Four Things.

Four Jobs I’ve Had:
- Network Analyst
- Customer Service Representative
- I.S. Volunteer
- Gospel Steward

Four Movies I Could Watch Over and Over:
- To pick only 4 movies is unpossible.

Four Places I’ve Lived:
- KY

Four TV Shows I Watch:
- Dirty Jobs
- MythBusters
- Gilmore Girls
- Smallville

Four Places I’ve Vacationed:
- Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, TN
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Myrtle Beach, SC
- Atlanta, GA

Four Foods I Love:
- Papa John's (Pepperoni Pizza)
- White Castle (Fish Sandwich, Chicken Rings, Fries)
- Applebee's (Bacon Cheeseburger or House Sirloin)
- Common Grounds (Coffee)

Four Sites I Visit Daily
- MySpace
- digg
- Google Options
- RSS Feeds

Four Albums I Can’t Live Without:
- As with movies, I can't pick just 4 albums.

Four Places I’d Rather Be:
- Traveling
- Common Grounds
- Church
- Bed

Four Random Items in Pockets:
- Wallet
- Keys
- Paper (Notes, Receipts, Etc.)
- Hands (Mine)

I'm Such A Geek.

I logged into MySpace tonight to check up on messages/whatever and was greeted with my current number of profile views:

If you get this, or think it's as funny as I did, you are a geek, too.

I've Got Nothing...

...particularly interesting to talk about, really. I've been doing some reflecting lately (what's new?) and I realized that I am actually a pretty horrible friend - contrary to what I originally believed. I mean, for all intents and purposes I am available, loving, willing to help, etc. - but I realized that I have been very distant from some people in my life recently that I really care for. There aren't really any excuses for this either. I have been busy with school lately - but then there has also been a lot of time that I have either simply wasted or delegated to some other purpose that I could have used to call/talk to people that I haven't had much contact with in weeks or months.

I am incredibly talented when it comes to being a hermit. I enjoy having a social life - hanging out with my friends, going out, etc. - but there are also times where I am totally fine with staying at my house for long periods of time - having no contact with anyone but my parents and my computer. Unfortunately, when I get in this habit - a lot of the people I love tend to suffer (or, not - depending on how they value my presence in their life).

Anyway - that aside - everything seems to be going well in my life. Still learning, growing, and struggling (wish I could take care of that last one). We are finally becoming a group on Wednesdays - and I think our honesty has been a big part of that. I understand the reasons behind keeping some things from the people you lead (after all, these guys aren't my accountability partners) - but the more we have shared with them, cared for them, loved them, and spurred them - the more open they have become and the closer we get. Out of the 10 guys we have signed up right now - 3 have been amazing. I know 30% is failing - but if we were able to connect with even just one of our guys and help move him closer to Jesus - there is NO failure there.

Things are good. Overall. Not perfect by any measure (due in part to some monumental shortcomings in my life) - but certainly a lot of things are coming together. Hopefully these things will allow me to be the man I need and desire to be, and will let me be a blessing to others.

Time will tell.

It Seems I'm A Colonel.

A few days ago I got the obligatory yellow card in my mailbox letting me know that a large package was waiting for me at the post office. I was busy, so I didn't have a chance to check immediately - but I assumed it was either my information from Compassion International or my Linux CDs I ordered...both of which could wait a couple days while I finished all the work I had stored for myself this week.

Today I actually ended up waking at a semi-reasonable hour and figured I should go ahead and pick up whatever package was waiting for me. Heading to the post office I was eager to see what present I had in store, but I had no idea what it would be.

That's right - someone out there nominated me for the honorary title of Kentucky Colonel. It seems Kentucky must not know too much about me, though, considering they approved it :)

In all seriousness - this is a great surprise and I am looking forward to learning more about the organization and seeing what I can do to be a valuable member to it. If you'd like more information, click here to go to their main site. My thanks to whomever is responsible for this - although I have a sneaking suspicion who it might be.

I'm Heading To Toronto.

Linux Caffe - Main Site
Linux Caffe - Pictures

This is totally cool. The more I get involved with Linux, the more I love it. I am still very much a beginner, but I am enjoying this whole process of learning, experimenting, and having fun. And, this little place puts two of my favorite things in the same place - coffee and technology.

