Flickr Fascination

One of my favorite websites is Flickr.com. Unfortunately it is through Yahoo and not Google, but sometimes you have to make concessions. But some people have an amazing talent with camera and photo programs. I really want to build photograph as a hobby, but I struggle remembering to snap the camera. But I can literally spend hours parusing people porfolios and admiring their work.

Here are a few photos that I really enjoy:

If you have a Flickr account let me know so I can check out your work.

Instruction: A Follow Up

I learned tonight that the break out session that I was supposed to teach this coming Sunday is actually a main session. In addition the main session material I'm to create the break out discussion questions as well.
No I didn't hear things wrong at the beginning. This was all sprung on me tonight.
Looks like I have some work to do this weekend.
Pray for me.

I'm thinking of opening with this; "Parent's, in this session I'm going to tell you how to better love your children, since you haven't done a good job so far."

Gots a nice ring to it...eh?

Engagement: A Follow Up

So this past weekend my sister and her fiance came and had lunch and spent the day with my parents. Apparently my parents were able to help guide them to, my opinion, a wiser decision of a longer engagement.
I believe the wedding date is now in the spring. And the Marine commitment by the fiance is a not yet a commitment and has some clearer and better circumstances surrounding it.
So I think I said this before, my only problem now is that I have had a chance to meet the young lad.
Oh, that and my sister still hasn't told me yet. Yep I may officially be last on her list of people to tell. I thought we were closer than this.
What do you do?

Recommendation

By way of Brain Seay's blog, A Simple Journey, I read a hilarious post entitled "Why I Am Not Emergent." As emergent continues to become a buzzword we'll see it stray from its roots and become a trend.
Read the post for yourself. But a couple of his points are:
1) I can't afford the clothing
or
5) ECM people eat their young.

Instruction

This coming Sunday I am participating in an awareness seminar at my church. Using much of the materials from Chap Clark's book Hurt and from the Parenteen organization we want to expose parents and adults to the world beneath.
Using two main sessions and two breakout sessions we want to introduce the adults to the reality of teenagers lives today, creating attitudes that empathize and then hearts willing to bring the hope and love of Jesus to students.
That last part is where I'm involved. I get to deal with the praxis portion of the afternoon. Taking our intellectual understandings and fleshing out practical steps of action.
Now anyone who has worked with students knows that youth ministry at its core is simple; connecting students with caring adults. That's the relative easy part. How does that look though?
How does that look for parents? for adult mentors? for student leaders?
I like how Richard R. Dunn in his book Shaping the Spiritual Life of Students refers to it. He calls this response by caring adults "pacing"? And I like the imagery. An experienced runner who controls his steps in order to train an novice athlete. Gradually the experience runner ups his tempo and rhythm bring the novice to his superior level.
What I've been wrestling with the last few days is confidence. I often doubt the authority that God has given me. I don't trust that God has placed gifts and a passion for students in my life that peers and other adults respect and appreciate.
Who am I to tell parents how to better love and care for their child?
Who am I to tell peers of mine, who I look up to, better methods of discipleship?

Anyways...
I've been rereading Dunn's book and I came across this passage that I really like.
Leading adolescents toward loving obedience rather than dutiful obligation requires walking alongside their hearts rather than simply teaching them to manage their external behaviors.

Quotation

"I fear, wherever riches have increased, the essence of religion has decreased in the same proportion. Therefore, I do not see how it is possible, in the nature of things, for any revival of religion to continue long. For religion must necessarily produce both industry and frugality, and these cannot but produce riches. But as riches increase, so will pride, anger, and love of the world in all its branches."--- John Wesley (1703-1791).

Ben Witherington III posted this on his blog today as a memo for Joel Osteen. A little underhanded unless he knows Joel, but humorous and insightful nonetheless. Good quote.

Anticipation

According to Andy at the Andrew Peterson and the Captians Courageous blog the new CD Ressurection Letters Vol. 1 will be available soon. The gang has been posting throughout the recording thoughts and videos. Actually some of the most humorous videos out there.

I first heard Andrew Peterson play at the University of Arkansas the summer of '98, opening for Bebo Norman and Caedmon's Call. The venue maybe held 150 people, but who could tell when you have front row seats. Instantly I connected with his music and lyrics. In Andrew, I dare say, that I had found someone who replaced the abrupt loss of Rich Mullins influence in my life.

