Pancakes Vs Prayer

International House of Pancakes is suing Kansas City based International House of Prayer for ‘allegedly’ violating their trademarked name ‘IHOP’. I'm sure Mike Bickle thought this name through when he started the ministry, right? I mean, IHO-Pancakes has been around for a long, long time. It's a nationwide chain, an American tradition, a household name. But really, IHO-Pancakes and IHO-Prayer have nothing in common. I'm sure the number of people that have walked into a IHO-Prayer and ordered a Root Tooty Fresh ‘N Fruity is nonexistent; and the incidents of folks walking into a IHO-Pancakes looking for the prayer room is slim to none. It seems that IHO-Pancakes is concerned that customers might think that they are ‘Christian.’ Wouldn't want that to happend now would we! Anyway...

I'm interested to see how this plays out.

Read more here: On IHOP's griddle: a trademark lawsuit

“No Excuse Drill Sergeant!”

In January 1990, after graduating from high school a year late, I found myself going nowhere fast. I had no plan, no vision and no hope for my future. After sinking deeper into drugs, drinking and depression I decided that I needed to remove myself from my surroundings. I figured if my parents couldn’t straighten me up and if I couldn’t snap out of the funk I was in that maybe the Army could get me back on the right track. I thought that voluntarily joining the Army would be more beneficial than spending time in prison; this was ultimately the direction that I was heading.

I signed up that summer and toward the end of August 1990 I was shipped off to Fort Jackson, South Carolina for basic training. The truth is, the Army basic training program is much easier than the Marine boot camp however, I did not know this at the time. I remember being filled with anxiety because I had no experience being on my own for very long nor did I have even a vague idea of what I was about to encounter. I held on to the last words my dad told me as he walked with me to the recruiter’s car on the morning that I left. He said, “They can’t eat you, son. It’s all a mind game. Do what they tell you, don’t rock the boat, and you’ll be fine.” I made it through basic training without a problem. Dad was right; it was a mental game and a test of my resolve. I viewed my time there as a game. I followed the rules, had a great time and emerged a changed person. I had become more confident, disciplined and optimistic.

In basic training the fundamental military education is designed to incorporate important lessons in individual character development and team building. One of the more memorable character lessons was in the area of personal responsibility.

There’s something about taking responsibility for a mistake that makes some people shudder. They squirm when caught in an error. They get nervous, their heart begins to race and then they give an excuse, or they pass the blame or they lose their temper.

I remember, when I was a youth, being upset about doing some yard work before going out with my friends one Friday night. I began taking out my aggression on the garden fork, slamming it on the dirt as I dug. After a couple of times smashing it to the ground, I snapped the handle in two. I looked back to see if my mother was watching. Her back was to me so I grabbed both pieces in one hand and did my best to hold it as if it weren’t broken. I made some excuse that I preferred the other, older garden fork and walked over to the tool shed. I swapped out the broken garden fork for the older one, hiding the broken fork behind the fifty-five-gallon barrel that held all the yard tools. I returned to the place where I had been working and nervously resumed my digging. After a few minutes my mother asked me to bring her the garden fork that I had just put away. I acted like I didn’t hear her. I was trying to buy some time so I could make up a story; an excuse for breaking the garden fork. It’s amazing how quickly our minds turn to lying instead of telling the truth.

In basic training the drill sergeants wanted to break us from the habit of making excuse early on. They were very clear about their expectations. They told us, “We don’t want any excuses, ever. Your response will be ‘NO EXCUSE DRILL SERGEANT!’”

“Private, why are your boots not polished?”
“No excuse drill sergeant!”

“Private, why is your bunk not made?”
“No excuse drill sergeant!”

“Private, why is your wall locker a mess?”
“No excuse drill sergeant!”

“Private, why is your uniform all dirty?”
“No excuse drill sergeant!”

If we gave an excuse for the inexcusable, we were immediately punished by doing push-ups until we could not do any more. By saying “No excuse drill sergeant!” we were being forced to take personal responsibility for our actions, no matter how trivial they seemed. We were becoming conditioned, trained to admit to our mistakes. We were being broken from that bad habit.

I once had an employer who would not tolerate employees who did not take responsibility for their mistakes. It drove him crazy when he would find broken equipment that was not reported. To my employer, this behavior was indicative of an unethical individual and usually resulted in termination.

Why is it hard for some people to admit that they are wrong? Is it an issue of pride or selfishness? Is it a rebellion against submitting to authority? Is it a fear of facing the consequences of bad conduct? Whatever the reason, this habit holds people in bondage. It is an evasion or concealment of the truth.

Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
Proverbs 28:13 (ESV)

When someone conceals a transgression by lying, that one lie turns into two lies, which turns into four lies, which becomes sixteen lies, and on and on. Becoming tangled in a web of lies is not a pleasant situation to be in. Once found out, trust is lost and usually hard to get back. Telling the truth by admitting to a fault can save someone a lot of time, trouble and heartache.

