Ebenezer:

God's plan and summer camp

2012-02-13T13:49:00.000-08:00

God is on a rescue plan to reconcile and restore his creation through Jesus Christ. God’s plan is pushed forward when broken creatures are made whole in Christ. Jesus, in turn, tasks his followers to spread this message of hope to the world.

It seems crazy that the God of the universe would use broken and fallible people to carry out his work. God shows his power in using his redeemed people to image him to the broken world around them– the church is the agency of God’s Kingdom.

So how does a summer camp fit into the plan of God?

Summer camp can be a valuable tool to help aid churches and push forward the mission of God.

If you’ve ever taken a retreat, you know how rich that time can be. While accomplishing his missionon earth, Jesus often retreated for times of solitude and prayer. A good retreat can bring perspective, focus, clarity, and connection with God.

In the same way, summer camp provides a change in environment that is pregnant with possibilities for the Spirit of God to work.

In an age of over-stimulation, instant gratification, information overload, and distractions vying for our every attention– it’s amazing we give any room for God’s voice.

Summer camp offers a break in routine. For a few short days at camp students leave behind cell phones, Internet, television, gaming, friends, everyday activity, influences, and other environmental factors. This cultural fast often creates a space for students to listen to God speak.

The core of a good camp is a gospel environment where life in Jesus is authentically preached, witnessed, and lived. The structure of the camp day often lends itself to this end with chapel messages, devotions, and times that inspire students, engage thinking and worldview, address heart issues, and provide practical tools to navigate through life as a follower of Christ.

Of course, it wouldn’t be camp without the fun, games, excitement, campfires, cabins, meals, traditions, activities, and all of those little things that make up the memories of summer camp.

With all of her bells and whistles, it is the quality of counselors and staff that make or break a summer camp. A good camp is filled with staff that love Jesus and have put their lives on hold for a summer to speak into the lives of students who are a step or two behind them in life stage. These life-on-life relationships often connect scripture with real life and model what it means to live for Jesus.

Philosophically, a poorly designed Christian camp will function outside of the church and create only an individual and emotional experience. A good camp will recognize that God’s plan is carried out through his people, as the church, and will work to support the church and connect students to local church bodies.
Time and time again, God uses the environment, people, and experiences of summer camp to draw students to himself and change lives for an eternity. Real Kingdom impact is seen as summer camps proclaim Jesus and partner with churches to accomplish God’s mission in his world for his Kingdom’s sake.

A Devotional Thought on Prayer

2011-11-22T14:59:00.000-08:00

So I'm sitting outside of a Coffee Bean in Downtown Palm Springs today reading and praying through Matthew chapter 6.

Just before Jesus gives his followers a framework in how to pray (Matthew 6:9-13) he warns them to not practice their righteous acts before men, but before God who sees in secret and rewards in secret. Jesus also warns his disciples not to heap up empty words towards God without intentionality.

The reason why we're not to heap up empty words made me stop and think.

Jesus says in verse 8, "...for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."

If our Father knows what we need before we ask him, then it's not for the sake of information that we pray. It's not for the Father's sake that we pray. We pray for our connectedness with the Father and our life participation in him- for aligning our heart to his heart, our thoughts to his thoughts, our will/desire/motives/etc to his.

We pray to make our life open and available for God's work- both in, through, and around us.

"Pray then like this:
'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'"

RWANDAN FORGIVENESS

2011-09-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves a good story of reconciliation... especially when the situation is so out of control that any hope of forgiveness and restored relationship between the two parties is out of the question.

The 2004 movie Hotel Rwanda starring Don Cheadle chronicled the horrific events of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide and one man's attempt to save as many of his countrymen as he could. Tensions between the Hutu and Tutsi people of Rwanda had boiled to the point of break. In the course of 100 days an estimated 800,000 Tutsis were slaughtered by the Hutus. Sick... sad... desperate... broken.

How in the world could there ever be any hope of future reconciliation between these two peoples?

The following video is an amazing story of reconciliation that shows the power of the gospel, the character of God in his people, and the peace that Jesus brings.

True forgiveness and restoration is modeled after the forgiveness that God is so eager to bring his creation.

Watch the full episode. See more Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

Goad for America - Episode 1 - Kids and Jobs

2011-09-03T16:22:00.000-07:00

My college roommate, Jeremy Goad, is running for President 2012... he's got some good points.

John Stott: 1921-2011

2011-07-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

John Stott passed away today at age 90.

The author of over 50 books was born in London, ordained in the Anglican church in 1945, and ministered at All Souls Church from his ordination until his death.
What a faithful man.

Stott is now in the presence of the One he served for so many years.

What an incredible example of what God can do with a life made available and sold out to Jesus Christ!

Click on the links below to reference John Stott articles in the following publications:
-NEW YORK TIMES
-CHRISTIANITY TODAY

Thieves & Liars

2011-07-26T21:02:00.000-07:00

I came across this band earlier this summer (thanks Greg) & I was impressed.

My head turned when I heard they were a Christian rock band.

They sound like classic AC/DC. It's just good rock n roll. Littered with tatts & enough long hair to choke a donkey, these guys are definitely in the wrong era and they flat out ROCK!!

But you don't have to take my word for it...
(said in my best LeVar Burton impression)

Take a listen:

LOVE WINS: a thought towards method/venue appropriateness

2011-06-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed Love Wins. Did I agree with everything? No. Did it make me think? Yes. And that, I think, was Rob Bell's goal.

The aftermath of Rob Bell’s Love Wins has left a wake of blogs, articles, and books soon-to-be published. Most of these writings attack Bell’s theological views on heaven and hell.

Some of them rightly question him on his treatment of scripture (The most glaring transgression in my mind is the misapplication of OT reconciliation/restoration passages to say that ALL people/nations will be restored to right relationship with God. When the context of these passages most clearly fall in line with God’s eternal plan for the people of God- now those in Jesus [cf. Genesis 12:3; Galatians 3:14, 28-29]). Others rip him apart and attack a view that would probably seem foreign even to Bell.

I’m upset and saddened by those who fall into this second category- mostly because of their misrepresentation of Bell’s views. I’ll admit, nailing down Bell’s thoughts on heaven and hell is a little like nailing Jello to the wall. There are few places in the book where you can get a concrete glimpse into where he lands. However, a fair treatment of Bell must be upheld regardless (And if you haven’t read his book, you can’t talk). Here is the litmus test: if Rob Bell were to read what you said he believes, would he agree? Sadly, with many of these articles I don't think he would.

So what am I adding to this discussion? In this blog, I will steer clear of conjecture and thoughts on Bell’s theological convictions on heaven and hell and speak towards his method and platform. While so much is being written about Rob Bell, I'd rather talk about my last visit to the chiropractor.

My neck was really tweaked. I looked sideways at my chiropractor with a half smile. He turned me around and quickly yanked my neck well beyond what was natural and normal (Is this even safe?!). I was immediately back to balanced. In order to re-align your neck, a chiropractor will extend your neck far past the natural range in order to get you back to center. If the chiropractor simply rotated my neck to normal, it would have quickly returned to jacked up. The over-extension forced my neck to rest normal once again.

This experience sheds light on what I believe Rob Bell is attempting to do with our thinking on heaven and hell. In his intentional line of questioning, he’s taking us well beyond what we’re comfortable with in order to bring us back to what he believes to be a more balanced position.

There are two ways to change someone's thinking. One, you can plead and tell them where they ought to be and hope they change their thinking more towards your view. Or two, you can get them thinking so far beyond their current position that they move closer to the view you actually want them to hold than they would have with method one.

If ever you want $40,000 (I don’t know when this would apply), you’re more likely to get the full $40K if you ask for $80,000. In the stretching and questioning of Love Wins, Bell is more likely to get drastic results in changed thinking on heaven and hell. However, this leads to a very important question…

Is it right for Bell to use this method in his bestseller?

