Proverbs 12:26

Monday, May 14th, 2007/Proverbs chapters 11–18

GOD'S MESSAGE FOR ME TODAY
The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, But the way of the wicked leads them astray. —Proverbs 12:26

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO MY LIFE?
I was convicted of this principle yesterday as our neighbor (Kara) always makes heself available by sitting outside with her dog and has made several friends with the kids in the neighborhood. Kara has been invited to birthday parties and school plays. She has even shared the gospel with some of them. Kara has been a great example of God's love to them and has convicted me with her love for others.

Copyright 2007, City Vision / John A. Mayer
You can purchase a copy of the CityView Report here.

PROFILES OF IMMIGRANT GROUPS IN THE TWIN CITIES

22. Iranian — Pop. 5,000

• Religion: Majority are Shiite Mulsims, some Sunni Muslim, some Bahai, and a few Christians.

Rudi Bakhtiar (Fox News Channel)

...But I Won't Do That!

Last month I posted an article about rock n' roll and driving. My post was titled "I Will Do Anything For Love..." and when talking with friends, that post has come up on several occasions. Not because of the article I wrote about, but because of the song title I used by Meatloaf. It seems the only thing people remember about that song is that it was used in a Dr. Pepper commercial.

Well, since Erin and I will be in Moorhead for my sister's college graduation tomorrow, I more than likely won't post anything. So now for my 3rd post of the day, I bring you that famous Dr. Pepper commercial via YouTube. Enjoy!




—b

58

What comes to mind when you hear the number 58? Anything? The age of a parent? The number of times you hear about American Idol in one day? The number of wins the Nationals will have this year? For me, 58 represents the number our thermostat read this morning. Yea, 58 degrees.

With Erin being in her 3rd trimester and getting more uncomfortable and feeling warmer with each passing day, we have tried to make her as comfortable as possible. Which includes turning on the airconditioning...all ready. We're not even into the middle of May yet.

We initially just had a window open. When that didn't seem to work, we turned on a fan. When the fan wasn't powerful enough, we moved it closer to her. (By the way, I have worn a stocking cap to bed the past two nights. No joke!) Now we are on to artificial coldness. Brrr...

I woke up this morning freezing and during my Bible study, I almost turned our fireplace on. How funny would that have looked to people passing by. Here it's May and some odd couple has smoke coming out of their chimney.

Oh well, I'm not complaining. After all, I'm the husband, I have it easy...for the most part. ;)

—b

Proverbs 9:4 & 5

Thursday, May 10th, 2007/Proverbs chapters 6–10

GOD'S MESSAGE FOR ME TODAY
"Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!" To him who lacks understanding she says, "Come, eat of my food And drink of the wine I have mixed. —Proverbs 9:4 & 5

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO MY LIFE?
In this passage, wisdom (which is personified) is calling out and inviting those who may listen. In verse 16, the "woman of folly" is calling out the exact same invitation. We only have two choices, wisdom or folly. One leads to life, the other, death. When we make our everday decisions, we need to stop and think where the results of our decisions will eventually lead us.

Copyright 2007, City Vision / John A. Mayer
You can purchase a copy of the CityView Report here.

PROFILES OF IMMIGRANT GROUPS IN THE TWIN CITIES

21. Croatian — Pop. 5,300

• Have been arriving to the Twin Cities since the 1990s.
• Religion: Many Catholic, some Orthodox, some Christian, and some Muslim.

Ivan Pavletic (artist)

Infinity MPG

With gas prices at $3.09 here, I found this article disheartening as a gas station owner was ordered by the state of Wisconsin to raise his prices!

A service station that offered discounted gas to senior citizens and people supporting youth sports has been ordered by the state to raise its prices. Center City BP owner Raj Bhandari said he received a letter from the state auditor last month saying the state would sue him if he did not raise his prices. (You can read the entire article here.)

I think I might have to invest in the vehicle that gets infinte miles per gallon...a bike.

The above graphic is actually a t-shirt pattern from Threadless.com. As of right now they are sold out (not suprisingly) but there is a button on that site which you can request a reprint. And with gas prices increasing all over the country, and the site's good reputation for frequent reprints, you can all-but bet on them reprinting them soon.

—b

Proverbs 5:20

Wednesday, May 9th, 2007/Proverbs chapters 1–5

GOD'S MESSAGE FOR ME TODAY
For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an adulteress And embrace the bosom of a foreigner? —Proverbs 5:20

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO MY LIFE?
All 23 verses of Proverbs chapter five can be, and should be, associated not only with physical immorality, but pornography as well. Jesus told us in Matthew 5:27 & 28 that even lusting after a woman is adultery.

