tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86280743513190220412024-03-04T20:03:04.767-08:00Neil's Shameless Self-Promotion BlogYes, every writer thinks his manuscript is good enough to be published. Just like every guy on death row claims that he's innocent. I'm hoping this new writing outlet will help me hone my writing skills and expose people to my proposed book. Or maybe it will just be a nice distraction from my real job as a golden-throated hobo.Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-32760408341506313042013-02-13T08:40:00.001-08:002013-02-13T08:40:31.606-08:00The Next Pontiff<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Note: While I'm not planning on converting to Catholicism any time soon, just wanted to post this excellent article from the Wall Street Journal, which casts vision for the future of Catholicism. Very compelling. Neil</span></span></h1>
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Catholics Need a Pope for the 'New Evangelization'</h1>
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The next pontiff must nurture Catholicism where it is growing and revive it where it is not.</h2>
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By <a href="http://online.wsj.com/search/term.html?KEYWORDS=GEORGE+WEIGEL&bylinesearch=true" style="color: #093d72; letter-spacing: 1px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: initial; text-transform: uppercase;">GEORGE WEIGEL</a></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The challenges facing the successor of <a class="topicLink" href="http://topics.wsj.com/person/X/Pope-Benedict-XVI/6472" style="color: #093d72; outline: none;">Pope Benedict XVI</a> come into sharper focus when we widen the historical lens through which we view this papal transition. Benedict XVI will be the last pope to have participated in the Second Vatican Council, the most important Catholic event since the 16th century. An ecclesiastical era is ending. What was its character, and to what future has Benedict XVI led Catholicism?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vatican II, which met from 1962 to 1965, accelerated a process of deep reform in the Catholic Church that began in 1878 when the newly elected Pope Leo XIII made the historic decision to quietly bury the rejectionist stand his predecessors had adopted toward cultural and political modernity and to explore the possibilities of a critical Catholic engagement with the contemporary world. That reform process, which was not without difficulties, reached a high point of ecclesiastical drama at Vatican II, which has now been given an authoritative interpretation by two men of genius, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, both influential figures at the Council. According to that interpretation, the church must rediscover and embrace its vocation as a missionary enterprise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Evangelical Catholicism—or what John Paul II and Benedict XVI dubbed the "New Evangelization"—is the new form of the Catholic Church being born today. The church is now being challenged to understand that it doesn't just have a mission, as if "mission" were one of a dozen things the church does. The church<em>is</em> a mission. At the center of that mission is the proclamation of the Gospel and the offer of friendship with Jesus Christ. Everyone and everything in the church must be measured by mission-effectiveness. And at the forefront of that mission—which now takes place in increasingly hostile cultural circumstances—is the pope, who embodies the Catholic proposal to the world in a unique way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So at this hinge moment, when the door is closing on the Counter-Reformation church in which every Catholic under 50 was raised, and as the door opens to the evangelical Catholicism of the future, what are the challenges facing the new pope?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Catholicism is dying in its historic heartland, Europe. The new pope must fan the frail flames of renewal that are present in European Catholicism. But he must also challenge Euro-Catholics to understand that only a robust, unapologetic proclamation of the Gospel can meet the challenge of a Christophobic public culture that increasingly regards biblical morality as irrational bigotry.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The new pope must be a vigorous defender of religious freedom throughout the world. Catholicism is under assault by the forces of jihadist Islam in a band of confrontation that runs across the globe from the west coast of Senegal to the eastern islands of Indonesia.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christian communities in the Holy Land are under constant, often violent, pressure. In the West, religious freedom is being reduced to a mere "freedom of worship," with results like the ObamaCare Health and Human Services contraceptive mandate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thus the new pope must be a champion of religious freedom for all, insisting with John Paul II and Benedict XVI that there can be neither true freedom nor true democracy without religious freedom in full. That means the right of both individuals of conscience and religious communities to live their lives according to their most deeply held convictions, and the right to bring those convictions into public life without civil penalty or cultural ostracism.