I think it would be great to have some sort of cyber café here locally. The demand probably wouldn't be too high (hence it's absence) but I know that I would totally love to make it my new hangout. I love the atmosphere of coffee houses - the ones with hardwood floors, ambient lighting, awesome beverages, music, and cool people (e.g. Common Grounds). Add to that people who are into tech and you've got yourself one extra customer.

I'm still not entirely sure what God has in plan for my life. I think I get it every now and then, and I've certainly been wrong at least a few times - but if he's into using my passion (Him) teamed with my favorite things (tech, photography, coffee, music) then we might just have a match somewhere.

The Purpose Of "Reality."

I was thinking on the existence of God. More specifically, I was trying to pinpoint his exact location here in the universe. I always had the notion that he was above me, somewhere up in the clouds, floating around in space like a cable television satellite. I've also had the image of him literally "holding the world in his hands" - this amazing giant of a being using some forceful power to keep all the cosmos running - somewhat detached from it, but the most important part of it at the same time.

And then, I think I hit on a much better idea for me. God permeates all things - like an invisible layer...a mighty film over everything, everywhere, all the time. Except, this transparency or invisibility is not his nature - it is merely a by-product of our current situation. See, to me, it makes a whole lot more sense if the spiritual - the God - is actually a bit more real than our physical real.

We think of the soul in American culture (and maybe elsewhere) and this little Casper floating around inside our body. Where he finds the room with all our organs is beyond me. Maybe the psychologists and philosophers have it nailed down with the notion that our soul is our invisible being - the personification of who we are in a non-flesh way - our thoughts, our emotions, etc.

I'm thinking it's more of a shell - a container. Very real, very important...but not the end-all be-all.

In Christianity (and maybe other theologies) there is this notion of the "construction" of man - spirit, soul, body. The spirit is spirit - I can't think of a better way to put it. And then there is a covering for that spirit, our soul...which is a unique holder of this spiritual essence and reality. On top of the soul is flesh, our body - holding the soul and, in turn, the spirit.

Our current state of reality - our senses, our bodies - these seem very temporary to me. They are a fleeting way of holding things together for people who just aren't ready to experience the spiritual. While everything is being worked out to establish the true reality, we sit here in our common reality like a person waits in a waiting room.

This may all be terribly obvious for some people - but that's what an early morning will often do to me.

Thaddeus (And The Gospel Highway).

I am not worthy of the life that Jesus has given me. I can't accurately convey what that means to me, and although I often am very good at making "my" life about me - I am a pitiful, dirty sinner. What makes this unfathomable is that Jesus, through means I might never understand, looks at me and calls me His saint. Because of Christ, I am clean, whole, alive, holy.

What's more - even with these amazing gifts I manage to screw things up. He has made things very clear, and actually very simple, about what I am to do with this new life. I fail - time and time again. Yet, somehow, in His great mercy He actually blesses me when I fail...and even when I happen to do something right - I end up leaving fuller and better for having been in His presence while He worked.

All this to say that I have had an amazing two days. I feel like I might have actually been living life here for one of the first times.

My friend and I, accompanied by another acquaintance, made a trek this evening to our local coffee house. Monday nights = open mic night, so we thought we'd go up to check out the sights and sounds (my friend had also met some people previously that normally play Mondays). As we were sitting there, just relaxing, my friend looked over - saw a guy sitting by himself - and invited him over to our table. Little did I know, in my uneasiness as he came to sit, that this man would show me a lot more about Jesus than most people I know in my church.

We were all able to sit there for a little over an hour hearing this man's story, learning who he was, where he came from, what his life was all about. In a small way - it wasn't about us at all when he spoke - and it was amazing in those moments. He ended up taking the stage and performed two great folk songs for us - the second called "The Outlaw" that I, honestly, wish I had right now to listen to over and over again. It wasn't amazing music - it wasn't anything that people would go crazy over (most of the people in the shop were into their own things)...but it was amazing. People were sitting there totally oblivious to everything they were missing. They went to their drinks, their laptops, their conversations and totally missed life happening right on the stage.

I have no idea what our words meant to this man. All I know is that Jesus was again present - for the second glorious night in a row - in the most humble, sincere way possible. I left that coffee house tonight a better person for having been there, supremely blessed although I did not earn it nor deserve it.

And in all these words I cannot express what all happened. I cannot give enough thanks. I cannot summarize life.

Hopefully I'll see some of you in a coffee house one time and we can sit down together and just talk. We can get to know each other. We can leave this world behind for something that can be great.

