Life is for Living

You Got Served

2010-03-04T12:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday a man uttered under his breath that all the 'good food' cost too much. I asked him if he wanted a minute to look over the menu. He rejected my offer and proceeded to order a Ribs, Wings, and Shrimp Platter, add two trips to the salad bar and purchase a Spring Roll appetizer all for himself. His companion bought a salad...

A Day With My Car

2010-02-16T06:22:00.001-08:00

I drove my car for the first time in over a month and multiple people have asked me to share about my return to the open road. I used my car to take Kaytlin to work while the mechanic worked on her car and that trip prevented me from catching the bus to work myself. Riding the bus from Kaytlin’s work to Ruby Tuesday takes over two hours and I did not have that much time before my shift. In retrospect, I suppose that feasible options existed to avoid having taken my car to work yesterday morning, but they escaped me in the moment and the my return to the driver’s seat offered interesting insight into my “carless” experience.
The most impactful moment of the drive to work own occurred when I passed by my house. About halfway between Starbucks and Ruby Tuesday I turned onto Elmwood Street and could see my house from the road. Seeing my house offered a reference point for my travels and I felt shocked that I had completed a ten-minute drive. That same trip would have taken over an hour by foot or 30 minutes on the bus. In some strange way, I felt as if I had missed the city speeding through it. I had driven into the heart of the city but somehow missed experiencing the it. My car insulated me from the world outside and although I saved 20 minutes by driving my car instead of taking the bus, those minutes lacked the richness of alternative travel.
Life without a car inhibits much efficiency that my American lifestyle desires, but I think that efficiency may inhibit my life experiences. I engage the world more fully when I have to stand in the rain, or snow, or sun, and endure the heat, or the cold. Living without a car takes community and providential, or at least strategic, living arrangements, but I relish the struggle that comes with making my life work without using personal transportation. I spend more time with my roommates and fiancé because we walk to McDonald’s or ride our bikes to the library instead of zipping straight there in our cars. I hope that using my car over the next few days instills gratefulness in my heart for the many similar conveniences in my life. None-the-less, I look forward to living as a pedestrian again sooner than later.

"You Got Served"

2010-02-11T20:33:00.001-08:00

When customers treat and tip a server well, servers become inspired to serve successive guests even better. I know. I experienced this phenomenon today.

South Carolina on My Mind

2010-02-11T04:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I experienced a cultural epiphany. In a discussion about politics, I thought to myself “the State Government should have the power to stand against the Federal Government when the Federal Government oversteps its bounds”. Nothing like this has ever crossed my mind before and I realized my immersion in South Carolinian culture caused it.

I need to process the thought more deeply before I determine its legitimacy, but experiencing this sentiment allowed me to glimpse into the Southern mind in a new way. For the first time I somewhat understood the foundation for South Carolinian state pride. Most Americans are proud of their freedom to do what they want to do. Southerners root their pride in the freedom to reject what others tell them to do. As a result of this perspective, Southerners allow themselves to overlook the blemishes of their culture, insofar as those dark spots exist as a byproduct of supporting the distinctive breed of freedom; the superior value.

"You Got Served"

2010-02-08T18:25:00.000-08:00

A business woman who has climbed the corporate latter will tip less than a man in her same position. I do not know why.

Birthday Thank You's

2010-02-07T21:25:00.001-08:00

“Thank you” to everyone who shared my weekend with me. Amidst the myriad of events and people my birthday party only contributed to a rich weekend. In spite of the minor aspect my birthday played, I felt terribly loved by all my friends here in Columbia. The bonfire/hangout on Saturday night eclipsed all other birthday celebrations within the recent past and hosted more people than any birthday event in my life.
Kaytlin took the lead in making me feel loved by throwing together the party, making me a birthday breakfast, spending the afternoon with me, getting creative and thought-out gifts. My family back home blew me away with the gifts they sent me. I still feel taken aback by the investment made in my birthday even thought they could not share with me personally. Sorry that I did not call you back on my birthday Kyle…I failed on that one, but really enjoyed talking to you on Sunday. Thank you to Mark and Nina who loved me from the great white north. Thank you to everyone who came to see me on Saturday or sent me birthday wishes-especially my housemates and lifies. I love you all a lot.

Another find from a friend

2009-12-02T20:00:00.001-08:00

When doing your Christmas cards, take one and send it to this address: A Recovering American Soldier c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center 6900 Georgia Avenue NW; Washington, D.C. 20307. If we pass this on, think of how many cards these wonderful special people would get. Pass it on...just copy and paste.

Ah....Colorado

2009-12-01T09:14:00.000-08:00

I stole this from a friend:

98% OF AMERICANS SCREAM BEFORE GOING IN THE DITCH ON A SLIPPERY ROAD. THE OTHER 2% ARE FROM COLORADO AND THEY SAY, 'HOLD MY SODA AND WATCH THIS.

You're from Colorado if:

You'll eat ice cream in the winter.

When the weather report says it's going to be 65 degrees, you shave your legs and wear a skirt.

It snows 5 inches and you don't expect school to be canceled.

You'll wear flip flops every day of the year, regardless of temperature.

You have no accent at all, but can hear other people's. And then you make fun of them.

'Humid' is over 25%.

Your sense of direction is: Toward the mountains and Away from the mountains.

You say 'the interstate' and everybody knows which one.

You think that May is a totally normal month for a blizzard.

You buy your flowers to set out on Mother's day, but try and hold off planting them until just before Father's day.

You grew up planning your Halloween costumes around your coat.

You know what the Continental Divide is.

You don't think Coors beer is that big a deal.

You went to Casa Bonita as a kid, and as an adult.

You've gone off-roading in a vehicle that was never intended for such activities.

You always know the elevation of where you are.

You wake up to a beautiful, 80 degree day and you wonder if it's going to snow tomorrow.

You don't care that some company renamed it, the Broncos still play at Mile High.

Every movie theater has military and student discounts.

Everybody wears jeans to church.

You actually know that ** South Park ** is a real place not just a show on TV.

You know what a 'trust fund hippy' is, and you know its natural habitat is Boulder .

You know you're talking to a fellow Coloradoan when they call it Elitches, not Six Flags.

A bear on your front porch doesn't bother you.

Your two favorite teams are the Broncos and whoever is beating the crap out of the Raiders.

When people out East tell you they have mountains in their state too, you just laugh.

You go anywhere else on the planet and the air feels 'sticky' and you notice the sky is no longer blue

To Be, or To Be Like

2009-11-28T19:09:00.000-08:00

Today a young family came into Ruby Tuesday to catch lunch during their holiday travels. The mom wore trendy jeans and a brown leather jacket and seemed like the hip mom that all hip girls want to become. Her husband sported a woven, long-sleeve red shirt which accentuated his bulging muscles and transformed his buzz-cut from an "I am hiding my balding scalp" look into an "I work at a bar and ride my motorcycle to work" look. They were polite, engaged their son lovingly, and demonstrated peaceful confidence. My short interaction caused a strange desire to grow in my heart: I wanted to be like them.
Realization of my desire to be like these strangers caused me to pause and consider what about them I found appealing. They seemed cool, and fun, and confident. They were good parents but didn't sell the richness of their lives to purchase family life. A brief inspection of my motive revealed its superficial root. How could I want to be like them when I dont know what they are actually like? "Who they were" came from an imaginary personality that I had extrapolated based on their external appearance.
I bought into the notion that external appearance reflects a person's nature, even though reality opposes this idea: cool clothes = a cool person. I think we need to reverse this "outside->in" model of character construction. We need to cultivate character traits and dispositions so that our soul aligns with who we want/ought to be. Once our souls obtain the nature we desire, the external image will honestly reflect who we are.

Difficult Living

2009-11-23T20:06:00.001-08:00

"Enjoying life is difficult" -Dave Strobolakos

Immediate, hedonistic gratification proves frightfully achievable. Some people drink, some people follow lots of rules, some people have sex, some people pretend to like everyone they know. Immediate pleasure often drives each of these actions. Such individuals dismiss or ignore the long-term effects of living to experience emotional happiness in each successive moment.

Passive, disengaged voyeurism impinges on our ability to experience creation. Television, facebook, videogames, and reading function as means of escapism through we we avoid the world in which we find ourselves. We simultaneously fend off deep relationships to avoid work and pain while religiously devoting ourselves to fictional dramas provided by American media.

Subtle, erosive addictions deplete our capacity to interact relationally. Although drugs, alcohol and smoke could be such addictions, other, less often recognized social barriers prevail in our society. Work takes precedence over family life. Raising children results in a competition to produce the more intelligent scholars, fitter athletes, more gifted musicians than our neighbors.

Unfortunately, each of these responses to life unfold more naturally than conscious, determined, intentional living. Loving your family well requires intense labor. Freeing yourself from the slavery of our entertainment culture takes discipline and foresight. Maintaining a healthy balance between each facet of daily living demands temperance and adaptation. However, humans find fulfillment through this difficult struggle and ultimately, this fulfillment makes life enjoyable. In short-enjoying life is difficult.

Kalanism

2009-11-16T17:27:00.000-08:00

"Life is for living"

Finding Rest

2009-11-16T17:26:00.000-08:00

Last night I ventured into the wilderness of my yard for another night. Two words summarize my experience: peaceful and cold. Many of my fears from the previous night had completely dissipated. The sounds of the neighborhood gently settled around me. I distinguished between jumping squirrels and falling leaves, and during each burst of noise my heart rested calmly in my chest. Without paranoia pressing me down I enjoyed the world around me and could love it.
Sleep found me quickly and watched over me most of the night. I stirred only to readjust my limbs between positions respectively conducive to warmth or comfort. Without the winter air nudging me awake occasionally, I would sleep undisturbed. I think I will repeat my experience one more night before I leave for New Orleans tomorrow.

