The Pilgrimage Continues...

Closing Time

2005-12-19T11:40:00.000-08:00

I hate to say it, but this blog is now officially closed for business but have no fear because my new blog can be found at alongthepilgrimage.com. I'm kind of sad to see this one go, but it will still be up if anyone ever chooses to browse the archives section and see my posts from the past 9 months. So gather up your belongings, change your blogroll, add me to your favorites, and head over to my new blog. See you there. Peace, I'm out!

Fresh

2005-12-14T15:17:00.000-08:00

A new website is coming soon I promise. Look for the launch in the near future.

One Way Ticket

2005-12-11T07:18:00.000-08:00

I get hear Brian McLaren this morning at UBC. This will make the second time I have heard him in person, but this will be the first time I have heard him preach. Giddy-up.

A Link Share

2005-12-10T09:35:00.000-08:00

I usually never do this, but I want to offer a few links that you might find amusing or entertaining. Instead of fully devoting myself to school this week, I got a little distracted and found a few websites during study breaks. Here you go:

You might be emerging if... - check out this guy's take on the emerging church. Most of these descriptions totally fit me. I'm doomed!

Phone complaint and Dance Remix - I found this at Dan Kimball's blog (author of The Emerging Church). This should keep you laughing for hours to think that someone took the time to put this diddy together.

Jesus T's - And you thought those "A Bread Crumb & Fish" shirts were bad. Can you picture your pastor getting up to preach in one of these this Sunday?

Follow the Star - this is a great site to help you prepare for Christmas this year.

Clark Griswold would be jealous - some people have too much time on their hands, but this is beautiful.

Enjoy, it's Saturday! Time for a little UT vs. Duke.

Blinded

2005-12-09T13:38:00.000-08:00

Back in the Hardin-Simmons days, there was an ongoing debate between me and my friend Lex: Golden Chick or Chicken Express? Lex preferred the Golden Chick and I always sided with Chicken Express (or as the cool kids say “Chicken-E”). Whenever you could get the student special which featured 4 tenders (but they distributed 5-6), fries, a biscuit and gravy, and a large drink for $3 you couldn’t turn it down. What set Chicken Express apart was the sweet tea, but no kind of chicken competition exists in Waco. All you have here is Bush’s Chicken, which pales in comparison to both Abilene fried chicken establishments.

I hate going to Bush’s Chicken. Everybody praises it, but I don’t honestly know why. They serve rolls instead of biscuits. Not fresh ones at that. They have that “we’ve been sitting under a heat lamp for 5 hours” look. To make matters worse, we always get the corner rolls, the ones that resemble a rock more than bread. To their credit, they have crinkle fries and Serendipity but these alone don’t do it for me. And to top it all off, they give the exact amount of tenders as posted on their signage. I wouldn’t call them tenders even, they’re more or less chicken bits.

Bush’s runs a monopoly on the chicken industry here in Waco, so if you are interested in starting a Golden Chick or Chicken Express franchise in Waco let me know. How can people know that something better exists out there if they have never seen, smelled, or tasted anything else? I don’t even care about the debate anymore…I just want good fried chicken.

Boo for Final Exams

2005-12-07T12:44:00.000-08:00

The weather is gross outside today and our house is cold. There’s nothing on my agenda. No places to go, nowhere to be. Today is a “study day” for finals that start tomorrow. I have my Starbucks Christmas Blend and theology notes in front of me, but there’s an absolute lack of motivation for studying for Texts and Traditions I. It’s one of those days, Friday cannot come soon enough.

Paint Chips

2005-12-06T09:28:00.000-08:00

My youngest brother always keeps me entertained. My parents and other family members wouldn’t entirely agree, but he really makes life interesting. It’s not that he is a funny person, but what he does that’s funny. He’s funny in a Chris Farley kind of way. His actions and mannerisms are what make him humorous.

Like the rest of America, our family ventured the mall the weekend after Thanksgiving in search of slashed prices and hot deals. My parents were looking for a new pair of dress shoes for my brother and we’re sitting together in Foley’s watching him try on pair after pair after pair. It was an exhaustive process. He’s really particular about his shoes because he has gargantuan feet and likes to curl his toes. Nothing really seemed to work, until he tried on a pair of Steve Madden slip ons. Even these weren’t really fitting right, but somehow he squeezed his size 12 foot into those shoes after wiggling, finagling, and finally stomping them in place.

I forgot to mention, my brother was trying on dress shoes in cargo shorts. He looked like an old guy who was mowing his yard or filling up the gas tank. And he’s a pretty good sized boy, strapping and solid. As soon as he stands up with his slip ons, he looks in the mirror, pauses, and then does something completely bizarre. In a very high-pitched voice, he says, “I’m a little Dutch boy. I’m from Holland!” and proceeds to dance around the chairs by hopping from one foot to the other. It was a Pillsbury-esque.

My mom looked on in complete embarrassment, while my dad regained his composure in the mens’ sport coat section. I was doubled over at the side of the shoe section and the 50-year-old shoe guy slowly backed away. By the way, he didn’t buy those pair of shoes.

The Quest for a Church Home, Part III

2005-12-05T11:00:00.000-08:00

4 churches and no positive feedback, until yesterday. It has been 2 months and we still haven’t found a church home. One of the things I have realized is that life doesn’t feel right when you are not connected to a church. I don’t see how some people can “church hop” month-to-month and feel satisfied. A piece of me feels empty without a church community.

Part of this elongated search I want to blame on Crosspoint. If it wasn’t for Crosspoint, I would have never become more perceptive about church, how Christ’s bride is structured, and how it functions in the world. My time at Crosspoint really fueled my passion for the church. Ever since I have left Abilene, I have been searching for the next Crosspoint and I realize that I will never find the exact same thing we had in Abilene. Not that any church is perfect, but Crosspoint might have been the closest thing I have ever found.

Of all the things I learned from being at Crosspoint, there are two influential things I experienced about church – you have to like the place you attend and you have to find a church that fits you. As Jerry said back when Crosspoint started, “Church should be fun.” Not that this is exactly biblical, but I think it’s on target whenever I think and discuss church. There should be anticipation and excitement in going to church, not boredom and discontent with the status quo. You also have to find a place where you and the church are singing from the same hymnal in terms of philosophy, ministry, etc.

We had planned on attending UBC and seeing what they had to offer last month, but it has been hard finding an opportunity to attend this semester. This is the church that experienced the tragic death of Kyle Lake back in October, so we wanted to allow some time to pass before going to UBC. This is also the home church of the David Crowder Band, which shouldn’t be a reason to go to church just because I can attend a free concert every Sunday.

But when we attended UBC yesterday, it was affirming. It felt like church to me. There was room for creativity, expression, and mysticism. I walked away from the gathering wanting to come back next week. Sunday's preacher was Gideon Tsang, from Liquid in Austin, TX. Really good, narrative style, and kind of spacy. And worship was well, incredible (but Crowder is not there every Sunday when he is at conferences and touring). Even if they don’t currently have a pastor, I have to be reminded that the church is about the people and not a single person. It just makes it a little hard to attend a church that is in transition, but that’s okay. They have a missional, emergent/postmodern structure, that focuses strongly on building community. And they are a fairly young congregation made mostly of Baylor students and young couples. Hopefully I will get the chance to meet with their community pastor in the upcoming weeks to talk more about ministry philosophy and ways for Alison and me to get connected to their community. This has been a big answer to prayer and I hope that we have found a place that we can call “home.” More to come in the upcoming weeks…

Christmas Wish List

2005-12-01T11:17:00.000-08:00

With Christmas just around the corner, I figured it was time for me to display some of my wants this year. If you feel generous enough, you can purchase one of the items and give it to me when you get the chance. Otherwise, enjoy and share what you are expecting to receive this Christmas:

Books:
-The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard
-Bird by Bird: Some thoughts on writing and life by Anne Lamott
-The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

CDs:
-The Legend of Johnny Cash

DVDs:
-About a Boy
-Crash
-Saved!

A Really Nice Journal

French Press Coffee Maker

Track Jacket

Spurs Tickets

iPod FM Transmitter with charger

Sony Cybershot Digital Camera

There you have it and I'll just say thank you in advance if any of you should choose to be so generous. After all, tis better to give than receive.

Movie Review: Walk the Line

2005-11-29T15:15:00.000-08:00

Over the Thanksgiving Weekend, I had the chance to go see the much anticipated, Walk the Line. It’s a great story of an American Icon whose effect on the music world reaches deeper than you would imagine. The film is based on his autobiography, Cash, and I would suggest that you pick it up. It’s an excellent read that dispells a few myths and has the feel of listening to your grandpa tells stories.

Anyways, about the movie. What really stands out are the performances by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. Phoenix’s mannerisms and singing made me feel like I really was witnessing the Man in Black himself and Witherspoon does an excellent job as June Carter Cash. It’s really impressive considering they not only had to portray these people, but also be able to sing. The movie essentially is a love story that details how one man rises from humble beginnings in Dyess, Arkansas and then rises to stardom on Sun Records only to hit rock bottom due to his amphetamine addiction and then find redemption after finally marrying June Carter.

What stands out to me is how Johnny Cash was rock star at the beginning of his career, touring with Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, and Jerry Lee Lewis. During his rise to celebrity, he lives it up while neglecting his home life (with his first wife Vivianne) as well as his health. Eventually, he comes around and finds redemption.

There are some spiritual undertones in the film, but you don’t get to see as much of Cash’s faith transformation since it traces only his early career. Nonetheless, it’s still a great movie and biography about a cultural icon. Both Johnny and June worked with the producers on the making of the film before they passed away and their son, John Carter Cash, also was an involved part of the movie production. It’s a wonderful tribute to one of the most humble yet great American song writers and singers of the 20th century. Go see the movie, it’s educational and entertaining.

Sports Weekend Rewind (Extended Thanksgiving Edition)

2005-11-28T16:22:00.000-08:00

While Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends to get together, it is also a reason to have an extended weekend of football and fun. There’s nothing like fattening yourself up and then watching the Cowboys play on Turkey day and then follow it up with a little UT-A&M on Friday. So needless to say, I spent most of my break relaxing on the couch and soaking in a lot of sports.

-A rivalry game brings out the best in the underdog. This was evident in Texas’ win at Kyle Field on Friday. I kept waiting for Vince Young to take over and dominate in the second half, but he failed to string anything together. I still think he’s solid and I’m counting down the days for USC vs. Texas in January. (If you haven’t picked up the newest edition of ESPN the Magazine, the cover story is on Vince…the guy is a legend in the making.)

-Notre Dame ekes by the Cardinal in the last game at the 84 year-old Stanford Stadium. This game was huge because it keeps them BCS eligible – and an estimated $14 million richer.

-Thank God for Jay Feely. Since the Giants could not pull out a victory against Seattle (in a game they should have won), the Cowboys still lead the NFC East. But the ‘Boys still should have won on Thanksgiving…giving up that run to Ron “frickin’ underachiever” Dayne still annoys me.

-Mariuchi gets fired before Dom Capers. Yes, the Lions are awful but the Texans blow a 21 point lead in a game they should have won. In his 4 years as the Houston head coach, he’s 17-42. Wow.

-Christie is not the answer. The Mavs wave bye-bye to the veteran guard and his bad ankle. They are actually playing fine without him (and were playing fine with him), keeping up with the Spurs in the Southwest Division, which brings me to…

-The tides have turned in the East-West Conference. It looks like I’ll be eating my words of a Spurs-Rockets Western Conference Finals because the Mavs have held steady early this season. The east has finally regained some legitimacy since the Jordan-era, with the Pistons, Cavs, Pacers, and Heat (not as of yet) all looking like solid contenders.

-Jerry Jones might be on crack. If the Cowboys sign T.O. next year, the apocalypse is upon us.

Thanksgiving

2005-11-23T10:48:00.000-08:00

Not to be cheesy or anything, but I think it is a healthy practice this time of year to pause and reflect upon what we are most thankful for. All too often it’s easy for me to be consumed with projects, papers, deadlines, etc. and not see what God has done over the past year. As Psalm 136:1 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. For His mercy endures forever!” So without further adieu, here’s a few of the things I am thankful for this season:

My bride Alison – life is much better having someone to experience it with and I could not imagine a better person to go through life with me.

God’s providence – I was a little nervous being unemployed for a few weeks in October, but God proved himself faithful by opening up several jobs that have suited me perfectly. They are flexible, I still get to work out of home, I have been reunited with Jerry, and they don’t interfere with school. God is good.

Fall Weather – not that it has been incredibly cool in Waco (until recently), but there are more trees here than Abilene – and these actually turn color!

Seminary – Truett has really been a place where my faith has been cultivated and grown over the past year. School has truly affirmed my calling and expanded my thinking.

DVR – I feel bad for being thankful for material things, but this is one of the greatest inventions of the 21st century. No more VHS tapes or anything. If you don’t have one, it needs to be on your wish list for Christmas…it will revolutionize your living room.

Facebook – within the past few weeks, I have been able to connect with people I had not seen in years!

Rest – the break could not have come at a better time. In all seriousness, I think my mind actually might be shutting itself down. So the rest of the week will consist of eating, watching the Cowboys and UT, and being a complete vegetable.

So there you have it folks. The blog won’t be updated until the weekend (and expect the debut of a new and improved blog come December), so here’s wishing you a very happy (and restful) Thanksgiving. Blessings to you all.

The Dog Who Crapped in Our Yard

2005-11-21T18:37:00.000-08:00

There’s this guy down the street who likes to walk his Rottweiler in the afternoons. He’s an older man, probably retired, but I don’t honestly know. He has an old dog and it’s fat, which is why he started walking the dog in the first place. Sometimes when the weather is nice, I’ll read out on the front porch and he’ll be walking his dog, and we’ll wave at each other.

He seemed like a nice man until I watched him let his dog pee and poop at almost every house along their walk together. The dog would walk a little ways, get a whiff of another dog’s scent, and take care of his business. This irked me a little bit because it just seemed rude for him to allow his dog to act this way. He wouldn’t tug on the leash or anything to get his dog out of someone’s yard. I decided to let the issue go. After all, if the dog wasn’t doing it in our yard, then it wasn’t that big of a deal.

That was until the old man let his dog take a crap in our yard. With Alison looking out the window at him I might add, but that didn’t stop the old guy and his dog. Maybe I should thank him for the free fertilizer or forgive and forget, but letting your dog do his thing whenever and wherever he pleases just doesn’t seem right.

'Tis the DNow Season

2005-11-18T11:14:00.000-08:00

I'm gone for the weekend to help out Boyd with his Disciple Now this weekend. I'm pretty pumped since I've hung out with his kids three other times, so there's some familiarity with his group. I also get to chill with Brady and Brandi. Good times.

