Dustin Ahkuoi

Here is the short film I referred to in my previous post.

Ladies and gentleman…boys and girls of all ages…feast your eyes on…”That’s Magic!” from Whitestone Motion Pictures.

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/2604280]

I am so privileged to be surrounded by such creative artists…who also happen to be the people that I do life with. Recently my friends at Whitestone Motion Pictures finished shooting their new short film entitled “That’s Magic” – A tale of a magician who has lost his belief in true magic.

Usually you get to check out the behind the scenes after you have seen the movie…but in this case I thought you may like to check out the process behind the art. These guys work tirelessly to try and tell great stories through film. Brandon McCormick is the director of the film. Nick Kirk and Billy Wilkerson are the creative geniuses behind the music. These guys have been working hard at the craft of storytelling for years and years. Hopefully this will inspire you to work hard at whatever you are passionate about. The first video is a teaser for the film and the second is behind the scenes footage. ENJOY!

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/2443658]

Sometimes when I don’t know what to post I just click “new post” and go with it. So this is a hodgepodge of thoughts running through my head…

1) Proverbs 12:25 says “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad.” – I never want to be a person who withholds a compliment or an encouraging word to someone. It is interesting to me that when times get tough in my own life…i find myself hiding encouragement and blessing from people who deserve it. I think it is out of insecurity and lack of self confidence. I heard John Mayer singing…”Say what you need to say” this morning and it reminded me of this thought.

2) Miriam and I headed here for the night. We are not staying at the actual house but we are going to see the Christmas lights. We are actually staying here. HA! Luxury date on a budget – We are headed back the next day for the three Christmas services we are having here. It is such a privilege to serve at a Church like 12Stone. Real people, real struggles, real hopes and dreams - I love it! Miriam and I are so grateful for our family here in GA. Looking forward to seeing a new film called “That’s Magic” from these guys.

Check out the stage our design team came up with….it is beautiful!

3) A friend of mine has come up with a brilliant idea called “Gift Card Giver.” Many of us have used a gift card and left money on it…only for that card to sit dormant and rot away in our wallets. Jeff is a compassionate person with a brilliant mind…deadly combination! Miriam and I are searching through our gift card graveyard to see if we can contribute. If you have them then send them right away!

4) Tyler Hansbrough broke the all time scoring record for the UNC Tarheel basketball team. I watched a tribute video this morning and I must admit…I shed a single tear! I stinking love the Tarheels!

That’s all for today. Much Love to all!

One of the closest mentors and mother-like figures in my life has been guiding me through and challenging me to live a “fasted” life. There are so many things that try their hand and being my stability and my comfort. They are like obnoxious used car salesmen surrounding me competing for my attention. I hear their sales pitches everyday…”Get this and you’ll feel a heck of a lot better”…”Take this for a spin and you’ll never want anything else” – the only problem is when I give into their pitches I have more than buyers remorse over a car…because the pitches I get in my head are for things like food, sex, anger, bitterness and the list of addictions and behaviors goes on and on. Right now I am focusing on food primarily.

I am good at the extremes. I can go an intense diet…I can read diet books, print out charts and attempt to follow them to the letter. The only problem is those things fizzle out 100% of the time for me. I posted a blog a couple of months ago about our churches fit club. Don’t know if anyone noticed but their was not another post about it after that…because I never did it. I was reading an article the other day on msn.com that was a “Where are they now” Biggest Loser TV show update. I was not surprised to see that many of the contestants had gained anywhere from 30 to 50 pounds back since their season finale show. No one that I know has 5 to 10 hours a day to work out…and they don’t have a TV audience of millions to see them do it. These shows can inspire…but i don’t think they truly instruct.

What is a fasted life? I am still learning that. What I am finding right now is that it is a life that requires a deeper level of focus than just going to the gym 5 times a week. It is an understanding of what it is that sucks life out of you and brings death. For me…I am not fully myself when I am weighed down…and I mean weighed down both literally and figuratively. How can I train my spirit to gauge my eating…rather than just a calorie counting card. Dieting resources are helpful to me…but they often do not address the deeper issues as to why I run to food in the first place. Do I really see over eating as life or death? Because for me it is. I can do 40 day fasts…they are extreme and necessary for me in some seasons. But the real challenge for my soul is can I “fast” on a daily basis from that which brings me down.

This is a question I am still figuring out.

The video below is of Miriam singing a song called “Man of My Dreams”

I think she wrote it over 8 or 9 years ago. This was the first song I ever heard her sing. I remember being captivated by her then…and I am still captivated by her to this day. She is stunning on the outside and she has a beautiful spirit on the inside…her laughter is infectious…her heart for others is inspiring. I am privileged to call her my bride. Enjoy…

“In the end, the only thing you really own is your story, I’m just trying to live a good one.”

This was a line that Hugh Jackman’s character Drover said in the movie “Australia”

A good story contains many elements. Conflict, resolution, character development to name a few. I like happy endings…but if a story was nothing but happiness the entire way through I would probably change the channel out of boredom. If the characters in the story were perfect, non complex people I would most likely not develop a strong attachment to them…they would seem lifeless to me.

