i cycled to work today. on thursdays i always cycle to work because i have no choice, so i am genuinely at the mercy of the weather. and in this case, the weather showed no clemency, it completely hurled it down for around 40 minutes and i cycled through a weather front. the skies were black and the droplets stung my face. to make matters worse my ipod packed up after three songs of bill callahan, choosing to give up the ghost and leave me alone. even neoprene overshoes were no match for the consistency of the water, my feet ended up soaked, and my bag – having never ever let me down – allowed a tell-tale trickle in along the seam. by the time i got to work an hour later it was nearly impossible to take my clothes off, the layer of moisture creating an unpleasant clinginess.

colleagues look askance at my dishevelled appearance, mouths agog, and asked if i had cycled (a strange question considering the lycra, overshoes, hemlet, gloves, and so on) and i replied; ‘yes, it was great’ with all the masochistic fervour of the truly possessed. it wasn’t great, it was grim.

despite all of this, there was a radiant beam of light through the rolling storm clouds – i appear to have rediscovered some form, for which i am very happy. i did a 4 minute assault on a particularly brutish climb on the way home, accelerating up towards the top and feeling the endorphin kick. it was brilliant. just in time for a trip to newport on saturday with the club.

other projects: a diamant columbus mixte, possibly a 531 beater too. good times. i recommend dave hinde for cheap and good fixed wheelsets.

and i have been listening to cornelius…

oh, and my love of both folk music and beards has been suddenly, revoltingly violated:

As much as people are often amazed at the idea that we can give them a straight smile with Six-Month Braces, there really are times when it doesn’t even take THAT long.  Take a look at Karim’s before and after pictures — literally, we put her brackets on back on September 9th, and we took them off today, November 24th.  That’s NOT EVEN 3 months with braces on, but look what a difference!  As she put it….”I love the results!”

Sorry for having to be so precise with the  “2.9″ months, but some anal-retentive guy has actually trademarked “Three Month Braces^TM” and I can’t say that without getting sued.  You’ve got to be frigging kidding me. 

Endlich, wer soll raus aus dem Big Brother Haus?

When I need to cut off from background noise at work I wear headphones.  What I listen to depends on mood as much as the work itself.  Lately I have been chillin’ to Cornelius — quite simply, the guy’s brilliant and very original.

[embedded video "Music" from "Sensuous" on youtube:]

Keigo Oyamada chose “Cornelius” after the ape character  in the “The Planet of The Apes” movie. His own son is named “Milo” — which is also the name of the baby ape son of Cornelius in that film!

I have only two albums — Point (2001) and Sensuous (2006), and both are top quality creations.  To my mind, Keigo makes his music in a similar way to Steely Dan and The Blue Nile, it’s about sound experiences, noises, stereo imagery, an aural experience, as well as about rhythm and melody.

Cornelius albums are filled with audio craft — the works are art and compiled like a painting might be.  Let’s be frank here, this is innovative, creative and also Japanese — yet it remains accessible and wonderful.

