françois vautier: ANTS in my scanner > a five years time-lapse!

I really enjoy time lapse photography. This one is particularly interesting in that François Vautier, installed an ant colony inside his scanner and scanned the nest each week for five years. It's interesting to see how decay and corrosion slowly, but steadily begins to literally overrun the scanner. I can't help but to think about times where I've allowed anger or bitterness or unforgiveness to fester within my heart and mind. I imagine my soul began to look much like this growing ant colony within this scanner. The more I just left my anger, bitterness and unforgiveness to stew, the more it corroded and suffocated my soul. Are you allowing anger, bitterness or unforgiveness corrode and suffocate your soul?

"Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back" (Luke 6:37, 38 NLT) 

So very amazing...

The Future of Biotechnology?

The Posthuman from cecily kuoc on Vimeo.

Did you Know?

What Do You Think About?

ENGAGE YOUR WORLD! MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Attractional vs. Missional part1

Are you starving Jesus?

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:12-14).

Here are a series of videos from MTVExit.com on Human Trafficking

TRUTH

TRAIN

SUBWAY

CRIBS

PIMP
We all would like to think that this is a tragedy that happens far, far away from our doorstep. But, in reality it is happening closer than you would probably like to believe. There are strip clubs, escort services and massage parlors in every major city, not to mention street prostitution. To be fair, not all the women or men providing these services are the victims of human trafficking, but it is safe to say that a large majority of them have been coerced and forced into the sex trade industry. But, there are many, many, many children who are being trafficked into sex slavery.

Now not everyone frequents these places. But if we bring Internet pornography into the conversation than it is safe to say that everyone who has a computer has the potential to support those who traffic human beings into sex slavery. Every time a person visits an adult website, what they are essentially doing is supporting the sex industry as a whole which includes those who are being victimized through sex slavery.

If you are struggling with sexual addiction, get some help. Do whatever it takes to break free! As long as there is a demand, the sexual exploitation of men, women and children will continue. Be part of the solution and not the problem.

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people (Ephesians 5:3).

Constance by Mr J. Medeiros with lyrics

1st verse:
An old man vacationing, he stands patiently
Under a hotel sign that blinks vacancy
He’s thinking maybe he’s too late to make the drop off
Til a truck coming his way brakes and stops short
And now he’s out of sorts and you can see he’s sorta nervous
Walking to the passenger door to meet his ordered service
This is someone’s daughter working, blames his conscience
When the driver says “she’s my youngest, her name is Constance”
He comments “and its only 6 dollars per visit
Just don’t leave any marks on her, it hurts business”
Thought for a minute and he confessed “that’s fair”
Since it was three dollars less then his cab fare
“How old are you honey?” she says “I’m thirteen”
Her nose was runny, its raining in the Philippines
He handed over the money in a chilling scene
The truck drives off and now he’s on the hunt to kill her dreams
The sign reads no vacancy, he leads Constance to a room
He has rented for taping see,
He’s about to turn six into six thousand
And all you have to do is click on your web browser
Its not illegal to use rapin’ as a cash crop
As long as it says she’s 18 on your laptop
The sound of rain is her backdrop laying there
Like she’s waiting for somebody to say they care
While the tears of God fall down the window pane
She feels unholy like her Father doesn’t know her name

Mary Magdalene and the Woman At The Well
He knows everything that happened and in His arms she fell.

In his arms she fell
Will you stay with me

2nd verse:
He’s 21 and all alone in his household
He’s tempted by the quiet he feels and the mouse he holds
The silence of his spouse is cold
So he’s about to help that man get his six thousand gold
One click and now she’s sold
Withholding his conscience scrolling through the comments
There she is looking confident a picture of Constance
In a series of video clips, “adult content”
The title blinks in bold letters like the vacancy sign
It’s his time to go get her
It’s like his mind doesn’t know better
Her soul is crying out “let me go” but he won't let her
He got her trapped inside his media player
Held captive by his need to replay her
Its a matter of he being here and she being there
That’s why he doesn’t feel the need to care
Guilt is in the seed he bears
Spilling his shares of the profit
On a 500 million dollar market
Where children are regarded as product
And traded like stock tips
And raped for the sake of our pockets
His laptop sits like a window into Constance room
Where he exits ’cause its almost noon
And he’s expecting his wife home soon
With new clothes for the baby
She’d be angry if she saw his new lady
A thirteen year old Filipino named Constance
Trust me girl God has not forgotten

He knew Mary Magdalene and the Woman at the Well
He knows everything that happened and in His arms she fell

In his arms she fell
Will you stay with me

You'll Come by Hillsong

Living for Eternity

Woman at the Well

Kingdom

God is so amazing!

The Creation story told in such an amazing way with video!

New Beginnings

One of the books that I'm currently reading is called "Beyond Tolerance: child pornography on the internet," by Philip Jenkins. It's both arresting and alarming. Not only am I appalled at the depth of darkness that surrounds this sexual sin, but I'm dumbfounded at the brazen arrogance that Jenkins quotes from individuals within existing message boards and chat rooms, some of whom have been actively participants in this subculture for over 20 years.

You know just reading and thinking about child abuse makes my heart ache. Now, I'm not talking figuratively here, it seriously makes my heart ache. When I read about atrocities that happen to weak and helpless people, especially children, I will literally do all I can to just let the tragedy of the news change me. I want it to change me because when it does, I know that in that moment God has shared part of His heart with mine. When I start to weep I know that it is God who has revealed to me just how much He loves and cares for them and He has given me the priveldge to love and care for them, too. When I get infuriated at the injustice I know that it is God who has revealed to me just how much He is angered by each violating act committed against each individual person and that my anger is a reflection of His anger.

God to me is always the first cause. It is in Him that new beginnings can happen. He moves and we can either react in obedience or rebellion. We can either sumbit to the reality that He is God and that He does know what's best or we can rebellion against this reality thinking that we know what's best. Where do you fit?

Only God can truly make new beginnings happen for all child abuse victims. I want those three words to sink in: child abuse victims. Think about it, these three words should never be used in the same sentence, let alone in combination to describe a group. If you ever doubt the total depravity of human beings, just think about child abuse. Not only in the sense that these child molesters are completely depraved, but that most people (including me and you) do nothing to help stop it from happening. This my friends is also evidence of total depravity: when we could care more about our own comfort while children are being sexually violated and exploited

Now I'm not saying that we all need to quit our jobs and start campaigning full-time to end child abuse and exploitation (though that would be pretty sweet). What I am saying is that instead of buying that next latte at Starbucks, maybe you could forgo a latte a week and start donating that $5 to an organization that does. If you believe that God answers prayers than pray for change. Prayer should be a no brainer when it comes to child abuse and exploitation.

Pray that God would close down child trafficking rings or child pornography websites. Pray that child predators would be put in jail. Most of all pray that all the child abuse victims (please internalize these words and let them change you) would be set free and healed. My prayer is that if you're reading this, you will begin to pray for change and new beginnings.