Residue

2009-11-15T16:04:00.000-08:00

Last night residual thoughts from recent reading resulted in a strange (some would say ludicrous) action: I slept in my backyard in my sleeping bag. Another section of THROUGH PAINTED DESERTS lingered in my psyche from a few nights ago. Miller lived in the forest near the country club at which he worked. He says, "I suppose it takes about a week to get used to sleeping outside. But once accustomed to it, a person cant easily go back to having a roof over his head." I romanced the idea of sleeping without the comforts of a mattress, although some would argue my mattress offers little comfort. Would it free my soul slightly? Would being exposed to nature put me more in touch with its Creator? I longed to know.
I small gained insights into life, but as is often the case with life adventures, they were far from what I expected. I hoped for peaceful slumber, but suffered irrational fears. I do not fear bear attacks in the woods. I do fear homeless men attacking me for money. I hoped for communion with nature, but experienced assault by the restless city.
In spite the division between expectation and experience I value what I learned. Living without the luxuries of 'basic living' free the soul in a small way. Doing something difficult provides reward (such as fulfillment) that can outweigh the cost (sleeplessness). Being part of the world in which we live-including the city-surpasses the voyeurism of modern media experience.

Commercials

2009-11-14T20:29:00.000-08:00

In chapter 26 of Donald Miller's THROUGH PAINTED DESERTS, Miller reflects on the spiritual ramifications of his journey from the urban jungle to nature's wilderness. One of his thoughts particularly struck me:

"I think the woods, being away from all the clingy soot of commercialism, have taught me life is enormous, and I am very tiny in the middle of it...It strikes me how far the commercials are from this reality, how deadly they are, perhaps."

Considering the effects of commercials and visual media on my own life pushes me to agree with Miller. Commercials are deadly; I am visually stimulated to death. Not physical death, but spiritual death. Unrelenting entertainment inhibits me from refreshing my soul in the live-giving world around me. May I [exit stage right] from the stories of other people's lives and walk through the door of the life set before me.

Tennessee in Review

2009-08-03T05:06:00.000-07:00

Friday
Depart Columbia and drive for 9 hours (includes music, good conversations, Peter Kreeft lectures and Kaytlin napping)
Arrive in Memphis at an amazingly nice hostel inside an old church building.
Ask a local where we can find good Mexican food. He rattles off some restaurant in excellent Spanish. We know it will be good.
I order beef tongue tacos-amazing. Tastes like chicken gizzard with the texture of beef.
Kaytlin asks to ‘try my tongue.’ I gladly oblige. Ha.
A short walk and then to bed.

Saturday
Up early and out to a local coffee shop. The shop is interesting with lots of events, unique people and clever decoration. I am a tool and read Aristotle.
Back to the hostel for left-over tacos.
We change quickly and head to the wedding which is about 45 minutes away.
I wrote down the wrong address for the church so we get lost, finally find it, watch the ceremony from the front room, behind stain glass windows.
We slip into the reception line and no one suspects a thing.
We sit with the School of Mines guys who drove 17 hours to come to the wedding and have great conversation.
They mention the spiritual bondage that would come from going to a school that would make you sign a list of extra-Biblical rules to follow while you are a student (like CIU).
Back at the hostel we make dinner and chat with a Kiwi (New Zealander) who is on a world tour.
He tells as about a local musician who plays a homemade guitar constructed of two broom sticks and a cigar box.
Kaytlin taught a Spanish girl how to make popcorn on the stove and we talked with her and her companion about their world travels.
Downtown Memphis! It is five blocks of neon lights, bars, street performers and live music.
Back to bed.

Sunday
Coffee, checkout, drive.
Home.

Additional thoughts
Each time I leave Columbia I find myself dreaming big about life. I hope to continue to dream big even though I am coming back to a confining culture.
In an effort to continue to dream big, Kaytlin and I are going to try to get out of Columbia one weekend a month.
I miss talking with travelers and people who love the world. Perhaps I will befriend some international students in the fall.

A Week Behind

2009-07-30T05:48:00.000-07:00

Bartending
I’m moving up the food chain. Several months ago, I turned down an offer at work to begin management training to continue waiting tables. In the short term, I make more money serving than ‘shift leading’ and have more flexibility with my hours. With only a year ahead of me to live in Columbia, serving seemed like the best option. Since then, I have continued to look for different jobs throughout the city but met little success.
Knowing that I would likely be with Ruby Tuesday for at least the near future, I asked to begin bartending training-I received a crash course. After a newly highered bartender was…er…reemployed somewhere other than Ruby Tuesday, her Sunday shift needed opened up. After a brief (two hour) drink mixing session on Thursday night, I stepped behind the bar on Sunday for the most stressful, exciting, enjoyable and lucrative days at work in a long time. I survived the gauntlet and cannot wait to bartend more frequently as fall gets underway.

Blueberry Picking
In contrast to the highly masculine and sub-culturally praised position of bartending, I went blueberry picking with Kaytlin on Saturday morning. The hippy/earth-lover in me, and the company of my girlfriend legitimize my feelings of enjoyment from an early berry gathering. We met some friends, and their friends, and their friends (4 couples in all) and drove out to Chapin at an hour when most of my coworkers were still recovering from the night before. Ha. Between Kaytlin and me, we picked almost 8 lbs of blueberries. She kept them, but treated me to blueberry pancakes that night.

Cell Phone
To the chagrin of my brother and father, Friday marks the beginning of my life without a cell-phone. I set up my landline on Thursday night and cancelled my cell phone service. The adjustment has been smooth thus far (at least from my end). Not having text-messaging proves the most inconvenient aspect of the cell phone-free life; sorry Kyle. However, without texting, I find myself forced to call people when I want to connect with them and these conversations benefit us greater than a quick text ever could. I hope that I will continue calling those who are close to me while the transition to landline becomes increasingly normal.
I still have the same phone number. Please call me 

When in Rome

2009-07-07T09:06:00.001-07:00

The River
When in Rome, do as the Romans do; when in Columbia, go to the river. The high temperatures and oppressive humidity drives South Carolinians to bodies of water. Without the ocean lapping at our doorstep, the river claims the title of liquid attraction We are discovering the pleasure of the river and in doing so realize that the locals do know best. In an attempt to bolster social activity while battling dusty wallets, we have begun to frequent the river and made two trips this past week. The first evening was spent eating, hanging out doing some diving from the larger rocks. Two days later we found ourselves farther upstream amidst light rapids (think Greenhorn creek vs the Colorado River), exploring the woodland beyond the opposite bank, and floating down the river.

Dance, Dance
Always having enjoyed dance, yet plagued with the Anglo-Saxon rhythm, I limited my solo dancing to venues filled with enough people to hide my awkwardness. Late one night (in part likely due to the ‘late’ aspect) I ventured in to new dancing territory: Dance Dance Revolution. I joined millions of Asian teenagers by stepping to pre-set patterns of foot placement to techno remixes of America’s favorite pop songs. Musical hits naturally included Justin Timberlake and Kelly Clarkson but harkened back to classics (??) such as Captain Jack (“In the Navy” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNgMVx_NJOM ) and Papaya (“Pink Dinosaur” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FzLxIW0eTA). Oh man. None-the-less, the Dance Dance party was a highlight of my week. I offer my future dancing as a tribute to Michael Jackson-the king of dance.

4th of July
I picked up a shift on the 4th and had a wonderful time at work. After a terribly slow start and management sent half of the servers home for the day, I waited on about 4 tables (which added to the two from the previous few hours). I hardly made any money but had a wonderful time with my coworkers. We stood around and talked and laughed and told stories and, in hindsight, I would work the shift again.
After work we went to a house for a cookout. We grilled hot dogs and everyone brought something to share. I greatly enjoyed the company and had a wonderful time with the people who came. We saw some fireworks from the baseball field a few blocks away, but focused on the company and the cuisine. The evening topped off a wonderful week.

The No-Phone Zone

2009-06-24T07:44:00.000-07:00

Yoga
In light of my current gym-less situation, I have attempted to develop a fitness routine which I can utilize without any facilities. An integral part of this project includes yoga. I downloaded some free yoga videos and work out with them about three times a week. The impacts of yoga on my body astonish me. In spite of minimal physical exertion, my body feels poorer on the days I don’t do yoga compared with yoga workout days. Last summer I started going to the chiropractor because my pelvis was out of alignment. This caused pain in my hip and numbness in my legs and feet. The more I do yoga, the less I feel those discomforts. I can feel my body realigning itself through the exercises. Regardless of how my fitness future looks, I am going to keep doing yoga for its holistic benefits.

Cell Phone
Slightly over a month ago I considered getting rid of my cell phone and replacing it with a land line. Economy and a desire to live below my means comprised my primary motivations. I knew my cell phone contract lasted until mid July, which obligated me to keep my phone at least until then, but I wanted to see if I could live without a cell phone in my current culture without going becoming a social outcast. Five weeks ago I stopped carrying my cell phone with me and used it as a land-line. The first two weeks proved the most difficult and I struggled with the lack of immediate connection with the outside world. I could no longer walk to my car after work and check my messages.
Reflecting on my time without a cell-phone, I realize that I relish the freedom I experience by leaving my phone at home. Feelings such as hurriedness, anxiety, and discontent minimized to a noticeable degree. Nothing in my life requires such urgency that it cannot wait until I get home. On the negative side, the interruption that comes from other people’s cell phone use increasingly bothers me. Conversations are neglected, persons interrupted, and stress abounds when people keep their phones on them. I understand that our culture operates in such a way that promotes connectedness, but I am discovering that the price of peace and content outweigh the benefit of additional connectedness.

