micro vs macro

maybe i should just start a twitter. these posts are pretty short and infrequent.

better take action when distraction gains traction

tired and busy

Tired.

Busy.

Tired of being busy.

Busy being tired.

i hate this.

i suck at this.

i hate that i suck at this.

it sucks that i hate this.

but most of all, i hate that i hate this.

i don't know what i'm doing here,
and it's becoming a real fear,
that the worst parts of yesteryear,
are in the way of the path i steer,
and i think that it's becoming clear,
that the voice that whispers in my ear,
to put my life in to high gear,
will prepare me if the road should veer,
if only i'd agree to fully hear,
and hold to the One that's been so dear,
and avoid a life of existence mere,

but for now, i think i need a beer.

time is money

Time is money, or so they say,
but I wanna know the going rate for a day.

the easiest ways to discredit yourself on the internet

It's true, there are many ways to discredit yourself on the internet, but a few of them are particularly _____. Please fill in the blank with "funny", "annoying", "ridiculous", "common", "exasperating", and/or "nonsensical".

on winning

You don't win team sports by committee.

dear you

I’m here to understand you and not just listen to you.

I’m here to appreciate your words not just as words but within the context you find yourself in.

I’m here to put you, the person, ahead of you, the philosophical idea.

I’m here to see the ways that you’re right, even when you’re wrong.

I’m here to see the ways that I’m wrong, even when I’m right.

I’m here to accept the grain of truth even in your points of view that I reject.

I’m here to hear you when you need to be heard and respond only when response is what you really need.

I’m here to talk through your thoughts when you need to process externally, and I’m here to sit through silences when you need to process internally.

I’m here because God truly understands, and requests that I represent Him and His nature to all people.

Make no mistake, though, when I use the word "you", I do not mean the general-collective-amorphous-you; I mean you.

To you I make these promises, and to you I confess that I will break each of these individual promises listed above despite my best effort. Hopefully, that's enough.

ramp theory

mmm

oh, hey.

I didn't see you there.

What is ramp theory? You've honestly never heard of ramp theory?

I suppose me making it up is a mighty fair excuse.

Well, kiddo, pull up a chair and let me weave you an intricate tale of hypothesis and hyperbole.

Will this take a while? Yes.

What's that? Are you being punished? No.

Will this theory involve graphs? No, not graphs, just one graph.

Oh, you only had ten seconds to spare? Ok. Some other time perhaps.

gchat font decoration. awesome.

_this_ is this
*this* is this
_this_ plus *this* equals this

niiiiice.

uncommon commonness

1. Common Context - the circumstances and environment we find ourselves in, built over time.
2. Common Framework - the structure that allows for decisions to be made and for stuff to get done. risks becoming unnecessary bureaucracy on one hand, or anarchy on the other.
3. Common History - can start now. includes common experiences whether a message, a book, or even pop culture.
4. Common Vision - everyone moving in the same direction, not to be confused with doing the same thing.

Really, all things in common.

Not fully thought out, and not explained great, to be expounded upon at some later date.

Unintentionally, no complete sentences.

would you rather...

• Would you rather have one well organized room or one well organized rumination?
• Would you rather live reckless with less rest or live restless with less wrecks?
• Would you rather lightly blog at others' insistence or log the blight of your existence?
• Would you rather right wrongs or write wrongs?
• Would you rather eat and be merry, or marry and be eaten?
  

Ok, based on that last one, I'm obviously out of questions.

txt message blog posts

I open my phone and hit the left side button to go to the text messages. I will neither be sending nor checking received txts. Instead I hit the down button four times.

Drafts (8)

Ignoring the addresses, and the random notes, I settle on a txt addressed to no number.

• the internet: where traditional business goes to die
• weaponized nfp
• types I, II, III
  
• technical pet peeves avg.
• I before E

To most people, this short list would mean nothing. To me, they mean slightly more than that.

This is my txt message list of future blogposts. It's yesterday's reminder of the thought that passed through my consciousness and dallied for a while.

