Book contest update...

I forget what number I'm officially on. I'll double check, but I think Erin finally took the lead. Oh well, at least I held her at bay for 5 months. I should be proud of that.

Here's what I've finished reading lately:

Deep Justice in a Broken World - by Chap Clark & Kara Powell
I read this one as I prepared for my sermon on Micah 6:8. It's one of those books that frustrated me to no end while still causing me to dream big. There were moments when I was left with that typical feeling of "I'm not doing enough. I suck." yet I found that it was balanced out with "What can I do?"

I'd recommend reading the book if you're currently thinking about how you can get students involved in doing justice or if you are currently involved (or would like to be involved) in some type of justice ministry in your community or church. It also contains some very good discussion starters and personal reflection questions at the end of each chapter that will help you think through the practical "what can I do" type of questions.

Why We're Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be) - by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck
I've read a lot of emerging/emergent books over the past few years, so I thought I'd give this one a go as one of the opposing voices against the emerging church. I was a little skeptical, because I find any book that tends to speak against something usually does so in a very arbitrary manner that often leads to taking things out of context from a small number of sources.

This book takes the typical swings at Brain McLaren, Doug Pagitt, Rob Bell, Dan Kimball (and the another usual emerging types), but I found that they actually carried themselves quite well. I felt they didn't come across as "You suck because MY way is right", but they really tried to engage in some good arguments about some issues in the emerging movement.

All that said, if you're at all intrigued or interested by the emerging church, this may be a good book to read through as it will show you part of the flip side of the coin (if that makes any sense).

When the Wind Blows and Double Cross - by James Patterson
Nothing significant here. I was just looking for some more fiction to read and since I liked Patterson's other stuff I didn't stray far. But "When the Wind Blows" was a little weird even for me. I mean, it's a thriller/mystery about genetic experiments that cause children to have wings which they can fly with. "Double Cross" was a pick up from the library before my four day work break and it was ok.

Random Tuesdayness...

Just in case you wanted to know:

• I think "Greatest Hits" CDs are one of the biggest scams in the music industry. Please keep in mind that this comes from a big Dave Matthews fan who has yet to shell out coin for "The Best of What's Around" although the fact that it comes with a second disc of live songs would justify the spending.
  
• Is it just me or is "Christian music" actually getting worse?
• I saw Indiana Jones 4 last night with my small group. I was oddly perplexed, confused, fascinated, annoyed and entertained by the entire experience.
• I ate cereal for breakfast. While you likely do not find it noteworthy, I do have two little known facts that will make this information more memorable for you: (1) it's been almost 6 years since I have eaten cereal because I think that breakfast is one of the biggest scams going (up there with greatest hits CDs) and (2) I ate Indiana Jones cereal.
• I need to write some book reviews, plan a games night for my students and generally catch up on emails after my last 4 days off of work.
• You will hear from me again shortly
• What did YOU eat for breakfast?
  

Honk again...

How often do you use your car horn?
I, for one reason or another, don't use that wonderful object of "frustration identification" quite enough.

A few weeks ago we loaded up the family for a trip south so we could eat out.
(After all, the only way to celebrate Mother's Day is to eat at The Outback.)
As we waited in line we found ourselves next to one our youth leaders (who is incidentally from the USA and was headed home from church).

So we rolled down the window and had a nice little chat to kill time as we waited.
Since the line we were in wasn't going anywhere that quickly we let a space develop between us and the car that was directly in front of us.
Keep in mind that the vehicle in front of us was still about 3 or 4 car lengths from even entering the border crossing.

Then it happened...HONK!
What?!?! You've got to be kidding me!
The person behind me had the nerve to honk, as if I was preventing them from getting to their destination.
Ok, I have a hard enough time understanding the "quick honkers" who lay on the horn if someone sits idle at a green light for more than 2 nanoseconds, but this was utterly ridiculous!

I'm not holding anyone up.
I'm not preventing anyone from getting to their destination.
I'm just passing the time by talking to someone in line next to me.
Please be advised that you will not get there sooner if I pull up 10 feet.

Do you have guidelines for when and where you use the horn?

Friday or Thursday...

It feels like a Friday.
But it's not, and that is good news.
If it was actually Saturday, this would not be good news.
Well...day #1 of 5 days off consisted of watching The Mist while the kids were at school and while Erin was at the dentist.
I actually somewhat enjoyed the movie. How strange is that?
Anyways, I also watched the penalty kicks from yesterday's Champion's League game again.
It still makes me giddy.
I'm now trying to figure out what to do with the next 4 days.
Any suggestions?

Glory Glory Man Utd...

I want to dedicate this post to my friend Jon.

I cannot explain the immense joy I shared in watching Drogba (click the link...you'll probably get a chuckle) walk off the field.
(I'll admit that it was not as joyous as my celebration when that final save was made, but I digress.)
All for a slap.
I mean, come on! My kids can hit harder than that.
If you're going to swing at someone, you might as well make it worth it.
Wouldn't you agree?

Anyways, the glorious Double has been won.
Manchester United are the Kings of England and of Europe.
I will sleep well tonight.

For a Tuesday...

I only have a few minutes.
I will therefore give them to you.
Please don't abuse this privilege.
Instead, please find a TV to watch the Champion's League Final tomorrow.
Yes, I'll be camped out in front of my TV for a couple hours.
No, I won't be in the office.
Yes, I am only working 2 days this week.
This is day #1 and it's not even half over.
After day #2 I get 5 days off.
In those 5 days I hope to see Indiana Jones twice.
(Remember, that I'm a nerd like that.)
Will you watch the soccer game or Indy this week?

Arrogance...

I hope you don't see me as arrogant.
Even though I'm better than you.
(I'm totally kidding...you know that right?)

I read a blog today that frustrated me and it oozed arrogance.
That "I'm better than you because I did this" kind of thing.

If I come across as arrogant, could you please smack me?

What frustrates you when you read blogs?

Friday...

Both kids are at school for the entire day.
This is a first for us as parents.
It means we get to spend the entire day together.
I'm not sure what we're supposed to do.
Maybe I can get Erin to buy me a scooter.
It's sunny out and it would be fun to drive a scooter.
And I'd be cool because I'd be saving life on planet earth.
That means I'd be saving YOUR life.
Would you appreciate that?