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This defense of religious freedom will be one string in the bow of the new pope's responsibility to nurture the rapidly growing Catholic communities in Africa, calling them to a new maturity of faith. It should also frame the new pope's approach to the People's Republic of China, where persecution of Christians is widespread. When China finally opens itself fully to the world, it will be the greatest field of Christian mission since the Europeans came to the Western Hemisphere. Like his two immediate predecessors, the new pope should recognize that the church's future mission in China will be imperiled by any premature deal-making with the Chinese Communist regime, which would also involve an evangelical betrayal of those Chinese Christians who are making daily sacrifices for fidelity to Jesus Christ.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ambient public culture of the West will demand that the new pope embrace some form of Catholic Lite. But that counsel of cultural conformism will have to reckon with two hard facts: Wherever Catholic Lite has been embraced in the past 40 years, as in Western Europe, the church has withered and is now dying. The liveliest parts of the Catholic world, within the United States and elsewhere, are those that have embraced the Catholic symphony of truth in full. In responding to demands that he change the unchangeable, however, the new pope will have to demonstrate that every time the Catholic Church says "No" to something—such as abortion or same-sex marriage—that "No" is based on a prior "Yes" to the truths about human dignity the church learns from the Gospel and from reason.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that suggests a final challenge for Gregory XVII, Leo XIV, John XXIV, Clement XV, or whoever the new pope turns out to be: He must help an increasingly deracinated world—in which there may be your truth and my truth, but nothing recognizable as the truth—rediscover the linkage between faith and reason, between Jerusalem and Athens, two of the pillars of Western civilization. When those two pillars crumble, the third pillar—Rome, the Western commitment to the rule of law—crumbles as well. And the result is what Benedict XVI aptly styled the dictatorship of relativism.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What kind of man can meet these challenges? A radically converted Christian disciple who believes that Jesus Christ really is the answer to the question that is every human life. An experienced pastor with the courage to be Catholic and the winsomeness to make robust orthodoxy exciting. A leader who is not afraid to straighten out the disastrous condition of the Roman Curia, so that the Vatican bureaucracy becomes an instrument of the New Evangelization, not an impediment to it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The shoes of the fisherman are large shoes to fill.</span></div>
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<em>Mr. Weigel is the author of "Evangelical Catholicism: Deep Reform in the 21st-Century Church," just published by Basic Books.</em></div>
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A version of this article appeared February 13, 2013, on page A15 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Catholics Need a Pope for the 'New Evangelization'.</div>
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Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-89540921702424153082012-12-11T10:25:00.000-08:002012-12-11T10:25:49.279-08:00Easterbrook on the Origin of LifeGregg Easterbrook is a true Renaissance Man. During the NFL season, he writes a column called <a href="http://search.espn.go.com/tmq/">Tuesday Morning Quarterback</a>, providing brilliant analysis of football, social and political commentary, media critiques, and an interesting perspective on science (physics, economics, astronomy, etc...)<br />
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In his <a href="http://espn.go.com/espn/playbook/story/_/id/8734045/the-new-england-patriots-offense-historically-good-again">latest column</a>, he writes this about the age of the universe:<br />
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<b style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And on the Seventh Day, God Asked for a Refund:</b> Since Washington politicians want to avoid dealing with the federal deficit, why not use time debating the origin of the universe? Republican bright light and possible 2016 presidential hopeful Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) recently said about the origin of the cosmos: "I don't think I'm qualified to answer a question like that. There are multiple theories out there on how the universe was created and I think this is a country where people should have the opportunity to teach them all. I think parents should be able to teach their kids what their faith says, what science says. Whether the Earth was created in seven days, or seven actual eras, I'm not sure we'll ever be able to answer that." This caused commentators to recall that in 2008, Barack Obama, then a presidential candidate, said, "I believe God created the universe and that the six days in the Bible may not be six days as we understand it. It may not be 24-hour days, and that's what I believe."</div>
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Obviously a politician asked a question like this is trying to come down firmly on both sides, seeming to endorse science and religion both. Saying that the six days of Genesis may be a metaphor for a far longer period seems a reaction to a sense that an entire universe could not have been created in just 144 hours.</div>
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But why not? If God is omnipotent, there's no barrier to a very rapid creation. The Bible is best understood as an accurate record of actual events -- it may not be, but that's the way the Bible is best understood. Other biblical references to days are to regular 24-hour days. Why shouldn't the six days of the creation also be regular 24-hour days?</div>