While I respect Rob Bell, appreciate his heart, admire what he’s trying to do, and am grateful for some/many of his observations in his book (Especially his thoughts against an unhealthy divorce of heaven in the earthly realm and more towards a marriage/recognition of heaven in the earthly realm [read The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis or Jesus in the gospels.. ie- Matthew 6:10])- I believe his careless chiropractic method is reckless in his chosen medium.

Maybe his book is completely appropriate and effective for those in his church, the people he knows, and for his culture; but the same values don’t transfer when printed for mass media. The things Bell brings up would be great for a classroom setting or for shepherding someone through issues when you can walk with a person week in and week out as they wrestle through the questions. But when he tosses a grenade out to the general public without follow-up or instructions and says, “Here, fiddle around with it… you’ll figure it out” -it crosses over to the realm of carelessness.

And that’s what he’s done. Bell has introduced many ideas to be wrestled through without a guardian. Who will shepherd those going through his New York Times bestseller? Frankly, it shocks me that the chosen platform for this method comes from a man that plays the role of pastor. Isn’t careful shepherding and follow up the very thing that scripture calls church leadership to do (Titus 1:9)? What sorts of views and heresy will the masses form about Christianity with the platform Bell used?

Fortunately, neither the gates of Hell nor even Rob Bell can crush Jesus’ church (Matthew 16:18). But it doesn’t mean that a teacher like Rob Bell can be as careless as he wants (James 3:1).

What's in your brain?

2011-04-19T17:31:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago I ran across an LA Times article with a classic title:

"Man discovers a knife blade lodged in his head. It happens."

Apparently, some guy in China lived several years with a knife blade unknowingly lodged in his skull. I'm sure the final diagnosis made sense of his frequent headaches and occasional bleeding from the mouth and ears.

The story starts with the line, "If you have stabbing pains in the head, maybe it's because you were stabbed in the head."

We'll file this one under unusual and AWESOME.

Click here to read the FULL STORY.

Double Twilight ALL THE WAY!!

2011-02-07T18:03:00.000-08:00

I was sitting at a sports bar in the Sacramento airport when Christina Aguilera botched the lyrics to the National Anthem.

In all fairness, the Star Spangled Banner is probably one of the hardest songs to sing. Just picking the right key to finish the song without embarrasment is enough of a task, let alone singing in "a capella" nakedness in front of millions of people (169.2 million according to Nielsen Television Ratings).

It wasn't until the 4th line that the singing pop star tripped over her words. Superbowl XLV was just starting to crown as the Announcer spoke,
"And now, to honor America: 5 time grammy award winner, Christina Aguilera..."

Aguilera began strong,
"O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight
what so proudly we watched at the twilight's last gleaming?"

Miss Aguilera forgot the line about the ramparts gallantly streaming and instead sang of proudly watching the twilight's last gleaming... again.

I laughed out loud and quickly realized no one around me was laughing. You'd think California's State Capitol would be a good place to find people that know our Nation's anthem.. apparently not. Someone did, however, manage to shoot me a death-stare for laughing during the anthem.

I should have given Christina more credit for continuing on and belting out the notes she did in the latter part of the song. She clearly showed character and was seemingly "saucing it up" to make up for her earlier mistake.

Instead, I immediately changed my facebook status: "national anthem lyrics re-written.. thank you christina aguilera"

Forgiveable? Yes. Lord knows I've felt like the horse's patoot many times before. But if it were me, I'd like to think those lyrics would be etched in my brain before singing. There are lots of things you can't control: wind.. rain.. storms.. pigeon's crapping on you (just ask Kings of Leon), but memorizing lyrics is something you can.

I bet those lyrics are burned in her brain now... but hindsight is, well, you know.

Check out her performance below:

January 28, 1986

2011-01-28T12:09:00.000-08:00

"There's a teacher just like me on that Space Shuttle!"

We sat in awe on the floor of our 1st grade classroom watching the space shuttle launch. I tried to wrap my little 6 year old brain around the fact that a teacher just like ours was heading towards the stars.

Our teacher assured us this was a privilege. She had managed to obtain one of the few school televisions to be rolled into our classroom for the viewing.

Christa McAuliffe, a high school social studies teacher from New Hampshire, had won the "First Teacher in Space" competition. She was to be the first of several every day American citizens NASA would strategically take into space.

Nothing would prepare us for what we were about to see. 73 seconds into flight, the shuttle exploded before our eyes. The 7 crew members of STS-51-L would never be seen again.

Our teacher couldn't answer the questions we asked of her...
"What happened?"
"Is she okay?"
We didn't know how to translate tears and silence.

President Reagan appeared on National Television later that day to speak to me,

"And I want to say something to the school children of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's take-off. I know it's hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance at expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the faint-hearted, it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future and we'll continue to follow."
-Ronald Reagan

The entirety of his speech can be viewed below:

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the Challenger disaster. Oddly enough, I now live in the same town I did 25 years ago & I keep having flash backs to that January school day. I'm still processing what happened. My heart goes out to all of the family and friends of the crew.

the DIGITAL Story of the Nativity

2010-12-14T14:34:00.000-08:00

The Nativity Story set to Modern Technology... enjoy:

the RUNNING journals

2010-11-18T16:30:00.000-08:00

"Hey look! There's a man running!"

I've reached the age where it's awkward to run by an elementary school during recess.

I could hear their little 1st grade inner-monologues playing, "Stranger!" "Stranger danger!!"

And I can't blame them... I'm thinking the same thing thanks to Detective John Kimble.

And I'm not exactly sure how to solve this problem, so for now I think I'll just contemplate a new jogging route.

subway violin

2010-10-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

The following is an article I recently read that piqued my interest...

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later:

The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes:

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.

The questions raised:

*In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

*Do we stop to appreciate it?

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made…

How many other things are we missing?

see the REFERENCED ARTICLE here

On Parenting

2010-09-10T14:38:00.000-07:00

The Four Phases of Parenthood
Your role changes as your child grows. What’s yours right now?
by Bob Hostetler

It came as a shock. In the course of telling a story to my friend Jon, I mentioned that I had gone into my son's room to wake him up. Jon interrupted me.

"How old is Aaron?"

We both knew very well how old he was, but I told him. "Sixteen," I said.

"Why are you still getting him up in the morning?"

I had no answer. I felt like a bald man who's just been asked why he carries a comb in his pocket. Somehow, in the busyness of parenting two teenagers, I had held on to a habit that made sense when my children were preschoolers but now was far from appropriate.

That's when I decided to give more careful attention to the different phases of parenthood and to acknowledge areas where I'd lagged behind in parenting my daughter, Aubrey, and my son, Aaron. In doing so, I not only introduced a little more sanity to my life, but also prepared them — and me — for their fast-approaching independence.

Phase One: Commander
In the first years of a child's life, a parent does everything for him. The parent functions as a benevolent dictator, telling the child who to listen to, what to eat, when to go to bed, how to perform a task.

In this phase of parenthood, the task of the loving parent is to encourage a child's growth from discipline to self-discipline. As paraphrased in The Message, "A refusal to correct is a refusal to love; love your children by disciplining them" (Proverbs 13:24).

During my children's early years, I repeatedly used the parenting phrases "Yes, because . . . " or "No, because . . . " I not only dictated my children's actions, but also took pains to explain the reasons a certain thing was prescribed or prohibited.

Phase Two: Coach
I used Aubrey and Aaron's summer break to teach them about work and wages — interviewing, hiring and even occasionally firing them from jobs around the house and garden. The idea was not only to teach but also to encourage their growth from direction to self-direction, giving them more responsibility with each new job.

