handbook for the sellout

the end.

2011-08-12T15:43:00.002-04:00

after 7 years. this is the end.

that's a 1/4 of my life. (up until know.)

formative years indeed. time well spent.

the biggest changes in my life have been documented on this blog.

some of the early stuff, i don't completely agree with.

some of it reminds me of the person i used to want to be.

these are memories and ponderings frozen in time.

this is a documentation of the process of growth.

one extreme to another and then back to the middle.

i'm sure i'll write again.

just not here.

find me.

love God. love people. love wins.

this has been a handbook for the sellout.

thanks & love,

michael

bread crumb trail

2011-01-06T03:09:00.003-05:00

i arise from my restless bed.

i am up before the sun.

why?

have i fallen into the machine?

who is in control?

it or i?

where is hope?

is hope a liar?

is hope a promise?

i am a broken man.

i am in the desert wandering.

the land of confusion.

waiting for a sign.

following a bread crumb trail.

manna.

am i trapped in an endless winter?

i try to remember spring.

flowers rising to meet the sun.

am i a prodigal?

where is home?

where is hope?

rest my weary heart.

be patient.

be still my wandering mind.

be still my reckless tongue.

be still...

be still and know...

hope springs forth like waves cresting over dry sand.

save blue like jazz

2010-09-29T13:34:00.002-04:00

so donald miller has been trying to get his book Blue Like Jazz turned into a movie.

if you are like me and have been touched by his books, let's try and make this happen.

if you haven't read the book... get it!

Save Blue Like Jazz from Save Blue Like Jazz on Vimeo.

proverbs and musings from microblogging

2010-09-21T18:09:00.003-04:00

so in the age of twitter and facebook a lot of my blog "ideas" go to waste on little 140 character snippets... so i have compiled a little list of a few of my favorites... some from my facebook, some are exclusives i wrote while i was internetless in ecuador...

the man reading the book with the headphones on is actually listening to the book and looking at the pictures.

the world is beneath my toes. each path leads me to another that leads me to you.

there is a word for this and I am not at liberty to use it.

i need more music and coffee in my life.

the american married the ecuadorian.

fear and hatred are diseases that can only be overcome by hope and love.

s.o.s. very emergency.

no one ever says "first things second".

I'm planning a trip to good ol knoxville, tn. Andrew Peterson tickets bought!

I love V8 Fusion. a full serving or fruit. a full serving of veggies. and it actually tastes good.

Michael John Baysinger feels the breath of impending illness breathing down his neck.

who doesn't love talking to att&t customer service at 1 in the morning?

one out of 3 ain't half bad... it's 2/3rds bad...

soooo... bono wrote songs for the spiderman musical. ummmmm yeah. so... that happened...

i love listening to daniel johnston in the morning. he's legit.

oh garbage pail kids. how i've missed you from my life.

i'm pretty sure that the crickets outside are singing pokerface.

nouwen was meant to be read outside.

I wonder how often a piece of the puzzle never makes it into the box to begin with.

the next 25 hours will be spent in airports and airplanes... AAAAAAAAND the first flight is delayed...

ummmm so... my wife is playing christmas music... yes... you read that correctly... it's August 18th.

going to Ingapirca to check out some Inca ruins.

there are now 5 redbox locations that are less than a 1/2 of a mile from my house. that is sick.

double rainbow across the sky. what does this mean? it's so bright and so vivid.

...and that's why they invented the word "cliche".

Michael John Baysinger loves that his wife just saw the sixth sense for the first time and didn't already know the ending! what a great movie!

I met a dude named Smiles who has an amazing beard. He met his wife 13 years ago while hitchhiking (She picked him up). They are driving from California to Ohio where they bought 20 acres to live off the grid. They are fans of Derek Webb. They are in town to buy an old school bus in Morgantown to live in while they build their house. I gave them a pound of Sumatra. They gave me a bar of homemade soap. THIS is why i love my job.

things i prayed for (or the shuffle)

2010-08-18T10:24:00.004-04:00

so from time to time i go through my entire ipod of music. that doesn't sound like a whole lot. but thats 10,304 songs. 28 days 10 hours and 13 seconds. sooooo ummmm yeah... it takes about half a year to get through it all. my wife absolutely loves it (sarcasm). i mean seriously who wants to listen to 15 and a half hours of Johnny Cash? or 9 different versions of Auld Lang Syne in the middle of summer? it's a little OCD. i know. i am currently in my 3rd trip around and each trip get longer. i usually start with the year that is furthest back, make a playlist and put it on shuffle... i am currently in 2008.

The great thing about this whole project is that i get to listen to songs that I have loved and forgotten. I actually cried when i heard the following song... it's not that the song is particularly great, it's just that i used to listen to this song ALL the time... and now that I am living in the 3rd verse of it... it just kinda hits hard. I am changing a few of the lyrics to fit me more personally...

THINGS I PRAYED FOR WHEN I WAS YOUNG
That my father would love me like his only son
That my mother would be patient with me
That my sister would not leave
And If my grandma could see me beyond her grave
That she'd think her little man was so brave
That my hair would not stick up in weird places
And I'd be someone someday

Years go by so easily that sometimes I forget
Years go by and make me see that there's no time for my regret
No time for my regret

THINGS I PRAYED FOR IN MY TEENS
That God would forgive all my evil deeds
That my brothers and my sister would come home
And God could meet our needs
And if my grandma could see me beyond her grave
That she'd say a prayer for her family's sake
That my hair would stick up in weird places
And I'd be someone someday

Years go by so easily that sometimes I forget
Years go by and make me see that there's no time for my regret
No time for my regret

THINGS I PRAY FOR NOW IN MY TWENTIES
That God would still love me and I would love my new family
That I could hug my sister that my mom could rest
That my wife would still melt every time we kiss
And if my grandma has seen me beyond her grave
How cold and silent she has remained
That my hair would not fall out in weird places
And I'd be someone someday

Years go by so easily that sometimes I forget
Years go by and make me see that there's no time for my regret
No time for my regret

6 years...

2010-08-07T15:00:00.004-04:00

so it has been 6 years since i started this blog. a lot has changed but some things stay the same... i'm still a kid... with dreams. yeah. i know i'm 26. (or am i 27? I can't remember... sigh). shoot... i got my first passport and I'm currently in Ecuador. so that's a step. :)

so there's this guy named daniel johnston. I was introduced to him a while back, and this song has recently come back to me... and i feel it important to share with you...

Don't want to be free of hope
And I'm at the end of my rope
It's so tough just to be alive
When I feel like the living dead
I'm giving it up so plain
I'm living my life in vain
And where am I going to?
I got to really try
Try so hard to get by
And where am I going to?

I don't know where is up or down
And there ain't any love left around
Everybody wearin' a frown
Waiting for Santa to come to town
You're giving it up so plain
You're living your lives in vain
And where are you going to?
You've got to really try
Try so hard to get by
And where are you going to?
Flip on your TV
And try to make sense out of that
If we were all in the movies
Maybe we wouldn't be so bored
We're giving it up so plain
We're living our lives in vain
And where are we going to?

You gotta really try
Try so hard to get by
And where are you going to?

Goodbye, goodbye

opposite of love.

2010-07-07T09:34:00.004-04:00

I've heard that the opposite of love is hate, fear or indifference... but i like what Donald Miller (author of Blue Like Jazz and multiple
cool books) has to say about it...

The opposite of love is not hate, it's control. - Donald Miller

I think there are a few different "opposites" on love because that are a few different types of love. I think it's true that if your life is too controlled you don't always leave room for the Spirit of love. Living a life of love is reckless.

Live in love.

tired heart

2010-06-06T13:35:00.000-04:00

tired heart
bleach

I haven't felt good in months
The well has run dry, all at once
The habits come easy but they're so hard to break
I really need to hear, to hear You say

Peace be still I am with you
Rest in me for one more night
Peace be still I am with you
Replace this tired heart with mine

So I'll sing songs of life
For all these broken hearts just like mine
And I'll lay down all this pride
So I can hear You, You whisper, it's all right

Peace be still I am with you
Rest in me for one more night
Peace be still I am with you
Replace this tired heart with mine

And I'm so sorry I haven't come home
But I'm coming home soon, I'm coming home soon
I'm coming home soon, I'm coming home soon
I'm coming home soon, I'm coming home

waiting.

2010-05-10T01:23:00.002-04:00

what are you trying to tell me? show me a way. be a light for my feet. guide me. lead me. speak to me. i want to hear your gentle whisper. i'm listening. all i hear is "wait; be patient; grow where you are".

______________________________________

a gentle whisper like a melody
and the angels sing the harmony
and i cry out in my small voice
hallelujah to the king
to the lord of everything
the author of my fall and spring
the keeper of the heavenlies
hallelujah to the king

good girl + bad guy = hideous mutant

2010-04-28T02:10:00.004-04:00

i know... it's sad... i am 26 years old and i still watch "the hills". why? why do i watch this? ahhhhh thankfully this is the last season. so it will be over soon.

anyway to the point of this post... now i hate to rag on people... especially on physical appearance... but this is a cautionary tale about a young girl...

heidi montag... she was a gorgeous confident woman... she moved to L.A., started dating a jerk who made her feel insecure, he drove all of her friends and family away, she got married to him, had all kinds of plastic surgery and quite frankly now looks like a plastic monster... necessary plastic surgery is one thing... recreational plastic surgery is another... she doesn't look real...

this is a girl who had everything and got lost. she came from a good family, had good friends, but poured her life into a detestable man and came out an insecure mutilated girl who can barely chew her own food because she had her jaw shaved for vanity.

and it's not just the physical transformation. it's the character transformation too... she is literally a different person...

what went wrong? it happens all the time... why do good girls go after bad guys? why do they sacrifice everything for a total selfish jerk? why?

cautionary tale, girls. it's a cautionary tale...

feeling the pull

2010-04-27T13:14:00.002-04:00

And I'm feeling the pull dragging me off again
And I'm feeling so small against that big sky tonight

So kids... let me tell you a story...