Please Pigeon-hole Me

2009-06-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

Job follow-up
A few weeks ago I applied for a teller position at Wachovia Bank in Columbia. I found out about the job through a friend and a reference at church. The reference from church works in the Wachovia regional office and told me to send him his resume. I enjoy my job now and would not make significantly more working for Wachovia but I choose to apply because of the consistent and amazing hours (40 hours in 5 days + bank holidays off-I have never worked with such convenience) and because I enjoy a new opportunities and variety.
I followed up with my resume on Wednesday and on Friday I received an email indicating that a recruiter would be calling me in the next two weeks. I will enjoy my current job if I do not get this bank position, but because I have invested time and mental energy into applying, my excitement is growing and I hope very much to get this new job.

Yard sale
On Saturday morning Kaytlin and I went to a number of yard sales in Columbia in search of various items. We had a lot of fun and I found a dresser. This may not seem exciting, but I have been without a dresser ever since I moved into my house in January. The thrift stores continued to let me down in terms of quality and economy, so the new dresser is quite the highlight. (I feel kind of like an old person talking about yard sale hunting and buying a dresser…keep reading for potential redemption)

Chinese Medicine
If my yard sale account pigeon-holed me in the “old person camp,” you may now relocate me to the “liberal-new age camp.” In my quest for health and fitness knowledge so that I may live a rich life, I have ventured into the arena of Chinese medicine. I have learned about everything that terrifies puritan WASPs across the nation: yoga, herbalism, acupuncture, and balancing your diet. Ha. Dietary trends first drew me to Eastern medical theory, but I have uncovered a wealth of knowledge. I will save you the boring details, but each day I implement increasing elements of this new health regimen in my life. By the end of the summer I hope to live the healthiest lifestyle I have experienced thus far.

Gab and Flab

2009-06-10T06:12:00.001-07:00

WI
I went to Wisconsin for five days with Kaytlin to attend her friends wedding and Daniel’s (her brother) graduation party. Memorable moments from the weekend include using the enormous fire pit Kaytlin’s mother made, attending an outdoor wedding when it is 55 degrees and raining, making 10+ pounds of pasta salad, beating Natalie’s Wii Fit soccer score, and going to a wine bar with Kaytlin and her mom. I enjoyed my time with Kaytlin very much as well. It is exciting to see how she has grown from the life in which she grew up, just as I have, and that we can share similar growth experiences. There is a tentative plan to go back to WI in July for a family wedding, but I will try to bring as much of the warm weather from Columbia on that trip as I can.

The Factory’s Failure
Three weeks ago, I joined an amazing gym. I rode my bike there after work, since it is only 6 blocks from my house. It had all the equipment I needed, the ‘gym’ atmosphere that I love and was very inexpensive. It worked out to be 50% less expensive that driving to CIU 4 times a week to use their less equipped fitness center. I have been going regularly…until last week. I woke up on Thursday with an email in my Inbox informing that The Factory (my gym) had closed down due to leasing issues with the City of Columbia. I am looking for a new gym, disheartened by my options, while filling out a form for the SC department of consumer affairs to get my money back. Alas, welcome to life.

Graduation+2

2009-05-31T20:13:00.001-07:00

I graduated college (again) two weeks ago yesterday. Frequently, the question arose, “what does it feel like to be done with school” and I have spent much time attempting to formulate an answer. It boils down to three words:

Routine:
My schedule, although hectic, maintained order throughout my CIU experience and evolved into a consistent routine by this previous semester. With the onset of summer, I have spent much of my mental energy disciplining a new way to live my life. Reading, working, lifting weights, praying, and socializing have found new places in my day. Now each of these pieces fit together much differently than they did three weeks ago. I hope to continue to solidify a lifestyle which fosters rich experiences and purposefulness.

Time:
I cannot recall the last time I had so much unscheduled time. I work right around full-time hours but “full time” makes up about 50% fewer responsibilities than I have had at any time in the past 6 years. From the age of 15 I have always had work + school or worked two jobs. Even on schools breaks I was doing classwork, preparing for CLEP exams, or raising support for CRU. I have made it a point not to over-obligate myself (although easy to do) so that I can live life richly and take this season to rest in a special way.

Rich
Making my own routine with the large degree of unscheduled time blesses me to invest in things which I benefit my growth as a person. I have immersed myself in literature from classic philosophers and theologians (i.e. Aristotle and Augustine). I have taken advantage of the city I live in (two beach trips, local restaurant specials, and free city attractions-the like Philharmonic). I have also evaluated and adjusted my social relationships (more intentional time with some people, more social time with others, and less time overall with a few). I am excited to continue to do these things with the hope of a rich summer ahead.

Milk it for all its worth

2008-09-19T10:39:00.000-07:00

Today I saw an advertisement that encouraged Americans to eat 3-4 servings of milk and dairy a day to stay healthy. "Hm...sounds good," you might say. "I do need the protein and calcium," you might add. "I have been wanting to eat better," you assert. The problem is that such advertising is a perfect example of Americans being duped by media into obesity. Let me illustrate:

1 cup of Milk: 23% of you daily saturated fat needs
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese: 69% of your daily saturated fat needs
1/2 cup American cheese: 48% of your daily saturated fat needs.

This means that if you eat three servings of dairy each day, you will have consumed 140% of your daily saturated fat needs. This is not including any other food!

We are killing our bodies because we fail to take responsibility for our bodies and knowing what we eat.

Say What?!

2008-09-17T12:48:00.001-07:00

President Bush made some interesting remarks regarding the terrorist attack on the US embassy in Yemen...

especially in light of the fact that the Iraq war has resulted in 87,000-95,000* civilian casualties since the Bush administration began to occupy the nation.

*http://www.iraqbodycount.org/

"Will Work for Food" - The Sandman

2008-09-17T05:44:00.000-07:00

"You are a sinner. The world is broken." Inordinate amounts of time are spent preaching this message or evangelizing with this tired concept. Certainly these statements are true and once reverberated against the cadence of culture's battle drum. As the modern project plodded along Darwinian dreamers hoped for the day that all would be better than the days prior. morning these dreamers awoke to the nightmare of reality. Only the sandman fulfilled his obligation, unlike people and the world who were supposed to be getting better-“evolving”.
By the 70's the sandman was tired of working too. The dream could no longer linger in the brash daylight of reality. In this dawn of reality, a hopeless generation was raised by.
'The world is not good-you do not have it all together!' was the message proclaimed from evangelist platforms in an attempt to awaken the culture from their modernist wonderland. The coffee is on and the culture has awakened. The church hasn’t heard them rustling and has missed their departure.
Suicide is up, divorce is up, hate crimes are up, gang activity is up, and the culture is fully aware. In response to the brokenness of the world, witchcraft, Buddhism, Hinduism, and spirituality are correspondingly on the rise as people try to find something that will fix them.
The church no longer needs to convince the world that all is lost. Everyone knows it. Churches are still using the same old platform, while culture begs for an answer to its heartache. 'Who will save us? Is there hope? Where are the answers?' the world cries out.
People are no longer asking, 'When will the world fix itself?' They want to know if there is anything to fix themselves. Christians need to stop talking and listen to the question culture is actually asking. We have the answer.

Dog-sitting

2008-09-04T19:21:00.000-07:00

A reference was made to accountability partners in class a few days ago. Context for the subject is not relevant, it is the concept that rocked my mental faculties. Why do we have accountability partners? Conceptually I understand why. Biblical basis for individuals to speak truth into our lives and help us avoid sin is not contrived through hermeneutical gymnastics. I want to know why the office of accountability partner even exists.

Our culture is certainly individualistic and anti-community. Until this moment I had failed to see that extent. We have reached a point where we lack fundamental relationships where we can share our lives with people allowing mutual investment. Now, we must assign an individual a title, carve out weekly or monthly sessions, and arrange times to satisfy each others need to have ‘heart to heart’ discussions! It reminds me of getting rid of our children, and inviting someone’s dog to come over and urinate on our floor once a month so we can feel like we caretakers of our home.

True community-I bemoan our impersonation of you.

Virginity Rocks

2008-08-27T16:52:00.000-07:00

Today I saw a Christian T Shirt that said “Virginity Rocks” in hot pink letters. The early nineties color clashed with the solid black background and set my eye darting for a safer place to gaze. As with most Christian merchandise, I scoffed and engaged in my regular internal dialog. It usually goes something like this:

-In an overly chipper, televangelist voice I mockingly ask myself: “well…what would Jesus do?...

-With an eye roll and disbelief in my voice I respond: “umm…certainly he would never wear that”.

I frequently repeat this process in the Christian sub-culture currently I find myself, but unlike every time I engage in this internal Q&A, it didn’t end there. As the concept of the message began to set my neurons firing I realized the blatant lie of the statement “virginity rocks” and the danger that promoting such an idea brings.

In Genesis, the book of beginnings, we see the perfect roles of men and women as established by God. Togetherness was an imprinted part of their design and is equally found in us. God made men and women to be together, to love each other and to enjoy each other. “It is not good for man to be alone.” Virginity was only existed until Eve arrived and God knew what would happen as soon as He made her. The truth is that virginity is terrible. The problem is that the world doesn’t know the proper place of sex.

We were made to be lovers, but as redeemed humans we reserve ourselves to love only our spouses. We commit to love them knowing that sex with them will be more fulfilling if we haven’t prostituted ourselves out for pleasures sake before hand. This is the message that needs to be shared. IT is the message of a redeemed, free, Jesus following life. The idea that virginity is cool will never make it into dorm rooms or high school parking lots. Not only will that idea never penetrate culture, it would prevent any God honoring families from being raised. Sex has a special place in our lives as ordained by God, we simply must not loose ourselves to desires of the flesh.

Virginity doesn’t rock-sex is just worth the wait.

