FINDING HUMOR, FAITH & JOY IN UNEXPECTED PLACES

JOSH'S ANSWERS + NEW QUESTIONS ~ 2/1/09


So, after a long and tedious silence, I hereby offer the long-awaited answers to my own 'odd questions' posed to you, dear readers, a couple of posts ago:
JOSH'S ODD QUESTIONS:
1) If you could pick any super power, what would it be and why?
The one from the show "Heroes" where the person has to just see someone doing something once to know how to do it perfectly themselves.  Think Karate. Construction. Grinding the perfect knife blade. Think perfect sermonizing. Oh sweet mamma.
2) Name the funniest book title you've ever seen?
"The Unpublished Letters of Horace Wallpole" (???)
3) "You know you're a hunter when..."
You wish you could "borrow" one of these for a portable tree stand.................>
4) If Bill wasn't a Pastor, he'd be a...
rock star? (Hey, he's my boss...)
5) If someone put a gun to your head and ordered you to pick a cheese to put on the perfect steak, what kind of cheese would you choose?
This is a ridiculous question.  I'm trying to remember why I asked this...
6) If we were all issued another economic stimulus check, what would you spend yours on and why?
Weapons.  Or weapon "accessories."  (Give peace a chance... but have a "plan B.")
7) If you were going to ask a probing, witty question of your fellow blogger, what would it be?
These are some probing questions to ask those who stand on the theory of Darwinian Evolution as the basis for understanding the world, and yet dare to claim authority in the realm of ethics...(and were stolen from my Dad's new book, "The Truest Mercy") ~ "How does helping the weak survive advance the process of Natural Selection?  How does mercy help Man evolve into a higher, more intelligent and stronger species?  Aren’t these humanitarians impeding human progress?"  (Sorry for the serious turn) 
8) If you could have picked your own name, what would you have called yourself? 
'Scott.'  It's a long story.  Okay, okay - when I was little, my brother and I had make-believe alter-egos who traveled the world on Indiana Jones -type adventures.  He was called "John," and I was called "Scott."  Good memories.

NEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU ("BLOGGERS CHOICE")!
1) If someone was to make a movie of your life, what actor/actress would you want to play you?
2) Do you do this blog on company time?
3) If you had to have a tattoo what would you pick & why?
4) Do you find yourself unconsciously making your own mental soundtracks to your life ever, like a song comes to mind at a certain moment that has a strange appopriateness for your situation, much like in a movie when there is background music?
5) If you could choose your top 3 spiritual gifts what would they be?
6) If you were to pick the inscription on your own headstone, what would it read?
7) How does helping the weak survive advance the process of Natural Selection?  How does mercy help Man evolve into a higher, more intelligent and stronger species?  Aren’t these humanitarians impeding human progress?"   

A special thanks, once again, to all who contributed these new "probing questions" -- I look forward to reading your responses and those of the additional 'new arrivals' to the outpost-it community!

Surrounded By Grace,
Josh

8 comments:

  1. Ernie Says... 4) The life's soundtrack.. I have done this all my life. Break-ups, deaths, birthes, happiness, sadness and even gladness can all be felt in a life song. i usually buy the cd of said song and listen to it so much during that time in my life that the cd usually winds up unplayable. :) Hey if you are going to pay that much for a Cd, you should get your moneys worth!

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  2. 1) What actor?
    Steven Seagal. Just like in this link: www.metacafe.com/watch/26555/steven_seagal_sprite_ad/ *(Just kidding, probably a young Robert Duvall)
    2) Blog on company time?
    Well, I --crrrr....cr...chhhhh-crr... sorry, you're breaking up...
    3) What tattoo & why?
    "Moebius Strip II," by M.C. Escher (google it), except I'd re-title it "Life Without God"
    4) Subconscious Soundtracks?
    ALL THE TIME. My recurring one throughout High school was the song "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve, as I pictured myself dribbling the entire length of a basketball court in slow motion, through all defenders, and finishing with a dunk. Still get chills.
    5) Top 3 Spiritual Gifts?
    Hmm... For some reason I don't want to touch this one.
    6) Headstone Inscription?
    "I am crucified with Christ, and yet I live." Deep, and just a touch creepy too, the way I like it.
    7) Are Darwinian Evolutionists who are also Humanitarians exhibiting logically consistent behavior?
    No. If the strong are meant to survive because nature selected them due to superior genetic traits, helping the weak and sick live longer combats the natural order of things and is logically inconsistent with the purpose of natural selection. Spock would agree. I, as a Christian with an absolute Standard upon which to stand to make moral judgements, would not.

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  3. Ernie says.... These are out of order, but I didn't realize how passionate I would get about this one.