My life is a story…your life is a story. A story of failures, flaws, successes, triumphs, quirks, laughter and so much more. Our stories are not over yet…the BEST parts are yet to come. Sometimes my story doesn’t feel compelling…doesn’t seem to be unfolding the way I want it to…BUT…I am developing as a character…pressing through conflict. My hope is that along the way I can inspire people with my story…that they can feel attached to my character and in turn it will inspire them in their own unfolding story. I have been inspired by so many peoples story. Some of them have captivated me and propelled me towards becoming a better person.

So sad ending or happy ending – selfish or giving – loving or bitter – my story and character is unfolding as we speak.

 I just want to live a good one.

Saw this clip the other day. I am usually a fan of Kanye…but in this performance I think the LED screen behind him stold the show! The color and images are pretty spectacular. Enjoy…

The thoughts expressed here were sparked by a very well written post from one of my best friends in the world – Josh LeRoy. Please take the time to go read his thoughts if you have a chance.

Diversity is a beautiful thing…different languages, foods, music, skin tones and cultural practices.  The diversity of churches, schools, neighborhoods and other organizations has always produces a unique tension within me. On one hand I don’t have a problem at all with people forming their own groups based upon culture. Many of us want to feel accepted and comfortable around collection of humans who share our humor and all of the other things that we love in life. But on the other hand I do not like when the differences divide us. I truly believe that their is still an undercurrent of hatred and disdain among different races and cultures that goes unspoken face to face. I don’t have the answers as to how to solve this…but I am learning more about the deep roots of this issue.

Miriam and I spent our Thanksgiving break in Charlottesville, VA. While there we visited Monticello…the former home of Thomas Jefferson. As I was reading some of the facts posted about his life I found something that struck me as surprising. Thomas Jefferson inherited over 100 slaves when he purchased his home. He was in opposed to slavery and he once called the institution an “abominable crime,” a “moral depravity,” a “hideous blot,” and a “fatal stain” that deformed “what nature had bestowed on us of her fairest gifts.”  However…in his lifetime he freed 2 or 3 of his slaves. When he died his estate was in so much debt they had to sell his slaves in order to pay it off. In his writing called “Notes on the State of Virginia” he referred to blacks as inferior. He also made several other demeaning comments that basically questioned if the black race was even human. While on the tour of Monticello our tour guide made mention of his sexual relationship with Sally Hemmings who was one of his slaves. She talked about the “allegations” that he fathered on or more of her children…and then she paused, got really quiet and said pointing to the Declaration of Independence…”That doesn’t change a word on this document.” It was a strange and awkward moment for me.

It is no surprise to me that under the table racism is still very prevalent. It is woven into the fabric of our country. It is a generational sin that doesn’t just go away because we were not the ones who did it. Many of us including myself would probably say we were not racist…we may even point out the fact that we have “several friends from other cultures” – but I have been present in so many closed conversations where derogatory feelings towards another race in the form of humor were revealed…sometimes in the form of flat out statements. Deep down inside I think there is still a very present fear of that which is different from us.

I know we have come along way as a society. I do not propose that all cultures need to be fully integrated…as I said before there is beauty in diversity. All I am saying is that my recent trip to Monticello made me stop and ask myself…”What racist feelings are lying underneath the surface of my words. Thomas Jefferson spoke and wrote eloquently about freedom and his opposition to slavery…but his actions bore a striking contrast to his words. Is that true of me? What do I believe deep down in my heart…what am I saying and doing when those who i might offend are not around?

I love the North Carolina Tarheel basketball team. I was born in Chapel Hill and was raised no more than 5 miles or so from the UNC campus. I have so many childhood memories of sitting with my family and watching UNC basketball games.I have followed almost 26 seasons Tarheel seasons…I say almost 26 because the first memory I have is falling asleep during the 1982 (I was 6) championship game and waking up to see Michael Jordan hit what would be the game winning shot against Georgetown. I was down on Franklin St when the Heels won the title again in 1993 and I was glued to the TV when they beat Illinois for the 2005 National title. And this season…I am on edge. The Heels have played two top ranked teams and beaten them both by an average of 25 points. I am already taking a Monday off in April just in case they make it too the Title game…Chapel Hill here I come.

But sometimes i wonder what drives my passion more…the team or the place? The players and coaches come and go…but that never seems to change my love for the team. Maybe it is because it’s where I grew up. Maybe it’s because those games united my family around the TV and we had a chance to enjoy time together. Maybe I’m not cheering for Tyler Hansbrough or Michael Jordan as much I am for downtown Franklin St in Chapel Hill on a beautiful fall day. Maybe i am cheering because of the great times i had with friends during my years at Chapel Hill High. Just why does that powder blue color on the jerseys generate a tear? Am I rooting against the Duke Blue Devils because I dislike the team or because it was such a fun cultural part of growing up to despise the Dookies? Why do I always have a moment of silence as i am driving up to the Dean E. Smith center…and then start singing the “Ah Ah Ahhhhh” melody from little mermaid.

After reading the last part of the above paragraph you might be saying…”You’re obsessed and you need help” or “It’s just a game.” You’re correct…it is just a game…but I am not so sure that it is just the orange leather ball that I am cheering for. I think it is more about feeling connected to my roots…something that feels true and represents part of who I am.

What do you think? Team or memory?

I have always loved the opening music to this song ever since the first time I heard it. I had never seen the video until today and I love it! We all still have a playful kid in us! Enjoy the video…