Deep Fry

Recently, I was driving down the interstate on a cold midwinter’s day when a new song came on the radio. As I listened to what I expected to be another hollow pop song about compromising romance, the lyrics wasted little time in surprising me: We, we don't have to worry ‘bout nothing Cause we got the fire, and we're burning one hell of a something They, they gonna see us from outer space, outer space Light it up, like we're the stars of the human race, human race When the lights turned down, they don't know what they heard Strike the match, play it loud, giving love to the world We'll be raising our hands, shining up to the sky Cause we got the fire, fire, fire, yeah we got the fire fire fire And we gonna let it burn burn burn burn It soon dawned on me: We’re a culture fascinated by fire. I don’t care if it’s a Katniss Everdeen dress, a piano played by Mauro Ffortissimo or a rain only Adele could love, at the end of the da...

Last week in LEGACYouth, we centered our discussion on how to rightly perceive change in light of the Gospel (i.e. how to change the right way for the right reasons). Question is : How do we actually do this?  Of course, the  "Sunday school" answer is: staying connected to God (see cell phone illustration as part of our Living Más discussion - http://deepfryedmind.blogspot.com/2014/01/deep-fry-cxlvii-living-mas.html ). However, I wouldn't blame you if you rolled your eyes, thinking these four words sound like a broken record. Why? Because such an answer, in light of its accuracy, is supposed to be dug into, not just superficially addressed. Seriously, God is pleased when we pursue the Spirit in us, which inspires us to wonder: " What does this actually look like? How do we stay connected to God consistently through the ups and downs of life? How can we tell we are where we're supposed to be? " While reading and applying...

Have you ever noticed how happy people are during the first few weeks of every New Year? I know I do. Sometimes, I will leave the apartment simply to secure a “thinking spot” at a popular hangout destination where I can not only write but “people-watch” as well. Upon some recent observations, I’ve noted an uptick in smiley faces and jovial camaraderie, which has peaked my wonder into what may be the cause. And after pensive review, I’ve come to realize how this special time of year is likely a big part of the reason. We may not know everything there is to know about hope, but one thing we likely do know is happiness and hope have a fairly proportionate connection. As one is hopeful, he/she is respectively happy. Seriously, have you ever encountered a hopeful person who drooped with depression? Probably not. Why? Because most people who are hopeful about the future are not defeated by their present…maybe they are even in a state of current contentedness. Speaking of the pre...