Resolve #2

2008-08-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Resolve: To never belittle myself or my family for the sake of humor.

Recently I have seen that many pastors and public speakers do not hold to this axiom while engaging an audience. Perhaps public speaking makes them nervous, perhaps they do not trust the example they are setting for their listeners, or perhaps they simply want to entertain people and feel self-directed humor is the best way to do so. Regardless of their motivation, I never want to employ such an action in the public arena.

We are called to be witnesses for Jesus and in doing so show people what it looks like to live a redeemed life. Part of this is setting an example that others would want to emulate. This is not an issue of outward self-righteousness, but living out our faith in our daily lives. Why would anyone ever want to follow Jesus if his followers lived self-degraded lives who mock their families? Tearing myself down or ridiculing my family will never inspire anyone to live like I live-which is the last thing I want. Jesus has transformed me and I want to demonstrate that everyone. I want to show them what a true follower of Jesus looks like and I cannot do that if I do not humbly respect myself and outwardly support my family.

Which Trail?

2008-07-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

Recently I found myself in uncommon circumstances-on a car ride with an 8 year old girl. She smiled a lot and talked even more while her long brown hair danced back and forth as if afraid to rest for too long on her shoulders. I hardly know her, but in less than thirty minutes I had grown to love her. In spite of my affection, her oration offered a terrible insight into our culture and struck me with sadness. Don’t let me get ahead of myself though.

School shopping was the latest adventure of my young friend and the main topic of discussion. She told me about Hannah Montana shirts she bought-five of them. Next were her Hannah Montana jeans-three pair. Apparel could be accessorized with Hannah Montana pencils, folders and shoes. My opinion of Miley Cyrus aside, I was astounded at her desire to identify herself with the name ‘Hannah Montana.’ Like an American flag pin (worn or not), it was clear where her allegiance lay-an army of one, bearing the emblem of a pop star who would never know her personally.

I realized that this brown-eyed whirlwind just wanted to feel like she was ‘someone’ in the sea of humanity that is 3^rd grade. Even at the elementary school level she sought acceptance (which is part of being human) but was sampling a lifestyle where she would continually define herself by the flavor of the week. As Hannah Montana becomes passé she will add a pinch of color and a dash of magic to define herself by some new temporal entity. Each time she will be seeking something that is unattainable through material possession.

Initial steps on this path will eventually come to a dead-end unless a new Way can be blazed that embraces life. I had forgotten the power and subtlety with which our culture leads us along winding trails to nowhere while we seek to end our inner lostness. What is most sad to me, is that my young friend is only one of millions beginning this trek.

Just Kickin' It

2008-07-16T15:01:00.001-07:00

Currently the congressional democrats are attempting to pass a second economic stimulus bill as the economy continues to flounder. Justifiable skepticism exists, from me included, about the effectiveness of such measures.

One source of opposition comes from President Bush and the GOP. The White House is not holding the position that another stimulus check will be minimally effective, but the benefits of the previous stimulus check have yet to been seen.

Unfortunately, Bush’s economic plan for an economic boost has already kicked in-offsetting the effects of declining economy under his administration. This may be ready apparent to most people but I did the numbers.

If I drive 10 miles a day to work, get 25 miles to the gallon and drive nowhere other than work, I pay $64.48/month in gas. This is almost $25 more monthly than two years ago ($2.5/g)! As a dependent of my parents this past year, the $300 from the federal government allows me to break even. I don’t foresee anything else ‘kicking in’.

Fact Check

2008-07-09T08:27:00.000-07:00

It would hardly surprise most Americans to assume that fact stretching and truth bending occur in the political arena to court voters. In an unfortunate event for the McCain campaign, a Florida based commercial targeting Spanish speaking voters reaches new heights in fact distortion. Only one of the half-dozen figures given regarding Florida and Latin America's relationship is correct. All others are totally false or egregiously exaggerated. The official video has been removed from the McCain website and Youtube or I would have posted a link to those locations. Just goes to show that you can't believe everything you see on TV.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/145031

Resolution 1

2008-07-04T03:19:00.000-07:00

As I make this resolution, I must give credit to Johnathon Edwards for the initial popularization, Caleb Drahosh for his continuation of the tradition of resolutions, and Kaytlin Kaiser for her encouragement toward resolutions as they resound with my personality.

Resolve
To cease worrying over things that are truly out of my control; instead, simply respond to each situation as it arises through diligent prayer, creative problem solving, and perseverance as I trust in God's provision for each scenario.

No Starbucks?

2008-07-03T18:09:00.000-07:00

It is startling to the me the ease at which Americans fall into fear and anxiety as a result of media broadcasting. Mainstream news broadcasting offers a limited view of unfolding information on a regularl basis. Many American’s know this but continue to be caught in the maelstrom of hype and reactionism as news is reported to them. It is time to know all the facts, whether they are reported to us or not. Paul Harvey often spoke about ‘the rest of the story’. Here is one such case.

Headline: Starbucks plans to close 600 stores nationwide (CTVglobemedia).

Amy Roback of the NBC’s Today Show began her segment on this issue by informing us that “millions of Americans will be heading to their local Starbucks today to get their morning fix, but if they are headed one of those six hundred stores slated to be closed by next year, they may soon have to find somewhere else to go.”

“Somewhere else” indeed; now, American coffee addicts will have to go to one of the remaining 10,084 stores nationwide (http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/Company_Factsheet.pdf). If consumers are unable to find a new location to frequent, they can choose to wait until the end of the year for one of the new 200 still scheduled to open (msnbc.com).

Panic not America-know the whole truth.

Know What You Support

2008-06-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

As I feel myself being caught up in the political whirlwind billowing throughout the country, my frustration grows at the number of people who are choosing to vote, but don’t know what they are actually voting for. Informed voting is more important that any policy, political camp or presumed allegiance. Voting by political party without knowing that actual issues is like showering at the public pool assuming that it has been cleaned-its a risk that just isn't worth it.

Above all other issues, I have seen polarization without information regarding Republican = Anti-Gay Marriage and pro-life, while Democrat = Pro Gay Marriage and pro-choice. Not only is the assumption less than true, there are a myriad of additional issues to consider when voting (roughly 24). In fact, there are over 22 pages illuminating the statements and voting records of our presidential candidates that should be taken into consideration when voting this fall. All of candidates positions are summarized in one sentence blerbs so even those of us that went to public school can stay informed. Please check them out for yourself at:

www.ontheissues.org/senate/Barack_Obama.htm

www.ontheissues.org/senate/john_mccain.htm

Finally, to inform the voting populace regarding our two candidates' positions on gay marriage and abortion, consider the following positions held by each of the candidates. It may surprise you to learn that they are more similar than either party would have you believe:

Abortion
Supports federal funding for embryonic cell research-John McCain

Pass the Stem Cell Research Bill. (Jun 2004)-Barak Obama
Ok for state to restrict late-term partial birth abortion. (Apr 2008)-Barak Obama

Gay Marriage
Voted NO on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. (Jun 2006)-John McCain
Ban on same-sex marriage is unRepublican; leave it to states. (Nov 2006)-John McCain

Voted NO on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. (Jun 2006)-Barak Obama
Decisions about marriage should be left to the states. (Oct 2007)-Barak Obama

Looking for a "home-tel"?

2008-06-12T17:10:00.001-07:00

Due the inability of many Americans to take a vacation this year the media has promoted "staycations". This is the concept of enjoying your own neighborhood instead of traveling out of economic necessity. Soaring gas prices, the plummeting economy and the collapsing housing market spur John Hodgman of The Daily Show to make this comment:

"Think of it this way, Paris will always be there John, but based on the rate of your sub-prime mortgage, your home might not be."

devastating in truth, but brilliant in insight.

Hot Dog Champion

2008-04-06T13:24:00.000-07:00

I recently visited a church that was preparing for a spring children’s festival. The highlight of the day was a magic show in the afternoon. It seems to me like there is an obvious problem here. Last time I checked magic + religion = occult. Featuring a magic show a church function is like having a hot dog eating contest at the Ritz Carlton; you are sending a mixed message.

We Don't Drink Ketchup Competitively

2008-03-31T18:39:00.000-07:00

I stand ready to be corrected on this matter, but I have been thinking about the ineffectiveness of drama as a means of communicating ideas. Before I am drawn and quartered by faculty and students of Julliard, I want to make a distinction between types of drama. I am not referring to professional drama or plays or musicals, but short…“skits”…shall we call them.

Perhaps I am simply not among the correct sub-culture, but when I think if skits, the only secular groups that seem to do them are anti-drug campaigns and campers. Presentations of DARE are usually as culturally up-to-date mullets and camps are intended for people who intentionally desire to leave their native culture and do things that are unacceptable within the norms of society, like walk around with a painted face and competitively drink ketchup.

With the effectiveness of these two groups changing our culture, perhaps it is time for the church to evaluate the usefulness of ‘the skit’ to impacting the culture with the message of Jesus. Sure, its cute for little kids to do skits, but isn’t that the point of skits? They are novel and cute, but no adult (outside the church, DARE and camp) performs a skit for fun or is challenged provoked by the skits he sees everyday-because no one in modern culture uses skits as a medium for presenting ideas.

Cute and novel are two adjectives that should never be used in connection with the Church or Jesus. To reach the culture around us, perhaps it is time for a new medium of expression.

External Appearance

2008-03-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

Mercy and grace may easily be confused with injustice or weakness. To see a man walk away when he should be punished or given a prize he has not earned are examples of both virtue and sin. Discerning between the two is almost impossible by a party that only has third-person perspective.

Judgment between mercy and injustice comes only occurs within the relationship of the individuals involved. Recognizing the possessor of authority reveals whether goodness has been demonstrated or evil has prevailed.