Maybe someday you and I can have coffee with Jesus.

I Might Just...

...have faith in some people after all.

Service tonight has absolutely amazing. It was probably one of the most spiritual experiences I have had since I started attending about a year ago. We spent a lot of time in silence, reading words off the screen to ourselves, praying, reflecting...and although I normally get a bit wigged out by this (definitely did a bit at Passion '05/'06) it was actually great, looking back now. There was a time, while the congregation sang "Stand in Awe" that I felt such an amazing weight lifted off of me - I seriously felt like I was floating into the rafters. As the voices of the people singing rang out - there was such an aura, an ambience - and I swore that if I opened my eyes I would see heaven...I have never heard sound like that before.

Jesus was there tonight. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that He was in our midst. When we took communion - it was exactly as I've always wanted it. Everyone went and got the bread and juice, returned to their seats - and waited. Total silence. Then the words from Matthew came across the screen and we had time to reflect on what these small items in our hands represented. Again, for probably the first time since I started back to church - communion meant something. I heard Jesus' talking. I understood (to a point) what everything meant. I said "Thank you" about a hundred times. I couldn't stop.

I'm still a pessimist. That won't change overnight. And I am still bitter about a lot of the stuff that goes on in this world. I'm also really sad that there are SO many people who might never experience this...night. But I had actual hope tonight. If God will take a person like me, with my sin and shame and everything ugly about me, and love me...then I'm on board. He can do amazing things.

I wish everyone could have been there tonight. I wish everyone could see Jesus - the real Jesus...the non-hype Jesus, the not-what-that-Christian-told-you-He-was Jesus. I wish I could see that Jesus. Savor Him, love Him, know Him.

"And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." (John 17:3)

Help us know you, Lord.

Ps.73:25-28

Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.

But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.

Be Careful Everyone.

I've been working with computers for as long as I can remember. While I would never go so far as to claim to be an expert in the field - I have certainly been around things electronic for a large portion of my life. I enjoy technology - professionally and personally. Naturally, I would love for others to enjoy this, too. But, there are so many people out there who are uninterested, or worse, lackadaisical about their approach to computer use. They either don't know enough to operate a machine correctly, or worse, don't care.

So I post today to let everyone know (especially those mentioned above) that the technology world is not all fun and games - and your leisurely stole onto the internet isn't as safe as you think.

Invasion of the Computer Snatchers -

While a bit of a long read, this article hits on a topic that is all too common on today's web - the proliferation of spyware/adware and the threat of identity theft. Unfortunately, it is all too easy for a computer to be compromised if the user does not take security seriously - and the effects can be as "light" as performance issues to as dangerous as computer spoofing and identity theft.

Don't Let Your Computer Be Hijacked -

This article goes through a few steps that I think every person should take to keep their computer safe from common attacks.

Neither of these articles are meant to be scare tactics to convince a person to yank out their connection to the internet. Instead, they are meant to inform the casual to intermediate user who might not have thought much about the reality of internet threats.

Better Than Sports.

While I understand it makes some people a bit awkward (even myself, depending on how it's done) - I think it is amazing when a person who is very much in the public light will share their faith. I didn't get a chance to catch any news about this, but I found these articles that seem to sum it up pretty well. This girl seems to have her priorities straight and isn't afraid to let people know how precious Jesus is to her.

Victory found elsewhere

Refuse to hide faith

Where's Everyone Going?

Over the past month or so I have seen numerous people leave our church. It started off with our executive minister deciding to move to Colorado, to pursue a senior minister position at an up-and-coming church that could, actually, really use him. Then, one of the production team members decided to leave his position to become a police officer. Last week, a close friend of mine in the Information Systems department let me know that he and his family will be moving back to Colorado, to be closer to family and pursue things there. And, yesterday afternoon, I got an e-mail sent out from our age-level minister saying they were moving to Seattle to plant a church.

At first, it seems like something weird is going on that so many people would be leaving our church - people who are fundamentally important to various ministries. But, two recent messages delivered at our church shed light on the situation.

The first was a few weeks ago - called "iBucks" - that dealt with stewardship and our role in the kingdom mission. At our 608 service our senior minister was hard pressed to put into the words the extraordinary things God had put on his heart - but our congregation, through the power of the Spirit, understood and ended up singing and shouting and being set on fire with a passion beyond our church walls.

