Thoughts on Ronaldo...

Will he or won't he go to Real Madrid?

It appears as though his ego may be getting too big to fit back into the grounds at Old Trafford.

If that's the case, then good riddance.

He's an excellent footballer.  He's done wonders for Manchester United.  And I, for one, would rather that he stepped out of the shadows and commit himself to United.

But no player is bigger than a team.  (Well, maybe Tiger Woods...but he plays golf, so that doesn't count.)  So if Fergie has to offload him, then so be it.

My theory going into Euro 2008 with all the speculation and rumors linking him to Real Madrid was that if Portugal had won the tournament he'd probably be placing a bid on Beckham's old digs.

As it stands with them being eliminated by Germany, my thought is he'll stay at United.  I think losing might have deflated his ego a bit, which may be good for everyone.  Everyone that is,  except for Madrid.

In other news, what on earth happened to the Dutch today?!?!

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Bachelor dad still alive...

I told some of you that you should send someone to find me if you hadn't heard from me by Friday. Don't worry...we're all still alive and well. You can call off the search party.

I had these grand blogging plans for this time on my own, but they seem to have been swallowed up by the billion other things that needed to get done. Important things like watching Rambo and eating leftovers.

Wife's been gone: I lost count.

Things that have happened since my last post:

• Bought and played Guitar Hero for WAY too long (a dad has to do what a dad has to do, right?)
  
• Edited 2 videos for Becca's Kindergarten graduation class
  
• Washed half the dishes
• Cleaned up one bloody nose
  
• Played Puerto Rico (decent game...I'd like to play again)
  
• Played guitar for a grand total of almost 13 minutes
• Watched Rambo (I have no problem stating that I loved this movie as it was so very reminiscent of the old ones, just way more violent)
  
• Tried to watch one other movie not worth mentioning because it sucked rocks and was a waste of my time. But at least it only cost me $0.88.
  
• Attended Kindergarten graduation where my video faced it's world premiere
• Folded half the laundry (I work best in halves)
  
• Got some reading done in 3 books that are in progress
• Fell asleep watching Dirty Jobs
• Watched Germany do away with Portugal in Euro 2008
• I know I'm forgetting a dozen more things (more than likely it's 2 dozen)
• (I was kidding about Guitar Hero by the way, but I think my wife had a heart attack when she read that.)
  

Last meal eaten: spaghetti (I'm proud to say it did not come from a can.)

Background tunes:

• City and Colour "Live Session (iTunes Exclusive)" - I am absolutely loving this! It's winning out over Coldplay by a mile.
  

Overall Status: Tired and slightly bored. (That goes for all three of us, even though Becca is currently covered in chalk and my sidewalk is turning green and pink. This would probably lead you to believe that she is not actually "bored". My believe is that any kid who has the patience to dispose of that much chalk on concrete must be bored. )

Bachelor dad too...

I slept like crap. (Thanks for asking though.) But that's what happens when I'm away from my lovely wife.

So, I stole her pillow.

So this doesn't sound weird I should probably let you know that she has a good pillow. Mine? It sucks. It's like sleeping on a t-shirt.

She bought me a new one a while ago and told me it was a good pillow.

She lied. It wasn't a good pillow.

But for the next few nights I now have the good pillow.

Wife's been gone: 18.5 hours

Jobs accomplished:

• I'm working from home this morning. That means I can catch up on some reading while Becca creates an artistic masterpiece that will serve as a farewell present for her teacher today. (Which makes me wonder what teachers do with all the cards and gifts they get.)
• Lunches made, kids dressed and fed...easy stuff.
  

Last meal eaten: apple cinnamon cheerios for the kids; grande hot chocolate for me

Background tunes: Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" (I'm sampling it via iTunes and considering a purchase because of Jon's review.)

Overall Status: Alive and well.

In other news, I saw this pop up in a few different places. Funny stuff. (ht Jonathan, Dan)

Bachelor dad...

My wife's in Winnipeg until Sunday.

She's one of those cool people that gets to be in a wedding.

In the meantime, to show that I am capable of providing care for myself and the two little ones who routinely eat my breakfast cereal, I thought I would apprise you as to my ongoing status.

I'd try and be cool and Twitter, but my wife has my cell phone.  (I'm not entirely sure that that is relevant, but it seems to be a viable excuse for me.)

Wife's been gone: 7 hours

Jobs accomplished:

• Grocery shopping.  We needed some supplies to make it through the next few days.  I splurged and bought hot sauce and wings.  I've never made wings, so if you have any advice, Friday will probably be wings night for me.
  
