Who poured into you yesterday that you are grateful for?
Los

Ever since I can remember I just wanted to be good with the ladies.
I remember that Nair commercial. You know, the one with the “We wear short shorts” jingle and those long legs parading back and forth on screen. I specifically remember. I must have been 3 or 4, thinking, “Damn, those are some fiiiiine ladies.”
OK. Maybe I didn’t say damn. I mean my dad was a Southern Baptist preacher for the love. But if I knew the word damn, damn is what I would have said.

I loved women. I mean I still love women, but I love one. I mean…nevermind. You get it. So.
Ladies.
I could write an entire book on the ways I have screwed up with the ladies.
I am unbelievable at the start. Like Secretariat at the starting gate.
Confident, brown, nostrils flaring, all eyes on me.
And when the gun fires, you can’t catch me.
I am off like Speedy Gonzalez with the swag of Captain Caveman. But child, I hit that back stretch, and it’s a disaster.
Ask any female that has had anything close to what some would call a “relationship” with me.
It is never on purpose.
I just can’t turn it off.
My need to impress the ladies.
Take for example year 10.
Not grade 10.
Year 10.
5th Grade. Briarlake Elementary School.
Tene North.
Lord have mercy.
She was the fastest and finest girl in her grade and I was the fastest guy in mine.
She, of’course, was 9. I had a thing for the younger ladies.
He mom was the 3rd grade teacher that made all the boys in school walk to the far off bathroom just to get a peek.
She was the Deltalina of the 1980′s male population of 30033.
And if this was the mom, then the daughter had to have a future…
With me.
I can’t remember quite how it started.
I’m pretty sure it had to do with a piece of college ruled notebook paper folded into that rectangle with a little tab you could pull that said “open me”.
I’m also pretty sure on the inside was the question that ruled the halls of Briarlake Elementary School.
“Will you go with me?”

Let’s stop here for a moment.
I never questioned the question at the time. It seemed like a completely valid question.
Yet now I am wondering where we were going in the first place?
I didn’t have a car. I had a bike. An amazing bike take it. But a bike none the less.
I could take her nowhere on my Huffy.
Yet for some reason, she checked the box “YES”.
And suddenly, we were going together.
Which apparently meant we were an item.
The whole 4th and 5th grade knew.
I had won the heart of the mocha princess with a smile that Aquafresh commercials are made of.

Fast forward 2 weeks.
Notes had been exchanged…giggles had been had…my boys had been ribbing me to hold her hand.
But somehow, someway, things had progressed faster than scheduled.
A kiss was on the agenda.
I’ll go ahead and admit that there was no way this was my idea.
No way.
It had to be hers.
Or at least Debbie Metinz. Her conniving best friend.
But I couldn’t back down.
EVERYONE was talking about it.
The lunchroom was a buzz.
The mission had been set into motion and I was an emotional disaster.
I had seen Falcon Crest. I had seen Moon Lighting. I had no idea how to pull that off.
Yet there I found myself.
Tuesday afternoon…3:15pm…behind the double doors at the back of the school that led out of the library…13 minutes after the bell rang sending 1000′s of little feet scurrying to their bicycles and down the paths to homes that were beyond the woods nearby.
I was exactly where the plan had asked me to be.
Through at least a dozen notes passed between grades, between countless children, the plan had been set into motion.
The plan was brilliant and it had all worked to perfection.
I was mere minutes away from pulling off the greatest achievement of my life.
Kissing Tene North.
That is until I heard the familiar scuffle of Mrs. Petitt.
It was unmistakable. We all knew it. It gave her away around every corner of the school.
And she was not about to ruin the greatest moment of my life…
I thought, I breathed, I prepared, and just as she rounded the corner I did what any man in jeopardy of losing his dream would do…
I…

To be continued…
Los

Mike Foster is one of the most selfless people I know.
It’s almost annoying. You know?
Like how the hell did he end up like that?
Why am I so in love with myself?
He makes people better.
He wrote this book that I believe will make you better.
It is a book called Gracenomics about unleashing the power of second chance living.
It will make you have grace for even the grace killers.
You can pick up a copy here…

It will mess you up and by the end of it…
You won’t be able to run away from Grace.
She will stalk and capture you.

