A Picture's Worth A Thousand Screams

Title: "Threats Will Get You Everywhere"I just completed this last night. Overall, the whole drawing took about 10 hours. It was nice and relaxing. I drew this from a reference (taking a bit of artistic licence of course). The original can be found in the new Contagion anthology, War Stories put out by Aegis Studios. Anyway, this was all about getting back into the habit a bit. I started with the left and worked my way right. As time progressed,...

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Handwriting Analysis

The results of your analysis say:You fill every waking moment with activity. You are a shy, idealistic person who does not find it easy to have relationships, especially intimate ones. You are affectionate, passionate, expressive, and future-oriented. You are a talkative person, maybe even a busybody! You are self-confident and like to bring attention to yourself. What does your handwriting say about Y...

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It's 5' x 9'

Title: Advent TruthThis is the pictoral version of my sermon a couple of weeks ago. It's about how during the season of Advent (just before Christmas), we are called to take upon ourselves the pain of what it is to be human, become the voice of those who suffer, cry out to God on their behalf, and live into and bear the hope of that which is to come.On the left is the present and on the right is the future Kingdom of God. On the left, a watcher...

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New Home Page

After a long silence, I should introduce everyone to my new home page: Eclectic Mass Home Page. It's much better than my geocities one.Let's see, what's happened in the last month since I posted?My car was broken into. Someone smashed out my rear, passenger side window in order to pillage my back seat. The boneheaded move on my part was to leave lots of stuff there. The thief must have felt silly though rummaging through a box that had copies of the Presbyterian Outlook and a liturgical calendar in it. All the person made off with was a smoothie...

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My Roller-Coaster Ride Last Weekend

Finally having a weekend where I didn't have anything that I had to do up here in Rockford, I finally got out of town. Friday, I made it down to Charleston, IL, where I got to see some Eastern Illinois University friends. That's where I received my history degreesl, and it was good to reconnect with my past profs. I was amazed at how it seemed like had seen them not so long ago. In fact, the last time I saw Anita and Newton was in 1999. I'm glad they hadn't changed much. I kind of like them just the way they are. So that was the highlight...

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A Must See: Crash

Movie: CrashThis is by far the best movie I've seen in a long time. The way the story line unfolds is masterful. It definitely made me think more about the world in which I live.I'm going to go see my parents this weekend. It has been too long since I've been able to make it down there, but getting a two-day weekend hasn't exactly been easy.No, last Sunday's sermon has not made it to the podcast yet. I will get that out there as soon as I can.My...

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I Like This Quote

I just read a great quote from Parker Palmer's To Know As We Are Know: Education As a Spiritual Journey. I wanted to share.On the one side, prayer is our capacity to enter into that vast community of life in which self and other, human and non\human, visible and invisible, are in-tricately intertwined. While my senses discriminate and my mind dissects, my prayer acknowledges and recreates the unity of life. In prayer, I no longer set myself apart fro others and the world, manipulating them to suit my needs. Instead, I reach for relationship,...

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There Is No End to the...

boxes, boxes, and more boxes. I've officially moved in to my new place. Of course, there's no room to move around yet. The worst part is that I can't find my coffee pot. I bought this cool new Chocolate Silk coffee to try out, but I have no way to make it at home. I've had to bring it to the office. It's good, but not as good as I'd hoped. I posted flyers around downtown yesterday. We're starting up an "Experimental Worship" service at Second Con and we want local musicians to play. What we're looking for:Street music that speaks to people...

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Is that Queen I Hear in the Background?

Title: Stained Glass at Second ConWe won! Second Congregational Church is officially the soft-ball champions of the church league as of last night. The final score: 14-9. On a different note, I got a bit of feedback for my sermon last Sunday. It came in a beautiful card with our stained glass windows on the cover (see above).Here's what she said:Dear Bo,A church service such as yesterday's inspires me the rest of the week. Welcome to Second...

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Preaching

This Sunday will be my first sermon at Second Con. I just finised the nearly-final draft. As I try to think about where this congregation is, I realize that I may have to take a pretty different approach to sermons. I have effectively moved from a conservative, rural congregation to a liberal, urban one. The extent to which I have to adapt I don't yet know. It has made this first one tough though.I'm also thinking about doing another DVD discussion group at a local coffee shop (much like the Historical Jesus Discussion Group that I did at...