Then, this past week during our executive minister's last message with us, he said how he had actually met someone in Colorado who had been baptized at my church a while back. It just cemented into his mind and heart that we are one body - even if that body is over large geographic areas.

Our church has heard the call to be the body to the world. We have heard the call to bring the Kingdom of God in His power. And, thankfully, we are not letting this passion, desire, and purpose in our lives become compacency and inaction.

I will miss every one of the people who are leaving us - but I do not doubt for one second that each and every one of them are following God to where He wants them. I just hope more of our church silents itself to hear where God wants them (myself included).

Singles Rejoice!

There's no need to be sad if you are "without" this Valentine's Day. A friend of mine on MySpace posted this and the more I reflect upon it, the happier I get. I am loved by Jesus. Loved more than I deserve, and loved more than I can imagine. No matter who you are, single or taken - today can be a day to spend with the one person who's worth every single bit of attention...and deserves to be showered with love and praise. You might be surprised at the love you'd find if you took a look.

May God bless you all with His love today, and everyday after.

Free Geek.

Another discovered article will create today's post. This one is about an group in Portland that takes in old electronic devices and then fixes them to donate (for free) to needy organizations, or breaks down and recycles the components so they don't end up in a landfill. It seems like a relatively good cause to me, and it's tech-related...which is always cool.

Take a look at the article for a write-up/synopsis.

The main page can be reached by clicking this link.

There's also an organization in Columbus, OH that has taken on the "Free Geek creed."

Seems like this might be a nifty idea to spread around. I know there's a group of guys at my church who are qualified enough to take on something like this.

MySpace Goodbye?

I am seriously thinking of leaving the MySpace realm. As of right now the decision is on the table and is being deliberated - but it seems that in short time I might be cancelling my account.

But, why?

I have had my fair share of great experiences using MySpace. I have met some wonderful people, engaged in some serious conversations/debates, and been able to minister to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ - as well as people who do not know Him. It has been a fun place to hang out, to learn about new bands, and to experience that type of online social community.

Yet it has also been a place where I have wasted countless hours of my life doing absolutely nothing but staring at a screen, or going through profiles, or waiting for my next message or friend request. I have also spent numerous hours (overall) with a plethora of server errors and various other limitations to the MySpace online experience. I got sucked in and couldn't get out - the whole "aura" of MySpace just took me over for a while.

But, now that I have been busy with school and not on as much...it's given me time to focus and to ask some important questions about what I am using my time for. Not that I won't find another thing to use to waste away the hours...but I think it's about that time for MySpace.

Over the next week or so I'm going to go through and message the people I know personally and don't want to lose contact with, giving them my e-mail address and all that so we can still talk. After that - I'm pretty sure it's over.

There have been good times, MySpace, but it's time to part ways.

Flame On.

I found an interesting article in Wired News today (02/13). It was concerned with the seeming inability for people to accurately understand/interpret the mood and intention of online messages (e-mail, IM, etc.). This is very relevant to me because my predominant method of communication is often based online (e-mail for school and church, IM for personal conversations with friends, discussion/chat boards for online community). There have been more times that I can count or remember when I have said something, or heard something, in an online conversation that has had a negative impact - when it was never supposed to. I don't know what measures can be taken to find a solution to this problem - because as widespread and well-used as these systems are, it doesn't seem like there will suddenly be an end to them...so making sure our intentions are accurately laid out is a very important thing.

Check out the article for more info.

I'm Really Tired.

Yes, it's true - I am really tired. And I have to go brush my teeth before I go to bed.

The winter olympics opening ceremony is on right now. It makes me kind of sad to imagine the outrageous amounts of money that must have been spent on just this stuff alone (pyrotechnics, costumes, staffing fees, etc.) I can only imagine - in the hands of a proper steward of God - what kind of difference that amount of money could make in this world. Or, the asinine amounts of money being spent by superbowl advertisers (I heard somewhere around $60,000 a second). I'm sure that could have been used on something much better.

I'm not anti-luxury/comfort/wealth. I am, however, against pissing away money like it means nothing...or like it's even ours to throw at the most ridiculous things. And, for the sake of the "I earned it" or "I've just been blessed" arguments that will stem from either camp, I digress.

Have a good night everyone. It's been snowing for hours here...maybe we'll get some nice accumulation so I can get out and take pictures (for the first time in ages). Oh, but nothing too crazy (as far as roads are concerned) because I do not want to miss church this weekend - our executive minister is speaking his last message with us before he moves away to Colorado.