2010-04-12T12:58:00.003-04:00

It was 2010. You're mother and I had been married the previous year. Early in the year we moved out of our small apartment in Martinsville to a house less than a mile away, across 37. Your mother was in nursing school and I had recently become a shift supervisor at Starbucks Coffee Company in Martinsville.

In my new position I knew I would be working a lot of nights so when we moved to the new house I thought it would be a good idea to get a dog to be the "man of the house" while I was gone late at night. So we went to the Humane Society and found a little dog that your mother fell in love with immediately. I can still remember her opening his cage and him immediately resting his head on her shoulder as if to hug her for releasing him from his life of captivity. We named him Friday Thaddaeus. So we brought him home and our cat, Sunday, was not too happy about it. After about a week of them together, we let her outside and she didn't come back. After about a month of worrying, your mom got a call from a nice lady across town who had found a skinny, starving cat with our phone number on it. It was Sunday. She was a little banged up and had a 2 different kinds on infections. She got better and fat again. Her and Friday eventually learned to get along. So long as he knew that she was the boss.

We started a vegetable garden in our backyard, although it was quite a challenge keeping Friday out of it. As well as the many squirrels we had. It probably didn't help that your mother kept feeding them ears of corn in order to keep them coming back. When spring came along our entire yard was flooded with purple violets. It was the most beautiful yard on the street. It seemed a shame to cut them down with our first lawnmower. It's funny how we do things with the intention of making things beautiful but in the process we destroy something that is already naturally beautiful. I don't think the yard ever compared to the other, more manicured, yards on the street after that. But it was ours and we loved it anyway.

We bought a porch swing and a firepit so we could be outside more.

Life was good. Stressful at times but I don't think we realized how good it was in the moment. It's important to be content in the moment. That's something we often neglect to do.

where are monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, & saturday?

2010-04-05T13:42:00.004-04:00

hello readers.

sorry it's been so long since i've written. i haven't had much to say.

life update. as reported in my last blog, i am now a Shift Supervisor at Starbucks in Martinsville. So that's awesome. i've been working some overtime lately, so that's been nice.

We did get a new dog! His name is Friday Thaddaeus Baysinger. He is named after Robinson Crusoe's sidekick Man Friday and the Disciple, Thaddaeus (also known as Jude), the patron saint of Lost Causes (how awesome is that?). We have already house trained him and Sara has taught him a few tricks. When we got him, our cat, Sunday, ran away! :( Someone across down called and said they had found her nearly a month later. She was starving, a little scratched up, had a respiratory infection as well as a eye infection. So i think she was glad to see us as much as we were glad to see her!

We've started our new vegetable garden at our new house. We just have to find a way to keep Friday out of it!

do yourself a favor and read the following article.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jon-foreman/possessed-by-truth_b_515051.html

raise & dog

2010-02-12T05:21:00.003-05:00

i'm getting a raise. then i am getting a promotion with another raise. i'm kinda stoked. with sara in school this will help immensely. not sure if this means that i will go back to working nights, but i assume so. which kind of stinks. not that i don't like nights. it's that i just miss spending nights with my wife when i do.

sara and I are getting a dog. we went and picked him out at the shelter yesterday. we get him on monday!

a ping

2010-02-09T20:02:00.002-05:00

so i am wondering if anyone reads this ol thing anymore. i wouldn't blame anyone for forgetting seeing as how i have been neglecting this as of late.

anyway, in a lot of ways this is more for me than it is you. soooo here goes it...

sara and i are looking into rescuing a dog. we are thinking rat terrier. it will rock Sunday's world. She is our cat.

i've been playing my guitar a lot more lately. i miss leading worship. i really do.

sara's sister, Nicole, is in town. we are currently watching the original Stargate movie. gansta.

until next time.

lost.

2010-02-01T14:50:00.001-05:00

tomorrow the final season of lost starts. oh joy!

from the desk of Michael Baysinger

2010-01-22T19:38:00.000-05:00

well actually... it's from the couch of Michael Baysinger... but ya know...

well friends and family and cyber stalkers, sorry for the delay in writing. life's been well busy. in the end of 2009 Sara and I packed our belongings and moved out of our apartment. After a short time staying with my parents, we moved into a house! it's got a yard, a garage, a shed. and all kinds of quirks. It was kind of a stressful move but it was well worth it. Sara says she feels like she is finally "settled". :)

Sunday loves the house too... although she is a pester pot.

What else is happening... hmmmm...

Sara is a couple of weeks into her second semester of nursing school!

I am still working for Starbucks & loving it.

I won 1 of my fantasy football leagues! Go Hill Valley Preservation Society!

I've been loving this whole Conan debacle on NBC.

i got my guitar fixed. so i've been playing a lot more.

best new show on tv. Modern Family. check it.

Sara and I are planning on going to Ecuador for a week or so in August or September... So that's exciting...

Life is good.

examination of humankind.

2009-11-10T13:17:00.003-05:00

Humans are funny. Very quirky. It's interesting that we have so many opinions about everything. Opinions vary person to person, perspective to perspective. Everyone comes from different places and times and have experienced different things. No two people are exactly alike. I think that's why relationships are tricky. Sometimes it's hard to relate to people that are different from you. What is permissible to you may disgust others and vice versa. But if we focus on love, all of the imperfections fade. Sometimes a little too slowly for comfort. That uncomfortable feeling gives us a chance at some personal growth.

the beckon

2009-10-22T01:46:00.002-04:00

my lovely wife wrote a beautiful short poem tonight...

it should be read by all... take the jump below!

the beckon

hoosier hysteria!

2009-10-15T17:22:00.002-04:00

Every year i always go to Hoosier Hysteria to support my INDIANA HOOOOOOOOOOSIERS! in case you haven't heard of it, it's essentially the "first" "official" "practice" of the season for college basketball... It's a time to see the new team, watch a scrimmage, a 3 point contest and a dunk contest. It's also a great time to help Indiana get new recruits by showing tremendous support for a team that was below mediocre last year. But it's a building year. tons of new faces and hopefully we will at least win 1/2 of our games. I think we will be better next year and amazing the following year. time will tell... anyway... it's a tradition to go... so i'm doing it... at least while i'm in the near vicinity...

why do people knowingly make bad choices?

2009-10-14T01:04:00.002-04:00

why do people knowingly make bad choices?

that's one thing i just don't get.

It happens all the time. Some people for whatever reason decide to do something so obviously wrong. I don't get it. It's one thing to stumble onto a path with a dead end and upon realizing it's a poor choice, turning around. But when you've been warned by friends and family that what you are doing is downright destructive, and you still choose to go down a dead end path. I just don't get that. Why would you make choices like that?

Do you really want a life like that? You could be so much more than what you are choosing to be. The future is bright... It really is... The universe is infinite with stars beyond stars and you've got your eyes fixed on the dirt...

I can walk with you for a while but our paths are in different directions. eventually you will become a speck in the distance slowly fading away. when you are ready to meet up again I will leave you bread crumbs to find me. and I'll be waiting with open arms. but for now, I can't go any further.

i've said my peace. i've poured it all out. it's obvious. this isn't love. this is infatuation. this is addiction. and it's changed the core of who you are.

i don't like the deceit. i don't like the lies. i don't like the manipulation. i don't like the smugness. where did your innocence go?

your road is ending.

i just don't get it...

turn around!

i just don't get it...

but here i am waiting... i'm here... i love you... come back?

....................................................................................................................... (arms still open)

fall and things.

2009-10-11T20:49:00.003-04:00

so in comes fall with all of it's cold and it's rain and now i'm sick. a cold. ugh. it makes everything miserable.

as for work. last week i was in overtime. this week i'm in overtime. next week i am in overtime. which is probably why i am sick... i am just worn out... but i won't complain. i appreciate the overtime... considering almost 1 out of every 10 americans is out of work, i am blessed...

it's interesting that we focus a lot on the things we don't have... i don't have a lot of things. but i still have more than i need...

sara has already started listening christmas music. ahhhhhhhhhhh! we haven't even passed Halloween. she's a little crazy, but i love her... haha

stargate universe is here... it's totally different from other stargate series... but i still like it... it's like Stargate meets Battlestar Galatica meets LOST meets Star Trek meets Lost in Space. so it's pretty good.

oh the anticipation!

2009-10-07T12:33:00.001-04:00

so i am going to go see this band in november. their new record drops at the end of october. i can't begin to tell you how excited i am.

The Swell Season . Strict Joy from Overcoat Management on Vimeo.

the end. bed. domestic. oops. pot roast. KI. swell. VIA!

2009-09-24T11:44:00.006-04:00

so i have finally finished my "series" of thoughts. yay!

married life is good. we desperately need a larger bed. a full sized just isn't cutting it. and unless you go and meet some dude from craigslist at a shady warehouse in the seedy underbelly of the bloomington, a king sized bed will run you at LEAST $499 and let's be honest, that's more than 1 paycheck for me. so... yeah... seedy underbelly here i come! unless anyone's got a freebie?

i have become very domestic. i cook. i clean. i launder. i shop. good times.

yesterday I accidentally took Nyquil instead of Dayquil. So that was awesome.

tonight i am making pot roast. first time ever!

this weekend we are hitting up king's island. word is that they have a new coaster.

i scored some tickets to see the swell season in November. Happy Birthday to me! (and probably Merry Christmas!)...

btw, if you are wanting fast coffee, Starbucks is bringing a new product called VIA. It is amazing. It's instant coffee but it's not your grandma's instant coffee. it's all natural with NO chemicals added or anything added. it's 100% coffee... it tastes like starbucks coffee... it's the ONLY instant coffee made with the highest-quality (arabica) beans. plus it's ethically sourced. and at 83 cents a cup it's not a bad price too. plus you can add it to cold water and ice for iced coffee. or to milk for an iced latte. or to ice cream or a milk shake. i had it with sparkling water and vanilla and it was pretty good... the uses are limitless... i've heard of people using it on steak and in brownies... so starting next tuesday you can get it at starbucks... also next friday, saturday, sunday, & monday you can take the VIA taste challenge for free and get free tall coffee on the house. can you tell that I am excited about this product?

okay so let's be honest... (part XVIII)

2009-09-23T13:37:00.006-04:00

What would we, as the living body of Christ, look like if we really followed Jesus?
What if we actually loved our neighbors and our enemies?
What if we loved people who slept around?
What if we loved abortionists?
What if we loved prostitutes?
What if we loved religious fanatics?
What if we loved terrorists?
What if we loved racist rednecks?
What if we loved the poor and the widows?
What if we loved the lonely?
What if we loved the unlovable?
What if we loved EVERYONE?