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No More Anonymous Comments

I got tired of the "anonymous" comments that were actually spam postings (or whatever they're officially called). Therefore, I've turned off the option to post anonymously. If anyone out there wants to post on here, sorry, but you've got to get a blogger account. That doesn't mean that it ever has to be updated, but you'll have to at least set something up.Tomorrow, I'm going back to Spring Valley. I think I've found a temporary appt up here, so I think I can bring some stuff back. The new place would start at about mid-month. After (if?)...

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And She's Off

Mission Bound is off to Japan tomorrow. Tim, her, and I were going to go to the India House (she's a big fan of anything Indian), but apparently they saw us coming and decided to be closed on Tuesdays. So, off to get Giordano's pizza. I'm very sad to see her leave, but I'm sure she will have a ball over there.The car is back in my possession. In fact, now it works much better than it has in a long time. Woo hoo! I can finally go down to Spring Valley and continue dismantling my appt for the move.I should be working rather than blogging right...

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Where's the Dunce Cap?

I just got the call from the mechanic. He has figured out what is wrong with my car. Apparently, in my mad dash to make it to the softball game, I topped off the tank with diesel. He'll get it fixed up and back to me some time during the beginning of next week.I feel like such a bonehe...

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Losing Internet Access

While in transition, I will be losing some of my internet access. I can connect where I'm staying with friends, but I don't want to monopolize their computer. Obviously, at work I'm limited by...well, work. And in Spring Valley I'll be canceling my service since I'm not there. This isn't as big a deal for my blog as it is my podcast. (Though it does mean I won't be surfing many other people's blogs much.) I'm glad to say that I've got at least 20 subscribers now with about 40-50 hits a day. I need to update. It has been too long. I'll...

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Not Good

My car is smoking. I started it this morning (or at least tried to). It made funny sounds and almost got going. I turned it off, looked in the rear-view mirror, and there was the cloud. Shit.I guess I'm not going into work today. Unfortunately, I don't know where to take it here in Belvidere. I'll have to wait till Ang gets back. Then she can take me to wherever it is that I need to go. Hopefully, whoever is going to fix it can do it soon, because I have to move my stuff up here. Finances are limited, so it better not cost too mu...

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Natural Disasters and God

Downtown New Orleans, 30 Aug 2005“Why?”One minute the world seems to make sense, and then something terrible happens. This time it is Hurricane Katrina. When the power of nature rises up and brings such destruction, we humans (yes, we who have conquered the skies and landed on the moon) find that we are powerless to stop it. We who were once masters of our world, suddenly find ourselves feeling very tiny and vulnerable. Our world has not only...

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For All the Cubs Fans Out There

While cleaning and packing, I rediscovered a book by Robert J. Morgan entitled Real Stories for the Soul. Please note that this is in no way a plug for this book; it's terrible. Generally speaking it's shallow and the veracity of the stories is questionable. But, there is this really cool one that I would like to share (most of it anyway). ***************The 1908 World Series (p 135-36)The 1908 National League season saw a fierce struggle between the Chicago Cubs and the New York Giants. When they met with thet Pennant on the line, there was...

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Long Day

My first day alone on the job. I already have sooo much to do. Of course, since it is only the begining of my solo week, I don't really know if it is a lot or a little. I'll have to see how much I get through by Thurs. Didn't leave the office till 7pm. That's okay though, I really enjoyed today. Something I really like about the pastor position is the diversity of things to do. I could have left earlier if I wanted, but I chose to stay. Yeah, I know, it's odd. But I like what I do that mu...

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Big Day

Tomorrow (Sunday) will be a big day. I'll be in worship for the first time at my new church. Then, after the service, there is a picnic. What are the odds of me getting lost on the way there?Hopefully, I will be looking at a house tomorrow afternoon. Unfortunatly, due to this I will not be able to make it to the Gorilla Art Thing (which will meet outside the Octane from 1ish to 5ish). Sorry all, but I need to find a roof. It makes living a lot easier when you have one, ya know. I'm not quite sure how much I'll be in and out of my appt in...