Criminals who maintain authority or power in and receive zero punishment for their crime hold the power during injustice. A judge forced, manipulated, bullied or overcome by the transgressor to give freedom is not the wielder of power. He was weak or sentenced injustice.

A criminal who is given freedom based on the authority of a judge, without any hope of prodding or procuring his own escape has no power in the situation. Here we see grace distributed.

It is the same in everyday life for everyday people. To be manipulated, controlled or forced to grant a verdict of non-correction within a relationship is injustice and weakness at its greatest. Conversely, when no penalty is held against an individual, based only on the benevolence of the judge/harmed, grace and mercy are truly present.

No one can judge this interaction fully from the outside. The parties involved always know who has the power and authority. It is through the possession of the authority from Jesus that we are able to bestow grace on individuals who have wronged us, yet avoid injustice. Likewise, our authority in Jesus cannot be overcome unless we give up our possession of it to those who have wronged us.

Don't Cry for Me...

2008-03-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

Continuing my thoughts on emotions…

Tennyson wrote “Tears, idle tears, I know not what they mean,” and unfortunately our tears may mean very little in actual repentance and changing our lives. Tears are an expression of the status of the heart, but not always of the soul. We may cry because we desire forgiveness and new action, but that does not ensure actual change in our lives. Here there is a great distinction between emotion and the spirit. Emotion, as the motivator for our desires, cannot result in lasting change.

Its Not What You Do, Its Who You Are...

2008-03-22T06:52:00.000-07:00

At a recent missions conference, the main speaker engaged the audience with the statement, “God is good all the time,” and we would respond, ‘All the time, God is good.”

On one instance when this interaction took place, the speaker commented about our proclamation with the statement “Yes [He is good], it is in His nature.” This spurred my thoughts on to the nature of goodness.

People only do good things. God is far beyond us: He is goodness. I cannot comprehend what this means, although there are some obvious implications. First, God cannot do anything not-good, because that would go against his very being. Next, every action of God is inherently good for the same reason. Finally, it encourages me to know that there is no capriciousness in God. He does not feel like doing good things at times, or not feel like doing good things at other times. He is consistently, fully, and in essence good.

Humanity places value on being good. We act with goodness sometimes because we want to be seen as good. God is good all of the time and therefore his actions are good.

Can You Feel It?

2008-03-16T13:05:00.000-07:00

Emotions are undeniably part of being human. Jesus was man as man was intended to be and he demonstrated emotions openly. Unlike Christ, all aspects of our nature have been corrupted and now work imperfectly.

Through observation and personal experience I have noticed two distinct applications of emotions: (1) as a tool for motivation or (2) as a tool for interpretation. The first seems more present in individuals who are not redeemed or submitted to the Holy Spirit.

Fear, anger, sadness, happiness or excitement cause decisions to be evaluated, are the main input when taking action or supply the drive for action. This is motivation. Here, we see emotions as the beginning and our response as secondary.

More healthily, emotions can be used to interpret life. In this manner all emotions are engaged to their fullest, including the painful ones. Through this response, life becomes more rich and it is lived more intensely.

Inhibiting emotions altogether cannot be right, since Jesus did not do this. However, Jesus saw beyond his emotions to the Father’s plan and Jesus knew his own purpose, even in day to day living. His life was not directed and motivated by emotions. I want to experience life deeply and therefore intend to use emotions as a tool and submit them to the Spirit in me, not have them direct my course of action.

Back in Action

2008-03-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

I apologize for not haven written anything for such an extended period of time. You can be relieved that I have not stopped thinking (as some college students may be inclined to do) as spring is approaching. Simply, my thoughts have not made it as far as the internet. With that qualification, intend to be sharing a lot of what I have learned recently and what the Lord has been showing more regularly. Thank you for your patience and please enjoy.

Thinking about a Cruise

2008-02-13T20:40:00.000-08:00

I have been spurred on by the thought ‘if you can dismiss a worldview and foolish, you don’t understand it’. After existentialism, we tackled New Age in Apologetics class. I am from the West (part of America) and I feel that I was more surrounded by New Age thought than I ever understood. The evolution of man to a higher plain of existence was a theory held by a close atheist friend, witchcraft was not startling to encounter, Yoga and spiritual enlightenment appealed even to me throughout my life

Being able to pinpoint the New Age influences and experiences in my life allowed me to define the worldview more clearly and how see it plays out in everyday life. This is only the catalyst for my next stage of thought.

Understanding New Age thought allowed me to appreciate Tom Cruise for the first time. He is constantly ridiculed at work, school, and in the media by atheists and theists alike. I was convicted of my contempt for his belief system and how foolish I made it seem. Part of me was always impressed/disturbed by his devotion to Scientology in light of its apparent foolishness. I never really gave him respect as an equally intelligent human being. I now see the error of my ways since I am able understand his worldview and therefore respect that it exists beyond the mere texts of Scientology, just as my faith moves beyond the walls of the church.

I do not agree with Cruise’s belief system or believe it is accurate. However, I see him as more of a person and am impressed/intrigued by his ability to transcend the limits of fatalistic naturalism and the dogma of modern thought. He is a man, and like all men, deserves respect; respect that should extend to his view of the world. He is made in God’s image as equally as anyone else.

Mormonism: The Modern Religion

2008-01-31T13:58:00.000-08:00

Continuing my study of existentialism I was struck by the importance of feeling as a means of supporting truth.

I was reminded of a discussion of Christianity with my Mormon friend, and the question of how I knew that orthodox Christianity was true. This question is generally ammunition that naturalists use when attempting to ungird Christianity, so I was slightly surprised to hear it coming from a fellow theist.

After explaining my rationale for believing in Christ, my friend was obliged to answer the question "how do you know that Mormonism is true?"

The stunning response was "it feels right". "I prayed about it and it feels right."
It is impossible to argue with experience so I was left adrift in the sea of my mind looking for a response.

I now see that logic such as this as the greatest draw the present era. Naturalism has been stripped apart by deism and no longer stands on its own. At the same time, fatalism is something that most individuals seek to avoid. Finding truth by personally assigning meaning to them and trusting in feelings over empirical evidence is exactly what my friend used to justify the Mormon faith. Is it no surprise that our culture responds so quickly to that methodology? Maybe that is why there are over 13 million Mormons worldwide.

Mormonism offers truth, belonging and morality that can be ‘proven’ by feeling alone. What else could anyone in the modern era ask for?

Thanks L. for all your insight; I still pray for you.

Soren Said...

2008-01-29T18:25:00.000-08:00

I have been reading on Existentialism and its prevalence in the current age. Many of its aspects have great appeal to the heart; mine in particular. Not only does it convey philosophical meaning, but it tugs at the needs that the my generation expresses through their art, relationships and general atmosphere.

Kierkegaard's attempt to revive dead orthodoxy, which birthed theistic existentialism, reach into the holes that the current church often leaves unfulfilled among my generation. The need for experience and the ability generally set aside absolutes for meaning defines my peers and a "more personal" faith seems to be the call of their hearts.

Broken families and empty homes have imprinted a void that only people or personalization can fill. When Christianity is viewed through the existential lens, it implants this need right where it is needed. This could be argued simply as contextualization: Betraying a relationship with God vs. Breaking his rules; Committing oneself to a person vs. Believing a set of propositions; Pleasing the Lord vs. Obeying the rules. How much more appealing the personalized list sounds.

It would be dangerous and utterly foolish to limit existentialism to such basic precepts. Particularly since Kierkegaard did not ultimately find the meaning he was searching for and my understanding of this philosophy is surface level at best.

Conversely the Church would claim that a personal relationship with Jesus has always been its goal. While this may be true, I now see 'The 4 Spiritual Laws' repackaged as 'Knowing God Personally' and as culture has moved beyond the modern, should not the church address it accordingly?

Absolute truth must remain, meaning must come from the Divine, Jesus is still the only way to God and knowing God is the only way to know ourselves. These are orthodoxy and cannot be moved. The question remains is the relationship with Jesus something new to this culture and that is why it is appealing to me, or is it a part of orthodoxy that has simply been readdressed?

Like all things, more study is needed to know.

Presidential Resume

2008-01-29T04:18:00.000-08:00

I do not openly oppose George Bush. It is important to see things from all sides as well. This was sent to me in an email, and it is worth looking over if nothing else.
RESUME
GEORGE W. BUSH
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20520

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
-Law Enforcement: I was arrested in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1976 for driving under the influence of alcohol. I pled guilty, paid a fine, and had my driver's license suspended for 30 days. -My Texas driving record has been "lost" and is not available.
-Military: I joined the Texas Air National Guard and went AWOL. I refused to take a drug test or answer any questions about my drug use. By joining the Texas Air National Guard, I was able to avoid combat duty in Vietnam .
-College: I graduated from Yale University with a low C average. I was a cheerleader.

PAST WORK EXPERIENCE:
-I ran for U.S. Congress and lost.
-I began my career in the oil business in Midland Texas , in 1975. I bought an oil company, but couldn't find any oil in Texas . The company went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock.
-I bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using taxpayer money.
-With the help of my father and our friends in the oil industry (including Enron CEO Ken Lay), I was elected governor of Texas .