• Took the trash out (yes, I do this regularly, although I almost forgot tonight because I thought it was Monday.  My mother-in-law has since informed me that it is not Monday.  In reality it is currently Tuesday.  And Tuesday is the night I am supposed to put out the trash.  That said, the trash is now out.
  
• Worked on a DVD that needs to be completed for Becca's Grad ceremony on Friday.  I spent the better part of an hour trying to incorporate the teacher's farewell message because it was in the wrong format.
• Spent almost an hour in the office with the kids.  They drew as I did some emails and returned some phone calls.  Profound stuff for a Tuesday afternoon.
  

Last meal eaten: hot dogs & beans (I know this will only send the critics into a frenzy as they will feel this proves their case that dads cannot cook and are therefore incapable of providing sustenance for their children.  The only thing I can say to them is "shut up".  We wanted hot dogs & beans tonight.)

On the TV:

• Watched most of Alvin & the Chipmunks with the kids.  I guess part 2 will be showing tomorrow night.  Not a great movie, but you should have heard my son laugh at the farting part!
• Currently watching Netherlands vs Romania

Overall Status: Kids are semi-clean, fed, watered and now asleep.  I am still alive.

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Confession...

I know it's completely selfish, but I love it when I come in to the office and that little "MSG for You" sign is not on my phone.

What little things brighten your day?

Just for Monday...

The sun FINALLY came out. Now life can get back to normal.

Here's a few of the finer moments that I find worthwhile mentioning on a Monday afternoon.

• Watched Don't Mess With the Zohan. Can I recommend it? Sure, if you don't mind innuendos and bare bottoms. I'll admit that I laughed my way through the movie as I find John Turturro (incidentally have you ever seen Brain Donors?) hilarious! And the surprise appearance of Dave Matthews as a redneck puppy-hater was worth worth a few chuckles too!
• Monday is double-stamp day at Taco del Mar. Can anyone say "burrito"?
• My wife is abandoning us for the week as she heads to Winnipeg for a wedding. Start the poll now as to whether the three of us will survive without her.
• Did you see the the Turkey comeback at Euro 2008? WOW!
• I played soccer yesterday afternoon without a knee brace for the first time in almost 3 years!

That's all for today. I hope you're looking forward to another profound Tuesday post. (That's tomorrow , in case you forgot what day it is. I'm here to help!)

test...

this is a test...
i will not destroy you...

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So it ends...

Last night was our last official mid-week event for our students. We're now into "summer scheduling" until September. And I could swear I heard an audible sigh of relief from everyone last night.

Lately the energy and enthusiasm has been down, and last night it seemed to be up a bit more than usual. And no, I don't think that everyone was getting their second wind. I think everyone is just longing for some sort of break in the routine.

Which makes me wonder about church calendars.

And please don't confuse this with me saying that ministry only happens in September through May (sometimes June if you're doing something cool).

When does the ministry year end?

I've seen churches that end off their calendar year in May and they give ALL their volunteers 3 months off to recharge and rest. I've seen churches that go from September right through until the end of June and then give certain ministries a break for 2 months. And I suppose there are churches out there that go year round and never stop anything.

What do you do? Why do you do it?

What is wrong with me...

My small group left an hour ago.
Erin's still out with her small group doing some bowling.
I'm trying to work on a year end video for our students.
And I'm watching/listening to Nashville Star?!?!
What is wrong with me?

Update on life...

Things have been moving around here. For example, yesterday I couldn't find the TV remote for a whole 2 minutes.

Other than that, here's life in a nutshell:

• Erin (I'd link her blog her but let's be realistic...she has forgotten how to blog) and I tried to go out and watch Indiana Jones. There were only 5 seats open in the theater so we opted for an evening at home. I watched Cops.
  
• Went out and bought Indiana Jones Lego for the Wii. No, we don't even own a Wii. But we do have access to a couple so we thought it'd be a fun investment. And yes, all four of us play it.
• I received commendations this week for a couple of big picture questions that I raised in a staff meeting. I feel smart now.
• I am entering the last week of student ministry stuff before the summer schedule starts. It will be a crazy week. If you don't hear from me by next Friday, please send someone to find me.

And I should probably update the Reading Contest:

Book #17 - Visioneering by Andy Stanley
Is everything this guy writes gold? I mean sheesh...he makes it sound so easy and simple...and obvious. This book works through developing vision and traces Nehemiah's journey and parallels some of the things leaders may face when trying to follow through with their dreams.