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First Week

So far, not a bad first week. I started Monday, and while there have been some interesting twists, nothing disasterous has happened. I've been really busy, so I haven't had a chance to contact Tim or anybody else (imagine links here to various MySpace pages that I don't have the addresses to right off hand) and say "hi." I'll have to give everybody a tour. The outside of the building is like a castle, and there's this awesome tower. I made sure to go up there on the first day. I'm off on Fri and Sat, so I'll be hitting the housing ads pretty...

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The Word is In

I've got the position! I will be the New Interim Associate Pastor at Second Congregational. From what I understand, I will be filling some really big shoes, so it's a bit intimidating. I received notice yesterday and will start tomorrow. The plan is to be in the Rockford area early and begin looking for appts. Then, I will meet the current Associate Pastor in the afternoon. Employment: here I come!Elsewhere in life...This weekend I went to see Christina. It was good to get away and relax. Since her 9-yr old son wasn't there, we talked about...

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For Those Who Didn't Already Know This...

...the only thing worse than moving is moving when you don't know whether you're actually moving. Boxes, boxes everywhere. Tonight, I'm trying to get the group up to go to the labyrinth. So far, it has rained every time we've tried. Today, it looks dark, but if it isn't too bad, I'm still going (I don't know about the rest of 'em). Aegis Studios is putting out their Contagion Anthology soon enough. The release should be around Halloween. I have a written piece in there. Come to think of it, I need to finish a pic for it. Shh...don't tell...

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Still Waiting

The word is that the results on the interview are still "inconclusive." It has been a bit of a strange drama thusfar, but I hope to hear something back in the next couple of days. But, the job still starts on Monday, so my appt is a wreck as it is filled with boxes. Ugh!Meanwhile, If I don't hear something by mid-afternoon, I'll be setting up another interview elsewhere. If the Rockford possibility doesn't come through, here's hoping that this new one will move quickly.Yes, the employment roller coaster takes yet another sharp tu...

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Stomach...Churning...

Okay, I'm nervous now. Oddly enough, when I went into the first meeting regarding this new call opportunity, I was barely nervous. Now, it's hitting pretty hard. I went to Open Prarie NCD (UCC) in Princeton today for worship. Oddly enough, I've been there three times and have yet to hear the pastors preach. I hear they're awesome, but every day I've been there they've had a guest preacher. Today, that was a real blessing. The college student (I believe her name is Dawn, but I forgot to bring home a bulletin) who preached gave a kick-ass...

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The News

Tonight, the church called me regarding their open position and offered me the job. I very quickly said "yes," of course. The start date: Aug. 15th. That's pretty quick. Now, I have to find an appt that will rent month to month. The hiring is not yet official. The committee that presented the call to me is not the group that hires. I have to go before their Provincial Council for that. We will meet Sunday evening. But still, this is all quite the relief. Woo hooo!MissionBound dropped in last night and left today. She had training in...

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Fortune: "Happy News is on the Way"

That's what my fortune cookie said today. So, here's hoping.Anyway, I did hear back about that job, but I haven't had time to post much here until now. They are now in the reference-check mode. When I applied, I put "references available upon request." I guess I wasn't thinking. I should have given them some names up front. I have good references, though, so this is a good thing. Also, they needed a Statement of Faith. This is another thing typical of pastoral candidates. (Again, I should have got this to them earlier on.) I didn't send...

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Egad, It's Hot!

Since I've been working on getting the podcast up and running, I've largely neglected Eclectic Mass. So, I want to hit on a few highlight from the last couple of weeks.Megalomaniac dropped in for a week. We went to see the The Fantastic Four. I liked it better than he did. The effects were great, except for the Thing. When you see creasing in the stone skin, the illusion that it isn't foam starts to fade. I had an interview last Thursday. ...

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Getting Back in the Saddle

Now that I've got some time on my hands, I need to get back to work on Nutshell Christianity. It has been about 4 mo's since I last worked on it, and it's high time I got back in the saddle. This is what I said about it back in March: It doesn't exist yet. I've been working on it in my spare time. It's an intro book to Christianity as a religious option in America. The BIG plan is to turn it into a supplement book for a video series. It would be...

