POLLS ADDED.

Hey there readers, I have just decided to try my hand at polling for a while. Certainly, my readership is not staggeringly high at this time... but why not try anyway?

Please feel free to check back weekly for a new poll. If this first one doesn't gather much response, I may try leaving it up for a smidgen longer than one week, just to get the fire burning.

Thanks!
Luke

MUSIC VIDEO RELEASED!

I am so happy, humbled, and honored to announce the release of a brand new music video, "This Is How The World Will End". This video represents a powerful union of visuals and music between The Caribbean Institute of Media Technologies and my dear friends, The Elms (www.theelms.net). Please take the time to view the video, digest its message, and then pass it along to your friends.

The video has been uploaded to YouTube and can be easily embedded into your own websites (Myspace, Facebook, etc.). This is a GREAT WAY to spread the word about what we are doing.



In short order, we will be making the Director's Cut of the video available via our FREE VIDEO PODCAST. Please subscribe in iTunes for your chance to own a quality digital copy of this powerful piece. After watching this on YouTube, I strongly recommend that you go get this from our vodcast. The look and sound is much better.



We are also preparing to release a "White Paper" outlining the specific objectives of The Caribbean Institute of Media Technologies. This file is presently being authored and will be available in PDF form very shortly. To request a digital copy of this file, please go here and provide us with your information. As soon as the file is prepared, we will email you a copy. The purpose of this document is to better explain what this project is all about and outline ways in which you can be involved.

Thanks so much for your patience during this time. There is a lot going on right now and we are trying hard to give you some resources to help us spread the word. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please let me know!

A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

On October 13, 2008, the United States of America will celebrate Columbus Day. For us, we will celebrate the launch of our brand new website and a massive fundraising campaign.

Please, feel free to pass this around like mad. Naturally, it's YouTube, so the quality stinks. Nonetheless, it is "viral" as they say and can be easily spread for all to see.





If you would like to load this trailer (and future media from us) onto your computer or portable media device (iPhone), please visit our Video Podcast in iTunes by clicking on this iTunes logo:


From there, click the "subscribe" button (in iTunes). It is free, a much better quality than YouTube, and will automatically download new content for you every time we add more.

*NOTE: You need iTunes to be able to do this.

I am really looking for people to help me start a grassroots campaign here. Generate some buzz. Perhaps in your church, specifically among the leadership and/or the missions board. This piece is intended to whet their appetite.

For corporations, churches, or community groups who wish to be involved at the "ground level", I have much more that I can show them, before the site launches. Just CLICK HERE to send me an email and discuss the possibilities.

YOU NEED TO READ THIS!

Alright, I must concede; my brother is far more brilliant than I... at least this week. Here is a wonderful piece of satire that he recently wrote. I think all of you need to read this.

Open letter from God to Americans (satire)

Hello, I am God. I made you. I need you to understand a few things about me, so it will go well with you. I love you when you obey me, and I let the devil hurt you when you don't. I am your Father, and like all good fathers on earth, when you mess up - even accidentally - I get angry with you, but I eventually get over it, usually after I have punished you in a way that feels right to me. You're not smart enough to know my ways, but I won't give you the benefit of the doubt. I teach you things the hard way - it's the only way you will learn. As a consequence, if you do mess up, don't come to me for anything special for a while. Make sure you give me time to cool down first. OK, now that the heavy stuff is out of the way, and on a much lighter note -

You are my favorite child. I love you more than any of the other children I have created. That's why you get all the cool stuff like cars, and houses, and TVs, and food that isn't rotten. It's because of where you happen to live, because your country was founded by people who loved me and followed all my commandments. They didn't steal other people's property. They didn't kill other people to get what they wanted. They only came here to flee from the devil and his minions. They just wanted to be able to worship me freely. And you are truly blessed by me because of what they did. Your country is pretty freaking awesome. I am so glad I created it. Even your money says that you trust me. It's no wonder I count on you to rid the world of evil. Where would the world be today without you? Please don't worry about anything. Take whatever you need. Make yourself at home on earth. I made it for you to enjoy. I am good like that. And as for the poor...remember my son said that there would always be poor people. Don't worry about it. It's not your problem. Most of them are poor because they aren't following me as well as you are. Sometimes lessons are hard to learn, but I can't keep bailing them out all the time.