I often tried to help clarify — rather than dictate — my children's choices for them. I found myself repeatedly using the phrase, "Would you rather do this . . . or that?" Obviously, I never tempted them to choose something wrong or foolish; the phrase was simply a tool to help them gain experience in making their own decisions. For example, I might ask, "Would you rather leave now for church and have time to talk to your friends, or leave a little later and go straight to your class?"

Phase Three: Counselor
If you haven't yet experienced it, you will soon: The day dawns for every parent when he or she is no longer the driving influence in a child's life.

The task of the loving parent is to encourage a child's growth from dependence to independence; it is especially important in this phase of parenthood. This is the phase — usually in the teen years — when a child can reasonably be expected to understand what is right, just and fair.

Too many of us continue to parent our teenagers in much the same way we parented them as toddlers or grade-schoolers. When our kids begin to strain against the reins, like a horse that's eager to run, we pull back hard — as though it's wrong for them to seek independence. But that's exactly the purpose of the teen years. In fact, we should encourage that drive for independence and channel it in the right direction.

The operative phrase during these years is, "That's a decision you can make." When my children came to me for permission, I would often quiz them about what decision they would make if I gave them that freedom. I encouraged them to take responsibility in decision making, and they responded. I offered suggestions and warned them about the potential consequences of poor decisions, but I tried to leave the decision up to them as often as possible.

Of course, the risk I took was that my children would make poor choices, and sometimes they did. But little by little, they became capable of finding the right course.

Phase Four: Consultant
No words adequately describe the jumble of emotions a parent experiences driving away from a child's freshman college dorm. It's frightening on so many levels. But it's less frightening if the parent has successfully navigated the first three phases.

The task of parenting isn't done at this stage; it is no longer one of proactive involvement but of patient availability. Like Solomon, who told his son, "Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart" (Proverbs 27:11), the parent in this phase must hope, pray and wait.

Each phase has its own challenges, but phase four can be the most difficult because it requires letting go. For nearly two decades, the parent has been the child's commander, coach or counselor, but trying to prolong any of those roles will invite resistance and perhaps even resentment.

As I did in the other phases, I found a phrase that has helped my interactions with my children: "Let me know if I can help." It allowed me to affirm my availability while respecting my children's independence.

You'll find that the phases of parenthood aren't entirely measurable or scientific. The phases overlap each other; one phase begins long before the previous phase passes completely. And different children will demand differing degrees of flexibility in moving from one phase to the next.

But overall, I found that just a little attention to my current (and coming) phases produced a healthy perspective on my task as parent.

This article first appeared in the June, 2007 issue of Focus on the Family magazine. Copyright © 2007 Bob Hostetler. All rights reserved.

say hello to Eternity Bible College

2010-08-03T15:23:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, John Piper's "desiringGod" blog featured a pretty cool write-up on Eternity Bible College. Click on the previous hyperlink to see what they said!

Also, Eternity Bible College is now offering Online Courses. Just another way to show our commitment to reproduce effective disciples of Jesus Christ. Check out the video below & pass along the good word:

Online Classes at Eternity Bible College from Eternity Bible College on Vimeo.

Click on the following hyperlink to learn more about...

ETERNITY BIBLE COLLEGE!

"LET THE BOY BE YOUR DOG!!"

2010-06-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

If any of you have seen the 1993 SNL skit "the Hurlihy boy," you'll know it's a ridiculous sketch where Chris Farley backs each of Adam Sandler's outrageous requests. If Sandler wants to watch your house while you're gone, Farley will vouch for what a great job he would do and how you are crazy if you don't just let him watch your house. In one climactic moment, Sandler makes that claim that he'd like to BE your dog. Farley pulls the boy aside and asks if he has thought through his request. After a brief dialogue, Farley says he's got to back Sandler in this and begins to fanatically support Sandler in his desire to be your dog which ends in the comment, "...he just wants to be loved."

My father recently wrote an article that was published in Answers in Genesis. In true Hurlihy Boy spirit, I'm backing my dad's play & providing you with the link below:

A Proposed Bible-Science Perspective on Global Warming - Answers in Genesis

the cellular leash

2010-04-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

I sat at the Habit waiting for a guy I had made lunch plans with- he never showed.

We made plans to meet at 12:30PM, but here it was well after that and I hadn't heard from him. I guess it wasn't entirely his fault- I left my cell phone at my house in the morning. How was he to get a hold of me?

People ate, people left, and I began to feel foolish for sitting there waiting without a word.

What did we do 15 years ago?

The dude I was meeting wouldn't know.. he was only a toddler then. He doesn't remember calling house lines to catch people if your plans changed. If that didn't work, you'd have to call the numbers of all known associates: friends, work place, other places they may frequent. As a last resort, if none of that worked, you would call the restaurant to have them tell the person you were meeting that you were late or not coming.

Other than that, you pretty much just had to make plans to be somewhere at a certain time & a certain place and trust that they would be there. You got to where you were supposed to be, sat tight, kept your eyes open, and hoped they remembered and would show up. What a different world we lived in before cell phones!

At 12:56PM I ordered food and marveled at the way things used to be.

How did we survive before cell phones?

How often do we get upset if we can't get a hold of someone immediately?
"Where are they? Why aren't they answering?!" or better yet, "Ooh! It went straight to voicemail! They're IGNORING ME!!"

We get upset if someone isn't tending to their phone.

But think about it...
How often do we check our phones?
How often do we interrupt a conversation for the phone?
How often do we interrupt a task for the phone?
How often are we checking our phone when we are with people?
How often are we talking on the phone when we could be interacting with people around us?
...calls, texts, emails, facebook updates, etc.

I recently had 4 days away from my phone & I have to tell you... it was phenomenal. The software on my phone fried and the phone was rendered useless.

-For a day and a half I stressed out and wondered what was going on in the world: Who is trying to get a hold of me? What's going on? Is the world still turning on its axis?

-I started to loosen up at the end of the 2nd day and I began to realize a few things: 1) I wasn't as important as I thought. 2) Things were going to be okay. And, 3) The world is still turning.

-By the 3rd day I was in pure bliss. I was stress-free and wondered how I ever owned a cell phone.

-Half way through the 4th day, my phone was nearly fixed & I began to lament the coming return of my cell phone.

(Strangely enough, this cycle is much like my prayer life: I loath the first few minutes, thoroughly enjoy the middle section, and lament over the last few moments & the end of my time and return to reality)

I came out of this 4 day cellular vacation with a clear head & a few crucial reminders. I'm not sure if chucking our phones is the right response, but certainly healthy boundaries are in order. Boundaries that allow real & vital life to take place with people we know, people we come in contact with, the tasks & duties of the day, & most importantly with our Creator.

There are blocks of time where I simply will not answer or check my phone. After that block of time I will check messages, get back to those I need to, etc. If there is a task at hand, a person you need to be with, a time when you want to commune with the Lord, or for whatever reason you need to engage in the moment: turning off the phone, silencing your phone, or leaving your phone behind for a time is an easy way to be faithful to the relationships, people, and tasks that need to be nourished.

I'm not saying that I nail the boundary thing all of the time. In fact, often times I am the worst offender of the electronic leash. Just ask my Valentine date this year: there was a good 10 minute period where I twiddled my thumbs away & talked on the phone instead of engaging my beautiful date. Needless to say, we haven't really spoken in 2 months.

It's really a question of who rules who...
& life is just too darn important to be ruled by your cell phone.

the glory of the upper lip dream machine

2009-11-27T18:53:00.000-08:00

I tried to pull off a 1980's dirty stash for all but 20 minutes. I got as far as the aft of the ship with my 26-button white Mexican shirt & caught the back-end of an Acapulco sunset.

There is a strange comaraderie among men with straight-up stashes. That 20 minutes of awkwardness was worth every ounce of the head-nod I received from a man in his 50's sporting one glorious stash. It was a nod of knowing, a nod of recognition, acknowledgement, & pride. He was also comforting me & telling me to keep going, it gets better. I'm sure it does Mr. Stash man.