A List on Gym Etiquette, Continually Updated

2005-11-17T11:37:00.000-08:00

My last post focused on Fire Marshall Bill, the mysterious character at the gym. Writing about him got me thinking about my own experiences in gyms and how there should be a list of rules that everyone should follow:

-Cell Phones are not allowed in the weight/cardio rooms. The gym is an oasis from your everyday world, so why bring your world to the treadmill or weight room? And it is a disturbance to hear you yell over your machine, others' machines, the televisions, and so on. If you cannot leave your cell phone in the car or locker, then kindly answer the phone and step away from your machine.

-If you have to constantly interrupt the person beside you on how to work a treadmill, then you shouldn't be using the treadmill. Most gyms have indoor walking tracks or a gym, so take your power walking elsewhere.

-If you are not coordinated enough to walk on a treadmill, then you shouldn't be on a treadmill. I'll admit, it is kind of funny seeing a "treadmill virgin" try to figure out the machine, but save yourself the embarrassment and possible injury and resort to the walking track.

-No grunting allowed. I don't care to see how many 45 lb. plates you can benchpress, just don't draw attention to yourself.

-No toboggans allowed. This is a new one for me, but there's a couple of guys who are notorious for their toboggans in the cardio room. Maybe they like to trap a really good sweat, but I'm confused about wearing them indoors. If these were elderly gentlemen and their heads get cold, then I could understand but when you are in your 20s leave gangster look outside.

-All televisons should be left at a reasonable volume. If they are all equipped with closed captionining, then why does anyone need his or her tv louder than a jet engine? This rule is really a matter of common courtesy.

-If anyone has an mp3 player, that's a good indication that they don't want to be bugged when they are working out. Leave them alone and allow the mp3 listener to initiate conversation.

-The last one for today. If you look/sound like you are days away from kicking the bucket, then you probably shouldn't be working out. I'm not trying to be tacky here because I'm serious. Just last week, this guy wore a bib of paper towels during his workout so he could hack up the crud on the spot instead of going to the bathroom. It was totally disgusting and I honestly thought I might have to save this guy's life.

If you know of any other rules/courtesies to add to the list please feel free. Here's to a better gym experience!

An Old Guy at the Gym

2005-11-15T16:30:00.000-08:00

Ever since I started working out at the Center, there has always been this elderly man that is in the cardio room at the same time as me. He’s a very odd man and I still cannot figure him out to this day, but he is nice to me and we exchange “Hellos” every time we see each other.

I wish I knew his name, but we have never formally introduced ourselves outside of our morning greetings. He reminds of Fire Marshall Bill from In Living Color, so I refer to him as Fire Marshall Bill. In my mind anyways. It’s not that he’s crazy (for the most part), but it’s his mannerisms in the way he greets. Just picture Jim Carrey saying “Let me show you something!!!,” but translate that into “Hey there!” and you’ll get the idea. From 10:30-11:30 at the Center, you can be sure that Fire Marshall Bill will be on the exercise bike or treadmill.

I would say our relationship has been cordial at best. I have never really taken the initiative to get to know him, but when I’m at the gym I don’t really care about meeting and talking with other people. That’s part of the reason why I work out with my iPod…it intentionally distances myself from other people, except for Fire Marshall Bill. Sometimes he tries to have a conversation with me, but it’s ineffective because of the ear buds. He obviously has not received the memo about “Ear Buds=Don’t Talk to Me.” It’s not that I intentionally ignore him, I just can’t hear him.

When he’s not trying to talk to me or anyone else in the Cardio Room, he’s watching Fox News. On full blast, even if other people are trying to watch ESPN or The View. This is part of what bugs me about Fire Marshall Bill – he’s inconsiderate with the television volume. It doesn’t matter if I or someone else was in the cardio room first, he will still go turn on the other tv to Fox News and crank up the volume. Nor does it matter that all the tv’s have closed captioning, but I don’t think he is coordinated enough to work out and read at the same time. Nothing gets in the way of Fire Marshall Bill and his Fox News. It’s really annoying as you can imagine.

I think another reason why I have coined him Fire Marshall Bill is because he always seems to come in with a different part of his body bandaged or wrapped each week. This week he is wearing a wrist brace, but a few weeks ago his head was bandaged, and before that there was a knee brace. Part of me wants to tell him that it might be good for him to not work out and let his body heal, but we are not cordial enough to offer those kinds of exchanges. Besides, I wouldn’t want anyone telling me whether or not I should be working out.

Then there is Fire Marshall Bill’s woman friend. There is always a woman that works out at the same time as him, but up until this week I figured it was his wife. They always arrive and leave at the same time, so why else should I not think they were married? But as I was getting into my car, I noticed them getting into separate vehicles. Maybe there is a romantic interest in Fire Marshall Bill’s life, but I still don’t know.

This is Fire Marshall Bill, the man and the mystery. Maybe I should get to know him a little better, but I think some things are better off unknown.

Sports Weekend Rewind (11.11-11.13)

2005-11-14T21:11:00.000-08:00

This post comes a tad late because I was wanting to watch the Cowboys game before I blogged. I thought I was going to hurl curses and insults for Dallas not pulling out a victory against a T.O.-less Eagles squad, but thank goodness for Roy Williams. I'm writing this with 00:26 left on the clock...score 21-20...61 yard FG attempt...whew!!! Cowboys win!

In other notes from the weekend:

-USC vs. Texas in January. This game was meant to be (and Vince Young will win the Heisman).

-Congrats to Lebron for becoming the youngest guy to 4,000 points. But I'm still not sure whether or not I would take him or D-Wade to start a franchise.

-UT Basketball ranked #3. That's unheard of, but they should be solid this year: Aldridge, Gibson, Tucker, and so on.

-A-Rod wins the MVP. This probably wouldn't gross me out if it wasn't for his past with the Rangers.

-Dallas Cowboys and Monday Night Football, a match made in heaven.

The Quest for a Church Home, Part II

2005-11-13T15:41:00.000-08:00

Since we were out of town last weekend, Alison and my church search was put on hold for a Sunday but today we worshipped at a large Baptist church in Waco. They are well known for their emphasis on missions and strong youth ministry, so it intrigued me a little before attending this church.

I feel like I need to put a disclaimer out there before I go any further with any posts of this sort. Sometimes I may come across as a cynic and critic of a church (seminary can do this to a person), but this is not my intention. Within the past year, I have come to the realization that it takes all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people. What really matters is whether or not a person's "DNA" (for lack of a better word) and the church's "DNA" connect.

With that said, this church is really not for us. We were greeted kindly, the people seemed nice, they have a full church staff, they had a band, but it honestly felt too big for us. This congregation is one of the "mega-churches" in the Waco area and we're looking for something more intimate and personal. And maybe it was a bit too traditional for my liking. By traditional, I mean stuck in a system of doing church and unwilling to be forward thinking. This goes beyond having screens and doing praise choruses in your worship service. That stuff doesn't really matter to me anymore for the most part. I could care less if I had to sing from a hymnal as long as it is authentic worship.

I think the other thing that we disliked about the church was that it felt like church, in the bad sense. After the service, Alison and I discussed that the church seemed to be going through the motions, so maybe today was a bad Sunday. I had the impression that everyone was at church because "that's what you do on Sunday mornings." We're looking for a place that we anticipate attending each week, not a place to go for the sake of habit.

On another note, they had an electronic drum set. It seriously gave me the chills. I think churches are the only people who buy those crappy things in a way to please the teens and 20's (which it doesn't) and appease the senior adults.

With all that said, we probably won't be attending this church another Sunday and the search will be put off for another week since I'll be hanging out at Kevin's church for a DNow. Until next time...

Bunch of Crazies

2005-11-10T19:43:00.000-08:00

Pat Robertson told a Pennsylvania town "they had voted God out of their city" for voting their school board out of office by supporting intelligent design and not to be surprised if disaster struck their town.

On another note, did anyone hear about the "God Warrior" on Trading Spouses?

Too Expensive, but that's okay

2005-11-05T10:25:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I tried to convince my wife into letting me purchase a couple of tickets for the Baylor vs. Texas game that is taking place right now. That seemed okay until I told her the price tag per ticket: $48, and that doesn’t include paying for parking. I have come to realize that everything at Baylor has a price, and an expensive one at that. So I’m not going to the Baylor game and that’s alright because we have plans to do something else…country dancing!

Tonight we are heading up with some friends to see Gary Allan at Billy Bob’s, the world’s largest honky tonk! I’m usually not a big fan of mainstream country acts, but I will make an exception for Gary Allan. His song, “Smoke Rings in the Dark” was what first got me listening to the guy and the rest of his stuff has been quality since.

Most of my country tastes are the Texan type or a more classic flavor such as Willie, Waylon, and Johnny Cash with an enormous disdain for Toby, Rascall Flatts, etc. I’m really pumped about the show and it's at one of the best and biggest dance halls around…I haven’t really had much opportunity to half-step since my time at HSU.

Jazzed

2005-11-03T14:56:00.000-08:00

I don't have much to post about today nor have the time to post much, but I have been going through C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity for the past week. This is my second reading of the book and this time has been more rewarding than before because I am going through it slower in order to process his work a little better than before.

While I was reading this afternoon, I found a few lines that were particularly encouraging in terms of my desire and passion for the church. Here it is:

"Christians are Christ's body, the organism through which
He works. Every addition to that body enables Him to do more."

May this bring you encouragement as much as it brought me. Later.

Star Dizzle

2005-11-02T14:36:00.000-08:00

Star Wars Episode III came out yesterday on DVD and you have probably seen all the hype about it on television, internet, and even in Walmart. I have yet to see this installment and I probably will go rent it sometime this month, but all of the merchandizing is a tad extreme if you ask me. From light sabers to figurines, and to a Darth Vader Voice changer, the possibilities are endless for these products but they caused me to have a peculiar dream a few nights back.

This dream also contained West Coast Rapper, Snoop Dogg as well. And not like he was in the store with me looking at toys, but he was the creator of a Star Wars parody entitled, Star Dizzle. To go along with his film, Snoop had likewise created an extensive merchandise collection, particularly the Darth Vizzle mask designed after Snoop himself. Just picture Rick Moranis from Space Balls, but put Snoops face into the helmet. It was very creepy with the whole Darth Vizzle and Star Dizzle thing. I had this image of his movie being a rendition of his mid-90s hit “What’s My Name?,” but then fortunately I sat up in bed and realized it was just a dream.

Sports Weekend Rewind (NBA Preview Edition)

2005-11-01T11:59:00.000-08:00

Even though the NBA season tips off tonight, I think it is fitting to categorize this post under the "Sports Weekend" Banner. Most people know of my incredible love for the San Antonio Spurs, so it should come as no surprise that I am picking them to repeat as champs come springtime. But in all honesty, if I was simply a basketball fan without a favorite team but just loved the game, I would still be compelled to pick the Spurs this year. They are slowly becoming the New England Patriots of basketball because you put your ego aside when there is nothing stopping you from the NBA finals. They are by far, one of the best run teams in professional sports but let's move on to the task at hand. Here are a few objective reasons why they'll be hoisting another championship banner to the rafters come June:

-The only real casualty to free-agency was Devin Brown, who would've been a 10th or 11th man on their bench after the signing of Van Exel and Finley. There were two others in Glenn Robinson and Tony Massenburg, but all three of those guys are replaceable.
-They had their best off-season in team history. In years past, Nesterovich and Barry were supposed to be the right pieces that would push them to the top. Even though they won the title last year, it was not because of the signing of Brent Barry. But they picked up 3 guys this summer and 2 of which could be starting for any other club in the NBA. Van Exel and Finley may be aging, but it doesn't matter when they don't have to be on the floor for 35-40 minutes per game. And Oberto is allegedly the best pick up of all 3 signings this summer. His signing now makes Rasho merely an afterthought. If only they could dump him and his high price tag.
-They have playoff assasins in Big Shot Rob and Van Exel. It doesn't matter how old you are when you play for the Spurs because you'll get your minutes come playoff time. The Spurs can coast through the regular season, but you can bet on the two aforementioned guys to be factors down the playoff stretch.
-Popovich is a better coach than people give him credit. Yes, luck was on his side to coach a team with 2 7-footers (one of which is one of the best players in the land), but no one is exempt from getting their butt chewed, including Duncan.
-Duncan finally experienced an offseason, giving him time to rest his knees and ankles. Expect big things from The Big Fundamental.
-If Duncan was to go down this season, I think the Spurs can survive better than they have in years past. Ginobili is coming into his own, Parker will only get better, and they have more weapons than ever before.
-I could go on with more reasons why the Spurs will repeat come springtime, but let's get on to other NBA predictions.

Conference Finals Picks:
East - Pacers over Heat in 7. This is a hard choice, but Shaq will get his while D-Wade will have a harder time trying to create if they put Artest on him. Besides, Jason Williams and Antoine Walker, both erratic, are supposed to lead you to the promised land? Doubtful...the Pacers are scrappy and play better D, so that's why I give them the edge.
West - Spurs over Rockets in 5. You already knew the Spurs would be there, but their opponent was a harder decision. I don't think the Suns are as good as last year, plus Amare is out until February. The Mavs big offseason acquisition was Doug Christie and that's getting them nowhere. There might be a sleeper in the Northwest division, but they are still too green for a Western Conference Final. So that's why I have the Rockets here despite losing in the first round last season. They play defense and that's what matters after the regular season.

MVP: Lebron James. Shaq and Duncan are eligible every season, but that is why they won't get it. Kobe Bryant has a shot, but they have to win some games and he has to stay healthy. Throw T-Mac into the mix as well, but I think LBJ is ready. Last year's stats were phenomenal and the kid will only get better with time.

Sleeper picks:
East - Orlando Magic. Everything depends on Grant Hill because if he can play 65-70 games a year, then they have a nice trio between him, Stevie Franchise, and Dwight Howard.
West - The Utah Jazz. If everyone can stay healthy, they can squeeze into that final playoff spot. Otherwise, look to Golden State.

So there you have it folks. The NBA season gets into full swing tonight at 7:00 when the Spurs begin their title defense against the Nuggets. Go Spurs Go!!!

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Everywhere!

2005-10-31T10:26:00.000-08:00

Alison and I started our Halloween celebration a little early over the weekend. Here's some stuff we created. I hope you enjoy!

"The Pumpkin Portrait"

"Jack Pumpkinhead"

The Quest for a Church Home, Part I

2005-10-30T17:00:00.000-08:00

The church search has officially begun for Alison and me. Actually it started last week and I had every intention of posting about it, but school took precedence over blogging. So we are now in week 2 of our quest for a church home. I plan on posting weekly about my observations and feelings of each church we visit so this will be a section very similar to my friend Chris.

One of the nice aspects of not working at a church is the amount of freedom I have in choosing where I want to worship on Sunday. Since I was born into and have attended a Baptist church my entire life, I am virtually clueless about other worship traditions and practices. My only church experiences outside the Baptist denomination have come in Assemblies of God settings, but never in a Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, or Catholic Church. Not that we will consider changing denominations, but I believe that understanding other walks of Christian faith actually enhance and deepen my own worship experience. At the very least, it’s a good thing to be exposed to other styles of worship. While we discuss worship at Truett and have students from a plethora of faith traditions, the only way for me to know how a Disciple of Christ, African Methodist Episcopalian understands and worships God is through immersing yourself in their church, even if for one hour.