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Suppose the cosmos came into being entirely via natural forces. This does not necessarily eliminate God from the equation, it only means that the universe began naturally, as we observe many other aspects of existence to be natural. The current Big Bang consensus holds that all the material needed for a cosmos of 100 billion galaxies was once within an area much smaller than a baseball, that the triggering event of the universe was a random quantum fluctuation and that in the initial moments, space expanded far faster than the speed of light.</div>
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Maybe that is actually what happened. But that description -- a hundred billion galaxies in a tiny place -- in many ways seems more speculative, more freewheeling, than placing God in command of the show. And if a natural-origin universe was able to expand much faster than the speed of light, then creation in six days doesn't sound so out of the question.</div>
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Some may have trouble thinking about the age of the Earth because 4.5 billion years, the estimate from most geologists, cannot be understood in common-sense terms. What is 4.5 billion years? The estimated age of the cosmos, 14 billion years, is even harder to fathom. There is no common sense way to grasp gigantic numbers, so many people are put off by them. If the Earth is 10,000 years old, as some creationists assert, that's a number that can be grasped.</div>
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But whether the universe formed naturally or via divine agency, something inexpressibly magnificent happened at the creation, and maybe it happened quickly.</div>
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In any event, a supernatural could exist, and natural forces (the Big Bang, evolution) also exist. You wouldn't want to rely on religion for explanations of the natural world. But you wouldn't want to rely on science for morality, either. As William Jennings Bryan said at the Scopes trail -- Bryan believed the Earth to be 4.5 billion years old and often said so, the play "Inherit the Wind" took many liberties with facts of that trial -- "Science is a magnificent force, but it is not a teacher of morals."</div>
Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-40325480848886488382012-12-04T07:20:00.002-08:002012-12-04T07:20:43.559-08:00Stuff My Son Says #14Yesterday, the boys detected a strong odor in the house.<br />
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Cameron: "What is that smell?!?"<br />
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Griffin: "It smells like Christmas."<br />
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Cameron: "Maybe the <i>first </i>Christmas."<br />
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<br />Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-22653920780143539462012-11-27T11:16:00.002-08:002012-11-27T11:16:53.393-08:00Stuff My Son Says #13Last night, Liam and I were playing "Sting Pong": shirtless ping pong where, after every point, the point-winner gets a free shot at the torso of the other player. Yes, it results in little round welts and significant pain. But that's what guys do for fun.<br />
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Anyway, about half the time, Liam would try to hit the ball so hard that his accuracy was poor, missing me completely. Cameron, who was watching this ridiculous display of masculinity, made this observation:<br />
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"Dad, I'm surprised Liam ever misses you. You've become a pretty wide target."<br />
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I've really got to work out more often.Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-55283825544478373402012-11-14T10:31:00.002-08:002012-11-14T10:31:38.164-08:00Stuff My Son Says #12Well, it's been a year since my last post. 371 days to be exact. No excuses. I'm just lazy.<br />
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So, without further ado (or adieu), here's a good one from Cam.<br />
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When we turned the calendar over to November, Cam noticed a few holidays. This was his explanation:<br />
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Cam: Hey Dad, we don't have school next Monday.<br />
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Me: Why not?<br />
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Cam: Cuz it's "Veterinarian's Day."<br />
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Close, son. Very close.<br />
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<br />Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-47988763907066629802011-11-08T11:25:00.000-08:002011-11-08T11:27:34.277-08:00Penn State Headline Predictions<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The scandal at Penn State, which just became national news last weekend, is sure to be on the front pages for quite a while. And deservedly so: this is just an unspeakably awful situation, involving not only the rampant sexual abuse of young boys, but the lack of consequences and eventual cover-up. Nasty stuff.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSOs1Nw9PzlZEgt0yJecm-1yV7if7JG58Szf7tz6nWZ0l4LlYwCOGlROkthB_Zg1l6iws6UNFYXDXku3j9iQefLevtf9b-Rr0lfikVYXG62IZlnmeceGzAT-IYXtEq7MRQ9OPdOr-tRWA/s1600/New+PSU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSOs1Nw9PzlZEgt0yJecm-1yV7if7JG58Szf7tz6nWZ0l4LlYwCOGlROkthB_Zg1l6iws6UNFYXDXku3j9iQefLevtf9b-Rr0lfikVYXG62IZlnmeceGzAT-IYXtEq7MRQ9OPdOr-tRWA/s1600/New+PSU.jpg" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Call me a cynical critic of our culture, but I'm willing to predict that media outlets will attempt all kinds of cheesy headlines about the scandal in order to grab our attention. So be on the lookout for headlines like the following:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unhappy Valley</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Say It Ain't So, Joe</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nittany Lyin'</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From Penn State to State Pen</span></span></li>