But be careful not to come too close to me on your own. You need anointed leaders to explain me and my scripture to you. My glory is too much for you to stand, so you should definitely find an anointed leader to follow. They will make sure that the things they tell you on my behalf are right. I trust them to lead you, and you should trust them wholeheartedly too. They got where they are by following other anointed leaders and learning from them. Just look at the signs and wonders that follow them. Look at the cars they drive and the houses they live in. That should be proof enough that I am blessing them and setting them apart to lead you. They don't make mistakes. That small voice in your spirit might be the devil - especially if it raises questions about the things that your leader does and says. Be sure to check everything that voice says with your approved leader. If they say it's not of me, it's not. I know my book says I talked with shepherds, fishermen, nomads, slaves, women, and children, but I don't talk to the rank and file anymore. I had to do that back then because I didn't have the leader class in place yet. You understand.

Finally, never underestimate the "hedge of protection" you have heard so much about. When you are inside my will for your life, nothing bad will happen to you. If something bad does happen to you, you only have yourself or the devil to blame. But since the devil is no match for my hedge of protection, obviously, you did something to make me mad. Didn't I tell you not to do that?

OK then.

Life is cruel.

Today, I was digging through a large storage bin, looking for an air pump. Samara and Samuel hadn't been on a good bike ride since winter and they were more than eager to fix that.

As I stood there, tossing deflated pool floats and diving sticks to one side or the other, a blood-curdling scream... I mean A BLOOD CURDLING SCREAM... came from the side of the house.

It was our three-year-old daughter, Emma.



As soon as I detected that this was a genuine scream (not born of sibling rivalry), I dropped my scavenger hunt and rushed out of the lanai.

Emma met me half way, stomping her feet like a well-trained soldier and screaming the most awful screams I have ever heard any child produce.

She was overcome with terror. Desperately, I tried to understand her words, but the screaming grew louder and her stomping more fierce. That's when I saw them.

Emma's tiny little feet were completely black... covered in FIRE ANTS!.

She was being eaten alive (if you'll allow me the melodrama)!

Quickly, I grabbed her and ripped the imitation crocs from her piggies. With her tucked tightly underneath my arm, I rushed toward a water spicket and dialed it up to full blast, unscrewing the hose as fast as I was able.

It wasn't fast enough.

Her screams were more than this father could bear. In a moment of desperation, I abandoned the hose and ran straight to the pool, plunging her tiny body into the water.

It was awful.

-----

This is a hard world for so many; those who seem to deserve it least, often get the brunt of life's ugliest manifestations. Monsters really do exist and they lurk in broad daylight. Some are corporations. Some are political systems. Some are religions. Some are ants. But usually, most monsters are nothing more than ordinary people.

I know people, right now, who are preying on others. I don't mean that I know of them... I mean that I know them. Some of them know what they are doing. Some of them have no idea whatsoever, thinking themselves to be virtuous. The latter are more dangerous than the former.

I encourage us all to check ourselves today. Explore your motivations. Dig deep into your own cause and effect. Are you merely searching for your things to possess? Are you a trusted leader, privately bound by your very own perversions, but publicly adored and trusted? Do you slip silently beneath the radar of exposure but know full-well what horrible beast you are, in your core?

If you are in power and abusing it... may God have mercy on your soul.

-----

For the rest of you...

Good people are not here to make the world good. Good people are here to keep the world from becoming absolutely consumed by evil.

-----

I blasted the anthill back to God with the garden hose. I decimated it.

I know, I know... the ant's actions were done in self-defense. My action was done in vengeance.

You see?

We all have a monster inside.

Anyone feeling up to a rummage sale?

Well friends, we are officially here at the end of August and we have come SO FAR with your gracious support of this vision. Now, we are down to the wire financially. With an initial goal of $4,100... I'll have to admit, we knew that it would pretty well have to be God if this was going to come together.

$3,777.00 later... we are BLOWN AWAY! Thank you all SO MUCH for your help. One family even made TWO contributions! Now THERE'S an idea!

What an absolute blessing you have all been.