And now I'm really done. Be blessed.

A Conflict of Interests?

That is correct - you are seeing Tux as the background to my XP machine. For some reason I have this newfound fascination and exuberance towards open source software, specifically Fedora Core 2 (and a bit of Ubuntu) to which I have been working with. I have no idea if this is just my normal act of getting into something heavily and then quickly leaving it behind - or if I will (after a semester full of trouble, learning, and other negative things) still decide to implement open source across my entire network here at the house. Only time will tell, but I am kind of excited about all the stuff I have learned over the past week - even if it isn't extensive, advanced, or spectacular knowledge.

Plus, the penguin is kind of cool :)

Addendum: Found this online - and found it rather funny. (It's animated...so wait and watch it all)

A HREF = Blog Post.

I'm going pretty cheap on the blog crowd for tonight's post. I check out Relevant magazine (online) every now-and-then to see their new articles, as I generally enjoy most of them (and, soon, shall enjoy them in print when my subscription starts).

Anyway - I found a couple interesting articles that I would like to share with you.

1) Show and Tell -

I actually had a conversation with a good friend of mine who happens to be a missionary about this specific article's topic. And, I have also debated (to an extent) another person on the importance of missionaries vs. the rest of God's elect. I'm of the mind that God esteems no man (or woman) greater than another based around their worldly deeds. He chose us based not on our merit/actions/whatever, therefore whatever specific inclination He has us pursue, I don't believe, adds to our charm. I especially like the way this article ends - with something I try everyday (and often fail to do)...putting the spotlight back on Christ. I struggle with pride, and also with being horrible at my Christian "duties" - so it's not only nice to hear that people have my same heart, but that I am not the only person thinking about this.

2) A Community of Un-Devout Sinners -

This is actually another article that hits pretty close to home with me - our (often) inability to be honest people with each other. I love truth and honesty - and have no problem (to an extent...still growing) confessing my sin to other people and being real and direct about what is going on in my life. I have also, recently, learned the importance of being truthful with God. So, again, this article was a great find to show me that other people are concerned about how our churches/communities are both growing indirectly apart from each other by merely skimming the surface of our Christian shells, and creating communities of "seek" environments that are cozy and safe - but never reflecting the original church or the God who bought it on the Cross.

So...take a look at both - and leave some comments with your feelings/thoughts/etc. As I note above, I would love to start hearing from some people...and since I didn't write either of these there is probably something substantial there to discuss. :P

Any Linux Gurus Out There?

Well...as soon as I get done posting this I have to sit in front of my lab computers working on the Fedora Core 2 questions from the 8 labs I was supposed to have completed during this past week. I don't think it's going to be as bad as I was originally planning and - thanks to answered prayer - the due date for the answers and the test over the material has been pushed back one day...so I'll have a bit of time to get this done and work on some other stuff to try and get caught up.

You would think that I would have learned my lesson about procrastination by now - with all the self-induced stress I have placed on myself by having to rush through things I do not understand to get them done in time.

But I haven't.

So, if there happen to be any Linux geniuses out there that read this blog, I would enjoy switching brains with you for the next few months (just until the semester is over...then I'll give it back).

No Money, No Problems.

We had a message at church a few weeks ago called "iBucks." It actually turned out to be almost totally off the subject of money - but one thing I remember from College Café (a group for college-aged students to meet) that morning was a question that was asked:

"If money was not a factor, what would you do for the rest of your life?" (Or, something to that regard).

I don't think it took me too long to come up with what I would love to do - and, God-willing, maybe it will happen one day.

If money was not a factor...I would have a really nice DSLR camera. Not because it's flashy, but because I want to learn more about the art of photography, and a professional camera would allow me a lot of room to grow. Plus, I absolutely love to take pictures...it makes me so happy. And, maybe one day, I'll take a really great picture.

If money was not a factor...I would take my digital camera with me to visit every state in this country (even those two "remote" ones). I would take pictures everywhere I went to just capture the beauty God has created and how diverse it can be from location to location. It would be amazing to see just this small part of the world through a viewfinder - and I would love the opportunity to do so.

If money was not a factor...my camera and I would also visit a lot of coffee shops around the nation. I love sitting in a coffee shop just taking in the atmosphere. If I wasn't feeling introverted that day, I might just spark a conversation with someone. Heck, I might even find the courage to start yammering on about Jesus like I love to do from time to time, all the time.