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I'm Listed

The podcast is now in real live directories. (However, it may take a while for them to appear there.)~~Digitalpodcast.com~~itunesUnfortunately, itunes looks pretty cool. The plan is not to buy anything from them until I get the income to justify it. Once I start buying, things will probably go downhill from there. I was looking at the audio books, and then realized how difficult it is for me to sit thorugh them. A few years ago, I tried to listen to one that a friend loaned me. It was really interesting. However, I kept spacing out. That...

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The Podcast is Ready

The podcast is now fully functioning. If you go over there, you will see that I have a reflection and 3 sermons. That should be enough to start with.Isn't the animated gif neat? Unfortunately, I can't put it in my sidebars because it is too big. The only size it works at is too small to read, which of course defeats the purpose. So, this is probably the last you'll see it unless I can find a way to use it.For those who don't have an aggregator...

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Podcast Update...and Much, Much More!

Some time in the near future, my podcast location will be moving. I am using podblaze as a temporary trial run until I can get the real deal up and running. Tim has been talking with me about what I will need to set it all up. Here's hoping it goes smoothly.Interestingly, when I was talking with him, he said he only had one show listed. Actually, there are two. I suspect that because podblaze only allows 15MB, the second one will not show up. So, to find it, people will have to go to the podblaze site...at least until I get the new one up....

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Keys to Power

A while back I picked up a book entitled The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene. It's a great book, and I'm now only rediscovering it. Basically, it is his answer to the question, "how do I acquire power?" Greene uses historical illustrations to convey the spirit of the law. He's quite witty too.Each chapter begins with a "judgment." Here's my fav, cause I think it's funny:Law 28: Enter Action with BoldnessIf you are unsure of a course of action, do not attempt it. Your doubts and hesitations will infect your execution. Timidity is dangerous: Better...

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Medium: Charcoal

Title: Niedius, Master of ShadowsCharcoal is something that I haven't touched in over 15 years. It was fun back then, but messy. And since I like to draw inside, messy is a bit of a concern. It's a character for an idea for a graphic novel. I'm trying to figure out how to do quality b/w for comics. This pic was done with charcoal, but touched up in on the computer. So far, they see to work well together. I definitely want to use charcoal more.The...

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I'm a Podcasting Maniac Too!

Why would I want to podcast sermons, you ask? Well, it's pretty simple really...I like writing sermons. I like my computer. I like being everywhere at once.It's not like you all couldn't see this coming eventually.Check out the Eclectic Podcasting Mass. Right now there's only one entry, but give me time.Edit: Okay, I just discovered the downside of podblaze. They only allow 15MB of storage for free. That means that I can only have one or two sermons available at a time until I break down and buy space. Mind you, I will not be working with...

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How Incredibly Disappointing

Today was (and yesterday and tomorrow) was Utica Days. I was invited to be in the art tent, which was flattering because they did have a bit of "quality control." But, did it ever suck. First, the art tent was supposed to be on a main street where all the action was. However, that meant closing off the highway, which meant getting permission from the state first. But, someone apparently forgot to apply for the permission, which meant not being able to close off the highway, which meant that we were a couple of blocks out of the way. Most...

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To Podcast or Not to Podcast...

Yesterday, MissionBound and I went to the birthday party for "ssg". Quite the bash, I assure you. It was good to see my friends there as well as several new faces. (How was I supposed to know that "ssg" had a sister. Well, if he will not turn to the darkside, then perhaps she will!)Anyway, while there, I was talking with InvaderTim and discussed the idea of me doing a podcast of my own. (FYI: He was in the Rockford Register Star. Go look it up people. But be forewarned, he did not say that podcasting was "all things.") I was thinking about...

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An Interview with Your's Truly

The most recent installment of Tim's Podcast is out. It starts with an interview with none other than me. Get over there and listen to that thing.Which leads me to a little story. When I went to Tim's podcast page, I also checked out his Podcast Extras page. As I was reading, I noticed that he misspelled "ecclectic" wrong, not once but twice. Silly boy spelled it with only one "c". Then I thought about it and...wait a minute...I'm the one who's been misspelling it! Egad! I don't even know how to spell the title of my own site! Okay, so...