So today’s experience was at a local Episcopal church in Waco. Outside of the wine tasting like couch medicine, I enjoyed the hour I spent in their worship service. The people were very friendly, the service was highly liturgical, and the rector’s sermon was on stewardship and how there should be a potluck of the members’ offerings and gifts that they bring to the church. I loved the pro/recession of the service with the entrance and exit of the clergy. I loved their use of the lectionary and how we received a variety of Scripture. I actually found the proper way to do the meet and greet in the church service which they entitled “The Peace.” Instead of the pastor telling everyone to stand, shake a hand, smile and say “Glad you’re with us brother,” we shook hands and greeted each other by saying “The Peace of Christ.” This beats long times of awkward silence while trying to start a conversation only to be interrupted by the worship band.

The other interesting part of their tradition is that Communion is central to the service, not the sermon. After we were done, Alison and I were discussing this and Alison said that the rector only went for about 7 minutes, without offering 8 principles to reach your potential or 3 fully alliterated points on (insert theme here). He took the lectionary text for that morning, retold the story and its implications for today’s community, and moved on in the service because sharing in Communion is the main reason why they are gathered on Sunday.

While we won’t join this church, I found that it furthered my sense of worship in terms of reverence and what is sacred and central to worship. Good message, nice people, great experience. The search for a church home continues…

A Couple of Things

2005-10-28T20:37:00.000-07:00

October has been a rough month, particularly for the past two weeks. There are several things that have contributed to this, which is why I have failed to recapture a daily blogging routine. Since I no longer am employed by a church, I would have thought this would only open the proverbial door to more opportunities to blog or read others' blogs. Unfortunately, this has not been the case.

A lot of this delay can be attributed to school and the mid-terms that happened to catch me off guard the night before the test and/or paper. I am actually amazed by my ability to procrastinate, mainly because at the beginning of each semester I start with the resolve to be a disciplined student and work diligently throughout the semester in order to prevent late-night study sessions and caffeine overdoses. But somehow, someway I always put it off until the last minute. Maybe it's because I enjoy feeling the pressure. I never thought I would ever again pull an all-nighter after getting married, but it sure enough happened this past Wednesday night since I had a paper and presentation over Augustine's Teaching Christianity. And because I was under the gun to finish the whole thing, I accomplished it by 6:00 the next morning.

I was watching (actually procrastinating) Office Space this past week and there's a wonderful scene that truly sums up where I'm at right now. It's when the consultants are having their meeting with Peter Gibbons and he's discussing why he doesn't follow the rules, the TPS report cover sheets, etc. Then he says, "It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care." Most of the time I watch this movie for a good laugh, but I felt a deep connection with Peter that night. I have reached a point where I don't really care about school and some other things as well. It's not that I don't care about anything at all because I care about my wife, working out, my DVR, and journaling...there's just a few things I don't care about right now. At the same time I know that these careless feelings will eventually subside and I'll get plugged back into my homework and doing my reading.

Sorry for the confessional...it's just one of those seasons and rhythms that become easy to fall into.

Celebration!

2005-10-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear Alison,
Happy Birthday to you!

And Scooby-Doo on Channel 2,
And many more on Channel 4.

Sports Weekend Rewind (10.21-10.23)

2005-10-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend for sports, minus the Astros' performance Saturday and Sunday. Oh yeah, and the Cowboys collapse. Here's some of the most notable headlines:

Good, but not good enough
I was set on a Cowboys victory Sunday afternoon. The Eagles looked destined to come up short and the Broncos were playing solid. All of that changed with the Boys' loss and Eagles and Giants victories. I hope this was not a pivotal loss because it looked hopeful for them to win the NFC East.

Deja Vu
You wouldn't think Lidge would blow 2 games in the playoffs, but he sure enough did...to a guy who hadn't hit a homerun in 500+ at bats this season.

The Streak is Over
Ladanian Tomlinson is usually money for my Fantasy Team, but he only gained 7 yards on the ground vs. the Eagles. You can bet he'll bounce back next week.

Sorry for all the negativity...the only highlight was Texas' dominance against Tech on Saturday. And the kicker about the homecoming queen. Peace out.

Glory Has Been Restored

2005-10-24T11:58:00.000-07:00

I wrote about my concerns with the mp3 player phenomenon last week, but I finally have a brand new baby blue one up and running as of this afternoon. Now I don't have to listen to the old people and their Fox News anymore at the gym! That's one of the few benefits of iSolation. Yes!

American Driver Improvement

2005-10-22T21:16:00.000-07:00

Defensive driving totally sucks. I took it three times in Abilene (twice for tickets and once for an insurance discount). Each of these times was taken at some of the finest places in Abilene: Mr. Gatti's, Western Sizzlin', and Betty Roses.

I opted for a different type course in Waco...the DVD kind. Whether taken with an instructor or informational video, it's still going to be cheesy and tortuous. I would think that this would cause me to slow down on the highway, but I obviously have not yet learned my lesson. So I'm stuck in my living room for 6 hours learning about speed limits from M.C. Hammer and Tim Allen. The only benefit is listening to James Brown during the breaks, and that doesn't count for much.

Clutch

2005-10-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

Roy Oswalt is a stud and he's not even considered the best pitcher on the Astros staff by some people. I can now rest in peace through Friday night. With the Astros win, this will make for a great day of sports on Saturday -- Horns vs. Raiders and Game 1 of the World Series.

I don't know how I became an Astros fan, but somehow it has happened since I moved to Waco. Perhaps I have found the light (or maybe it's because I'm tired of watching the Rangers tank midseason). One of the main reasons is we will get more Astros games on tv, which is a mystery to me. Houston is twice the distance than the Metroplex is from Waco, and yet we receive twice the amount of games from Houston.

All of this is to say I'm rooting for the Astros in 6 over the Chi Sox. Go Stros!!!

iPod = iSolation

2005-10-18T20:02:00.000-07:00

My iPod has been broken for the past month and I sent it off to get fixed on Friday. I still have no clue what was wrong with it (and believe me I tried everything), but it wouldn't connect in iTunes so I could never import any new music I had downloaded. The good news is that it's coming home already and it's under warranty, so I should have it by Friday. The bad news is I'm really not all that sure if I want it back or not.

In reality, I want it back. That would be insane for me to not want it back. This little musical blue contraption has revolutionized my life. Some days it becomes my life. The iPod is similar to when I received my first cell phone. Now I cannot imagine how I got by without it, but somehow I did for the first 18 years of my life. The same holds true of my blue Mini. My running is just not the same without my earbuds in listening to my workout mix of Kanye West, Chevelle, Franz Ferdinand, and Muse. My Starbucks time is altered as well because I love to journal and have a little David Crowder playing in the background. Trips are also made easier with my MP3 companion.

But all my iPod contributes towards is myself and seclusion from the world. I'd consider myself a friendly guy. Not an overly, in-your-face, pesky friendly guy, but more of a smile/head nod and say "What up?" kind of friendly guy. Once I put my earbuds in however, I become completely and totally isolated from the world. Sometimes I feel like a complete jerk because I don't have to talk to anybody or even look at them all because of my MP3 player. I'm actually considering an extended break from my iPod just to see what it feels like without the noise. Technology is a beautiful thing, but it's interesting to see what we forfeit for the sake of it.

Sports Weekend Rewind (10.14-10.16)

2005-10-17T11:43:00.000-07:00

Despite being at HSU Homecoming this weekend, I found a way to squeeze in some sports and here's some of the weekend's reflections:
-It's not in the Cards, this year anyway. They got banged up at the wrong time which means the Astros will make their very first trip to the World Series. I still think the Cards are good enough for one more win, but that's all.
-How about those Chi Sox? 4 Starters all go the distance in Games 2-5.
-A-Rod's mom blames uncle's death as a reason for his poor play. I don't think so. The reality is that Jeter is one of the only Yankees who knows what it takes to play in the postseason, not some overpaid pretty boy third baseman.
-Dante Culpepper has been the biggest fantasy bust this year. 2 months ago, I had the fifth pick and thought he was worth drafting since Tomlinson, Alexander, and Manning were all gone. Little did I know he would chuck 12 INTs to his 4 TDs after 5 games.
-Dallas Cowboys...it wasn't pretty, but I'll still take the W.
-Notre Dame was inches away from closing out USC. But what will happen when they have to play Texas for the National Championship? I'm still predicting an epic battle between 2 great leaders in college football, Leinart vs. Young, in January.
-NBA action is 2 weeks away, when the Spurs set out for back-to-backs. They are the New England Patriots of professional basketball.
-Marcus Camby demands for a stipend in order to buy clothes that will meet the new NBA dress code. I really don't understand how you cannot afford a suit when you make $8 million a year, especially when you're on the Injured List half the season.

On a final note, did anyone else catch the song from Sportscenter's "The Ultimate Highlight" today? I couldn't believe it myself...Audio Adrenaline was getting airtime from the heavyweight of professional sports. And the song wasn't "Big House" either.

Home

2005-10-14T10:19:00.000-07:00

This week has been crazy and next week will be the same with Mid-terms and what not. Hopefully next week I'll return to a daily blog routine.

Until then, I'm headed back to the 40 Acres to see friends and family for HSU Homecoming. And I get the chance to attend one of my most beloved churches, Crosspoint Fellowship. Should be good times. To you fellow bloggers out there, I'll probably see you this weekend. Peace Out.

H-S, H-S, U-U!!!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

2005-10-09T15:57:00.000-07:00

While in Atlanta this past week, I was able to swing a ticket to Game 2 of the NLDS between the Astros and Braves. For only $15 I was able to see two of the greatest pitchers of all time between Clemens and Smoltz. I couldn't pass up the opportunity for a cheap playoff game, but it was the journey towards Turner Field when I witnessed the beauty of baseball.

Downtown Atlanta isn't easiest place to drive around, so we settled for taking the MARTA to the game. Along the way to the ballgame, the train made one of its scheduled stops and picked up a father and son. Not just any father and son, but a 93 year old dad in a walker with his son. The only reason I knew his age was because his son quizzed us about his dad's age. I could tell they were lifelong Braves fans, foretelling the outcome of this playoff battle, talking about matchups, and discussing the pitchers. We disagreed on who was going to win the game, but there was a mutual respect between us. Baseball has a sort of universal and timeless language, one that can bring all kinds of people together.

Even though my Stros lost on Thursday night, it was my experience in the Marta Car on the way to the game that I realized how beautifully powerful the game of baseball is, uniting young and old through America's Pasttime. It's something you honestly cannot put into words.

The Dirty South

2005-10-04T06:01:00.000-07:00

I'm gone with some other Truett Students to Catalyst Conference in Atlanta, Georgia and won't be back until late Saturday night. There's all kinds of big dogs at this event: Andy Stanley, Erwin McManus, John Maxwell, Bill Hybels, Leonard Sweet, and Donald Miller--sounds like quite a lineup. Farewell until the weekend, please leave a message after the beep.

Sports Weekend Rewind (9.30-10.2)

2005-10-03T07:58:00.000-07:00

Long time no post. That will be the case for the next week since I'll be gone to Catalyst Conference in Atlanta from Tuesday-Saturday. I apologize to all my adoring fans...yeah, all 3 of you. Anyways, this was a great weekend for sports and partly the reason for no posts so here are some of the stories I think are important:

-Dallas. How could you not pull out the victory when Oakland freaking handed it to you via penalties? One thing I do like about the Cowboys this year-Bledsoe has a canon. If only his line and backs could've blocked a little better since Drew isn't exactly Michael Vick out of the pocket.

-The Cadillac hits a speed bump yesterday against the Lions. 11 carries, 13 yards and a hamstring injury. I knew those 30+ carries a game wouldn't last.

-So close. Baylor almost pulled off consecutive upsets of Texas A&M on Saturday. Lex had a great post on this mildly historic rivalry. Check it out.

-The Death of a Dynasty, at least this year. I don't think the Pats can pull off a Super Bowl victory in Detroit this season. Too many injuries, not enough good luck.

-Of the 3 surprise unbeaten teams in the NFL, only Cincinnati will make the playoffs.

-USC is vulnerable (or maybe they just enjoy toying with their opponents in the 1st half), but I still expect to see them play Texas for the championship.

-NBA training camps starts this week. I'll post in the future on my NBA predictions, but everyone knows the Spurs take it all in '06.

-Last but not least, the MLB Postseason has begun. I wish the Indians could've found a way to make it to the playoffs, but they'll be there next year. I see the Angels over the Yanks in 5--Anaheim (or whatever they're called) has better pitching and I don't care to hear about pinstripes in October. The Red Sox will sweep Chi-town because they are a better team. The same goes for the Cards over the Padres--no contest. I see the Stros squeaking past the Braves in 5 because they have better guns than Atlanta. Should be a great rematch from last year.

-Did anyone else hear about how upset the Yanks were after they found out Texas (with former Yankee manager Showalter) pulled their starters midway through their final game? A-Rod and others think it's some kind of conspiracy so the Angels could win and have homefield advantage against them in the playoffs. #1: The Yanks shouldn't have started Jaret Wright on Sunday. #2: If you wouldn't have tanked earlier in the season, then you could have obtained homefield advantage. So shut up A-Rod and Co...at the very least, this "conspiracy" makes me laugh if it's true.

Climate Change

2005-09-29T11:33:00.000-07:00

The whole past week has felt like hell on earth here in Waco with temperatures scorching around 105. All of that changed last night when a little storm came through with its cousin the coldfront.

I awoke this morning to see if the weatherman's predictions actually came true and sure enough they had. I had a wonderful experince standing on the porch in my boxer shorts at 6:45 am--I actually wasn't sweating. It was a nice 68 outside this morning which actually felt chilly compared to all the previous weather we had experienced the weeks before. What's funny is how everyone says "It's so cold" and starts to don their hoodies and sweatshirts. I kind of want to remind them that its in the mid-60s so don't complain about it being cold. I think they were suffering from mild cases of temperature drop shock.

So life is a little more pleasant today. No more rainy armpits from standing outside for more than 2 seconds. No more wiping the sweat off my brow after walking to the mailbox. No more airing out my shirt after I step out of my leather-seated Chevy Blazer on to the sizzling pavement. My afternoon coffee actually sits better since my steaming pot of joe doesn't have to compete with rising outdoor temperatures. My erratic air conditioner has ventured into temporary hibernation. All in all, today is a nice change of pace, but how long will it last? This is Texas weather you know?

Walking

2005-09-27T06:40:00.000-07:00

I love it when your professor gives you a walk for class. Since Baylor called off classes this past Friday for Hurricane Rita, I have had a lovely 5 day weekend and it has felt great. I have been able to recapture much of my daily morning routine from the summer with my 7:30 Fantasy Sports Update, 8:00 Coffee, 8:15 Blogging Time, and 9:00 Reading/Devotional Time, and 10:30 Workout. Not that I strictly cling to this schedule, but it evolved over the summer and subconciously gets me going and gets me where I need to be. That's the interesting and beneficial thing about routines -- they define who we are, what is important to us, and help us reach our destination. Sadly enough, I'll be back to my school routine tomorrow so I'm going to enjoy this day while it lasts.