When in your life have you needed the most grace from others?
Los

Another memoir?
Seriously?
End of chapter one…
Holy crap.
End of the night and End of book.
Holy crap.
When I read books it takes me weeks, months, not hours.
I read this in one night with a ice cream break in between.
Sarah’s writing style along with her fresh approach towards what it takes to be a growing believer captivated me for hours.
And now I am captivated by her other writing as well.
It is only so often that you find a voice that really is unique yet feels like you have known them forever.
Picking Dandelions does just that.
Just thought I would drop a new book in your lap that is well worth the time.
You can order it here…
You can read Sarah’s blog here…
You can follow her on twitter here…

What is it that you are currently reading right now?
Los

I just got 4 free books.
They are 2 copies of 2 of my favorite books published this year.
Problem is…I own them already.
The Divine Commodity and The Monkey And The Fish
I have 2 copies each.
So I’m feeling generous.
I’m gonna give them to you.
Just a fun 3 hour contest for my West Coast homies or those of you up late in the ATL.
I’ll give them away at midnight San Diego time.

1. Tweet this: My homie @loswhit wants 2 giv me 2 of his favorite books. Drop him a line hre http://tinyurl.com/yznncgn & U cn win 2.
2. Comment on this post and let me know your twitter name so I can make sure you are not a filthy, sinful, lying, wretched human.

I’ll choose a winner at midnight.
That’s if I make it till midnight.
And if I don’t.
Then you’ll have till I wake up.

This is so ghetto gangsta giveaway…
Go.
Los

Wasabi Gospel from Megan Johnson on Vimeo.

If the name itself is not enough to get you to buy the book, I should be.
You know me. I’m not a book contest blog.
Or at least I suck at being one as the winners of Mark Driscolls contest can attest.
But this guy is the real deal.
Shawn Wood has quickly become one of my favorite persons.
He is real, authentic, smart, sexy, and all sorts of other adjectives.
But BEYOND all that, this book will move you.
Think about it. The gospel of Christ. We treat it like some sort of sugary sweet and sour sauce most of the time.
The truth that Shawn brings in this book is this.
The Gospel of Christ should bring the tear inducing, nasal cavity cleansing, punch that some mean wasabi brings.
Read a Chapter and Buy it here…
Los

Look for the next books on the tweets…
Los

Yesterday Ragamuffin Soul had it’s 50,000th comment dropped.
You guys are amazing.
In honor of your commenting madness…
I’m going to give away 2 more Mark Driscoll Vintage Church books tonight at 10 pm.
All off of this post.
If you comment and answer this question you’ll be entered to win.
I’ll use www.random.org
Comment here on your favorite Mark Driscoll message and what is meant to you and you will be in the drawing for the book tonight at 10 pm.

Ready…Set…Go
Los

So I have 10 copies of Mark Driscoll’s Vintage Church to give away to the RagamuffinSoul.com community the next few days.
The email I got said this…

I know you have a vibrant, creative and active community at RagamuffinSoul.com with a heart for the Church.

He’s talking about you guys.  You studs…
I am going to be giving them away randomly…but daily.
Sometimes on twitter…Sometimes on here.
So to beefen up your chances, follow me on twitter here…

I’m giving away 2 copies today…
Here is how you win today…
1. From your existing or new Twitter account, create a twitter post with the following text: @loswhit is giving away a copy of Vintage Church by Mark Driscoll here http://tinyurl.com/bpfnz8 Comment with my twittername and we both win
2. Have your twitter follower leave a comment on this post with you as a reference.
3. I’ll check your twitter feed and make sure you play by the rules…
4. At midnight tonight, TN time, I’ll use http://www.random.org/ to pick a random winner from the comments and they will win a book and if you referred them YOU will win a book as well.

So if you are here because of a tweet you saw COMMENT BELOW TO WIN AND LET US KNOW WHO SENT YOU!!!
On your mark…Get Set…TWEET
Los

UPDATE ON RULES!!!! You can only comment once.  So if you have more than once…YOUR FIRST COMMENT WILL BE YOUR NUMERICAL ENTRY.  And if you have sent 50 people here…YOU HAVE 50 CHANCES TO WIN!!!  So you are NOT penalized for having a large following.  Your best chance to win is to send people here!!!

So I’m walking by one of my talented team members cubes and I overhear her on the phone saying…
“Oh my GOOOSSSSHHHH!!! So I just got this book. And it describes me PERFECTLY!!! I can totally relate to it. I think one of my boss’s friends wrote it. I just wish he would read it.”
I suddenly stop in my tracks and turn to see her holding a copy of Mad Church Disease.
When she realizes that I heard her conversation I could see the look of fear in her eyes.
A look that she got caught talking smack about her boss.
I fired her immediately to rid her of her Mad Church Disease.

OK. So that really didn’t happen.
THANK GOD!!!
But Erin did pull me over to show me that she had received her copy of Mad Church Disease and let me know that there is zero acknowledgment to the hours of prayer and fasting I put into Anne’s life.
So seriously.
I LOVE that she is reading it.
That means Erin will be a healthier church staffer.
If she applies the principles in the book she will have a longer run in full time ministry than if she wouldn’t.
Go buy the book.

What one thing contributes to your burnout?
Los