In the end, the dirty stash in all of it's glory had to be shaved- but not before experiencing one sweet Acapulcan sunset in an Authentic Mexican T.

i am second

2009-11-04T15:53:00.000-08:00

if you haven't heard of iamsecond.com, it's worth checking out...

iamsecond is a website dedicated to the search for significance in life. on the website you will find video interviews of people from all walks of life sharing the story of how they overcame life's struggles to find peace and hope in the midst of a painful and unforgiving world.

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world." -Jesus (John 16:33)

class of 2013 mindset list

2009-08-23T18:01:00.001-07:00

Beloit, WI- Each year since 1998 Beloit College has published a mindset list of the incoming freshman class. These lists are interesting as they observe the cultural elements that have shaped and influenced each changing generation. Check out the following link to see the BELIOT mindset list for the class of 2013.

Costa Rica: day 6

2009-06-24T19:18:00.000-07:00

entry from the San Jose airport before leaving:

ran into Tom @ the airport & we had a good debriefing chat. his flight was the same gate an hour earlier.
Just met Armando- he plays volleyball 4 the CR national team- he's an outside & they're on their way to spank Nicaragua PURA VIDA!
---------------------------------
2 entries from the Guatemalan airport (my 8hr layover):

so an 8HR layover in Guatemala = $120 of stuff @ the Duty-Free store & $15 @ a Rum bar.
...was the 1st to smoke a cigar at this bar.. it just opened on wednesday (it's real nice)

still waiting for my flight 30min before i board.. just met the guys from the band "Casito de Amor" or "Army of Love" -they were pretty cool... touch, smiles, congenial, laughs -i hope their music is good

...gracias por viajar conmigo! PURA VIDA!!

Costa Rica: day 5

2009-06-23T19:18:00.000-07:00

THU 27th
i almost missed my bus to San Isidro- i pulled up just as it was arriving... the Family from Oregon wasn't as fortunate. they will have to wait for the next bus @ 2:30PM or Pay a Taxi/Shuttle Service.

Morgan & Shannon were on the bus.. Morgan thought it was crazy how close i was to missing the bus . took about an hour to get to San Isidro (35km)- up mtns, very beautiful. there was a particularly nice mtn town about 1/2 way. OH another thing- i got to the station @ 7:30AM (thought the bus came at 7:50)... turns out it was supposed to be there @ 7:15. we arrived in San Isidro @ 8:15ish- Morgan, Shannon, & i went directly to "MUSOC" bus system 4 a ticket to San Jose (bus every hour on the 1/2). Got there @ 8:30 & bought a ticket for 9:30, then we went to MacDonald's 4 breakfast.

the bus to SJ was pleasant & we cruised into town about 12:30, maybe 1PM (i had sat by a nicaraguan guy who comes to CR to work construction b/c it's better money in CR). i was @ Ave22 & Main St- i booked it to Ave7 & 6th St. by this time i just wanted to be in my room @ the Best Western.

i checked in about 1:45. when i unloaded all my stuff i noticed some items were wet & gross. I tossed my ebc shirt out the window (goodbye my friend =[) dawned 3 pairs of underpants & my boardshorts & headed 4 the pool. the h20 was SO COLD! & ppl thought i was crazy. i did 7 laps. i think the chlorine killed the germs/etc. next i went to the cafe 4 a burger, fries, & coke (only the Coke tasted normal)... & now ??

So i walked into town & bought various touristy items. i'm about to enjoy a mixed salad & complimentary soda. 2morrow i have a wake up call for 6AM, complimentary breakfast & courtesy shuttle to Airport (7AM) & i'm out of here.
a COSTA RICA Trip well done! PURA VIDA!

Costa Rica: day 4

2009-06-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

Wednesday the 26th
Whelp- i did it. i broke my 1st board 2day... clean in half.

Here's how it went down:
Woke up super early... not sure of the time b/c i have no watch. it was light outside though, but hardly anybody was up. Tortilla Flats is right across from the beach, so i walked across the street, sat on the beach, read, & watched the waves.

Soon a couple rolled up & were the 1st ones in the h20. Paul & Kelly- Paul is from Alberta, Canada & Kelly from New Jersey, USA... She's lived in CR for the last 4yrs. together tey started a photography company taking pics of surfers from British Columbia to Costa Rica. Kelly gave me some helpful tips on the surf in Dominical. next i went for a run on the beach. i headed south until the beach ended, explored some rocks, then turned around. the beach here is beautiful & the h20 is WARM! i went back to the room, took a shower, & went to breakfast @ the tortilla bar... i was able to join Morgan & Shannon.

next i fell asleep in my room 4 a little. when i woke i sought to explore the town. i saw some tree-cutter Ants & followed their work- so cool =]!

i ran across a ton of little lizards (cool looking). Dominical is a cool town.. Quaint, quiet, small, not too built up.. it's cute. i was @ the end of town (by the River to the north) looking @ an abandoned resort (Lindo rio?- cool looking) when i SAW A HUGE IGUANA cross the road! Green body, orange head =] he was about 4ft long! he crawled towards the bank of the river.. when i was about 20ft away he jumped in the h20 & submerged! i walked about 30yds down the river and he popped up out of the banks (HA!) surprised to see me again he immediately jumped in the water a 2nd time. i did the SAME thing (walked 30yds down), he didn't... i guess i'm not as smart as an iguana. All of this made me think i should have a camara.. so i popped into the store right there & bought a disposable 27exp. i also eyed some cohibas 4 later. the Pudgy man @ the outdoor counter was very congenial.

i started @ the northeast end of town & took pics of the whole town until i ended up @ my place again. on my way i met Bob Clarke (saw him around earlier & the night b4).. he had surf boards & offered the best rental rate $10 a 1/2 day $20/full day- less/deal 4 multiple days. i eyed the Yellow 10footer & changed into my board shorts.

the waves didn't look too bad from the shore (actually they looked big), but out there they were HUGE! I GOT OUT ON MY 1ST PADDLE OUT. Arms hurt, out of breath.. & surprised by the POWER, HEIGHT, & MASS of these waves. Almost got taken out by a couple close-outs. i tried on 3 waves- Ate it on 2, stood on the last one, but got ahead of the wave & taken out (by the white water). i decided to paddle in- it was crazy. OH also, a guy from venezuela was giving me pointers out there.. Good Advice, but i was scared on the perfect wave w/ a nice shoulder & didn't catch it. Carmen was on the shore & she said she couldn't see me b/c i was too far out- i was relieved.

i decided to go out again, but stay in close & went to my room 4 a breather & H20! (never drank so good). Carmen came back to her room to change to go out- i went out w/ her & a couple others- including JunYung (korea) from Carlsbad. i stayed on the inside while my Venezuelan friend ripped it on the outside. the 2nd wave i caught was the best all day- it was a nice right & i was on the face till it died. i cruised by JunYung & carmen. i surfed white water probably 4 another hour or so (plus) then headed in. Bob gave me a couple tips (avoid beginners, don't surf in too shallow of water, etc) & he let me keep the board to get my next AM session in (i gave him $20 for 2 halfs).

i showered & cruised town. Shannon & Morgan recommended (saw them on the streets right after their lunch) the San Clemente restaurant 4 lunch, so i did that... it was too much food & i didn't finish it. i went back to the room & slept.

upon waking i decided i needed to head to San Jose in the morning to be sure i arrived without problems... which meant i should get my other surf sesh in 2day. so i headed to the beach- it was 4 o'clock & Bob was leaving @ 5, so it wouldn't be long. the surf was smaller, but Bob warned me they pop up from nowhere here. i met a beautiful girl from Holland- briana. i paddled out no prob, went further south to be on a calmer wave (thanks kelly) but noticed when i was out i had drifted north to the guard tower. the surf had also picked up & got BIG. they were slightly smaller than b4 & i thought- "oh well, i'm here." i paddled 4 a big left... stood up & fell immediately- but OH what FUN! =]! LOS TICOS YELLED TO ME, "PURA VIDA!" & i paddled out 4 another =. saw a beautiful (but BIG!) wave forming & went 4 it- balls to the wall. was closing left so i went right. i popped up immediately & pulled hard right... it WORKED! =] i surfed right only 4 a split second until the wave closed from the other side & i was caught in the spin cycle. i made it & right away looked to my board- it was broken in half right down the middle & held on only by the lamination. And the next wave broke that. i floated in on the half connected to me as the top 1/2 washed up on shore- a $400 mistake.