Crowder vs Cyrus...

Ok, this is just plain funny. If you don't know who Miley Cyrus is you may have to head over to iTunes and listen to a piece of her song "See You Again" to fully appreciate this next video by Mr. David Crowder.

My body shouts louder...

Every once in a while I hit these moments where my body starts shouting at me. And most of the time I tell it to shut up and leave me alone. It rarely listens to me.

I'm slowly learning that sometimes my body actually wants to communicate something important to me. It's latest message? Slow down.

So, slow shall I go. Or at least I will try to.

I have a weekend (that may actually consist of sunshine every day!) that has one student ministry event. I get Monday off. I have no teaching prep to do this weekend. So I shall try to slow down for a few days.

I only hope that the movie store has some decent movies left by the time I get there tomorrow. Do you have any recommendations of things I should see?

Last week I watched The Darjeeling Limited and Cloverfield. I didn't make it through the first movie, it was just too slow for me. Cloverfield was a rip off. It was only just over an hour long. That alone makes me angry so I won't even get started on the rest of the movie. Seriously, did anyone actually enjoy the movie?

Currently Playing: "Give Yourself Away" by Robbie Seay Band

Hey there MacGyver...

I stumbled on this over at Granger Community Church's site. Funny stuff, if you know who MacGyver is. Tell me you know who he is.

And if you want to know about every problem MacGyver solved, here's a recap.

Mix a volcano and lightning...

I saw this on Josh Griffin's blog and I just thought it was fascinating.

Apparently they are from a Volcano that erupted in Chile. Check it out here.

The truth is out there...

Yes.

Brace yourself for this.

This is one of those moments that may cause you to lose respect for me.

I enjoy The X-Files. But mostly before they went all weird and always talked about the alien conspiracies. I liked the stand alone episodes that had their own story line. Apparently this second movie is supposed to be more like that.

Also, when I was at Internship Seminars a couple of weeks ago I noticed some artwork on the wall that leads me to believe that someone thinks Jesus was an alien.

I'm sorry the photo is a little fuzzy, but it's my crappy phone. I'm just happy I could get the picture off my phone to begin with.

Incidentally, I'm accepting donations so I can buy a new phone. Contact me, if you're interested in helping out!

The second photo should show the "alien" a little more. Can you see the bug eyes?

This thing took up the entire wall and we had to stare at it all week long.

During the talks, it was there.

During the worship, it was there.

Is it just me, or is this a little creepy?

Sunday morning recap...

I made it through the teaching time on Sunday. I've basically recovered from the "preaching hangover".

If you haven't experienced one before, it is much akin to attending a middle school lock-in where you spend 9 straight hours playing dodgeball while trying to stay conscious enough to ensure that the building does not get lit on fire by teenage pyromaniacs.

Not that I really know what THAT feels like.

I wrestled with the message right up until almost the last minute (which is odd because I've been working on this message for almost 4 weeks). I found myself doing a MAJOR re-edit on Saturday night because something just wasn't clicking right. And it did seem to finally come together

I tossed out the idea of "doing" something at the last minute. I had grand plans of sending everyone out early to bring back an item for the Food Bank. But alas, it was Mother's Day and I caved into "not doing".

As a visual I placed boxes on the stage, and had volunteers come up and tear off a portion of a box before they sat back down. Only 7 or 8 people came forward, so that still left us with a lot of cardboard. Then I asked people what would happen in every single person in the room would come forward and tear off a portion.

I was trying to draw a parallel to what would happen if we all started working together to right some of the wrongs we see in the world.

And to change things up a bit I intentionally taught from a chair.

(Side note: I'm not a friend of the "pulpit". I don't feel comfortable with it. I feel it puts a barrier between me and the people I am speaking with. So I brought a raised chair and preached from that. Also, our pulpit isn't as massive as the one pictured. I thought you should know this so you don't think we're weird.)

Lastly, some of my students and leaders spoke about Compassion Canada and why they have personally chosen to sponsor children. They hit it out of the park! And I am SO proud of every one of them.

As a result, a pile of kids were sponsored after the service.

I'm rambling...but this let's me evaluate and process.

Stale blogs...

I think my blog has gone the way of stale bread.

I know where it is.

I usually forget it's there.

I occasionally throw it in the toaster.

It grows green stuff on it.

I'm bored. I've been updating my current blog list and now I'm rethinking my own. I'm not going to ditch it. That would be too extreme. But it definitely needs to be hit with a tazer or something.

Any ideas?

Champions again...

I'm still a little cranky that I missed the entire first half due to the Score and their ridiculous inability to properly list the start times of games. Seriously, they shouldn't be allowed to show games anymore.

But United are champions again! Next stop: Moscow!

The wheels are turning...

I'm teaching in church this Sunday about "social justice". Here's a quick overview of what I'm trying to incorporate into the teaching portion of the morning. I'd like to know if any of you have any other suggestions.

• Teaching the congregation Charlie Hall's "Micah 6:8"
• Viewing a short video on what sponsoring a child is all about.
  
• Interviewing students & adult leaders who are sponsoring children through Compassion Canada (this is a student led initiative that we're trying to get the rest of the church to buy into)
• The big idea of the teaching time: "Righting the wrongs..." (using Micah 6:1-8 as the primary teaching text). The goal is to get people to see how many opportunities there are for them to get involved in areas of showing kindness and justice and inspiring them to get involved somewhere so that they can start righting the wrongs.
  
• Visual: Most of the students (as well as myself if I muster up enough courage) will be wearing matching t-shirts designed by Rosa Loves, a company that designs & sells shirts to raise money for people who are in need.
• Practical Step: (a work in progress)
  

I'd like to ask people to do something at the end of the service. Something that would require them to think, ponder and engage. Something that would make a difference, but something that wouldn't come across as gimmicky. Make sense?

I called the local Food Bank and asked for their top 3 needs. I could present that to them and ask them to bring one of the items in next week. But I'm still working through how this would happen from a logistics standpoint.

Any ideas?

Tic, tac, toe...

Death Cab for Cutie is playing in the background. I'm avoiding the books on the coffee table because whenever I read them I start thinking about work, which then defeats the purpose of having a day off.