To give you an update, we are still going to miss the mark... not by much... but it's a miss nonetheless. A few bills remain that we cannot pay... and with a hurricane on the way, it probably goes without saying that some supplies are in order. I'm thankful either way but I won't lie, getting this close, only to fall so short... is kind of a bummer.

While we are getting geared up to be drenched by HANNAH (how appropriate... our teenage daughter is named Hannah... she'll be the death of me after all !!!), I wanted to encourage any of you who might wanna sell some lemonade, have a rummage sale, or drop some junk on craigslist... please consider what you can do to put us back into the black. It genuinely won't take much and it will really make this month one heck of a success story.

So you know, I am already booking dates to work in September and November. In other words, I wasn't lying when I said it was just for this month. You are not getting roped into anything here. Help us swing for the fences just one last time.

You say you want some proof? You wanna know what we have ACTUALLY BEEN DOING this month? Well, okay then. Fair enough.

If you need a little encouragement, click here for a 2 minute peek at some video from this month's labor. Granted, there are nearly 30 MINUTES of really great, highly polished content, so forgive me, but I can only let a little bit of it "out of the bag" at the moment.

In other news... a music video premiere is imminent (in connection with a simultaneous single from a major-label band). Our official website is being designed (as we speak) and is being strategized for an exciting launch. Our ability to process credit and debit cards is underway and we have also begun the process of securing airtime for this 30-minute TV fundraising campaign.

You want more? Okay!

Our school's location in Haiti HAS BEEN OFFICALLY SECURED! I'm telling you what... this has been one SWEET SWEET MONTH.

Help us crack the bottle over this ship and let her sail.

BIG THINGS ARE ABOUT TO HAPPEN!!!

-----

If you wish to send us some support, you may do so one of two ways:

For those who would like a tax-deductible receipt please make your check out to ReNET and designate it for “Haiti”. ReNET is acting as our 501(c)3 umbrella while our own application is in process. You may then mail that check to

ReNET
2867 N. 200 E.
Anderson IN 46012.

If you don’t need a receipt then you can just make the check out to Luke Renner and send it to us directly. If you wanna do that, let me know and I will email you our home address.

Either way, I would appreciate an email alerting me to the incoming support so that I can keep track of where we’re at.

So close... we can TASTE IT!!!

We only need $423.00!!!!
Any takers?

If you wish to send us some support, you may do so one of two ways:

For those who would like a tax-deductible receipt please make your check out to ReNET and designate it for “Haiti”. ReNET is acting as our 501(c)3 umbrella while our own application is in process. You may then mail that check to

ReNET
2867 N. 200 E.
Anderson IN 46012.

If you don’t need a receipt then you can just make the check out to Luke Renner and send it to us directly. If you wanna do that, let me know and I will email you our home address.

Either way, I would appreciate an email alerting me to the incoming support so that I can keep track of where we’re at.

STOP - Quotin' Time!

M.C. Hammer should be so proud. I hereby offer to you some tasty bits of other people's wisdom. After all of my enormo-long-errific-mega-posts, these little quips should do well to remind us all that less really IS more... that brevity is the soul of wit (W. Shakespeare).

"Admiration: Our polite recognition of another's resemblance to ourselves."

- Ambrose Bierce

"People who have given us their complete confidence believe that they have a right to ours. The inference is false; a gift confers no rights."

- Nietzsche

"Every man thinks God is on his side. The rich and powerful know he is."

- Jean Anouilh

"We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another."

- Jonathan Swift

"The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat."

- Lily Tomlin

Lots of motion in the ocean!

Well friends, thanks for tolerating the little piece of creative writing below. Save for the poetic license, that little story about my iPhone is absolutely true. What a hoot!


As promised, here is where things stand for us right now.

The original goal was to raise $4,100.
At present, we have been blessed with $3,321.00!!!


That was QUITE the hill to climb. Careless on my part? Perhaps.
But you guys are proving that COMMUNITY WORKS!

IT TAKES A VILLAGE
We are SO THANKFUL to all of you who have joined us in this vision.
Friends and family alike have accepted this challenge with us and we are making some real progress with this opportunity.

As I have said before, we have taken your contributions very seriously and have been working very hard to make the most of this month. So far, the success has been remarkable. Thanks again.



