and orange juice, and clementines... In fact, I had 7 clementines today...
I know, pretty random post...
Monday, February 09, 2004
The Grammys
I liked the show overall, it was pretty entertaining. I have to admit, one of my main objectives was to try to stay in touch with popular and youth culture, I guess that's what happens when you are almost 35 *yikes*... Anyway, although I think I achieved my goal, I'm not sure how in touch youth are with the Grammys. Do high schoolers really watch the show, or care? It almost seems more like the establishment that so much of youth is always trying to rebel against. I mean, who cares how many albums they sell and stuff like that? And who really votes to decide who the winner is? Isn't it just a big bunch of corporate boondoggles?
Well, it doesn't really matter... I had fun, and to see Prince was pretty funny too.
I have to admit though, the below was probably my favorite. Those guys sounded really good.
I liked the show overall, it was pretty entertaining. I have to admit, one of my main objectives was to try to stay in touch with popular and youth culture, I guess that's what happens when you are almost 35 *yikes*... Anyway, although I think I achieved my goal, I'm not sure how in touch youth are with the Grammys. Do high schoolers really watch the show, or care? It almost seems more like the establishment that so much of youth is always trying to rebel against. I mean, who cares how many albums they sell and stuff like that? And who really votes to decide who the winner is? Isn't it just a big bunch of corporate boondoggles?
Well, it doesn't really matter... I had fun, and to see Prince was pretty funny too.
I have to admit though, the below was probably my favorite. Those guys sounded really good.
A Conspiracy of Married People
I walked in to the service yesterday from watching some of my SPACE kids talk about the next launch for Light Company (our middle school ministry) over at the Warehouse. D had saved me a seat so I sat down. She pointed to the guy in front of me and asked if I knew him. I said no. She then proceeded to tell me that this guy sat down in a seat the lady next to him was saving for her husband. Not only that, when she told him, he said, basically, 'since he isn't here, he isn't sitting here...' or something to that effect. He also shoved all of her stuff off of the seat. Of course, they went on back and forth for a little bit. Totally rude. Incredible. We just could not get over it. Needless to say, it blew Pastor M's message for us, which makes me pretty irate now that I think about it more and more. D had to leave for a few minutes she was so incensed.
I decided during the message that I was going to say something to him right when it was over. Maybe he was a visitor, maybe he got confused, maybe he's had a rough morning. I thought, I talk about how this is really my church, how we belong here, how I help out with students, that gives me - almost entitles me- to a sense of ownership. What happens here really is important to me. I belong here. Things that happen here affect me and my family.
So right when Pastor M was done, I jumped up, introduced myself, told him I help out with students. I asked him if he was new. Nope, been going here for a few years. What? Anyway, I won't go into the details, but D and I got nowhere with him. The gist was that he felt like he was entitled to a seat. And he was pretty bitter about all the married people saving seats, that married people were so bad and selfish about it, it made it very hard for single people to get a seat when they come early. What? I just don't get it. And I really didn't want to anymore. He was very amicable, just hard headed. In the end we chose to disagree and walked away from it, on a pretty civil tone. Not to mention that he used the word 'bullshit' two times in our conversation. Now, I'm not against using that word, but I wouldn't do it 1- in church, 2- with someone I just met. That's pretty lame. And I think it's pretty indicative of his heart. Shock people, be bitter, live life how you want to live it.
I'm still in shock. And I'm sad that the couple (she by the way left when the message started to stand in the back with her husband who in fact did come in) had to experience something like that at a church that I so believe in.
Let's just say that this guy won't be coming into any contact with my students if I can help it. At a minimum, he needs to clean up his mouth. At the extreme, he needs to work on his heart.
I walked in to the service yesterday from watching some of my SPACE kids talk about the next launch for Light Company (our middle school ministry) over at the Warehouse. D had saved me a seat so I sat down. She pointed to the guy in front of me and asked if I knew him. I said no. She then proceeded to tell me that this guy sat down in a seat the lady next to him was saving for her husband. Not only that, when she told him, he said, basically, 'since he isn't here, he isn't sitting here...' or something to that effect. He also shoved all of her stuff off of the seat. Of course, they went on back and forth for a little bit. Totally rude. Incredible. We just could not get over it. Needless to say, it blew Pastor M's message for us, which makes me pretty irate now that I think about it more and more. D had to leave for a few minutes she was so incensed.