Sports Weekend Rewind (9.23-9.25)

2005-09-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

Last week I failed at my Sports Weekend Rewind, but here are some news and insights from the sports world:

-The Dallas-San Francisco Rivalry isn’t what it used to be, but the ‘Boys pulled it out and made Julian Peterson’s victory guarantee look foolish.

-Thank you Dante Culpepper, it’s about time! He was my first pick for one of my Fantasy Teams and had an awful statline the first two weeks – 0 TDs, 8 INTs. Hopefully things are back on track.

-Carnell Williams is a hoss. Even though the Bucs cannot ride the Cadillac all season, the guy has been impressive. Williams reminds me a little of Earl Campbell. He’s made me all smiles for my Fantasy Team.

-I’ve heard some people knock Tom Brady for being a “System QB,” but he’s one of the guys you don’t want to hand the game over to in clutch situations. He completed his last 12 passes in the game against Pittsburg yesterday. And led them to victory with about 80 tics left in the 4th quarter.

-Sorry Rothlisburger, your regular season consecutive win streak is now over thanks to Brady & Co.

-I’m hoping the Cleveland Indians can hold off the Yanks or Red Sox to win the AL Wild Card. I’d even take them to beat the White Sox for the AL Central. Who knows? It will all come down to this weekend.

-C’mon STROS! Can they finish the season strong and add to their NL Wild Card lead? According to my MVP Baseball 2005, they can and will. I love this video game…it affords me the opportunity to “predict” the final results of the baseball season. Is it s weird coincidence that my Video Game Astros made it the playoffs with the Houston Astros in the playoff chase? Hmmm…

My Problem with Hastings

2005-09-24T11:59:00.000-07:00

"Hastings, your entertainment superstore (duh duh, duh duh)!" You know the jingle.

Of all the places to go rent movies, Hastings is the absolute worst whether in Abilene or Waco. This is usually my last resort for a movie rental, but when I have a fine at Blockbuster and want to avoid Hollywood Video's outrageous prices I turn to this unorganized entertainment empire. Here's a few reasons why I hate going to Hastings to rent movies:

-You can never find a Customer Service Representative when you need one.

-After you finally find a Customer Service Representative to track down, they end up working books or magazines so they "cannot help" you because it's not their section of the store.

-After the Books or Magazines Customer Service Representative tracks down the Movies Customer Service Representative, they'll search the computer database for your movie and tell you it's actually in stock, but they cannot find where it exactly resides in stock.

-Which results in Movies Customer Service Representative apologizing for their unorganized movie racks and how movie renters can ever find the movie they are looking for.

This is a little bit of a rant, but after you go through the aforementioned process for 20 minutes and still wind up empty handed it makes me wonder why go to Hastings in the first place. I just wanted to see About a Boy! This was not the first but third time this has happened since the summer. I honestly wonder what their employees do. Actually I know what they do because I've seen them all sitting at the front of the store with the cashiers chatting it up. If you are a Movies Customer Service Representative, then shouldn't you be organizing the movie section on a daily basis and save yourself the apologies, excuses, and embarrasment?

I used to have the Blockbuster version of Netflix and now I want to go back to it. Oh well, I settled for Because of Winn-Dixie which left me pleasantly surprised and entertained. The film is more than a relationship between a girl and her dog. Lots of spirituality in the film (Jeff Daniels is a pastor of a church in a convenient store). And Dave Matthews plays the role of a scraggly drifter/guitar player. Great flick, but I think that's the last time I'll venture into a Hastings again. I guess I better pay my fine at Blockbuster.

Programmed Responses

2005-09-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a conversation go like this?:

“What’s up man?”

“Good.”

Or maybe at the boarding gate in the airport,

“Enjoy your flight sir.”

“And the same to you.”

It’s only after you’re walking toward your seat that it dons on you that the ticket lady isn’t going to be on your flight and you just sounded like a complete moron. She wasn’t flying anywhere that day. Maybe I say these things because they’re ingrained replies, but I think a lot of it is because I don’t fully listen in such situations. There was a similar life experience yesterday in Fazoli’s.

Corey Bearden and I were waiting on our food when they called out my number. As I made my way up to the food counter for my classic sampler the manager said, “Here’s your order” to which I responded “Yeah, you too.” I walked away feeling like an idiot.

Bad Combo

2005-09-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

Here's a random piece of information for all you readers out there: never drink 3 cups of coffee and follow it up by munching on some Nacho Cheese Doritos. Yeah, it sounds gross but it feels even worse.

So Long Old Friend

2005-09-20T13:54:00.000-07:00

A close family friend and former co-worker of mine passed away over the weekend. Death is somewhat a foreign experience for me because only one close family member has passed away in my lifetime and there have not been any tragedies among past or present friends. And I’m not one who gets too emotional either.

But something has come over me the past weekend. Not that I’ve been a basketcase or a crybag, but some recent events have grieved me over the last week. From seeing and listening to a homeless woman to the death of Harvey Reynolds (or better known as Mr. R), I’ve broken down on a couple of occasions. I think this is a good thing actually. While it doesn’t happen all that often, it feels right to have a good cry and to grieve.

I think being married has put all of this into perspective for me. Mr. R had a wife Virginia (or better known as Mrs. R) and they were married for 54 years. Pretty amazing. He also had a son and daughter-in-law, Danny and Vicki and two beloved grandsons, Jacob and Jared. Mr. R was a man’s man who served his country in the Navy, who loved the game of baseball, who never retired (he worked well into his 70s), who would read poetry in his comfy chair, and most of all he loved his family. I think that’s why I’ve grieved so much over his death – he was a central part of their family and now he’s gone.

But I know that Mr. R is in a better place now. After battling cancer for the past year, he fought the good fight and finally finished the race here on earth. That’s what was unique to Mr. R – he was a fighter and a doer. Most of all he kept the faith and I’m sure God has added one of his hardest and best workers to the kingdom. God bless Mr. R.

Here's $2...(pause)...okay, here's $2

2005-09-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

Homeless people make me uncomfortable. Waco has an influx of homeless people. Most of the homeless people live around or under the bridges Baylor University. They usually make their way to the Truett Seminary parking lot in the early mornings or late afternoons.

I understand why they scuttle around the seminary because there are a few restaurants in the vicinity of the parking lot. Of course, they’re not going into Quizno’s, Super China Buffet, or IHOP to get something to eat. They are rummaging through the dumpsters that sit on the outskirts of the Truett parking lot. I think they also make their way to the seminary because they are probably more willing to help than other students at Baylor. Not to knock the undergrads here, but I think more seminarians see themselves as Christ’s witnesses and assist the poor or at least I would hope they would.

I considered myself a fairly generous and willing person to help the poor at HSU, until I got burned one time. Ever since Joyce (I think that was her name) insisted to have Whataburger over Sonic or Taco Bell (they were closer in vicinity) and then order $12 worth of food, I have refused to help homeless people since then. That happened 2 years ago and the sour taste still lingers on.

You see more homeless people in Waco than in Abilene. And it grieves me, but I don’t do anything about it. I’m more caught up in my own agenda or how “impoverished” Alison and I are, being both in grad school at the present.

Yesterday I was making my way up to Baylor for my 5:30 night class. Alison also came with me to be out of the house, study at the school, and see Jerry since he was in town. I actually arrived in the parking lot at 5:20, which never happens for me. We were getting out of the car and making our way to Truett when a homeless lady stopped me. My initial thought was “Crap, just give her a few dollars to get her out of my hair.” My thought then became my reaction, but then the lady told me to not grab my wallet and listen to her. My thoughts continued, “Double crap, she wants to explain herself, have us pity her, and then ask for some cash at the end. Lady, why don’t we cut to the chase and get to what you want—my money. You’re probably going to go blow it on a 40 oz. anyway.”

Then it occurred to me how judgmental I was being to this woman. I was doing everything that Christ would not have done had he been making his way to class. Conviction began to settle in my heart. I felt like God wouldn’t even claim me as one of his own.

While I don’t remember her name, I could tell she was lonely and hurting. She just wanted someone to understand her pain and have someone to tell her story to. And I’m more concerned about getting to class early when I have 8 minutes to spare. So I stopped and listened. Some Baylor students have a Bible Study at a local coffeeshop on most mornings and have invited her to join them, paying for her coffee and breakfast each time. She told us of one girl who gave up a pair of her shoes for this woman because her other ones were worn out. And here I am struggling with how little to give to this woman so she’ll leave me and my wife alone. I was disgusted with myself completely. I then reached in my wallet and handed her $2 because it felt like the thing to do. I knew that God was honored by our actions and we wished her on her way.

I still have issues helping homeless people. In actuality, I probably won’t help every homeless person that confronts me on the street and I think that’s fair. It really depends if my heart is in the right place. I’m reminded over and over again that what really matters is if I give, not about what someone else does with my money. It’s also not about how much I give, but if I have a giving spirit. Even as a seminary student and minister, I have a long ways to go before I can really see myself as a devoted Christ follower.

Drums Please

2005-09-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

The Jerry Hendrix Tour is making its way to Waco for a one time event this weekend to teach my class about Missional Churches and more specifically, Crosspoint Fellowship. I'm pumped and excited to hear from my mentor and church innovator/practioner. Giddy up!

When these powers combine...

2005-09-14T17:09:00.000-07:00

This may just be the end of the world as we know it.

Very scary indeed.

The Life and Times of a Religion Tutor

2005-09-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

I took on a position as a religion tutor (through Baylor not Truett) a few weeks back because it's flexible and I get a little cash on the side for my efforts. And the Head of the Tutoring Department said you basically sit around and do your homework until someone comes into the tutoring lab. So I'm essentially being paid for studying unless someone peeps in for help.

But the job is really more rewarding than I expected because there's 2 main courses in which I help other students--Christian Heritage and Christian Scriptures. These are the 2 courses in the required Baylor Core Curriculum. While it is hard to explain to a freshman the significance and relevance of the Nicene Creed, JEDP Hypothesis, or the Arian Controversy, this is rewarding at least to me. It forces me to know Scripture, which actually opens my eyes to how much I really don't know about the Bible. It forces me to explain difficult theological constructs in a way for a Bio Major or Business student to understand and comprehend. I actually enjoy doing it more than I thought. Who knows, maybe teaching is my thing?

The Goodwill Gospel

2005-09-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

This past week I was in the Goodwill down the road from our house, checking out what they had on the clothes rack. As strange as it sounds, I love the musty smell of a thrift shop, the comfy feel of the clothes, and the randomness of the home accessories. You honestly never know what you’ll find in there…they’re not kidding about their sign that proclaims, “New Merchandise Arriving Daily.” Like one time I found a Hippopotamus Toothbrush/Soap Holder for $.25. Had I been single that would have made an excellent purchase and conversation piece, but I don’t think Alison would like to grab a bar of Dove Soap from the bowels of a brown hippo.

Anyways, I picked up some nice shirts from the old Goodwill and I realized how our faith is in these pre-worn clothes. I don’t mean this in a literal sense like I bought a knock off shirt with a Christian logo such as “Abreadcrumb and Fish.” But the whole reason I go to Goodwill is to find a gem of a shirt along the racks. Sometimes I bring home something good and sometimes I leave empty handed. Purchasing clothes from Goodwill at least saves me the $28 I would have spent at the Gap. The other beautiful thing about thrift shirts is uniqueness. It always sucks being in class or in a restaurant with you and another dude wearing the same American Eagle graphic tee. And it feels better on the skin because it has been worn and washed by someone else. I love thrift store shirts because they are broken in, comfortable.

Jesus was totally cool in his own skin as the Son of God. He didn't completely abolish the religious system of his day, but he came to fulfill it. God's Son took a rich heritage of festivals and worship and shed some light into the situation. God put himself into the story. I think it should be the same way in our faith. We need to recover our past, live out our past, and honor our past. Not see ourselves as fulfillers (Christ already did that), but as the embodiment of Jesus in the present day.

But why do believers all too often look like they’re in some heavily starched pants, oversized shirts, or invent an entirely new style? It never looks comfortable. Or it doesn’t fit right. I believe that we should be completely comfortable in our identity as Christ followers. We are people who have a faith that is rich and vintage. People are searching for something that is real, something that has withstood the test of time, something that is authentic. I can see the Gospel Story playing out in Goodwill—redeeming a shirt that had once been tossed out, only to be bought with a price and made new again.

And now I can consider myself the Camp Champ.

Sports Weekend Rewind (9.9-9.11)

2005-09-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

Here's a new addition to Along the Pilgrimage, with an emphasis on the past weekend's sporting events (or at least what I want to recap). We're finally out of that dull stage of the summer when all you see on Sportscenter is baseball or hear about the latest T.O. comments/actions. Not that I mind just baseball, but it's better when the season is wrapping up as well as football kicking off. This time at least wets my appetite until basketball season gets started in a couple months. Of the games I watched, here are a few observations:

Since the Rangers tanked a long ways back, I’ve been rooting for the Astros. While I haven’t fully converted, I will root for the other Texas team the rest of the way this baseball year.

If only you had Texeira or Blalock playing in Houston that team would make for a very scary team with Clemens and crew.

Other than the Astros, I find myself rooting for some other notable stories in baseball. I don’t think it will happen, but it would be nice to not see Yankee pinstripes in the postseason and watch a young team like the Indians as the Wild Card winners.

The Atlanta Braves are dang good. When you have a guy in his late 40s bringing it every night plus some rooks who are half Franco’s age contributing, their organization does something right. And the fact that they can take their division for 10+ straight seasons says something about Bobby Cox.

Notre Dame is good, but I don’t know if they’re #10 good (AP Poll) just yet. That might just curse the luck of the Irish and Charlie Weis. Beat Michigan State or Purdue and then we’ll see.

Speaking of polls, I hate that Texas is ranked #2. It just sets them up to fail, but when you have Vince Young and a pretty stout D you can pull out a win in the last quarter. A Leinart-Young QB battle would be sweet action in the Rose Bowl.

Julius Jones is a hoss. Period.

Drew Bledsoe is no longer a terrific QB, but I think he’s good enough for Parcells and the Boys. Hopefully I'll still be saying this mid-season.

Last year I started watching the Texans in hopes David Carr would pan out and he had a great receiver in Andre Johnson. Domanick Davis looked ready for a breakout. But they really are not very solid once a D swarms Johnson. Carr is running out of chances to be a starting QB in the NFL.

I really wish Agassi could’ve pulled out a U.S. Open victory. Don't retire just yet.

There you have it with the Weekend Dime of Sports insights. I'm out like Maurice Clarett at the NFL combine.