So I have opted for some time on the computer.

I was introduced to the Sundance Film Festival's Global Shorts Project (ht Ian). If you have a few minutes to kill go watch a few of the videos. I have particularly enjoyed "Learning to Skateboard" by Jody Hill.

"I have three words for you. Tic. Tac. Toe"

I would now like to buy a few of these for our Youth Centre. We've found that kids would rather sit on the floor instead of in the "church chairs". You know what "church chairs" are right? Scrap pieces of metal and cardboard covered in outdated materials.

And lastly, how do you feel about Jackie Chan? Check this video out. (ht Marko)

Creepy little gnome...

The kids were on their way to play outside when they mentioned that there was something at the door.

We have no idea where this came from.

Does it belong to you?

Because I'd be happy to return it.

It's creeping me out and I'm not sure what proper protocol is for Gnome removal.

Church floor collapses...

Last night Starfield played a concert at a local church. And at some point early on in their set the floor gave way (online article here). I spent most of last night with Erin and Ryan trying to track down any of our students who were there. As it turns out those that were a little shaken up but ok.

Apparently there were a few serious injuries while most of the other injuries were cuts, scrapes and fractures.

Unreal...when I got the phone call to inform me what had happened I was speechless. My students had been bugging me to take them to the concert. Wow...

Anyway, there's probably a lot of people you could join us in praying for as they sort through all of this.

Incidentally, Ryan had just stopped by to say goodbye as he is heading back home to Oshawa today. Quite a way to spend your last night as an intern, eh?

This is just plain cool...

Words do not describe how excited I am about this movie.

I'm such a dork.

This will meander...

me·an·der

1. to proceed by or take a winding or indirect course

2. to wander aimlessly; ramble


I have almost 45 minutes to kill before I can settle in for a quiet afternoon with my TV and my latest $0.88 rental (Bryce, ...you'd be proud!). While I may sound like a hermit, I think I deserve the right to shut my mind off for a few hours. But until then, I shall allow you a brief look into the chaos that is my mind.

Hockey Picks as I see them
Habs in 6
Red Wings in 6
Rangers in 7
Stars in 7

Reading Contest Update
I've finished The Big Idea (I should really post about this one), 2 James Patterson books (whose titles I am currently too lazy remember), and Ryan Gigg's autobiography (great footballer... terrible writer). I believe that puts me in the lead against my wife.

Frustrations
I have a couple.

My BBQ
Brad and Ben did it, so I should too as I am a follower today. So here's a few people I would love to have over for a BBQ.

1. Sir Alex Ferguson
2. Dave Matthews (attendance of the "band" is optional, but they are welcome)
3. Don Cherry (Ron MacLean's attendance is also optional)
   
4. (I'll ponder this one a bit more, but I think it should be someone cool)
5. (I'll also ponder this one, but I think it should be someone cool that is female)
   

Guitars
I'm considering purchasing one of these (it's used). I'm also considering selling my Ibanez acoustic (any takers?), and I'm selling my Squier Bullet to one of my middle schoolers. And I finally fixed my Fender acoustic (the guitar I learned to play on).

Work Trip
I'm heading to Calgary on Sunday for a few days of Internship Seminars. I'm missing out on Youth Pastors Retreat, which is a little disappointing. But I'm looking forward to connecting up with our new intern who is one of students from a previous church. The other plus side is that I get to sleep on Brad's couch.

Who's awake at 1am...

Uh...yeah...me.

I was (or more appropriately "am") trying to render a video for youth tomorrow night. One of my high schoolers made a farewell video for our intern. Well, as it turns out my computer is currently lacking the hard drive space required to complete the rendering. It is therefore rendering me...umm...I'm not sure. But I'm barely conscious.

I probably shouldn't post at 1:00am.

But I should also point out the great joy that I experienced yesterday as my Habs shut out the Bruins 5-0 in Game #7. Next up: Philly.

But tomorrow is a bigger day. Manchester united vs Barcelona.

I think I'm going to turn in now and hope this video finally works.

Thursday coffee...

Random highlights for a Thursday where I'm trying not to procrastinate:

• Goodbye Senators.
• Please Montreal...win this series at home.
• Currently Listening to Robert Johnson "The Complete Recordings"
• I immensely enjoyed my coffee this morning. Perhaps the fact that the Tim Horton's staff actually filled the entire cup this morning contributed to my enjoyment.
• I'm having lunch with my wife. I thing she's great.
• I get to shoot teenagers with paintballs tomorrow night.
• I'm watching a High School rugby game this afternoon.
• Our student ministry intern is leaving us next week. That sucks.
• I hope the movie store still has some movies in when I get there.
  

Dave, Tim & the Dalai Lama...

We documented our trip down to Seattle yesterday, so here are some of the highlights.

I ate some Jack in the Box while I made my lovely wife pump gas. This is profound as it shows you how I provide sustenance for my out-of-shape body. It also shows you that I am not gender biased and I believe that women are also fully capable of pumping gas.

You also need to know that we pre-purchased a parking pass for this concert. This apparently saves you $3. And FYI, that $3 will buy you a pop inside the arena, so every dollar counts.

However, I assumed (mistake #1) that the parking garage being used for this concert would be the same one they used for the Eric Clapton concert held at the same location last year, so I didn't print off a map (mistake #2). I was wrong. So we drove around with no particular address trying to find a parking garage on Mercer street. We finally drove into one, explained our dilemma and the attendant told us "It's way past the freeway and you need to take a shuttle". Go figure. But alas he was kind enough to take our ticket and let us park in that garage anyway.

I wish I had taken a picture of the obligatory picket-wavers out front when we finally made our way to the KeyArena. Apparently we all needed to be aware of the fact that we were going to hell. I'm not sure why. I was more concerned with the concert than my spiritual status at that particular moment (hey, I'm just being honest). Come to think of it, maybe that's what settled my eternal destiny.

At 4:40pm the Dalai Lama took the stage with Dave Matthews and Ann Curry. They talked until around 5:30pm. I'll be honest and say that the whole thing lacked any depth. Ann Curry seemed like she was being so over-respectful that she didn't seem to ask a good question. And when she at one point asked about China and how do you show compassion to your enemies, the Dalai Lama seemed to sidestep the question. As for Dave, he later admitted to being nervous but his comments seemed to add some of the lighter moments.