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS GOVERNOR OF TEXAS :
-I changed Texas pollution laws to favor power and oil companies, making Texas the most polluted state in the Union . During my tenure, Houston replaced Los Angeles as the most smog-ridden city in America .
-I cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas treasury to the tune of billions in borrowed money.
-I set the record for the most executions by any governor in American history.
-With the help of my brother, the governor of Florida , and my father's appointments to the Supreme Court, I became President of the United States , after losing by over 500,000 votes.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS PRESIDENT:
-I am the first President in U.S. history to enter office with a criminal record.
-I invaded and occupied two countries at a continuing cost of over one billion dollars per week.
-I spent the U.S. surplus and effectively bankrupted the U.S. Treasury.
-I shattered the record for the largest annual deficit in U.S. history.
-I set an economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12-month period.
-I set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period.
-I set the all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the U.S. stock market. In my first year in office, over 2 million Americans lost their jobs and that trend continues.
-I'm proud that the members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in U.S. history. -My "poorest millionaire, " Condoleezza Rice, has a Chevron oil tanker named after her.
-I set the record for most campaign fund-raising trips by a U.S. President.
-I am the all-time U.S. and world record -holder for receiving the most corporate campaign donations.
-My largest lifetime campaign contributor, and one of my best friends, Kenneth Lay, presided over the largest corporate bankruptcy fraud in U.S. history, Enron.
-My political party used Enron private jets and corporate attorneys to assure my success with the U.S. Supreme Court during my election decision.
-I have protected my friends at Enron and Halliburton against investigation or prosecution. More time and money was spent investigating the Monica Lewinsky affair than has been spent investigating one of the biggest corporate rip-offs in history. I presided over the biggest energy crisis in U.S. history and refused to intervene when corruption involving the oil industry was revealed.
-I presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history.
-I changed the U.S. policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.
-I appointed more convicted criminals to my administration than any President in U.S. history.
-I created the Ministry of Homeland Security, the largest bureaucracy in the history of the United States Government.
-I've broken more international treaties than any President in U.S. history.
-I am the first President in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the Human Rights Commission.
-I withdrew the U.S. from the World Court of Law.
-I refused to allow inspector's access to U.S. "prisoners of war" detainees and thereby have refused to abide by the Geneva Convention.
-I am the first President in history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 US election)
-I set the record for fewest numbers of press conferences of any President since the advent of television.
-I set the all-time record for most days on vacation in any one-year period. After taking off the entire month of August, I presided over the worst security failure in U.S. history
-I garnered the most sympathy ever for the U.S. after the World Trade Center attacks and less than a year later made the U.S. the most hated country in the world, the largest failure of diplomacy in world history.
-I have set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously protest me in public venues (15 million people), shattering the record for protests against any person in the history of mankind
-I am the first President in U.S. history to order an unprovoked, preemptive attack and the military occupation of a sovereign nation. I did so against the will of the United Nations, the majority of U.S. Citizens and the world community.
-I have cut health care benefits for war veterans and support a cut in duty benefits for active duty troops and their families in wartime.
-In my State of the Union Address, I lied about our reasons for attacking Iraq and then blamed the lies on our British friends.
-I am the first President in history to have a majority of Europeans (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and security.
-I am supporting development of a nuclear "Tactical Bunker Buster," a WMD.
-I have so far failed to fulfill my pledge to bring Osama Bin Laden to justice.

RECORDS AND REFERENCES:
-All records of my tenure as governor of Texas are now in my father's library, sealed and unavailable for public view.
-All records of SEC investigations into my insider trading and my bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.
-All records or minutes from meetings that I, or my Vice-President, attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public review. I specified that my sealed documents will not be available for 50 years.

Divine Placement

2008-01-27T16:02:00.000-08:00

In The Inward Journey by Gene Edwards, many ideas provoke new thoughts, but one in particular has been on my mind recently:

"I look around at the Christians whom I live with, whom I know and love so dearly. They really, truly love him ad would probably die for him today, even this minute...Some of my Christian friends who would willingly die for him today...still make terrible roommates, and husbands, and wives.
Suffering…unlike martyrdom can prove to be a mite hard on the soul...There are things martyrdom cannot do. Things only sorrow can do. Pain can take out of us that which will not yield to the divine by any other means. That which refuses to be replaced by divinity can sometimes be reached only by unjust suffering."

I love this. It frightens me for suffering, for I pray that I would not refuse what would be placed in my life by the Divine.

I know that is naive.

Most likely, much suffering awaits me...out there...somewhere...but I am content to know that it will be for God's glory through by sanctification..

Agree vs. Understand

2008-01-24T19:17:00.000-08:00

I have heard a lot of religious dogmatism and cyclic politics in the past few days. Through it all I have been encouraged by a profound truth that I learned yesterday:

“If you aren’t attracted by a worldview, you don’t understand it”

I wish I could understand so many things, so much more deeply.

Man's Equity

2008-01-23T18:52:00.000-08:00

With the passing of Heath Ledger, I continue to gain insight into humanity.

Today at work someone said, "[Ledger's death] is such a tragedy; he was such a good actor"

It was as if the skills of Ledger gave him value to humanity and his passing will be noted due to the loss of talent. Does not the eternal soul of Ledger, or at least his person, bear more worth than his career?

When people are qualified only by their addition to society, fallen humanism is truly at its height.

Kung Fu Truth

2007-12-28T20:13:00.000-08:00

Last night’s episode of Fight Quest (Discovery Channel) took two fighters to China to study Kung Fu and Qi Gong; it was nostalgic for me. Each fighter was hosted by a respective Kung Fu master for 5 days to study the martial art. During their time, the Americans lived and trained with full-time Kung Fu practitioners to prepare for a demonstration (read ‘fight’) at the end of their studies. On the final day, one of the masters said this to his American trainee:

Kung Fu is not important, cultivating your spiritual journey is.

This Buddhist spoke more truth than he knew. All endeavors, particularly those which we are most passionate about, fall far shot of the importance of knowing our Lord more deeply (sounds like Ecclesiastes to me.) I am reminded that all things are given purpose through Christ and without Him are means that have no end.

Where Do Heroes Come From?

2007-12-25T12:10:00.000-08:00

James Loewen addresses the heroification of some of America’s icons in Lies My Teacher Told Me. He specifically addresses Helen Keller and Woodrow Wilson. He notes Keller’s social activism supporting Communism and Wilson’s racism and military aggression in Latin America. These aspects of history are intriguing indeed, but Loewen offers interesting insight into humanity as a whole while addressing his topic.

Loewen speculates about the responses of the common man toward the glorified mortals of history. He says “students poking fun at the goody-goodiest of them all by telling Helen Keller jokes. In doing so, schoolchildren are not poking cruel fun at a disabled person, they are deflating a pretentious symbol that is too good to be real.” Is the root of dissent not prejudice, but an inferiority complex?

I cannot condone the slander of anyone, but his theory seems to hold in light of man’s desire to be self-actualized and affirmed; particularly affirmed through the subjective standard of culture. It appears true that all levels of society criticize those perceived as accomplished in some manner so that average does not appear inadequate. Tom Cruise and Brittany Spears are prime examples of this theory in action.

Keller jokes, in light of Loewen’s theory, encourage inspection of other aspects of culture. Are blond jokes so prevalent because blonds are actually less intelligent or because blonds are viewed as icons of beauty and the 'common' man is threatened by this? Celebrity successes are never advertised, only their failures. It has been said that people love to see their heroes fall and this is the epitome of mankind's pervasive sense of inadequacy projective itself onto individuals in the limelight.

If our heroes, historic and other, were seen as they truly are, why should we be surprised by their fallible judgment, errant personalities or finite victories? We are all equally human and equally fallen, and could only hope to fair better. Heroification provides lofty ideals for us to reach toward yet brings contempt as man's response. Again, we are but human; fallen.

Ironic Ethics

2007-12-20T14:19:00.000-08:00

I am studying Ethics at a coffee shop for my online course.

I watched 'Thank You for Smoking' the other day and still have the movie with me.

In fact, my CD lectures for Ethics are inside the DVD case for Thank You for Smoking; the irony seemed noteworthy.

'Tis Quality Art

2007-12-16T14:13:00.000-08:00

After singing a collection of Christmas songs, I was highly disappointed with the lyrical quality and frivolity of our seasonal favorites. Even the most popular songs offer limited poetic, musical or intellectual beauty. Hymns remain among the highest quality of art while ‘seasonal’ music reminds me how easily marketable poor quality items can be. Even when only excerpts are compared, the disparity in quality is painfully obvious. Praise the Lord for hymns!

Christ, by highest heaven adored;
Christ, the everlasting Lord.
Late in time behold him come;
Offspring of the Virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the God head see:
Hail the incarnate Deity.
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel

Deck the halls with boughs of holly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la. T
is the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Don we now our gay apparel,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Troll the ancient Yule tide carol,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Juxtaposition of Values

2007-12-13T20:05:00.000-08:00

Mark Driscoll on pride and humility:

1. “Pride is our greatest enemy” –John Stott/
2. Pride is demonic and satanic in its origin/humility is a miracle that can only come from God
3. Pride is the encouragement to compare ourselves to other people/Humility continually compares us to Jesus.
4. Pride covets the success of other people/Humility allows us to rejoice in people’s successes.
5. Pride is about me: what I want and deserve/Humility is about Jesus and other people.
6. Pride is about what I’ve done/Humility is about the glory of Jesus.
7. In pride, I am god: I expect to be obeyed and served/Humility is about obeying and serving God.
8. Pride leads to arrogance and is repugnant/Humility leads to confidence.
9. The point of pride is independence/Humility is about dependence on God.
10. “Pride is the mother of all sin. Pride is pregnant with sin” –Augustine/humility is the root of all joy.
11. Pride is something we can achieve in this lifetime/Humility is something we must pursue throughout our lifetime.

Shackeless

2007-12-07T22:38:00.000-08:00

Today I was asked to recall a verse for a friend; any verse of my choosing. The first verse that came to mind was Gal. 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free," and I was again amazed at this truth.

We were created to be free beings, but we are born enslaved and contrary to our designed nature. Christ then came to free us, return us to our intended statues, simply because that is how He made us.

The reason Christ set us free is because were are supposed to be that way.

Winter Formal

2007-12-06T12:59:00.001-08:00

As promised, I put up some pictures from Winter Formal. All I can say is that it was amazing...

