But we people… We’re still the same. Our beauty and our ugliness are heightened as we jump into global networks. As we try to let others know, “Heck yeah I’m a cool kid,” by dropping Facebook status updates every other minute, the funky, scared little person inside us is hoping that we’ll be noticed, that we’ll somehow connect.

It’s nice to see content out there that is directly targeted at my demographic. Yes, people have spent time and money to be relevant to ME. But it really doesn’t fulfill me as a human being. What does? To start, connections and relationships with real people I think is where it’s at. Where we’re not trying to rip each other off. And then I think it helps to have an end point, goal, place that we’re all headed toward. The same place. That’s important.

There’s been a lot of crap happening lately with so many friends of mine, which leads me to this question: What’s relevant in a marriage? Well that could be answered in a million different ways. Love, hope, self-sacrifice, self-control… The list can be endless. But I also think a lot has to do with two people who are connected and have decided to moved in the same direction and will do what it takes to help the other get there. The two individuals can be completely different yet they totally become the same life force (yes, I said those words) when they choose to connect to each other and head out into the world together, as one entity. A husband is relevant to his wife when he really wants to help her get to where she should go. His actions, advice, prayer, words, touch, etc, all are for her benefit to see her light up when she gets closer to where she wants to be. And of course a wife can be relevant, timely, accessible, helpful in the same way for her husband. But don’t you think relevant is such an odd word to use when it comes to marriage? Maybe not.

Sometimes I think the word “relevancy” has a tinge of insincerity to it. Like big mega corporations or churches or whatever are trying to pull a fast one. They seem like the know what their talking about, but peel a few layers back, and all you’ve got is the same humanity that the rest of us share. It can be ugly. But we can redeem the word relevant or relevancy, by putting it in its proper place. Yes, relevancy is totally important. But what is more important is that we’re bound by humanity. We’re all people, and we are due dignity and honor and respect. All of us. Having right motives and intentions and understanding that we’re here to help each other will naturally make us relevant. No hidden agendas, total acceptance and love should do it. An honest pursuit for truth so that we can be free. Heck, let’s have some grace for one another!

We will never completely agree with one another. We will never get people to conform to our ideas 100%. Thank God. (We need to be about conforming to One to transcends all of us!) But our living will only be relevant when we get our hearts and minds straight. SNAP OUT OF IT!! Wake up and see the world around you. You can learn about the fancy clothes and media tools any time. For now, it’s time to unlearn what you think will “work” on others and start to see them as the unbelievable people that they are. How can YOU help them? Let’s appreciate all the beauty and strength in our community, then let them know it!

In the words of a very old rap (yes in the 80s): “Check yourself before you wreck yourself.” You’re the only one who can change you. So let’s get busy!

21st Century Edu in AZ

The US federal deficit topped one trillion dollars on July 13, 2009, reflecting a history of unprecedented borrowing and spending. And it’s no secret most states are in a budget crunch as well. With a current shortfall somewhere between $1 and $2 billion, Arizona is having to make tough choices regarding budget cuts and taxation. Yet in such dire economic times, the people of Arizona need to hold onto both essential values and relevancy when it comes to budget appropriations. I believe that building a relevant education system by incorporating emerging technologies and evidence-based practices will help build a strong future for Arizonians.

Arizona believes in education. Close to 50% of Arizona’s budget is reserved for kindergarten through high school education. But compared to other states, Arizona students rank near the bottom for performance. It’s likely that that giving this broken system even more money would create more of the same problem, namely students under-prepared for college, work and life. I whole-heartedly believe that teacher’s salaries ought to be increased and more money could be used on purchasing technology, etc., however, I believe that there needs to be drastic reforms in the approach we take to education. The state ought to invest in relevant research of best practices for education as well as the quick implementation of such research.

We need to prepare children for a 21st century, first world economy and this is not happening. Why are we encouraging teaching methods that were fashioned during the industrial revolution? Tomorrow’s workplace will focus on “collaboration over competition, participation over observation, and people over personalities.”** Revise the standards to include more technology-based, collaborative opportunities. Train teachers to not be afraid of incorporating fresh, research-based, intuitive methods that really work. Quit boring teachers with “in-service” days and make them create solutions for their students that they can implement. Give teachers a say in the budget! Heck, gives students a say. Creating community and having each individual take responsibility for an incredible school system would only build a skilled and happy workforce in Arizona’s future.