But after listening to the conversation, this is what I am left with:

1. My goal in life is to be happy
2. True happiness and inner peace is only obtained through compassion
3. I think the Dalai Lama said the word "nipple", thus cementing the fact that everyone who giggled is still, in some ways, a middle school student at heart.
   

Ok, so I'm loosely paraphrasing much of this as I wasn't as absorbed in the whole dialog. But I was amazed at just how many people showed up to hear this exchange, especially when the concert wasn't slated to begin until 7:00pm.

At 6:30 we were treated to an acoustic performance by Seattle band Death Cab For Cutie. They weren't on the bill to begin with, but they played until 7:00pm.

I'll have to give them another listen to tell you what I really think. But the 30 minutes I heard was ok, and it was kind of funny to watch the lead singer fight with his mic stand for the entire 30 minutes.




Dave & Tim finally took the stage at 7:30pm, while we were trying to pay for our $3 pop and $3 pretzel. Apparently the guy at the counter was having a rough night with his till. But we extended him some compassion before making our way to our seats. Dave & Tim were only playing the intro to "Bartender" and the lights hadn't even come up, so we didn't miss a thing. So we settled in for the rest of the evening.




If you're a fan (or at least a little familiar with Dave's music), here's what was played.

Bartender
Old Dirt Hill
So Damn Lucky
Stay or Leave
Save Me
Cry Freedom
Gravedigger
You Are My Sanity (Tim Reynolds solo)
The Maker
Sister
Cornbread
Some Devil
Everyday
Where Are You Going
Eh Hee
Dancing Nancies
Encore:
Lie in Our Graves

It was a very enjoyable night of music. Dave had some funny stories. Tim Reynolds is a tiny man (I don't know why I mention that, except for the fact that I noticed he is much shorter than Dave) who makes unbelievable sounds come out of an acoustic guitar.

We ended the evening by wandering through Easy Street Records where I picked up some vinyl and a few used CD's before jumping in the car to head over to Azteca. In hindsight we should have opted for The Outback since it was close to 11pm and karaoke night in the lounge at the Azteca was definitely well below par.

We were home and in bed before 2am. And now I'm writing this down before I forget it all. If you made it through this entire post, please let me know as I'd like to reward you with a kind compassionate word.

Playoff picks...

I'm a little behind, but here were my picks going into the playoffs.

EAST
Habs in 4 (8-0 over Boston all season; it will continue)
Penguins in 5 (Boo Ottawa...classless and arrogant; they need a butt kicking)
Captials in 6 (Ovechkin will be the impact player)
Devils in 6 (I don't really care, but if Brodeur can shine, this is his)

WEST
Red Wings in 5 (just for Todd)
Flames in 7 (Oh Canada...and I don't like teams from California winning)
Ducks in 6 (I'd actually prefer Dallas in this one, but I don't think they'll pull it off)
Avalanche in 6 (In my heart you will always be the Quebec Nordiques)

It's like Christmas...

Ok, not really...but it's still exciting. My wife and I will be taking off shortly for Seattle where we're going to see Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds in concert. I'm hoping we can find an Azteca on the way so we can grab some grub too. I'm a little giddy right now as this would rank up there as one of my "must see before I die" concerts. That sounds like a blog post in the making.

It's a nice way to start the weekend.

Best in the east...

Les Habitants.

First place in the east.

Thank-you Pittsburgh for losing to Philly!

Now it's the drive for 25.

Next obstacle: Boston Bruins.

Sure, we were 8-0 against them this season, but the off season is a whole new season.

Bring it on.

Looking for worship ideas...

One of the things that I feel I need to teach my students is that worship is not a "music only" thing.
My hope is that they won't fall into the trap of seeing music as the only (or even primary) means of worship.

So this Wednesday night we're taking a night off from our usual musical worship time and we're trying to incorporate some alternative worship avenues. No band. No worship team practice.

I've got a few ideas racing through my head but I'm looking for some more. What would you suggest?

$0.88 Reviews...

Most Thursdays I make my way into the video store only to find that most of the movies I want to see are not on the shelf. Apparently paying $0.88 for a rental is popular. Go figure.

But this week I hit pay dirt. 3 movies in one trip. That's unheard of. Anyway, here's 2 of the 3.

Dan in Real Life - Don't pay more than a dollar for this one. End of story. Some minor funny moments in a weak story with bad casting. And it's completely predictable.

No Country For Old Men - Wow. I spent the first hour and a bit totally engrossed in the film. The last hour and a bit wasn't as captivating, but definitely a well done movie. For me it is one of those films that will need to be seen again. Feel free to pay more than a dollar for this one, if you don't mind some shooting and killing.

I'm waiting for my wife to finish her homework now so we can watch I Am Legend. She's scared and I think she's trying to avoid it.

Thursday telemarketing...

I have a special place in my heart for telemarketers...I'm not sure why. My first instinct is not to hang up the phone when I hear that "click" on the other end once say "hello". My brain kicks into gear and I start thinking of what I can do to enjoy the next few minutes.

So this post by Craig Gross brought a few chuckles. He recorded a few calls that he received from various telemarketers. Apparently he attempts to get the person who called him to hang up the phone by asking a never ending series of questions.

I once kept a guy on the phone for almost 45 minutes while he tried to sell me magazine subscriptions. He went through their entire collection trying to find me three titles to subscribe to so I could receive a fourth one for free. We had lengthy discussions on everything from rock climbing and running to women's health and makeup.

Near the end of the call when he was needing the official information to sign me up, I told him I had to ask my wife if this was ok. I put him on hold for a few minutes while I finished a level on my Playstation game and then picked up the phone, expecting him to have hung up. He was still there!

I told him I wouldn't be able to sign up because my wife didn't want any of the magazines. His parting shot before hanging up was "Who wears the pants in your house?!?!"

I also had an exchange with a newspaper telemarketer in Regina.

Paper selling woman: "Would you like to subscribe to the paper for an introductory rate of...?"