§

So, nach kurzer Abstinenz gibt es mal wieder ein kleines Update, serious

1. Nachricht an Hofnärrin Erika “Jetzt haben sie schon freie Bahn, da können sie doch bitte ihren Drahtesel und die Abi mit der Maus Kutsche vor der Tür abholen. Is ja schön und gut, dass sie damit Präsenz zeigen und somit ihr Revier markieren, passen Sie nur auf, dass es nicht den falschen erwischt o_O”
2. Ehrlichkeit währt am Längsten. Auch, immer noch und vor Allem in diesem Haushalt: Die Jungs möchten ihren Untertan Pippin los werden. Alle wissen es, sogar die Freunde, bei und mit denen herzlich gelästert wird, nur Pippin, der weis nichts. Tut einem fast leid. Aber hey, hier sind wir doch offen und sagen immer alles ehrlich! (PS: deswegen gibt’s auch das Blog!)
3. Wochentlich als Antwort auf den Früh-Morgendlichen Balkan Terror wird von nun an wöchentlich mit lauter Schlager-Party geantwortet. Hossa! Hier gleich einmal unser all-time Klassiker zum mitjodeln:
4. Supr Sachn, ge, servas! woapa!
5. Hanfi Nr. 2 lebt noch! Nachdem Nummer eins kläglich zugrunde gerichtet wurde, da sie Pippin erzählt hatten, dass Aschdüngung das Wachstum beschleunige, hat sie einfach so mal das Leben aufgegeben. Schade aber.
6. Die Gemeente hat das Haus inspiziert. Angeblich aus brandschutztechnischen Gründen, de Fakto aber, um herauszufinden, ob hier nicht doch zu viele Menschen leben. Leider sind die Konsequenzen dieser Visite nocht nicht bekannt.
7. Ein anderes brandschutztechnisches Anliegen wurde aber sofort beanstandet: DIE MÜLLTONNE MUSS WEG! und das binnen 24 Stunden! Ansonsten würde Pippin geopfert werden. Naja. Auf jeden Fall darf das gute Ding aus brandschutztechnischen Gründen nicht auf der Straße stehen, sondern muss im “Vorgarten” (direkt neben dem Haus!) sein Dasein fristen. Die Arme.
8. Endlich haben sie den Garten aufgeräumt. All dann mal wieder die Müllabfuhr morgens um 9 lautstark die gesamte Nachbarschaft geweckt hatte um standesgemäß Müll zu entsorgen, passierte ein Drama! Ein Farbeimer ergoss seinen Inhalt auf die heilige Oosterstraat! Das geht so natürlich nicht, die ansehnliche Nachbarin mit Nicht-Mehr-Extentions klopfte tyrannisch Sturm und lies die Jungs zum ersten Mal in ihrem leben schrubben. MINDESTENS eine dreiviertel Stunde (deutsch-cornelius: 45-10, cornelius-deutsch 10-45) haben sie geschwitzt!
9. Kommen wir aber nun zurück zum Garten! Jawohl, der Hintergarten, Backyard und nicht Backstreet, wohl gemerkt! Erinnern Sie sich an den erfolgreichen Ablauf des Projektmanagements? Wir fast nicht mehr. Aber hey, guckt euch mal die Fotos an, da hat sich doch einiges getan!
10. Astralkörper gehören regelmäßig gepflegt. Der anfänglich enthusiastische 5maligen Besuch des Fitnessstudios vor ca. einem Monat ist nun zu einem 3-4 maliger Besuch des Pubs zur Pflege des Waschbrett-äh-Bier-bauches geworden.
11. Wir wissen nun, warum Pippin den Laptop mit aufs Klo nimmt, ersparen euch aber die Details und sagen nur: der arme Junge hat kein eigenes Zimmer, da bietet wohl nur das stille Örtchen, hygienisch rein und sauber… und so.
12. Cornelius leidet hingegen kann nicht genug von seiner Privatsphäre preisgeben. Deswegen muss das Bad auch nicht abgeschlossen werden.
13. Es gibt einen Putzplan, und jeder der sich nicht dran hält wird bei lebendigen Leibe verbrannt.

The Apostles and the Holy Spirit

James made the point that only the Apostles laid hands. He said this in the context of healing, which isn’t true Scripturally (as my last post showed); and then went into the giving of the Holy Spirit, saying that only the Apostles could give the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands, with the exception of Cornelius, who received Him spontaneously because he was the first Gentile.

A couple of Scriptures from Acts that would dispute that interpretation:

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the HolyGhost.

James used this Scripture later as proof that Baptism saves us, but I thought it was interesting that it concludes by saying if you do these things, you receive the gift of the Holy Ghost – which James seemed to be denying. There was nothing in that passage about the Apostles laying hands on anyone in order for that to happen.

Acts 4:31 “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost…”

Now, by this time in Acts, they had already added greatly to the number of the original Apostles. So, there’s no reason to think that this was only the 12, unless you want to stretch the meaning to fit your theology.

Now, the Holy Spirit (or Ghost) is mentioned regularly in the New Testament, as someone to whom everyone has access. If He only comes on people by the laying on of hands of the Apostles, it wouldn’t be sustainable, and there would be no need to mention Him so much as a part of the believer’s life.

James mentioned that Cornelius was the exception because God wanted to make such a powerful example of them to the Jews, and so they received the Holy Spirit the same way the Apostles did, without the laying on of hands. As proof, he quoted Peter, who said: “And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.” James said that the fact that Peter said “as on us” and not “as on the Samarians” or some other random incident shows that he was telling it as a unique event.