Donald Miller is my hero

2005-09-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

I started reading Blue Like Jazz (finally) and have not been able to set it down for longer than 2 seconds. His story about Penguin Sex makes sense in a roundabout sort of way. Donald Miller is quite the storyteller.

Sacred Time

2005-09-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

When I first registered for class back in April, I was ecstatic about my schedule--class Tuesday through Friday @ 8:00 and done by noon with a Thursday night class from 5:30-7:30 only for the month of September. Little did I know how much I would dislike this arrangement. During my spring semester, class was really screwed up because I had two 8:00s, and a 2:30 so I would get up early, go to class, come home for 2 hours, then head right up to school.

So I thought this semester was going to be great timewise because I would get all my class out of the way by lunchtime, minus my 5 week Thursday night course. But over the summer I developed a routine that really became legalistic (but in a good way if that makes sense). Since Alison had to be at work by 8:00, I would wake up when she did at 6:45 to make coffee and eat some breakfast. Most mornings also included the early part of Cold Pizza, at least long enough to watch Skip and Woody battle it out on the first segment of 1st and 10. I'd then check my fantasy baseball team, browse the blogworld, and do a little blogging myself. Most mornings I would be done by 7:45, kiss my wife out the door, and then get my reading and journal (the handwritten type) time in, capping it off with a 10:00 workout at the gym. This became my rhythm and routine, M-F until school started a few weeks back.

My mornings really became sacred to me over the summer because I would have time to connect with God (and have flexible amounts of time), read some books, and do things my way. Since I now have class at the butt crack of dawn, I don't have the mornings to myself. They now belong to professors and class, which this is actually the best and most interesting semester at Truett thus far. But I don't get my usual 2 cups of coffee in front of my computer and journal, resorting to a travel mug. Work out time has been reduced to whenever I can squeeze it into my week, limiting myself to 2-3 days a week. Even devotional time is out of whack because I can no longer sit and write for 45 minutes in the morning, turning to pointless afternoon chats with God in which I doze off because it's afternoon and I'm tired.

This post is not to curse my schedule, but to convey how we develop routines and rhythms of life and how change can totally screw up things. After awhile, those daily habits become cherished and sacred to how we live and they keep us going. Even though my life is missing a few beats, I know that I will eventually find my rhythm again, albeit a different routine but it will become sacred after a long enough time and familiarity. Interesting how life moves like that.

Sabblogical

2005-09-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

Perhaps I should coin "Sabblogical" before anyone else and cash in on the sweet royalites afterwards. So if you ever use this word be sure to give yours truly credit for it.

Anyways, that's kind of been my life for the past week because (A) school piled up with a paper and test this week, (B) I've been tired and run down everyday this week, (C) my class schedule has totally disturbed my rhythm...see tomorrow's post, and (D) nothing has popped into my mind worth writing. I guess you'd call it blogger's block or something. My mind is running on E.

But I do see the value in blogging each day just to be in the habit of writing. My friend Lex would agree. At the very least, blogging has forced me to voice my thoughts carefully and thoroughly. Blogging has also become a type of giant, candy-coated crack rock for me. It's become part of my routine, but what happens when you feel like you don't have anything left to give?

You take a Sabblogical. Even though mine usually occurs on a Sunday, I took mine a tad early this week. This gives me the chance to step back, break from the norm, interrupt the rhythm, and be refreshed so I do have something to blog about the rest of the week.

Add one more (reprise)

2005-09-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

My personal blogosphere has increased over the past two weeks with the additions of Kristen and Brandi. Welcome to the game. Last week I posted about my wife starting a blog...and she's actually contemplating the idea, but I need your help. Her main struggle is a blog title at this point. If you would like to read and hear Alison's voice, drop one in the comment box below. Word.

All the King's Horses and All the King's Men

2005-09-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

"All right stop whatcha doing,
Cause I'm about to ruin
The image and the style that ya used to."

Yes, those were the opening lyrics to The Digital Underground's "The Humpty Dance." Just for your information, that song debuted back in 1990 and has remained a dance club hit to present day. I'm sure it's popular in karaoke clubs as well. Why, I don't know. Even when I hear it on the radio, I can recite most of the lyrics such as "People say ya look like M.C. Hammer on crack" or "I'm spunky, I like my oatmeal lumpy."

Then there's the Bobby Brown classic (if you wanna call it that), "Humpin' Around." Coming from his 1992 album "Bobby," he adorned the American public with such lyrics and a rap solo:

"Get up off my back,
Save your heart attack
Ain't nobody humpin' around."

Of course, putting the word "hump" was not an early 90's phenomenon. The Gap Band (better known for "You Dropped the Bomb on Me") released a song on their "III" album entitled, "Humpin'" in 1980. There's also a Kris Kross track and a R. Kelly song (big suprise) with some usage of "hump" in their song titles.

We've come a long way from the childhood diddy "Humpty Dumpty." It's amazing how this word's meaning has changed over the years. Our culture has changed this word from Humpday or Humpback Whale to an action or a dance. I really wish we would have left all constructions of "hump" back in the 20th century. Then the Black Eyed Peas took it a hump further by relaying the word to a body part in "My Humps." Just when I thought "Hollaback Girl" was a lock for Most Annoying Song of the Year 2005, this hip hop group puts out a track like this?! Some of their stuff is tolerable, but I know exactly "what I'm gonna do with all that junk"...turn off the stereo.

Labor Dizzle Sizzle

2005-09-05T09:17:00.000-07:00

Today just doesn't feel the same as Labor Day's past. I always enjoyed this holiday because it served as a 3 day weekend weeks after school started. Our family would head to the lake with a day of tubing, skiing, and knee boarding, but that's not the case anymore. Or as a young child, Labor Day meant the weekend in Rule, TX visiting Maw Maw for a little dove hunting.

Labor Day just doesn't feel the same anymore. I don't even have class on Mondays which completely takes away from enjoying this holiday. So every Monday for me is practically Labor Day. Of course, I'm perplexed over having a day off on a day coined "Labor Day." Despite my feelings, I do believe that Labor Day should be a personal holiday in which we choose our day off from work. But that would also mean that I actually labor in order to necessitate a Labor Day.

Sacred Space

2005-09-02T11:11:00.000-07:00

A sanctuary. The coffeeshop. My journal (the handwritten type). The lake. The movie theater. My office. All these places have meaning to me. These are the places when I'm completely comfortable and at peace. They are sacred to me, but not necessarily in a "religious context" (but it's possible). The aforementioned locations are highly valued by me. Whenever I visit these locations, I'm more in tune with God and what he's trying to say to me. Throughout scripture, people have constructed places or found spaces that have, provide, and further meaning.

We see this take place in the Old Testament when the Israelites would set up the tabernacle. King David had his own sacred space when he erected a tent for worship. The temple is included here as well, serving as a continued reminder of God's presence. Following the destruction of the temple, the synagogue became a sacred space for the Jewish people. And then Jesus came along and revolutionized the world's ideas of sacred space.

While we may no longer find meaning just inside a building, we have sacred spaces today. Chances are the items we bring into those spaces have meaning to us thus adding more meaning to the room. Catholic Cathedrals are a great example of this. So too are our living rooms or offices. Why else would we put up favorite pictures, artwork, and crosses in these places? Because they have meaning and significance to us. Or why do I like to retreat to a coffeeshop or visit the lake or go to the movies? Because I personally find myself more in tune with God in those arenas. I would even include my journal as a sacred space for me to jot down the day's thoughts, frustrations, aspirations, and prayers. Someway and somehow our space affects how we know, view, and worship God. What places are meaningful to you?

Perspectives on Katrina

2005-09-02T11:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some friends who have excellent posts on Katrina:

New Books and Music

2005-09-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I picked up the new Doug Pagitt book, Preaching Re-Imagined. If you serve in a church in any capacity, I recommend picking up this book. He's also the pastor of Solomon's Porch, a missional community in Minnesota. He's written another book that follows a week in the life of his church community.

If you're tired of creating sermons week in and week out, or if you want to think beyond fill in the blanks of your 3 points, this is something worth checking out. He's coined 2 new words in his preaching book: "Speaching" (what most pastors do today) and "progressive dialogue" (where we should head in our preaching). The writing style is also pretty cool. Pick it up when you get a chance. I'll post more about the book in future posts.

I finally also purchased Blue Like Jazz, which is long overdue but I've been waiting to grab it when I had the cash. Fortunately, it was on sale for $10 and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to snag it, but I hate buying a book that's become increasingly popular so late in the game. Maybe it's just me...I hate jumping on bandwagons or something.

There's also been some bands I've been playing a lot of this past summer. I just never got around to posting about them on my blog, so here you go:

Muse - British alternative band, love the distortion on the mic
Jack Johnson - great acoustic rock
Death Cab for Cutie - unique indie pop sound

Later dudes.

23 minutes ago...

2005-08-31T15:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the Spurs signed Van Exel. Today, Michael Finley.

It looks like the Spurs are forming quite a juggernaut.

Go Spurs Go!!!

Add One More

2005-08-31T11:41:00.000-07:00

Hopefully, I'll still be alive after this post. No, don't be worried about me too much.

This past summer was full of fun conversations with my wife. Like how she heard someone cuss at VBS, or the idiot who put 10 teaspoons of Gatorade powder into his water bottle, or the many weddings she attended, or the stinky people (literally) she had to work with at Human Resources, or the movies we watched.

Anytime one of these conversations came up, I told her: "See, you could totally blog about it" or "That would be a great story on your future blog." But my wife doesn't want to blog. She says there's no time to blog with Law School back in session. Or that she'll never keep up with it, but how many people have used that excuse before only to become a blogaholic? I'm not looking for a religious blogger, but a weekend blogger who can take 15-20 minutes on a Saturday to let you into her world.

All of this is to say, if you would love to read Alison's blog, post a comment below. I'm hoping with a little encouragement she'll start one up. There needs to be more diversity in my own personal blog reading. Fortunately Kristen has started a blog, so go check it out when you get the chance.

Van Exel(lent)?

2005-08-30T12:39:00.000-07:00

I haven't been able to post about my beloved San Antonio Spurs for awhile...until today. After meeting with Spurs executives about playing with the defending champs, Nick Van Exel signed a 1 year deal with the team today. But I'm not too sure what to think about bringing this guy on board.

So he's made almost 1,500 3-point shots during his 12 year career. If he's on, the boy is lethal. But this is a guy who has a rep and I'm curious as to how he'll fit in with Popovich. What happens when Coach Pop calls him out for snowbirding on one end of the court or sloughing off on D? Remember, anyone (including Timmy D) is fair game for the Spurs coach. If he can put up numbers like he did in Dallas (and stay out of controversy), then this is huge for guys in silver and black. I just hope he doesn't threaten to retire (like he did in Portland), yell at the coaches (like he did to Del Harris in LA), push a referee, or hog the ball. Oh yeah, he's also 33 and been banged up the past 2 years. Of course, he isn't coming in as a starter and he's playing for a winner. I can remember the 2003 Western Conference Finals and how Nick "the Quick" could fill it up against the Spurs when called upon. If he can catch fire in the playoffs, a Horry-Van Exel combo is scary for opponents. And they didn't invest a ton of cash into the guy, so it's not that big of a risk.

My main concern is team chemistry. A guy like Michael Finley makes more sense for the Spurs because he's a model citizen and a classy guy on the court. Too bad Miami has the upperhand in those sweepstakes. What he should do is sign with San Antonio and get his sweet revenge against the man who cut him. While there is still a glimmer of hope to sign Finley, he's probably headed to South Beach. I hope the Dallas Van Exel appears this upcoming season. This is a guy who can put up 20 a night if he's hot, so I'm supportive yet skeptical of this move. But the Spurs always seem to make wise investments (minus a certain Slovenian). In R.C. Buford we trust!

If only they could wash their hands clean of Rasho Nesterovich because that white boy ain't worth the cash they're paying for him.

Readers, I apologize

2005-08-29T11:29:00.000-07:00

This stupid thing is under construction once again. I really wish I knew how to read HTML Formatting better than punching in numbers and letters and then hitting the preview button. Hopefully I'll get this puppy all cleaned up for show this week.

But I was proud of my new logo for "The Pilgrimage Continues..." Believe it or not, I created it in Microsoft Paint and Microsoft Publisher.

2005-08-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

iPod, we have a problem

2005-08-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

This is written in the same tune as my friend KB, but iPod actually still works as of today. But has anyone else had problems uploading music/podcasts from their computer to their iPod? I've been really frustrated by this -- I've downloaded and installed new iPod software, tried different USBs, and nothing still works. I get the "Do Not Disconnect" logo for 2 seconds, then followed by the "OK to Disconnect" checkmark. My iPod no longer shows up in the iTunes sidebar either. Someone told me to go into my iPod menu and click "Reset All Settings" but what happens then if I can't import music? I'm left with a nice 2x4 inch shelf decoration. The only thing I could think of is my Dock Connector being messed up. If you have experienced a similar problem or know how to remedy my iPod, drop a line in comment section.

Living Legends

2005-08-26T05:47:00.000-07:00

My first week into my second year of seminary is almost complete. Class actually looks more enjoyable than last semester and hopefully a little less stressful, but that's probably unlikely since I've got 12 hours of class compared to last semester's 9.

Truett has an impressive panel of professors I must admit. Before they came to teach, most of them helped pioneer an organization, have written several books, composed worship songs, pastored, etc. Their contributions have been significant is what I'm trying to say. While I miss the days of Dr. Tillman and Dr. Lyle at Logsdon, Truett is a nice place (but less academic than my undergrad). I feel like they do a great job at training ministers for the 21st century. They've challenged me to think for myself. They're not all caught up in the Baptist Bubble (but still in the Baptist Bubble if that makes sense). It's the same way at Logsdon. My only complaint about Truett is the size of the classes. Out of the 11 courses I've enrolled in, only one of them had 11 students while the others had over 20. There's less intimacy here in the classroom setting, but other than that it's all good.

2 of my professors I knew little about until this past week. In my Next Generation Leadership class, Don Mattingly (former Minister of Education at PDBC not the New York Yankee) is my teacher, but he helped start Centrifuge Camps in Glorietta, New Mexico back in the day. I knew that he used to be the youth ministry guru when he was a youth pastor, but I didn't know he trailblazed the way for youth camp as we know it today. In my Christian Worship class, Terry York is my professor and he's a worship stud. Next time you sing or hear "Worthy of Worship," the man penned that little diddy. He's also written several tracks in the Baptist Hymnal under a different alias, but he's not telling what else he has written during his lifetime.

I'm pretty jazzed about class this semester, but that's always how it goes when I start out school. Then expect me to be cursing school about mid-October.

I would have never known

2005-08-25T05:26:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, I found out my grandparents read Sojourners magazine and they gave me a couple of old copies. One of my seminary professors had really encouraged us to read publications like this one because they address issues of faith, politics, and culture. What I like most is their calling for Christians to engage in social justice issues. It's really great stuff so pick up a copy when you get the chance.