</ul>Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-11786946772702486312011-10-14T18:36:00.000-07:002011-10-14T18:36:19.454-07:00Stuff My Son Says - #11Last night, Cameron was bored and in need of entertainment. Here was his request:<br />
<br />
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phonics"<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrhAsBivHg4AMHcpJlbF59FRWxYaWiM2TW-n_9zQTV9kupTBIg35qOlgZ2R2qxiG71fZ47OMR82XIh2FWxsRXeaw-1oyTPxjs9ixOBU990QpkIhqztpAjNgJbkCrBYro1dGNHu_su6lni/s1600/Picture+19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrhAsBivHg4AMHcpJlbF59FRWxYaWiM2TW-n_9zQTV9kupTBIg35qOlgZ2R2qxiG71fZ47OMR82XIh2FWxsRXeaw-1oyTPxjs9ixOBU990QpkIhqztpAjNgJbkCrBYro1dGNHu_su6lni/s320/Picture+19.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Well, a lot of people are hooked on it...Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-46053824812140430292011-08-16T21:25:00.000-07:002011-08-17T06:41:32.165-07:00Stuff My Son Says - #10 (Griffin Edition)Until now, I've limited this topic to cover only the hilarity of Cameron, my seven year-old. But four year-old Griffin has really outdone his older brother in the category of humorous utterances. Here are his top five:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uUn9M36ryRPmGnxU6_4wyNfpPzeXExu-mO8b6kLOekbjK2G49HKCAqnymR7jxiNw_jj8f3fufh0ojStbHCtwo4yyFHnIu7uXhqJo66_Q1GrnX9GqxwtXUQQPwsK7Kd_MJD95bVFNJGsN/s1600/Picture+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uUn9M36ryRPmGnxU6_4wyNfpPzeXExu-mO8b6kLOekbjK2G49HKCAqnymR7jxiNw_jj8f3fufh0ojStbHCtwo4yyFHnIu7uXhqJo66_Q1GrnX9GqxwtXUQQPwsK7Kd_MJD95bVFNJGsN/s320/Picture+4.png" width="229" /></a></div><br />
<br />
5. After a significant amount of time in the deep water at the local pool...<br />
Griff: "Let's go back to the swallow end."<br />
<br />
4. While we were laying on deck chairs at the pool, Griffin started gently patting and rubbing my back...<br />
Me: "Griff, what are you doing?"<br />
Griff: "Giving you a patio."<br />
<br />
3. While swimming at this same pool...<br />
Griff: "What's that thing in the front of your shoulder by your neck?"<br />
Me: "It's my collar bone."<br />
Griff: "Well, what color IS it?"<br />
(Gotta get that kid's hearing checked.)<br />
<br />
2. After seeing a trailer for one of this summer's superhero movies...<br />
Griff: "Can we see Captain Antarctica?"<br />
(That movie would suck.)<br />
<br />
1. Jenny was explaining how she had to take Liam to orientation day at Patrick Henry Middle School...<br />
Griff: "Remember the last Patrick Henry Day? When everybody wore green stuff?"<br />
(Although Patrick Henry was a good guy, he was no Saint.)<br />
<br />
<br />
Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-50812038565007604452011-06-27T09:03:00.000-07:002011-06-27T09:04:09.799-07:00Stuff My Son Says - #9While waiting for his brother's baseball game to start, Cameron was apparently bored. Here's the brief dialogue that ensued.<br />
<br />
Cam: Dad, can you get the iPad out of the car?<br />
<br />
Me: Buddy, just play with your friends. Use your imagination for the next couple of hours.<br />
<br />
Cam: OK. I imagine you getting me the iPad!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfTjYS7mrdDESj6M9_hjPkEqT6s0Wizq5J4DEkjs8X6pw328WIaTtxLyNpjowxnbzqID1wqMq2KG8UKeJ3O2MH64p4faVb56pauYbaBxDm9RP9JouOYDmWky9kU0yq89p1Kcw8U692EBHq/s1600/Picture+10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfTjYS7mrdDESj6M9_hjPkEqT6s0Wizq5J4DEkjs8X6pw328WIaTtxLyNpjowxnbzqID1wqMq2KG8UKeJ3O2MH64p4faVb56pauYbaBxDm9RP9JouOYDmWky9kU0yq89p1Kcw8U692EBHq/s320/Picture+10.png" width="300" /></a></div>After that comeback, I surrendered and got him the iPad.Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-72007156485779013972011-05-22T21:03:00.000-07:002011-05-22T21:05:35.956-07:00Stuff My Son Says - #8This weekend, we stayed at our friends' acreage. Their six-year old son, Jack, was telling us about how his dad built the house himself. Cameron asked me if I could build a house, which I obviously don't have the skill set to accomplish. Here is the brief interaction between Cam and my lovely wife, Jenny, that followed.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAogTbxU0_S-f-UaibjYypzyH_gvYnWTSLG41ROai16QuVkXIJtk6Od-TeRMSGzKaQ5Gt0IZtjxwejR2TXFJ0y6k5Yo_ZKltYGXHMXeZLxhMdJse6RX9ujp1KPd8E7sGY8wS1fK-pgD89W/s1600/Build-a-House.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAogTbxU0_S-f-UaibjYypzyH_gvYnWTSLG41ROai16QuVkXIJtk6Od-TeRMSGzKaQ5Gt0IZtjxwejR2TXFJ0y6k5Yo_ZKltYGXHMXeZLxhMdJse6RX9ujp1KPd8E7sGY8wS1fK-pgD89W/s320/Build-a-House.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Jenny: I married a man who can't craft a house, but he can really craft words.<br />
<br />
Cam: Mom, you were married before you met Dad?!?Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-1083415238417992292011-05-14T13:59:00.000-07:002011-05-14T13:59:12.188-07:00Stuff My Son Says - #7A couple of weeks after returning to South Dakota from our Easter trip to Canada, Cameron randomly commented on his geographic preferences:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIA5BPB_WboWBE9S1JNI-dUHCO1IoOy-i-SkBM6sL6H2QY2hwrZVpgVzmG3juKa_EQQHCD_Y4EhWyqV6TWDSBzvJxqvfHfbBBHOi5hZj_yUCzeWeIbArUPVBcnGWHtIRfzewp4uafUmtcX/s1600/Canada+TV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIA5BPB_WboWBE9S1JNI-dUHCO1IoOy-i-SkBM6sL6H2QY2hwrZVpgVzmG3juKa_EQQHCD_Y4EhWyqV6TWDSBzvJxqvfHfbBBHOi5hZj_yUCzeWeIbArUPVBcnGWHtIRfzewp4uafUmtcX/s320/Canada+TV.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