And while things have changed in Andy's music career, Jamie (his wife) is not as active, and Gabe Scott has moved on as well, The Captians Courageous seem to be adequate replacements.

If you've never heard any of Andrew's work I recommend his album Love and Thunder, actually I recommend any of albums, but especially Love and Thunder and the song After The Last Tear Falls.

However recently on the blog Andrew posted the lyrics for a new song Hosanna. Check them out, I can't wait to hear them with music.

Hosanna

I am tangled up in contradiction

I am strangled by my own two hands

I am hunted by the hounds of addiction

Hosanna

I have lied to everyone who trusts me

I have tried to fall when I could stand

I have only loved the ones who love me

Hosanna

Oh, Hosanna

See the long awaited king

Come to set his people free

Oh, Hosanna

Come and tear the temple down

Raise it up on holy ground

Hosanna

I have struggled to remove this raiment

Tried to hide every shimmering strand

I contend with these ghosts and these hosts of bright angels

Hosanna

I have cursed the man that you have made me

I have nursed the beast that bays for my blood

I have run from the one who would save me

Hosanna

Oh, Hosanna

See the long awaited king

Come to set his people free

Oh, Hosanna

Come and tear the temple down

Raise it up on holy ground

Hosanna

We cry for blood

We take your life

Hosanna

We cry for blood

We take your life

It is blood and it is life that you have given

You have crushed beneath your heel the vile serpent

You have carried to the grave the black stain

You have torn apart the temple's holy curtain

You have beaten death at death's own game

Hosanna

Hail the long awaited king

Come to set his people free

(We cry) Oh, Hosanna

Come and tear this temple down

Raise it up on holy ground

Oh, Hosanna

I will lift my voice and sing

You have come and washed me clean

Hosanna

NFL Picks...Week 8

Detroit at Chicago = Chicago

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati = Pittsburgh

New York Giants at Miami (at Wembley Stadium in London) = New York

Philadelphia at Minnesota = Philadelphia

Cleveland at St. Louis = Cleveland

Indianapolis at Carolina = Indianapolis

Oakland at Tennessee = Tennessee

Houston at SanDiego = San Diego

Jacksonville at Tampa Bay = Tampa Bay

Buffalo at New York Jets = Buffalo

Washington at New England = New England (although this is a game they could lose)

New Orleans at San Fransico = San Fransico

Green Bay at Denver = Denver

Competition

While everyone is thrilled for the budding relationship of Jim and Pam, I say that they had better watch out because there are some possibilities out there that may become more topical around the water cooler. For instances

Leonard and Penny from The Big Bang Theory

Chuck and Sarah

Ned and Chuck
and

Ted and the Girl with the Yellow Umbrella

Eight Dollar Hot Dog

Be careful, this video may cause conviction.

Engagement

My beautiful and talented sister is engaged. I think she's told everyone but me. I think I'm hurt, but I also understand why she wouldn't have told me yet. She knows what I would say.

While I would want to support her, the circumstances of her engagement don't allow me to. Before I come across as a mean, insensitive, jealous (of whatever adjective I'm sure to hear) let me explain.

1. First as of the moment before I heard she was engaged, I didn't even know she was dating someone.

2. I've never met the person she is engaged to.

3. The person she is engaged to, she has adamantly told her family that they were just friends.

4. The person she is engaged to is re-enlisting and is moving east, so she would leave school early with only one semester to go.

5. She is insisting the wedding be this December.

6. If he re-ups he would surely go back overseas, which I wish on nobody during the first year of marriage. I've never been married and I can understand why that would be difficult.

7. She still has not told me.

I love my sister and I don't mind playing the role of big bad brother in her life. I want to see her have the best opportunity for a happy, successful, God-honoring marriage and I don't feel like this is how you prepare for that.

Sure her fiance may be a great guy and maybe the right man for her, but how would I know and why the rush and immediacy?

I don't know, maybe I'm wrong.