I decided during the message that I was going to say something to him right when it was over. Maybe he was a visitor, maybe he got confused, maybe he's had a rough morning. I thought, I talk about how this is really my church, how we belong here, how I help out with students, that gives me - almost entitles me- to a sense of ownership. What happens here really is important to me. I belong here. Things that happen here affect me and my family.
So right when Pastor M was done, I jumped up, introduced myself, told him I help out with students. I asked him if he was new. Nope, been going here for a few years. What? Anyway, I won't go into the details, but D and I got nowhere with him. The gist was that he felt like he was entitled to a seat. And he was pretty bitter about all the married people saving seats, that married people were so bad and selfish about it, it made it very hard for single people to get a seat when they come early. What? I just don't get it. And I really didn't want to anymore. He was very amicable, just hard headed. In the end we chose to disagree and walked away from it, on a pretty civil tone. Not to mention that he used the word 'bullshit' two times in our conversation. Now, I'm not against using that word, but I wouldn't do it 1- in church, 2- with someone I just met. That's pretty lame. And I think it's pretty indicative of his heart. Shock people, be bitter, live life how you want to live it.
I'm still in shock. And I'm sad that the couple (she by the way left when the message started to stand in the back with her husband who in fact did come in) had to experience something like that at a church that I so believe in.
Let's just say that this guy won't be coming into any contact with my students if I can help it. At a minimum, he needs to clean up his mouth. At the extreme, he needs to work on his heart.
Saturday, February 07, 2004
Friday, February 06, 2004
James 1:27
As Charlie invests himself significantly in the lives of other people, his is finding fulfillment in, as Scripture says in James 1:27, 'visiting orphans and widows in their distress."
Read the whole story here.
As Charlie invests himself significantly in the lives of other people, his is finding fulfillment in, as Scripture says in James 1:27, 'visiting orphans and widows in their distress."
Read the whole story here.
Thursday, February 05, 2004
When Fellowship Fails
D and I have been talking a lot today about a couple that we know whose not doing to well. I think the church has failed them in many respects.
1 - They have made them 'do' too much, in terms of church programs. Teach this, lead this, be here for this. Despite your young family, despite the fact that there are older, wiser people, more along in their journey, who don't need as much time at home, all who are plenty capable to do those things.
2 - Their 'good' friends have failed to call them on some pretty significant issues. It's sad, because if I were in their shoes, I would want someone to say something, if they felt like it was a big enough deal. Like, "Hey, I think you being stoned while driving your kids to school is bad." Of course, I'm making that extreme example up. But if you were crazy, wouldn't you want your friends to say something?
3 - Their 'good' friends have seemingly almost given up on them. No one seems to be seeking them out when they don't show up for things they have made commitments for. It's almost that the couple has maybe given up on the idea that anyone would care.
It's pretty sad. But I do need to mention that, I'm not in any of their shoes, so I really don't know first hand. I could be more off than imaginable. I would hope, with all my heart, that if that was me/us, our fellowship would dive to any depths to rescue us. And if it was someone in our close midst, we would do the diving...
Pray for the Bs if you could, for restoration and the Enemy would leave them alone.
D and I have been talking a lot today about a couple that we know whose not doing to well. I think the church has failed them in many respects.
1 - They have made them 'do' too much, in terms of church programs. Teach this, lead this, be here for this. Despite your young family, despite the fact that there are older, wiser people, more along in their journey, who don't need as much time at home, all who are plenty capable to do those things.
2 - Their 'good' friends have failed to call them on some pretty significant issues. It's sad, because if I were in their shoes, I would want someone to say something, if they felt like it was a big enough deal. Like, "Hey, I think you being stoned while driving your kids to school is bad." Of course, I'm making that extreme example up. But if you were crazy, wouldn't you want your friends to say something?
3 - Their 'good' friends have seemingly almost given up on them. No one seems to be seeking them out when they don't show up for things they have made commitments for. It's almost that the couple has maybe given up on the idea that anyone would care.