God cares about all of those people.
Jesus even died for them.

What if we loved until it hurt?
What happens when real, unbiased, unconditional love enters into our lives?
Think about that…
It’s kinda scary when you think about living that out…

So, as I wrap this series up, I don’t want you to miss the point.
I don't want you to be sad.
I want you to be glad.
Glad that you’re saved.
Glad to know about the love of God.
I want you to love your neighbor.
To know that Jesus is real.
He's a real man.

Sometimes I imagine that He’s sitting beside me.
Just to think that He's got real hands and real feet and a real face.

And it's not just make-believe.
And right now, this very instant, I can believe in a real man.
Not just some mythical figure.
Not some Santa Claus.

We're all in it together.
And it's hard because He hasn't been here for over 2000 years.
And you've never seen Him.
But put your faith in Him.

So I say "Follow Jesus"
And you ask "Is He safe?"
"Course He isn't safe, but He's good, He's the king I tell You"

THE END

okay so let's be honest... (part XVII)

2009-09-20T04:01:00.006-04:00

Thomas Aquinas was a great theologian in the 1200’s.
He wrote volumes upon volumes of these great theological books.
And you might find out that He didn't even finish.
One day he just stopped writing.
And his friend said "Aren't you gonna finish? Why'd you stop writing?"
And he said, "It all just seems like straw".

This is a guy that is held in high regard because of his impact on Christianity.
Because of everything he's done, everything he's ever said.
We think he's great.
He said, "It all just seems like straw".
Because Thomas Aquinas came in contact with the love of God.
And everything that he ever did, didn't even stack up.
It didn't even come close.
It all just seemed like nothing.

Everything you do will never even stack up to what Jesus did.
Never.
No amount of money, trophies, ribbons, fame, or anything will ever stack up to what Jesus did.

So I ask, “what are you doing?”
What are you working for?
Anything you are doing outside of God's will, doesn't even matter in the end.
In the end it’s worthless.
It doesn’t even stack up.
It has no value in the realm of eternity.
It only matters that you have a real relationship with Him.
And that in everything you do, you let Him shine through.
God hates it when we are wishy washy.
Jesus tells us to pick sides.
He's tired of us fooling around on Him.
So I ask, what side are you on?
There are only two sides.
Are you doing what God wants you to?
Don't lie to yourself.

So I ask what do we do?
How do we change things?
How can we make a difference?
I think a lot of times we are so stuck on ourselves that we lose sight of what He wants.
Get rid of your insecurities.
Quit worrying about that other people think.
Cause it only matters what God thinks.
And right now, he can't stand that we are not passionate about Him.
God wants us to fall in love with Him.
The kind of love where we will give up anything just to be in the arms of the one we love.
Christ's arms are reaching out for us...
All we have to do in fall into them...

okay so let's be honest... (part XVI)

2009-09-13T23:40:00.004-04:00

sorry for the break.

We say things like we wanna feel alive.
But in order to be alive we have to consume something.
A lot of us go to church at least once or twice a week.
But Keith Green once asked “how can you be so dead, if you've been so well fed?"

Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.
I think a lot of times we don't trust God because everything's not clear.
Everything's not gonna be clear.
It's not gonna be easy.
If everything was clear, we wouldn't have to trust Him.
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe,
And blessed are the hands that keep giving but never receive.
Blessed is the heart that gets broken but keeps holding on for another day.
Because that's what it means to live by faith.

I say put everything in His hands, don't worry about what's gonna happen.
He'll take care of the rest.
Jesus isn't safe, but He's good, and therefore trustworthy.

speak to me

2009-09-11T14:11:00.003-04:00

i am broken.
i am worn.
i am spent.
i am tired of waiting.
this mountain is too high.
the journey is too long.
i don't know where this is taking me.
i need an indication of where I am headed.
a map. a light. a sign. anything.

the storm has come.
it knocked me down.
and I can't breathe on the ground.
tell me it will be okay.

please speak to me.
you know I'm listening right now.
so please speak to me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

sometimes it takes something so big
to get me to listen to your voice
a gentle whisper like a melody
and the angels sing the harmony
and i cry out in my small voice

"hallelujah to the king
to the lord of everything
the author of my fall and spring
the keeper of the heavenlies
hallelujah to the king"

5 years.

2009-08-07T00:47:00.002-04:00

this blog is going to kindergarten! it's 5 years old!

and now a birthday present!

simple.

2009-07-01T12:56:00.003-04:00

okay so i'm taking a break for some thoughts on living simple...

so i'm a married man now... and a while back we made a decision to live more simple... this is a lot harder than it sounds... but we are making little steps...

we don't have cable television... and as most of you know, i am a tv junkie so this hurts a little... but it's a good hurt... if that makes any sense... ah big brother!

we only have 1 car. we both have full time jobs but sara's job requires her to go to many job sites on any given day... this means i get to ride my little scooter to work... or walk... which thankfully when we were looking for a place to live, we had this in mind... and i live less than 1/2 mile from where i work... (starbucks in martinsville)...

i struggle with having too many belongings... i want to get rid of the majority of my belongings... but it's hard to give things up.... ya know? plus there is always the cultural/human urge to want things... and given that i am from an extremely wealthy country this is even more of a predicament...

we resist going out to eat and try to cook at home as much as possible... but this is hard too... fast food is well... fast and easy! and it's something we struggle with... but there is something nice about cooking your own food... plus it's much healthier if done correctly...

there is beauty in simplicity... and i love it!

and we are not doing these things for economical reasons... we have more money now than we have ever had... we just believe that Jesus lived a simple life and that is what we should too...

Jesus didn't even have a house... maybe eventually we will get there ;)

eventually we want to get into some sort of communal living situation... (i.e. the first church)... we just believe that life was meant to be shared... and living simply speaks so much to the people we want to be...

"All the believers were one in heart and mind.
No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.
With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.
There were no needy persons among them.
For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need."
Acts 4:32-35

okay so let's be honest... (part XV)

2009-06-29T14:01:00.007-04:00

We're all in this together
I say, "Be a fool for Christ, stake everything on Him. Cause in the end He is the only one who will ever truly love you unconditionally.”
So why wait?
Why resist a love like that?

I say, "Be aware of your nothingness and realize that following Christ calls us to go beyond our what our culture considers comfortable"

Brennan Manning said "The world will respect us if we court it, it will respect us even more if we reject it and disdain our anger, but it will hate us if we simply take no notice of it or it's priorities."

Did you catch that?
The world will respect us if we court it,
it will respect us even more if we reject it and disdain our anger,
but it will hate us if we simply take no notice of it or it's priorities.

I say, "Be a fool for Christ and remember these words..."
"Desperation is a great place to be"

We need to ache for God.
Ache for Him and not for what He can give us.
A lot of times we pray selfish prayers.
We hardly ever say "God, here I am, what do you want me to do?"
And if we do pray that, we don't really mean it
Cause we don't do anything about it
We need to ache for God.
We need to hurt for Him; we need to cry for God.
He cries for us, He weeps, He bleeds.
And He cares that you would know Him.
The real Him, not just the censored church version
He cares that you would take time to get to know Him everyday
So you can be friends
So that you can become lovers in a great romance
So you can talk to Him like a confidant.
All we want from Him are things, goals, & wishes.
And all He wants from us is love.
A relationship.
And everyone should know that a successful relationship depends on the equal giving of both parties involved.
I know that we can never give back to God what He gave to us. but we can at least give some back.
If not all we have.
But we've got to start somewhere.
We complain about how God never does anything for us
But we hardly ever do anything for Him
We pray to God and ask, "What do you want from me?"
And God cries out "I want you to get to know me, can't you see?"
And we say, "I already know you. I hang out at your house when a bunch of people are there, what more do you want?"
And God says, "I want you to be in love with me. I want you to tell me everything.
I want help you sort through the mess you’ve made of things"
He says, “I know life is hard, but I am good. Let me help…"

and he waits for our response………………

okay so let's be honest... (part XIV)

2009-06-25T13:51:00.005-04:00

I say "brothers and sisters our brother Jesus has real hands, and He has real feet
Real skin and bones
And real nails went through real wood, and through our Brother's wrists and feet
And He experienced real pain.
And His bloody body cries out to us still…”

Above the den the father cries out,
"You go to church every Sunday, and you read your Bible,
But the body of my Son is broken.
You memorize chapter and verse and honor all your traditions,
But the body of my Son is broken.
You recite the creed the defend the orthodox
But the body of my Son is broken.
You hark back the tradition and press forward toward renewal
But the body of my Son is broken.
You argue about what style of worship to use and how long it should be, and what types of classes we should offer
But the body of my Son is broken"

you just don't get it…
you just don't get it…
do you get it?
do you get it?