Book #18 - What Matters Most by Doug Fields
Erin doesn't want me to count this book because it only has 100 or so pages. I don't care. I've read this book before and it challenges me to rethink the way I view my schedule and how I spend my time. With the chaos of the last few weeks I decided I should re-read it and then work through some elements of it, which I'm doing in my journal time. Excellent book!

Book # 19 - D.B. by Elwood Reid
I was hoping for more of a story about the legendary DB Cooper and what he did to pull off one of the most daring hijacks and escapes ever. (I'm a big fan of escape stories.) But this book was disappointing. I guess I expected more about the the big heist, and less about what DB may have done with his time in Mexico after the escape.

Book #20 - I Became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy Shirt by Vince Antonucci
This was an impulse buy when I was picking up grad gifts (don't worry, they aren't those typical cheesy grad gifts) at the local Christian ripoff...I mean, retail establishment. The book was 25% off, so we went for it. I don't remember the last time I finished a book in one day (other than the Fields book I mentioned earlier), but this was an easy read that was fairly funny. I was struck by a portion on how we tend to view our life with Jesus as a relationship and he wonders if that is an adequate description. But that's another post entirely, that I'll likely never get around to.

What I learned today...

This morning my car was in the shop so I headed down to Starbucks to read and eavesdrop....ummm...I mean interact with people.

I'm actually a huge introvert so I don't really go out of my way to engage people in conversation at coffee shops. I usually keep to myself while I read.

Today I learned that having an interview at Starbucks could net you a free drink. I'm still not sure if that is a sign that the interview went well (in a "hey, we like you, so have a drink on us" kind of way) or if it went poorly ( in a "hey, here's a drink to cheer you up and keep you hopeful while it appeases our guilt for saying no" kind of way).

I also learned of someone's economic status as she and her friend discussed economics, jobs, investment property and putting $12,000 a month into savings. Seriously?!?! $12,000 a month? My brief, however rudimentary, math skills tell me that you ma'am are making a pile of coin.

I know, I know...it's none of my business. But in case you decide to air your financial laundry to the world, my advice to you is please don't do it in a small, cramped coffee shop where everyone can hear EVERYTHING you are saying.

Which now leads me to a question. When you spend time in a coffee shop, do you have your iPod on and your headphones in? Or do you listen to the conversations happening around you?

Wednesday review...

My students (and probably leaders) are reaching their limit. They've been going strong for the past year and it's getting to that point in the calendar when everyone gets a little restless. Students start disappearing for grads, schoolwork and jobs. Some college students vanish for the summer while others return home to help out.

So we decided to take a breather and do things old school with "A Night of Play".

Middle School and High School all together for one purpose and one purpose only, to PLAY.

No worship team set up & take down, no MediaShout, no random videos.

No "talk" to somehow redeem the evening.

The goal was to play, relax, laugh and just BE together.

But somewhere in that mix I completely missed something. And I feel like a complete idiot, because it's something that should be common sense by now. As soon as I tell you what it is you will likely shake you head and say "tsk, tsk, tsk...you had it coming old man."

Allow me to back up a little bit.

One of our leaders brought us a giant box of packing peanuts. I decided to throw all our prizes in the box so kids could walk up to the stage, reach in and grab a random item. We put Coke, mini-cereal boxes, silly putty and candy into the box. My wife and I also found water guns on sale, so we tossed a few of those (by few, I mean 10) into the mix.

Yeah...water guns. What was I thinking?!?!

Almost 75% of our students left the premises with water on them. I was drenched from head to toe. There was water EVERYWHERE! And I'm not talking about outside. We pretty much had an all out water war inside the Youth Centre.

And let me tell you that it sure was funny.

So, now you tell me...was this a rookie mistake or did I actually know what I was doing?

Teens & BO...

One of the things I've learned over my years of working with teenagers is that they can smell bad. If you haven't experienced the odors that can emanate from a group of middle schoolers, please count yourself lucky.

Lately, we've been noticing a rise in the smells at our youth events. (I mean a literal rise as you can actually see the smell before it arrives at your nasal passage.) There are a few students that obviously have not been educated in regards to proper social hygiene and it's becoming slightly awkward.

We're trying to think of how we can approach the issue without hurting feelings while at the same time trying to prevent what could become "social suicide". It's obvious to many, but so far no one has complained or "made a big stink" about it.

My intern suggested asking some deodorant-making companies for free samples that we could give away, so we may look into that.

But, do you have any other ideas or suggestions of what we could do to educate these students without making them feel singled out?

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.