Me: "It sounds like a great deal, but I can't read."

Paper selling woman: "Well then, would you be interested in a weekend subscription for only..."

Me: "Umm...if I can't read during the week, what makes you think I'll be able to read on th e weekend?"

Paper selling woman: "Uh...sorry." (click)

So, next time you hear that "click" on the other end of the line, see if you an get them to hang up before you do. Trust me, it'll be fun!

March Madness...

I don't watch basketball. I don't know who the final four are. But March was madness for me.

I'm back at work this week after taking some much needed time off last week to go to my kid's swimming lessons, read, watch movies, play guitar and just generally be around the house.

I honestly don't think it was enough time, but it will have to do for now.

I am now officially bored at 9:00pm and too lazy to do anything else. I think I'll go play Nintendo or something. Wouldn't that be productive?

In the meantime, here are a few $0.88 reviews for your reading pleasure:

Gone Baby Gone - Don't rent it if you don't like intense movies. The predicament that the main character finds himself in led to a fascinating discussion in our house that was well worth the rental price.

Martian Child - Decent, family movie. Somewhat funny and cute.

Death Sentence - How could I pass this up at $0.88? I am partly ashamed of myself, but mostly ashamed of Kevin Bacon for being in it.

August Rush - Ummm...the lead female character is named Lyla. Every time her name was said I would break out into a rendition of Eric Clapton's "Layla" with "Lyyyyyyllllaaaaaa...I'm begging darling please Lyla." Erin was not as amused as I was, but my humor stretches beyond many mere mortals. The movie? Not so much. The soundtrack? Excellent. In the same vein as an Erik Mongrain.

Of hockey and guitar...

The Habs are currently beating Ottawa 5-1. Pittsburgh is currently losing. I don't boast, but it does make me fell a little giddy. First place in the East is within reach. As long as we don't "pull a Detroit" and get beat out in the first round of the playoffs.

In other news I was able to finish off the Clapton autobiography today. I absolutely loved this book. The rise to fame, the fall into drugs and alcohol, the people he played with, the story behind the songs and the albums, and how he was able to escape the grips of addiction, it was riveting. But then again, I'm a fan of his.

I remember buying his MTV Unplugged album when it came out while I was in high school, and I was hooked. A few of his albums ended up in my collection over the years and I've always been impressed with his guitar skills. But last March when I had the chance to see him live, I was blown away.

Anyway, this just means I'm going to be listening to Clapton for the next couple of weeks. Sorry Erin.

No profound thoughts...

It's Good Friday, but I don't have anything spiritually significant that I want to post on.

It is,however, my first full day off in 2 weeks (and I'm not patting myself on the back for that one...I'm an idiot). I stayed up late watching an $0.88 movie (to be honest I slept through most of it). The kids are playing the Wii. My wife is out for coffee. I spent most of the morning at Improv Everywhere (some very funny stuff).

Funniest quote of the day will go to Matthew Good who was describing one of his teenage jobs at a fine dining establishement:

First, there was Bonanza, an interesting establishment that tried to cross fast-food with grilled steak, the result of which probably kept the local hospital busy with food poisoning cases.

Why does this strike me as funny? I loved Bonanza. I remember visiting Regina in years gone by where I would team-up with Brad to try and get our wives to join us for a meal at Bonanza. I believe somebody got sick one year from eating there, but I'm fuzzy on the details. Then again, it seems that most people who have ever eaten at Bonanza have gotten sick. Except for me.

Other random observations of the day:

• Bryan Adams is still making music
• GI Joe will be a movie. And this is Snake Eyes. Cool.
  
• This video cracked me up more than most.
• Yay for bubblewrap.
• I'm currently reading Clapton: The Autobiography
• I am now losing the reading contest...but my wife doesn't play by the rules.

Youth leaders...

I have a youth leader meeting tonight, but found out a few of them won't be able to make it. So I sent out an email asking for their input on four questions. And so far I've got three entirely different types of responses.

This is a healthy reminder to me that while we may all be working in student ministry, there is no way that we will all be clones of each other. We are all wired differently. We won't always see things the same way as someone else. We won't always be passionate about the same things. We will sometimes miss things that others won't. We will sometimes have ideas no one else will think of.

But that is why we need to do this as a team.

So, how's your team?

Talking to myself...

Sometimes it feels like I'm just talking to myself.

3 more down...

It's time for a reading contest update. I finished three more books out of my personal goal of 26 for the year.

(pause)

Yes, I just paused to pat myself on the back. Yes, I'm still ahead of my wife in this ocntest. Yes, this lead will soon disappear.

But here's what I've finished lately (please note no Dr Seuss):

The Testament by John Grisham
I hadn't read any of his stuff since high school and it was the only book I could find lying around the house that looked unread and mildly interesting. I thought the book started good, but I wasn't too thrilled with the ending.

Deep Ministry in a Shallow World by Chap Clark and Kara Powell
Good book. This ones going on the "read-it-again-and-spend-more-time-processing-it" list. It contains some great challenges and raises some great questions about the current status of any student ministry. I'm currently debating making this one a must-read for our leadership team next year.

The Midnight Club by James Patterson
I just plain like the way this guys writes. It could have something to do with the really short chapters that makes it possible to pick up at any time and read a few pages, but this was another good one.

Working with students...

Why is it that almost every book about student ministry seems to want to tell me that the way I am currently doing things in ministry is wrong and that I should strongly consider switching to their superior model of working with students?

The FA Cup...

I'm choked that United lost to Portsmouth this weekend which leaves them out of the FA Cup. But some relief comes from watching Chelsea (I refuse to link to them) get beat by Barnsley. For those of you who don't watch football, Chelsea is in 3rd place the Premier League and spends piles of money on their squad. Barnsley is in 19th place in the Championship and doesn't even have piles of money.

Their chairman Gordon Shepherd summed it up here with this little gem:

"It's wonderful, beating a squad worth £230million, while ours is worth under £2million."

A 24 prequel...

Stumbled on this today. Apparently a 24 prequel movie is in the works for this fall. Oh, please tell me it's true.

How I escaped the pudding shower...

s of Wednesday at 6:00pm I was worth approximately $206,000. Ryan was worth $226,000. That meant I needed one more person to buy me in order to tie Ryan. Two buyers and I would be the leader and winner.