Depraved Reaction

2007-12-04T09:02:00.000-08:00

When obtaining new knowledge, there must be a response. The two primary responses are physical application or mental separation: the new information forces a change of some degree, or the knowledge is consciously ignored so the status quo may continue.

This is especially true on the subject of Man's depravity.

Most people arent truly aware of it.

When recognition of corporate and personal depravity is made evident and individual must respond or choose to disbelieve it as true.

Therefore, those who cannot deny their spiritual circumstance must carry out their reaction to its fullest logical extent:
1) The intentional pursuit of gratification within this depraved state, or
2) The absolution of their depravity; which only comes through Christ.

Ah, truely, how should we then live?

The Cost of Learning

2007-12-03T13:10:00.001-08:00

While pondering paying for college I realized this:

Knowledge is free;
Instruction is not...

Why tell?

2007-11-30T22:52:00.000-08:00

I checked out a book titled A Lifetime of Secrets. It was compiled by Frank Warren. He asked people to send him postcards telling him anything they wanted to get off their chest. As I have been reading through it, I have seen the need for man to be forgiven and forgive. So many people are seeking resolution but are too weak to actually follow through. This is not to say that I am better, but that I am also weak and am even more thankful that I have been forgiven.

Hunting Unicorns

2007-11-28T21:11:00.000-08:00

Unicorns are elusive, valuable and everyone wants to have one. They are basically like pea coats. Unlike pea coats, however, unicorns do not sell for $450 at Dillards, sell out online at JC Penny, Kohls and Macy's. If I had been searching for a unicorn I would have given up a long time ago, because I dont have a elf-made compass, a golden lasso or magical boots so that the unicorn could not hear me coming. None of these things were needed to obtain a pea coat, but they might as well have been.

Until today! I found a pea coat which is basically the same as slaying a unicorn.

Defining Features

2007-11-25T19:53:00.000-08:00

The New York Times recently published an article claiming that ‘Denial Makes the World Go ‘Round’*. Their observations draw much from man’s state of total depravity and propose denial as the key to living harmoniously within this state; but this is not the issue that hit home. I would argue that semantics make the world go ‘round.

Semantics separate the visionaries from the dreamers because give shape to vision, objectives and goals. Many have received the title of ‘visionary’ and many more would adorn themselves with this title. This in itself warrants little criticism for all visionaries start as aspirators. The rub comes because many lack definition and methodology for their vision, which naturally leads them to disillusionment and frustration.

The vehemence with which people espouse their visions bear no direct correlation to the vision’s applicable worth. Recently, ‘returning to holistic ministry’, ‘taking relationships slowly’ and ‘focusing on school’ have been the mantras floating through my social circles. With genuine enthusiasm I have asked how those things play out in everyday life and have been met with vagaries and quizzical faces. These visions and goals warrant nothing beyond dinner table discussion until they can be played out in everyday life.

Without vision, there is little reason so move forward,
but without method of conveyance, vision is no better than illusion.

*(http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/20/health/research/20deni.html?em&ex=1195794000&en=78a26952353ee42d&ei=5087%0A)

Identity Crisis

2007-11-23T16:47:00.001-08:00

My Life is lame.

Not 'my' life so much, but the title of my blog. I am unsure about a new name and need some help. Even if you never read John Bunyan, and especially if you have never read James Frey, please offer your suggestions.

Muse Team...Assemble!

Cavalier Proverbs

2007-11-22T08:44:00.000-08:00

Words of near-wisdom from the road trip to Maryland.

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day;
give a man a Cheese-it, sustain him for the night.

Unconsciousness tames the tongue.

Josh: That's the first thing my dad said to me when I told him I
wanted to go into missions, 'you're gonna be poor'.
Kalan: That is true; you could work for Benny Hin
Ben: Yes, you do have that option Josh, but it is kind of like selling your soul to the Devil.

Latenight Reading

2007-11-21T21:20:00.000-08:00

In light of improving my internet writing, knowing that its cumulative worth is minimal I am beginning to check out other writings. These were recommended. Tell me what you think about them.

www.jesuscreed.org
http://theresurgence.com/md_blog
http://mikalatos.blogspot.com/

This is certainly far from Wayne Grudem, but hopefully fulfilling in a different way.

Keys to Blogging

2007-11-21T21:04:00.000-08:00

I made a new friend in Maryland. He said that 1,700 people viewed his blog in February. In a, perhaps foolish, moment of amazement, I asked him what could be so interesting about himself that would draw so many people to read his blog. I have yet to evaluate the total worth of these, but this is what I learned:
1. write everyday-give the people what they want
2. link to other websites-you can only so interesting by yourself
3. be consistent-schizophrenia is undervalued as a whole
4. be famous

check out Daniels outdated blog at thecollegekid.wordpress.com

He said that pictures help too...

The Mediator

2007-11-20T11:58:00.000-08:00

I was struck by this excerpt from Job today:

If I wash myself with snow water, and cleanse my hands with soap;
Yet shalt though plunge me in the pit, and mine own clothes shall loathe me.
For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in court.
Neither is there any mediator betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.
Let him take his rod away from me and let not dread of him terrify me:
Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.
9:30-35; KJV

I was struck, as I have been recently in other ways, at the true might of God. Job later says that he would demonstrate his depravity simply by opening his mouth to God. This reminds me that to look upon God would destroy us and it overwhelms with relief me that we do have a mediator in Christ. We may approach God only because Jesus is our representative. How much greater this blessing is when seen in light of our iniquity before the Father.

What I can share that is not my own

2007-11-11T21:04:00.000-08:00

I love simply stated wisdom. I am going add them as I hear them simply because I enjoy them, not with the hope that you will love them, but to know which ones have spoken to me:

"We believe that we are in the land of the living and travel to the land of the dead, but we have it all wrong. We are in the land of the dead, moving to the land of the living."

Thank you Paul.

Thought for the week

2007-11-11T06:30:00.000-08:00

Although not my own and I am sure not profound so some, I offer this comment that was highly thought-provoking this week:

Theology should lead to Doxology

Trick or Treat

2007-11-04T19:25:00.001-08:00

This is from Halloween. Are these costumes amazing or what!?

-Lisa, thanks for being Christine.

The Man of Many Faces

2007-11-04T17:07:00.000-08:00

This week was spirit week! I don’t know why that excites me so, but I did have a good time. Each day was themed and we could dress up for each respective theme. The themes are as follows:
Tuesday-Decade Day. Relive a decade of your choosing and this decade does not count.
Wednesday-Twin Day. Be someone you know along with them or swap with them or be each other.
Thursday-Career Day. Choose the career you wanted but know you will never do.
Friday-Warrior Day. Choose from the warrior class of pirate, ninja, cowboy or Viking.

I regrettably did only Tuesday and Thursday and even more regrettably only have pictures from Tuesday. On Decade Day I brought back the early nineties; smell like teen spirit anyone? On Thursday I dressed as a mild mannered reporter, yet my true self was revealed as a distinctive ‘S’ logo could be seen underneath my business attire.

International Dinner

2007-10-30T21:16:00.001-07:00

Tonight I met a guy at work who spoke Russian. He was sitting at the bar and I eavsdroped on his cell phone conversation and broke into Russian as soon as he finished. He was from the Ukraine. He knows all of the Russians connected with CIU and First Pres church. I think all Russian speakers in SC know each other. I need to get in that circle.

Casting Call

2007-10-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

Today I was told that if I were to be a Lord of the Rings character, I would be Legolas. That is cool with me...I mean...wow...

Magic Carpet Ride Anyone?

2007-10-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I
Dug through an industrial dumpster,
Wore eye liner,
Demanded people’s servitude,
Was accused of being evil and
Flew on a magic carpet.

These were only part the festivities of Formal Open Dorms, which is a competition between all the dorms. Each hall is must choose a theme based on a broader category for the whole campus. The campus theme was Disney with out hall reenacted Aladdin. It was amazing. I did not know what to expect and was blown away as each hall on the men’s side of campus was transformed into a Disney decorated collage. A interactive portrayal of Beauty and Beast, a fittingly twisted journey through Wonderland and even a peak into the universe of toy story could be found in former living spaces.

None topped Aladdin however. The cave of wonders, Arabian marketplace, magic carpet ride and a slide out of the city made our truly unique. I had so much more fun than I expected. I never though I would be so excited to win either- many blessings.

2007-10-18T13:41:00.001-07:00

Today I heard a Seminary student say that being at CIU is the best thing that has ever happened to him. He said, "I am like a guy in a grocery store with four shopping carts and they said, 'you can take whatever you can carry out!'" I want to be like that.

Fitting Illumination

2007-10-17T20:14:00.000-07:00

Wake up with your mind alert and instantly thinking in a different language. With dawn comes learning for the soul goal to communicate the Gospel to those who do not know it. The sun is your enemy because he keeps limits what you can get done in one day and the moon will only light your path for so long after the blanket of stars envelopes you. Corporate vision, communal hope, constant striving in this place are the perfumes that intoxicate you daily…

This place is overseas fulltime ministry and this weekend its absence assaulted me. I have been fighting emotional gangrene for the past few days and could not diagnose its source. I was frequently using phrases like, ‘I want to be impacting the world for Jesus’, ‘I feel like I have no conduit through which to channel my passion’. I am feeling a new wave of withdrawl from the purpose I possessed in Russia.

Thank you Emily M. for sharing with me that for a time we are in season and a time we are out of season. This may be a time I am out of season. This does not nullify my responsibilities as a Believer, but it certainly is a different place than I was months ago. It is difficult not to have such stark purpose or mighty team environment even though my burden now seems lighter than it was before.