If you meditate on the crucified Christ, it will shatter your illusions of what it means to follow Christ

okay so let's be honest... (part XIII)

2009-06-05T00:40:00.004-04:00

Jesus said to come like little children
So many things Jesus said during the Sermon on the Mount point us to become like little children
He said, "If you don't become like this little child, you will never enter the kingdom of God"

There is a joy in kids that we all see
There's a carefree genuine spirit that we all long for
But few have the guts to risk it
Very few have the guts to risk living like a child
Brennan Manning said, "Heaven will be filled with 5-year olds"

I say, "What are you holding onto? Give it up."
What good would it do if you gained the whole world yet forfeit your soul?
Audio Adrenaline says, "to live your life, you've got to lose it, and all the losers get a crown"
All the losers get a crown

That goes contrary to everything we hear all around us
You wanna be great, be a servant
You wanna be great, be last
You wanna be great; don't care about what other people think
Don't care about being in the spotlight
You wanna be great, be invisible, be nothing

Sometimes we sorta put what we do above what Jesus did
And that's stupid

Jesus throws everything off balance
Everything
He calls us to lose our identity and to take on His
And that's why Paul could say, " I am crucified with Christ, and I no longer live but Christ lives in me"

I no longer live
But Christ lives in me
No more lies
No more reputation to uphold
No pride, nothing to be proud of
When you live the crucified life, nothing will insult you
Because there's nothing left to insult

okay so let's be honest... (part XII)

2009-05-26T01:23:00.007-04:00

there is some hope in this letter
it's written by this lady called Oriah Mountain Dreamer
besides scripture, this may be the best literature I have ever felt.
and I say "felt" because I feel these words
they are screaming to be heard!
so i'm gonna set them free...
the following are not my words...
i only wish i were this gifted...

"The Invitation"

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithful
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from it's presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

©Mountaindreaming

okay so let's be honest...
It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied...
I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away...
I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments...

okay so let's be honest... (part XI)

2009-05-15T02:16:00.006-04:00

I think somewhere deep down inside all of us there is something that cries out,
"Quit acting in order to be liked by people you want to like you so you can become someone you don't like and do things you don't like to do."

Let's read that again...

Somewhere...
deep down...
inside all of us...
there is something...
that cries out...
Quit acting
in order to be liked
by people you want to like you
so that you can become someone you don't like
and do things you don't like to do...

okay so let's be honest... (part X)

2009-05-07T14:48:00.004-04:00

We tend to teach Jesus out of fear
And Jesus never intended that to happen

So I say "follow Jesus, and if you follow what He said to do, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free"

We tend to talk about Jesus
But we never actually take what He said seriously
Hardly do we ever take what He said literally

If you take it literally, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free

We're not all gonna do everything right all the time
We're all failures already
Don't be afraid to fail
But don't be afraid to risk failure
When you are finally ready to risk failure, then you can truly know what it means to be fully alive

Jesus said "if you hold to my teaching you will know the truth and the truth will set you free"
He said it and He wasn't kidding
He said it and He meant it
So I challenge you to take what He said seriously
To take it literally
We're all in it together
So I say "it will set us free, free to really live, free to be human, to experience being”

okay so let's be honest... (part IX)

2009-05-02T02:12:00.002-04:00

If you look back, even through the Old Testament
You see that God's grace was there
You see a man like David; and he knew it
He saw himself for what he was
He saw his sin
He knew that the only way he was gonna be saved was because of God's love
Cause He was merciful

Jesus not only came proclaiming this grace to us
But He lived a life in perfect surrender to God's will
To His Father's will
He gave up His rights, any control, any power
He said what we all, at one point, are gonna have to say
Not my will, but Yours be done
You can either say it now, or you can say it later
But your gonna have to say it sometime
So you might as well say it now

Jesus came and He was the perfect example of submission to the Father
He came not only proclaiming God's grace
But in His death, He crushed death and sin
And it's a mystery that I don't understand
But He said sin and death are no longer gonna have a hold on my people
No longer gonna have a hold on the ones that I created
Death no longer matters

thoughts with Michael Baysinger

2009-04-30T12:29:00.002-04:00

so the playing for change record is rockin my world...

i have the sniffles... i think it's this constant weather change... or the swine flu... or russia! i am starting to wonder if my headaches are due to weather change as well...

sara and i finished planting our potted garden yesterday... here's what we have leaf lettuce, heads of lettuce, parsley, edamame, zucchini, sugar snap peas, green beans, onions, green peppers, raspberries & black berries.

i've been blaming russia a lot lately... ya know... i stub my toe... it's russia's fault... i accidentally drop a tub of mocha all over myself and a co-worker... totally russia's fault... i think it all stems for when sarah palin tried to run for office... you see, when she was out of alaska there was no one there to keep an eye on russia... so maybe this is sarah palin's fault... i don't know... just a thought...

i am sooooooooo ready to be married...

I've been reading the books of ember... the first 1 was way better than the movie and the second one kinda delves into themes of non-violence. which is really cool/odd for a kids book.

i love my job.

i want to go camping and build a fire. there is something manly about building a fire.

i want to be part of a revolution.

i love cheese, bread, water & coffee. I am thinking about eating that for like a whole month.

okay so let's be honest... (part VIII)

2009-04-24T14:08:00.005-04:00

A lot of times we get this misconception that God is out to get us
God isn't out to get ya
There's an old song called the "The Happy Song"
It talks about being filled with joy because God is for us

And God just isn't for us, the people who claim to follow Christ
He's for everybody
He didn't just die for us
He died for everyone
He died for every man who has ever walked the earth
That’s a really hard one to grasp
It’s really easy to compartmentalize who is “in” and who is “out”
Especially when you start thinking about terrorists, rapists, child molesters, & politicians
We like to think that God loves “Christians” more than He does the “non-Christians”
But He simply doesn't, He loves us all equally

Jesus' sacrifice is for everyone
That's basically the "good news"
The gospel of grace that God is for us and not against us
No matter what you've done, or what you are going to do
He's still for you
It's by grace you have been saved
Do you believe that?
It's by grace you have been saved, and not by works so that no one can boast

When we get to heaven we're not gonna be boasting to God
We won’t be saying, I did this, this and this.
That’s ridiculous.

I think that a lot of times we pay lip service to Jesus
We think that if we do certain things, than we somehow earn a ticket to heaven
We miss the point that we're only saved by His grace
I mean, sure, Christians are called to live a certain way and do certain things
But that doesn’t necessarily mean that we are saved
Only grace can save us

stand by me (playing for change)

2009-04-23T00:04:00.005-04:00

they played this video during our starbucks christmas meeting. at the time i knew/remembered very little of the story behind it... afterwards i searched and searched for the video online and could find it nowhere... just this week our store got news that this video (along with a complete CD/DVD) would soon be sold at our stores...

anyway... it's really a cool deal... basically the PFCF (Playing For Change Foundation) connects artists from all over the world in an amazing new way...

or as they say on their site...

"Playing for Change is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music."

anyway check out this video... it's amazing... not to mention that it's sara and i's "song"...

http://playingforchange.com/

...and now a break...

2009-04-22T01:30:00.002-04:00

time for the random entry...

so i'm starting a friends and family fantasy football league... $10 to play... email/facebook me if you want in...

i am learning spanish via Rosetta Stone...

my moped is awesome...

i am getting married soon... it's a little crazy... I am soooo ready to be married... we are honeymooning in vegas... sweet!

the McRib is back... however i think the onions are artificial!

finally saw slumdog... it was good... no "Once"... but good...

I'm reading the "City of Ember" series... i am on the second one... it's pretty good...

my room is a mess...

the end... ish....

okay so let's be honest... (part VII)

2009-04-14T02:06:00.004-04:00

Our whole purpose in life is to love God
To love our neighbor
And to be loved by God
That's why we were created
This is the very core of our existence
Our reason for being

If this is our reason for being why are we so focused on other things?
More importantly why are we ignoring what is important?

I'd suggest to you that in your life take the time to slow down
Truly be still and know that He is God
Just literally slow down
That's something that goes against our culture
We want fast food, fast cars, fast internet, fast everything

But if you don’t slow down and experience something you won’t hear the gentle whisper

I say shut up and watch the birds, watch the trees, look at the stars
Watch your neighbor, look at your hands
Look at yourself
Listen your heart.
Experience something; know that you're alive

You're alive not because you wanted to be
You didn't ask to be born; I didn't ask to be born
So what's the point?
We didn't have a choice
He created us
And He wants us
And He loves us
We are wanted unconditionally
We are loved unconditionally
Try to wrap your mind around that

okay so let's be honest... (part VI)

2009-03-28T02:00:00.002-04:00

Jesus isn't safe; He's not tame like we make Him out to be.
He's not afraid to rain on our parade.
And I think it would be good sometimes if He did.

Christianity isn't about following the rules.
It's not about following the law or going to church every week.
It’s not about following a religion.
It's about following a man.
The only real man to ever exist.
More man than I could ever be.

Jesus isn't swayed by our sin.
He isn't disgusted by our weakness or by our perversity.
He says, "I know all about it and I can take it away, I can cure you.”

Jesus sees men for what they are, as His creatures, and not what they have.
Not what job they have, or what car they drive or what status they have in society.
He sees people for what they are.
He goes beyond what we go beyond.

Let me suggest that Jesus doesn't care what job you choose, what clothes you wear.
He cares that you would believe that He loves you and that you would know His Father.

We see people for their imperfections.
Jesus sees us for our hearts.
He sees the very marrow of our being.
I would suggest that you try that this week.
Quit looking at people for the imperfections and look at their hearts.
Don't care about what they look like or how they act.
Or even what they say.
Ask yourself why they are the way they are.
Look at the core of their being.
Why are they broken? (Why are we all broken?)
Don’t be so arrogant and lazy that you refuse to ask yourself the hard questions.
These are not easy or comfortable things to ask.
It’s much easier to criticize others than it is to dig to the core of things.
And in some cases the rabbit hole goes deeper than most or us care to go.
And I guess that is one of the most bafflingly beautiful things about Jesus.
He loves us even though we are a bunch of screwed up failures.

okay so let's be honest... (part V)

2009-03-26T01:22:00.005-04:00

The following quote has totally wrecked my understanding of who Jesus is.
And it's not from the Bible... GASP!
And it's not even directly about Jesus... DOUBLE GASP!
It's from "the lion the witch and the wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis
the book... not the movie...
I implore you to read the narnia books. They are AMAZING.
Anyway there couple of talking beavers and some kids.
The beavers are talking about Aslan, the lion who kinda represents the Christ figure in the story.