"I don't like traveling to other countries. I'd rather stay here in America. We have more channels."<br />
<br />
That boy's got his priorities straight.Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-80989103148819670892011-05-10T21:19:00.000-07:002011-05-10T21:19:06.217-07:00Stuff My Son Says - #6On the day before Mother's Day, I asked Cameron if he was going to do anything special for his mom. He was slightly insulted that I would question his level of thoughtfulness. His response:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKasfBV5mUAK_Y-xn_B6a4m7-sJXRfPqQoQDLprZPQh_EIGxMMPwxfrW_-VQjGGFoBS-8ExIUaTwiuXkQ0pScKS4YtxwDM_fgd_JgA2aNF36Q2Z5hyphenhyphenbRklQJjRHC7e36xLN6Tkc4nusBX/s1600/Picture+15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKasfBV5mUAK_Y-xn_B6a4m7-sJXRfPqQoQDLprZPQh_EIGxMMPwxfrW_-VQjGGFoBS-8ExIUaTwiuXkQ0pScKS4YtxwDM_fgd_JgA2aNF36Q2Z5hyphenhyphenbRklQJjRHC7e36xLN6Tkc4nusBX/s1600/Picture+15.png" /></a></div>"I already got her two dandelions!"Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-41535735315257747012011-05-02T10:52:00.000-07:002011-05-02T10:58:22.333-07:00Roadtrip!Memorable events from this weekend's trip to my son's baseball tournament in Des Moines, Iowa.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgci7bmi-q2VwHJh2gtFsefxWrGLftpUSkxbRhK8U2jhV01i4Gt9CTOTB0purG-NhGbYV4oTJ0DB9S-zUIAotJ-GJYV2t9N7mawgVi9b4FHtpFT96GxennbPJXoT1kQN1aJ6mlQmr5SluGA/s1600/Picture+9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgci7bmi-q2VwHJh2gtFsefxWrGLftpUSkxbRhK8U2jhV01i4Gt9CTOTB0purG-NhGbYV4oTJ0DB9S-zUIAotJ-GJYV2t9N7mawgVi9b4FHtpFT96GxennbPJXoT1kQN1aJ6mlQmr5SluGA/s320/Picture+9.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
<div><br />
</div><div><ul><li>Following the NFL draft on a patchwork of AM radio stations for the 4 1/2 hour trip.</li>
<li>Talking religion and politics with my wife's Aunt and Uncle until midnight. Time flies when you're discussing taboo topics.</li>
<li>Eating Uncle Ed's fantastic pancakes and eggs. That man can cook!</li>
<li>Taking a line-drive foul ball in the jaw. Ouch.</li>
<li>Watching Liam's team nearly complete a valiant comeback in the championship game after being down 6-0 in the 1st inning.</li>
<li>Seeing cousin Elizabeth (who I've known since she was 1 month old) in her prom dress. Dang, I felt old.</li>
<li>Listening to Liam sing along to a Chris Tomlin song as we had "church" on the Sunday morning drive to the diamonds. Cool moment.</li>
<li>Spending the first of several baseball-filled weekends with fun families on Liam's team. Fun parents, cute kids.</li>
<li>Staying awake for the first two hours of the drive home due primarily to caffeine and intense facial sunburn pain. I forgot that it's still possible to get fried when it's only 60 degrees.</li>
<li>Hearing the news that Osama Bin Ladin was dead. What a strange mix of emotions. I was driving through southern Minnesota and tuned in to various radio stations for two hours listen to the details roll out. Will this be another "Where were you when..." moment? </li>
</ul></div></div>Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-47689002281330953542011-04-26T18:56:00.000-07:002011-04-26T19:17:11.452-07:00The Gospel in 3D - A Brief ReviewI recently preached a three-part sermon series at Central Baptist Church in Sioux Falls. The topic was evangelism (aka Extending the Gospel) and the title was "The Gospel in 3D."<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPWs14Gp0AYoGPsmFaMFdYdyd6PgH8W9FaA24dUl-gZ8wxpAWxOxolPJQdvlqoTAojeziQ9JCJcH2nKUbD5hDIsRE311ixhlQHRfAT1K143D04MY9kkJYZ6NrMVYD76PcqUNnRGRKwmyA/s1600/The+Gospel+in+3D+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPWs14Gp0AYoGPsmFaMFdYdyd6PgH8W9FaA24dUl-gZ8wxpAWxOxolPJQdvlqoTAojeziQ9JCJcH2nKUbD5hDIsRE311ixhlQHRfAT1K143D04MY9kkJYZ6NrMVYD76PcqUNnRGRKwmyA/s320/The+Gospel+in+3D+Logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The concept, borrowed from my friend Ryan Berg, was that we extend the gospel by displaying, demonstrating and declaring (hence the 3D).<br />
<br />
Central's Worship Arts team made the series really fun, creating a movie theater environment (complete with a concessions stand, movie tickets and 3D glasses) and greatly enhancing my preaching with relevant videos, fun 3D images, and other creative elements.<br />
<br />
Curious? Check out a sample <a href="http://vimeo.com/22875961">here.</a><a href="http://vimeo.com/22875961"></a>Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-72201918318218876742011-04-25T19:48:00.000-07:002011-04-25T19:48:17.391-07:00Stuff My Son Says - #5I recently got an iPad. Let me clarify - my work got an iPad that I'm allowed to keep for professional and personal use. Yesterday, Cameron and Liam were playing a couple of games on it, with the understanding that they wouldn't download any new apps without my permission. A few minutes after they had disappeared with the iPad, Cameron approached me with this gem:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlV-3gq7u9ulICNKiDV_Nfm_jH_m-b4LXQXBnuLjluZxJ-hn9d7JUoTHCljeWNquO46tNJEgAL4mA1LZbMWpdKudSAkMQpLjM5CNNCN-Gt2AebjiFzJs9STViLxyPq9NY_TVFFrmd3AKJ/s1600/Picture+9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlV-3gq7u9ulICNKiDV_Nfm_jH_m-b4LXQXBnuLjluZxJ-hn9d7JUoTHCljeWNquO46tNJEgAL4mA1LZbMWpdKudSAkMQpLjM5CNNCN-Gt2AebjiFzJs9STViLxyPq9NY_TVFFrmd3AKJ/s320/Picture+9.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