GETTING INVOLVED
For those who still wish to get involved, we are in need of a remaining $779.00. This amount will "seal the deal" and keep us from going bottom-up in any department. To be clear, we are NOT asking for ongoing support. This is NOT a long-term commitment. Rather, we are asking you for a one-time contribution toward our expenses for this month, thereby allowing me to work at home on several key pieces of promotional material.

If you wish to help us with the final amount... in any way... please don't delay any longer. Our time is running out. So far the largest contribution has been $1,000. The smallest has been $100. But let's be clear, if 39 people gave $20, we would be out of the woods. You get the picture.

The point is, ANY amount will help.

If you wish to send us some support, you may do so one of two ways:

For those who would like a tax-deductible receipt please make your check out to ReNET and designate it for “Haiti”. ReNET is acting as our 501(c)3 umbrella while our own application is in process. You may then mail that check to

ReNET
2867 N. 200 E.
Anderson IN 46012.

If you don’t need a receipt then you can just make the check out to Luke Renner and send it to us directly. If you wanna do that, let me know and I will email you our home address.

Either way, I would appreciate an email alerting me to the incoming support so that I can keep track of where we’re at.


MORE FEATURES ADDED
If you look to the side-bar, you will see that we are continuing to add more information. Turns out we are getting quite a few eyeballs on our blog now and more and more folks are wondering what in the blue-blazes the CIMT is. Now those questions have been answered.

Also, I am compiling a F.A.Q. (Frequently Asked Questions) entry. If any of you have always wanted to ask anything of us, now would be a time to drop me an email and let me see if it can be added to that document.

Okee Dokee. Stay tuned! More news coming!

Cheers!
Luke

Homesick... or Home Sick?

Well friends, I have returned home from the BEAUTIFUL country of Guatemala. It was a FAST and FURIOUS adventure that included flying through quasi-hurricanes, sleeping in quasi-fancy hotels, enduring quasi-long car rides, and meeting some totally great new friends.



Now I am home again and surprisingly, sick. I won't bore you with the details of my sickness. Let's just say, it goes "squish - squish" about as often as I eat or drink. Get the picture?



Ironically, this sickness was HERE AT HOME, waiting for me.


I obtained it courtesy of my dear family who has been enduring the biometric "slip-n-slide" since my departure.


Not too fun.



Add to that the insult of my iPhone, which suddenly has a cracked screen and doesn't work! Your guess is as good as mine. No idea why this happened. I'll be going to the Apple store to complain about my misfortune with this less-than-one-year-old piece of crap-nology.

BACK TO GUATEMALA...



The group that I was able to volunteer my services to is really up to some amazing stuff. As this blog is primarily dedicated to garnering support for what WE are doing, I shall spare you any external links for now. If you think what we are doing is stupid beyond all reason and desire a REAL cause to get behind, just email me and I will send you a link to the place where I just was.

On the trip, I was able to show my TV program to someone who's opinion matters to me. He thought that it was "powerful" and had a couple of pieces of constructive feedback for me too. All good thoughts that shall inform the final piece.

In the end, it was a real "Indiana Jones" style adventure and a worthy expenditure of my time and resources.

Now that I am home again, I will be taking stock of where things stand (financially) and give you a full report tomorrow (Sunday, August 24, 2008).

BIG STUFF IS HAPPENING! I am SO EXCITED about what lies ahead.

You guys are helping us give birth to an AWESOME thing!

Stay Tuned!
Luke

BIG NEWS!

Well folks, looks like my dear, sweet family may possibly be enduring their very first hurricane without me! I am SO JEALOUS. As of sometime late tonight (morning really), I will be mini-vaned down to MIA (an airport abbreviation that I have never been too fond of) and shortly thereafter, board a plane to Guatemala.

As I mentioned in previous posts, I am donating 4 days of my time to some folks who are doing good work there. I've never met them and don't really know any more details than that, so you'll forgive me if I save my report until after I get home.

Please, if you are a praying person, toss out a few for my family while I am away. I have no worries for my own safety, but who can stop you for praying for me as well? Certainly not I.

For my money, I'm expecting this "Fay" to be no more than a tropical storm by the time it hits here. We shall see.