What revenue sources should be used for reinventing the school system? Raising taxes in tourism (if we still have that industry during this economic crunch!) would certainly be pleasing to Arizonians since it doesn’t affect the majority of us. Raising property taxes, even by a marginal percentage, could sting a little but is a viable option. However, if Arizonians understood that this money was going into a healthy, evidence-based, technology-supported system, then it may not be such a bad idea. Of course, reorganizing some of the government’s infrastructure and reducing needless spending is of the utmost importance. The bottom line… hard-earned money should be invested into a hard-earned, rewarding school system. It will be a long road to convince the “old guard” to hand over education to the reformers, but it is desperately needed and will be well worth the effort.

(**See “Manifesto” at www.gangplankhq.com)

If you don’t already, follow: http://twitter.com/breakingnews

Pyongyang, the leader of North Korea is out of control!

According to Yahoo news, the US and other countries, “have threatened North Korea with punishment if they launch the long-range missile.”

Apologies for my daily post being so short! Time to start praying everybody.

God bless you!

Michelle

The election is over. The pundits are regrouping to figure out their next topics of discussion. And there was no rioting (as far as I know) in the streets. It is certainly an historical day this November 5th. Barack Obama will be our next president.
Last night I listened to both McCain’s gracious concession speech, and Obama’s victory speech. I became more optimistic while listening to both. McCain is really an incredible man, who is a true leader and has undergone so much in his lifetime. Obama is about to embark on the ride of his life. He urged Americans to each take responsibility for making this country great. I totally agree and I hoped people caught that. Honestly I walked away from last night not really placing my hopes in any administration, old or new. Change really just begins with every individual…. Me, to be specific.
Anyway congrats to the new President and family. We are praying for you. And thank you McCain for putting your best efforts into making our country great.

The year was 1994. Were you alive then? I sure was. :0) I was in post-civil war San Salvador. The utter chaos of a 12 year war had substantially decreased by the time I had arrived, however, the effects of poverty and fear remained with many people. If you want to learn the background of this war, I highly recommend the movie Romero. Basically, what had happened was not uncommon to many Latin-American countries: “…peasants living at subsistence level without running water or electricity, while a tiny privileged minority lived in wealth and opulence…” Thank you, Wikipedia. And of course you’ve got the crazy government-backed military being countered by guerilla forces. And the Catholic church decides to take a moral stand, and pays for it with lives. And the events went on and on. But back to the machine guns.

I was asleep with several other friends of mine in a small apartment room. We were there on a trip to work with children of El Salvador. I was fairly young (shall I reveal my age here? … nah), and I didn’t entirely understand the situation I was in. I had known others who had gone down prior to my trip, and had been on a bus that was hijacked by men with guns. So I knew the situation was a little out of control. But, I was wrapped up in being surrounded by these awesome, lovely children. But then I woke up to machine gun fire.

The rounds went off and off. I awoke not really knowing what the heck was happening at first. It was early morning, if I remember correctly. I was startled not knowing if those shots were going to be coming my way. It sounded far enough away that I would be in safely for a little bit. The rounds continued. Were they just showing off? Were they hitting buildings? People? Later that day, my El Salvadoranian hosts made no mention of it. Neither did I. I wasn’t sure what to think. I was just thankful for being safe. But how about the people outside of my little apartment? Were they safe?

OK, so nothing big or scary happened that January morning. Hallelujah. But today, on the day that we assert our rights and our voice here in this country, I remember this time. As El Salvador was recovering back in 1993 from a horrendous war, I wonder now if my incredible hosts had gotten to experience the freedom to vote without oppression? My little apartment in San Salvador was safe… just as I am safe here in the US. But outside of these “walls” there are terrible things happening. The human rights violations that occur across the world… will those people be allowed to “stand up” and share their opinion? I don’t know. But I do know what he have in the US is truly an amazing experiment. It’s not perfect that’s for sure. However, I do know that I did not wake up to gun fire this morning. What a relief. I woke up to people Twittering about how they voted and were happy to do so. And what a challenge for me to wake up and remember that I have a major responsibility to help people on this earth, in my nation, my community and in my family.

Some friends at my church are currently in the process of adopting a little girl from Colombia. Their sister is making really cool bags to help raise the funds for the expenses of adoption. If you know of any pre-teen, teen-aged, or heck any woman that likes funky bags, take a look at the Bags For ZaZa site! Splendid.

