No Shirt, No Shoes, Know Jesus

Guest Blogger

    One of the things I have wanted to do on our blog is feature other folks from the OSC and give them a chance to share what God is doing in their lives.  Today is a great day to start that!  So without any further ado, here's Kimmer...

    Hi all, its Kimmer, your odd, yet friendly, guest blogger. I often ask myself “Why me? Why does God remember me?”.   I know the answer. It is because God doesn’t change. I was reminded recently that God died for us while we were still sinners. Through my entire life, I can look back and visibly see the hand of God - not just through the good times in blessings and prayers answered,but in times of my rebellion. He was there even when I wasn’t “there”. I’m not saying “there” as in I was having out of body experiences (which would be a pretty good story).  I mean not “there” as in I wasn’t acting in my right mind (or should I say my “Christian” mind). J Oops! I have made some really dumb, potentially dangerous and pretty damaging decisions. And man, do I have stories, as I am sure many, if not all of us do. The point is that God never left me. He didn’t say, “Oh here she goes again, I’m outta here til she gets her act together.” He never changed His mind about me. I was always His child. He kept acting in my best interest, saving my butt when it needed saving, and moving on my behalf. How amazing to serve a Father who loves us enough to save us even when we act up… time and time again. Even when we know better. His Word is filled with stories, Old Testament and New, of Him getting us out of trouble. And the ultimate “story” - The Good News - that once and for all He’s paid all our debts, bailed us out & allowed us to be right there in His presence.   All we have to do is come back, cry out, geesh, just think about Him and He’s there! Jesus tells us in John 14:16 that He “will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you.” So, I have been trying not to miss those moments of Him moving in my life on those days of peace, days of boredom or discomfort, and just every day. I don’t want to miss a single moment anymore. I don’t want to have to look back to see Him. I want to cry out at that moment and say “THANK YOU GOD! I KNOW THAT’S YOU!” Let’s remember we are His and because He never changes and is always with us, we are doing and will continue to do great things.

Same God, Different Day Part II

    One of the concepts that I have heard mentioned that convinces people that God was very different in the Old Testament is "an eye for an eye".  Most feel like this is extreme and critical, demonstrating a very vengeful and judgmental God.  Not much room for mercy and grace in a statement like that.  How can the same Jesus who was all about forgiveness and cheek-turning ever be a proponent of this?  That's a pretty fair question.  In our culture, with its developed system of justice and ingrained Christian heretige, an "eye for an eye" seems barbaric and backward, as far away from a merciful Father in Heaven as could be.  But that is in our culture.

    The Middle East can still be a rather...radical place.  For a culture to hold such strong beliefs that they can be motivated to blow up innocents in passional pursuit of them is very foreign to the western world.  That is now.  Four thousand years ago, things were even more intense.  Laws and systems of justice were in their infancy if developed at all.  Judgments and punishments were at the whim of a ruler or people group.  Whole tribes of people could be wiped out over land boundaries and border markers.  If you ticked off your neighbor, you could come home and find your family dead.  Definitely a rough time.

    God was having none of that!  When He established the nation of Israel to demonstrate to the world who He was, He introduced laws of justice.  "An eye for an eye" was one of those.  No longer could you slaughter you neighbor because you thought he was playing on your side of the fence.  It was not ok burn someones house down if they stole your goat.  Nope, the punishment had to fit the crime.  There could no longer be excessive judgement.  There would be justice.  Suddenly, "an eye for an eye" doesn't seem so bad.  Instead, it seems consistent with the good and just God we can easily relate to.

    In the book of Matthew, Jesus does talk about this concept, only He kicks it up a bit.  He ackknowledges "an eye for an eye" but further suggest that other contriversial phrase, "turn the other cheek."  This isn't God changing His mind and abolishing His earlier command.  This is God teaching us about forgiveness.  Originally, God had to teach us justice.  Now He is teaching us mercy.  It is the evolution of a concept, not the dismissal of the earlier part.