Soon, one will be brought to life through a messily, hastily thrown together construct of poor grammar and poorer word choice.
Soon, one will stretch out to reveal the inner workings of an easily distracted mind.
Soon, one will stamp its mark into the infinitely vast plane of the internet blogosphere.

I reread the list.

Huh. None of those topics seem particularly interesting.

I close my phone.

the last 12 cars

I was about to write a complete write-up for each of the last 12 cars I've driven, but then I realized that a lot of my comments are not necessarily very nice and sound a little bit pessimistic. So instead, I'm just going to write one thing that I liked about each car. This has all taken place in the last 12 months, by the way.

1. VW Jetta - I really like the acceleration particularly up on ramps from 0-60.
2. Kia Spectra5 - The interior design is really nice.
3. Honda Civic - Such a practical vehicle that will always have fond memories associated with it.
4. Ford Focus - Super easy to park.
5. Toyota Prius - the form factor
6. Toyota Yaris - makes me think of a friend of mine who sincerely chirped, "don't hit my yaris!" while driving on the freeway.
7. Honda Fit - I like that the seats fold back all the way to form a uniformly flat surface.
8. Honda Insight - I really liked the GUI for the speed limit, gas mileage, etc.
9. Chevy Malibu - I, uhhh, like the name?
10. Honda Civic Hybrid - It's a very comfortable drive, and ever so quiet.
11. GM Yukon - Two words: blizzard driving. 'nuff said.
12. Dodge Charger - Hearing the engine come roaring to life almost made me think about contemplating about considering to possibly purchase an American brand.

But, of course, my favorite thing to drive is "people crazy"

Thanks for reading.

a few minutes before 2am however...

a few minutes before 2am however can be inspiring, moving, and heart-melting

still nothing good

i can't remember the last time i've felt this down

inner dialogue: the challenge of work

"I will destroy you," work said.
"not today you won't" I replied.
"there's always tomorrow," work retorted.

nothing good happens after 2AM

Case in point.

for posterity

On the twenty first of July, 2009, Clee agreed to a raincheck involving a live guitar/singing performance with all parties involved.

Void where prohibited. Limit one per person. May not be combined with other offers or rebates.

less is more (more or less)

Less is more and more is less,
and I must confess,
that when it comes to:

wreck less and restless
vs
reckless and less rest

i'm unsure what to do.

Oh, what a mess.

form letters from high school

Searching through my stuff, I found this today:

5/05/**

Dear Ryan,

Congratulations! You have been nominated to be March artist of the month. In accepting this award, you must submit one piece of artwork created and completed by yourself during the year 20**/20**. If you chose to accept, please hand in your artwork to Mr. R., no later than one week after your nomination. Your artwork will be displayed to the student body in the lunchroom staircase display case. Your artwork will be returned after one or two months of display. Thanks for your cooperation! If you have any questions [sic] feel to contact me at *********@aol.com.

ASB Fine Arts Liasison,

[signature]

H******* H******

The reason that I bring this up is not because I am (or ever was) a particularly good artist, but to highlight my quickly fading memory and the ridiculous idea that I came up with while I was reading it. The only thing I remember about this girl is that she had a sister with the exact same initials. But how funny and incredibly awkward would it be to go to my 10 year high school reunion with this letter, search out this person, and make up a story about how this single letter changed the course of my life?

Answer: Soooooooo awkward.

Actually, that sounds like a terrible idea. A horrifically awkward, terrible idea.

the imaginary airwave martyr

The last melodious words to leave his mouth:

"where does my help come from? my help comes from the Lord, the maker of Heaven and-"

*static*

There was nothing more than the static that keeps the void company.

Sure I was just driving past the reach of the radio station, but try telling that to my vividly overactive imagination.

I imagined a look of peace on the face of a man, standing unfazed in the direct path of a wall of water. Neither looking at it, nor away from it, he is not under any false impressions that he will or could survive. Not desperate, not hysterical, not hopeless, and not in denial, not there due to his own mistake, not flinching, he sings aloud as his soul prays in a whisper.

"I'll praise you in the storm, and I will lift my hands "

In the good times and the bad, You've always been there.

