MOVING

I will be moving the blog the cwillz.wordpress.com.

Update the reader.

See you there.


May the Lord's will be done,
CWillZ

Circle Circle Square Square

We had a great speaker last weekend and I'd like to share:

Eric and Danielle Timm have a ministry called No One Underground. At Springhill's fall teen retreat last weekend, Eric spoke with authority, humor, candor, and great love. He also painted two pieces of art that went along with his message. Danielle did a dramatic reading of some of her word art, which was also powerful, truthful and exacting.

The first painting he did for us was called "Issues" and is a picture that shows the God-shaped hole in every person, and three shapes (a circle, a square, and a triangle) in the background. The shapes cannot fill the hole correctly. We learned how to let go of these shapes, trust in the Lord and to get rid of the things we use to push God out of our hearts.

http://ericsamueltimm.com/Paintings.html

Check out No One Underground Ministries
Check out Eric's Artist Page
Check out No One Underground on YouTube

Thank you so much Eric and Danielle!! My students and I will have the reminder of how important it is to guard our hearts every time we see your painting in our youth room.

May the Lord's will be done,
CWillZ

Libronix For Mac

Have a mac, love to study the Bible and depressed about the options available to you?

Libronix, a great scholarly tool for studying the Bible and theology, is going cool. I used Libronix quite a bit over the last few years and really wish I had it for myself.



Thought I would spread the word.
If you want to buy it for me, that would be good too ;)

May the Lord's will be done,
CWillZ

It Comes Today

Recent history of my transportation:

April 2008: Sell 82 VW Vanagon Westfalia, Buy 88 VW Cabrio

August 2008: Sell 88VW Cabrio, Buy 89 Mercedes-Benz 300 SE


Before you hate on my newest ride, realize that it came at a very discounted cost as my grandmaw is now rolling in a much newer, and much much faster Benz.


Nelly and Cedric the enteratiner knew what they were talking about when they talked about "Rollin around town in a big body Bez with two dollas worst of gas"(Country Grammar: Intro).


SO- I bought a new bicycle. It comes today. Should save me some money, help me be less fat.


More to come.

May the Lord's will be done,

CWillZ

6 Little Words

My friend Caitlin told me about this 6-word memoir book / site. I guess Hemmingway was once asked to write an American story in six words and came up with "For Sale: Baby Shoes Never Worn".

You can submit your own 6 word memoir, read others, and submit your own at http://www.smithmag.net/sixwords/

I submitted one:

"FS: College Degree take over payments."

Yes, I know FS is shorthand for two words. Get over it.

Watch Commercials, Unleash the Oppressed

This letter was sent to the members of a group called "Dream for Darfur", who hope to raise world awareness and influence the People's Republic of China to use their political power for the good of the Darfurian people. It is a good opportunity to creatively impact your world.

Dear Friends,

Terror continues for the people of Darfur. Despite our efforts and yours, China has not used its unique influence with Sudan and its role as Olympic host to try to address the Darfur conflict.

China has ignored the people of Darfur. Tomorrow at www.DarfurOlympics.org you can send Beijing a message by refusing to watch Chinese propaganda during the Olympics.

Every time China touts itself as a responsible world power during the Games, tune into our alternative Olympic programming on the web. Watch the Alternative Opening Ceremony with artists including Talib Kweli and R.E.M. and then watch Mia Farrow's daily webcast from a Darfurian refugee camp from August 8 to 15 at www.darfurolympics.org.

We hope that you will join us in helping to bring peace to the people of Darfur.

In Peace,
Dream for Darfur

May the Lord's Will Be Done

Zero Is a Happy Number

I have an abscessed tooth and did not sleep more than 3 hours last night, but I feel great.
No, I did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night or save 30% by switching to Geico(I am very satisfied with Progressive BTW). Yesterday I finished something that has taken me years -- I paid off all of my credit card debt. I would like to share a more complete story, but for now I will boil it down to a few points:

1) I went to college and spent money I did not have - DON'T DO THIS
2) I realized that I needed to pay it back - DO THIS
3) I payed the minimum payment for a long time because it was what I had - Only do this if you have to, but DON'T DO THIS
4) I payed over the minimum payment to reduce the debt - DO THIS
5) I transferred the balance to another CC with 0% interest - DO THIS only if you are serious, read carefully, don't spend any more money you don't have
6) I paid it off. DO THIS

Not a very interesting story, but the basics are there. Thank you Carol, the Fogler Family, Dave Ramsey, and all my friends who have shared thoughts and ideas along the way. Praise the Lord!!

