Hi Everyone! I'm Back!

I'll admit it, I sometimes have trouble making decisions that involved change. I think it's been at least a year now that I've been contemplating changing blog platforms, topics, appearance, etc etc. I really like Posterous, but my whole life right now seems to be wrapped up in Google...and Google goes with Blogger, of course. See, I don't even really know or understand how it all works - but the thought of keeping everything the same gives me some weird sense of security, somehow, I suppose.

A friend of mine made the switch to Posterous a while ago, and they're sticking with it, so I'm guessing that's where I should go if I keep thinking about it? Of course, Posterous was just acquired by Twitter not too long ago. I love Twitter, and I use it a lot. I'm also learning more and more the benefits of Google +.

I wish I understood technology more and how to use it better. Sometimes it seems that it is just too much like work to learn something new every time something new is introduced. I'd like to pick something and be able to stick with it until the end of time. Seriously.

Not very realistic, I know.

Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death

What do you all think of this video? It's well worth the time to watch it, as Dr. Greger is highly entertaining and there is a lot of great information.

Does it motivate you to change your eating habits?

Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death | NutritionFacts.org

50 before 50 - Water Changes Everything

On August 1st, I'm turning 49. 

At first, this seemed surreal, I mean, good heavens, I'm actually almost 50!

But then I found out that millions of people don't live to see their fifth birthdays. And why? Because they don't have access to clean, safe water.

So I'm not scared of turning 49, or even 50 anymore. In fact, I'm celebrating my birthday like never before.

Please click on this link. I'm asking for $49 (or any amount!) from everyone I know -- and every penny of the money raised will go directly to fund clean water projects in developing nations. Even better, charity: water will show us exactly which projects we funded once they've been fully completed (which takes about 18 months). That means we'll be able to see the communities we've helped!

My goal is to raise $1,000. That amount will provide 50 people with access to clean water, and why I've titled my campaign "50 before 50."

Please join me to make this birthday count. Instead of giving me a gift - let's give someone else the gift of clean water!

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support of my "50 before 50" project!

Women in church leadership

SO - women serving in church leadership, is it right or wrong? Why? It's an honest question, and I'm looking for an honest answer. OK - go!

Rick Santorum and his very bad logic

I respect Rick Santorum and his right to his opinion. He should be able to state his own personal beliefs and not be booed. However, In my opinion, comparing gay marriage to polygamy is about as productive as comparing homosexuality to pedophilia.

Watch the video below (full story here) and comment if you'd like to share your answer to his question - what is the public purpose served in changing the law? How do you feel Santorum should have handled this question? Or was he right on?

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The Christmas Story

One of the best kids' presentations of the Christmas story I've seen in a long time - way to go St. Paul's of Aukland, NZ!

 

What's the word I'm looking for?

Ouch! You can read the entire article here.

An Open Apology to Amy Koch on Behalf of All Gay and Lesbian Minnesotans

Dear Ms. Koch,

On behalf of all gays and lesbians living in Minnesota, I would like to wholeheartedly apologize for our community's successful efforts to threaten your traditional marriage.  We are ashamed of ourselves for causing you to have what the media refers to as an "illicit affair" with your staffer, and we also extend our deepest apologies to him and to his wife. These recent events have made it quite clear that our gay and lesbian tactics have gone too far, affecting even the most respectful of our society.

We apologize that our selfish requests to marry those we love has cheapened and degraded traditional marriage so much that we caused you to stray from your own holy union for something more cheap and tawdry.  And we are doubly remorseful in knowing that many will see this as a form of sexual harassment of a subordinate.

It is now clear to us that if we were not so self-focused and myopic, we would have been able to see that the time you wasted diligently writing legislation that would forever seal the definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman, could have been more usefully spent reshaping the legal definition of "adultery."

Forgive us.  As you know, we are not church-going people, so we are unable to fully appreciate that "gay marriage" is incompatible with Christian values, despite the fact that those values carry a biblical tradition of adultery such as yours.  We applaud you for keeping that tradition going.

And finally, shame on us for thinking that marriage is a private affair, and that our marriage would have little impact on anyone's family.  We now see that marriage is more than that.  It is an agreement with society.  We should listen to the Minnesota Family Council when it tells us that marriage is about being public, which explains why marriages are public ceremonies.  Never did we realize that it is exactly because of this societal agreement that the entire world is looking at you in shame and disappointment instead of minding its own business.

From the bottom of our hearts, we ask that you please accept our apology.

Thank you.
John Medeiros
Minneapolis MN