"Dad, I'm not saying that we downloaded anything inappropriate...but how do you delete stuff from an iPad?"Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-77657833612178303092011-04-13T11:55:00.000-07:002011-04-18T11:46:48.740-07:00Stuff My Son Says - #4This week, our local grocery store had all their Quaker products on sale for 50% off, so we loaded up on cereal and granola bars. We hadn't purchased Quaker granola bars for a long time - evidenced by a couple of facts: 1) My shock at their puny size (When did granola bars become granola sticks?) and 2) Cameron's amazement at how tasty they are. Here's what he said while eating his first one:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMzDrZMLElxUAfe1mvi9mmiJzrgHZFZ8yayOPnRVozRaXyeZS2FUMpR7b6YCm44SEE4Ll-yHEj7mncQhTP0Z1Cg2mFZkkDDMe65Sh1VQIr009xqvqCoBadaXUfolBf1iJaKxRqjEoa5XO4/s1600/Picture+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMzDrZMLElxUAfe1mvi9mmiJzrgHZFZ8yayOPnRVozRaXyeZS2FUMpR7b6YCm44SEE4Ll-yHEj7mncQhTP0Z1Cg2mFZkkDDMe65Sh1VQIr009xqvqCoBadaXUfolBf1iJaKxRqjEoa5XO4/s1600/Picture+5.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<br />
"I can't believe how good this is! Thank you Quaker! All those wasted years without you!"<br />
<br />
Yes, he's a little dramatic, but very effective. He really made me want to try one! I'm convinced he should be the next Quaker Granola <s>Sticks </s>Bars spokeskid.Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-78013397465228968512011-04-12T07:14:00.000-07:002011-04-12T07:29:41.382-07:00Theology in the BlogosphereAs part of my role with CruPress, I manage our Digital Ministry Resource website (crupressgreen.com), which includes a blog. Our blog features contributions from good communicators within the US Campus Ministry. I've always thought it was a lofty goal of our blog to stir the theological pot - to get people thinking and talking about relevant and sometimes controversial issues. But, after reading this article, I may have to re-think my priorities.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/marchweb-only/bloggers.html">http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/marchweb-only/bloggers.html</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjorx80qFaZIZaO_AWlOav8XjNOnQjPvuwKZqryi8Av6SpPRZgFz73GiOaCSwCG4Khk95pjv5lf5jMEc30mFPMHTwqR7MqWHBz7eFw8K7ChkWW9JRs3pUuPpU4VaW-OAQrNXY_tFyubuBAT/s1600/Picture+35.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjorx80qFaZIZaO_AWlOav8XjNOnQjPvuwKZqryi8Av6SpPRZgFz73GiOaCSwCG4Khk95pjv5lf5jMEc30mFPMHTwqR7MqWHBz7eFw8K7ChkWW9JRs3pUuPpU4VaW-OAQrNXY_tFyubuBAT/s320/Picture+35.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Give it a quick read and tell me what you think.Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-40138708835074007372011-04-04T14:32:00.000-07:002011-04-04T14:32:45.182-07:00The Gospel in 3D: Week 1 - DeclareI'm currently preaching a three-part sermon series at my church. Yesterday was the first installment, involving a broken tooth and a pillow pet. Check it out <a href="http://vimeo.com/21906430">here.</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjF7SzpOskbozySAxthnciJM_oQPyfaO4Afx9NazQ0XUzV0hM5HSozYxANFUDqmUAoanHGvzwEHxVlcyOsGYCyhJboIhaRgnSE1ZYXQldZp7qQeGxXovWU7Xg0KVBY1DUc-lh55PLBcPi/s1600/Picture+32.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjF7SzpOskbozySAxthnciJM_oQPyfaO4Afx9NazQ0XUzV0hM5HSozYxANFUDqmUAoanHGvzwEHxVlcyOsGYCyhJboIhaRgnSE1ZYXQldZp7qQeGxXovWU7Xg0KVBY1DUc-lh55PLBcPi/s320/Picture+32.png" width="320" /></a></div>Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-18244026925242217742011-03-30T08:20:00.000-07:002011-03-30T08:23:40.114-07:00Stuff My Son Says - #3Last week, Cameron and I were standing on the sidewalk, waiting to cross the street. He was looking to the right to see if it was safe to cross when he spotted a white car with a black hood bra, prompting this gem:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKv3r86DkfXnaiZjMQ5M078_QdZpdlSE5bP_3cRNYAgXZ5aAuC0Rj2-Xher6tdIOXQf6rvuYHYnXB2mJvgjDFK6vKzey9widZKhZBTbOi0kf9wGCSQzPjdvuX_okRp19wSsUR-GRzeNr9p/s1600/car+bra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKv3r86DkfXnaiZjMQ5M078_QdZpdlSE5bP_3cRNYAgXZ5aAuC0Rj2-Xher6tdIOXQf6rvuYHYnXB2mJvgjDFK6vKzey9widZKhZBTbOi0kf9wGCSQzPjdvuX_okRp19wSsUR-GRzeNr9p/s1600/car+bra.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKv3r86DkfXnaiZjMQ5M078_QdZpdlSE5bP_3cRNYAgXZ5aAuC0Rj2-Xher6tdIOXQf6rvuYHYnXB2mJvgjDFK6vKzey9widZKhZBTbOi0kf9wGCSQzPjdvuX_okRp19wSsUR-GRzeNr9p/s1600/car+bra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>"We can go right after this car with the mustache."</div><br />
I love that kid!Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-32728816488704808892011-03-20T12:40:00.000-07:002011-03-20T13:13:35.691-07:00Introducing......a book! (Sorry if that was a bit of a letdown.)<br />
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A couple of years ago, I started writing a book. No, it doesn't have a title yet. And yes, I've been rejected by more publishers than I care to remember. But I think the topic is important enough and the content is good enough that I'm not willing to give up seeing this thing in print.<br />
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The story of how this book came to be is kinda long, so here's an excerpt from the actual Introduction that helps explain things.<br />