The catch was that only one student appeared to have enough cash to buy either one of us. My only hope was that this particular student would walk in the door at youth and that she would be willing to pull a fast one on Ryan.

Well, she showed up and it just so happened that Ryan was on the other side of the building with the middle schoolers. So this student went along with the plan, found my computer and jumped online. My wife videotaped the whole Facebook transaction, while the rest of our evening unfolded. This high school girl called one of her friends and they quickly started buying me back and forth.

The middle schoolers came back to join us in the Youth Centre. We had our worship time and then got ready for the pudding dump. I got up to admit defeat and as I was about to speak my wife jumped in to state that there was a new development. And it was all on film.

So, we plugged in the camera and watched the madness unfold. I think Ryan may have yelled.

My worth? $629,289.

Ryan's worth? $142, 329.

Ah yes, I dodged a bullet. Unlike another time in my ministry career which Tammy was so kind to bring up.

Update: Here's the video for your viewing pleasure.

More tomorrow...

I'll give you the details tomorrow, but all you need to know is that it's not me in the picture.

And now it's 12:30am and I should probably not be on the computer.

Night of the pudding...

The challenge was put forth. The results are final as of tonight. I'm currently losing and will likely have pudding dumped on my head at youth tonight. I'm not sure how this will affect the flow of the evening. I'll admit that it would be easier (and funner) if Ryan lost. But I find that unlikely. He was able to rally the troops.

Apparently everyone wants to see me covered in pudding.

Remind me why I agreed to this?

Another weekend complete...

I traveled close to 800kms last weekend. I slept for about 11 hours. I ate a giant burrito. I drank an XL French Vanilla. No, that was not all the food that I could find, but it was the only food that was worthy of mentioning.

I prayed over one of my students as he prepared to hurl chunks in the bathroom. I heard students scream at 120db. I had my rental vehicle TP'd. I lost a game of Settlers. And everyone arrived home with all limbs attached.

It was a good weekend.

Don't ask me about the spiritual stuff. That will take longer to analyze and report on.

Relationally? The weekend was worth every penny.

But I'm glad to be home.

Buy me...

Ryan (the intern) walked into my office last Wednesday with this pronouncement: "I have a challenge for you."

I should have said no and told him to get back to work. Instead I entertained his thought and it wasn't long until it became a reality. It has now spiraled and morphed into a monster all its own and I can no longer contain it or manage it.

Here's the deal.

Facebook has an application called "Friends For Sale". You buy someone and their worth increases. They buy you and you make money. The more buying and selling that takes place, the more that things spiral out of control.

Well, Ryan threw down the challenge and said we should have a 2 week challenge to try and see who would be worth the most. And then at end of those 2 weeks the person who loses would be forced to eat pudding. The catch? The loser will lie on the floor of the Youth Centre while the pudding is dropped from the balcony.

So we announced it to teh students and we are now just over 1 week into the challenge. And guess what? I'm currently losing.

But I'm not beyond asking for your help. Please buy me. Please save me from the humiliation that will come from being fed that pudding. Save my student from the horrific sight of seeing their pastor, mentor and hero in life humiliated.

It's for a good cause. And if it helps you, Ryan likes pudding. So, go buy me.

Zombies...

My wife: "Does everyone know that you're supposed to shoot a zombie in the head to kill it?"

Me: "Uh...yeah"

Since you are included in "everyone", I would like to know if you were aware of this zombie fact?

Movie trailers...

First of all, I apologize for excluding a word in one of my last posts. The word "worst" should have been placed between "the" and "officiating". I'll admit that it makes much more sense when you add the word.

My wife pointed out my failure with the English language, as she so often does. I believe she feels that I have hired her as my editor. It is quite possible that she used her womanly powers on me at some unsuspecting moment and forced me, against my will (and apparently my knowledge), to sign something to that extent.

But now I'm too far off topic.

It's Monday night and the remnants of our high school small groups have vanished into the darkness.

Now I'm currently enjoying a beverage while watching movie trailers on the HDNet channel while Erin studies for her exam tomorrow. Is this really what Monday evenings have come to?

So...what'd you do on your Monday evening?

Congratulations are in order...

First, congrats to the Tottenham Hot Spurs for beating Chelsea in the Carling Cup. It's just plain enjoyable watching Chelsea lose.

Second, congrats to Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova who won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. If you've been living under a rock and haven't seen it yet, go rent Once and watch it.

And that's all. Hey, I didn't say it was a huge list.

Weekend roundup...

I'm wearing shorts right now.

That pretty much sums up the weather today.

It was a beautiful day for football. But all we could muster was a draw. Sure it was the last place team in the league that we played. Sure, the other team had lost every single game this season. But we showed up with only 10 guys and a pile of the regulars were missing. All in all, we did horrible but were able to claw our way back from a 3-1 deficit to tie the game. And once again I was robbed of a goal by what turned out to be one of the officiating displays I had seen in a very long time.

I just realized today that I hadn't posted since last Sunday. That's no big surprise when you factor in a half day staff retreat, high school small group, hospital visits and waiting with our student ministry intern (he got his appendix out and is on the mend now), worship practice, and a quick trip south of the border.

And I also realized I missed an movie review from a week ago. Unfortunately I wasn't able to make it to the movie store on Thursday, so this one will have to suffice:

3:10 To Yuma
Good movie. Go rent it. Westerns are cool. $0.88 well spent.

Great review, eh? What can I say...I'm a man of many words.

Reading contest update...

My wife and I have a friendly reading contest going on. I should point out that it originated when I decided to make a personal goal of finishing 26 books this year. I've never kept track of exactly how many books I've read in a year but I can assure you it's far fewer than 26.

Well, I now find myself a month and a half into this little reading blitz (yes, I will call it a blitz even while some other readers will refer to that number of books as a personal reading "lag") and I'm fairly proud of myself. Contrary to what others may believe (ahem...Erin and Brad) I am not allowing Dr. Seuss into this mix. However, I am trying to mix things up a little and I'm branching outside my usual reading material which 98% of the time deals with ministry in some way shape or form, and it's usually student ministry. There's nothing wrong with that. I just need some variety.