UPDATE:

Progress on our 30-minute TV program continues to be phenomenal. Seriously, I am STOKED. Special thanks to my wife, parents, and brother who have endured countless "rough" versions, replete with missing footage, poor audio, text slates, and incessant "this will be different"s from me. They have offered immeasurable feedback along the way.

So where do things stand?

I am happy to report that I will be taking a version of the program with me to Guatemala in order that I may watch it several thousand times on my iphone and let stuff really start to bug me. This is a critical part of the creative process. When I am fortunate enough to get this opportunity, I can really nit-pick the piece into semi-perfection. I am tre-happy about this and have you, our gracious supporters, to thank for that.

What's that? You say YOU haven't supported us? Well, goodness gracious! I would be remiss if I didn't offer you this unique opportunity to do so! Please CLICK HERE to email us and let us know how much you would like to send. We are still needing $935.00 to make our expenses for the month. THAT'S SO CLOSE!

To send any support, please make a check out to ReNET (our 501(c)3 umbrella), mark it for "Haiti", and mail it to:

ReNET
2867 N. 200 E.
Anderson IN 46012.

Really, there are SO MANY THINGS TO REPORT and not enough time before I leave. Literally, all my bags are packed and I'm ready to go. So I'm gonna cut this transmission for now and say THANK YOU again to all of you who have been so supportive during this time.

If I can report from Guatemala, I certainly will. If not, then look for my next posting on Friday (assuming the house hasn't been blown over).

Thanks!
Luke

Movin' Right Along!

Well folks, the gears are still a'turnin'. Progress is good. Very good!



So far, I have been able to complete a music video (exciting details are coming pertaining to that) and am presently fine-tuning the 30-minute TV program that we will be airing as our fundraising video. "Fine tuning" may sound like I'm wrapping that up, but this phase can be fairly time consuming as it requires an enormous amount of attention to detail.



To give you some idea, I spent 4 days editing the music video. That piece, when finished, is about 5 minutes long. Now I'm faced with a piece that is 30 minutes long and much more narrative than just images and music. There is a HUGE story to be told here and I am doing my best to tell it well.



To give you some idea, the work that is presently being accomplished through your support is currently valued at over $40,000. I'm serious. I can give you contacts in the industry who will tell you, what we are accomplishing this month is a TREMENDOUS BLESSING. By simply allowing us to cover our monthly expenses, you are turning $4,100 into over $40,000!

That is no small thing.



I would certainly appreciate all of your prayers during this time. I am trying to stay creative and intuitive, simultaneously. Sometimes, it can be a challenge to deliver the message and to do so in an entertaining or thought-provoking way. I am also profoundly aware that creating television for someone else is infinitely easier than doing it for yourself. A creator's best asset is objectivity. When working on something so close to my heart, objectivity is the challenge. Pray for the objectivity to cover all my bases.



Adrian and I are so very thankful for the support we have received thus-far and are doing our part to use the dollars responsibly. Literally, the $4,100 covers bills and nothing else. There's no "fun money" in there. Samuel's 6th birthday was today. Thanks to grandmas and grandpas for the gifts!



Adrian and the kids made a modest little birthday cake out of Jello and generic Cool Whip. We are generally accustomed to spending a bit of money on our birthday parties, so I was a little sad that Sam's party was not as special as the kids are used to (it is certainly good practice for Haiti). Now of course, this was OUR DECISION and is not anyone's fault. I'm not trying to give you a sob story here. I simply tell you this because I want you to know that we are not taking advantage of your generosity IN THE LEAST. We take your involvement in what we are doing this month VERY seriously. Please keep praying for us that God will continue to work a miracle as we labor diligently on this project.

As the end of the month draws nearer, we are still not quite to the financial goal. Without an additional $1,185.00 we will not be able to pay all of our bills.



If you have been meaning to get on board and send us some support but have a tendency to delay, please take a moment to set down that burrito or your iPhone and take care of that.



Thanks so much for all of your support. The included still images are from my work this month. I'll have moving images for you before too long, but for now, may those serve to whet your appetite.

Thanks again,
Luke & Adrian

UPDATE - Closer to the goal!

In the spirit of working my fanny off, I will make this post short and sweet. As of 5:33AM on Sunday morning, I am thrilled to report that we've got STRUCTURE! The 30-minute TV program is timed and formed (albeit in draft). TONS of work still remains to be done on the program, but I'm so happy to see this hurdle behind us.