My dispute with this assumption is that I hold up the possibility that he was simply bringing in a common point of reference.

For example, my wife goes shopping with a couple of friends and they come upon some amazing bargains. Later, my wife goes shopping with other friends and they also come upon some amazing bargains. She goes back to those first friends, and tells them about her recent excursion. Is she going to compare her recent trip to other random shopping trips, or the one that she and the original friends have in common?

In the same way, Peter was bringing in a common point of reference for the folks in the room, because that was what would make it powerful for them.

“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.  Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is you own?” (Luke 16: 10-12)

Faith is the catalyst that causes growth in our identity.  Therefore, in order to grow, we must do things that put us in a dependent position upon God.  When we place more confidence in God’s promises than in our own ability to accumulate wealth, we will begin to grow in God.  This was true of the rich young ruler of scripture.  He had led a morally upright and clean life, yet, he put his sense of security and peace in his wealth rather than God.  (Nothing wrong with wealth, God just wants to be first.  One need only look at Solomon to see God has no problem giving riches.)  Jesus sees right through the matter and tells him, “One thing you lack; Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 10:21)  Entering the Kingdom is not about riches, it is about faith and dependency.  If we are to grow in our  identity, we must make radical changes in our lifestyle.  The first change that we need to develop is a lifestyle of radical generosity to God and men.  When we give, it creates space for God to bless us and bless others.  We open ourselves up for God to open heaven over us.  The Bible says, “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house and try Me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.’” (Malachi 3:10)  God is not just talking about financial blessings but also spiritual ones.  In essence, when we tithe, God will open heaven into our lives.  Hence, whatever is free to operate in heaven is free to operate in our lives because of our obedience to tithing.  When we step out in faith and give away money we put confidence in God’s promise.  When the promise is fulfilled in our lives, it breeds a greater desire to believe what God has promised.  Faith leads to faith, or an increase in faith.  Anytime we limit our ability for a greater belief in His ability, we will grow in our identity and receive spiritual blessing.

In the Bible, Jacob provides a great example of an individual who had great confidence in his own ability.  He has a tremendous encounter with God that radically changes his life.  The first change that he makes in his lifestyle is in the area of his finances.  (Genesis 28:22)

Jacob has a powerful encounter with God at Bethel (Genesis 28:22)  Prior to this experience, the only god that Jacob had was himself.  He was a manipulator and a con-man.  Even his name means, “deceiver.”   He sought, through his own power, to secure his future.  He manipulates and steals his older brother’s birthright and blessing.  Esau, the burly older brother, didn’t appreciate this much and sets out to kill Jacob.  Jacob is now on the run for his life.  After receiving a prophetic blessing from his father, Jacob sets out.  As a result of this blessing, the spiritual kingdom has moved to invade Jacob’s physical circumstances.  God appears to him in a dream.  God appears as the God of Abraham and Isaac, and not the God of Jacob.  However, as a result of this encounter, throughout the remainder of scripture, God identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Jacob has become a different man.  Jacob recognizes the promises of God on his life and makes the decision to put himself in a position of dependency upon God by tithing.  (the Hebrew word for tithe literally means “a tenth”-10% of ones income is the tithe)  For the rest of his life, Jacob was provided for and taken care of by God.  Jacob was secure enough in God’s revelation of His character to put himself in a position of financial dependence on God.

The Apostle Paul understood this principle and he taught it to the Philippians.  Paul writes, “Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account.” (Philippians 4:17)  Paul is saying, “Look, I don’t want your money, I want you to receive the spiritual and physical benefits of a radically generous lifestyle.”  This principle was honored by God in the life of Cornelius.

Cornelius is in prayer and God fulfills His promise and “opens heaven” over Cornelius.  An angel appears to him and says, “Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms are remembered in the sight of God.” (Acts 10:31)  It was because of his radical generosity in making financial offerings (alms) that God chose him to be the first of the Gentiles to receive salvation and subsequent, baptism in the Spirit. It’s one thing for us to seek God for an increase in anointing and it is quite another thing when God seeks after us because of our radical generosity.

