Run with God

House: Christian "R"-Rated Horror Flick? ABOUT TIME!!!

I don't read much Christian fiction. The last fiction title I read was years ago... Frank Peretti/Ted Decker's House (or en Espanol, Casa). Good book. Loved it until the last 30 pages, and it fell apart (for me anyway).

What surprised me about the book is how graphic it was. This was a fairly decent horror story...

Tonight I get a mysterious email from Heather, with a link to HouseTheMovie.net...

Christian Horror Flick? Really?

Gets better. House is RATED "R"... No, not kidding! Why's it rated "R"? Check out the trailer...

 

 

Is this film for everyone? NO!

Would I take my daughter? NO! My wife? Probably not!

Can the story be used to reach people? YES!

Ironically, the House trailer was shown this week in SAW V and The Haunting of Molly Hartley.

What do you think of a "R"-Rated Christian Horror Flick?

Pitfalls of Christian Retailing

Temp (and soon to be fired) employee Michael Spears writes an excellent blog post on the pitfalls, stresses, and successes of working at The Living Word (my Christian Bookstore).... including a Top 5 List of Lessons Learned @ TLW... below are my faves.

4. Everyone thinks they're entitled to something free. Because after all Christianity is like some sort of club right?

3. If the Bible doesn't say 'Holy' on it, then it's "straight from the devil."

1. Joel Osteen needs you to buy his book, his study guide, his boardgame, and his other book to support his ministry. [all of these are also available in Spanish]

Thanks, Mike. Really. Just please tell me you didn't write this while on the clock.

Finding Clarity

Michael Hyatt is a man I have much respect for. He's the President & CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers. His blog on business, retailing, family, management, and multitasking has given me a lot to chew on... his twitter is factual, and challenging...

Then I read this, and once the frustration subsided... Clarity.

Michael, sincerely, thank you.

Crosses + Gas Masks = (2)(Lethal)

Not sure what exactly is going on in Eastern Europe these days, but at the "Luxury Show 2008" held in Bucharest, Romania these glamorous, expensive Gas Masks debuted. Evidently a company called Diddo Velema released these gas masks allowing you to face the apocalypse in style. Or buy milk at the corner store in your war-torn province...

Moving away from political commentaries...

Does anyone else think it's weird that a cross would be found on a Gucci-esque gas mask? Nevermind the fact it's a diamond-studded cross on the gas mask...

In our spiritually saturated society, is it possible that the definition, the symbolism, the meaning behind the cross is lost? Is it bad that we have become comfortable with the symbol, therefore not giving it the dignity and respect due it?

Better yet, how do we go back?

Thanks to DVICE for the link.

Forever Amateur...

Capt. Bart Mancuso: [Ramius comments in Russian to Borodin that Mancuso is a "buckaroo". Ryan laughs] What's so funny?
Jack Ryan: Ah, the Captain seems to think you're some kind of... cowboy.
Captain Ramius: [in Russian] You speak Russian.
Jack Ryan: [in Russian] A little. It is wise to study the ways of ones adversary. Don't you think?
Captain Ramius: [in English] It is.
Hunt for Red October, 1990

I've started reading The Cult of the Amateur: how today's internet is killing our culture by Andrew Keen.

I know, I don't think it sounds like something I would read, either.

Let's be honest...
I am the amateur.
I am the hack.
I am the guy, according to Keen, that's killing the Internet.

To the loved ones of the Internet, I truly am sorry. I send you my condolences.

In the past five years, the Internet has 2.0ed. It's social. It's open. You can say what you want to say, do what you want to do, be who you want to be. And people will listen. Millions will watch some stupid YouTube video, hundreds of thousands will see your photographs, tens of thousands will read your article thinking you are an expert.

The Internet normalizes the playing field. Experts or newbie. Pro or Amateur. Everyone is level. And, according to Keen, this is driving the Experts nuts. Gotta love it.

Looking at my own small piece of the Internet... Do you know what my most popular article ever written is? The article that I wrote on Paula and Randy White divorcing. Life changing stuff I know. (I'm embarrassed that this is the article that I am known for.) Since I wrote the article, Google has me as it's #1 webpage when someone searches for "Paula Randy White". Check the graphic on the left. I'm #1... their (old) own church's website, "Without Walls" is #5. Dude, I beat their own website by an article I wrote... that's pretty sad...

Thus the normalization factor. All of a sudden I'm the expert on the Whites. (To the Whites, I'm not a stalker, really. I'm just a guy that knows how to play a game.)

Keen's view of the Internet sounds a lot like the Music Industry ten years ago, or the Motion Picture Association in the past five... We can save the world, change our culture if we do this or if we change that...

I have a news flash for people who think this...
you cannot change culture...
you cannot make people think like you want them to...

BUT you can play their game.
You can learn their systems, what makes them think.
You can learn their laws, respect their authority.
You can learn their language, communicate on their level.
You can learn their culture, modify from within (instead of fighting windmills)

To think that you can impact, change the culture without obeying it's rules is just silly. Instead of lamenting loss, figure out how to play the game. Leverage culture against itself...

Thoughts?

Christvertising

This really has to be a spoof. Really. There's no way this is real...

What the Prosperity Gospel did for individuals, Christvertising hopes to do for businesses. Is your business in "God's good books?" Does your brand need "brand-targeted-prayer"? Do your business need help targeting the ultimate end user, God?

For a chuckle, check out the Christvertising website.