But you might not want to look at the Sept./Oct. issue if you are a Brian McLaren hater. He's the featured writer for the current issue on the Democrat/Republican debate and faith. What really struck me as odd was how informed Grandmom was about McLaren and how he's stirred up some people in conservative and liberal camps alike. She even seemed like a McLaren supporter (which I think is sweet). Heck, I thought it was cool that my grandparents read a fairly progressive magazine that tackles important issues. I just wish other people would hear McLaren out or give him some respect for thinking about the future of the church. You don't have to agree with him about everything, but the guy has at least got the ball rolling for many church practitioners.

Billboard of the week

2005-08-24T05:31:00.000-07:00

If you've been dying without a billboard this week, have no fear because here it is. You know the church is starved for creativity when they're copying beer ads. Just remember, "For all you do, his blood's for you."

Materialism

2005-08-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

There's a point of tension in my life right now. As a Middle School Pastor, I preach against materialism. Maybe there are degrees of materialism, but I have a hard time preaching against it when I have several material things. As the cliche goes "Practice what you preach" or "Walk your talk"...but when it comes to materialism it's difficult to reflect what I say. My iPod for example, my xBox, our DVR, or even my cell phone...the list could go on. On top of that, I really want a 15' Powerbook but that will have to wait. I know life could function without these luxuries, but I don't feel like I'm materialistic just because I have these things.

Is materialism still materialism when we wait for a great deal and purchase "wants" within our means? For example, I wanted an iPod a year ago but I knew I couldn't afford one with rent, bills, and school to pay for. So I patiently waited for a good deal to come along and saved a little cash on the side for the next few months. In April, I found a good deal on an iPod and purchased it at an affordable price. I was able to get what I wanted through eBay and our family is still able to live within our means. Best of all, we didn't have to use a credit card (because we don't want to be racking up extra debt). In this case, I don't think I'm being materialistic. And the rest of our lives are fairly simple (not spending $$$ on clothes, eating out, a car, house decor, etc.) outside of the few luxuries we do have.

So what's a good definition of materialism? Is there a ruler by which we can measure this issue? Technological advances blur the lines as well because what were once luxuries (computers, high speed internet, etc.) are now needs for most businesses, churches, and other organizations to function well. Alison and I are sure to give our 10% every Sunday and trust that God will provide. While we don't have much, God has given us enough...even a little extra to have some nice things. But what do you do with the extra? Should it be invested, given away, saved, or spent on that new couch you've had your eye on? If you figure out the answer, drop a line in the comment box.

As summer fades...

2005-08-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

...school begins. Actually tomorrow morning at 8:00 with Text and Traditions I. Looking back, I must say that this summer was fairly successful in my reading:

Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott
Postmodern Youth Ministry by Tony Jones
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
The Coffeehouse Gospel by Matthew Paul Turner
Cash: the Autobiography by Johnny Cash
The Younger Evangelicals by Robert E. Webber
The Relevant Church by Jennifer Ashley

And movie watching:

-The Longest Yard
-Good Will Hunting
-Star Wars: A New Hope
-Swiss Family Robinson
-Kicking and Screaming
-In Good Company
-Apollo 13
-War of the Worlds
-Constantine
-Coach Carter
-Back to the Future
-Fellowship of the Ring
-The Two Towers
-Return of the King
-Mr. Deeds
-Cinderella Man
-Star Wars Episode I
-Spy Game
-Batman Begins

There would have been more movies, except we were busy watching the first 3 seasons of 24 at the start of summer (which equals 72 hours in front of the tube). The wife and I ventured through several pounds of various coffee beans this summer as well. This is in addition to the 3 rooms and bathroom we painted from May to August. All in all, the summer was a success but now it's time for the rhythms of the classroom to begin.

The Wondrous Cross

2005-08-18T07:12:00.000-07:00

Whenever you see a cross, whether on a steeple, a necklace, a t-shirt, or as a decoration, what comes to mind? For me, I think nothing of it really. Growing up in Abilene and now living in Waco, I'm surrounded by the image of the cross. In fact, the hallway in our house is lined with them more for aesthetic value than out of conviction or rememberance.

I've been going through a devotional by David Nasser, A Call to Grace. It's an okay book, but it's more for teens than for twenty-somethings. I really loved A Call to Die, but this one isn't connecting with me as much until my devo time yesterday.

You're not going to hear any more from me...I'm going to share some of the stuff I read yesterday and I hope it may be both convicting and encouraging to you. Let's think on the cross.

He was born to die so I could be born to new life.
He suffered temptation so I can experience victory.
He was betrayed so I might know his faithfulness.
He was arrested and bound so I could be rescued from bondage.
He stood trial alone so I might have an advocate.
He was wounded so I could be healed.
He endured mockery so I could know dignity and joy.
He was condemned so the truth could set me free.
He was crowned with thorns so I might crown him with praise.
He was nailed to the cross so I might escape judgment.
He was stretched out between thieves so I could know the reach of love.
He suffered thirst so I could drink living water.
He said "It is finished," so I could begin my walk of faith.
He was God's lamb, slain so I could claim his sacrifice as my own.
He was forsaken by the Father so I would never be rejected.
He chose the shame of weakness so I can know the hope of glory.
He shed his blood so I can be white as snow.
His heart was pierced so mine could be whole.
He died and was buried so the grave could not hold me.
He rose again so I might experience eternal life.
He is known by his scars so I will take up my cross and follow him.

Reading Rush

2005-08-17T07:54:00.000-07:00

With less than a week before school starts, I'm trying to wrap up some summer reading before Tuesday (see the Currently Browsing section in sidebar below). I've actually read more than I have ever before this summer. Amazingly enough, I've found a pattern for my reading, even being able to read multiple books at the same time (not literally at the same time, but at the same time). While this has taken some practice and training, I found a rhythm to my reading: a financial/business book, a church/Christian living book, and a fictional/fun book. It's easy to keep these seperate because none of the ideas blur together or anything (most of the time).

So I'm cramming all my reading in this week because my personal reading will be on hold until Christmas. I better get started.

Hard to pronounce, but fun to play

2005-08-16T07:03:00.000-07:00

The Ashmore Household hosted an afternoon game of croquet yesterday. Here's some pics of the sweet action:

Blue vs. Black

The Lovely Croquet Field (with gravel trap)

The Inaugural Cointoss (Alison calls tails and wins!)

Alison (in blue) shoots through the wicket (and later takes Game 1)

I (in black) mount a comeback and take Games 2 & 3 to win the series!

A Sanctuary of Sorts

2005-08-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the day off from church, so Alison and I had the chance to stay home in Waco. Since we never get the chance to check out other churches, we figured we'd go visit some place (on our day off mind you). I consider myself quite the church critic (like my friend Chris)...I enjoy seeing how God works/moves in different forms, and hope to not be overly cynical along the way.

Anyways, we were hoping to go to church on Sunday morning but it didn't turn out as planned. As we pulled up into the parking lot, it was rather vacant with other people filing into their cars. But the church said it's service was at 11:00?! And everyone was leaving the parking lot?! Did the pastor tick everyone off or something?! I found this odd since I had heard lots of good stuff about this church, so we went ahead, bibles in hand, hoping for an hour of worship. Too bad this wasn't the case. This church was undergoing renovations and had moved the service up because their sanctuary was under construction. They had failed to post this on their website of course.

We meandered into the sanctuary to find this out, talked to some people (who sincerely apologized), and had no place to go, except out to eat. This made for an unusually early lunch time, but we knew we could beat the church crowd at Cheddar's if we went to eat at 11:15.

So there we were in Cheddar's, all dressed up for church but we didn't go to church. I heard other Baylor students were notorious for this so kids at the dorm would think they attended church, but it's not like they get cool stars like they used to in 2nd grade Sunday School. We finished our food at noon and had the entire afternoon to ourselves. That's when I made the call to go see what's playing at the local dollar movie. Your good clothes have to be worn for something or some good reason, right?

We decided to see Cinderella Man, one that had been on our summer movie wish list but we hadn't got around to seeing it yet. Great movie and story. Awesome film about brokenness, redemption, and hope. Great acting and directed by Ron Howard. I can't decide whether I liked Million Dollar Baby better, but both will be added to my movie collection when I have money for the DVDs.

As we left the Starplex Super Saver, I told Alison that was our church for the day. We actually had some spiritual discussion about the movie on the car ride home. If there were 2 sanctuaries outside of the church sort, it would be the lake and the movie theater. I love finding God in the movies...it becomes so rewarding to filter film through a "God lens." My faith actually becomes strengthened. While this takes some training and some Bible familiarity, I can learn more from a movie than even the greatest sermon ever preached. Yesterday was a great day.

Billboard(s) of the Week

2005-08-14T14:23:00.000-07:00

There's some double trouble on the billboard front this week. Believe it or not, this church gave me 2 quality slogans in the same week.

"To dwell in the house of many mansions make your reservations now" and "He who says what he thinks is courageous and friendless." How thought provoking...not.

The Art of Macchiato

2005-08-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

A few years back, my girlfriend-now wife Alison bought be a dual coffee pot/espresso machine. This has been one of the greatest and most useful gifts I have ever received. It's become part of the family greeting us every morning, providing daily goodness, and receiving the highest praise when it makes a great cup of joe. Of course, I must give Jerry credit for revealing the method to the perfect pot of coffee to me.

Too bad the espresso side of my caffeinated contraption often gets neglected. It's easier to brew a pot of coffee. And there's less clean up. And if you screw up by not getting the milk hot enough then you're left with plain espresso. While this is okay (you can make a Cafe Americano), it can be disappointing when you're wanting a Cafe Mocha, a Latte, or Cafe Au Lait.

Over the years, I've learned the art of the macchiato. It takes time and practice, even a few mess ups along the way. At least I don't work at a coffee shop yet, so there's no pressure to perform. Besides, why go pay $3-$5 for one from Starbucks when I can make one in my own home? Last night, I was feeling like making a couple of Caramel Macchiatos. It sounded like a good beverage to drink while watching The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

You really have to know what you're doing. First, you have to fill the bottom of your mug with caramel and put it in the microwave, but don't heat it just yet. You also have to grind your coffee beans real fine and pack them into your brew basket. Of course, you need water as well. Then the fun begins. You have to allow the espresso to brew just long enough until you can see the steam rising from the machine. That's when you flip the switch and use the frothing aid and steam the milk. There's an art form to steaming the milk, moving the mug in a circular pattern in the frothing aid to make sure your milk doubles (it also needs to get really hot). In the meantime, you heat up the caramel and take the mug out of the microwave. Next, the goodness can collaborate, by combining 1 shot of espresso (2 ounces) and 4 ounces of milk allowing the froth to float on top of the macchiato below. You finally stir it real quick, add a tad more caramel, throw some whipped cream on top, and sprinkle it with some chocolate powder. Simply beautiful. Even the green coffee monster can't handle this.

The Summit #2

2005-08-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

I attended another great session for The Summit Leadership Conference via satellite today. Entitled "The Tale of 2 Leaders: When Your Calling Changes," John Maxwell and Ken Blanchard shared their stories of leadership and it was compelling. Even though these leadership gurus normally teach and instruct on the business level, they spoke directly to those in church settings this morning.

The one thing I learned was their discussion about leaders needing to be out of their comfort zones, but never out of their gift zones. If God is placing us outside our comfort zones, then he's growing us and we're most likely learning. To paraphrase Maxwell and good friend Jerry, "Leaders are learners." I've heard this phrase before, but today it was just like a breath of fresh air. Today it really stuck. I walked away from today's session motivated and restored.

As a Christ follower, I may not know where God is going but I'm following and learning along the way. I think we all need to commit to being lifelong learners as leaders in the areas that we serve. Otherwise we become irrelevant, stagnant, and out of touch. There's so much at stake when it comes to leadership, especially in the church...that's why I need to pay attention to trends, culture, voices, books, needs, etc. Great stuff once again.

The Summit #1

2005-08-11T14:07:00.000-07:00

I'm currently attending The Summit Leadership Conference via satellite at Baylor University. The event is hosted by Willow Creek Community Church and broadcast to over 50,000 people around the globe. That's impressive enough, but I really wanted to go hear Bill Hybels and Rick Warren. Best of all, the conference was free for Truett students.

I've always heard that Bill Hybels is a very compelling speaker. His story and passion is incredible and he has written an incredible book on leadership. His presentation was about the leader's state of mind and discussed what exactly proceeds vision? This was a great question to ask...one that I have never thought about before. I had always thought that visionaries had the gift for vision and to cast it, but what exactly prompts a vision?

Here is the question that he posed that I think everyone should consider, particularly church leaders:

"What is your holy discontent?"

Let me explain or retell what Hybels spoke about. What is it that I cannot stand any more? What truly inspires and fuels me? Has something ever stirred my spirit to the point that it's caused me to get into the game? To surrender my ego because the cause cannot afford my pride? To take risks because of what's at stake? What causes my creativity to kick it up a notch? What's pushed my emotions?

These are great questions to ask. It was awesome, captivating, empowering. The cool thing is that we all have different things that compel us to action whether it be the local church, the fight against world hunger, racism, ethics, etc. Hybels was basically calling for a revolution (my words) and I was ready to sign up! The guy really brought the wood this morning...the stuff he proposed has turned the wheels in my mind.

Even though I may not fully know my holy discontent, I'm off to search for it and to find a way to relieve the angst. Good good stuff.

The Christian Metanarrative

2005-08-10T06:35:00.000-07:00

I've been reading The Younger Evangelicals by Robert E. Webber. It's an interesting book as we look at some different shifts within the church: traditional evangelicals (mainly fundamentalists), pragmatic evangelicals (seeker sensitive churches), and younger evangelicals (postmodern/emerging leaders). The author breaks down issues in the church, from theology, to mission, to ecclesiology, etc., and observes the shifts that have taken place in recent history.

I'm currently on his chapter on Theology and moving from propositionalism to narrative. This shift moves our faith beyond facts/proof to the validity of stories. While I appreciate evidence that God exists, it just doesn't connect with me as well as a good story. For the Christian metanarrative, there's an all-encompassing story of creation, incarnation, and recreation (short version). God brought creation into something from nothing, then came the fall of man, later followed by God entering our history through Jesus, and Jesus beginning the process of recreation, conquering all evil through his death and opening the way to heaven by his resurrection.

As believers, we find ourselves in this story as well. This makes sense to me, but I'm not sure if the widesweeping story is a trend or if it has staying power. I love finding my own story of redemption in the God story. Shouldn't we be viewing theology as as the communal narrative of Israel and Jesus instead of theology ruled by reason and scientific method?

Rain Rain Go Away...

2005-08-09T05:59:00.000-07:00

...so I can be motivated today. For the past week, it has stormed in Waco almost every day. Growing up in Abilene, we were always told to pray for rain for the farmers and because we were on water rations. But rainfall is not a problem here.