The Shunamite woman of the Old Testament, demonstrates this principle in her dealings with Elisha.  She radically and generously used her resources to provide for the prophet and his servant.  Because of her giving, the prophet seeks to impart something into her life.  (2 Kings 4:14)  Again, it is one thing to seek an impartation from a man of God but quite another when the man of God seeks you out because of your generosity.  Jesus explains it this way, “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.” (Matthew 10:40-41) When we honor, bless, and support the calling and anointing on someone’s life, we put ourselves in a position to make a demand on that anointing.  (We are not talking about buying the anointing, we are talking about putting ourselves in a position of dependency upon God and allowing Him and His servants to fulfill His promise toward us)  Generosity, tithes, and offerings can ensure that we grow in our identity.  It puts us in a position of faith to receive impartation from both God and His ministers.  This transference will cause us to grow up in God.  Subsequently, leaving behind our old identity.

Songs to sleepytime to

Stelvio Cipriani – Mary’s Theme
Robbert Bobbert & the Bubble Machine – A Tiny Sheep
Antonio Carlos Jobim – Triste
Brigitte Bardot – Une Histoire de Plage
Nujabes – Peaceland
Agent A & Omae – Low
Pandatone – Two Piece feat. Michi
Cornelius – Sleep Warm
JaeJoo SoNyeon – Alice
Steve Reich – Slow
Kraftwerk – Computer World
Disasterpiece – Grey Daycare Riot
Astrud Gilberto – In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning

Download Episode 9!

For anger management classes in North Carolina visit www.masteringanger.com or call 704-804-0841.

Alt er mye klarere, og finere oppe. Luften smaker litt bedre. Likevel faller jeg tilbake.

Lørdagsmorgen klokka 10 pakker jeg sammen macen og klærne i fin koffert og min gamle skolesekk fra barneskolen. Den er blå skal dere vite, og romslig og fin og har plass til nesten alle klærne mine. Jeg tenker ikke over dette før jeg sitter på bussterminalen, men jeg kommer til å tenke på at jeg må se svært rar ut med en gammel koffert med et iMac-stativ stikkende ut så jeg ikke klarer å holde den på vanligvis, men bære den som om det var en mikrobølgeovn. Og med den søte blå sekken i kontrast til grønn fløyelsjakke og six-pence som nesten faller av hele tiden pga headsetet mitt. Jeg lurer på hva de tenker når de ser slike rare folk. Jeg prøver å finne ut hva jeg selv ville ha tenkt, men det går ikke an å vite sånt.

Jeg prøver å se litt på folk rundt meg, det kan se ut som over gjennomsnittet har lagt merke til meg, men de sysler jo bare med sitt. Jeg så sikkert ikke så rar ut som jeg selv trodde, eller kanskje folk bare er litt redde.

Jeg ville ha spurt meg om en røyk og slått av en prat og spurt om den rare tingen som stikker ut av kofferten. Men såklart jeg ville gjort det, jeg gjør meg jo selv til den jeg vil, er det ikke det alle gjør? Og man liker jo den man vil være.

Akkurat når jeg tenker litt på dette spør en jente meg om jeg har en lighter, hun ler litt av den søte rosa lighteren og spør meg hva jeg har i kofferten min.

Jeg tror hun ble litt skuffet når jeg sa det var en iMac.

Bussturen var fin, jeg har fått meg en iPod, den heter Ambassador iSpock og har 149 gigabyte med nøye utvalgte låter fra biblioteket mitt. Jeg har aldri hatt en mp3-spiller før(over lengre tid) så stemningen i det å gå rundt i byen og høre på Massive Attack, og det å sitte helt fremst i bussen i andre etasje med fin utsikt, og høre på Cornelius var nesten overveldende. Jeg satt i 10 timer i bussen tror jeg, jeg er ikke helt sikker, men det var fint. Jeg likte det, jeg har aldri følt jeg har hatt så god tid til å høre på musikk før.

Monica ventet på meg da jeg kom og ga meg en klem. Dere har sett henne før, -hvis dere har lest litt mer enn bare dette så klart.

Jeg forklarer resten i bilder.

Idunn kom også på besøk.