Unbelievable. Sad thing is there's probably a pretty decent demand for this service...

Religious Propaganda

So often we as Christians look at the world, wondering what they think of us...

Needless to say... we still have a long way to go.

Guest Blogger: Ultimate Customer Service

I've asked Ryan Eloe to step in as a guest blogger. Ryan is the General Manager @ C28 in West Palm... an old college friend who I convinced to move to Florida and help me start C28's ministry in Florida. He's married to Kim, and they are expecting their first kid in June.

I asked Ryan to share his thoughts on C28's ministry...

- - - - - - - - - -

"Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart." 2 Corinthians 4:1

Because of the adventures, trials, and experiences at c28 this past year 2 Corinthians 4 speaks to me in amazing ways. One of the most important messages to me in this chapter is that it speaks on the topic of the ministry that we have through God's mercy.

The word 'ministry' in Greek is diakoniva (dee-ak-on-ee'-ah), which simply means service. It's a similar word to that which the word deacon comes from.

If we are truly interested in doing or taking part in ministry (diakoniva), we need to serve.

I believe, if we want to minister to the glory of God, then we should provide the most excellent service. Service that would represent that God who has saved us, loves us, and has mercy for us day in and day out.

Fortunately for us who minister at c28, we are in a unique place because we are expected as a mall-based retail store to provide customer service. Every store has customer service, some stores have horrible customer service, some stores elite customer service, some have good customer service.

But because we want to do ministry in the name of Christ we strive to provide ultimate customer service.

For us, this means a lot of things. It means that we'll try to do everything we can to help people find what the clothes/music they're looking for. Similarly we'll help people when they are searching for a certain size, the perfect gift, or the the latest CD.

But sometimes more than a nice button up shirt, or an amazing CD...people are looking for something different. In these cases we help people find the truth about Jesus Christ, the savior of the world. Or sometimes we help people when they are searching for faith, hope, truth, and grace in this world. We'll offer to pray with people, share with people, encourage people, because more than a new purse, belt, or rockin' t-shirt these needs are greater.

For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts...and it is our prayer that Jesus' ultimate service to us in his death, will allow us to serve our customers in a way that will help them see and experience the grace, truth and love of Christ.

"For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts..." 2 Corinthians 4:6a

Caitlin & other (more important) TLW Emps

Okay, so I got Facebook'd by Caitlin Berndt today...

So, in order to keep an employee happy, including ones that live in other cities and come back to the bookstore to work for holidays and special occasions, I need to say thank you. To all of my emps I need to say thank you.

So yes, I'm thankful Caitlin is coming back... but I'm more appreciative, thankful for the rest of my employees.

If you knew me when I first bought the bookstore, you knew me as a CONTROL FREAK! In recent months, though, I've learned to trust my emps... and have seen how they all have gone above and beyond my expectations. And now as my attention is focused on CFDT, CFR, CFH, CFWK, CFPB (and NOT on The Living Word) it's great to know that there are dependable, stable people watching my best interests at the bookstore. And that while I'm not there, the store still functions.

Kyle, Bri, Scott, Kathleen, Marlene, Priscilla, Steve, Deanna, Caitlin (and maybe Michael)... thanks for continually meeting people's needs and serving the customers @ The Living Word.

As a side note, there has been a lot of research recently discussing the stability of Gen Y in the workplace. Check out some of these stats.

Thanks, guys and gals, for being trustworthy, driven individuals. Christmas is going to be crazy.

Hinn, Dollar, Meyer, Copeland, White and Long under Investigation

Another black eye for Christian Retailing this week. An Iowa Senator (Carles Grassley, R) is investigating six televangelists and their finances for possible fraud. The six include: Benny Hinn, Creflo Dollar, Joyce Meyer, Kenneth Copeland, Paula White, and Eddie Long. Check out the AP article for a more complete breakdown. I'll share a brief quote from Grassley:

"I'm following up on complaints from the public and news coverage regarding certain practices at six ministries," Grassley said in a statement Tuesday. "The allegations involve governing boards that aren't independent and allow generous salaries and housing allowances and amenities such as private jets and Rolls Royces."

It's been a rough year for Christians on the national scale. Paula & Randy White. Juanita Bynum & Thomas Weeks. Ted Haggard. Now possibly five more people's ministries could be taken from them. (It could be argued that Paula's testimony was already taken when she divorced her husband because "God told her to.")

At this time, note, there is no information to cast blame, to point a finger. People often say "where there's smoke, there's fire." I personally have been in multiple situations where that was not the case. And I hope that the Senatorial probe answers all questions clearly so, if not true, these people can continue to serve God.

Honestly, though, can the Christian Retailing Industry take another hit? Three of the six authors were in TLW's Top 10. Another is probably the most requested special order we have through the store.

Yesterday, I wrote an article about how Apple was able to reinvent themselves. It's time for Christian Retailing to reinvent themselves. Recently I would have told you that it was time for them to close their doors (as many are). However, there is a benefit, a ministry, a need that we provide.

Just this past week, a mother who just watched her son die came in the bookstore looking for help. We can do things, and go places, that a church might not be able to.

So we are needed. We're not going to throw the baby out with the bath water. But maybe it's time to get some new heroes, some new names, some new diehards. Maybe that's the problem. We're promoting the names instead of the message? Or maybe we just need to forgive these six (if there was misappropriation) and move on with our life?

Honestly, right now I've got more questions than answers. But I do know this: something has to change.