God

You Are A Wrestler

/ Alex Doriot / Leave a comment

Welcome to Wrestling School 101. You can be a professional wrestler today in just a few easy steps.

Don’t believe me? You have all the qualities. You don’t have to weigh 300 pounds and be in exquisite shape. You can be a wrestler right from the comfort of your couch.

20121106_EP_LIGHT_honest-abe_C-homepageAnd who wouldn’t want to be? Becoming a professional wrestler is an honor. Abraham Lincoln wrestled for fun back in his youth. It’s biblical to0 (we’re getting to that).

It’s quite simple: if you want to be a wrestler, all you have to do is know how to talk. Continue reading →

Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

/ Alex Doriot / 1 Comment

bob dylan press 1 .jpgWhat’s money? A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and does what he wants to do. – Bob Dylan

When the world expects Bob Dylan to play he acoustic, he goes electric.

When the world expects Bob Dylan to rage against traditional values, he becomes a born-again Christian.

When the world expects Bob Dylan to be out of surprises, he releases a Christmas album 40 years into his career.

When the world expects Bob Dylan to go quietly into the good night, he tours harder than ever and continues to put out 5 star albums in his 70s. Continue reading →

The Two Ways To Respond To Interruptions

/ Alex Doriot / 2 Comments

“Not today.”

Wednesday night I was ready to go. I was in the zone for my usual Wednesday activities as Youth Pastor at The Hill. My lesson was memorized. Everything was in place for our game. The slides were set for the keynote. I was all prepared for kids to start showing up around 3:30.

And then the kids showed up with this:

photo (21)

A stray dog. “Oh no,” I thought, “Not today.” Continue reading →

What Would Taylor Swift Do?

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swift

Billboard

Without heartbreak Taylor Swift would have no songs to write.

Without the pain from relationships gone bad, where would Taylor Swift’s inspiration come from?

Her scars tell her story. Her pain inspires her art. Her conflicts create an opportunity for a greater victory.

Without getting knocked down we have no reason to rise up.

Without conflict there is no reason for us to rise off the couch.

Without getting fired from Apple Steve Jobs would have never invested in a little company called Pixar and we would have no “Toy Story”.

Without getting saddled with the horrible name “The Ringmaster”, Steve Austin would have never gone home and brainstormed the name “Stone Cold”.

There is significance in our struggle. There is art in our unrest. With conflict comes the chance for heroism. Continue reading →

How To Win The Impossible* Ladder Match

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A lot can change in 50 years. Watching wrestling in the 1950s, you would think it impossible for the black and white sport of Gorgeous George and Verne Gagne to ever turn into this:

(Click Here if you can’t see the video above.)

The Ladder Match. Maybe the most dangerous match in all of wrestling. A championship belt is raised 15 ft above the ring. The only way to retrieve it is climb to the top of a ladder and unhook it. The first man to do so wins the championship. Before you grab the belt you can use the ladders around the ring as weapons and launching pads for insane aerial assaults. Continue reading →

What Your Vinyl Collection Says About You

/ Alex Doriot / 3 Comments

photo (19)Did you celebrate Record Store Day?

Saturday, April 20 was the seventh annual celebration of all things vinyl. My girlfriend and I were proud participants. We drove two hours to Criminal Records in Atlanta to dig through crates of used records and seek out limited edition new releases from some of our favorite artists like Bob Dylan, The Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons, and Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors.

At the end of the day we ended up with just about everything we were looking for. What amazed me though was just how many other people did as well.

When we arrived at Criminal Records on Saturday morning, we saw a line coming out of the store and stretching around the next block. We ended up waiting an hour to get in the store, and then another hour or so to get out of the store.  Continue reading →

Doughboy Joy

/ Alex Doriot / 1 Comment

This might be the best commercial ever:

May you have Doughboy joy today. May you be tickled with laughter in the face of the things which would normally inconvenience and annoy you. May you smile when faced with them, knowing the Lord will conquer all and will make all things work together for His glory.

Happy Friday.

(Click Here if you can’t see the video above.)

What Do You Doubt?

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Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother. – Khalil Gibran, poet

What do you doubt about God? If you have any faith in God, you surely wrestle with doubt as well.

In a world where innocent Marathon runners and spectators become terrorist victims one day and innocent plant workers become victims of an explosion the next, doubt creeps in about a loving God.

What kind of God does this to His people? What hope is there in this world? What do we have to cling to?

The doubt in our heart is nothing new. The stains of doubt are never fully washed from our cup no matter how powerful our faith is. For as long as people have had faith they have wrestled against doubt.

482376_858133227665_1363584939_nTake Thomas for instance – the doubting disciple. For the past few weeks I’ve been rehearsing for a play called “Eight Days After”. The play is an exploration into the mysterious appearances of Jesus after His resurrection and how they affected the people He once knew. Continue reading →

The Two Things Ron Swanson Hates Most

/ Alex Doriot / 2 Comments

There’s only one thing Ron Swanson hates more than liars: skim milk.photo-16

Don’t lie about what you are today. Be the person God created you to be. Embrace your quirks and your flaws. Quit trying to be something you’re not. You have a savior who loves you just the way you are. In fact He made you that way.

Don’t be like skim milk.

Happy Friday.

The Trick To Ignoring The Masters

/ Alex Doriot / 2 Comments

IMG_4033The Augusta National Golf Tournament, better known as The Masters, begins today. My hometown of Augusta, GA has been overtaken by golf fans from across the world.

But there are some who don’t care about the Green Jacket at all. If you’re one of them, you know it will be hard to get away from Masters chatter. You won’t be able to ignore the coverage on ESPN and CBS all weekend. Talk of Tiger Woods will surely take over your Twitter feed.

If however you simply can’t stand golf and need to know the trick to ignoring The Masters, I have the answer for you:

Live in Augusta.

Really. Continue reading →