"For You are who You are, no matter where I am"

From age to age, from generation to generation, whether here, there, or anywhere, You are.

"and every tear I've cried, You hold in your hand"

It's a closeness beyond compare with the God of the universe, yet you've called me nothing less than friend.

"You never left my side and though my heart is torn"

There's still so much I wish I had done.

"I will praise You in the storm"

You who deserves all praise.

incarnational ministry

What do you mean "incarnational ministry"?

Just like any other popular buzzphrase, it really has no meaning when left to itself. I think the true power of phrases like, "intentional community", and "servant leadership", and "seeker sensitivity" all require a common understanding of the context and the explicit definition within that context.

Take for example, "Christian".

There are so many ideas, feelings, and impressions that the word excites in the imagination of people. Some find it a repulsive, ugly word that reeks of condemnation and spite. Others find it an inspirational and soothing reminder of the undeserved grace that God has bestowed upon them.

The only reason I bring this up is because when I googled that phrase just a second ago, I got 1.2 million results. Some certainly have a definition for what they mean, and I'm not trying to contradict that, I'm just trying to describe the thoughts that I associate with the phrase.

This is what I wrote down at Church today:

We're not going to Church, we are the Church.
We're not doing the ministry, we're living the ministry.
We don't talk the gospel at people, we experience and share in the transformative power of the gospel together.

We do as we say, and we say as we do.

Incarnational ministry is an extension of the individual's life, and as such, require transparency, humility, vulnerability, teachability, and the power of the Holy Spirit. The extension of a life apart from Christ is not incarnational ministry, it's just incarnational self.

And being myself incarnate is too easy.

Sorry for the long, nonsensical intro, and thanks for reading.

i need new strings

and by "need new strings" i mean "need the motivation to take the strings that i already have and replace them on my guitars". man, i'm lazy. or maybe the guitars are lazy, all they do is play.

on second thought, maybe i'll just wait till they break.

a very different last week of june

It was a very different week than most. On the surface it looked exactly like the week before it and exactly like the week before that.

Camp week.

It was this exact sameness that differentiated this week from the last week in June the year previous, and the year previous to the year previous.

No blazing heat.
No all day road trip.
No 7am camp staff meetings.
No mysterious cafeteria meals.
No stress, strain, and lack of sleep.

Then again...

No heat of the spirit ablaze.
No camaraderie-forming captivity.
No role in raising their eyes to His reality.
No late nights of laughing over inside jokes untold.
No view to the vital transforming power bringing new vibrancy.

There's nothing magical about the camp; it's just that God show up every time.

This year I didn't.

i wish my name rhymed with costco

i wish my name rhymed with costco.

because i like costco.

the web has won

when i hear this i think this
when i hear this i think this
when i hear this i think this

only in the internet age...

Something a friend of mine messaged me:

Today, I found out that the girl I've had a crush on since the day we met is in love with an internet micro-celebrity/musician. FML.

For those of you that don't get the reference, there's a blog called fmylife. It's a blog based on user submissions that describe the unfortunate circumstances of their lives. In a similar vein, people have also started My Life is Average and My Life is G.

hahahaha, only in the internet age.

bacon (and everything else)

levels of awkwardness during "the talk"

a tale of two (expensive) cities

This is a fascinating calculator. [cnn money] via [lifehacker]

The way i read it, if the hypothetical city you choose comes out with a higher salary number, then it's got a higher cost of living. Pretty fascinating.

Apparently I've lived in very expensive cities. I think at some point it would be cool to try a place with a much lower cost of living.

five things, recently

1. hobbies are not the same as passions
2. i'm still a sucker for girls who are good writers
3. the right thing and the feels-right thing are not the same thing, but sometimes they feel like the same thing
4. success is not significance
5. risk means opening yourself to vulnerability

yeah, ok

I have a friend whose name is also ryan. For some reason he goes by "terarc"; i think i'll just go by "ry". He said, "make a blog." So here it is.

That's the real story of the origin of this blog.

The story that I'll tell people, however, will likely involve terminators, web 2.0, snuggies, and whatever else is popular in pop culture at the time.