Copyright 2007, City Vision / John A. Mayer
You can purchase a copy of the CityView Report here.

PROFILES OF IMMIGRANT GROUPS IN THE TWIN CITIES

20. Ghanaian — Pop. 6,000

• Have been arriving to the Twin Cities since 1990.
• Most are in there 20s and 30s.
• Religion: Muslim, Christian, and Catholic.

Freddy Adu

Brevin Isaac Eidsmoe

Back in February, I did a spin off of the popular Conan O'Brien skit called "If They Mated". I combined a picture of Erin with myself to see what our son would look like. (You can see that post here.) Well, It's about time I told you our son's name (officially anyway).

We wanted his name to have meaning and we always liked the concept of naming after one of our parents. Well, how do you decide which parent to name them after? My dad? Erin's dad? But then that will lead to, "my dad can beat up your dad". Hmm...

One day while on the phone with my dad, we told him our naming woes, and he said "why not combine the names?" Bruce + Kevin = Brevin. Cool.

Presenting the name (kind of jokingly) Erin had the same reaction, a mild "cool". As a few days went on, that mild cool reaction turned into, "it's growing on me and I'm really starting to like it." Eventually, we both fell in love with the name.

People always give us a puzzled look when we tell them our son's name. When it came to tell Kevin, he wasn't to sure about it...till he heard how we came up with it. Then he was more open to it. :)

Back to present day.

At the begining of the post I referred to combining pictures to see what Brevin will look like. Well, since he's being named after his two grandpa's here is a rendering to what our son may look like as a grandpa.


Well...compared to what the first rendering looked like, Brevin will obviously get a lot better looking as he gets older. (Unfortunately that isn't saying much.) ;)

Enjoy your day!

—b

Psalm 145:10–12

Tuesday, May 8th, 2007/Psalm chapters 143–150

GOD'S MESSAGE FOR ME TODAY
All Your works shall give thanks to You, O LORD, And Your godly ones shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom And talk of Your power; To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts And the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom. —Psalm 145:10–12

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO MY LIFE?
"Missions" is not just moving abroad, it's sharing the great news of Christ through word and deed. We aren't being told to stand on a busy street corner with a sign shouting but to talk with people. We speak of our hobbies, happenings, and other interests, why is it such a no-no to share how Christ is working in our life? I'm not talking about judgement or intolerance but of the excitement that only He can bring to us on a daily basis.

Copyright 2007, City Vision / John A. Mayer
You can purchase a copy of the CityView Report here.

PROFILES OF IMMIGRANT GROUPS IN THE TWIN CITIES

19. Eritrean — Pop. 6,500

• Have been arriving to the Twin Cities since 1990.
• Religion: Muslim, Orthodox, Catholic, and Christian.

FREE* Mother's Day Gift!

Hey everyone, I have a great idea for a Mother's Day gift! Why not let someone else give her the royal treatment? Whether it's getting her hair done, a manacure, skin care, or even a massage. Not only can you just drop mom off and not worry about her, but it's FREE! Yea, F-R-E-E.

So what's the catch?
Let me give you a little background of this opportunity.

Our pastor's wife Nicole, will be interning in Rochester, NY at a theater (PUSH Physical Theatre) in July. She was only 1 of 15 people choosen!

Because she won’t be working for the month of July, and there are costs involved with the apprenticeship (mainly travel to NY and food while there), Nicole and her husband (Pastor Mike) are inviting friends to help sponsor them.

On Sunday May 20th from 1:00-6:00pm, Riverstone Salon Spa in Minneapolis is sponsoring a “Devereaux Drive”.

Basically, you can come in that day, receive any salon service you want, and make a donation of any amount to the Devereaux's!

If you'd like more information to not only give mom a great Mother's Day gift but also help out Mike and Nicole Devereaux, please visit Riverstone’s website for a full list of services and feel free to call ahead to make an appointment for that day – 612-721-1518.

If you can’t make this fun event but are interested in sponsoring them or just hanging out with the Devereaux's, please let Nicole know at nicole@hopecc.com.

TO CLARIFY: The salon services are FREE! The Riverstone staff is donating their time and services so that 100% of your donations go directly to Michael and Nicole!