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B/W Rendering

I wanted to practice black and white rendering on the computer. The sketch took about 1/2 hour. The redrawing and filling with 50% gray took about an hour. And the dodge and burn took about an hour. That totals a little over 2-1/2 hours. The original intent was a 4x2" comic panel. I think the biggest time consumer is the redrawing. This has given me even more incentive geta drawing tablet (or whatever the hell they're actually called). Then,...

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Blues Traveller...Here?

Yes, you heard right. Blues Traveller will be in Peru, IL at Lou's LaGrotto Pizza House on August 6th. It's there 30th anniversary and they want to celebrate big. Tickets are $5 (which goes to charity, but I can't remember which one).Who'd have thought that anyone that big would come to this ar...

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Happy Birthday to Me

Yesterday was my birthday. I'm officially 36 years of age. Yes, boys and girls, that means that I am now closer to 40 than 30. Not that I feel it or demonstrate it in my behavior, mind you.So, "How did your birthday go?" you may be wondering.Well, I'm glad you asked. It was an emotional roller coaster. At the church, we had a congregational meeting to discuss the future of the church. (Unfortunatly, this was the only day we had available to...

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Sweet Stick People

A friend of mine sent me this. I was tremendously amused.I've scanned in my pic that I drew at the Gorilla Art Thing. I'm not posting it here though. To see it, you have to go to the forums and check out the "Visuals." We have another user on the forums, who is way out of the area. I think we need a e-mailing list so we can send out invites. I'm thinking send out a few, and have those few send out to those they think might be interested, and so on. That's going to have to be the way this thing picks up: word of mou...

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Boomer: W.I.P. #1

Title: Boomer: W.I.P. #1In case you haven't noticed, I'm a huge fan of the new Battlestar Galactica series. I decided to practice my drawing skills on a bit of fan art. I saw someone do a few "work in progress" series. It was great getting to see how the artist's picture developed. So, I thought I'd do the same.Time investment so far: 2 hrs. As you can see, I'm not very far into it. The final will be about twice as ta...

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Sunday

Sunday was an emotionally confusing day for me. The first part was really hard: my last Sunday in th pulpit in Ladd. On Wednesday (my birthday nonetheless) we will have a congregational meeting to determine the direction of the small country church. The options are severely limited. Thursday is my last day here. Then...who knows. Maybe I will have a minor part time position in a church with pizza delivery on the side until I can get something. Maybe I will do only pizza delivery. We'll see.On the bright side, after a nap I went up to the...

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"Gorilla" or "Guerilla"?

Last night I spent a bit of time putting together forums for the Gorilla Art Thing. Sure, I know that it's supposed to be "guerilla," but I was putting them together and liked "gorilla" at that moment. Ergo, the name.Why? Well, I was looking at different free forums sites and wanted to put something together, but didn't know what to go with. Then I thought that they would really help with the gorilla gig. It really didn't take very long. They have several skins to chose from. After picking a few (and yes, members have a choice of which one...

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We Were Outside

Tonight, we had our Historical Jesus DVD Discussion Group meeting at the Common Grounds BookCafe in Utica (they are no longer in LaSalle). We decided to take the TV outside and watched it in the garden area. That was awesome. It was a great discussion, too. Admittedly it was more geared toward "spirituality" than "historical Jesus," but great nonetheless.Okay all, don't forget...Poster by InvaderTimNext Sunday, outside the Octane in Rockford,...

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Moving Down the Page

When I put together "Daddy's Home" I had a page layout in mind. I'm continuing with it. This leaves only two more panels to go. One is already sketched. The other, which is more complicated, is still blank.Since I'm keeping track of time...The sketch of the remaining panels (minus the one yet to be done) is 1 hour. Each of these panel colorings took short of 2 hours each. That means the 6 (for the first pic) +1 (for the sketch) +4 (for the...

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Going Ape at the Guerilla Art Gig

Title: "Daddy's Home"Sunday evening was the Guerilla Art Gig (G.A.G.) in Rockford, IL. I already knew InvaderTim and "ssg". New to me were Jesus (the one who called us all together), Marika, and Brandon. We did more talking than anything. InvaderTim should have the podcast up soon enough. (I hope I didn't say anything too embarassing.) I was torn between whether I should draw a tree or work on comic book art. I chose the latter. I sketched...