NFL Picks...Week 7

I just arrived home from church and before I turn on the TV I remembered I hadn't posted my picks. Here they are:

• Baltimore at Buffalo: I'm going to pick Buffalo at home
• Atlanta at New Orleans: New Orleans should get their first victory
• Arizona at Washington: Washington has continued to impress me
• San Fransico at New York Giants: I have to pick the Giants at home
• New England at Miami: New England, who can stop them?
• Tennessee at Houston: Houston, because I don't know if Young will play
• Tampa Bay at Detroit: Detroit has to win at home in order to win 10 games
• Kansas City at Oakland: Kansas City gets their running game going
• New York Jets at Cincinnati: Cincinnati should get a restart with this game
• Chicago at Philadelphia: Hard not to pick Philly at home, so I won't
• St. Louis at Seattle: For some reason I want to go with St. Louis, but I'll say Seattle at home
• Minnesota at Dallas: Dallas rebounds from last week
• Pittsburgh at Denver: I like Pittsburgh
• Indianapolis at Jacksonville: Indianapolis, Manning trives in the spotlight

I swear I'm not a Trekkie...

...but I can confess to watching and enjoying all the movies. And if I had the time I probably would sit down and watch all the old shows (someday!).

Seriously though, who can't get excited about the new J.J. Abrams film, coming sometime toward the end of next year, with a cast like this:

Chris Pine as Capt. James T. Kirk
You may know him from: Just My Luck with Lindsay Lohan (I wouldn't but you may) or Smokin' Aces

Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard McCoy
You may know him from: The Lord of the Rings, The Bourne Supremacy or Pathfinder

Zachary Quinto as Vulcan Scientist Spock
You may know him from: Heroes

Simon Pegg as engineer Scotty
You may know him from: Shawn of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Mission: Impossible III

John Cho as helmsman Sulu
You may know him from: Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle, The American Pie movies

Zoe Saldana as communications officer Uhura
You may know her from: The Terminal, Drumline, Pirates of the Caribbean, Guess Who

Anton Yelchin as navigator Chekov
You may know him from: Alpha Dog,
&

Leonard Nimoy, will apparently play an older version of Spock in the movie.
Of course you know that he was the original Spock

Eric Bana will play a villain in the movie
You may know him from: Black Hawk Down, The Hulk, Troy, Munich

Why?

If anyone can tell me why all my posts are dated 2007-10-06 and how I can fix it I'll make you my hero for the day.

Attacked! 2007-10-18

I had an asthma attack at my community group this week. I knew I was in trouble the moment I got out of my car and noticed that I had left my inhaler at home. I'm highly allergic to cats (which makes me wonder what message my parents are sending me by owning a cat) which can trigger an attack. And of course the saint who host our group has a cat (I have to remind myself that yes God loves cat people too).

I struggled through our Bible study but as we shared and laughed during our prayer time it became more and more of a chore to breathe. After prayer Chris turned to me and noted how he could hear me wheezing throughout the prayer.

Lately it's been a real burden. I usually fall asleep at night on with my inhaler in hand and wake up in the middle of the night searching for it. I find that it was the pain in my neck, literally, I fell asleep on the inhaler.

The most frustrating thing though is when someone says something like, "I know how hard it is, I had asthma once." or "I used to have asthma so I remember how difficult it is". Um...I hate when people say that. I guess the only thing I might be able to compare the difference to would be if I said to someone who had AIDS, "I feel for you, I had AIDS when I was a kid, so I know what you're feeling." It's not that I don't appreciate you trying to empathize, but you don't know burden of living with the disease like I have to. Plus it's like telling a man who's starving to death that you understand hunger while you eat a steak.

OK, that's enough of my complaining.

Breath deep my friends

The Cross of Christ

Next Wednesday evening I'm teaching on the cross. I've read the texts, read (and reading) the commentaries, listening to the sermons, sang the songs, reading the books and I still haven't found the "angle of the diamond" that I want to focus on and illuminate.
In some ways I feel "intake overload" and I haven't found my creative gear.

Any ideas?

Did anyone know this?

I am so eager to see if this is true.
That and to see if anyone knew this.
Having trouble remembering which side your gas tank is on, and you don't want to ruin your perfect mirror set up...well...

Owings?

How does Arizona go with Owings when your down 0-3 in the NLCS? Your season is on the line. I say you have to start Brandon Webb.