There is something about admitting to a mistake that is liberating. We’re human, we’re fallible, and we will make mistakes. When we admit to our mistakes we are released of the burden of being perfect in everyone else’s eyes. Messiah Yeshua said that when we abide in His word we will know the truth, then the truth will set us free from the bondage of sin (John 8:31-37).

Admitting to errors helps us to grow so we can then move on to greater things. When we conceal the truth it stunts our growth and prevents forward movement. The only place to go is back; and nobody wants to be a backslider.

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Bernbach Rocks!

Upon graduation from the Art Institute of Dallas in 1995, I landed a job at a small design firm called McMann & Tate (Yes, they got their name from the advertising agency that Darren Stevens worked for on the TV show Bewitched.) Here I learned the art of production; that is, how to prepare artwork for the press and/or the Internet. I did very little design at M&T but I did learn the ins and outs of the printing process and how the Internet worked. After a year and a half of production training a co-worker informed me of a job opening in the new media department of a large advertising agency called DDB Needham. They had the Pepsi account and were going on their second year of managing the Pepsi website. We had a mutual friend at DDB on the Pepsi web team who was contacting all AID alumni to apply. I applied immediately and got the job.

Working at DDB was a major milestone in my career. The experience that I gained was invaluable and in many ways more influential than the education I received at AID. During my tenure at DDB I worked solely on the Pepsi website. I’ll write more about Pepsi at a later time.

After a few weeks as an employee I began to do research on the agency, DDB Needham. I was not familiar with any advertising agencies or with the advertising industry in general for that matter. I must admit, my attraction was with the client and not the employer. When I heard “Pepsi” I thought, “Yes!” When I heard “DDB Needham” I thought, “Who?”

The first thing that I learned was that DDB stood for Doyle, Dane, and Bernbach; the surnames of the three men that started the firm in 1949. I didn’t find any information on Doyle or Dane but it became obvious right away that the creative force behind the organization was Bill Bernbach (1911-1982). The ‘Needham’ part was added to the name in 1986 when Needham Harper Worldwide acquired DDB after Bernbach’s death.

During my in-house research I came across a book titled Bill Bernbach's Book: A History of the Advertising That Changed the History of Advertising. This large coffee table book is an overview of the creative and innovative work of Bill Bernbach and his team at DDB. To this day I continue to look to this book for inspiration. Another gem that I discovered was a small hardcover book of Bernbach quotes called Bill Bernbach Said.... This collection of thoughts and ideas is another inspiring resource that I return to on occasion. These two resources alone helped me to understand the significance of the DDB name and to appreciate the company that I had hired on to.

Besides the sporadic article here and there, these two books have been my only source of information about Bernbach and DDB. However, last year a book was written about Bernbach that is said to expose his shortcomings and bring to light the skeletons in his agency closet. It seems that the author is capitalizing on the now popular Mad Men; a cable show set in the early 1960’s about a fictitious advertising agency. The show frequently references Bernbach and DDB. I have yet to read this book or see an episode of Mad Men.

Regardless of what happened behind the scenes, the fact is that the creative work that came out of the DDB office was groundbreaking and it revolutionized the advertising industry. Today, Ad Age Magazine still lists Bernbach as the most influential person in advertising history.

Watch the embedded videos below to catch of glimpse of Bernbach’s creative philosophy. Warning: If you are not much into advertising (or the creative process), this interview might bore you :)

Bill Bernbach on Advertising 1/2



Bill Bernbach on Advertising 2/2




 Related Articles:
The Advertising Century: No 1 of 100 – William Bernbach (1911-1982)
The Advertising Genius of Bill Bernbach
Bernbach's Fatal Flaws: A book about the legendary adman lays bare his mistakes
Bill Bernbach Said... (PDF, 209 kb)

Jew or Not Jew: Bill Bernbach 

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The "Donkey in a Ditch" Principle: A Quick Look

When we came into an understanding of the relevance of the Torah in our lives as Believers, the writings of the Apostles began to make sense more than ever. It became easier to identify and understand Hebraic idioms and references. In addition, the fact that Yeshua was Jewish and lived a Jewish life became apparent. After reading the ‘New Testament’ in light of the Torah, we were then confronted with the task of finding modern application of Yeshua’s instructions and teachings. At the congregation we attended we were introduced to some principles that were based on Messiah’s interpretation and application of the Torah. One of these is the “Donkey in a Ditch” principle. I don’t remember this principle ever clearly explained by the congregation’s leadership but the implicit understanding by the congregation was something like this:

If you find yourself in a situation that requires immediate attention it is permissible to miss the Sabbath Convocation and break the commandment to Rest (Lev 23:3) in order to address the situation. And, the individual determines the validity of the situation.

Members of the congregation used this principle to justify attending family gatherings, graduation ceremonies, weddings, and birthday parties. Some worked on their houses, their cars, or their yard. But is this really what the “Donkey in a Ditch” principle is about? Is the “Donkey in a Ditch” principle even Biblical?