Bob was as cool about it as he could be. he charged only 400 when earlier he said if broken it's $600 though the board is irreplaceable/his favorite/his baby. i ran to the ATM just out of town (which only worked when i used spanigh as the language! go figure). i gave Bob his money & he still wanted my info to hook up in the States (he's from the OC & lives there in the summer). Also he thinks i should bring a group of my students to CR & he will set me up w/ accomodations & service projects, etc- oh & activities to enjoy. i told him if he needs a place to crash 4 a night in ventura county- call me up.

by the way- i'm sitting right now @ the tortilla bar... i'm on my 3rd Pilsen, writing in the journal, cigar from Fernando (pudgy guy) in hand, POURING outside (open air & 5ft from me), 1/2 eaten nachos... bought that out of duty & "empty stomach & cigar/beer" principle- i have no hunger. A little earlier i walked to the beach- when a HUGE firework was lit 10ft from me. i ran to the guard station where i sat & watched a local tico display for 15min.

tomorrow i'll take the AM bus to San Isidro then head to San Jose & my Best Western. America here i come.

Oh- & i topped off 3 Pilsen's & 1 Imperial... shared the last 2 w/ my new swiss friends- Lawrence & Thomas. They were cool guys & taught me much about Switzerland (7 presidents, they elect 200 that vote for the 7) oh & lots more. Also @ several times in the night someone lit off a string of fire crackers in the bar area... it wasn't seen as such a big deal & it seemed like the trick was to scare the camarera. Sat in the Hammock outside my room for a while b4 heading in. Lawrence & Thomas invited me to their next drinking place, but i declined. it was raining like crazy... a Dauschaund found shelter under a small red 2 door compact. this place seems surreal. very cool.

Costa Rica: day 3

2009-06-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

Tuesday the 25th

Had breakfast w/ Tom (i snored last night), then we parted ways.
1st stop: the Manuel Antonio Nature Park- LOTS to see here.. it was like i was in a zoo, only i kept wondering where the bars & enclosures were. i saw 3 sloths, no 4 (2 three-toed & 2 two-toed). wolf spider. blue butterflies. clay-colored frog. BULL Frog. white-faced monkeys! Lots of them. Howling Monkeys & a moms babies. Lizards. birds. & fresh h20 Crocodiles (2-2.5 meters Long!). what an awesome trip- i joined a tour group (including: Mark & Laura from Ohio and Michele & Olga from Canada)

Danny was our tour guide & was superior to all other guides (OH- Giant Ants building homes & raccoons & wetland crabs too) the Beaches at the Park were Magnificent.

After the Park i asked Danny how to get to Dominical. i waited @ the Manuel bus stop for 20-25min & caught the bus to Quepos (210C or 40cents) & met a girl from Pennsylvannia area named Erin.. what a cute blondie she was. about 20ish & looked/acted just like brie tomlinson. we bonded over "Heavyweights" & she recommended i see "Wet Hot American Summer" she said I'd enjoy it. She was such a free spirit & i worry 4 her.

Got to Quepos @ noon & found out the bus 4 dominical didn't leave until 3:30 (Great lady working @ the bus depot- Yesenia- helped me). So i cruised the town. Saw the ocean.. identified the Cigar Shop.. bought a cigar.. bought lunch- too crowded in the shop so i ate it on the hill overlooking the H20. Shared my food w/ 2 locals Jose & another guy, went back & paid 4 my food. it was still 12:40/1ish so i tried to find Cocola Beach... sketchy neighborhood & felt unwelcome. i didn't find the crossover to the beach so i sat by a boathouse watching the h20 & decided to smoke my cigar. 10 minutes in it started to rain hard... tried to find cover under a tree popping out of the h20 w/ a local- he left w/ friends on a skiff to the cover of a boat anchored in the water.. i soaked. Saw 2 guys in the boathouse & decided to join. they welcomed me & i offered them my 2 cigars. Had to relite mine b/c it was soaked. the 3 of us bonded over a Cigar. i have 2 friends in Quepos- Harold, 30 & Antonio, 38 (el capitan de la bote "Blue Fin II").

the Rain let up & i walked back. had an hour- it was 2:15. walked w/ Jose in the sketchy neighborhood (saw him again) [oh- & gave jose & the other guy the gospel message @ lunch]. decided to sit & watch the Surf.. right b4 i sat a man approached named Christian Jacama- clearly JACKED UP.. & asked 4 a favor- una fresca. i took him to a shop, got him una fanta & lunch. during lunch i asked him what his story was.. at one point he said "yo tengo problemas," told him his problems would persist until he trusted in Jesus. upon leaving he asked 4 a bus ticket & place to stay, i said no.

I saw Yesenia @ the stop (2:55) waited 10min until the line formed. Met 2 Canadians in line (Morgan & Shannon) from Whistler.. the bus was ridiculously crowded. a hot chick that was in line ended up behind me. the bus ride was several hours! Met 2 believers on the bus & made friends w/ all around me. Marcos- a missionary from Panama and Jose, working in Rentals (fixes them up). Met & spoke w/ the hot chick- Carmen from Sweden. ended up we were both headed to Dominical along w/ the 2 canadians (the rest of the bus went elsewhere). it also turned out Carmen had reservations @ the same place i was going- the Tortilla Flats. i carried Carmen's butt-heavy bag to the hotel- we got lost 2gether (very dark here @ night). the hotel was WAY cool- cool vibe & had a restaurant & bar in the middle. @ 1st it looked as though no rooms were available & even Carmen's reservation was Jacked, but somehow we both got rooms (carmen room 6, me room 7). she asked if i wanted to get something to eat... we showered 1st & met up 4 dinner.. oh, & i paid my 2 nights stay @ the bar. had a chicken parmesan sandwich for dinner (tasted good) and Carmen & i each threw back 2 Pilsen's.

we spoke of God's plan to restore his creation, stop suffering, judge evil, & reign supreme (esp. romans 8:18-23)- i need to pray 4 her salvation... she seems close. i think she & i are surfing 2morrow.

can't wait to see the town in Light. already i love it here. best town yet so far- the town is kick-back & cool too.

PS- snapped a shot of a 2" baby crab outside my room b4 heading to bed... it's a little washed out, but you might be able to see it

Costa Rica: day 2

2009-06-20T15:18:00.000-07:00

10:45PM Monday 11/25/08
RIGHT NOW i'm sitting at an empty bar somewhere south of Quepos near Manuel Antonio. TODAY was a day. DEEP i know, but it's seemed like a week.
Woke up in Fortuna, grabbed continental breakfast & caught my 8:45 Jeep-Boat-Jeep trip to Monteverde. I met a couple from LA about my age- Matt & Melissa- we would become good friends. Weather overcast. Got onto the boats & it was drizzly, couldn't see the Volcano it was a 30minute boat ride (took only 10min to get to the boats from the hotel) then we hopped into the van (Jeep) on the other side of the Lake (Arenal)... Eddy was our driver, i sat shotty & got to know him well. 3 kids (11yr old twin girls & a 5yr old boy) born in CR, moved to NY, USA at 10 & lived there until 30... had 2yrs college & 7yrs as a semi-truck driver (not to mention time as a CHEF!) the trip from h20 to Monteverde was 1hr45min.