2007-10-14 9:17pm

I'm struggling with what God's telling me, but I'm also strangely at peace with it too.

Why I Don't Gamble

If you've been following my NFL picks for the last few weeks you already know why. I actually started out the season fairly well having two positive weeks, but these past three (four) weeks have been horrible.

In 1990 (I believe) I bet a neighbor $5 that the Oakland Athletics would sweep the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. Big bucks for this middle schooler. And what a decent bet. Oakland was the defending champion and had been to the World Series the past two years. They had Ricky and Dave Henderson, Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco, Walt Weise, Dave Stewart, the "Eck" and so many more. But the Reds sweep the A's. I had to pay up $10 and that was my last money bet ever.

This year my dad wanted to bet me that Dallas would be 10-0, and the he said 16-0. Yeah I know...he's silly. But after the win over Chicago I had to actually get out their schedule. When I say the match up for week 6...pure relief.

I hate the Cowboys. Thanks New England.

And I'm so proud of my '9ers this week. Of course they were off, but still...

NFL Picks...Week 6

Minnesota (1-3) at Chicago (2-3) = Chicago
Miami (0-5) at Cleveland (2-3) = Miami
Washington (3-1) at Green Bay (4-1) = Washington
Cincinnati (1-3) at Kansas City (2-3) = Cincinnati
Philadelphia (1-3) at New York Jets (1-4) = New York
Tennessee (3-2) at Tampa Bay (3-2) = Tampa Bay
Houston (3-2) at Jacksonville (3-1) = Houston
St. Louis (0-5) at Baltimore (3-2) = Baltimore
Carolina (3-2) at Arizona (3-2) = Arizona
New England (5-0) at Dallas (5-0) = New England
Oakland (2-2) at San Diego (2-3) = San Diego
New Orleans (0-4) at Seattle (3-2) = New Orleans
New York Giants (3-2) at Atlanta (1-4) = New York

David Crowder Band

I attended a David Crowder Band concert this evening. I forgot my camera in the truck and just used my phone's camera. Not the best quality. Besides who has time to take phots during such awersome music?
The message of this new album is extremely convicting. Our theologies and doctrines are not good enough by themselves. They must be expressed in deeds and actions. Proxy, proxy, proxy. Reading some scripture today reminds me how many people left Jesus crying and confused, because they don't know "what to do with a love like that".
How will I respond to the love of God tomorrow. I know my success and failures today, but what will I do with a love like that?
My prayer is for faith and faithfulness.

NFL Picks...Week 5

I'm sorry that my midweek posting is down. Of course I don't think anyone reads this so I'm apologizing to no one.

Anyways here are my week 5 picks and then I need to go manage my fantasy teams.

Cleveland at New England = New England, they'll go 16-0

New York at New York = New York, Jets that is

Jacksonville at Kansas City = Kansas City, because you have to pick one

Atlanta at Tennessee = Tennessee, cause Harington is hard to bet on

Seattle at Pittsburgh = Pittsburgh, I don't know why

Carolina at New Orleans = New Orleans has to win sometime

Arizona at St. Louis = Arizona, the 2 QB systems works

Detroit at Washington = Washington, they look good

Miami at Houston = Houston, Schaub's winning me over

Tampa Bay at Indianapolis = Indy because they are at home

Baltimore at San Fransico = San Fran, cause their my team and their at home

San Diego at Denver = Denver because their at home

Chicago at Green Bay = Chicago, Lambeau's not cold yet

Dallas at Buffalo = really I think Dallas will win, but because I hate them so much I'm picking Buffalo

It's Always Sunny

I love the TV show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” The characters are 100% unlikable, which I like…
If you haven’t seen it before, it is the best show Danny Devito has ever been on… yep I said it…EVER! Better than Taxi, better than Cheers, better than any show.

So anyways it was on last night and here are a couple of thoughts I had from the viewing:

1. I think Diaper Time is great! Better than Peanut Butter Jelly Time with a Baseball Bat.
2. “Toyko drifting leads to bickering which leads to karate” is some of the wisest logic I’ve heard in a while.

The previews for next week had me cracking up. Apparently Dee is dating a guy whom the rest of the gang thinks is mental challenged.

Dee: What if he’s an idiot savant?

Charlie: What if he’s just an idiot?