After a quick search on Study Light I did not find the exact phrase ‘Donkey in a Ditch’ in the Gospels however, I am quite certain that this phrase originated from the following verse in the Gospel of Luke:

Then He answered them, saying, "Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?"
- Luke 14:5 (NKJ)

Here is the verse in context:

1 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely.
2 And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy.
3 And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"
4 But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go.
5 Then He answered them, saying, "Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?"
6 And they could not answer Him regarding these things.
- Luke 14:1-6 (NKJ)

Whether the Pharisees were trying to setup Yeshua or not by putting this guy with dropsy in front of Him, the point is that He healed the guy on Shabbat. He likened healing this guy to pulling a donkey or an ox out of a well. If the animal isn’t pulled out of the well, it will surely die. If saving the life of an animal is something worth ‘breaking a sweat over’ on Shabbat, how much more should we care for a person! We can surmise from this passage that healing someone from a condition that diminishes his or her quality of life is permissible on Shabbat; and if on Shabbat someone fell in a well, if it is a matter of life and death, there should be no uncertainty that they are to be rescued.

There is a passage in the Gospel of Matthew that is very similar to the passage we just looked at in Luke. It takes place on Shabbat but this time the setting is in a synagogue and there is a man with a withered hand. The people in the synagogue ask Yeshua if it is lawful to heal on Shabbat (Mat 12:10). He responds by saying:

“Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” - Matthew 12:11,12 (ESV)

He then proceeds to heal the withered hand and the people conspire to kill Him so He leaves. (I guess for these people it was permissible on Shabbat to kill someone. Ha!) In this passage we see Yeshua compare rescuing a sheep out of a pit with healing a man’s withered hand. If the sheep was left in the pit it would die but if the man lived with a withered hand, he would not die; rather his quality of life would be diminished. The withered hand was not a life or death situation but, because the man is more precious in the eyes of God, healing him on Shabbat is good; it is lawful. It is lawful to save someone’s life on Shabbat as well as heal them when they are experiencing non-life threatening illnesses or physical conditions.

So based on this brief look at these two passages, what is the “Donkey in a Ditch” principle? I define the “Donkey in a Ditch” principle like this: on Shabbat is permissible to save someone’s life as well as heal them from illnesses, physical conditions and demonic oppression. It’s as simple as that. Going to a wedding ceremony is not a “Donkey in a Ditch” scenario. Taking a child to a soccer tournament is not a “Donkey in a Ditch.” If you are not remembering and observing Shabbat, call it what it is and don’t try to justify it with the ol’ “it’s a donkey in a ditch” excuse.

When I was a young believer, still learning all this Torah stuff, I claimed that digging out and repairing the water main to our home was a “Donkey in a Ditch.” In my mind it was a life or death situation—we can’t live with out water! I believed it diminished our quality of life—how would we shower? Besides, my neighbor who was a plumber was only available to help me on Saturday and he wasn’t going to charge me anything! However, I did have to go out and rent a jackhammer. The real problem was that I didn’t want to take off from work on Monday to take care of the busted pipe. We had vacation plans and using one of my vacation days would have interrupted our plans. Wahh!

We need to ask ourselves, is there a good reason to miss the Sabbath Convocation and break the commandment to Rest (Lev 23:3)? Life or death situations are a given. I’m talking about another justifiable reason to miss Shabbat. What about a funeral? Paying respects to someone that has passed away is a good reason to miss Shabbat, right? Think of someone who is really close to you. Would you miss Shabbat to go to his or her funeral? Consider this…

According to the account in the Gospel of Luke Yeshua died on Friday afternoon. This means that Shabbat was quickly approaching. What did His disciples do with His body? Did they consider this a “Donkey in a Ditch” that took priority over the commandment to rest? Did they stop everything in order to bury Him? Keep in mind this is Yeshua we’re talking about here. The Master! The Messiah! The Son of God! This is what His disciples did:

50 And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man
51 (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God;
52 this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
53 And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain.
54 It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
55 Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid.
56 Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes.

And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.
 - Luke 23:50-24:1 (NAS)

Did you catch that? Just hours after Yeshua died "on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment." They kept the Sabbath. This passage gives us a glimpse of the significance of Shabbat in the lives of the disciples of Yeshua. They didn’t even miss it in order to arrange a proper burial for their Messiah.

Again, we need to ask ourselves, is there a good reason to miss the Sabbath Convocation and break the commandment to Rest (Lev 23:3)?

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Wow. Great photos. An inspiring Blog for designers...

Design Fabulous is the Blog of 18 year old Korean Canadian product design student, Andrew Kim. In his blog Andrew posts photos of 'good design' in the world around him along with his own student projects. The photo below is taken from the post entry "Living with the iPad" where Andrew compares traditional media with the Apple iPad.

Check it out, won't ya...

http://designfabulous.blogspot.com/

 - mdg

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