"Is -- is he a man?" asked Lucy.
"Aslan a man!" said Mr Beaver sternly. "Certainly not. I tell you he is the king of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-beyond-the-Sea. Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion -- the Lion, the great Lion."
"Ooh!" said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man. Is he --quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous meeting a lion."

"That you will, dearie, and make no mistake," said Mrs Beaver; "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."

"Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy.

"Safe?" said Mr Beaver; "don't you hear what Mrs Beaver Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."

'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.

madness?

2009-03-19T13:58:00.002-04:00

so it feels weird that i am gonna miss the majority of the first 2 days of the NCAA tournament...
i usually park next to a tv and computer and watch the games unfold...

i don't have much faith in my bracket this year... here's why...
1. I didn't watch much basketball outside of IU this season.
2. it's not the same when IU isn't in it.
3. early signs point to the possibility that I am wrong about at least 2 of the first 3 games... possibly all 3...

i guess i have to go to work... here's for being an adult :-P

i am craving wings...

okay so let's be honest... (part IV)

2009-03-12T02:42:00.004-04:00

Brennan Manning once wrote “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle.”

Manning later went on to ask, “When will Christians be honest enough to admit that they don't really believe in Jesus?"

Read that again…
“When will Christians be honest enough to admit that they don't really believe in Jesus?"

I say "follow Jesus"
You say "How? He's not here… I don't even see Him."

We believe in “Jesus” as an idea.
But we hardly ever believe in Him as an actual person.
If we believed that Jesus was a real person then maybe we wouldn’t try to bend Him to fit our own personal agendas.

We get this picture of Jesus, that He's tame and that we can manipulate Him.
But He's not.

We think He’s a white middle-class republican.
But Jesus is not a white middle-class republican.
Sorry to break it to you.

We sort of put Him in a box because He might not fit in with us.
That's not right.
We think that going to church makes us a Christian.
But really it's what we do outside of church that makes us a Christian.
We think it's all about playing it safe.
But Jesus isn't safe.

...TO BE CONTINUED...

stained glass commentary...

2009-03-07T01:32:00.004-05:00

so for those of you wondering (all none of you) why i have the stained glass pics...

I wanted to add a picture to each entry in my new series, "okay so let's be honest...", so that people would be able to know immediately when an entry was a new one in the series... since all the titles will be similar, the pictures are to help differentiate...

I went with stained glass images because there is something kind of ancient and beautiful about it... i don't know... i think it represents the general idea of this series being a mosaic/montage... the idea of something that is broken being used to create something beautiful is kind of amazing... it's kind of what Jesus is all about...

as info... I am totally against churches spending millions of dollars on stained glass... there are countless of other uses for that kind of money... however as an art, I think it's pretty amazing...

if you would like to contribute pics of stained glass to this project, email them to thebaysingerboy@hotmail.com

also, if you are wondering if the only reason I wrote this commentary is so that I could post stained glass Mr. T then you are about 50% correct... haha...

love.

okay so let's be honest... (part III)

2009-03-04T18:19:00.002-05:00

So I’ve been thinking about times in my life when I felt alive.
There’s one time that sticks out in memory.

A while back I went to the movies with some friends.
The movie ended and we were on our way back to Martinsville
We had carpooled, but we were all in my car on our way to the other parked cars
As we were driving it started raining
One of my friends suggested that when we get back we should play in the rain.
I didn’t know if he was joking or if he was serious.
But my first thought was “we can’t do that”
Something in me said that adults do NOT play in the rain.
And then, in my head, I started of thinking of excuses why I couldn’t.
My shoes will get wet, the seat in my car will get soaked, etc.
After he mentioned it, the car got really quiet.
It felt to me like something I can’t explain was building up inside of me.
I felt there was kinda this anticipation in the car.
I was wondering “ is this gonna happen?”
It felt like we all wanted to play in the rain,
But everyone was too afraid to admit it.
As we got closer to the parking lot this feeling kept building up inside of me.
And I swear without really even thinking about it, I started emptying my pockets.
At last, we pulled in.
Everyone started to say their goodbyes.
And I unbuckled my seatbelt.
They gave me this weird look, like “what is he doing?”
Do which I responded, “I’m playing in the rain”
All it took was 1 person committing to it and then everyone joined in.
Everyone got out and splashed in the cold November rain.
And the whole time, we laughed and we laughed.
We couldn’t stop laughing.
It felt like we were breaking some foolish rule that adults make.

While we were splashing and sloshing around, we got lost.
We lost everything, we forgot about all the junk that had happened that week.
We forgot about our insecurities. We forgot about the “rules”.
All of it faded away.
And we really fell in love with the moment.
It was one of the most beautiful moments of my life.
I got a glimpse of what David felt like when the Ark of the Covenant was coming to town.
I got a taste of what Jesus meant when He said “Unless you become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
In some narnian way, at that moment, I entered the kingdom of heaven.

There is something to be said about not caring what others think.
There is something to be said about becoming a little child.

I really don’t know what this story has to do with anything
But it’s part of this patchwork I’m working on...
I guess the question is have you ever felt that free?
Have you ever let everything fade away, and been free enough to get lost in a moment?
Is it even possible for you to be that reckless?
Or are you already thinking about how your shoes will get wet?

… TO BE CONTINUED…

i like turtles.

2009-03-03T22:47:00.002-05:00

if you haven't already noticed the latest addition to my "blogs i read" section, check out "the turtle season"... it is a blog created by one of the most amazing girls ever... my future wife... check it out HERE... comment... ya know...

below is a short yet hilarious turtle themed clip...

okay so let's be honest... (part II)

2009-03-01T01:09:00.007-05:00

I wanna fall back in love with God.
I don’t have this whole love thing figured out.
But as Nate Ruess says...
"I love love. I love being in love. I don't care what it does to me."

I don’t know about you but sometimes when my tv, my ipod & my computer are all off...
And when I’m not trying to occupy my mind with something...
And i'm completely alone...
I feel like there is something missing.
I feel like some dark shadow has crept into my soul and has taken over who I am.

It’s crazy how busy we make ourselves...
We have things like T.V., movies, books, sports, video games, music.
These are things that are meant to take us out of the "here and now".
The whole entertainment industry has the main goal of distracting us from everyday life.
Somewhere along the way we have lost sight of what’s really going on in the core of our being.
I am not saying that these things are all bad.
However, I am saying that when these things consume the majority of our free time... it is bad...
When all we do is exist outside of the "here and now" we cease to REALLY exist at all.
These things consume us.
We are all alive, technically speaking... but we’re just kinda dead inside.

When was the last time you felt free to be whatever you wanted to be?
When was the last time you didn't feel chained to obligations?
When was the last time you didn’t care about what others thought?
When was the last time you felt alive?

...TO BE CONTINUED...

relay

2009-02-27T03:30:00.001-05:00

go HERE!

give MONEY!

or ELSE!

okay so let's be honest... (part I)

2009-02-26T02:47:00.010-05:00

it's been a while since i've posted anything of spiritual significance... so I'm starting a new series... it's actually a series of thoughts... and instead of posting a huge post (which no one will ever read)... i mean seriously... who reads huge posts? so i thought i'd try it in bite sized nuggets... a montage of sorts... shards of broken glass that will eventually mean something... so here it goes...

I've been thinking about being a Christian and what it really means to follow Jesus.
Honestly when I think about being a Christian, I just feel tired all over.
My body aches from disappointments and failures along this messy path that I’ve led.
I don’t profess to be the greatest Christian in the world.
In fact, when it comes to Christianity, I think I am pretty bad at it.
And maybe that’s the point.
Maybe there is something wrong with the way we "do" Christianity.

Following Jesus is harder than it sounds.
And if you don’t watch out you might find yourselves following a set of rules as apposed to following a man.
We get caught up in the legalism of being a Christian.
We go through the hoops and loops.
We follow all the rules.
And somewhere along the line, we’ve fallen out of love with Jesus.
(Or maybe the thing we thought was Jesus wasn't really him at all... but that's a whole different series in itself...)
Anyway it leaves me still feeling a void in this old heart of mine.

Sometimes I just miss Jesus.
I miss spending time with Him, and I get bitter.
I think I kind of expect Jesus to put all of the effort in our relationship.
I selfishly expect him to always chase after me.
I try to blame the system or God for the reasons that I am so far apart from him.
But realistically, it’s me who has turned my back on Jesus.

...TO BE CONTINUED...

Late Night with???

2009-02-24T23:46:00.002-05:00

So big things are happening in the realm of late night network television...

Jay Leno is going to prime time...

Conan O'Brien is moving to the Tonight Show and bringing back sidekick Andy Richter!!!

Jimmy Fallon will soon be taking Conan's spot @ Late Night (with house band, the Roots!!!)

so... why does this matter? I don't go to bed until late. So I watch late night talk shows. I used to watch Conan... But I eventually grew tired of the same jokes getting played out for weeks at a time. He's funny... but he tells the same jokes a thousand times. Now I primarily watch Jimmy Kimmel Live with Conan as a back up in case of a rerun.

I have my issues with cable based late night shows... I used watch "The New Tom Green Show" but it was cancelled! I also watched the brilliant and short lived "Late World with Zach" starring Zach Galifianakis... cancelled! I even caught the Michael Essany Show based out of Valparaiso, Indiana... cancelled! So I generally steer away from cable networks when it comes to late night... I haven't watched a solid episode of the Daily Show since it was hosted by Craig Kilborn in 1998. wow... 10 years ago... And who is this Colbert guy anyway?

so the point is...
What do i watch? what will you watch?

The Late Show with David Letterman
The Jay Leno Show
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The Late Late Show with that Scottish guy from the Drew Carey Show
Last Call with Carson Daly
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

comment or vote in the poll to the right...

call me pat robertson...

2009-02-20T01:26:00.004-05:00

for sticking my nose where it doesn't belong but...