So here's a quick recap of some of the books I've been able to get through since January 1st:

Cross by James Patterson
This was a Christmas gift intended to introduce me to the world of fiction. I immensely enjoyed it and will definitely try to find another one of his books.

The Wooden Horse by Eric Williams
I loved The Great Escape and found that it mentioned another escape that happened from the same POW camp. This was the story. Although originally written as fiction, it's been adapted a bit over the years to more accurately reflect the actual escape as it occurred. I love escape stories so this was a good read although at times it was a bit slow going.

UnChristian by David Kinnaman
If you wonder what 20-30's who don't follow Jesus think about "Christians" this book will be good for you. And lest you think this is another "I'm young and the church sucks" book, I should try to point out that the author makes a genuine attempt at painting a picture of hope for the future of the church. My advice? Read this book.

The Making of Star Wars by J. W. Rinzler
I alluded to this book a few posts ago and how it would place me in the front running as the next mayor of Dorkville. Well, I'm a Star Wars geek and when this showed up under the tree at Christmas I was stoked. It tells the story of how Star Wars came to exist. The script writes and re-writes, the personal dynamics, Lucas' dreams, the characters, the studio...it leaves no rock unturned. An yes, it has pictures...my wife won't let me live this fact down.

The Dark Half by Stephen King
I've never read a King novel. This was another gift that was intended to introduce me to the world of fiction writing. I'm not sure what to say about this one, except that I'm not sure if King is going to stay on my reading list. Part of me thinks that if I let Ted Dekker (here) have 2 chances, then King should at least have another opportunity. So, if you have a recommendation, I'm open to it.

Stripped: Uncensored Grace on the Streets of Vegas by Jud Wilhite and Bill Taaffe
This was a quick read that contains some stories of people who experienced grace in...well...Las Vegas. Some very interesting life stories and perhaps some good illustration materials for future teaching opportunities.

Guess what...

I am officially the owner of 2 tickets to see Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds perform live in Seattle as part of Seeds of Compassion. There is no denying that this is one concert that is on my "must attend before I die" list. You may not be aware that such a list exists. Let me assure you that it does.

Did I mention that the Dalai Lama will be there? Before the concert begins there will be a "an intimate dialogue on the role of music in building culture, racial and religious bridges - how the emotions experienced through music unifies and ultimately serves to create global compassion." It should be fascinating.

And now, seeing as though it is Football Saturday, let me point out that I played a game today in which i scored a goal that would be worthy of Highlight of the Night honors. Yes...I shall remain humble while at the same time recognizing the sheer brilliance of my own scoring prowess.

In closing...Glory, Glory Man United! Goodbye Gooners!

End of Wednesday...

What a week. I was sick Monday and Tuesday and spent most of those two days on the couch battling a fever, feeling sorry for myself, reading and watching the first 2 Rambo movies. Today I headed back into the office to find that life still is going on outside my little world.

I met with a guy today who has become a friend over the last year and a half. He's made some poor decisions in the past and has really made an attempt to get things straightened out. But today it looked like the joy had been sucked right out of him. He went back to some old lifestyle choices and just isn't sure what to do.

I wish I could give him an answer but I don't have one. So instead I invited him to church. I don't know if that will help him. I know that in the ideal world it should...but I don't typically dwell in that world. If you think of it, can you pray for him?

It was student ministry night too. A blah night as far as Wednesdays go...at least for me. But go figure that the small group leaders are telling me their groups went great.

I'll spare you the other details. I just needed to get some of this off my chest before it collapsed.

Moments...

Random Grammy Moment:
The soundtrack of Once never stood a chance against The Beatles. Bah...

Random Amateur Football Moment:
I almost scored a goal yesterday. I put the ball past the keeper but before it crossed the line one of my teammates got pushed and fell into the ball to put it in the net. I have now been robbed of 3 goals these season.

Random Pro-Football Moment:
City 2 United 1

Random Movie Moment 1:
I watched Fido. That was weird...and a little funny.

Random Movie Moment 2:
Saw Fool's Gold on my date (despite me making a lackluster case for Rambo). We shared a few laughs and some popcorn.

Random Church Thought:
Let's occasionally get rid of all musical forms of worship on a Sunday morning and see what happens.

Random Health Note:
Everyone else in the house has been sick, so apparently it's my turn.

6 questions...

I'm wondering what you think...

1. What happens when you mix 40 people, 7 lbs of marshmallows and carpet?
2. How do you remove the remnants of the above concoction?
3. Does Ogopogo really exist?I have a date on Friday.
   
4. What does one do on a date?
5. If a rattlesnake fought a Smurf, who would win?
6. What movies should I rent tomorrow?
   

Enlarge your peer circle...

It's crazy this week. I'm in one of those stretches that sees me committed four nights in a row to church stuff. I should probably be committed to agreeing to this.

But I found some time this morning between filling out an email interview for one of my leaders and planning marshmallow games for my high schoolers (don't ask) to read a few blogs. And this one by Mr Crowder cracked me up.

It was his answer to a question (it's #6 of 15 if you're trying to find it) on his website as to why alcohol was being served at a concert they played in Cincinnati.

Here's part of his elaborate response:

i might add, both historically and currently, there are many people who love jesus, and follow him, that also enjoy alcohol regularly. if you have not encountered these people first hand, you should attempt to enlarge your peer circle and i think you’ll get a clearer picture of the diversity of the body of christ.

Fight night...

It's fight night at our house tonight. I should mention it's UFC 81 on high definition, and not the weekly family rumble. We tend not to rumble as a family anymore, ever since the kids figured out they could whoop their mom.

It was a momentous week for us here as we officially switched over to a new internet provider. I know that may not seem like a big deal, but we had been with the previous provider for almost 10 years. But alas, we discovered we could save some money while also getting faster service, so it was kind of a no-brainer.

Anyways, I've got nothing profound today, but here's a video that's worth a chuckle or two. Erin and I always get a laugh out of these guys (Flight of the Conchords):

My simple request...

"God give me patience...or a gun."

Yes, it's that time of the year again folks. The white stuff has started falling from the sky which ultimately means that most people out here who get behind the wheel end up forgetting how to drive. It's like the snow causes basic motor skills required for operating a vehicle to involuntarily shut down.