Don't get me wrong, I actually love it when it rains just not day in and day out. The only thing I dislike about it is having to mow more frequently. But rain just makes me want to stay in bed, pop in a movie, and be lazy. It's interesting how the weather affects your emotions. If the sun is shining first thing in the morning, then I'm generally more active around the house, getting work done, etc. When all I hear is soft thunder over my alarm clock, then I don't want to get up. I'd rather pull the sheets over my head while listening to the rain drops falling through the atmosphere and penetrating the earth.

But by the looks of the forecast, it's going to keep raining all day. While I want to eat pretzels and play MVP 2005 all day, I know there's stuff to be done. Hopefully my cup of coffee can get me going this morning.

Kids and Roller Coasters

2005-08-08T12:18:00.000-07:00

As a child, I never wanted to ride roller coasters. They were always too intimidating and maybe my parents sheltered me from riding anything that looked dangerous. I also bought into the horror stories and tragic accidents at amusement parks where the car flew off the track and killed innocent kids desiring a good time.

Once I became a young teen, I wanted to start riding roller coasters. This was probably due to going with other friends and not telling them I would wait for them at the exit. I couldn't let anyone know that I was scared. Besides, there were always girls who could ride these massive thrill rides of wood or steel. And I know that I don't stand alone saying that I was coaxed into riding a roller coaster because of a girl.

Now that I'm a little older, I love roller coasters. We took kids from church to Fiesta Texas on Saturday. Once we pulled up to front gate on Saturday morning, everyone got in their little groups, received their tickets, and dispersed. Being a sponsor on these trips kind of sucks now because you don't know if anyone wants to hang with you. I'm the adult = not cool! Fortunately, another sponsor, 4 kids, and me hung out most of the day.

Everyone in our group loved roller coasters, except one of the kids. He said he didn't really enjoy loops or big drops, but our posse was headed to the Superman Ride (the best coaster in the park and maybe even in Texas). The other stipulation was that all of us in our group were going to ride in the front row.

I feared for this kid. My mind hit the rewind button back to my Middle School days at Six Flags. What if he got really sick and we had to call his folks? What if he hated us dragging him onto the ride and never came to church again because of me? There were multiple worst case scenarios playing in my head. Then we made our ascent up the coaster...click, click, click, click, click...whoosh...and it was over in about 45 seconds.

As we pulled back into station, I looked over to see if the kid was alive. Fortunately, there was a huge smile on his face, his teeth kind of chattering from the adrenaline rush, and he kept mumbling "Aiyee, Aiyee, Aiyee" over and over again. It was a classic moment and we went on to ride all the other coasters on Saturday.

I don't really know what this post is about. Maybe it's about investing in kids or prodding them just enough to experience something incredible. I'm just thankful that I had friends who forced me to ride roller coasters as a Middle Schooler. I hope this kid appreciates us motivating him just enough to get on Super Man and other thrill rides. Hopefully he'll do the same for other scared kids someday.

Billboard of the Week

2005-08-07T15:31:00.000-07:00

Paper or Plastic Part II

2005-08-05T05:56:00.000-07:00

Going to H-E-B is my chance to be in the world. You never know exactly what or who you will see in the parking lot, along the aisles, or at the cash register. What's even more incredible is the amount of people in Waco who have tatoos. Not good ones either...it's as if they bought a "Do it yourself Kit" or "Tatoo Your Friends in 3 Easy Steps Book" from Walmart.

There are some general designs that most people have as body art if you live around these parts. If you are a male Wacoan, I can expect to see the spiderweb or flaming skull on the outside shoulder. There's also the classic Insert Name Here on the neck. If you are a female Wacoan, chances are they have a tatoo on their leg and it's usually a heart with sword through it, or it's on fire, or it's wrapped with a banner and has someone's name on it.

Just a few weeks ago I went to the grocery store to buy some bagel bites. We have an H-E-B right down from our house, but we hate going to that one because (a) the aisles are too narrow, (b) it's infested with little kids, usually in diapers only (see previous post about this issue), or (c) an episode of COPS is being filmed in the parking lot. But I had a craving for bagel bites and didn't want to drive to the nicer, less-ghetto H-E-B so I dreadfully ventured to the one by our house.

Sure enough, as I was walking through the front doors, a mom was attempting to corral her 3 kids to go food shopping. "Ugh!!!!...kids in the store!" I thought to myself. Then "Double Ugh!...what's that on that woman's leg???!!!" This mom had a giant marking on her leg, smack dab in the middle of her calf. You may be wondering to yourself as to why I was looking at some middle-aged woman's leg. Let's just say it was that noticeable. It was a hideous tatoo...I almost mistook it for a bruise. I couldn't tell if she had been jacked at the community softball game or had been ripped off at the tatoo parlor.

After my doubletake, I knew it was the latter, feeling queasy and disturbed while I searched for my bagel bites.

Good Grades Do Pay Off

2005-08-04T07:27:00.000-07:00

My parents never gave me money for coming home with straight A's on my report card like other kids. I always thought that was stupid anyway. They expected me to do my best and then my mom would apply the "Wylie Elementary Honor Roll Student" sticker to the back of our maroon van. The only thing I would receive for my efforts (besides the bumper sticker) was an Academic Award T-shirt.

All of that changed a few weeks ago. I was channel surfing and saw a commercial about how State Farm rewards students who get good grades in school. "Hmmmm...my car insurance is through State Farm," I thought to myself. Even though I'm a grad student, I thought it was worth a shot to see if I (at 23) could reduce my insurance rates. Sure enough, as long as I maintain a 3.0 or better, I just bring my grades to my agent and they take care of the rest. This only is good for male students under 25, but hey every little bit helps when you're broke.

All this time at seminary, I keep telling myself "D is for degree." Maybe this makes me a nerd, but it was nice receiving a reimbursal check yesterday for my good grades. It actually motivates me to get done with school a little faster so I can receive a discount for the next 2 years. I'm glad my grades finally paid off for something.

Pop-u-lar!

2005-08-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

2 guys posted my name on their blogs recently. At least a few people check this thing out every now and then. Thanks for the love!

Tension

2005-08-02T06:21:00.000-07:00

I heard this on the Upper Room podcast yesterday and it got me thinking,

"If the church doesn't cry out, then the rock stars will cry out."

I appreciate all the efforts around the world to end world poverty, to ensure that communities have clean water, to fight against AIDS, etc., but shouldn't the church be at the front of these movements? I even applaud guys like Bono who have used their status to further these efforts. But why aren't we seeing more pastors promoting these causes instead of pop-culture icons? (I realize it's not about the pastors, but I hope you get my drift). Has the church forsaken its call so much that it requires others outside the church to open our eyes?

In some places, I think the church has made a conscious effort to these causes (Buckner for example), but all too often I think the church forgets its call to social justice. We're more concerned with the color of the new carpet, building campaigns, or having the latest technology in our worship centers. I do believe however, that future generations will continue to be engaged in world causes (I read a recent stat that at least 60% of youth today have performed some type of community service and at least 40% of youth today are actively involved in a service organization). We are also seeing an increase in Missional Theology and Churches and that's encouraging.

The above quote has left my mind spinning and I don't have much of a conclusion yet. It really put me in my place. Perhaps someone could shed some insight here. Is it cool to allow other people to engage with these causes while the church sits still? Should there even be organizations combatting poverty when that should be the church's battle? Or maybe I'm making too big a deal of the whole thing? I'm wrestling with the tension between an organization and the church...should there even be a need for organizations when there is the church? I think God is honored and glorified that some organizations are taking up the cause against poverty, world hunger, and so on, but it's sad when we forget our identity and call as the church. I don't have a complete answer yet so drop a comment. I thank you in advance.

The one thing I do know is that we should be on the frontlines and in the trenches to fully see God's kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.

The Day I Became His Angel

2005-08-01T06:07:00.000-07:00

If you're expecting to hear my testimony, then you're wrong because this post is of a different sort. But something inspired me over the weekend to share this story, so here it goes.

I lived in a wonderful 2 bedroom house at 726 Sunset Blvd. the last two years of college. The crib was wedged right between A-Town Electronics to the north and a funky white house to the south (it had an indoor pool too). It was a nice place with 7 rather tall pecan trees in the front yard that blocked the sun out in the mornings. We had lots of squirrels that made their home among our branches. You would often hear them scuttling from the trees to the rooftop, but you would never see them on the ground. They might have just been tree squirrels, but I think they lived in fear of the 10 feral cats that roamed the neighborhood.

All that's to say I lived in a house with a bunch of trees. This always created problems in the fall because of the amount of leaves in the yard, but my roommates and I were always too lazy to buy or borrow a rake to clear off the yard. It was kind of funny because we had our little trail from our makeshift driveway to the front porch. If you didn't take the trail, then you had dead leaves stuck to your jeans or shoe laces.

One night my roommate and girlfriend said they were going out to eat. That same night I was cleaning my room (it must have been a happening weekend in Abilene or something). About 30 minutes after my friends had left, I heard the doorbell ring. My immediate thoughts were, "Oh, Alison must be stopping by," or "Maybe one of my buds is just sticking his head in the neighborhood," but I could not have been more wrong. After the doorbell, there was a knock on the door so I walked out of the bedroom, took 2 steps down the hallway, just enough to see that the frontdoor wasn't completely shut. Still thinking it was my girlfriend or another friend I shouted "C'mon in" thinking nothing of it.

At that moment, I feared for my life. This guy openned the halfway already open door and popped his head in. "Can I rake your leaves sir?" he inquired. Hmmmmm...this was a great moment because I didn't have to find a rake or do the raking, but it was at 8:00 in the fall. The man let the rest of his body in the door and I'm still standing with my head around the corner. Just to let you know how gargantuan the man was, he had to duck his noggin and turn sideways to slide into mi casa. He looked like he could've run Nate Newton out of job. Fear was welling up inside me even more than before.

The man introduced himself to me. I shook his hand and he told me his name was Kevin. He walked with a limp because of the gout in his right foot. Then he showed it to me. I suddenly wasn't as scared because I knew I could outrun him in a footrace. I also wasn't as afraid because I wanted to barf after looking at his toes. Kevin said he was staying at the Ponca Motel on South 1st and had walked 7 blocks to find someone who would give him some odd jobs so he could have something for him and his wife to eat that day. He told me about the 2 other yards he had worked on that day and he was now asking if he could rake my yard that night. I told him not to worry about it (but was kicking my own butt for not letting him spruce up our yard). He then noticed my roomie's guitar and said he could play it, but Kevin didn't even know how to play a G-chord. Kevin seemed fairly harmless since he was striking up conversation and I could tell he really was in need. At the same time, I was wondering why, of all the blocks he had traveled from South 1st to South 7th, he picked mine. I was also mentally cursuing my roommate for not locking the door behind him when he left. It still amazes me to this day.

Anyways, I told Kevin I'd take him to get something to eat. After all, he seemed relatively safe or maybe I just have "Sucker" pasted on my forehead. So we were getting into my car, which he just could barely squeeze his body into...the seatbelt couldn't even wrap around this mammoth of a man. Kevin said he wanted Church's Chicken and I thought that was cool because it wasn't too far from my house. We pulled up to the place, I gave him $10 and he said he would go inside and order his food. In the meantime, I was praying and praying and praying that I would not be on Kevin's Menu that evening. Needless to say, he could have made a toothpick out of me with ease.

My nerves were slowly calming after hanging out with Kevin. He didn't even spend the entire $10 and gave me the change. That was until the car ride back to the Ponca. Kevin told me his life story on the ride home: how he had been in prison 3 times for possession, how he liked to smoke crazy grass, and how he and his girl hooked back up the 3 times after he got out of prison. All those quasi-stilled nerves were now rattling once again. I thought I might actually be dessert for this dude, so I sped as fast as I could to the Ponca.

After he shared his experiences with me, he kept praising me and saying "Man, you a real blessin' you know dat!" Over and over and over again, but then I almost cried (out of fear and not compassion) because Kevin tells me "You know what man, I think you my angel. Yep, you my angel today man!"

It gave me the chills, but foretunately we had arrived at Room 107 at the Ponca Motel. I dropped Kevin off, he said he would come by tomorrow to rake my leaves and I told him not to worry about it, we then said goodbye, and I watched him go to his room with his Church's Chicken in hand. I exhaled and drove away feeling a little akward.

Billboard of the Week

2005-07-31T14:40:00.000-07:00

Summer = Lots of Time to Watch TV

2005-07-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

Since school has been out since mid-May and we don't start back until late August, that leaves tons of time to sit in front of the tube. Of course, even when school is in I make time to soak up countless hours in front of the televsion, but we have a DVR so we record all our shows and watch them whenever we want.

But there's a drought during the summer tv season. The shows we normally watch (all CSIs, The Amazing Race, and even the O.C.) resort to reruns so that leaves us with virtually nothing to watch, right? Thank goodness for Sportcenter and Pardon the Interruption being year round shows, but they're not dramas or reality shows. They fall in a different category. Anyways, since we're broke and have nothing better to do in Waco, Alison and I have plopped on the futon every night this summer asking "What's on tonight?" and saying "There's nothing to watch."

That was until the last few weeks when a few tv shows have really grabbed my attention. They may not be the best shows in the world, but they have satisfied my tv appetite until the fall. Here they are without further adieu:

Hogan Knows Best (vh1) - I was hooked when the Hulkster told his 17-year-old daughter, "Not as long as my name is Hulk Hogan" when talking about her going on a date. The show is better than The Osbornes, The Newlyweds or any other family-based reality show. Maybe it's because Hulkamania is back or because they're family seems halfway normal (except for him putting a tracking device on his daughter's ride...seriously very funny). And the fact that he maintains his wrestler persona around the crib is rather entertaining. He's definitely a pop-culture icon.
Mind of Mencia (Comedy Central) - definitely for mature audiences only, but this guy cracks me up. You might say he's the Hispanic Dave Chapelle, but it's even different from that show. Very raw, very honest, very rough, very risque, very animated. I think I like this show because he says what most people think but are afraid to say out loud.
Miami Ink (TLC) - Just discovered the show this past week. I think this intrigued me because it tells the story of 5 guys and their tatoo business. What I appreciate even more is how every tatooed person shares their story as to why they're getting inked up. Different from anything else I have seen before. Kind of makes we want to get tatted myself.

You might think I'm a loser or even a freak for the shows I watch, but hey our lives our consumed by the tube, even when nothing of real quality is on. I've also started watching some Good Times reruns on TV Land. Maybe that's wrong, but I appreciate what my friend says about tv. I gotta jet, the remote is calling for me.

Coffee with the Reverend

2005-07-28T07:56:00.000-07:00

A cup of coffee (Seattle's Best might just be better than Starbucks) and the Baptist Standard, what a beautiful combination...minus the B.S. Lookie there, I made a joke! Anyways, I was browsing the Baptist Standard today and found Joel Osteen quoted in Out Loud section, a place where the editors put quotes from various denominational/religious/organizational leaders. Here's what he says,

"The principles in the Bible will work for anyone...I talk
about things for everyday life. I don't get deep and theological."