"Lord, kindle a new fire in me, one that burns more gently. Mold me to be more like you while using new tools and let me always be a light for you, but be content to illuminate in the manner you see fit. Amen"

2007-10-14T15:55:00.000-07:00

This is CIU this weekend. This past week was midterms and now it is fall break. I am very thankful for the break, but the student population has dwindled to roughly 20 students total living on the campus. One of the two RAs saw all of the guys hanging out in a room and even referred to us as 'the remnant'.

CIU is barren yet I am enjoying the opportunity to rest without interruption.

Newsworthy News

2007-10-04T19:17:00.001-07:00

I am sad that Brittany Spears in on CNN for losing custody of her children. It is not a good thing to happen to any parent. It is worse for everyone to chastise her for it. I am sad for her. I am also sad that it makes national news...

Dressing East

2007-10-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

Today was the ceremony for signing in the new president of CIU-it was a business dress affair.

Last night I dressed a significant portion of my hall, East 2. I lent out one pair of slacks, one pair of shoes, one tie and chose or consulted on matching clothes for 4 individuals. I never thought I would be that guy...it was a good feeling though.

Saturday Night Madness

2007-09-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

I had forgotten the madness of Saturday night in food service. Saturdays are generally the busiest days of the week and almost always busier than anyone can handle. Last was all hands on deck, as would be expected. I knew that it would be busy going in, I new it would be hard and that things would be crazy. What I left out was the human element of crazy.
There comes a certain point in the evening where a server takes food to the wrong table, or a cook forgets to make something. Usually it is as things are starting to really pick up. This is the timeline for the madness…

5:00-all staff are trying to ignore that tonight is not like the rest of the week and we will be over our heads in hours.
5:30-things are picking up and the managers start telling the hostesses to stop talking and get to work.
6:00-things are flowing well and most of the servers have almost full sections
6:40-a server rings in an order incorrectly or a cook forgets to make something. This is where things start to go downhill.
6:50-the restaurant fills up and the kitchen is slammed.
6:55-the cooks start yelling at the servers.
7:10-the servers are yelling at the specialists to take their food to the correct table.
7:30-three 7 person tables come in…the servers are freaking out.
7:45-Everyone else has just been given seats at the bar because all the other tables are full. The bar tender is yelling at the hostess to stop giving her so many tables.
7:50-9:30-general yelling and error making throughout the restaurant.
9:30-at least one waitress is on the verge of tears.
10:00-things are finally slowing down, but no staff speak to each other as bitterness has build up over the last few ours.
11:30-a group of 17 people come in to eat even though the restaurant is totally empty and should close in 30 min.
1:45am-the final staff leave the restaurant.

This chain of events is just a fact of life. It makes me laugh because next week everyone will all have forgotten what this was like and repeat the same thing all over again.

2007-09-26T20:42:00.000-07:00

I love work. Wait…I mean that I love working. Work is pretty good though. I am so blessed to work at a relaxed job, but am still challenged. I am blessed because of how much money the Lord provides. I am blessed because I get out of the CIU fortress of solitude and enter the real world.

My time at work keeps me connected to the rest of society. CIU is a great place to be, but it is not the real world-kind of reminds me of Summer Project. Praise the Lord for work.

Your Daddy Does Rock and Roll

2007-09-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to a local rock show. The show was great! It was in a pub = poorly lit, smoky, a few crazy people. It was reminiscent of the days I went to Phil’s Radiator Shack arguably one of the most hole-in-the wall places in Pueblo. Here’s to you Nick Wiley!

I couldn’t cheer because I was sick and lost my voice, which I am still feeling today, but it was still great. Three out of the 4 bands that played were really good. I bought the album of Jupiter One. They are a New York group and good friends with the headliners, Baumer.

Baumer is a local craze. At least one of the members is a CIU alum and his dad is my academic advisor. It was fun to be at a rock show and have my academic advisor there too. He didn’t mosh, but it was the thought that counted.

Hungry?

2007-09-17T20:22:00.001-07:00

Ever since I have come to Columbia, I have been haunted by the verse, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Every where I go, it is brought to my mind. Not a day has passed without it scrolling across my heart. It tends escape pursed lips leaving me to explain the seemingly spontaneous utterance. I hope its contextual significance is revealed to me soon. Although such desire often carry difficult lessons with them.

To Study or Not To Study

2007-09-17T20:02:00.000-07:00

Studying is underrated. I must admit that until this fall, I have whisked through academia without studying. Granted, culinary school was a far more tactile environment and required reading was minimal. None-the-less, I am not a stranger to Humanity-type classes. Literature, Speech and Leadership Style were courses that were significantly hands-off…a solid study bloc for any of those classes cannot be recalled.

Tonight made the second test, of two, that I studied for. Not only studied, but did so with some degree of forethought and are certified ‘cram session free’. I think I learned to study in Russia-where the desire for knowledge far outweighed the burden of obtaining it. A moderate amount of personal study and a fair bloc of group study sits very well with me. Again, my extroverted character traits allow me to succeed amidst chatter, distraction and rabbit trails. It would be an unclear picture to believe that there was no organization in group study however, for without some, I would take solidarity in a heartbeat.

To finally realize active study’s benefits, gives it an intrinsic novelty. I plan to continue to partake…(laugh)

Ya'll

2007-09-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

Today I spoke with a Southern accent. It wasn't very obvious. In fact, it was only one word. A name. It was Caroline-which certainly is a Southern name. I think a little part of me died...

Cockroaches

2007-08-29T10:09:00.001-07:00

I hate cockroaches. It is rather strange. I dont really hate any other bugs. There are stranger looking bugs, uglier bugs, more dangerous bugs and, especially in the south, larger bugs. I hate cockroaches because they represent uncleanliness. They only need a little bit of water and food to live. They can live anywhere, as long as it is not completely clean.

Cockroaches are like sin. No matter how pure you look, sin always shows up. It hides and is rarely out in the open, but is always there. This is because deep down we are unclean. Sin, as a believer, is a manifestation of human nature i.e. the flesh. Like the roaches, it is not the sins themselves that are most troubling, but that they point to a deeper problem.

2007-08-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

After less than two weeks in SC, I headed back to Denver. My friends Jeremy and Coleen were married in Colorado Springs and I drove down with Mike, Jess and Erin. It was amazing. The trip was amazing, the wedding was amazing, the dinner/dance after were amazing. I flew out to Colorado and drove my car back to SC and even the 25 hour drive wasn’t too bad.

Some highlights of the trip:

Jeremy singing to his wife, during the wedding ceremony, much to her surprise. Jeremy is not known for an amazing voice, but his boldness and dedication to his wife, which enabled him to sing, was astonishing. He sang unfailing love. Jeremy-you are my hero.

Being around other epicureans. It has been almost 14 months since I have spent quality time with friends who love, know and value quality food a drink. It was so refreshing and made me miss that part of my life in Denver. The culinary scene in Columbia is a little lacking and the ‘foody’ culture is not prevalent at my school…for obvious reasons. Lets face it, it takes a certain kind of people to sit around and try to name exotic garnishes on their plates (it was a parsnip by the way-good job Hannah) and talk about what kind of wines we would be.

Erin, “Kalan, if you were a champagne, you would be a brut.”
Me, “Why because I am dry and have no taste?”
Erin, “Ha, no because you are complex and go well with many things.”

Who does that....really?

Meeting Megan for dinner. The worst part of any drive across the country is Kansas-fact. The speed limit is stagnating, there is an enormity of law enforcement and there is nothing interesting for miles, similar to the Republican candidate debates. I called Megan while I was driving and learned that she lives only 20 minutes from a town I would be driving through. We stopped and had Chinese food. It was amazing. I had not seen her in almost a year and half. Truly a blessing from God.

In Kansas with Megan

Now I am back in SC and back in the books. :)

Welcome to CIU

2007-08-19T11:51:00.001-07:00

Wednesday

Panicked parents and frightened freshmen made up the majority of the student population on the first day of orientation. Geographically speaking, think “CIU, next to a river, next to a Penitentiary.” So the question arises, “what do you do when an inmate escapes and is believed to be in the area the evening before Welcome Week begins and all the new students begin milling about?”

The natural answer to that question is to put the school under lockdown, detaining all students and frantic parents in a corralled area, created the prime environment for a calming effect…This is how all the parents were began the process of letting go of their children. Only a felon could bring people together in such a way.

Saturday

After a rather disappointing day, I connected with a guy named Ray sometime in the early evening. Ray, perhaps the most energetic person I have ever met. He brings a powerful personality to the Pastoral Ministries students here, along with his soon-to-be fully tattooed arms. A powerful leader, he rallied students to head for downtown Columbia for Hardies (Carl’s Jr.) and street evangelism. It was ‘just what I needed’.

Sharing the Gospel is difficult in Russia, because you have to do it in Russian-naturally. So I was eager to return to America and avoid the language barrier. Somewhere between Russia and SC I forgot that your ability to articulate has, ultimately, a limited effect on a person’s acceptance of the Gospel. I shared the Gospel with two students hanging out and, about half-way through, was struck that, even though I could articulate so clearly, it had not changed their hearts towards the Gospel. I have not been so frustrated since I left Russia.

I just want everyone to know Christ and it is painful when they reject him. Perhaps that is a confirmation that I am headed in the direction I need to be here at CIU.

2007-08-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

With this inaugural post, I hope that everyone who reads my blog enjoys it. Although I suppose if you don't enjoy it, you will just stop reading it...

In two days I will be in South Carolina. I have never been to South Carolina, but will be spending at least the next three years there studying. At Columbia International University, I will be pursuing an Intercultural Studies and a Biblical Studies degree respectively.

Spending time with my family during the recent weeks reminds me how dear they are to me and I hate to leave them. I am very eager to engage American life again however and aware of ways God is preparing my heart even before I leave.