Matt & Melissa said they had a good tip-off on a great hostel in Monteverde- the Good Sleep Sleeper Cheaper (haha!), so i thought i'd join them. turns out they had no more private rooms (only dormitory which a European girl was in)- so i asked the guy about other places he pointed to the CASA TRANQUILO across the street. that place ROCKS! shared bath/shower, but the rooms were cool and David & Elena- the owners were way cool w/ their 2yr old son Joshua. Elena set me up w/ a zipline canopy tour & worked real hard @ acquiring transportation to Quepos 4 me the next day- all the buses were full & it wasn't looking promising. i went on the Canopy Tour b4 word of transportation panned out.

Met a Taiwanese Thomas, Garry & Rory from Ireland, & Anikka from Germany on the tour. The tour was GREAT! our 3 guides ("los tres monos" as i affectionately called them) Dennis & bro Danny and Miguel were very cool. 17 platforms & 4 Major traverses over ravines (400+ meters... the last one 750meters!) plus a 70ft rappel drop & a Tarzan swing. the 5 of us & 3 guides bonded & spoke of grabbing drinks in town later that night & we exchanged names 4 facebook.

i got back to Tranquilo dripping wet, looked out my window & saw the grayline bus outside the sleeper cheaper. i still didn't have a ride worked out to get to the Pacific, so i ran to check it out & to look for Matt & Melissa... found out they were on the bus & it was headed to Jaco- i asked if there was room. the driver said, "yes $45." i asked if Quepos was okay (it's further south), he said hurry- i said 5min.

i ran to Tranquilo, packed my stuff, checked out & paid for 1 night (only $10) & caught the Grayline =] i was sad not to get to know David & Elena more. & sad not to share a beer w/ the 2 irish lads & Anikka. when the Grayline was out my window i solved my ride sich & i realized i did what i came to Monteverde for- a zip line cloud forest/rain forest tour. Plus it was miserably drizzly & cold. on the bus Matt & Melissa were SO glad to leave. turns out the sleeper cheaper wasn't so hot and the wet & cold pissed them off. a Brit from London named Tom hopped on the bus & shared the same sentiments.

Tom & i are now sharing a room near Manuel Antonio... the last one in a town where everything is shut down. Tom is a lawyer & seems like a nice guy.

Costa Rica: day 1

2009-06-19T15:45:00.000-07:00

sunday 8:35AM Nicaragua
-from LAX went to Guatemala (GUA) for a short layover, then OFF to a 20min layover in Nicaragua.
Nicaragua has volcanos & lakes... it's a fun land nestled between waters- VERY GREEN! a fun little airport w/ cool Nicaraguan Mtns & landscape in the background. Guatemala had tall volcanic mtns that jutted up above the clouds. Loving the trip so far!
------------------------------
Landed in Costa Rica 20min til 10AM. 1st item is to find Sansa Air & get a flight to Fortuna. Fortuna is supposed to have a volcano with live flowing lava.
got to Sansa & took a cab to Nature Air.. i missed the Sansa flight to Fortuna (turns out they have 1 flight/day to Fortuna & it's @ 7:15AM), but Nature Air is supposed to have a flight leaving in 1hour...
the cab driver, General, had 24 yrs experience as a driver and has 4 grown kids (33, 31, 28, & ?). One of his boys is a weight lifter. General was not amused when i asked if his boy could beat up a luchador (professional wrestler)... he simply said yes.

------------------------------
Met Kim & Diana (college travel friends).. they were also waiting for the flight to Fortuna. Turns out we're all going to Fortuna, Monteverde, & Quepos- they gave me some helpful hints re: Jeep-Boat-Jeep travel, Hotels, & the exchange rate.

the Plane ride was legit... 14 of us in a 2 engine prop plane- i felt like Indiana Jones.. i fully expected a dotted line to follow us as we went along =] the Aeropuerto in Fortuna is the coolest looking thing. would be cool to sit down & have a beer there.

Met up w/ Jesus the taxi cab driver & paid him $5 for a ride to Arenal Springs resort- Kim & Diana had reservations- i got a $102 room (2 beds, a "Greenhouse" shower, etc) for $70. Kim & Diana are next door. Now to find food.

things to do: CIGARS, Hot Springs. reserve Jeep trek to Monteverde.

PS- it POURED for 10min!
------------------------------
10:30PM entry
had lunch w/ Kim & Diana- great pasta dish.. lined up my Jeep-Boat-Jeep trip to Monteverde @ 8:45AM 2morrow.. walked the grounds, talked to the ppl, went back to my room & fell asleep until 6. Diana knocked on my door @ 6:15PM & invited me to dinner w/ them. we walked to the main road (1/2mile to 3/4mile) & ate at a nearby restaurant. the 3 of us had a great meal..
Steak, chips & salsa/beans/guacamole, 2 bottles of TRIO, cafe flan, & coffee- $40 each. Got back & bought cigars @ the gift store & i've been enjoying cigar porch time w/ ephesians 1:1-5:17... especially meditating on 5:1-17. i took a walk w/ my cigar & God and prayed thru the passage- so convicting. expose the dark parts of my life & let Christ rule.. it's scary.

it's gorgeous here. nestled against the mtns/volcano- dense air, lots of bugs/noises. the clouds have not lifted so we didn't get to see the Volcano's lava =[ & the Hot Springs cost $28 to enjoy, so i didn't do it =].

agenda items 4 tomorrow: Jeep trek to Monteverde, find a Hotel, go on a canopy tour, book Grayline bus to Quepos/Dominical.

OH- & it rained for 5min & stopped while i was on the porch. it's way tropical here- i am anxious 4 my trip into the jungle 2morrow. =] PURA VIDA!

Costa Rica: day 0

2009-06-18T21:01:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES 9:37PM
-i started my trip on FLY AWAY where i met an old Mormon surfer who liked to say "shit" a lot. he was w/ his 11 year old son & they were flying to Puerta Vallarta for Thanksgiving.
-i've packed 2 T-shirts, 1 long-sleeved shirt, 1 pair of pants (whose legs come off to form shorts), & 1 set of board shorts... i have my bible, a map, and my journal. that's ALL i've got & it's all in 1 small backpack.

2day was nuts/went fast: i woke at 12:20PM, got to the bank b4 1PM to get $300 cash for my trip, hit up Subway for lunch & made calls to make sure sunAM at church goes well when i'm not there, went to target & longs for toiletries etc, hit up Urgent Care for a tetnis shot, Kohl's for underwear (my wash wasn't done!), then i packed my bags, printed off the Costa Rica (CR) bus schedule & my ticket itinerary, and made it to fly away by 8:15PM and was able to catch the 8:30 bus.
i'm at wolfgang pucks outside of my terminal @ LAX about to enjoy my Margharet pizza =]

Costa Rica: my travels

2009-06-18T18:02:00.001-07:00

I am about to publish several posts of my trip to Costa Rica in November 2008... these posts are relatively unedited & straight out of my journal.

the RoadMap
day 0: saturday- Los Angeles
day 1: sunday- San Jose to Fortuna
day 2: monday- Fortuna to Monteverde; Monteverde to Manuel Antonio (via Limonal, Jaco, & Quepos)
day 3: tuesday-Manuel Antonio to Quepos; Quepos to Dominical
day 4: wednesday- Dominical
day 5: thursday- Dominical to San Jose (via San Isidro)
day 6: friday- San Jose to Guatemala (layover) to Los Angeles

...ojala que tienen un buen viaje conmigo!

top 10 albums

2009-06-17T00:31:00.000-07:00

So, I've decided that a key component is missing from my blog page. Something so close to my heart that it woke me up from a near 2-year-no-blog slumber. Mainly, that I have yet to share from my vast musical expertise *tongue-in-cheek*

top 10 albums b/c bret says so...