Several more individuals and families have contributed to the financial goal. The original goal was to raise $4,100.00. In just THREE DAYS we have raised $2,361.00!!! That leaves only $1,739.00 to go!!! Are you KIDDING me? Seriously guys, you are MELTING MY FACE OFF with your awesome partnership in this vision. I would absolutely LOVE to see the financial goal met by TUESDAY, AUGUST 12th. Is that crazy? Probably so. But hey! Why not?

If any of you are holding off because you don't want to give even $1 to a goal that will never be reached, then hold off no more! We are practically there already!


Until the next post, enjoy this photo. I could just live in this moment!
Thanks J!

The Gauntlet Has Been Thrown!

My dear family and friends, it is with much trembling (and a little bit of fear) that I am reporting to you today.

I have decided to listen to that little voice inside of my head and will be staying home this month* to work hard on some much needed promotional materials for our school. As one pastor put it, "vision casting" is at the top of my to-do-list, as it falls upon me to make it absolutely clear what we are doing.

*with exception, I will be volunteering 4 days of my services to a mission in Guatemala at no charge.

Understand that, as a freelance creative professional, I do not pull in a "regular" paycheck. My pay comes on a job-by-job basis and that means I pretty much have to keep hopping onto airplanes, moving around, and chasing down what work there is. Just like you, it is absolutely imperative that I work on other people's projects if I am to pay the bills (i.e. rent, electricity, water, food, etc.). What's different than a "regular paycheck" is that there are no guarantees and it is often "up to me" to make sure there is enough to go around.

I say all of that to make it perfectly clear what we are up against here.

Last night, I sent out a "mass" email, asking for the financial support to meet this month's expenses, thereby allowing me to stay home and work. So far, there has been a response, but naturally, we are still very far from the mark.

Originally, I stated that we need to raise $4,100 in order to stay afloat this month. Believe it or not, that is a typical month's expenses with 6 mouths to feed, rent, and all that comes with getting by in this economy. According to the IRS, we are actually operating under the expectancy for our area.

In less than 24-hours of the email, the number we need has dropped to $3,744.00. We are SO GRATEFUL for those who have chosen to assist us thus far!

Naturally, there is a good way to go still.

I wanted to share an email with you that one of our new friends (and a financial supporter in this cause) sent back to all of the people on our mailing list. I think that his challenge is good (and easy for most folks to swallow) and I believe his personal willingness to vouch for our burgeoning work in Haiti should help those of you who may be teetering, wondering, "has Luke finally lost it?"

Here is his letter:

Dear Luke,

Thank you very much for coming to help us in Haiti , you inspired many of us and encouraged several ministries down here in Haiti during your short time here . When you are here your love for the Haitian people is inspiring even to the missionaries you have come to work hand in hand with.
Your gifts and talents are bringing unity among missionary workers,haitian pastors, and church people alike. Our prayers from Haiti include the Lord returning you to Haiti soon, special things happen when your here !

We too here in Haiti are in financial need, but want to be a part of God working through you and are preparing a gift of $100.00 towards the $4100.00 you need. Of all people I know what it is like to want to function in ministry , but have to work to make ends meet. I pray that the lord will touch 40 other people to send $100.00 to help you to focus on the work the lord has given you to do.

Yvonne and I will send our check to the address you mentioned in your email today. We believe in you and what you are doing . Like the loaves and the fishes, may Jesus multiply our gift .

Yours and His to reach Haiti;
Joel Trimble
Haiti for Christ Ministries
Thomassin Haiti

There you have it! Joel and Yvonne Trimble, missionaries serving in Haiti for more than 30 years, have thrown down the gauntlet! In response, one family shot back $256, proving that you can do more than $100 if you feel led. But $100 is a great number to consider, and I thank my missionary friends for raising this challenge.

If missionaries can help us, can you? Some may want to pray about it. Some of you know RIGHT NOW that you can cut back a few movie rentals, premium coffees, or rummage sales. I need 37 people. That's not a lot. That's YOU.

Please help if you can.

From there, check back here during the month of August as I will be keeping you all posted on the progress. Already, some REALLY COOL stuff has happened with one video that I have been preparing. A full story is COMING SOON!