    Look, God doesn't change.  His word is clear about that part.  We however do, and Father has been faithful to lead us into truth as we can process it.  That's why the bible has to read in context of history and of itself.  This prevents us from making snap judgements about who He is and allows for a richer understanding of the truth that He has given to us.  So do yourself a favor, read the whole thing.  Don't allow yourself to be influenced by another's criticism of the bible without exploring it for yourself.  Study it.  Research its setting.  Develop a big picture.  You will discover that God is bigger and better than you ever imagined.  And that will change your life.

Same God, Different Day.

    I overheard a conversation at the Walmart the other day in which two guys were discussing the Bible.  Since I am always curious of what people think about God's word, I eavesdropped (curiosity is acceptable justification for listening to someone's private conversation, right?).  The discussion centered on what God was more likable, the Old Testament God or the New.  Seems both guys were leaning toward the New Testament God as being far more understanding and sympathetic.  The Old Testament God was just mean, waiting to hurl lightning bolts at the first sign of missteps.  In the end, they decided out with the Old and in with the New. 

    I couldn't help but laugh at their conclusions. It demonstrated an unfortunate misunderstanding that has somehow taken hold in our culture.  The problem is, there isn't an "either or" when it comes to the Old and New Testament.  It's all the same Guy!  A cursory read of the Old Testament demonstrates that God is forgiving, merciful, patient, saving, and full of grace.  By the same token, the New Testament contains a Jesus who can be harsh, judging, radical, and, sometimes, down right mean!  There is no separating God's character.  He is appropriately Himself regardless of time and situation.  This is good news for us because it gives us much information about the God who wants to be a part of our lives.  We don't have to disregard the Old or New.  We can have both.

    So if you have been avoiding the Old Testament because of the Scary God contained in its pages, I would suggest you give it another try.  Same God, different day...or books as the case may be.  If you hope to read the New Testament to discover Jesus, meek and mild, boy, do you have some surprises coming for ya! If, however, you read both, seeking to discover the fullness of who God is and how He desires to relate to your life, you will never be the same.

Shorts Part III

Here's our story for today...

     Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ ¹But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’  Another said, ‘I now have a wife, so I can’t come.’

 “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’”  Luke 14:16-24

    Everyone likes to think they're special.  I think I'm special!  Every once in awhile, I make my mom tell me so, just to reinforce the idea.  So if someone comes along and suggests that we are not special, it tends to tick us off.  It flies in the face of what we know is true.  I suppose it is even more difficult when the person who is breaking this startling news in Jesus, cause that's what this story is all about.

    God had chosen Israel to be His people.  He had made Himself known to them and was working through them to accomplish His plan of salvation.  It made them special, a fact that every Israelite sitting at the table with Jesus that night was fully aware of.  Jesus, who was never one for pulling His verbal punches, felt His audience was having some trouble understanding what truly makes one special.  So He told a little story about a special man who was having a special feast who had invited some special guests.  The guests, however, decided to ditch out, so the host invited anyone who would come to fill up the dinner list and to hell with the other guys! Now some of you may be a bit offended by that last sentence.  Let me assure you, the original audience was as well, because that is exactly what they heard Jesus to say. 

    Jesus had no tolerance with religion, even within His own culture.  Religion does not connect you with God.  Religion never saved anyone.  Religion does not make you special.  That was the point of the story: simply having the right religion won't save you in the end, only a connection with the Guy who's throwing the party.

    The same story is true today.  We think simply by associating ourselves with Christianity that we we are safe - spiritually in the clear.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Only by responding to God's invitation to enjoy authentic relationship with Him can we be assured that we won't be on the outside looking in.  The good news is that invitiation is not reserved just for the special.  It's available to any who want to respond.  Whether I'm special or not, I think I'll go to the party.

Shorts Part II

Here's our short story for the day:

    Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.   Luke 11:5-8

    Let's start off with what this parable is NOT saying.  Contrary to some opinions, Jesus is not suggesting that if we nag God enough, He will give us whatever we want in order to shut us up.  This is a famous gambit employed by children everywhere with the firm belief that if you ask mom for a cookie repetitively, she will have no choice to to give in.  As you can imagine, God's not falling for it.  Ask until you're blue in the face.  If He has no intention of giving in, it's not gonna happen!  So what is the point of this story then?  It's not about God's response as much as it is about our actions.

