That’s what SHE said: experiences over things, Christian bakers, the Lone Bellow, and more . . .

The truth is that buying or owning high end or name brand stuff has never been something that has turned me on — honestly, I’m pretty tight with my money. Tight, that is, until we’re talking about spending it on an experience with people I love — then you don’t have to try too hard to convince me to part with my cash. As it turns out, that there’s some logic to this: science suggests that spending money on experiences will bring you more happiness than spending it on things. The theory, as I understand it, is that because the thing you purchase is ever-present, you just get used to having it around — once you get over the initial rush of the purchase, its existence in your life becomes no big deal. An experience, on the other hand, is more transient, is therefore viewed as more meaningful

Via Live Simply, Love Freely 
I thought this list of 10 Situations Where Christian Bakers Should Refuse To Bake Wedding Cakes was a really effective (satirical) send-up of the hypocrisy of choosing not to do business with “sinners” . . .

The only thing worse than an unequally yoked couple is a couple where both of them are part of a false religion, or worse, atheism. Did you know that by selling a cake to a Hindu you’re actually endorsing the worship of Shiva and all the other Hindu gods? It’s true- you are. Same with selling a wedding cake to atheists- it’s basically as if you’re saying, “yeah, Richard Dawkins is right.” We need to be BOLD for the Lord, because if we sell cakes to atheists, Hindus, or God forbid, a Muslim, we are endorsing that entire belief system.

The Lone Bellow: best album of the year. It’s only April but I’m calling it.

I really appreciate this post from Rachel Held Evans talking about how her parents deal with her faith shift.

Which is why there are times when I want to track these other parents down, grab them by the shoulders and shout: Don’t you get it?! The easiest way to alienate your child for good is to make your love and acceptance of them conditional upon what they believe! Are your political and theological convictions really more important than that relationship? One of the most destructive mistakes we Christians make is to prioritize shared beliefs over shared relationship, which is deeply ironic considering we worship a God who would rather die than lose relationship with us.

If you are local check out the Newport Beach Film Festival this April 23 – 30. Lots of interesting movies coming up.