It's pretty sad. But I do need to mention that, I'm not in any of their shoes, so I really don't know first hand. I could be more off than imaginable. I would hope, with all my heart, that if that was me/us, our fellowship would dive to any depths to rescue us. And if it was someone in our close midst, we would do the diving...
Pray for the Bs if you could, for restoration and the Enemy would leave them alone.
V Day 2004
So I'll spill the beans here, since I don't think anyone reads this.
The next SPACE launch, for both middle and high schoolers is on vday. We are going to throw a beach party at a Senior Citizens home. It's going to be cool.
The reasoning behind it is simple - we want to talk about love, on the day that the world takes time out to talk about love, in a different way. We want to impact a major segment of society, steering them into the meaning of true love. We want to expose these great, wise, old people to the author of real love, to the One that went all out, that spoke and acted on love that was greater than any other kind of love imaginable. And we want to get kids to do that.
Can I just tell you, I know God is going to use it strategically, in a pretty significant way...
Here are some of the plans:
- beach music
- limbo (but prob not for the senior citizens)
- vday cookie decorating
- vday card making
- a 'tell your true love story' thing (we'll have a computer and a printer and have residents tell us the story and we'll print it for them on some nice vday paper)
- some live worship
- a short gospel presentation (by one of our students, Leslie. This is probably what I most excited about - indigenous leadership - adult driven/student led, etc.)
We did this last year, with my Dteam from 03. We went to this place for 3 weeks just hanging out and helping with bingo, making friends, playing poker. On the last night ,we brought the girls from the grade, flowers, cards, pictures, etc. It was pretty neat. But I think this year is going to be better.
So I'll spill the beans here, since I don't think anyone reads this.
The next SPACE launch, for both middle and high schoolers is on vday. We are going to throw a beach party at a Senior Citizens home. It's going to be cool.
The reasoning behind it is simple - we want to talk about love, on the day that the world takes time out to talk about love, in a different way. We want to impact a major segment of society, steering them into the meaning of true love. We want to expose these great, wise, old people to the author of real love, to the One that went all out, that spoke and acted on love that was greater than any other kind of love imaginable. And we want to get kids to do that.
Can I just tell you, I know God is going to use it strategically, in a pretty significant way...
Here are some of the plans:
- beach music
- limbo (but prob not for the senior citizens)
- vday cookie decorating
- vday card making
- a 'tell your true love story' thing (we'll have a computer and a printer and have residents tell us the story and we'll print it for them on some nice vday paper)
- some live worship
- a short gospel presentation (by one of our students, Leslie. This is probably what I most excited about - indigenous leadership - adult driven/student led, etc.)
We did this last year, with my Dteam from 03. We went to this place for 3 weeks just hanging out and helping with bingo, making friends, playing poker. On the last night ,we brought the girls from the grade, flowers, cards, pictures, etc. It was pretty neat. But I think this year is going to be better.
What Church People Ought to be About
'I simply argue that the cross be raised again at the center of the market place as well as on the steeple of the church,
I am recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles:
But on a cross between two thieves; on a town garbage heap; at the crossroad of politics so cosmopolitan that they had to write His title in Hebrew and in Latin and in Greek, and at the kind of place where cynics talk smut, and thieves curse and soldiers gamble.
Because that is where He died, and that is why He died, and that is what He died about. And that is where Christ?s men ought to be, and what church people ought to be about.'
- George MacLeod
Taken from Scott's blog.
'I simply argue that the cross be raised again at the center of the market place as well as on the steeple of the church,
I am recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles:
But on a cross between two thieves; on a town garbage heap; at the crossroad of politics so cosmopolitan that they had to write His title in Hebrew and in Latin and in Greek, and at the kind of place where cynics talk smut, and thieves curse and soldiers gamble.
Because that is where He died, and that is why He died, and that is what He died about. And that is where Christ?s men ought to be, and what church people ought to be about.'
- George MacLeod
Taken from Scott's blog.
The Growing Church in Afghanistan
Read the quick blurb here
- a surprising 2 million refugees have come back, and some are bringing with them what they didn't have when they left: faith in Christ.
- It is unnatural for Afghans not to talk about God.