Chris Brown needs to be locked up for THIS!

Under no circumstances is it ever okay to beat a woman (or a man) like that...

it's just NOT okay...

Sonnet 43

2009-02-19T02:47:00.003-05:00

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)

i need (fill in the blank).

2009-02-17T22:42:00.002-05:00

i need peace.

i need contentment.

i need calm.

i need rest.

i need stillness.

i am pulling out the white flag.

i need surrender.

losing it.

2009-02-13T23:20:00.003-05:00

so the past couple days have been filled with minor crises. i don't really care to go into it here. but it's been sucky. i think sara summed it up by saying "i didn't know so many bad things could happen in such a short period of time." and on top of all of this i have misplaced (READ: lost) my wallet... i'm gonna give it a few days to turn up and then it's time to start from scratch... oh the joys of going to the DMV and calling credit card companies and banks galore. thankfully i have online banking to monitor the usage of my cards.

i've been listening to a lot of my old teenage angst filled punk rock records to celebrate. namely songs like "God Must Hate Me" and "The Worst Day Ever" from Simple Plan.

Of course this all is on or around Friday the 13th... so that's awesome... way to be cliché!

Yet still I do seem to have the (un)pleasant disposition of seeing the "bright side" of all of this...

well there's no bright side to the wallet thing.

i guess i need days like these to realize the beauty of better days.

parody.

2009-02-10T01:31:00.002-05:00

the other day I was at the dollar tree cause that how I roll... it's not the most ethical place to shop but it helps the wallet... anyway I saw a Hummer in the parking lot... I literally laughed out loud... One would think that if you wealthy enough to own a Hummer and continue to put gas in it... you'd probably steer clear of the dollar tree... and maybe that's just a symptom of the economic crisis we are in... I don't know... humans are funny people...

I am currently reading

The Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs

trouble sleeping.

2009-02-05T02:59:00.002-05:00

so... i work evenings ending work anywhere from 10pm to 1:30am...

but now i am finding it hard to getting to sleep... when i get home i don't wanna go right to bed... but lately it's getting a little out of hand... i was up until like 5:30am last night... and here I am writing a blog at 3am....

I am just not tired...

so i spend my restless nights browsing facebook, blogs and news websites...

good times... good times...

thoughts on baseball...

2009-02-02T15:35:00.003-05:00

what happened to baseball? well besides the roids? it seems no one cares... i mean some people care... but i know no one who openly follows baseball (or at least it's not obvious)... i love basketball... football is huge (I, personally, am in it for the boneless wings)... and soccer is hard to avoid (i think i've mentioned that I loathe soccer)... and last year I won a fantasy NASCAR league without watching a single race... the point is that i know enough people who like to actually be invited into a league...

but seriously... does anyone under the age of 30 care about baseball?

same blog... just 1 tooth less...

2009-01-27T20:13:00.003-05:00

so i'm watching kyle xy and then american idol with my bff, sara.

all weekend i had a migraine and a toothache. on monday i took an emergency trip to the dentist and got a tooth yanked out which took away the headache. i used my health insurance for the first time. that's a little bizarre. kinda makes me feel like a grown up. also i got some sweet vicodin and that seems to make life pretty sweet.

this snow is nuts.

the swell season will be on austin city limits this saturday on PBS. I can't wait for their new record to drop yo.

i want to garden.

if you can't give... lend...

2009-01-21T17:57:00.003-05:00

i know i have posted about this twice and even emailed a few of you about this... but...

if any of you have 25 bucks laying around that you aren't using please consider lending it to kiva. it's t his amazing non-profit that helps reduce poverty by lending money to entrepreneurs in the developing world.

it's soooooo easy to use. and you can have the choice to decide who and what you want to invest in.

if anything please just browse the website...

http://www.kiva.org/

here's our lender page...

http://www.kiva.org/lender/michaelandsara

if you do sign up and want to give us some love, the email we registered with is...

thebaysingerboy@hotmail.com

love.

michael

something more

2009-01-15T01:13:00.002-05:00

first off... let me say this... i LOVE my job... i love love love it!

that said... with the daily grind over the past few months it's got me wondering "is there something more for me?" and obviously there is... I know there is... but where? where do i connect? when and where do i find where I am "supposed" to be? Now I don't believe in the predestination business or that God's will for my future is this specific black and white thing... I believe that God can and will use us wherever we are if we are open to it...

I wouldn't say I feel "out of touch" with God... I just feel like maybe He's been putting more into it than I have... And I recognize that I need to step it up... And I'm not even saying that "it's all about giving back to God and that works = salvation... I guess I am just saying that in any relationship it's got to be equal give and take... and lately, i've been taking a lot... I feel kinda greedy... and I know that I can never give to Him as much as He has given to me... But I know I can give more...

so what does that mean? what does giving more look like? I know what it used to mean and look like... I used to put in hours upon hours at church... but honestly I am sick of church... but I would still do it if the circumstances were right... there are zero churches that come close to what I am looking for when it comes to a church environment within a 15 mile radius of where i live... I love the church I go to but it's 35-40 minutes away... and it's just hard to build community when you are that far away... and I realize that distance is just an excuse... it's shouldn't matter... but it does... plus there's a little voice in my head that says... "if i am trying to be eco-friendly and save money... 1 hour and 20 minutes is a long time in the car..."

so that's my rant...

there's something more... i know there is... I just don't know where it is...

hoodrat stuff with my friend

2009-01-07T13:21:00.003-05:00

now i don't condone 7 year olds stealing SUVs. however i can't stop watching this video.

check it... and then vote in my poll to the right!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLeVlBca5lg

roy bus. gf. stargate. dollar tree.

2009-01-06T01:12:00.004-05:00

ah.... the holidays are over! the new year is here... here are some life updates...

the economy has really affected my work hours... that isn't cool... however the new tea lattes @ sbux are killer... go try them! london fog is magical... vanilla rooibos (pronounced somewhere between "roy bus" and "roy boss") is good too... but it's caffeine free... the black tea latte is excellent on ice (it's also the only one available on ice)...

for the first time since we started dating, my fiance and i actually live in the same town... and it's AMAZING...

i now own every available DVD for anything to do with stargate... SG-1, Atlantis, the movies & the short lived cartoon...

i love the dollar tree... it's amazing... everything is a dollar... and they have stinkin' everything...

how to lose 10 pounds in 3 days.

2008-12-29T17:38:00.003-05:00

WARNING: if you are eating something... come back and read this entry later... because this is not for the faint of heart or stomach...

Step 1. Go out and get a package of toilet paper... you'll need it.
Step 2. Get the stomach flu. preferably from a loved one... :)
Step 3. Vomit about a gallon of fluid. It's a lot of fun!
Step 4. Immediately following the vomiting, stand up and then sit down because another gallon is coming out of your butt.
Step 5. Drink lots of fluids to keep yourself from dehydrating.
Step 6. Repeat steps 3, 4, & 5 every 30-45 minutes for about 24 hours w/out sleeping
Step 7. Get your temperature up to around 103 degrees.
Step 8. Once your temperature is high, start hallucinating things like
A. you are building machines in your living room to magically make the world a better place

B. there are television crews in your living room wanting to film your epic achievements
C. some evil druglords have found a way to liquify money and they are using your butt as a way to smuggle it in the country AND they are forcing you to poop it out.

D. preferably all of the above.
Step 9. After the the vomiting is over and the temp goes down continue pooping every 20 minutes or so for another 24 hours.

Step 10. you've had no sleep go ahead and try to take a little nap! you deserve it!

Step 11. oops! you pooped your pants when you were asleep! i guess your body thought it was a fart! the joke is on you! oh wait... the poop is on you!

Step 12. Take a shower, change your clothes... nobody likes a poopy pants...

Step 13. Go ahead and repeat steps 10, 11, and 12 just for good measure... everyone will love you if you poop your pants twice...

Step 14. Get some sleep...

Step 15. Wake up and feel crappy for the next 24-48 hours and be careful what you eat!

After 6 cans of Sprite, 12 bottles of water, 2 liters of Cherry 7up, 3 Gatorade bottles, 1 ill-advised glass of cola, countless episodes of How I Met Your Mother, the first Season of the Office, Bruce Almighty, Happy Gilmore, Home Alone 1 & 2, a couple episodes of Stargate SG-1, a can of lysol, Pepto bismol, Antidiarrheal medicine, Dayquil, Nyquil, Excedrine Migraine, and 7 rolls of toilet paper... you too can lose 10 pounds!

that's pretty much been the last 4 days of my life...

top 10 reasons not to do an end of the year top 10 list.

2008-12-25T12:32:00.002-05:00

10. cliche
09. laziness/too busy/i have a job/no internet/etc
08. we are in a recession
07. depression due to the fact that Britney Spears is in the middle of her 17th comeback
06. super sharp cheddar cheese
05. west coast weed and snorting coke of out of the palm of his hand in the drive thru
04. ONCE (no top 10 list is complete without it!)
03. china owns my blog
02. Obama... change? enlightenment? ever heard of it?
01. i not as much of a douche as i used to be (last year)... or am i just a self aware douche?

the end of the office.

2008-12-19T11:35:00.002-05:00

i know this is a really bizarre thing for me to think about... but last night I was thinking about how sad it will be when the office ends... i'm not down with that show ending... but let's say the show finally ends... how would you want it to end? plus, you know if they end on a high note NBC will want a spinoff... who gets the spinoff?

1. how does it end?
2. who gets the spinoff?

ideas?

and the winner for michael's christmas record of the 2008 goes to...

2008-12-15T23:25:00.002-05:00

so i debated on which christmas record i'd get this year... i must admit i was leaning towards going with an older artist... elvis... johnny cash... dean martin... ya know artists who made christmas records when christmas records were classy... now christmas records are what artists do in between their major releases... anyway... that was the plan until i heard a little song called "it really is (a wonderful life)"... it's by a little known artist named mindy smith... I haven't heard any of her non-christmas stuff but her album "my holiday" is a solid christmas record...

check it via itunes!

i need shalom.