Seriously people, it's not that hard to drive in. If you could follow these few simple tips it would help me out a great deal:

1. Do not push the pedal all the way to the floor. If you find yourself slipping as you head uphill, it will not help you to floor it.
   
2. Do not drive 5 km/h. You're being paranoid and causing more of a problem to the rest of us on the road that can actually drive the speed limit.
3. You don't need chains just because there is a little snow on the road.
   
4. Do not refer to this as a blizzard. You are only bringing on the ridicule of everyone who has actually lived in the prairies at some time in their life.

Popcorn on the floor...

Yup...there's popcorn on the floor. And the flurries have begun. I've been up since 7:30am. Kids are watching Fraggle Rock. Erin is looking for the remnants of her lung. I'm half finished a Sprite with lime as I await the official start of NHL All-Star Weekend.

I was pondering a post about the core values discussion that I participated in this morning at our church, but then I started to second guessed myself. I always hesitate to write stuff about my own church. It's usually out of fear that someone will misconstrue what I say/write and it'll come back to bite me in the rear. (That couldn't possibly happen though, right?)

I also have a personal struggle with feelings of inadequacies...but that's for another post.

With that being said, I'm trying to process what the core values in a church should look like. My own personal feeling is that core values should be seen and known by every person (whether they know Jesus or not) that enters the presence of a particular church community. For that reason I feel core values need to be free of the Christian-ese lingo. They need to be simple and to the point. But they need to be tangible.

The few that have raced through my brains were these:

• Scripture - We teach it. We study it. We live it.
  
• People - Every person has value and worth, regardless of their economic, spiritual, ethnic, social or physical condition.
  
• Authenticity - We're all a mess, so let's get real about it. Let's admit our faults, mistakes and short-comings; let's forgive; let's accept and love each other as we are...and then repeat daily.
  
• Relevance - We speak the language of our community so they have a hope of understanding what we're saying.

I could probably add a dozen more. But I think these four hit at my current heartbeat. Thoughts? Additions?

Friday & stuff...

We got back late Wednesday night from Kelowna and our District Staff Retreat. All I will say is that Kelowna is definitely not Banff. But it was still nice to get away. It was a great opportunity to reconnect with some old friends, hang out with my network guys (and their wives), catch up on some sleep (I didn't attend a single morning session), and eat. I also spent a good portion of time with our new young adult's pastor (a good guy and fellow Manchester United fan).

And since our babysitting service was only available until Wednesday night we had to come back early (retreat usually ends Thursday morning) so we could drive the kids to school on Thursday morning. We also had an appointment to take the car in so it could get patched up from our latest incident involving negligent BC drivers. Incidentally we're now driving a Chrysler Sebring for the next week or two.

All in all I'll give the retreat one thumb up, 2 stars and a twinkie.

But back to real life now.

My goals for the wonderful Friday:

• Purchase coffee (accomplished)
  
• Read something
  
• Blog (almost accomplished)
  
• Play guitar
• Build Lego

And for a random photo, here's what I've been spending a fair bit of time playing with lately. I'm having some trouble getting the whole setup plugged into the PC though.

Any suggestions?

$0.88 Reviews...

Somehow I forgot to post this before I left for Kelowna and our District Staff Retreat. But these are from last week. I did rent another movie for tonight, but there won't be a review. But Bryce, you'd be proud of what I got for my $0.88 today!

Hairspray

Obviously I didn't choose this one. And I'll be honest and say that I'm not too sure what to even write about the film. I don't think I had ever watched a musical. So, maybe I was just confused as to why the characters were constantly breaking into song...

I'm sure that as far as musicals go it was probably a pretty good flick. But asking me for my thoughts would be like asking an armless man to carry your groceries for you.




Once

Now this musical I was prepared for. I had heard the soundtrack (and enjoyed it) and read of a number of people (Kerry, Marko, Zach) who raved about it. And after weeks of being unable to scoop up one of the 2 copies in the video store I lucked out.

If you're patient with trying to understand the accents, and if you're able to look past some of the shaky camera work, you're in for a good one. I'll admit that I found it a little slow to start but over time it won me over. It's definitely not your typical Hollywood love story, which is quite nice for a change of pace.

And the music is simply beautiful. Even is you have no desire to see the movie, at least give the soundtrack a listen.

Random recap...

No, I didn't fall off the face of the planet. And no, this isn't going to become a blog dedicated to my highly subjective movie reviews. In an attempt to get back on track, here's a little recap of recent events:

• Manchester United only needed one half to put 6 in the net against Newcastle. I am still in awe.
• Bought "Winter" by Jon Foreman, but it's not as good as "Fall"
  
• Succumbed to watching some American Idol...I know I've let some of you down, and for that I'm a little sorry. But have you seen some of the wackos out there?!?!
• My soccer team lost again. Oh why do I even bother to tell you that? I'll let you know when we actually win a game.
• I'm currently beating Erin in the "Knott Family Reading Contest".
• If I told you what I'm currently reading I would immediately be voted in as Mayor of Dorkville. I'll ponder telling you when I finish.
  
• I borrowed an effects pedal for my electric guitar (I'm unsure what it's called), and I am absolutely becoming enthralled with the sounds it will make. (Sorry Bryce, no banjo as of yet!)
• It's cheap movie night!

$0.88 Reviews...

The Kingdom

I had high hopes for this one, so maybe I let myself down. I found my head spinning trying to figure out who all the characters were throughout the first 15 minutes of the film. Even though they had names and job titles printed on the screen I often found myself trying to figure out who someone was and why they were even included in the story.

To me it seemed like too big of a build up. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the FBI team isn't free to make their journey overseas.

No big plot surprises or twists for the most part. Sometimes it was even a bit predictable. No deep character developments. In fact, I thought they could have done much better developing some of the the other players like Jennifer Garner's character.

The ending leaves you with one of those "hmmm" moments. You know, the moments where you take a few more seconds to process what you just heard/saw.

All in all I wasn't too thrilled. Mildly entertaining as far as Thursday night movie watching goes. I'm just glad I didn't spend big bucks to see it in the theatre.