—b

Psalm 141:3

Monday, May 7th, 2007/Psalm chapters 120–142

GOD'S MESSAGE FOR ME TODAY
Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips. —Psalm 141:3

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO MY LIFE?
Some of my daily struggles with sin include: patience, pride, and controlling my emotions. The battle with my tongue would also have to be up there. I'm not referring to swearing but gossip, slander, and basically not thinking before I speak. I like how the verse refers to a "door of my lips". Only with God's help can the openess of my screen door mouth become guarded like a vault.

Copyright 2007, City Vision / John A. Mayer
You can purchase a copy of the CityView Report here.

PROFILES OF IMMIGRANT GROUPS IN THE TWIN CITIES

18. Nigerian — Pop. 7,000

• Have been arriving to the Twin Cities since 1990.
• Most are in their 20s and 30s.
• Religion: Muslim and Christian.

Top 10 Summer Movies

After seeing Blades of Glory, TMNT, and Spider-Man 3, I'd love to take advantage of the time we have before our son is born to see some summer blockbusters. The following is my list of 10 movies I'd like to see this summer.

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

I hesitated to put this one on my list since Harry Potter has become the Madonna of the 80s concerning Christians love affair with criticizing something popular in secular media. I have enjoyed the first four movies. The one main concern I have, not having read the books, is the movies have become increasingly darker. If this one follows suit, I may cross the famous wizard off of my favorites.

THE SIMPSONS MOVIE

This one is on my list simply for nostalgic reasons. I used to love the Simpsons but I haven't watched them for the past five years now. I'm curious to see what the creators have come up with concerning the film. Will the movie mark the end of the Simpsons television reign?

THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM

I have enjoyed the past two installments of this saga. Good action. Leaves you guessing. And they left my feeling satisfied by the time the movie was done. I have no idea what this one is about but hopefully history will repeat itself.

RATATOUILLE

Rat•a•too•ee is another movie I'm basing my wantingness (was that a word?) on seeing by past productions. The Pixar flicks have always been favorites of mine. I'm curious as to how this one will do since there hasn't been a lot of marketing to promote it. It's good to see that Pixar and Disney mended ways and will be continuing their tenure.

OCEAN'S THIRTEEN

My number six pick would be Erin's number one pick as for movie's to see this summer. The first one (Ocean's Eleven) was done very well. Their second attempt was...eh. It's always fun to see a bunch of big names in one movie. I hope the addition of Al Pacino will bring this one back to the original's glory.

LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD

Die Hard 4 really had to fight it out to break into my top five picks. It's been over 10 years since the last one came out so I'm not sure why they decided to put this one out now. Were they in cahootz with Slyvester Stallone, aka Rocky 6? Can you believe this one has been criticized for it's PG-13 rating? The past ones have all had the big R. Good for them.

SHREK THE THIRD

The characters have been growing in popularity ever since the first one was released. Donkey, Princess Fiona, and of course, Shrek himself. Some people liked the first movie better than the second. For others it was the other way around. I'm not sure but if this one is as good as the first two, it will have been well worth the money.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END

I'm not sure I agree with my number three pick. If anything this one could have easily fallen further down the list. It's not that I haven't liked the first two. In fact, the first one was brilliant. But I have a feeling I have been getting caught up in the whole "Pirate" hype. All I know is that I hope this one is better than the second one.

FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER

Easily my biggest suprise on the list. Fantastic Four at number two! Why? I don't know. I did not want to see the first one at all. The only reason we saw it was because Erin wanted to see it. But it really suprised me. It didn't end up being as cheesey as the previews seemed. Now with the addition of the Silver Surfer, this one has got me anticipating something cool. Don't let me down and bring on Galactus!

TRANSFORMERS

The number one movie I'd like to see this summer comes to no suprise to those of you who know me. Being a child of the 80s and still a child at heart being I still own and wear three different Transformers T's, this movie has some very high expectations to live up to. These "robots in disguise" have come and gone in several variations over the past 20 years. I guess it was only a matter of time before they made a live action movie of the guys from Cybertron.

———

Well, there you have it. Do you agree? Disagree? Do I just have way too much time on my hands? Let me know.

Enjoy waiting in line for Spidey 3!

—b



Friday, May 4th, 2007/Psalm chapters 112–119 YODH

This morning before work, I told Erin "God's Message for Me Today" was mainly about her. She intern responded, "You mean God told you to give me more foot rubs?"

Haha. I love you Erin!

GOD'S MESSAGE FOR ME TODAY
He makes the barren woman abide in the house As a joyful mother of children. Praise the LORD! —Psalm 113:9

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO MY LIFE?
Amen! Obviously this passage isn't a promise that God will make infertile copules fertile. But those of us who have dealt with the frustration of infertility, no matter how long, have a different prespective concerning the gift of pregnancy. It doesn't make the physical pains of pregnancy easier, but during the harder times, Erin and I are more apt to praise God because He made us deal with infertility.