    7. Ok so let me get this straight... there is the weaker and the stronger.. and Natural Selection is survival of the strongest.
    I think that by showing compassion and mercy, thus helping the weaker survive and live better we are proving that there is a "stronger" set of people who are willing to say "this is not good enough for them (the weak, sick, frail, impoverished)". I think that the people raising the bar on the quality of life for everyone and helping the "weaker" to achieve this, have created a "stronger" class. Which in my brains proves natural selection as well as it BLOWS it out of the water. We have created a 3rd class of people.
    As a mother of two beautiful children born with a gentic disease, I am glad there are people in the world raising the standard of living!! I dont know where exactly but I know the bible says that the Lord will us the weaker to lead the strong.

    1) Umm truth be told I dont think there is an actress alive who could capture me accurately. So Can I play myself and have Johnny Depp or Keanu Reeves as my husband??
    2) Yes I blog on company time!! I love my job and my bosses!
    3) Tattoo: Well I actually want one and have it picked out.. I would like a pair of angel wings on my back in a reddish burnt orange color. In the feathers i would like to put the names of loved ones who have passed away. These people are like feathers that lift me closer to the Lord. No single person has turned me toward the Lord, He used these people in small ways to help me grown my wings so that I can rise above the pain, suffereing and sorrow and be with Him.
    4)Already answered.
    5. My top 3 Choices for Spiritual gifts (in no order)
    1. Giving (I think that this is a gift of everyone some of us just don't have the finances to give)
    2. Discernment
    3. Public Speaking :)

    6. Headstone Inscription:
    I loved, I laughed, I cried, I LIVED, because He lives!! Jesus is risen, He is risen indeed!
    (off the top of my head)

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  4. Thanks for the comments Ernie ~ In case I'm confusing people with my question about secular Humanitarians, I'm going to publish a new post, strictly on that topic.

    But so my position is clear: I believe it's a contradiction to believe in the process of Natural Selection as the basis for who survives and doesn't and at the same time help the weak to continue surviving. I believe helping the weak and sick and unfortunate survive is the right thing to do - but that is a logical outflow of my belief system that human beings are priceless due to being created in the image of God, each one. If you believe, on the other hand, that we are merely a product of chance, each one of us, then... well, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Stay tuned for my next post!

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  5. Hey... just a reminder, you said your answers would be better than ours... and I think my #3 answer gave yours a TKO.

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  6. 1) Why would someone make a movie about my life?
    2) I'm unemployed he-he-he
    3) I have an awesome tatoo... Two butterflies (one says grace in the body, one is for DD) some flowers on stems, and a little frog for my DS - I keep trying to come up with my next tatoo - I like the word "sumphoneo" which means "to sound together or to be harmonious" because it reminds me that I need my sisters in Christ. I just can't decide where to put it...
    4) Um, no
    5) Hmmm... I like mine, I think they're mostly the easier behind-the-scenes ones!
    6) Who asked this question? I don't remember seeing this one in the OP
    7) Huh?

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  7. Candice ~ I (Josh) snuck in the headstone question... why, what's wrong with it?

    I feel inclined to add Dusty's answer to the headstone question because a)It was so funny to me, and b) since he can't seem to figure out how to get back to my blog... I asked him what he'd put on his headstone and he shot back, without even a breath of hesitation: "Here Lies Fun."

    God love him, he's funny.

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  8. 1) If someone was to make a movie of your life, what actor/actress would you want to play you? Ok, I don't remember her name, if you saw the movie "Little Women" that came out in the 90's, it's the actress who played Beth.
    2) Do you do this blog on company time? I only have internet at night and on weekends so I cannot err.
    3) If you had to have a tattoo what would you pick & why? I would get a henna tattoo cause it would wear off, and I would get cool designs tattood to the soles of my feet.
    4) Do you find yourself unconsciously making your own mental soundtracks to your life ever, like a song comes to mind at a certain moment that has a strange appopriateness for your situation, much like in a movie when there is background music? Yes, often, but I don't remember them afterwards unfortunately, some of them are quite funny, but it's hard to remember either the song or the thing that made me think of it, the only one I remember right now is once something made me think of "It's the End of the World as we Know it, And I Feel Fine" but I don't remember what happened to make me think of it.
    5) If you could choose your top 3 spiritual gifts what would they be? mental soundtracking, helps, and rearranging the furniture
    6) If you were to pick the inscription on your own headstone, what would it read? Maybe that verse from Job that says, "I know that my redeemer lives..."
    7) How does helping the weak survive advance the process of Natural Selection? How does mercy help Man evolve into a higher, more intelligent and stronger species? Aren’t these humanitarians impeding human progress?" If what they say about Natural Selection were true they would be impeding human progress, but I think they are right to go against their own logic, since helping the weak is human progress of the best kind. No one would like to live in a world where people were all inhuman to one another.

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*Grace induces faith & Grace is obligated to faith ~ 
WE ARE SURROUNDED BY GRACE!