2008-12-10T17:18:00.005-05:00

I am now starting to live a lifestyle that I never intended.

the "i'm too busy" lifestyle.

i need to take some time to breathe and center myself.

i need shalom.

mopeds, apartments, and christmas oh my!

2008-12-03T02:33:00.003-05:00

sorry for the lull in posts... things have been kinda nuts lately...

so i am now a proud owner of a moped! it is being shipped hopefully this week. how awesome is that? so why am I getting one? well... when sara and I get married we will only have one car... with a 50cc moped it gives us another form of transportation... plus you don't have to register it, plate it, or insure it... which saves a ton of money, not to mention that it gets 95 mpg... and I will only live .8 miles from work...

this weekend sara and I are moving stuff into our future apartment... she will start living there in january... i will start living there in june... fun fun!

christmas is just around the corner... i am kinda freaking out...

26 shows I'm not watching... anymore...

2008-11-19T16:07:00.009-05:00

Rejoice! I've decided to watch less TV! (again!) i need to ween myself from this addiction... this time it cuts a little deeper... I have cut out well over half of the shows I watch... BEWARE this list does indeed show how much garbage I have actually been watching...

Fringe
Pushing Daisies
Last Comic Standing
The Amazing Race
Swingtown
The Middleman
The Apprentice
Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D List
Psych
Tim and Eric Awesome Show Good Job
Testees
Crusoe
Making The Band
Life Of Ryan
90210
My Fair Brady
Scott Baio is...
Dirty Sexy Money
Star Wars : The Clone Wars
30 Rock
Eureka
My Boys
The Paper
The Millionaire Matchmaker
Sanctuary
Living With Ed

things that i wish would go away...

2008-11-13T12:27:00.002-05:00

redneck ideology.
peppers.
Sarah Palin. (didn't i already say that?)
cats.
rude people.
Britney Spears.
pears.
rotten milk.
gravity.
shrek.
seafood (except crab rangoon and tuna salad!)
abortion.
ignorance.
speeding tickets.
any reality shows involving dancing.
Dr. Phil.
poverty.
computer viruses.
fast food. (it's too tempting and easy!)
war.
winter.
Canada. (jk. where would I go to get milk in a bag?)
racism.
morning breath.
dust.
hot weather.
freezing weather.
Nickelback.
the need to shave.
the death penalty.
Jar Jar Binks.
people who complain... oh... wait... that's me!

Christmas Music?

2008-11-12T19:09:00.003-05:00

i know thanksgiving isn't even here, and it seems a bit early to talk about Christmas... but none the less here it goes...

my fiance and I agreed last year that we would each buy 1 christmas album each year...

and as the season quickly approaches I need to start picking this year's choice and was wondering if any of you had any suggestions... but before that here are a few of my favorites to get you rolling...

My Top 3 Christmas Albums of all time so far?
1. Christmas with the Beach Boys - the Beach Boys
2. A Charlie Brown Christmas - Vince Guaraldi Trio
3. The Sinatra Christmas Album - Frank Sinatra

Here are some of my favorite individual Christmas songs...
You Gotta Get Up - Rich Mullins
Christmastime Is Here - Vince Guaraldi Trio
Auld Lang Syne - The Beach Boys
I Hate Christmas Parties - Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes
Baby It's Cold Outside - Leon Redbone & Zooey Deschanel
Away In a Manger - Plankeye
Heaven's Got a Baby - Sarah Masen
Winter Wonderland - Hellogoodbye
A Christmas Song - Denison Witmer

so i was curious if anyone has any amazing suggestions?

the deposit

2008-11-11T17:08:00.003-05:00

i put a deposit on an apartment today... this is a huge thing considering I have only lived in 1 place in my entire life... sara will be moving into it in January... and then I will move into it in June... (when we get married...) crazy huh? I'm actually getting married! I'm gonna be a husband...

how he loves

2008-11-11T00:50:00.002-05:00

i went to church this past sunday and we sang this song... anyway it's been stuck in my head for the past couple of days... so i googled (as I often do) part of the lyrics and found out the song was called "how he loves" and that it was written by this dude, John Mark McMillan... Upon further googling I found the video below with the backstory of the song and it's pretty amazing...

PLEASE CHECK IT!

here are the lyrics...

Verse 1:
He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

Pre-Chorus:
And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

Chorus:
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

Verse 2:
We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,
And the heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

Chorus 1:
He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

i need less.

2008-11-06T18:17:00.003-05:00

i have entirely too much junk... i'm starting to give/sell/trade things...

it kinda makes me sick that I am currently working on a christmas list...

there are so few things that i actually "need".

if i have to really justify to myself that I might need it, maybe it's time to let it go...

anybody want a broken electric guitar for free?

moving to canada? i'll help you pack your bags!

2008-11-05T01:47:00.003-05:00

ahhhh this stinking election is over! i don't care what side you are on, it's gotta be a little relieving that it is FINALLY over...

now it's time for all of those people who said they'd move to canada if Obama were elected, to actually move to Canada...

adios! eh?

living forgiveness.

2008-11-04T00:52:00.002-05:00

love is obviously the all encompassing message of Christ, but there's the whole "it keeps no record of wrongs" part that I tend to get caught up on. we are all called to forgive. forgiveness is one of the integral parts of who Christ is and therefore it should be an integral part of who we are. which is all nice and marshmellowy to say. but how does it translate from theory to actuality?

how do you live a life of forgiveness?

how do we get to the zen like state where we don't feel this constant nagging of wanting to seek retribution against those who have wronged us?

how do we give up wanting to get in the last word?

how do we give up gossiping against those who get under our skin?

and it's not like things will change... people will still wrong me... they will still be flawed... I will always be flawed...

I don't expect freedom from these situations, I just wish for the peace of mind to endure them...

I haven't quite figured it out yet... in fact I'm not really sure where to begin...

but there is something nagging at me telling me that it is possible...

i have to have hope that I will get to the point where things won't bother me...

why I'm not a republican... (or a democrat)

2008-11-03T10:59:00.003-05:00

So as you know... I voted early... on my ballot I voted Democrat, Republican, and Libertarian...

why?

because I choose to think for myself...

I didn't just choose a party line. because frankly, it's a little small-minded because contrary to popular belief, when you vote you don't vote for a party... you vote for a person... and every person is different...

I watched debates, looked at websites, found facts and had conversations. I voted for the people who had positions closest to mine on the issues that they actually can make an impact.

so before you vote tomorrow... get some knowledge!

here are a couple of Election related articles to read

an amazing entry from Don Miller about how he went from republican to democrat.... check it!
http://donmilleris.com/2008/11/03/from-reagan-to-obama-a-brief-political-history/

Derek Webb's "If you’re a Christian and still torn about how to vote tomorrow, there’s only thing to do: don’t."
http://www.patrolmag.com/times/922/how-shall-we-then-vote

DON'T VOTE!

2008-10-31T01:27:00.001-04:00

i voted...

2008-10-29T23:43:00.004-04:00

i voted early today...

it took about 1 hour...

if you live in indiana and want to get it out of the way... get to it...

because tuesday is gonna be NUTS!

oh and don't forget to vote in my election to the right of this blog...

FuN fAcTs!

2008-10-29T01:10:00.005-04:00

here are some stats for Rob Bell and Don Golden's "Jesus Wants to Save Christians"

America controls nearly 20 percent of the world's wealth.
6 billion people in the world.
300 million people in the US.
less than 5 percent of the world's population owns a 5th of the world's wealth.

1 billion people in the world do not have access to clean water.
the average American uses 400 to 600 liters per day. (and a lot of it goes down the toilet!)

every 7 seconds a child under the age of 5 dies of hunger.
the average american throws out 14 percent of the food they purchase.

nearly 1 billion people live on less than a dollar a day.
another 2.5 billion live on less than 2 dollars a day.
that's more than half of the world living on less than 2 dollars a day.
the average american teenager spends $150 a week.

Americans spend more on trash bags in a year than nearly half of the world spends on all goods combined.

40 percent of the world population live without basic sanitation.
America throws away 49 million diapers a day.

1.6 billion people have no electricity. (that's a lot of people not reading my blog)

nearly 1 billion people cannot read or sign their name.

nearly 100 million children are denied basic education.

1 in every 7 children has to go to work every day just to survive.

4 out of 5 American Adults have graduated high school.

more than 90 percent if the world population does not own a car.
1 third of American families own 3 cars.

The 3 leading oil consumers in the world are
3. Japan 5.5 million barrels a day
2. China 5.6 million barrels a day
1. United States 20 million barrels a day

The US accounts for 48 percent of global military spending.
less than 5 percent purchases nearly half of the world's weapons.
In 2008 the US will spend more on defense than the next 45 countries combined.

MAN: "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
JESUS: "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother."
MAN: "All these I have kept since I was a boy"
JESUS: "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
{When the man heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.}
JESUS: How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

ooohhhhh noooo... i can't stop myself from saying it.

2008-10-23T22:34:00.004-04:00

guns n roses sucks. always have. always will.

Middle Eastern Man

2008-10-20T17:29:00.003-04:00

So I'm reading Rob Bell & Don Golden's "Jesus Wants to Save Christians" and I came across this little thought provoking excerpt...

"Jesus was a Middle Eastern man who lived in an occupied country and was killed by the superpower of his day."

hmmm...

Once: The Musical

2008-10-19T00:20:00.005-04:00

"they" are making my favorite movie, Once, into a musical for Broadway... this is pretty exciting... I am nervous that it will lose some of the earthy integrity it has, and turn it into a cheese fest... but if done well it could be amazing!

if you haven't seen once, heard the soundtrack or bought the swell season record... do yourself a huge favor and get to it!

michael

check variety's story

Hoosier Hysteria

2008-10-16T21:25:00.002-04:00

tomorrow night, as usual, i will be attending Hoosier Hysteria... this is gonna be an interesting year for IU basketball... we have a new coach... we have 2 returning players (1 who is injured) with a combined average of less than 2 points per game... this is fresh start for IU basketball... for the first time I can ever remember I could not name more that 3 IU players off hand...

this is an exciting and scary year for IU and I am pumped...

