A few thoughts on Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods...

So Amazon bought Whole Foods and the corner of the market dedicated to groceries lost its mind. I can understand that. It was a bit of a surprise out of left field. Earlier today I read an article on Vox about the whole thing (find it here), in which they do a great job of breaking down why everyone in the produce business is on edge. In a nutshell, amazon doesn't hold cash, they reinvest. Furthermore, their business model appears to involve growing the reach of their company while incredibly sacrificing profits. This is believed to bode for inconceivably low prices in the future for Whole Foods shoppers, and that is believed to spell the end of profitability for any other grocery.

All of this brought a question to mind.
In history, how many widgets or products have, over time, NOT gotten cheaper or seen their profit margins get slimmer?
Immediately, I thought of gold and other precious substances, but these are raw materials, not an end product. Admittedly, many grocery items could be considered raw materials, too, and that is part of what makes this question interesting.
Automobiles were once for only the richest among us. Now we sell them on craigslist and donate them to Goodwill. I could give other examples, but you have better things to do.
Should we be shocked that the produce part of the market appears to be in for a dip in profits? Is this part of the natural evolution of the market or is this acquisition of Whole Foods destined to be an outside agency causing havoc on the market, and requiring other outside forces to come to the rescue? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

The Mission Trip Unicorn

I'm going on a mission trip. Those words have some great magic to them, don't they? "Mission trip..." It almost sounds like someone should be blowing trumpets. Lots of majesty when you say "mission trip," right? 
Well, I kinda hate that. 
I remember when I was a kid, going on a mission trip was a big deal. There was some sort of holy panache about it. Why? 
On this particular trip, I'm going along with some college kids from Lipscomb University, in Nashville. I'm kinda doing a little bit of my own thing when I get there...gonna spend my time as a guest instructor, teaching woodworking to (former) street kids in Nairobi. People have done amazing things to support me in going. 
Know what, though? All that magic...all the razzle-dazzle of the "mission trip..." it's not there. It's not special. It's not really a big deal. Can I just not call it a mission trip? Is that okay? 
Now, I do need to clear something up. I am not unhappy that the mystique is absent. In fact, I'm pretty happy, because this really just feels like a natural thing for me to do. I don't remember telling anyone about this trip and seeing them surprised that I would do this. Lots of people were excited. Lots were inquisitive about the details, but no big shock. 
That's because God has changed me. All this feels normal because, while I'm still far from perfect (just ask the people who know me best), God has transformed me to have desire for doing things that help others. For the next several days, I'll be doing that in Kenya. After that, I'll help people in Knoxville. The place doesn't really matter. It's the heart and what comes from it. How is your heart seen in what you do? It's my hope that, at some point, God will change who I am so much that every day of my life will look, to outsiders, like a big deal, magical, sparkly, amazing "mission trip," but to me, it'll just feel like another day of doing what I do. I'm not there yet, but for now I'm pretty psyched that the mission trip unicorn doesn't really come around any more. 

Honest Questions for Trump Protesters

Honest and transparent question time...

"Protestors" smashed windows with a variety of objects in
Washington, DC Friday. A Starbucks and Bank of
America were among buildings vandalized. 

I see all kinds of stuff about "protests" happening...people at the state capitols, people throwing stuff through windows... here's what I want to know; what is it, exactly, that people are protesting? What injustice has been done? Because, based on what many of the protesters are doing, you can't tell. There is no specific message being put forth that seems to add up to a protest. If they are simply protesting the fact that Trump is now President, that seems to make every bit as much sense as protesting that the sky is blue and water is wet.


I read that there is already a group that has formed to seek out his impeachment...within HOURS of his inauguration. Really? He hasn't even done anything yet. There were people screaming to impeach Obama for eight years. How effective was that? How many of those groups were seen as legitimate?

A limousine set ablaze by "protestors" in
Washington, DC on Inauguration Day

There are people out there destroying others' property in the name of "protest." (What did that Starbucks do to you?) This kind of thing isn't a protest. It's a temper tantrum at best and a mindless riot at worst. Violence and destruction of property is the equivalent of that kid flailing on the cereal aisle floor because he figures if he can cause enough of a scene and heap tons of embarrassment on his mom or dad, he will eventually get his way.

Where is the discourse?

Where is the intelligent exchange of ideas?

If you want to express some kind of dissent, please do it in ways that can be productive. Talk to your legislators. Make phone calls. Write letters. Write an editorial for the newspaper. Build a website and spread your ideas. Even if you disagree with me, I want you to express your ideas because I have been wrong before and I'll be wrong again. It might be something you say that helps me get better understanding. If you do this right, you can make all of us better. So, drop that brick or crowbar. Take a deep breath. Figure out how to verbalize what's in your head and your heart and then find someone to talk to about it all. I, for one, will be ready to listen.