Now about those student loans... Please pray / send me checks.

Developing Adult Volunteers for Youth Ministry

I wrote my senior paper on it. It was alot of work. I haven't read it since, and neither has anyone else, so I published it:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgrh9s8b_47cv2gvphf

Tell your friends

Kum Bay Ya

Everything they said about us came true. At Taylor we Christian Educational Ministry majors caught a fair amount of friendly joking about our lives being all about asking people how they feel, the appropriate answer to 60% of questions being "Jesus", and the like. We took it in stride and returning the favor and calling business majors "the man" or thinking that they just loved money.

As I said, everything they said came true. During our time in Jamaica we worked for and with New Hope Moravian Church in Montego Bay. At the end of the week the youth from the church had us come over for some games, singing, dancing, and time together. At the end of the night we all held hands and prayed. As were praying we sang "Kum Bay Ya", which is a normal thing for the Jamaicans. It was for real, and great.

Yesterday I was teaching Sunday School and for the first time asked a question that's appropriate answer was "Jesus". It's happening.

Don't Get Sick!?: Healthcare and it's costs

I had to laugh a little late one night I Carol and I were on the interstate coming home from a wedding in Knoxville. We passed a car whose bumper sticker read, "Republican Healthcare Plan: Don't Get Sick". It made me chuckle a little, but the bumper sticker is a little unfair to those who truly believe that the private sector and innovation eventually will pay off in the long run. However, the bumber sticker revealed an existing belief that some in our society hold about the private sector -- its a phrase that people hide behind so they don't have to do anything about injustice (again not fair or entirely true).

Whether believe that healthcare should be left to unrestricted free market or if you are of the opinon that government should become increasingly involved (about 20% of healthcare costs are subsidized), the real cost of healthcare is this: we get sick. However, many if not most of the diseases that cost us the most are preventable.

Heart disease, diabetes, lung and mouth cancer, and high blood pressure are all very costly conditions that can be avoided by simply taking care of oneself. Its pretty simple really: eat healthy, don't use tabacco, and get moderate exercise. Save yourself and everyone some green.

"Don't get sick" is a wise plan reducing the costs of healthcare, and how those reduced costs are paid is another debate entirely. I'd rather pay the same or a little higher for my healthcare and allow for those 7 - 12% who don't have insurance and couldn't pay the bills if they did be taken care of too. I'm still hopefully for the private sector to get creative and make progress, but its hard not to be jaded.

My Money, Your Money, Our World...Transformed

Yesterday I aksed for input about where I should give money. One of the joys of having a budget is being able to give.

Since Adam was the only one to comment so far, and I need to take care of July's giving before the end of July, I took one of his suggestions and headed over to Kiva.org and chekced out what they do. Basically, they are a place that lets people lend money to others who need it to develop themselves personally or professionally. This is called microfinancing.

Microfinancing is all about helping people that banks either cannot (too risky, not enough money to be worth it) or will not (it's in thier interest to keep people only partially successful). A small loan helps people "prime the well".

So I am using my "giving" money to microfinance through Kiva. When they pay me back I will either reinvest in someone else, or donate it to another cause.

To Whom Should I Give Money?

I got a job. Now I can / should give away some money.

Where should it go? Where do you give to? How do I get there? What are the biggest needs?

Comment so we can spotlight some places that could use it.

A Knife Is Better Than a Gun

While in Montego Bay, Jamaica I met a man named Michael. The first time we interacted with him he was yelling at us something about how white missionaries come to the island, use the beach every day and never clean it up. He continued on his way spouting off something about colonization and how there can be no peace without justice.



I went back to where we saw him first and waited. Eventually he came back and we started a real conversation. That led to a few of our students becoming his friends and sharing time, clothes, and food with him.



Michael and I talked and sat along the Hip Strip during our short week on the island. One topic was violence and how the rasta fight with words instead of weapons. He reminded me over and over of the prophesy of weapons being pounded into plowshares.



"A knife is better than a gun because it can be used to peel fruit."

Gone to Jamaica

Faithful Readers,
My summer has not been conducive to blogging so far. I miss you. In the morning I will be travelling to Jamaica with the church my fiance and I are interning at this summer. We will spend part of the time doing physical work and part of the time interacting with the children.

I am also going to try and get a hold of some green Blue mountain coffee to have AWC roast.

Pictures and stories are coming. I promise.