I fully expect to be under .500, but i think it to be fun to watch...

now, I'm gonna go do some research on my team!

GO HOOSIERS!

p.s. i should mention that next year's recruiting class is ranked in the Top 5!

signs that i'm getting older...

2008-10-13T21:46:00.002-04:00

here are the signs that i'm getting older...

choosing a health care plan...

making references to movies no one has seen in 10 years...

actually thinking about politics and giving a crap...

thinking about life insurance...

getting life insurance...

not knowing what a Ne-Yo is...

making a budget...

thinking about buying an ironing board...

learning how OPEC works...

thinking I may be too old to watch MTV...

making plans with the distant future in mind...

dude hangs...

2008-10-09T15:59:00.003-04:00

so tonight and friday night I am going on some dude hangs... it has been a while since i've had a dude hang, so i'm kinda stoked...

friday I am going to Upland Brewery... i've never been there.... http://www.uplandbeer.com/

any advise on what to get?

welcome to the new and improved blog!

2008-10-08T22:26:00.003-04:00

so after 4 years, 542 posts, 885 comments and 16,096 views (and counting) here is the new home for "thebaysingerboy"!

take some time to get to familiar!

vote in the poll!
check out some of my favorite websites and blogs!
browse the archives with ease!
be among the first to comment!

the "big" news... i'm moving!

2008-10-08T21:44:00.004-04:00

I've been thinking about the future of this blog... many people are (gasp) leaving myspace or simply not checking it anymore... so as time passes readers will continually dwindle... and when people leave myspace there is no way to comment on the blog because there is no way for anyone to comment without having a myspace account... plus there is the fact that I can't edit my blog how I want... I can't change the layout, the archives, add links, polls, etc... there really isn't much freedom when you have a myspace blog...

so after 4 years, 542 posts, 885 comments and 16,096 views (and counting) I've decided to move...

the past week or so i've been cutting and pasting ALL of my past posts... (including previously blocked ones!)... the downside is that all comments will be lost... and I completely apologize for this...

i'm moving to http://thebaysingerboy.blogspot.com/

check it out... voice your opinion... be one of the first to comment!

"I kissed a girl and I liked it..." and other random banter...

2008-10-05T21:43:00.000-04:00

sorry for the lack of posts... i've been working on something big for this here blog... i will let you know when the time has come...

until then here's your random banter...

if Sarah Palin is in the contiguous states campaigning, who is watching Russia?

I just realized that "I kissed a girl and I liked it" Katy Perry is also known as a christian recording artist Katy Hudson... what a shocker! not that i have listened to either of her records, but those are polar opposites...

i love working at starbucks... it's a lot harder than i expected... but i love it!

the 700 billion buyout was a dirty deal... they bought people's votes... wooden arrows? seriously? don't get me started... that's a bunch of b.s. and it shows the true nature of politics...

i blame this whole economy deal on everyone... and the federal reserve...

my feet have grown stinky...

I have no idea how many times i've said "hello welcome to starbucks, this is michael would you like to try one of our new signature hot chocolates?"

i've been watching the clone wars on cartoon network... i approve!

last night some dude offered me "west coast weed" while i was working the drive thru...

the office is AWESOME! wiki wiki! "I wanted to say I'm sorry, for treating you bad the past couple years. I was in my mid-twenties and I was... going through a lot of stuff. I think I never really processed 9/11. I want you to know I've changed."

i was amazing at fantasy football for 1 week... now i am mediocre...

oh yeah... i'm 25 now... that's pretty depressing...

gay aiken what?!?!?

2008-09-25T21:42:00.000-04:00

So Clay Aiken is on the cover of People Magazine declaring that he is gay...

Next week, I will be on the cover of People Magazine declaring that I am white...

in other news... season 5 of the office starts tonight! i'm geeked!

houses and cars...

2008-09-23T21:42:00.000-04:00

There are 2 couples.

The first couple, the Obamas, own 1 car that they both share. They own 1 home.

The second couple, the McCains, own 13 cars. They own 6 to 11 homes. (Mr. McCain can't really remember...)

hmmm...

coast to coast AM

2008-09-17T21:41:00.000-04:00

i wrote an entry a while back about my love for coast to coast AM.

Wikipedia says...
"Coast to Coast AM is an American late-night syndicated radio talk show which deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate either to the paranormal, or to alleged conspiracies."

"subjects such as the occult, remote viewing, hauntings, shadow people, psychic predictions, conspiracy theories, UFOs, crop circles, cryptozoology and science fiction literature, among other paranormal and unusual topics."

Many of you know I am all about... I am a scifi guy... so to hear people who really believe this stuff is well fascinating... These people believe this stuff... It's amazing!

Well while working at starbucks, I guy came through the drive through late at night and he was sooooo excited that C2C AM is now on FM in Central Indiana on 93.1 WIBC!

Even greater news for those of you not living in Central Indiana you can now listen to C2C AM on WIBC's site via streaming audio...

here is the C2C AM schedule on WIBC...

Monday-Friday 11pm-5am
Saturday 12-5am
Sunday 1-5am

CHECK IT!

http://www.wibc.com/

there goes my bandstand!

2008-09-15T21:40:00.001-04:00

so growing up my parents used to talk about how important American Bandstand was to pop music. I always wanted to watch it, to see what it was about... I never could because it got cancelled. At the time I really didn't understand how an important show could get cancelled. and I always wondered, why do important shows end? Sure, with shows like Seinfeld and Friends there are only so many stories you can tell... But how do important variety shows like Saturday Night Live or the Tonight Show end?

There is a show on MTV I've written about a few times... it's called TRL... Now I haven't watched an episode in probably 5 plus years... but there was a time when I was in high school when i wouldn't miss an episode... it was my American Bandstand... That show literally made careers... Carson Daly, N'SYNC, Eminem, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera all have TRL to thank... (or we all have TRL to blame depending on how you look at it)...

It was a show that embraced different types of music... Pop, Rock, Punk, Rap, Alternative, Emo, Screamo, R&B, Country, and even Tom Green... (my bum is on the ship, the battleship)

I can remember when Mariah Carey was a crackhead and called in to give Carson Daly drunken tirades.

I can remember when a nerdy guy in the crowd named Brian Warner was interviewed... The next time he was on the show he went by the name Marilyn Manson...

I can remember when Elmo was on there... and i remember thinking how awkward it must have been for Carson Daly to be talking to some dude's hand...

and when Time Square had to be shut down every time N'SYNC or the backstreet boys showed up...

I can remember when voting for P.O.D.'s "Alive" felt like the christian thing to do...

I can remember when Tom Green had to retire his song about sticking his bum on things...

I can remember when Liam Gallagher (of Oasis) was being interviewed by Carson Daly and Liam totally ignored Carson for most of the interview by tooling around the set staring blankly into space....

and it wasn't just music, Movie stars went on the show to promote all of the latest movies... BIG HUGE NAMES!

sometime in November TRL will go on air for the last time... kinda sad really...

And I quote: Am I in pain? & Am I scared of a computer?

2008-09-12T21:40:00.000-04:00

So I've been watching season 4 of the office. Here are a few of my favorite dwight quotes from the deleted scenes for the episode "Launch Party"...

This first one is in reference to why he grew a beard after his girlfriend broke up with him...

"Am I in pain? Hell, yeah. But I'll tell you something, I thrive in pain. I love pain. To me, pain is not pain at all. No. It is pure pleasure. And I hate pleasure. Almost as much as I love pain. So, yeah... I'm in pain."
~Dwight Schrute

"Am I scared of a computer? Please. I have beaten Zelda, Metroid, Rush'n Attack, Duck Hunt. The only game I couldn't beat was RBI Baseball, which I blew up with an M-80."
~Dwight Schrute

now, I must go to work...

for the ladies... (and guys with ladies)

2008-09-05T21:39:00.000-04:00

in my last blog, I wrote about fair trade products and what they mean...

with Christmas a few months away, I wanted to give you some ideas for things you might wanna check out...

below is an awesome website where you can purchase fair trade jewelry, home decor, scarves, soap, stationary, toys, games, musical instruments, etc...

it's pretty awesome stuff... and it's decently priced... all of this is from fairly paid workers and NO CHILD LABOR!

please. please. PLEASE! check it out!

http://www.tenthousandvillages.com

fair trade.

2008-09-05T21:38:00.000-04:00

i'm a big fan of fair trade products... fair trade is a responsible way to ensure that we aren't feeding into the problem of poverty... in order for something to be certified free trade it must follow these principles...

1. Fair price
everyone gets paid fairly for the labor they give.

2. Fair labor conditions
NO CHILD LABOR! safe working conditions.

3. Direct trade
No middlemen. Also empowering workers to expand their knowledge of the business they are the essential part of.

4. Democratic and transparent organizations
Farmers and farm workers must decide together how to invest revenues in order to keep the business uncorrupt.

5. Community development
Fair Trade companies invest in their communities. via scholarships, social development, etc.

6.Environmental sustainability
A way to keep businesses going for future generations.

fair trade products are out there! you just have to look for them...

for more info of Fair Trade go to...
http://www.transfairusa.org/

following the homeless rabbi

2008-08-26T20:00:00.000-04:00

I've been on this path for years
I've been chasing after you
Sometimes I swear I feel you right ahead
And your hand is in my hand guiding me along
Often I find myself wondering if something elusive is right around the corner
And you are just waiting to reveal what or who or where it is
Often I feel like I have ran ahead of you
Your voice calls and you are telling me to slow down and take my time
And then there's those days when I know I'm completely lost
I know you are calling me from the path
The farther I get, the more faint your voice is
Sometimes the this is well lit
Other times I feel like I am stumbling around and grasping for you in the dark
Sorry for all the times you've had to wait for me
Thanks for being so patient with me
I love you