    Nobody likes a quitter.  I can remember my dad saying those words to me so vividly that my imagination rushes my back to the day I first heard them.  I was playing kickball in the alley behind my house with some of the neighborhood kids.  I was feeling pretty good that day because it was assured that I would not be picked last (a fate I had experienced often as the fat kid) since I was the one who brought the ball.  Sure enough, I found myself picked second, a respectable place, and I was determined to prove that I typically deserved such a high draft spot.  That was not to be the case.  Now, in all honesty, I was pretty good at kickball.  My beefy little legs could wallop that red, rubber ball into the stratosphere.  Not that day.  No, I played terrible, getting out after out until my team turned against me.  Finally, after being screamed at when I struck out (striking out at kickball?  Can you imagine the horror?)  I had had enough!  It was my ball after all!  So, in the most cliche action I had undertaken at that point in my life, I took my ball and went home.  My Father was surprised that I was back so quickly.  I explained what had happened and fully expected sympathy at what I had experienced.  Instead, I got "nobody likes a quitter". 

    At the time, those words devestated me.  All I could think was, "nobody likes a jerk either!" (thoughts that I wisely kept to myself)  Yet as I've grown, the truth in the sentiment has become quite clear.  Quitting gets us nothing!  Not satisfaction, not respect, not sympathy! Nothing!  When we truly need or want something in our lives, we don't quit, we push on!  We explore every option, test ever opportunity, we do whatever is necessary to achieve what we need.  And in the process, we develop capabilities, self assurance, and persistence.  The journey becomes as rewarding as the goal.

    In this short, Jesus is suggesting that we develop spiritual persistence.  Quitters don't get what they need!  Those who pursue God with audacity and confidence not only find what they are looking for, but the process itself is spiritually transformative.  We become the men and women that God desires us to be when we pursue Him with tenacity.  And we find that we get what we need in the end, even if it wasn't what we originally asked for.  When we chase after Him relentlessly, God always responds abundantly.

    So what do you want?  What do you need?  What are you desperate for God to do in your life?  Begin to bang on His door, praying unceasingly for Him to respond.  Believe that He rewards those who seek Him with tenacity!  In the end, you'll be better for it!  Just remember, nobody likes a quitter. (Well, Jesus still likes you, but the rest of us think you're iffy.)

Shorts

    We started a new series at The Open Source Church this week entitled, "Shorts".  The idea behind it was that we learn best through stories and Jesus was the master at teaching this way.  The Gospels are filled with short stories, or parables, that Jesus taught to better illustrate truth.  If that is the case, these shorts demand some careful consideration because of what they could mean to our lives. We are hitting some of the more famous ones on Sunday mornings but I thought we might look at a few of the others here on the blog.  So let's have at it...

    “...suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it?  And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’  In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” Luke 15:8-10

    Some of Jesus' stories demand a bit of explanation.  Whether because of the years removed or because of societal differences, we need to study a bit to get the meaning He was trying to convey.  Not with this one!  Most of us have had that "I've lost something valuable to me and need to find it immediately!" feeling.  It's terrible!  I have lost my wallet on two separate occasions and it was an instant anxiety attack!  I felt sick to my stomach, my heart was thumping in my chest, and I could concentrate on nothing other than finding what belonged to me.  I mean, my license and credit cards are in there! Pictures of my kids!  I can't just lose it and forget about it.  There is too much value.

    I tore the house up looking for it.  Was it in the laundry hamper?  Did it fall out when I threw my pants in there? How about in the bathroom?  I'm notorious for leaving my clothes on the bathroom floor.  Maybe it's there? How about in the fridge?  I could have set it down when I got out the ham.  Possibly? Nope, none of those likely places.  Where could it be?  Turns out I left it on my dresser...where it technically belongs.  You can imagine how I got confused.