- Many had supernatural dreams, where Jesus appeared to them and revealed Himself to be the truth.
Wow....
Make no mistake, God is moving around the world...
Read the quick blurb here
- a surprising 2 million refugees have come back, and some are bringing with them what they didn't have when they left: faith in Christ.
- It is unnatural for Afghans not to talk about God.
- Many had supernatural dreams, where Jesus appeared to them and revealed Himself to be the truth.
Wow....
Make no mistake, God is moving around the world...
Wednesday, February 04, 2004
Tuesday, February 03, 2004
Holding on through the Teen Years
Good article here. I liked:
- Insist teens give you at least one day's notice of any request.
- If you can't stay up until your teen's curfew, sleep in his bed.
- Don't dismiss puppy love.
Some other good advice on acne, sleep habits and straight talk from (gasp!) actual teeenagers.
I thought most of the article was pretty right on. But on the other hand, it made me realize that the students I come into direct contact with, wow, some of these things don't apply. Because I think:
#1 - they are mature
#2 - they understand life's priorities correctly
#3 - they have a realization that they have it pretty good in comparision to the world around them.
Good article here. I liked:
- Insist teens give you at least one day's notice of any request.
- If you can't stay up until your teen's curfew, sleep in his bed.
- Don't dismiss puppy love.
Some other good advice on acne, sleep habits and straight talk from (gasp!) actual teeenagers.
I thought most of the article was pretty right on. But on the other hand, it made me realize that the students I come into direct contact with, wow, some of these things don't apply. Because I think:
#1 - they are mature
#2 - they understand life's priorities correctly
#3 - they have a realization that they have it pretty good in comparision to the world around them.
Monday, February 02, 2004
Jeopardy Winner volunteers with IJM
This guy writes about how he won on "Jeopardy" and went to volunteer with the IJM for a few weeks. It's nice to see someone live with conviction..... Read it here but you have to scroll down to "No, I didn't go to Disneyland"
This guy writes about how he won on "Jeopardy" and went to volunteer with the IJM for a few weeks. It's nice to see someone live with conviction..... Read it here but you have to scroll down to "No, I didn't go to Disneyland"
US States I have visisted
You can generate a map of states you have visited, as well as countries around the world you have visited too. Neat-o.
create your own visited states map
You can generate a map of states you have visited, as well as countries around the world you have visited too. Neat-o.
create your own visited states map
Super Bowl
Wow, of course lots of controversy about the commercials and especially the half time show from last night... Nothing more than I need to mention here, except that if you know me, you know I have a big disdain for professional sports. I usually never watch them, because I'm not convinced its a great investment of time and I think we as a culture have a slight problem with the way we treat atheletes and the amount of money we spend on pro sports. Please understand, I'm not taking shots, just reflecting how I personally feel. But despite all that, I watched the whole game, and it was quite a game. Kudos to the Pats and the Panthers on some good competition.
Read what Walt Mueller says about the Super Bowl here, find the heading "Lettin' it all hang out...". Very good critique. "I am fully aware that those who would be critical of my criticism will say I should have just turned it off. Sorry, but that's not the answer. I may not have watched it, but millions of other impressionable young kids will have. I think we need to be advocates for them and protect them from physical, emotional, relational, and moral harm." Go Walt!! We can't engage or dialogue if we hide from it...
Wow, of course lots of controversy about the commercials and especially the half time show from last night... Nothing more than I need to mention here, except that if you know me, you know I have a big disdain for professional sports. I usually never watch them, because I'm not convinced its a great investment of time and I think we as a culture have a slight problem with the way we treat atheletes and the amount of money we spend on pro sports. Please understand, I'm not taking shots, just reflecting how I personally feel. But despite all that, I watched the whole game, and it was quite a game. Kudos to the Pats and the Panthers on some good competition.
Read what Walt Mueller says about the Super Bowl here, find the heading "Lettin' it all hang out...". Very good critique. "I am fully aware that those who would be critical of my criticism will say I should have just turned it off. Sorry, but that's not the answer. I may not have watched it, but millions of other impressionable young kids will have. I think we need to be advocates for them and protect them from physical, emotional, relational, and moral harm." Go Walt!! We can't engage or dialogue if we hide from it...
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