I could launch a rant about how in my day, you could put the Baby Jesus any where you darn well-pleased, without worry it would be accosted. How it was ok to sing traditional Christmas carols at school. How the term “Happy Holidays” was unheard of. But I won’t. Instead, I will just tell you why I think that church should take the Nativity out of the cage.
When I was younger, I used to go to a Methodist church with my first husband and his parents. I remember sitting in the pew one day when the pastor began communion. At this church, everyone went to the front to partake. As the rows emptied out, one by one, I began to get nervous. I wasn’t a Christian. I’d never taken communion. To be honest, I was confused. Was I supposed to go up to the front too? Nobody had briefed me on communion at First Methodist Church. So I sat. My mother-in-law got up beside me and placed her hand on my shoulder. Expecting a calm, pleasant explanation, someone to assuage my anxiety, I looked up, but instead, I got a stern frown, a bewildered, impatient huff. “Get up,” she said. “Go.” Still perplexed, I did as she’d said. We never spoke of it again.
It wasn’t until a year or two later that I actually accepted Christ and was baptized, but I always wondered about that day. I knew, even then, as a non-believer, that something wasn’t quite right about my mother-in-law’s behavior. Maybe she was a believer, a Christian, but she sure looked like something else that day. She looked a whole lot like someone carrying around an idol—a perfect picture of how she wanted things to be. Evidently, I’d rattled the cage.
I’d disturbed her Nativity.
See, her approach was all wrong because she had a perfect opportunity to be Christ like, but instead, she succumbed to pride. If Christianity was a frown and a firm, vise-like grip on my shoulder, I wanted no part of it.
Protecting the sacred is one thing, but placing a barrier around the sacred can alienate us from the message. It is possible to hold something valuable so close that it gets lost inside of us. Spiritual pride causes us to cling to our beliefs and customs so that they become like idols encased in a barrier of our own making. We place ourselves in such a sturdy, strong box, that we only seek to force others into it instead of looking for opportunities to expand the Kingdom.
We have to see, hear and feel the message of Christ. It means nothing in isolation. We can’t afford to protect something over the opportunity to share it.
In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he writes,
And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should (Colossians 4:3-4).
We live in a world that loves the phrase “think outside the box.” We hear it everywhere—in marketing, the economy, social relationships. But what does it mean in the context of faith? It means removing the cage and getting to the business of clearly, passionately, and confidently proclaiming the truth. It’s time to take Jesus out of the box.