    My relief on finding it was palatable!  I called my wife at work to let her know everything was alright.  I shared the story with everyone I talked to.  I touched my back pocket throughout the day to reassure myself that my wallet was still there. (I'm sure that didn't look weird and creepy)  I went from crazy worry to a sense of peace in the blink of an eye, enough to give you emotional whiplash.  And in the end, I had the satisfaction of knowing what I had found what I had lost.

    I think we all have felt those emotions.  The panic of discovering something you treasure is lost and the relief and excitement you experience when it is found.  It's not a huge stretch for us to understand the point Jesus is making in this short.  It is a bigger stretch for us to believe it!  How can God place such value on us?  It is a valid question considering that everyone of us has a some time or another felt worthless.  How can He pursue us with such intensity?  Especially when all of us have felt forgotten at moments in our lives.  Yet here He is comparing Himself to a woman tearing the house apart to find one little coin.  Here He is describing parties in heaven when one person turns away from rebellion and back to Him.  That thought is life changing.

    Maybe today you feel like that coin, lost and alone with no value.  Let me assure you that Jesus is pursuing you with intensity.  Maybe you question whether God wants anything to do with you.  Let me assure you He would turn the world upside down to have you with Him.  Maybe you feel so distant that you believe the search was called off long ago. Let me assure you He will never give up looking.  So start a party in heaven.  Call out to Jesus.  It's a good day to be found!

Monkey Paw God Part III

    I have a confession to make.  I'm thirty-seven years old and I still make a Christmas list.  Not just a note with some things on it to help out the wife with her shopping, but a detailed, categorized list of everything I want, even things that are in no way possible.  Ridiculous?  Yep.  But also lots of fun.  Plus it gives my wife some insight into what I'm thinking about.  It paid off this year!  Don't know how she managed an iPad, but I'm not complaining about it!  And all because my greedy self included an obnoxious selection on my immature list.  Merry Christmas to all!

    Believe it or not, Jesus was kinda into this concept.  Not that He ever encouraged greed or selfishness, but He was all about making your every request known to God, holding nothing back. (Check out Matthew 7:7)  That doesn't mean you get everything you ask for, but the asking helps to uncover your motivations and it promotes deeper connections with God.  And sometimes, you get one of the big ones you've been wanting!

    If you've been in church for awhile, that concept should not be unfamiliar. If you've never heard of it, let me say, "you're welcome".  It's great news that God cares about your wants and needs and desires to answer your requests (sometimes with a "no" but even that's good for ya.)  However, this concept can get twisted in several ways.  Keeping with the theme we have been talking about, I want to consider the idea that you need to be specific with God in order to have Him answer you in the way you want.  I'd like to challenge that idea in a couple of ways.

    First off, I fully support the idea of being specific in your requests with the intention of sharing more of your life with Jesus and allowing those conversations to provide insight into your reasons for asking in the first place.  There have been times when I have prayed for something and in the process had the Holy Spirit straight up tell me I was being selfish.  The result?  My heart was changed and I no longer wanted something that was not good for me.  There have been other times that God has fulfilled outlandish requests based solely on His goodness and my willingness to bring those things to Him.  A major win either way.  What I do get concerned with is the belief that we need to be overly specific in order to make sure He has to give us what we want.  I have spoken with people that believe that God only gives what we specifically ask for.  If you leave some verbage out, He is not obligated to respond, or worse yet, will give us some punitive version of what we need.  There's that monkey's paw again!  Look, it's not your words that God responds to, it's your heart!  If your prayer requests are offered within the context of a loving relationship with your Father in heaven and a willingness to submit to His decisions, you can pray in pig-latin for all the words matter!  Be specific in order to share your life, not because you are worried about loopholes.  Jesus is not that guy.

    Secondly, this concept needs to be tempered with some humility.  Ummm, this is God we are talking about.  You know, the only person who knows...everything!  He doesn't need you or I to be specific about what He already knows and we certainly cannot affect in the slightest whether or not He answers!  Being specific is for our benefit, not His.  If you think otherwise, you are wasting your time.

