A while back Jess and I began sponsoring a child from Brasil with Compassion International. It’s moved our hearts in ways that we hadn’t imagined it would.

Today, though, while the world is watching Brasil try and win their World Cup match, Guilherme is celebrating his 5th Birthday. Today, while the world is watching Brasil kick a ball around a field, Guilherme is trying to beat the odds. In a small way, we’re trying to help Guilherme beat those odds. We want to see him grow up to serve God and make his way out of poverty.

Compassion is helping children all over the world beat those odds today and you can help too! Use the link below to head over to Compassion’s site and sponsor a child and help to change their life forever.

I’m sure, though, that as much as I miss him, my grandmother misses him more. Today’s a very special day, though. 61 Years ago today my grandparents were married. We were lucky enough to be here for their 60th last year. This is an example I plan to emulate, God willing.

Thanks Grandma and Grandfather…

Apparently, the story is, that these guys travel around the country making REAL commercials to help out local businesses. They select a business that gets nominated and then go and shoot these ridiculously funny commercials. And yes, the goal is to be funny… and I think they do it well! You can check out there website here.

Read my previous entry on Tyler…

I’m currently feeling sick as I write this. I just found out that Tyler passed away this past weekend. Simply put, he was an amazing guy. He encouraged everyone he met and his optimism was nothing short of contagious. He battled cancer not once, not twice, but three times and he fought like no one I’ve ever met. I’m grieved and saddened by the worlds great loss. Here’s what he had posted on his facebook page…

“Living with cancer has made me more religious and in touch with God. Hopefully everyone can do the same, minus the cancer part!”

Tyler, you were amazing and we miss you terribly!

My wife picked up some whole wheat dough (no, I didn’t make the dough myself…) at Trader Joes. It was pretty good, but, I’m sure you can find some good pre-made dough around. I don’t recommend getting the already rolled out stuff, get the stuff you have to roll out yourself.

I got the sauce recipe here, but, it’s also listed as follows…

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
2/3 cup water
2 tablespoons red wine
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
salt
pepper

Preparation

1. Prep all the ingredients first and have them sitting ready to go. The recipe cooks fast, so this step is important.
2. In a medium saucepan, sauté garlic in oil until golden. Watch it closely as the garlic can go from golden to burned in a nanosecond.
3. Add tomato paste, water, wine, sugar, oregano, basil, and cheese.
4. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Simmer for 10 minutes over medium low heat. Remove from heat and spread over pizza prepared pizza dough.

Notes

Covers two medium pizzas or one large pizza.

Before I made the sauce, though, I shaped the dough (I didn’t roll it because Alton Brown says not to and he’s already right) and then I very lightly ‘dusted’ the sauce with finely grated parmesan. Then I made the sauce and spread it over the pizza. Next I put a thin layer of mozzarella and then the toppings.

You can use whatever toppings you desire, but, in case you’re wondering, here’s the toppings I used:

green pepper, white onion, spinach, mushroom, pepperoni, and (only on half of it because my wife wanted it and I don’t like them) black olives.

Then I layered again with mozzarella and finished it off with another dusting of parmesan. Here it is with all the toppings right before the last layer of mozzarella…

It only took a few minutes to cook which was good because I was starving at this point. And here it is in all it’s pizza glory…

There you have it. Enjoy….

Personally, I love the scriptures about God pursuing us and searching for us. It says something about God that is vital to our existence. As much as we should be pursuing Him, he’s actually pursuing us. That blows my mind.

After Adam and Even ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil God came looking for them. They were suddenly lost in who they were, but God came searching and then God found them. He found them, though, after he called out to them. They were hiding and God was finding.

I feel like being found is so much harder than finding. When we find God it’s often on our terms. We repent of what we want to and thank God for saving us from our sins and then we tell God what we’re going to do tomorrow and ask Him to bless it. Being found has much different implications. When we’re found we expose ourselves to God in all of our faults and failures. That’s scary. Even Adam said that it was scary, “And he said, I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid…’ It takes us out of the terms and puts our fate squarely in God’s hands. Now, He’s in control of tomorrow, not us. We can find God all we want, but, it’s not until we’re found that we can truly begin walking as God wanted us to.

Sometimes I wonder if it’s not so much that we were/are lost as much as just hiding. Then God’s presence enters the garden and we say that we found Him. Then we have to take a step of faith, though, and actually be found.

If you did miss it, do yourself a favor and go watch it… NOW! It’s some serious ridiculousness…

So, I’ve been an apple fanboy for a while. I was one of those that put apple’s infallibility right up there with God and Jesus. My personal stock in apple has been dwindling for a while now and the iPad sent it crashing into a personal apple great depression. Now that I’ve had a little time to reflect on my disappointment I offer my oh so important opinions below. It may not be for the reasons you think…

Yes, I was disappointed with the product, the hype didn’t match the product, which, is honestly different for apple. Usually, they either go beyond the hype or in such a different direction that the hype didn’t matter. I agree, though, that if the hype hadn’t been there apple may not be taking the flack they’re taking now. But, alas, the hype was there and the iPad (which hasn’t even gone on sale yet) has been dismissed by a lot of popular tech blogs and news agencies as a disappointment at best. That’s the talk of the town right now. I have other beef with apple…

This whole thing, in my opinion, exposes a different problem with apple that’s been bothering me for a bit. When the iPod came out, apple was excited, but, there focus was still on computing. There computers (laptops, desktops, etc…) continued to get most of their attention. Then came the iPhone. Ever since the iPhone came out it seemed that apple’s focus became the iPhone. Computing was still important, but, what they talk about and hype the most is their phone. There computing technology suffered as they’ve produced laptops that are overheating and iMacs that showed up DOA. That just doesn’t seem like the apple I used to appreciate.

Then comes the iPad which signifies a whole new direction with apple and Jobs vision. A friend of mine on facebook said it best so I’ll quote him here. “…the true problem is that it’s the first device that signals computer usage has become consumption-oriented instead of production-oriented. You can’t CREATE anything with the iPad. Apple has always been about enhancing creativity, and they really missed the ball on the iPad. There’s no creativity involved in consuming the internet.” (by Dave Harris)

That’s the deal breaker for me, that’s what bothers me so much about this product. Stevie J said that this was “Our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device…” While that statement may be argued about in itself, it doesn’t change the fact that they put their most advanced stuff into a device that doesn’t really do much. I would’ve MUCH rather them put the energy and innovation into an even better laptop.

This is only my opinion and I know lots of people are really excited about this product. Sound off below and let me hear your thoughts…