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FPC-Ladd

The First Presbyterian Church of Ladd, ILThis is the church that I'm currently serving as Student Pastor. Since I will be leaving at the end of the month, I wanted to give each of them a drawing of the building as my parting gift to them. Many parishioners have given me things that they made, and I wanted to give them something that I made. It also served as good practice.About 20 minutes ago I noticed how late it was. Normally, this would not...

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A Change of Pace

Title: Who's Got Your Back?Tonight I decided to try something a bit different: comic book art. Thanks to my buddy Tim, I have a few new techniques that helped a lot. (Dodge and burn, baby! Dodge and burn!)For those who think comic book art is a breeze, think again. This simple picture took me 3-1/2 hours. That's about 1-1/2 hours more than I expected. And this is only one picture. Typically, a comic page has from 4-7 panels (that are smaller, yes,...

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My Home Church

Westminster Presbyterian Church, Rockford, IL:"Embracing Dynamic Traditions for a New World"The time investment on this one was about 5 hours drawing time, and 3-1/2 hours computer work. Someone has recently encouraged me to draw buildings and try to market the pictures. Well, I wanted interesting architecture to start with, so I drew my home church. The text is their new vision statement. (And a pretty cool one if you ask me.) They are in the process...

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Do Not Disturb...Especially if You are a Wasp

Title: Do Not DisturbThis has been in the works for a couple of weeks now. It feels good to have it done. I confess to having rushed the final stretch, but the drawing itself took around 10 hours. Much longer than I wanted to spend on it. Nevertheless, I'm pleased with the outcome. (I'll turn the pic into a link as soon as I get it into my deviantArt gallery. It's a link now!)Related to that, I want to announce that there is a guerilla art gathering...

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Just a Thought

I was thinking a bit today about the struggles facing today's churches. The little congregation that I'm serving right now is facing some serious difficulties. We are not alone in that. All over the U.S., small rural churches are confused about what to do. Repeatedly, I come back to wrestling with the same difficulties when it comes to church life. The mainline church has effectively disconnected from the world in which it dwells. If Len Sweet's analysis in Soul Tsunami was correct a few years ago, then the current average age of the Presbyterian...

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Could It Be? ... No Rain?

Every other Thursday, a group of us meet at the Common Grounds BookCafe to watch the DVD series "The Historical Jesus" and to discuss. On the off-Thursdays, I would like to get a group up to go to the labyrinth at Pilgrim Park (by Princeton, IL). The labyrinth is a spiritual walk path. (To read about the Grace Cathedral labyrinth, click here.) It's not a hedge maze or a corn maze. It's a series of rocks on the ground in a patter that one walks....

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Sojo Mail

I received this today in my in my in-box. It's from Sojourner's magazine. Jim Wallis is the author of the recent God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong, and the Left Doesn't Get It.***************"Bush's Calvin College Surprise"by Jim WallisAs I've traveled the country this spring - 82 events, 48 cities, and hundreds of media interviews since January - I've witnessed a new movement of moderate and progressive religious voices challenging the monologue of the Religious Right. An extremely narrow and aggressively partisan expression of right-wing...

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Revenge of the Sith

I just got in from seeing this with MissionBound and Scott. I really liked it. As someone noted, it was better than the first two. Personally, I'm satisfied with it as the grand finale. Admittedly, seveal scenes were hokey (and I mean really hokey), even to the point of being unredeemable. But overall it worked.Something I definitely want to point out, however, is what I uncovered when searching for a pic to post here. During the google search,...

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I Had a Dream...

...and it went something like this. Somehow, through an on-line web board, I got connected with this young lass. We started talking about seeing each other, and she was getting ready to take a short trip to New Orleans. She said she would like to meet with me on the weekends. I said "Sure, where would you like to meet?" She said, "How about Boulder, CO?" Stunned, I said, "Boulder? Where do you live?" She said "Toronto." This did not help my confusion since Boulder is not on the way from Toronto to New Orleans, but I chalked it up to being...