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Project</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In August of 2008, when I learned that I would be mentoring five dudes who were student leaders of a local campus ministry, I realized a couple of things:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1) I needed to make the gospel the focal point of discipleship. 2) I wasn’t cool enough, smart enough or experienced enough to pull this off. I also knew that I wanted to do more than just read and discuss the latest books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted these guys to get real gospel input from real gospel-loving people.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So over the course of a semester, I asked a different question each month via e-mail to a group of people who have influenced my faith over the years (pastors, mentors, professors, current church friends and old college buddies).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The actual questions touched on very practical aspects of experiencing and interacting with the reality of the gospel, generating some remarkable conversations. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">As you’ll see shortly, the results of our little cyber-dialogue were much more than I bargained for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The answers I received from these godly men were so rich and insightful that I not only wanted to share them with a few college students, but with as many people as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Sizable portions of what you’re about to read are simply honest and well thought-out answers to my questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of space limitations, I have only included answers from eight of the original sixteen participants. In addition to these answers, I’ve incorporated thought-provoking quotes from theologians, challenging passages of scripture, relevant song lyrics and my own (somewhat rambling, somewhat random) extended commentary on various facets of the gospel.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">I hope that by reading, reflecting on, and discussing the following chapters, you can glean a deeper understanding and appreciation of the gospel’s magnificence and relevance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that you’ll laugh a few times along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><!--EndFragment--> <br />
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</div>Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-62869831215103676662011-03-17T13:52:00.000-07:002011-03-17T13:56:16.788-07:00March is More than Merely Mediocre<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So March is more than half-finished and this is my first post of the month. Why? Because I'm too busy partaking in the glory and splendor that is March! Here are a few reasons why March is, as the French say, magnifique!</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Madness, baby! (must be read in Dick Vitale voice)</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't start paying attention to college basketball until the day the NCAA releases the tournament bracket. But then, like many Americans, I suddenly become interested in intriguing match-ups like Old Dominion vs Butler. March Madness involves a lot of dramatic endings, the occasional Cinderella story, and massive overeating at my buddy's annual weekend-long tournament viewing party. (This year, I'm bringing a cheeseball sculpted into a bust of Mike Krzyzewski).</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. It's Magically delicious.</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nothing pays homage to the man who brought Christianity to Ireland like drinking Shamrock Shakes and wearing green boxers. Everybody claims to be at least 1/32nd Irish on St. Patrick's Day. I, however, have the name and tattoo to prove that I am, legitimately, 1/8th Irish. So what if my great-grandpa was a Protestant from Belfast. That still counts, right?</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH02t6zN9vnOWY6IUHAFr6saOGjY7pm-2kc9loU-KtkE63VC1-ezPbmVY0foYyu-vr3kvt-q3MDuVrRG47WvI0QQf1PdCWnEOvu9emR0DaI4MlAnGI4DrhxWMF9dGFz4Rbewsvrw76stSu/s1600/Photo+218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH02t6zN9vnOWY6IUHAFr6saOGjY7pm-2kc9loU-KtkE63VC1-ezPbmVY0foYyu-vr3kvt-q3MDuVrRG47WvI0QQf1PdCWnEOvu9emR0DaI4MlAnGI4DrhxWMF9dGFz4Rbewsvrw76stSu/s400/Photo+218.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Take me out to the ballgame.</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spring training gives everybody hope that their favorite baseball team can contend for a pennant. Unless your favorite team is Baltimore, Toronto, Cleveland, Kansas City, Washington, Pittsburgh, or Florida. I took my son to a college baseball game this week in Lincoln, Nebraska, where we got a sunburned faces and an autographed ball. Good times! Hearing the crack of the bat for the first time means Spring is finally here.</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Speaking of spring...</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another sign that we are nearly out of Winter's evil death grip is Spring Break. I've been to Florida a couple of times to hang out with thousands of crazy college students, engaging in spiritual conversations with many (that is, if they weren't too busy manning the beer bong). This annual event is really important to me because I met my wife on a Spring Break trip - traveling from Ames, Iowa to Daytona Beach - 19 years ago this month. It turns out you really get to know a person well by spending 26 hours with them on a bus.</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Happy birthday(s).</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two of my favorite guys in the world were born in March: my oldest son Liam (in 2000) and my only brother Mark (in 1976). It appears that Liam will inherit his uncle's height (6'4") and sarcasm (vast). Although far from perfect, I consider both of these fine young Downey men to be top notch dudes. </span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Fish Fridays.</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because Lent lasts for 46 days, a portion of the season always falls in March. I'm neither a big self-denial person, nor a huge fan of tradition, but there's something really significant about a period of time dedicated to repentance, devotion and contemplation. Anything that helps people appreciate the amazing events of Easter Weekend is a good thing. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What about you? What's your favorite thing about March?</span>Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-91160352329647397202011-02-15T14:34:00.000-08:002011-02-15T14:52:52.414-08:00VeggieTales and 90s Rock BandsI was listening to the radio last week and noticed that a song by Blind Melon was followed by a Smashing Pumpkins tune. Initially I wondered if the DJ was Larry the Cucumber. Then, after doing a quick mental inventory, I realized that there were a lot of 90s bands that seemed to be inspired by vegetation. For example:<br />