Jeg glemte å fortelle at jeg og Monica har danset vals i både 3-takt, 4-takt og 5-takt denne helga.

Soundtrack: Tool – Ticks And Leeches

During his reign as a governor in the Roman empire, Herod the Great turned Caesarea from a simple fishing village into a large, prosperous sea port. He was called “the Great Builder” by some, because he undertook amazing construction projects in this Mediterranean port city. Strategically positioned on the Via Mares (the way of the sea) — the major commerce highway of the ancient world connecting Africa, Europe and Asia; an intercontinental bridge — Caesarea became a booming center of commerce.

Herod built a palace there — where Paul was imprisoned after standing before Felix and Aggripa in Acts 24 and 25. We toured the ruins of this palace, which jutted out into the sea, seeing among other things the in-ground stone swimming pool he’d built in the residence area of the palace. We sat in the theater where Paul likely presented his testimony before Roman officials. We saw the Hippodrome, where horse races and gladiator matches took place. We saw where Herod built a temple using the latest in Roman technology in arch building (this was right after they invented the keystone, which was the secret of the strength of the Roman arch). And we saw the site of the roman bath houses built by Herod. And we saw the site of the great water break and harbor Herod built, using cement for the first time in history.

And of course we saw the ruins of a great aqueduct that stretched 10-15 miles from a fresh water source north of Caesarea down to the city. I’ve always heard that the aqueduct is one of the wonders of the ancient world, but seeing it up-close really confirmed that for me. Amazing!

After Jerusalem was destroyed in the 1st century AD, Caesarea became the capital of Israel. When Constantine “christianized” the roman empire in the 4th century, the Christians put an end to the theater and the games (races, gladiator battles, etc), and built churches in or on top of the amphitheaters. When the Muslims invaded in the 7th century, it was more of a cultural takeover, so (at least in Caesarea) there wasn’t much destruction of the existing buildings / architecture. And the crusades in the 12th and 13th century didn’t really change enough to worry about.

However, when Israel was reborn as a nation in 1948, Caesarea was covered in sand. Most of the ruins we saw today were uncovered and carefully excavated by the Jews after their nation was restored to them.

Another interesting note: the second largest library in the ancient world was in Caesarea. While the museum in Alexandria, Egypt was destroyed, the one in Israel survived and thrived during the Constantine era, helping to support Christianity as it spread throughout the known world. Very interesting!

But the most interesting thing about Caesarea for me was the rest of the story of Peter and Cornelius…

As a Roman centurion, Cornelius was the commander of 100 Roman soldiers (from the Latin, 100 = century). This was a very prestigious position. When Peter got to his home, he found that Cornelius had “called together his relatives and close friends”. According to our guide, this likely meant that he had gathered his family, friends, the 100 men who served under him, and their families. They would almost all have been gentiles.

When Peter entered the room, he immediately realized that these were not people with whom he should be socializing. But when Cornelius shared the vision he had had from God, Peter realized that his vision about unclean foods had really been about the gentiles. God had said, “Do not call unclean what the Lord has called clean.” So, Peter shared the gospel with them, and hundreds (ostensibly) came to a saving faith in Christ. And the movement to take the gospel to the entire world was born.

The most amazing aspect of this story is the global significance of this event. This was the last of 3 events that changed the world forever in terms of the spread of the gospel. First, Philip was sent by God to share the gospel with the Ethiopian Eunuch on the Gaza road in Acts 8. The Eunuch, a descendent of Noah’s first son Dan, believes in Christ and is saved.

In Acts 9, Saul is confronted by Jesus on the road to Damascus. Ananias faithfully preaches the gospel to him, the scales fall from his eyes (both literally and figuratively), and Saul becomes the mighty apostle Paul. Saul was a descendant of Shem, Noah’s second son.

And lastly we have Cornelius, who is a descendant of Noah’s third and last son, Japhath. In Acts 10, he too receives Christ as a result of Peter’s faithfulness. So, in three chapters of Acts we see the gospel spread to every tribe of the whole world. Amazing!

Every gentile Christian can trace his roots to one of these three events.