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My First Portrait

I'm starting to see a theme here. My blog is turning into an art show. I hope that doesn't bore everyone to death. But it's my blog and I'll post what I want to...post what I want to... (Can't you just hear the music in the background?)Anyway, this is the first portrait that I've done. It didn't turn out too bad. And, it was a lot of fun to do. When I went into Valley Photo, I asked, "How much is it to get a portrait done?" The clerk responded,...

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Elves Rock!

Ever since I saw an ancient movie entitled Hawk: The Slayer, I have loved elves. So when it comes to fantasy illustrations, they're my favorite subject. It has been a long time since I tried to draw something from the fantasy (as opposed to sci-fi or horror) genre. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, the last fantasy drawing I did was in 1998. (*Gasp* Has it really been 7 years? Surely, I'm forgetting something I did in the gap.) So, I did the above...

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Welcome to "TeamSpeak"

A friend of mine just introduced me to "TeamSpeak." So far, very cool. Basically, it allows you to talk through your computer mic and speakers. You connect with people through a server, so it's great for mass communication. (The link for the free download: the TeamSpeak site)The problem is that there is a bit of lag time. And if someone speaks while others are speaking, then nothing happens. On the bright side, whenever someone begins to speak, a light turns green so people know when to shut up. I like it. And since a particular friend...

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A New Perspective on Anger

Recently, I picked up Julia Cameron's book, The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. I can't recommend it enough. This book is self-billed as "a course in discovering and recovering your creative self." Of course, there are those who would argue that I don't need something like this, but I have found it quite useful.There are many wise things shared in its pages. Something of special note is Cameron's perspective on anger. She writes, Anger is meant to be listened to. Anger is a voice, a shout, a plea, a demand. Anger is...

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It's Blog-Worthy

Yesterday I received great news. My friend Won is doing a new church development in Dekalb, IL, currently called Emmaus Road. The grant that he requested to fund this has just passed through the last hoop: General Assembly. Won is doing great work up there. He is not using a "traditional" church model, but an "organic" one. Neat stuff. Look for the web page soon. When it appears, I'll put a link to it somewhere in the left sideb...

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From a Forward

Personal favorite is #36...***************Things You'd Love to Say Out Loud at Work 1. I can see your point, but I still think you're full of *&^# . 2. I don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce. 3. How about never? Is never good for you? 4. I see you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public. 5. I'm really easy to get along with once you people learn to see it my way. 6. I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter. 7. I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message. 8. I don't work...

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Angel at the Foot of Heaven

Title: Angel at the Foot of HeavenThis is my most recent work. I just submitted it to deviantART for approval. Soon, it should be displayed properly in my on-line art gallery.This took me about 7 1/2 hours drawing time (spread out over 3 days), and 2-3 hours of digitizing. Yet again, I had to piece together scanned images, but it was a lot easier this time. As I step back from the original, I am quite pleased. But I am concerned that something...

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Response to a Question Regarding My Thoughts on "Hell" and Metaphorical Language

First thing is first: Does anybody know what code I need to add a bit of space around in-line pics? As you can see, my text hugs my graphic. I find it very annoying, but I don't know what to do about it.Now, on to business.I was going through old computer files and came across something of interest. Quite some time ago on XianGoth.Net, I mentioned that we needed to retain the concept of "hell," but we need to do so while keeping in mind that all...

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I'm Too Sexy for This Job

Title: I'm Too Sexy For This JobHow often do we want to say this?This is Invader Tim sporting his crazy backward pants (the original pic can be found in one of his first blog entries). I wanted to draw something from an interesting photo, and this one came to mind. The complex pose was a pleasant challenge.Yet again, I had to scan it in three sections. Blending them takes quite a bit of time. After scanning, I had to do some touch-ups, and I...

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Sermon Recommendation

My friend Mike Solberg is the senior paster at Second Congregational in Rockford, IL. I just came across his sermon from last Sunday entitled, "Eternal Life Here and Now." I'm recommending it for all those interested in that sort of thi...

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My Package Has Arrived!

It's about time. I've waited a week. And the verdict...They're phenomenal! I ordered some matte, glossy, and lustre prints of "Cry of the Orphan." But what I'm most impressed with is the coffee mug. All around, the products have far exceeded my expectations. Time to place an order to start selling local...

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