    So say goodbye to the Monkey Paw God. Instead, cling to the real God, trusting in His mercy and goodness to take care of you and provide you with what you need!  Share your heart and your requests with Him, believing He will respond out of love and not because you got the words right.  You'll be glad you did.  That other guy's a jerk!

The Monkey Paw God Part II

    As stated yesterday, I think many people have a misconception about God's character.  We think our actions and our prayers can keep a vengeful God at bay, that we can close up any loopholes that would allow Him to judge and, in doing so, receive the blessings that we want from Him.  I think this is a prevalent view held by believers and non-Christians alike.  We may not think it, but we believe it. That's a hard pill to swallow.  If we are a follower of Christ, we want to believe that our perception of Him is an accurate one.  Unfortunately, that perception can be skewed by the teachings of others, the hardships of life, and our own nature.  I believe that is true when it comes to our current perception of Jesus and how He wishes to interact with us.  We have traded off the authentic for the false.  We are serving the Monkey Paw God.  Don't believe me?  I got two words for you: Left Behind.

    As a child, growing up in the church, there was a constant underlying fear I expericenced.  I was convinced there was a huge possibility that Jesus would come back and I would be left behind to suffer all kinds of horrors.  If I was ever unexpectedly alone, I would freak out, petrified that Jesus scooped up everyone but me.  I can remember calling my grandmother several times in a panic, trusting that if she was around, I was safe. (Her being the most holy person I knew. No way Jesus comes back and doesn't take her.)  I was haunted by John Hagee's end-time map and got a shiver of terror from that "I wish we'd all been ready" song.  I spent a lot of time analyzing my life, trying to think of any possibility that would result in me suffering the tribulation, as if I really had a say in it.  Frankly, the return of Jesus was something to be feared, cause for concern, and I in no way looked forward to it.

    I know I'm not alone.  Who's on your call list when things look iffy?  Does the word rapture make you feel enraptured or scared witless?  Do you silently freak out when your change from grocery store is $6.66? I think maybe you do.  That's because we have missed a key component of the character of Jesus and have focused on another.  We have no problem accepting that He can come in judgement.  We just struggle with Him coming in mercy.  I challenge you to find a single instance in scripture where God's default response is punishment.  It's not there.  I'm not saying He is not holy and just.  I'm just saying He always chooses mercy first.

    John 8:1-11 tells a familiar story.  It's the one with the woman caught in adultery and the famous "he who is without sin, cast the first stone" quote (one of Jesus' best if I'm grading). What's interesting is that the behavior of Jesus flies in the face of the Monkey Paw God.  Perfect, holy Jesus would have been just to carry out the prescribed sentence on this woman.  This is His opportunity!  She has left Him a ginormous loop hole and it's zappin' time!  Yet, His holiness is tempered by His mercy -- His response time and again.  Read who He hangs out with.  Check out who He asks to be His friends.  Listen to His stories.  Remember the thief on the cross.  No, He is never out to get you.  On the contrary, He is always looking to save.  No loopholes here. 

    The point is not to give us license to rebel.  It is not to suggest that there are no repercussions for wrong actions.  As a matter of fact, the point I would make is not about us at all.  It's about God and understanding His character.  When we do that, we can approach Him with confidence, assured that He is not looking to harm us, but rather to help in the best way possible. It allows us to know with certainty that His mercy comes first and is available freely.  He's not out to get us.  So throw away the Monkey Paw God and discover the real One.  Remind yourself of His motivation and comfort yourself with His mercy.  It will dramatically alter your relationship with Him and allow Him to give you all that you need.  And that is good news.

P.S. I'm still a-scared of John Hagee's map! But I'm excited for Jesus to come back.  I think He'll get me after all.