If money was not a factor...I'd take my guitar with me. It's sitting next to my bed right now in its case - collecting dust. How I would love, like my camera above, to just learn what's possible with that thing. I want to write music. I want to play music. I want to worship God with that guitar.

If money was not a factor...I'd visit some churches. I want to see how other people who are chasing after this big, mysterious, wonderful God live their lives. I want to know what gets preached in this nation. I want to know how and what people like to sing to God. I want to capture in my mind, and also on film (since I've got the camera) everything this widespread body of faith has to offer.

If money was not a factor...I'd take someone with me. I can't do this on my own. And, even if I could - why would I want to? I love community. I love support. I need people there to pray with me and for me. I want people there to be a part of this.

Funny thing is - the more I think about all this - money is not a factor. If I started now, with some little, minimum wage job, I could probably save enough to do all this in under a year. And, if I only spent about a week in each state, I could be right back here in a year. So, two years of my life to accomplish something really big on my heart.

I might just have to look into this.

I Went To Mass Sunday.

And I am convinced now, more than ever before, that the rift between Protestants and Catholics (and, really, most denominations in Christianity) must be fixed. Yes, I will readily admit that I have no desire to convert to Catholicism (err...back to Catholicism) and that there were multiple times during the service that I readily disagreed with what the minister was saying/preaching. BUT, there are numerous things that I respect about the Catholic faith, and several things that I think would add greatly to the overall Christian faith.

Rather than going on about what I disliked - I'll talk about the things I admired. First, their dedication to tradition and ritual is pretty amazing - not much has changed since I last stepped foot in that church (probably) 10-or-so years ago. While I understand too much of that can be a bad thing, I think a healthy dose of tradition and respect for "how things have always been done" make a person feel comfortable in a church. I totally support a relevant, forward-thinking/moving church, but I also believe that we need to be firmly planted on the Rock, with our overall model reflecting the teaching and shape of the original church.

I love how they do communion. The way they lead up to it, the reverence for it, the way everything stops and there is no loud noise, no worship music - just you and the Lord. A time for reflection, and time for rememberence. There have been many times at my church where I just would love some silence and a little more time to take the bread and the juice and just prepare my heart for what I am doing, to take time after to just reflect and pray - and I think the Catholic church does a fairly good job at moving towards that.

Another thing - and this might just be me - I like how they sing the Word. There were a few times where they actually sung passages of the Bible - Psalms, a portion of the Gospel. It was different, and it actually made me reflect on an article I had read from John Piper about the power of song as a weapon against Satan. Plus, I always enjoy God's sons and daughters lifting their voices, so I was glad they took numerous occasions to do so.

Lastly - and this might be the most important thing I noticed, and really do love about the Catholic church - they are God's children. My Lord, my King, my Friend - Jesus - he paid their debt, too. He is waiting in Heaven for them just as readily as He is looking for me. His Spirit, His truth, His life, His fullness resides in them as much as it does me. Yes, I have conflicts with things they say, things they practice - but I have had just as much strife within my own church.

If we have saving faith. If God has called us to be His children - then we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. They are different, but I am the same when looking from their eyes. They make mistakes, they sin - I would be a liar to not acknowledge my own.

So, in that regard I end with the words of the apostle Paul:

"For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another...Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." Romans 12:4-5/9-10 (ESV)

"Hoodwinked"

This movie isn't the next big animation hit. You aren't going to get that polished CGI look that you have become quite used to over the years with the big-budget hits. However, there is a lot to be liked about "Hoodwinked."

Many times during the movie you are treated to some really clever storytelling and dialogue. The characters each have their own quirks that are loveable, and the photographer squirrel(?) was the best part of the film, hands down.

While I believe the way they chose to move between character's tales does a bit to damage the pace of the film, at the end everything does come together in a pretty good way to tie it all in nicely. The end could have been cut a bit shorter, and there were a few scenes where I actually winced - but not so much as to ruin my taste for it altogether.

Keeping it short and sweet - it's definitely not a huge draw. There are even other movies that I might have preferred above this one. All of that said, though, there still is an entertaining feature hidden away...just make sure to catch this at matinee.

Community.

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV)

Something that is big on my heart, in the realm of Christianity, is community. I think it is a vital part of the walk of faith to do all "facets" together - worship, study, evangelism...