This bothered me for some reason and I wonder if there are red flags shooting up in your own mind as well. #1, I have a problem with the Bible seen as life principles. Maybe he should change his word to "applications" or something that reads better. On a personal note, I think the Bible reads better as a story than as an instruction manual or rule book. #2, I take issue with his lack of theological depth. I might actually be misinterpreting his quote...he might just mean this when he talks to his congregation. And I realize that as a pastor you need to use language which your audience can understand, but shouldn't we be moving our churches into deeper relationships with Christ???

I'll confess, "I'm a critic and a cynic." That's just my personality I guess. I'm probably misunderstanding this guy, but who doesn't love to pick on him??? Yeah, it's not exactly the right thing to do, but I love watching TBN and laughing at Benny Henn and Creflo Dollar too. Those guys just seem a little crazy, but if they're reaching people for the kingdom of God then who am I to judge? I just wish they did it with something a little more relevant, authentic, and down to earth. Oh yeah, and sometimes it doesn't seem biblical--that's the much bigger issue. What's your opinion?

One Two Step

2005-07-28T06:17:00.000-07:00

I came to the realization yesterday that I march to the tune of a different drummer. And away I go...

Paper or Plastic Part 1

2005-07-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

Going to the grocery store is an interesting experience for me. I am just amazed by the people in the isles. For the past year that we've lived in Waco, I've never seen anything like it. Then again, maybe I've never fully paid attention to the people and surroundings in a grocery establishment. Anyways, these are really H-E-B confessions of things I've noticed rummaging around for the weekly goods so here's my first story.

Everytime I go to the grocery store I come back and tell Alison that we're never taking our kids with us. This sounds harsh, but since the unemployment rate is fairly low in Waco I think parents substitute Take Your Child to Work Day for Take Your Annoying Child (and more likely children) to the Grocery Store Day because some parents need a place to take their kids to! Never mind the park or even the zoo, it has to be the grocery store.

Kids are too much of a pain in the isle--knocking boxes of Macaroni and Cheese off the rack, being indecisive over Lucky Charms, Golden Grahms, or Frosted Flakes, staring at you with complete bewilderment as to why you need to get through the row, and screaming because Mommy won't let little Johnny and Suzie get some Dreamsicles. You're probably envisioning similar experiences, but what perplexes me even more is how families allow their 3'4" kid drive a 4' tall cart. Alone I might add. You might think this isn't a big deal, but when you've been smacked in the heel with a cart at 6mph it's not cool.

Of course, if you're a kid going to the grocery store then it is awesome. My mom was guilty of taking us along for the grocery ride. How many of you liked to look at the lobster tank??? Or even fit your in the undercarriage of the grocery cart??? The neatest thing was contorting your body to fit snuggly below all the groceries Mom had stacked in the basket above. Now stores even offer "pimped out" Fisher Price-Grocery Cart Hybrids...I can't believe we're sending this message to parents!

I'm sure those toddler-lugging adults don't want to take their kids to the store. They probably said the same things I did when they were my age. I'm sure they've just picked them up from Day Care and need to pop in real quick for some Hamburger Helper. I guess I can't blame them for that. In fact, I'll probably do the same thing with my own future children.

But before my family arrives at the point of having kids, I have a solution! I'm forming P.A.K.I.G.S. (People Against Kids In Grocery Stores). This way people don't have to mess with snotty, stinking, screaming, lil' scratchers whenever you shop at your grocery establishment. There will be a featured warning sign right next to the No Smoking sign and No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service sign. I can see it now.

Let me make this clear: I don't dislike kids, just the parents who take their kids in grocery stores.

Drop Some Names

2005-07-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Right now I'm preparing some stuff for church this fall, but I'm stuck. We're starting a series called "Revolution" in the upcoming weeks and I'd like to look at a great historic figure who helped revolutionize Christianity. I'd prefer them to not just be well-known figures (Mother Theresa, Martin Luther, Oswald Chambers, Dietrich Bonhoeffer), but some unknowns. Who are some voices from the past who helped shape Christianity throughout the centuries? Please drop some suggestions in the comment section. I thank you in advance for your help.

Note: I need to change unknown to less-known figures in Christian History. Thanks Lex.

Billboard of the Week

2005-07-23T08:28:00.000-07:00

Something Old Something New

2005-07-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

It's time for another confession: "I'm a thrift store junkie."

While this sounds odd to some, I love hanging out in places with old stuff. A place where things have a little wear and tear. One of my favorite stores is Half Price Books, the book worm's paradise. The thought of me trading in old, used, or unread books for cash is awesome. Getting rid of that stack of books you got for college graduation and getting paid for it is sweet (as little as it may be).

What's even greater is searching through hundreds of books for that treasure: a book you will actually read and can buy cheaper than Amazon.com can offer. I'm not opposed to Amazon, but when I can get Cash: the autobiography (Hardback edition) and Reel Spirituality: theology and film in dialogue for under $10 it's a steal. Half Price Books may not sound like a thrift store, but it's an oasis for me and others. I could honestly camp for hours sifting through the isles of literature for "that book."

I also discovered another great place on earth called Buffalo Exchange. It works the same way as Half Price Books, but with fashion. You can actually take in old clothes, they inspect them, and if they want them they give you cash. This place is actually much better than other Thrift Shops because they offer vintage clothes at decent prices. This place put Goodwill and Salvation Army to shame. I'm not knocking these places because I still love to pop my head in once in a while.

Let me explain it like this. I was in Goodwill this past week and found this shirt. After 25 minutes of sorting through racks upon racks of shirts I found one (and it was in my size). In fact, I was on the phone with John and he offered to pay me for it. Even though I'm not Episcopalian, I couldn't pass on this tee.

But when I was in Buffalo Exchange, there was no problem finding stuff. And what makes it even better is the fact that everything in there was cool. The problem with Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc. is they take most everything, resulting in the consumer to search, search, and search for something. Many a time I have gone into one of those stores to walk away empty handed, but Buffalo Exchange does the dirty work for you. They find the cool stuff and only sell the cool stuff. Their store is cool, period.

For example, would I have been able to find some vintage Nike Air Trainers in Goodwill? Maybe on a good day, but probably not. I also walked away with a South Dakota Basketball Tourney shirt. This would be easier to find in Goodwill, just probably not one that's from our brothers and sisters to the north. If I would have had more $$$, I easily would've walked out with some more goodies.

It's amazing how today's culture finds value in old stuff. In something vintage, retro, throw back, from the past, or whatever you want to call it. What's the point in paying full price for a retro-style shirt at Express or Abercrombie when you can actually get one $20-$40 cheaper at Goodwill. Yeah, it's been worn before but it doesn't matter once you toss it in the wash. The saying "One man's trash is another man's treasure" really makes sense now.

H-E-L-P

2005-07-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wonder about certain things that are beyond our grasp? Things that our minds cannot even begin to comprehend? Some people from my church posed an interesting question last night to which I didn't have an answer. I've never even put that much thought into the subject. Here's what they asked:

Where do we go immediately after we die?

Do we go straight to heaven? Is there some kind of purgatory? Is there a holding cell until the rapture? Or maybe you have another option I have not yet thought about. Insights anyone? I want to hear your opinions so comment below.

Overpriced Chapstick

2005-07-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

"Can you bring me my chapstick?"

"No."

"But my lips hurt real bad."

I wish there was a school nurse around because I definitely would've borrowed one of the five she had in her desk drawer, but that wasn't the case. Instead of getting a partially used but free lip protectant I had to settle for paying $1.39 at CVS Pharamcy for some lousy chapstick.

I'm typically pretty good at keeping up with my chapstick and not leaving it in my pocket to get washed and melted, but I lost mine this past week. When I was in college, I discovered the power of lip balm but it was a struggle to first use it.

I don't know why, but it seemed like lipstick for men. Of course women love chapstick, particularly Lip Smackers because you can get it in Watermelon, Strawberry Banana, Raspberry Fruit, Melon Moon, and on and on and on. My wife loves going to Target to scan the isle of Lip Smackers and will investigate all the multi-packs. This is something that can really brighten her day. So maybe this is one reason why I never used chapstick--it always seemed girly. I also heard a rumor that if you use chapstick at a young age then it will dry out your lips when you're older (sounds stupider even as I'm writing it). I don't even know why I would believe this. Another reason for my chapstickaphobia was because of the smell of Carmex. My friend's mom used to drive us to Elementary School. They always had 3-4 small yellow cases of that stuff in the ash tray of their '87 Crown Victoria. And sure enough my friend's mom would apply the waxy substance to her mouth and then offer it to everyone else in tow, but the smell always grossed me out. Besides, Carmex users always have to wipe the waxy buildup from their fingertips to their pants.

But then one day the light hit me. While it wasn't a Pauline experience, I decided to use the stuff. Part of this was because I worked at a furniture manufacturer and the sawdust dried out my lips. Part of this was because I started to date a very fine lady (who would later become my wife) and didn't want her to think she was kissing a sun-dried, crackled, no hygiene college student. I remember it like it was yesterday: I was in Skinny's getting a 64 oz. Big Swig and passed the Carmex. There I was at a crossroads: give in to everything I had once denied or give into the temptation of smooth, healed lips. I figured I'd give it a shot despite the repercussions of my childhood. Needless to say, it didn't last long because I desired something scentless, cleaner, and in stick-form.

I made the switch to Natural Ice. It's much better than Carmex and even has SPF 15 to block some of the sun's rays. This is what I prefer. Bistex is also a nice alternative, but since I lost my chapstick this past week I had to purchase a new one. It's amazing how attached you become to your chapstick. Along with my car keys, loose change, cell phone, and wallet, the chapstick is included in that list of things that I must have before I leave the house.

Anyways, back to my overpriced chapstick. I'm in CVS and searching for my Natural Ice, which they did not carry but they had Blistex. "Sweet," I thought at first until I realized how much it cost: $1.79. Had there been a Walmart in the vicinity, I would have gone there because they have Natural Ice and Blistex for $.97. But that wasn't the case and my lips were on fire. Now then, I was too cheap to pay nearly $2 for a 4 centimeter tube of lip wax. So I settled for the actual Chap Stick brand at $1.39. That was the cheapest thing they had in the store and I figured it would suffice, but it smells funny and only has SPF 4.

Looking back, I should have used the $.42 I would've paid in gas and drove to Walmart to get my Natural Ice, but now I'm stuck with an overpriced, peach, stick of Padimate O and White Petrolatum. What a jip.

Running in Austin

2005-07-19T09:29:00.000-07:00

No more being chased by dogs. No more living in fear of being struck by crazy driver. No more anxiety of some dude honking his horn at you. No more swarms of nats pasting themselves on my sweaty face. The only bad thing is the humidity, it feels like Louisianna here.

I'm in Austin for the week for our church's Super Week. It's been really successful with over a hundred kids the past 2 nights. Anyways, that's not what this post is about.

Running in Austin is so much better than running Waco. If there's any dogs out, they're on leashes. The people here are more health savvy and respectful of joggers. There are even sidewalks to run along so you don't have to be alert of cars. There's an absense of bugs even. You can just concentrate on running. Like I said before, only the humidity is a problem and I thought Waco's atmosphere was bad. Oh well, I really enjoy the morning jog in the state capital as opposed to my current residence.

Clutter on my desk

2005-07-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

Church Billboard of the Week

There's lots of junk on my desk right now. Here's the list:
1. A bag of Craisins
2. My checkbook
3. Several Pay Stubs
4. Multiple Receipts
5. My calendar
6. My notepad
7. Relevant Magazine
8. Pics from the party barge on Lake Travis
9. Free Pizza Coupon from Pizza Hut
10. A Dell Thank You Card
11. Wallet, keys, wedding band, etc.
12. School Loan papers
13. Stereo Remote
14. Several CDs
15. Useless Paper

I know it could be worse, but I don't have much else to post on a Saturday...

It's a potential thing...I wouldn't understand

2005-07-15T06:17:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile without a sports post, and no it's not on the Spurs (although I picked up their championship Wheaties box last week). Bottom line, I wish I was a professional athlete.

Yesterday something happened (actually 2 things) that blowed my mind. I still can't believe it myself. The first one was this: Jerome James agrees to sign with the New York Knicks for 5 years and $29 million. Yeah, we're talking about the overweight meathead who used to play for the Harlem Globetrotters. I love watching those boys play ball and entertain, but it's not exactly against the best competition in the world. The other thing is that he's only brought 5 points, around 4 boards, and he'll block a shot every night for his career, but since he had such a good First Round Playoff series against the Kings (17 and 9 per game) they'll increase his asking price. Must I remind you, as soon as they played in the Conference Semifinals (and against some quality big men) those averages dipped in half. He might as well wear a shirt that says "BUST" or "THIEF" because he just milked the Knicks and played them for fools. For almost $6, James is not worth the cash but Isaiah's an idiot anyway.

The other thing that struck me was a sign-and-trade between the Wizards and Lakers. Kwame Brown (career statline: 8 points and 6 rebounds per game) for Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins (or possibly Devean George). We're talking about the same player who was suspended from the Wizards because he missed a practice during the playoffs. You think that'll fly with the Zenmaster? We're talking about the 1st ever high school player to be drafted #1, and make Michael Jordan look like Ray Charles for taking the kid prospect. Even though the Lakers are loaded at the Guard and Small Forward positions, of all the big men you could trade for, why do you trade for this guy? I think the Lakers could've got something much better in return. All this comes remember, after the Lakers chose a high school kid (Andrew Bynum) with their 1st Round Draft Pick this year. Maybe Bynum could ask Kwame how not to screw up in your first 4 pro seasons, he can't really give any pointers outside of that. Phil Jackson could have cut back on Advil had he stayed out of coaching.

Anyways, all this stuff really kills me mainly because they make a hefty wad of cash based on potential. It's a pretty amazing thing, if you are a professional athlete. In the NBA, scouts look for the next Jordan, McGrady, or Shaq even. But how many of them end up like Shawn Bradley, Mateen Cleaves, Harold Miner, or Ed O'Bannon? In baseball, they look for the next Ryan, Sheffield, or Ramirez. Then you're screwed because you have Todd Van Poppel, Benji Gil, Rob Ducey, or B.J. Upton (the verdict is still out on him) on your roster. At least they can be sent to the minors to improve their skills. In the NFL, scouts try to find the next Manning, Sanders, or Arrington but you wind up with Tim Couch, Dan Wilkinson, Ryan Leaf, or Ki-Jana Carter.

Potential is a beautiful thing if you're an athlete because you're getting paid for being a "BUST." It's funny to hear someone say, "that kid has a tremenous upside" but it's just a bunch of lip service. Maybe we put too much pressure on professional athletes? I mean it's hard when you're making a few mil and you don't perform up to par. There will always be some buyer however, because they think they have the "Next Big Thing." Most of the time a team takes/signs/trades for a player based on their potential, and they get everything minus the potential.

I hope I can live up to my potential. There's tremendous upside awaiting me today. My life is now complete.