The URL is: http://bagsforzaza.blogspot.com

“April 9, 2007 issue – Rick Warren is as big as a bear, with a booming voice and easygoing charm. Sam Harris is compact, reserved and, despite the polemical tone of his books, friendly and mild. Warren, one of the best-known pastors in the world, started Saddleback in 1980; now 25,000 people attend the church each Sunday. Harris is softer-spoken; paragraphs pour out of him, complex and fact-filled—as befits a Ph.D. student in neuroscience. At NEWSWEEK’s invitation, they met in Warren’s office recently and chatted, mostly amiably, for four hours. Jon Meacham moderated. Excerpts follow.”

Click here to read the rest of the Newsweek article.

Carvin makes the argument that although the younger generation may be more self-centered, social media isn’t to blame. In fact, according to Carvin, new media is:

“communities where people come together to find each other and bond over likeminded interests. They’re communities where people reinforce interpersonal relationships through sharing and creating content.”

He concludes that:

“Twenge misunderstands the ethos of social media, not recognizing that users of social media do it because they care about the notion of “us” and want to be a part of something bigger than themselves.”

Since I have worked with teenagers for about 14 years, both in the classroom as well as with church youth groups, I have come to understand that this age group is always dying for attention, and they hunger for purpose and to feel important. They may never seem to directly ask for this, but underneath it all, they recognize that something is missing.

Social media simply reflects what is going on inside the hearts and minds of people. It is similar to money. Money is not evil in of itself, however, when one has a lot or a little amount of it, the truth comes out; character is revealed. So with social media. It is not evil, yet when people spend enough time engaging with it, the truth comes out of what’s happening on the inside – good or bad. As it has been throughout history, the future will continue to provide such “mirrors” that reveal character.

I truly believe that the 21st century will require more collaboration, effective communication skills, personal organization and discipline, and most importantly, more love and compassion. The “cult of celebrity” entices our quest for happiness. Society loves to feed on finding quick answers, results, and satisfaction. The media and corporations are more than willing to provide the feast. This leads to an exponential increase in personal alienation and social chaos. Without something constant and true, where will we be in 20 years?

In my life, I have found that living according to the truth of the Bible, and living a life of mission means acting out with compassion and love. The only way to truly make a lasting impression is to find ourselves in the center of God’s purpose. This is truly the only way I can use social media effectively, as a means for my mission and purpose. Having had the opportunity to travel all over the world to see what makes a lasting impression on people, I can honestly say that people long for relationship. To completely accept and to totally be accepted by others and by God will change this world.

And now for that article….!

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Has MySpace Contributed to Generation Me?

by Andy Carvin, 3:53PM -

A new study out this week suggests that today’s college students are more self-centered than ever before. The question I keep asking myself, though, is why so many people are blaming MySpace and other social media tools for this apparent trend. Perhaps there’s a connection, but there’s plenty more blame to go around.

Click here for the rest of the story.

From the canyons of the mind,
We wander on and stumble blindly
Through the often-tangled maze
Of starless nights and sunless days,
While casting for some kind of clue
Or road to lead us to the truth,
But who will answer?

Side by side two people stand,
Together vowing, hand-in-hand
That love’s imbedded in their hearts,
But soon an empty feeling starts
To overwhelm their hollow lives,
And when we seek the hows and whys,
Who will answer?

High upon a lonely ledge,
a figure teeters near the edge,
And jeering crowds collect below
To egg him on with, “Go, man, go!”
And who will ask what led him
To his private day of doom,
And who will answer?

On a strange and distant hill,
A young man’s lying very still.
His arms will never hold his child,
Because a bullet running wild
Has cut him down. And now we cry,
“Dear God, Oh, why, oh, why?”
And who will answer?

If the soul is darkened by a fear it cannot name,
If the mind is baffled when the rules don’t fit the game,
Who will answer? Who will answer? Who will answer?

In the rooms of dark and shades,
The scent of sandalwood pervades.
The colored thoughts in muddled heads
Reclining in rumpled beds
Of unmade dreams that can’t come true,
And when we ask what we should do,
Who? Who will answer?

‘Neath the spreading mushroom tree,
The world revolves in apathy
As overhead, a row of specks
Roars on, drowned out by discotheques,
And if a secret button’s pressed
Because one man has been outguessed,
Who will answer?

Is our hope in walnut shells
Worn ’round the neck with temple bells,
Or deep within some cloistered walls
Where hooded figures pray in halls?
Or crumbled books on dusty shelves,
Or in our stars, or in ourselves,
Who will answer?

If the soul is darkened
By a fear it cannot name,
If the mind is baffled
When the rules don’t fit the game,
Who will answer? Who will answer? Who will answer?
Alleluiah! Alleluiah! Alleluiah!