Here's the necessary preface: It's an art to compose a good album... & I'm not just talking about good music (although that is an essential ingredient), but for a good album there's got to be a cohesion, a theme, and an integrity that is maintained throughout the entire experience. And that's the thing, it should be an experience that takes you somewhere- not that an individual song or two does this, but the album as a whole works together in giving you one unified message. With this in mind, Compilations/Live performances/and "Best of" albums do not count... only artist-engineered studio-albums will be considered.
...so, here goes (in no particular order):

DIARY
–Sunny Day Real Estate
“classic & ingenuitive.. tough to believe this was 1994/fathers of emo… i listened to this album for 3 weeks straight on a 53min loop”

SONGS FOR A BLUE GUITAR
–Red House Painters
“changed my life”

IN RAINBOWS
–Radiohead
“unbelievable... i've written more sermons to this album”

THE AUTUMNS
–the Autumns
“perfection... my favorite band from 1993-2003 (when i stopped having a "favorite" band)”

THE TEXAS JERUSALEM CROSSROADS
–Lift to Experience
“a taste of twisted texas rock- highs & lows: highly emotive.. genius.”

THE UNAUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY OF REINHOLD MESSNER
–Ben Folds Five
“incredible album: me in so many places”

TRANSATLANTICISM
–Death Cab for Cutie
“cohesive & seattle strong”

DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
–Pink Floyd
“classic album: takes you someplace. 3rd lion's roar”

SEA CHANGE
–Beck
“good depressing rock: great break-up album”

SIAMESE DREAM
–the Smashing Pumpkins
"got me thru my formative years"

Blinding Snow

2007-12-18T13:11:00.000-08:00

"Look how gorgeous that is!"
"Yeah."
"It makes me fall more in love with God."

Josh & I spoke as we began our snow jog.

After a full day of driving we arrived in Breckenridge, Colorado. The mountains were dark as we pulled into the cabin. We found our beds and fell fast asleep. When morning came we decided to go for a run up the mountain. I had asked Josh if he wanted to run uphill, to which he replied, "It's more like running up MOUNTAIN." Touche.

We ran on the roads & the packed snow crunched under our feet. It was a funny sensation. The sun shone brightly & the snow blinded our eyes. I squinted my eyes & looked off to the distance. It was actually painful to look at the snow! I had never experienced anything like this before. Beautiful snowbanks turned into piercing needles. In a puzzled wince I began to think... is this what it means to be white as snow?

Some of the snowbanks along the side of the road were whiter than I had ever seen white before. Couple that with the blazing morning sun reflecting off of this pure white canvas. It was brilliant, yet I could not gaze at it directly.

In what sense are a sinner's sins made white as snow? The fact is, sin is ugly. In and of themselves, they would certainly not be considered "white as snow." How can this term apply to sin?

I looked for an answer as I stared at the snow. It wasn't the snow so much that hurt my eyes... it was the reflection of the sun's light. That's when my mind switched. The focus was the sun & the impact the sun had when reflecting off of the snow.

In the same way, a sinner's sins are made white as snow in light of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

In fact, the term "white as snow" is applied to Jesus Christ in several places (Daniel 7:9; Matthew 28:3; Revelation 1:14). This term underlies Jesus' glory, absolute purity, and perfection.

"White as snow" is applied to our sins as they are seen through the glory of Christ and his work on the cross. We are seen as perfectly blameless when the perfection & glory of Christ reflects and burns brilliant on us. We are white as snow in light of the Son of God.

In this way, God reconciles a rebellious child unto himself.

For further study, read:
Isaiah 1; 1 Peter 2; and, Romans 5

Groomsman Accountability

2007-12-09T21:32:00.000-08:00

I have never owned a sword before. There are not many occasions I can think of that call for a sword. Even still, deep inside I think every man wants a sword- and now I have one! In fact, it was given to me this weekend as a groomsman gift.

Billy walked down the church aisle with a large, black duffle bag over his shoulder. He layed the bag down and unzipped it. Where I thought a skateboard would be lay 14 unique swords resting side by side. Instead of taking off doing a nose wheelie by the bride's grandmother, Billy distributed the swords one-by-one to his groomsmen. When he got to me, he looked me in the eyes and said, "If ever the countenance of my wife should fall- you come talk to me."

Now that's accountability!

Billy giving me a sword as his wedding gift was symbolic of the type of access that he has granted me in his life and the type of relationship we have.

Billy has intentionally allowed certain men into his life to call him and hold him to a standard. If ever he was to mess up, he's got these guys coming to him in love & looking to call him back to his senses. Whenever a guy gets on his own and out of accountability is when he's looking to sin & allows himself to slip from that standard (Proverbs 18:1).

My relationship with Billy is reciprocal. In the same way Billy expects me to call and hold him to a standard, he does the same for me. Most of the time in our relationship Billy gets to tell me what an idiot I'm being. Through rooming with Billy and brushing shoulders with him over the years, God has used him to shape me and grow me (often painfully so!) into the man he wants me to be (Proverbs 27:17).

Whether groomsman or not, the type of men a guy has in his life is a good measure of that man...
What kind of people do you have in your life?
Do they call you to a standard?

Tapping into the CHEROKEE in Me

2007-09-04T23:59:00.000-07:00

I'm only part Cherokee indian (about 1.75lbs worth)- but I tap into every bit I can.
Here's an old Cherokee story my father passed along to me...

"One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two "wolves" inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence,empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed.""

A Second Chance

2007-09-03T14:47:00.000-07:00

It wasn't until 3 days after my TBN sighting of Michael W. Smith that the tunes from my formative Christian years finally stopped playing in my head. It was a blessing and a curse all at the same time.

For those of you that aren't clued in, Michael W. Smith recently made his lead role debut in a movie that wasn't half bad.

I was recently visiting one of my best friends in Vegas when he said to me one, "Have you seen Michael W. Smith's movie?"
I laughed with an "Are you serious?!" type look on my face.
"You've got to watch it."
I looked in disbelief as Jeremy actually thumbed through his DVD collection & pulled a copy of a movie I had never heard of- "The Second Chance."

Was he serious? Did Michael W. Smith really star in a movie? Did Jeremy really have this movie? And were we seriously going to watch this movie right now?
The answer was: Yes; yes; yes; and, yes.

Over the next 2 hours I was once again sucked in to another Michael W. Smith project in which I couldn't avert my attention. I was impressed. The Second Chance is an honest and real story of American Christianity & some of her struggles.

If you get an opportunity, definitely give Smitty a second chance & see his movie. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Check out information on The Second Chance movie.

oh & fyi- Smitty turns 51 on October 7th... that's staying power

Smitty on TBN

2007-08-28T00:55:00.000-07:00

Last night was a pivotal night for me.
I was crashing on my parents couch and I decided to see what was on the Television at nearly 1AM. My goal was to scan the major networks up to about channel 20 (the Korean network) in one swift move to see what sort of programs play on a Sunday night and get an idea at what sort of audience Television is marketing to at that hour (that's actually how my brain works & I realize I am a nerd for it).

At about channel 18 I heard very familiar music from an 80's genre- though the images were unfamiliar. Clearly the song was in an instrumental power ballad segment- I immediately thought of Def Leppard and the like.. but no, this was more familiar than those sorts of songs and felt closer to my heart.
The images flashed between the Christ being beaten and a man wearing distinct 80's clothing. The man wore tight blue jeans, a white T-Shirt, and a vest over the shirt. He had a mullet and his face looked like it had a few days without a razor. When the chorus kicked in- it hit me... Smitty.
That's right, Michael W. Smith.

My first instinct was to laugh.
My second instinct was to turn the channel.
Instead, my thumb froze and I won the staring contest between me and the Television set.