When I get back I will start a full time job for Cummins Engine Company through a contractor. The job is part customer service and part IT type work. We are considating purchasing databases. I hope that everyone's summer is off to a good start.

May the Lord's will be done,

CWillZ

Whiteboard Masterpiece

Presently I am working on a day by day basis to clear out the computers at one of Cummins Engine Company's buildings after it suffered damage from the flood that has devestated parts of our town.

Our boss is the one in the shark's mouth.

Graduation Playlist- Beta 1

I made a fun playlist in light of graduation. Rules: had to be my music, no repeated artists.

1) "My Chains are Gone" by Chris Tomlin. I wouldn't resist the opportunity to laugh on the way home.

2) "Don't Come Around Here No More" by Tom Petty & the HBs. This is Taylor's song to me.

3) "Exodus" by Bob M and the Ws. Love me some Reggae. This was my nap CD freshman year, and the I am looking forward to the movement of Jah people.

4) "Fortunate Son" by CCR. Unlike The Dude, I still have my Creedence Tapes. Oh the Red Wide and Blue-- I ain't no senator's sawzall.

5) "Gone" by Montgomery Gentry. Whats in a name?

6) "Graduate" by Third Eye Blind. Because 6th grade wanted its song back.

7) "If You're Going Through Hell" By Rodney Atkins. This is for all those worn out juniors who will walk this lonesome valley next year.

8) "Into the Dark" by the Juliana Theory. For all of us who are unsure of the next steps.

9)"Me and Paul"by Willie Nelson. Its a song about learning from life, friends, and the cities of the nation.

10) "Run Like Hell" por Pink Floyd. 2 reasons: 1) the anti-school/social control theme of The Wall and 2) I left the first disc of the album in a middle-school classroom. Mrs. Boone if you read this, please send it to me.

11) "School's Out" by Alice Cooper. Any man named Alice who can make it in the rock world deserves some respect. Also, this list would be 67.923% incomplete without it.

12) "Self Americans" by Dogwood. Lots of talent going unheard from this band. See previous post for rationale.

Confession

I feel ripped off. By this Saturday at noon I will be a college graduate. It has taken four years for me to realize what that means. It means that I am more educated than 98% of the world. It means that I have enough debt to keep me and my future family in the the same system. It means that I am bound by privilege.

Here at Taylor I have been given a very good, Christ-centered education. My practicum for a degree in Christian Educational Ministries took me to Juarez, Mexico where I facilitated high school mission trips in basically a squatter colony. There I learned what it looked like to not have enough resources to feed your baby properly, and to watch across a fence as another bank building goes up, waving Old Glory. As those people shared Christ and many gifts with me, I felt like I learned much more about the reality of God during my first few weeks there then I did as I was writing research papers at length for my Bible or Christian Ed classes.

My frustration is not against Taylor, but that I feel trapped. It takes a lot of effort to break myself of consuming, wasting, entitlement, and just plain ignorance. Oversimplified but not nearly as expressive as it is within me it is this that I am frustrated at: It cost me over $100,000 to realize that I don't want this kind of life-- and I have to retain my privileged place in society just to pay (a good portion) of it back.

I hope that I can find someone who can show me what it truly means to become like Christ.

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YouthWorks! Needs You

Last summer I worker for YouthWorks! and it was amazing (click on the "YouthWorks!" label on the right to see more.  They still need people for this summer's staff:

A Message from Rita in the Recruiting Department:
Are you 20 years old or older? Are you (or a friend) still looking for a summer job or internship? YouthWorks still has PAID summer site staff positions available for their May 26th training. Spread the word! Call the Recruiting Team toll-free at 877.249.9904- option 2 today to find out more! Again, available positions are for those that are 20 years old or older.

YouthWorks is dedicated to providing life-changing summer missions trips for teenagers; nearly 40,000 participants are expected this summer. Live in one of 78 communities in the U.S., Canada, or Puerto Rico with your staff team. Coordinate daily programming. Build relationships with 65 youth and adults who come to your site each week ready to serve. Help them be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Check out www.youthworksrecruiting.com for more information and to fill out the online application!

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Wisdom From Tea

Today I was enjoying a cup of tea when I looked down and saw that there was writing on the paper end of the string.

"Act selfless, you will be infinite." -- My Tea

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." -- St. Paul.

Who says that faith and culture don't intersect??

P.S. Try the Mexican Sweet Chili, not spicy but pleasant.

Free Books Online!

Just stumbled upon a site with a bunch of books online for free.

Love it


Online Books, Poems, Short Stories - Read Print