In addition to learning a lot of history about Israel and this place, as well as connecting it to the Bible, Gary Frazier, the Director of Discovery Ministries, our tour company, spoke to us to welcome us to Israel and orient us about the trip. He talked about how Paul – an impressively scholarly man – could have spoken on anything before Felix and Aggripa, but instead he chose simply to share his testimony, and bear witness to what God had done in his life. Read the story yourself in Acts to see. Gary emphasized how this is true of us as Christians in the 21st century as well. His point was basically that we shouldn’t try to be impressive or smart, but rather should simply share with others the love of Christ – both in our actions and in the words of our testimony, when we point others to what God has done for us. He then shared his story with us, prayed over us, and sent us out into our tour with the admonition to be focused less on buildings, history and architecture, and more on what God is doing in our lives.

The bus left a few minutes after 8, despite the (I’d have to call them) threats from the Discovery Ministry folks that if we weren’t on the bus 10 minutes early we’d be left behind. Clearly they’re really softies.

We drove through the streets of Tel Aviv, north of our hotel, heading for Caesarea. Tel Aviv is the capital of Israel, its largest city (by population), and the governmental and social and cultural center of the city. Our guide put it this way: the social rhythm of Israel is best represented there. Shopping, night life, food, etc. Jerusalem, on the other hand is the spiritual center of the nation. We’ll visit there at the end of the week.

An old section of Tel Aviv (just south of our hotel) is Jaffa (called Joppa in Biblical times). As we drove, we recanted the story of Peter’s staying with Simon the Tanner in Joppa in Acts 9-10. There, he saw a vision of unclean animals being lowered from heaven in a sheet, and an angel told him to take and eat. As a Jew, that was a serious violation of the law, so of course Peter was repulsed. However, God was orchestrating the spread of the gospel to the entire world, including the gentiles. Moments after his vision, three men showed up at Simon’s house – mess angers sent from a Roman centurion living in Caesarea named Cornelius. The men said to go with them, and the angel reinforced that he should, so Peter undertook the day long journey (it is about 35-40 miles) from Joppa to Caesarea.

Joppa, by the way, was also a center of commerce in ancient times. Among other things, this was the site where the cedars of Lebanon where received as they were shipped down the east coast of the Mediterranean sea to be transported to Jerusalem for the construction of Solomon’s temple.

Joppa is also the city from which Jonah set sail for Tarshish to rebel against God’s call to preach the gospel to Nineveh.

On the way to Caesarea, driving through Tel Aviv, our guide pointed out how people are constantly driving into the city. He made a point of being aghast at the horrible traffic driving south as we headed north out of town. Of course, I’m from Chicago, so it was nothing in my eyes, but for them, I guess it was a parking lot. The city seemed poorer than I expected. It looked like the kind of area in Chicago you wouldn’t want to go alone. I didn’t see any McDonald’s either. Both these things surprised me. It was fairly clean, though. It just looked run down and there were lots of vacant storefronts, etc. It was clear a lot of people lived in a small area, because everything was high rises. We also saw a lot of balcony gardens, and every room had a solar heating and power system on it. There wasn’t much in the way of modern architecture in Tel Aviv, but a little ways north we drove through “the Silicon Valley of Israel”, where I saw offices for Microsoft and a number of other high-tech companies. This was definitely a valley of glass and steel, but there wasn’t much of that in Tel Aviv.

As Bruce Springsteen – “The Boss” – was strumming on stage at Time Warner Cable Arena, anxious politicians and supporters were glued to laptops and television screens watching the results of Tuesday’s election results trickle in, precinct by precinct.  While the region will see two new mayors in Charlotte and Mooresville, for the most part voters returned incumbents to continue the job they were doing.  In Huntersville, a conservative seat on the board was filled by a newcomer to the political scene, but one whose conservative views may very well match those of her predecessor.

Cornelius saw the three incumbents returned to continue their public service and were joined by two experienced planning board members who may again closely match the experience and progressive vision the former commissioners share.  Certainly, in neither Huntersville nor Cornelius, will there be a major shift in the course the towns have been headed when it comes to land planning and zoning decisions.

The parity in the elections of Huntersville and Mooresville’s Mayoral contests show just how split the towns may well be in what voters are seeking from their chief elected official.  While the political philosophies in Huntersville could not be more stark in Brian Sisson and Jill Swain, the electorate was almost evenly split in the closest election I can certainly recall in that community. In Mooresville, only 16 votes separated incumbent Mayor Bill Thunberg from challenger Chris Montgomery.  That race centered on fiscal policies – the same issue in which Sisson and Swain were most sharply contrasted.