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Gin Blossoms<br />
Cranberries<br />
Savage Garden<br />
Fiona Apple<br />
Guns N Roses<br />
Red Hot Chili Peppers<br />
Soundgarden<br />
The Black Eyed Peas<br />
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OK, who can add to the list? And no, Peaches and Herb is not a 90s band.Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-35685635149696286852011-02-09T06:06:00.000-08:002011-02-09T06:06:41.328-08:00Stuff My Son Says - #2It's wicked cold here in South Dakota (8 below zero as I write this - that's minus 22 Celsius for any Canadians in the crowd). So last night while tucking Cameron in, I prayed that God would protect people that are outside in the cold. Cameron felt compelled to be a little more specific.<br />
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Me: God, please protect anyone who is outside right now.<br />
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Cam: Yeah, like hobos warming their hands over a fire in a garbage can...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NNgZg7Ncw7YsVxW5IJr9Rdvc8EscUx1edIEBaOwEqVrUIlilj79xFvaT9fCQQm6lvCZxWcPl4ZScadz4q3B_Rc_ZG5WkVEb4jvs9mSB928f9EBFQkNMAmGbFhGVVsEEj6rz2_RTJACAu/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NNgZg7Ncw7YsVxW5IJr9Rdvc8EscUx1edIEBaOwEqVrUIlilj79xFvaT9fCQQm6lvCZxWcPl4ZScadz4q3B_Rc_ZG5WkVEb4jvs9mSB928f9EBFQkNMAmGbFhGVVsEEj6rz2_RTJACAu/s320/Picture+1.png" width="320" /></a></div>Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-36452960959446729742011-01-25T08:44:00.000-08:002011-02-09T05:58:42.687-08:00Stuff My Son Says - #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>My six-year old son Cameron is hilarious. He is a one-liner machine; probably because he watches too much TV. If he was old enough to have his own Twitter account, he'd have more followers than Ashton Kutcher. Anyway, since he's funnier than me, I thought I'd use his material in this blog. And yes, I know I'm blatantly ripping off the title of a popular - and somewhat inappropriate - blog ($#@% My Dad Says), but I promise the content of this new series of posts will contain fewer cusswords. OK, here's the first ever attempt at "Stuff My Son Says."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQX2leFqeqGY85qbKIUduzMrjFeRA3M74Z8AU5A6t0x2A7lWFdwtdahyvtjXUBr9Z7WWL2UWszz1FokSZcEb3Bwjs-DkuMuhYGxZI-Dr4G9izx3xDXK5bQDhxgmjcvU9sd8emdPKzAeRbi/s1600/Picture+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQX2leFqeqGY85qbKIUduzMrjFeRA3M74Z8AU5A6t0x2A7lWFdwtdahyvtjXUBr9Z7WWL2UWszz1FokSZcEb3Bwjs-DkuMuhYGxZI-Dr4G9izx3xDXK5bQDhxgmjcvU9sd8emdPKzAeRbi/s400/Picture+3.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: auto;"><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Last night, Cam and Liam (age 10) were sitting at the kitchen counter. Cam was kicking the cupboard and Liam asked him to stop. He stopped for five seconds, then started kicking again. Liam got mad.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Liam: "Cameron! I just told you to stop!"</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div>Cam: "Sorry. I have short-term memory loss."Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628074351319022041.post-56393122965756342452011-01-13T11:35:00.000-08:002011-01-13T11:35:45.904-08:00Why I Love My JobTechnically, my title with CruPress (the publishing division of Campus Crusade for Christ) is "Senior Editor." So I spend a lot of time writing and editing resources for ministry - videos, books, articles, website blog entries, etc. But, as a member of the Research & Development department, I end up performing a variety of different tasks. Here's what my morning looked like (in no particular order):<br />
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* Finished up first draft of new evangelistic booklet.<br />
* Attended Skype meeting (with people from New York, Texas and Scotland) about a new instructional video.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFLLyxjzDBPJOSGIx407kNGJvoxRIdMzKxnlvzWlAiRb37PunW9Wt3NGAyjEIKAWvHvJlqZMR6hLTIHUJyxhQzfz6piCwWlKWbCkChA_ZC6GpZdbeH3qa_QqvgvMFDFLogv9YFDx1JG5-/s1600/Picture+10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFLLyxjzDBPJOSGIx407kNGJvoxRIdMzKxnlvzWlAiRb37PunW9Wt3NGAyjEIKAWvHvJlqZMR6hLTIHUJyxhQzfz6piCwWlKWbCkChA_ZC6GpZdbeH3qa_QqvgvMFDFLogv9YFDx1JG5-/s1600/Picture+10.png" /></a></div><br />
* Processed orders for ministry tools for upcoming Summer Missions Projects.<br />
* Met with R&D team in Orlando (via Skype) to discuss results of student training interviews.<br />
* Viewed a trailer for an Anime version of an evangelistic video, brainstorming how to use it on campus.<br />
* Drank a Diet Mountain Dew.<br />
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Working on projects that will have an impact on thousands of lives is a huge privilege. And I never get bored because I'm pretty convinced that no two days look alike for me. Except for the Mountain Dew part.<br />
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What about you? What motivates you to go to work every day?Neil and Jenny Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500456745646881191noreply@blogger.com1