The station was TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) and the song was "Secret Ambition."
In all, I watched four Michael W. Smith videos back-to-back. I would have watched more too- only the program took a turn and showed Michael Sweet (of Stryper) and Sinbad (of terrible comedy) sharing their favorite verses from Scripture (Isaiah 53:5 and Romans 8:33, respectively).

Smitty was in fine form. He flailed his arms, eyed the camara, and shook his fist. Such passion. I was able to look past the gestures and clothing which seem so funny today (so much so that I wonder why they weren't funny 20 years ago?!) and listen to the lyrics. What a good message.
"Secret Ambition" was followed by "Place in this World" and I remembered how me & every other kid in America was sure he was looking for his "face" in this world. Still, I was able to look past the mishap and was sobered by the message.

The MWS montage ended with "Give It Away"- which was not a musical video as much as live footage from an indoor concert in the early 90's. I looked at the awkward looking youth in the crowd starring at a slightly more mature Michael Smith who had lost his mullet. There's a very good chance that I was one of those awkward kids in that audience. You see, the first concert I ever went to was Michael W. Smith/DC Talk in 1993.
Having older siblings, I was already dialed into Michael's music. I endured DC Talk as the opener... but I was there to see Smitty. As I grew older and my musical taste progressed, I quickly grew ashamed of my 1st concert experience- so much so that I often negate this information when others speak of the subject. If I do mention that I willingly and eagerly went to a Michael W. Smith concert, most people laugh.

I don't know what happened to me last night... but I am Once Again a True Believer in Michael W. Smith. I'm out of the closet and I am not ashamed to say that I really like Michael W. Smith. For what was happening at the time, the music that was available, and the things he did- Michael W. Smith really impresses me and I am proud to say that his was the first concert I ever went to (thank you Nathan Gapper).

As I sat on my parents couch I was sad to see his last video play. Sinbad stopped speaking, the picture moved to a Station ID, I powered down the remote and went to bed with a smile.
I love Smitty.

a Christian education=Automatic Debt

2007-08-27T16:05:00.001-07:00

I just dropped off my youngest cousin at Westmont last week. It is her freshman year. My aunt & uncle were strong as they said goodbye to their youngest. Hayley is for sure to have a great time and a great experience at Westmont. I pray for her and that God would grow her into the young lady that he wants her to be. Tim and Debbie (my aunt and uncle) are scheduled to pay $38,000 a year for the next 4-5 years. This amazes me.

I can't quite understand how Christian schools can ethically charge this much for tuition. It simply amazes me. It doesn't matter what Christian school you choose to go to. Invariably, you are looking at plus or minus $120,000 in school loans by the end of your time there. I really don't know when this became okay.
It's as if all of the sudden if you are a young person who wants to get a Christian education and get trained for the ministry you are looking at immediate debt. The trade off doesn't seem fair.

Little selfless plug time- Eternity Bible College (where I teach Theology and Hermeneutics) is a smaller/newer Christian institution that is looking at the current trend of cost in Christian education and coming up with creative and healthy ways to train young persons for the ministry and graduate them without debt and ready to do God's work in the Church and the world... because of their funding and faculty choices, classes run around $50 per unit (you can check out the link to their site). How about that for selfless plug time?

But seriously, something needs to be done about Christian education. Since when did a Christian education mean automatic debt? This brings up other questions to my mind.. but I will ask these in my next blog. I've got to go for now. just wanted to toss that out on the table for you to chew on. If you've got any thoughts in this area of where we are in Christian education, how we got here, and how we can think this is okay- let me know.

God's Aseity

2007-08-15T22:18:00.000-07:00

God's aseity (pronounced "uh-say-ity") is one of the most foundational aspects of a Theistic worldview. Derived from the Latin "a se," meaning "of or from himself," aseity underlines God's eternal self-existence. The Greeks called it "Autotheos-" the idea that God is God of or by himself. In other words, God is the primary force and is not a derivative of any other force, action or happenstance (John 5:26; Romans 11:36).

God's independence is also found in the self-declaration of his name. In Exodus 3:14 Moses asks for God's name and the Lord replies, "YHWH-" which is rendered "I AM WHO I AM," or, "I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE." In either case, it is sure that God's personhood and existence is determined by him & him alone.

The Aseity of God elicits a response of worship from created to Creator:
1- that God is not like a man that he was created
2- that God is the beginning and sustainer of life
3- that God is a personal & unique God to be worshiped by his creation

"...From everlasting to everlasting, You are God." -Psalm 90:2

dinner prayer follow up

2007-08-02T22:53:00.000-07:00

Michael, the young boy who prayed before Tuesdays dinner, gave his life to the Lord tonight.
He heard the gospel message of Jesus Christ- it pricked his heart unlike it ever had before & he responded in faith.

Just 2 days ago he was tugging on the camp director's shirt asking to pray before every meal. Tonight he was broken before the Lord and praised God for a salvation that was previously unrecognized.

On Tuesday I asked Michael what he meant by his prayer when he said, God "...Thank you for us. & thank you for them." He said "us" were Christians and "them" signified unbelievers. I guess that in a weird sort of way- Michael was really praying for himself in the "them" category. But tonight he transferred teams from "them" to "us."

Does anybody else find it weird that we raise our kids, teach them to pray, & most likely we have little unregenerate souls praying to a God they don't know/have offended/and are at odds with?

I don't know how God works, but I praise him for this boy's profession of faith in Christ. Michael was among 13 or so junior high students this evening who confessed Jesus Christ as their King & Savior for the first time.

DINNER PRAYER

2007-07-31T23:28:00.000-07:00

We sat at round tables under a blue tarp- 120 bodies smelling of sweat and dirt. Junior High is such an awkward age.
Fruit punch and water were spilled on nearly all of the twenty tables.
The man in front tried desperately to hush the crowd. They were hungry, ready to eat, and realized they needed to quiet down before they would get food.
Teens shooshed one another as Michael, an 8th grader, began to pray,
"Dear Lord, Thank you for the food. Thank you for the camp. Thank you for You. Thank you for us. And thank you for them."

Big Bear Youth Camp

2007-07-30T10:01:00.000-07:00

this week i'm speaking at the Anaheim District Nazarene youth camp in Big Bear, CA.
if & when you think about it, pray for me, the campers, leaders, etc. there are about 300 of us up here. i am specifically speaking to the jr. highers on mon, tues, thurs, & fri evenings and i give a small morning devotion for the whole camp on tues, wed, thurs, & fri mornings. thank you so much.

the CPK Gospel

2007-07-26T22:19:00.000-07:00

I was recently reminded of God's Love at a California Pizza Kitchen.

It was 9:15 in the evening, the dinner crowd was gone, and I received the WORST service in the history of human dining.
I sat for 15 minutes before a server approached me. My order was mixed up. I was promised parmesan and never received it (this is huge- I am a parmesan freak)! My strawberry lemonade ran out mid-meal and wasn't ever refilled (this made conversation and mastication difficult).

NB: I realize these are all selfish things I'm talking about here.. so in addition to the reminder of God's Love, I was also reminded of my selfishness!

Halfway through the meal I started to think to myself, "What am I going to tip my server?" I was bouncing back and forth between giving her no tip or giving her a penny for a tip. Because a penny would tell her it's intentional, while no tip might lead her to believe I inadvertently forgot to leave a tip & I wouldn't want to make her think it was a mistake that she didn't get a tip (how terrible I am!).
When it came time to pay the bill, the phraseology passed through my head, "If I tipped her according to what she deserved, she would get nothing."

That's when it hit me.

The same is true of God's Love for me. If He loved me according to what I deserved, I would not be a candidate for His Love. Yet God loves me anyhow. I am unconditionally, undeservingly, and overwhelmingly loved. This is the case for every believer in Christ (Romans 5:8; Galatians 4:4-7; Ephesians 1:3-14).

In the end I decided I needed to love this girl as God loves me... and show it through my tip.