The Monkey Paw God

    First off, if you haven't read this short story yet, click this link. http://gaslight.mtroyal.ca/mnkyspaw.htm Don't worry, I'll wait.  Pretty creepy, huh? I probably should have warned you not to read this at night.  If you have bad dreams about twisted wishes and mummified animal limbs, I will take the blame.  I was certainly freaked out the first time I read it.  It falls into a trilogy of literature that scared me senseless as a teenager.(Yes, I said teenager. Don't hate). The first was The Hound of the Baskerville's, which I thought was going to be another thrilling Sherlock Holmes mystery and, instead, was about a terrifying ghost dog murdering people across the lonely moors.  To this day, I'm not sure what a "moor" is but I never want to go to one.  The second was totally my fault.  I suspected I had grown up a bit and could handle some more intense reading.  Stephen King's It was not the book to test this theory on.  I still don't like clowns and have to fight down a "get them before they get me" urge every time I go to the circus.  Sort of a flight or pee my pants kind of instinct. The Monkey's Paw was the last, and in some ways, the most horrifying.  I had to read it in school (like high school wasn't scary enough) and for some reason it resonated with me.  Maybe it was the fear of losing someone in an attempt to prosper, maybe it was the thought of that loved one being transformed into a monster, but the horror of the story and the dread that it produced has stuck with me for years.  I think a conversation I had a few weeks ago illustrates why.

    I was having a discussion with someone who was experiencing a personal crisis.  At some point, they brought up their prayer life, sharing how specifically they prayed for God to move.  The idea of being that specific caught my attention.  Where had I come across the notion of making sure your requests needed to be detailed?  The person continued by expressing the fear that they had sinned and forgot to confess it, that they had missed a chance to make things right with God and the results were the current issues that they were suffering through.  I assured them that God was not out to get them and His focus is on our hearts, not out words and left, trusting that I had offered the appropriate wisdom and comfort the circumstance called for.  But the conversation and the ideas that it had stirred up in me would not go away so easily.

    The idea that maybe God is out to get you, that He is looking for opportunity to bring judgement into your life is a reccurring one found in the lives of many believers.  In fact, I would suggest that everyone of us deals with it from time to time.  The fear of the Lord is a good thing, produced as the Holy Spirit enlightens us to the reality of our situation.  Without the grace found through Jesus, we are in deep trouble.  But if we stop there and miss the heart that exists beyond this truth, we confuse who God is.  Sin and its results must be confronted with deadly earnest and sobriety.  Yet in doing so, we must not misconstrue the personality and motivation of God.  Yet many times, we treat Him like the monkey's paw- a powerful yet malevolent force capable of giving us what we need, but only if we don't leave Him a loophole through which He can wreak His judgement.  That's not the God revealed in the scriptures and if we are to truly know Him, we have to adjust our thinking. 

    Some of you may be sceptical of this idea.  You may think you have never considered God in such a way.  And maybe you haven't.  But I would suggest you are in the minority.  Most believers, from time to time, live in fear of the Monkey Paw God.  I know I have.  So in an effort to banish this false impersonation of Jesus, I want to spend the next few days considering how this deception affects us, how we can be unaware that it exists, and how to ultimately deal with it.  I think it will be well worth it.

    

Just Like Starting Over

    Well, now that I've got 80's pop John Lennon lyrics (shudder) running through your mind, let me say that I'm excited to be blogging again.  My intention with this blog has always been to post every weekday, but frankly, that has been an uber failure for most of 2010.  I barely escaped last year with my sanity intact, so when it came time to letting some things slide in order to function, blogging regularly was one of the first to go.  But with a new year, comes a new start (hence today's title) and I'm ready to reconnect and share my faith, struggles, and spiritual insights through this awesome format. 

    I'm also hoping to include some other folks from our church community through this blog.  I know from experience that we grow together or not at all, that insight often becomes most clear when discovered in the expression of others, even when we disagree.  That is one of the reasons Jesus blessed us with the church, a place where we should be able to discover Him more fully in one another.  So we may have some guest bloggers, some regular posters, and some great discussion and debate through your comments.  I'm looking forward to developing a deeper faith through this interaction.

    So stick around for a great 2011!  Comment, debate, get angry, feel encouraged, and discover more about Jesus with me.  With that in mind, I've got some homework for you.  Read the short story, The Monkey's Paw. http://gaslight.mtroyal.ca/mnkyspaw.htm  It's straight up creepy, but I got some thoughts I want to share about it, starting tomorrow.  See ya then...