In the election of our regions’ Mayors – Anthony Fox, Jill Swain, and Chris Montgomery – all three find themselves edging out their opponent with less than 2% separating them from their challenger. (Mayors Tarte and Woods were unopposed.)  Each needs to examine carefully the philosophies, views, and talents from their challenger that the public embraced.  It will not come natural, but they should try to seize on those traits and beliefs in which nearly half their community supported and work to build a strong team and consensus on their board.

It will be much easier in Davidson where the two political newcomers already embrace much of the philosophical direction of their predecessors based on the feedback we heard in the Chamber’s candidate forums last month.  Matthew 22:14 states, “Many are called, few are chosen…”  Last evening, some very good people were elected to lead our communities. Some other very good people were not.  Such is politics.  Few are actually given the opportunity to serve.

In the hands of that chosen few lay our unbridled opportunities.  Let us hope they put aside the challenges which distract them from the good they can do and capitalize on the strengths that will help us all reach our potential as a region.  Let us work together to build a community and region so compassionate and strong that the generation coming behind us say of us later, they gave their absolute best…

It’s that time of year when election signs have been outnumbering the real estate, yard sale, and lose the weight placards which pop up around intersections.  Incumbents smile at everything you say and actually claim they’re glad you said it.  Newcomers to the political scene state they are going to straighten things out and you can be pretty sure someone wants to stretch your budget just a little more with new taxes or fees.

The electorate is a funny thing.  In most cases we will travel around the world to fight for democracy, but we sometimes will not take the time to vote in an election.  Voters recognize a name on a ballot and cast their vote, sometimes without any real knowledge of those candidates’ views.    The Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce has held three candidate forums to give our communities a chance to hear those views and the local papers have done a great job of focusing on their qualifications.  Now it’s up to the registered voters to decide who will lead their communities.

Some may ask, “Why bother to vote?”  Our local government affects our homes and businesses directly.  Local government provides the fire and police protection, takes up the trash, and sets the tax rates.  Through zoning, they determine what type of business locates where, how they operate, and how they market that operation.    Perhaps no single election will impact your business and your life as much as this local election where you have the opportunity to elect town officials and school board members.

On Tuesday November 3rd, please take the time to vote for the candidate of your choice.  Make your own decision that best represents your views and interest in town and education matters.  Weigh carefully how their election could impact your business and your family.  Remember – the only bad decisions are made by those who don’t take the time to make them.

Acts 10:17, 20
While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate….”So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I [God] have sent them.”

The servants of the centurion, Cornelius, were the last people that Peter would expect to see at the door of the house where he was staying in Joppa. He hadn’t even processed the meaning of the vision he had with the great sheet coming down out of heaven filled with “unclean” foods for a Jew. In the vision, he heard plainly from the Holy Spirit, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” [vs 15] And not just once did he see and hear, but three times. And right on the heels of the vision, the gentiles come a-calling.

So, who is at my door? Who is the most unexpected guest? Certainly, if a Muslim terrorist came to my door and asked to hear about Jesus, I would be shocked. How could this be? Or what about a primitive from some tribe in a third world country or a homeless man or woman? A gay man or woman? A transvestite? How did they even know to come to me? How did they even hear about Jesus at all? And who am I to do anything else but invite them in?

God touches who God touches and it may surprise us along the way. I don’t think we should assume anything. It is God who changes a heart and it is only after the heart becomes soft that a person’s choices can change.

I think we need to stop creating cookie-cutter Christians and stop looking through the peephole before we open the door. Our job is simple: open the door and tell our story.

For anger management classes in North Carolina visit www.masteringanger.com or call 704-804-0841.

I’ve submitted one of my design to DesignByHumans, a T-shirt design competition in the same mould as Threadless on Monday and finally received the approval email when I checked my inbox this morning.

So guys, please do me a fvour and vote for my design here! You may have to register to be able to cast a vote but please do. It’ll only take a minute of your time. Help me realise my dream and get my design printed! Thanks for the love and please help spread the word!