Copyright 2007, City Vision / John A. Mayer
You can purchase a copy of the CityView Report here.

PROFILES OF IMMIGRANT GROUPS IN THE TWIN CITIES

17. Filipino — Pop. 7,000

• Have been arriving to the Twin Cities since the 1960s.
• The average Filipino household size is 3.3 people.
• 48% of Twin Cities Thai family have obtained home ownership.
• Religion: Majority are Catholic, some Christian and Muslim, as well as some Filipino cult groups.

Major General Antonio M. Taguba, US Army

Spidey 3 Reviewed

As I was so excited about seeing Spider-Man 3 yesterday, you just knew I was going to post about it today. Without any details, everything happened as I hoped they would. I got there on time, sat in a relatively good location, had fun watching the movie, and left. Boring!

Here is the story with the details:

I met the "Friendly Stegosaurus" in the Minnesota Zoo parking lot on time. (Which was a concern of mine since I was so late in meeting him at the last movie we went to.) Whew, ok next on my "here is what could possibly go wrong list" was finding Tri Dey so we could get into the movie. Sure enough, that was the one thing I was worried about the most and my fears were confirmed.

Two nights previous, Tri Dey told me she would meet me at the concession stand at 6:30. Well, Stego and I got there 15 minutes earlier and waited. While he saved our spot in line, I went to the concession stand, stood on a bench to see over the crowd, and visibly searched for Tri Dey. Nothing. That was to be expected concerning it wasn't 6:30 yet. No big deal.

Well, sure enough, I had just started looking when the theater doors opened the line of people started filing in. Shoot! The theater was filling up fast and we had no tickets. So as Stego got closer to the door, we weighed our options. Either A. step out of line, lose our place, and forfeit whatever good seat we would be able to get. Or B. stay in line and pray they don't ask to see our pass. We chose B.

As the line progressed and saw daylight, we noticed that the staff was taking passes. Crap. So as we kept getting closer to being discovered trying to sneek in without a pass, we purposely walked a little closer to the middle-aged ladies in front of us making it appear we were with them.

We were up...the ladies in front of us handed their pass and we kept walking in with them as if all was well. As we walked by it was kind of like one of those scenes in a movie where the people know they're guilty, and when the person who was offended looks at the offenders, they are looking not-so-innocently at some fascinating aspect of the wall. Success! We got into a movie without paying for it!

So ends today's lesson kids. Stealing and dishonesty is not only encouraged, but fun too! (Ok so that's not the lesson I want you to take with you from this story.)

Continuing on in my story...We got in and chose three seats close to the end of the aisle so Tri Dey could easily join us when she arrived. Being that we got in easily enough, I decided to go back out and wait for Tri Dey.

As I walked back out, I made sure to ask the ticketeer that I wouldn't need a pass to get back in. He gave me the nod and I continued. Thankfully Tri Dey was right were she said she'd be and we both got pop and popcorn and headed back into the theater...this time with a pass I might add. She found a friend/co-worker on the way in to sit with so it was just Stego and I the rest of the way.


*Disclaimer: I will attempt to base my review on what Joe and Jane Public would like to know about the movie without letting the fanboy inside me out.

First question usually asked about a movie is "Was it good." i.e. "Will it be worth my $9.00?"

My response would have to be to ask you what your looking for in a movie. If you are looking for a high(er) entertainment value, good special effects, and will it be a "feel-good movie"? Than I would have to answer "yes".

When you see the movie, keep in mind it is a comic book movie. There are a few cheesey parts and lines in the movie but it has a great story and even better special effects.

My one word of caution: If you have younger kids that your going to take to the movie, I'd be careful during the last 30 minutes or so. The Venom character can be scary.

—b


Thursday, May 3rd, 2007/Psalm chapters 106–???

GOD'S MESSAGE FOR ME TODAY
First I miss last nights weekly Bible study due to Spider-Man 3, then this morning my usual coffee couldn't keep me awake for my daily devotions. Man it's a good thing I'm saved by grace and not works. ;)

Copyright 2007, City Vision / John A. Mayer
You can purchase a copy of the CityView Report here.

PROFILES OF IMMIGRANT GROUPS IN THE TWIN CITIES

16. Polish — Pop. 7,500

• Have been coming to the Twin Cities since the 1990s.
• Most are in their 20s and 30s.
• 48% of Twin Cities Thai family have obtained home ownership.
• Religion: Catholic and Christian

IMAXimum Spidey FR3E!