So I have a proposal. There are about 5 to 7 people that I think come to this blog and read the posts I make. And I know every one of you on a personal level - whether I see you regularly, or never at all. What I am suggesting, though, only requires an internet connection and the ability to use e-mail. I think that we should start communicating with each other, at least once a week, to encourage each other in our Christian walks. Send out prayer requests, urge each other to fight the fight, to love, to stay strong until the Day comes.

If this sounds like a good idea to any of you - send me an e-mail message and I will start to set something up. I think this could be a great thing for all of us - and regardless of what we are involved in apart from each other, it never hurts to have more people stand behind you. (And, in case it is not obvious, ANYONE is free to send me an e-mail if they would like to be part of this. Christian or non-Christian, friend or stranger...I (we) will pray for you and walk with you.)

Looking forward to hearing from you.

School Has Lost Its Charm.

I just finished a case study for my Decision Support Systems class. The entire thing was three parts: create three tables, create two special queries, and create a report. I have done every one of those things before, numerous times, with little headache and astonishing success. Tonight, for reasons I may never understand, it took me way longer than I can even figure. Hours.

But now I am caught up in that class, for now, which is great. I might try to work a bit on the next case study if I can - but I have to wait for specific alterations from the book from my instructor. I am about a week ahead in another class, but I want to continue working at this pace to remain ahead in case another class calls my attention. That class might just be my third this semester - Systems Security. I am about a week behind there...lots of reading, two machines to set-up (and two operating systems per machine). It will, I imagine, be a long weekend. And beginning of next week.

But - aside from school - I am pretty happy. Things seem to be going relatively well on my end. I have a few faith things I am really trying to work out with God, or let Him work out in me, whichever way seems best for Him. But I'm not gonna focus too much effort or anxiety upon that - just hopefully a bit more study and casual reading with some people I consider great peers - Paul, David, Jesus, John Piper, Jon Weece...

Some amazing things are lining up right now. A possible mentor/discipler for me - which would be a great thing for my young faith. A new group (Bible study, accountability). New friends. Old friends. Good stuff.

For those out there who are praying for me, thanks - and keep it up, I could certainly use it. And, to add a bit to that list - pray for my friends who seem to be getting a little distant from the church...I am a bit worried. And, pray that my friend's new interest in the Bible will be one that sparks an occasion for the Spirit of God to invade His life and work awesome things for his benefit.

Thanks for reading. I should be back tomorrow to continue with the everyday thing (almost missed today...thanks Crystal).

The Battle, The Cry.

Tonight our goal during life group was to make aware our guys that there is a battle going on around us. In fact, the battle that wages during every second of our lives is an invisible one – a battle against spiritual enemies and things not seen. We also wanted to convey to our guys that they are called to be warriors in Christ – fighting these battles with the power of God.

In that, I decided to write my battle cry out, opening my heart to what is going on in my life. To what I long for. To what I fear. To what I hope.


My battle cry is for Christ to consume every part of my life, my mind, my heart, my soul, my being. I long for the courage to seek the nations for the glory of God. I long for the faith to speak Paul’s words and have their truth echo in my heart “To live is Christ, to die is gain.” I thirst for God in this land where I am so easily separated from His living water. I hunger for God even when my stomach is full on the sins of this world. I mourn for the blindness, deafness, and muteness of this world – consumed with their false idols, reflecting their inability to truly bring truth, life, love, or anything else that the only Living God has promised us in Christ. I fear, but long, for the fires of this life – the testing and refining fires of the presence of my God. Who is there but You God? Who or what am I that you even acknowledge my presence? Show mercy to me in my constant weakness – empower me with Your Spirit. Help me to rest in Your promises. Lord, use me for Your will – I am a vessel for Your righteousness to shine in this dark world. May I never boast but in the cross of Christ, through which you crucified my old self – the sins and slavery of the flesh. The cross on which you purchased me for Yourself. The cross where blood was shed for my penance, for my cleansing, for Your glory. Praise you for the resurrection of Jesus – to which I shall share because of Your great mercy towards me. May I never forget the love you showed me while in my darkest place, at just the right time, while I was still an enemy to You. I long to be mature in Christ, so I look to Your for guidance, for instruction. Incline me to Your Word – living and breathing off the pages. Give me a heart for Scripture. Intercede for me, and for others through me, with swooping, faithful prayers. Teach me to hear Your gentle, quiet, loving voice.

I am Yours, Jesus.