If you wish to send us some support, you may do so one of two ways:

For those who would like a tax-deductible receipt please make your check out to ReNET and designate it for “Haiti”. ReNET is acting as our 501(c)3 umbrella while our own application is in process. You may then mail that check to

ReNET
2867 N. 200 E.
Anderson IN 46012.

If you don’t need a receipt then you can just make the check out to Luke Renner and send it to us directly. If you wanna do that, let me know and I will email you our home address.

Either way, I would appreciate an email alerting me to the incoming support so that I can keep track of where we’re at.

Thanks SO MUCH!
Luke and Adrian Renner

Ramblings

boomp3.com

Panic is mistrust... at least for people of faith.

Worry is doubt in your initial choice... the choice to follow. When we worry, we toy with the idea of changing our mind. We window-shop for the best exit strategy. Saving face plays into our thinking. Sometimes we can scarcely remember what we were thinking when we signed on. Usually, it ends with us hanging on for another go-round, giving our "old self" the benefit of present doubt.

Fear is natural. Following it can be. But generally, we afford it too much attention. As far as "healthy balance" is concerned, we generally lack enough when it comes to fear.


In a world of gray, there either is a God or there isn't. From there, everything drops sharply into a chasm of hopeful guesswork. Sometimes, we do our best. Usually, we hold just a little bit back. It's our security; our tiny remaining piece of ultimate trust in the only thing we ever truly possessed... self.

Often, the biggest decisions of our lives are made with too little information. This is the norm. We marry too young. We accept the "free gift" of credit cards. We give Jesus our hearts. We promise to love and obey.

From there we become older and wiser. We quickly realize that our most critical choices were poorly informed. Yet, it is the "wisdom" of our age that tells us to honor foolhardy contracts we made in our youth. We rarely allow ourselves the opportunity to try again, from the beginning, with better information.

I'm not quite sure I understand the point of this awkward order. Had we been made to age backward, starting with wisdom and frailty and then pass into the strength of youth, perhaps we could have made a more beautiful mess of this world. But old men run the world through contracts of their youth, contracts made with themselves in lesser places, with lesser minds, and lesser inhibitions.

We all know what is coming. Who can lie about the obvious? God or not, the world is coming to an end. Better men will fail. It's partly why Christians raise their hands. We want something, some God, some daddy, to pick us up and remove us from this burning soil. It's partly the reason atheists plod through the scientific quest to explore outer space. Only the universe can possibly house this much ego. Down here, we're fresh out of elbow room. Stop the world... I wanna get off.

Had hope stood a chance, atomic corners would have never been turned, sticks would not have given way to swords, swords would not have bowed out to modern weaponry, and that weaponry would never have become smart.

Had hope been the trend, "green" would not require advertising agencies. "Green" would happen as a matter of fact.

And so patience is the most important discipline one could even learn. It is the active ingredient in tolerance. So much of it is required to live alongside the monsters that we become.

I suspect any discipline which is painful to our modernized sensibilities can be deemed virtuous and ultimately worth trading immediate pleasures to have. Still we don't.

You are finally born when you realize that the point of good men is not to save the world or fix all that is broken with it. The point of good men is simply to postpone the inevitable... to slow... to delay the absolute horror that would surely rush in were good men to surrender or delay. Nature abhors a vacuum and evil (or entropy) is all too happy to oblige when good men are otherwise engaged.

We don't do what we do because we might somehow reverse the flow of this mighty river. We are as resigned to the river as anyone. It isn't that we know with any certainty, something that we can validate or measure for the skeptical mind, some great secret. Even our skeptical sides have been left ultimately dissatisfied with our final decision. We have embraced the single, greatest mystery of all.

The mystery: that despite all we are powerless to change, no one can stop us from loving, even the unlovable.

As the river rages and carries us with it... even it is powerless.

All folly and illogical contracts aside, I have hope. I choose love.

My arms are no longer pointed toward heaven, seeking someone to lift me away. They are extended toward you, seeking someone to hold.

May this burning soil consume me as I love.

It is a worthy endeavor we are on. May this be a note to an older self; in your unflinching and stubborn ways, remember this covenant was made in spite of folly.

Results be damned.

We choose love.