The popular phrase, "It's not what you know, but who you know" applies to my current source of excitement. I get to see Spider-Man 3 later this afternoon, in the IMAX, for FREE! Yea...I could end the post like that and leave fellow nerds coveting my situation. But of course I won't.

John Mayer of City Vision contacted me yesterday saying his wife Tri Dey (pronounced Tree Day) has free, advanced showing tickets to the third installment of the Spider-man saga. Tri Dey is opening a restaurant in the Minnesota Zoo (which is where this particular IMAX theater is) and as a perk, she is able to bring a few friends and family to see our friendly neighborhood Spider-man swing into action.

Unfortunately, John couldn't go but honored me with the opportunity to go instead. Not only that, but he said I could bring Erin (or someone else) as well. Being that Erin, J-Bone, and I already have plans to see the movie on Saturday, Erin does not want to see the same movie twice within a few days of each other. So I contacted the "Friendly Stegosaurus" to see if he was interested in going with me. His answer, "of course"!

So while fellow fanboys will have to wait for the midnight showing tomorrow, come 9:00 tonight, I'll have already seen it. (Sorry if I come across as bragging, that's not my intention, it's just that I'm so stoked to see Spider-Man 3, in the IMAX, for FREE!)

Anyway, I need to calm down, and get back to work. Have a great day/night and I'll see you tomorrow.

—b


Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007/Psalm chapters 96–105

GOD'S MESSAGE FOR ME TODAY
Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. —Psalm 100:3

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO MY LIFE?
The one theme that keeps coming to mind in this passage is "pride". Pride is something I need to deal with it seems almost every minute of every day. For example, I'll break down the passage into three sections and show you what I mean by pride.

• "LORD Himself is God" —> Then I'll think, "So. I don't have to obey Him ALL the time."
• "He who made us" —> My tempted response, "But we were the ones who made our son." Or, "I got to where I am in life through my hard work and persistance."
• "sheep of His pasture" —> "Sheep are helpless! I can take care of myself."

Thank you Lord for convicting my through your word and please help me to notice my prideful self and realize You're everything and I'm here today and gone tomorrow. Amen.

Copyright 2007, City Vision / John A. Mayer
You can purchase a copy of the CityView Report here.

PROFILES OF IMMIGRANT GROUPS IN THE TWIN CITIES

15. Thai — Pop. 8,750

• Started coming to the Twin Cities in the 1970s.
• The average Thai household size is 3.5 people.
• 48% of Twin Cities Thai family have obtained home ownership.
• Religion: Majority are Buddhist and a few are Christian.

The NEW "May Day"

Being it's "May Day" today, I was wondering what is "May Day"? Is it something that Launchpad McQuack would yell into his radio everytime he crashed his plane?

Growing up, I learned we were to fill styrofoam cups of candy, drop them off on someone's doorstep, ring the doorbell and run. And if you get caught dropping off the candy, the person who caught you, has to give you a kiss.

How did that start?

I popped on over to Wikipedia.com and checked it out. I was expecting to see some symbolism and meaning to what I just described. Umm...no. It's actually a pagan holiday that the puritans objected to for obvious reasons. Here is a link to what I'm talking about if you care to read more.

So after reading what it originally stood for and what a "Maypole" was, I Bernt Bruce Eidsmoe, hereby declare an NEW meaning for "May Day". By the power invested to me by the State of Lunacy, "May Day" is now celebrated in honor of our dear friend and pilot, Launchpad McQuack. It is a day in which we celebrate the fact that everytime he got into a plane, he crashed it.

"May Day's" NEW official slogan has been taken directly from Launchpad himself: "If it has wings, I can crash it."

Enjoy your NEW "Mayday"!

—b




Tuesday, May 1st, 2007/Psalm chapters 88–95

GOD'S MESSAGE FOR ME TODAY
Blessed is the man whom You chasten, O LORD, And whom You teach out of Your law; —Psalm 94:12

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO MY LIFE?
I like how the book of Proverbs puts it in chapter 3 verses 11 and 12.

"My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof, For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights."

Copyright 2007, City Vision / John A. Mayer
You can purchase a copy of the CityView Report here.

PROFILES OF IMMIGRANT GROUPS IN THE TWIN CITIES

14. Ukrainian — Pop. 9,500

• Two waves of immigration: Older immigrants came in the first half of the 1900s and newer immigrants began arriving in the late 1980s.
• Religion: Many are Orthodox and some are Christian and Catholic.