Thursday afternoons...

I had a crappy night at youth last night. It was one of those occasions where it seems like little is going right. Everything from the setup to the worship to the message seemed to be off. And I have no explanation for it. I was more prepared than usual, and yet I was completely out of sync.

In order to not get caught up in the "woe is me" mentality, I have decided that I shall try to focus on the things that bring me joy on these cloudy Thursday afternoons.

The guacamole video from 2 weeks ago is still changing lives. Swarley Swift has "entered" the world. We have friends camping out with us. I'm a couple of weeks away from a California trip. And I finally have new glasses that are not disintegrating (sorry Nathan & Peter, but I couldn't go for the matching specs like you).

And since you have hopefully already shared in the joy that is the guacamole video, I will now present you with Swarley Swift's video debut:


Swarley Swift (The Medley) from knotter on Vimeo.

Book #14...

Starving Jesus
Craig Gross & J.R. Mahon

It seems like everything I'm reading lately tends to challenge me in the same areas. And since the theme of this book tends to be about getting "out of the pew", it's once again fitting as some of the topics in the book (Bible reading, outreach, fasting) are things that have been popping up in other areas of my own thought life.

In the last couple of weeks I feel myself being pushed to make some changes. Things cannot stay the same. I don't mean to be cryptic, but I haven't been able to flesh anything out yet. I just know that it's there.

As for the rest of this book, it is a combination of Craig's thoughts, mixed with J.R.'s stories, and interspersed with scripture. While the book doesn't detail the entire 40 day journey they took on their Starving Jesus Tour back in 2006, it does give some of the background into what led up to the journey, as well as highlighting some of the more noteworthy moments in their travels.

Mostly, I'm just thankful for the push.

Catching up...

The week in review:

• Started a new teaching series for our students called Coffeehouse Theology. We based the idea on the book of the same name that I'm currently working my way through.
• Almost had a drunk homeless man take a swing at me 10 minutes after hugging me for finding him a way to stay out of the rain.
  
• The Habs have really turned things around and I'd like to think they could really make some progress in the post season if things keep clicking.
  
• Welcomed home some friends from their YWAM trip with a spaghetti supper. It's great to share some laughs and reconnect after not seeing them for so many months.
• Trying to buy some guitar pedals. I've got my eye on a few Craigslist leads, but we'll see if things work out.
• Watched my son completely break down in tears when he lost most of his money in last night's Monopoly game to his mom. To be honest, I almost cried 30 minutes earlier when she took all my money too.
• Where was Becca during the game? Washing the dishes. Sure, if I was her boss I would have fired her for not actually cleaning anything. But hey, she wanted to do it. You can't say no to that, right?
• Watched Liverpool score in the final minutes their game which keeps the pressure on United to keep winning. No more slip ups.
• Hung out with the soccer boys today and had a BBQ. I like these guys, and while I can get frustrated with our lack of skill at times, I do like hanging out with these guys.

To the prairies and back...

A few weeks ago we were in Manitoba for a little visit. I'll spare you the complete details, but here are a few pics from the journey.

We found some time on our trip to snap some family photos. It was kind of an early 35th anniversary present for my parents. Lots of wet shoes from the snow, but at least we got a sunny day.

A friend, Nathan, hooked us up with some wheels while we were in the area. I seriously expected a used 1982 Dodge Caravan, so I was surprised when we were handed the keys to this beast.

I use the term "beast" affectionately. I'm not a big fan of Mustangs (or Ford for that matter), but ripping around town and splashing through March puddles in this thing was a blast.

And yes, I did actually put the top down, even if it was only for a few minutes.

But have you ever tried to sit in the backseat of one of these? The kids didn't have any leg room, and they hardly have legs!

A quick drive into Winnipeg on the Tuesday of our trip found us enjoying French toast with an old friend while making two more new friends. Chris, Kelly and Ben were great hosts and it was so great to catch up with someone I haven't seen in over ten years.

You know those people that you can start talking with and it's like you never missed a beat? This was one of those times. I wish we were a little closer to hang out more often, but we'll look you up the next time we're in town.

Just call me a tragic comic...

10,000 points to the first person who can correctly identify which band wrote a song containing the above lyrics. (No Google cheats!)

Now on to my unrelated topic.

Where have all the good comedies gone?!?!

This past weekend I tried, and subsequently failed, to find a good movie that would evoke within me the most sincere type of laughter. You know, the side splitting, gasping for air, rolling on the floor laughing my...you get the point.

The culprit this time around was Role Models. And while I am consoling myself with the fact that it only set me back $0.88, I'm still miffed that I was once again left without a solid 90-120 minutes of side-splitting laughter.

I've tried them all in recent months: Step Brothers, Love Guru, Pineapple Express, Superbad, Tropic Thunder, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and likely a few more that I have tried to forget about. Taking into consideration that I saw Tropic Thunder in the theater, I've probably spent close to five whole dollars on the others.

Now, I know I should count myself lucky that I haven't been forced to fork over a mind numbing $6.00 to Blockbuster each time I want to kill 90-120 minutes of my weekend, but I'm annoyed nonetheless. Each rental has left me with a few chuckles, but nothing I could take to the bank. Nothing that makes me say to myself or others, "Now THAT was a funny movie!"

Can somebody please point me in the direction of a newer release that will actually make me laugh? I want a funny movie that I'll find myself quoting for weeks to come. A movie that I'll gladly recommend to others. A film that leaves me gasping for air.

The Princess Bride.

Brain Donors.

Men in Black.

Fletch. (Just for you Jon!)

The Three Amigos.

Tommy Boy.

Airplane.

Napoleon Dynamite.

Seriously, what happened to all the funny?

I forgot how to read...

I am WAY behind on my reading goal of 52 books for this year. But I'm not giving up hope that I can get back on track.

I just finished book #13, which I've been working on for well over a month.

The Know-It-All
A.J. Jacobs

I actually swiped this book from my wife after she took it from the library. It traces Jacobs quest to read his way through the entire Encyclopedia Britannica. It's basically a large collection of mostly funny, sometimes eccentric, observations. You'll laugh, and you might even learn something.

I learned that a book, as defined by the UN, is anything that is at least 49 pages long. Erin can no longer argue that some of the books I've included on my reading list are not books.

Go watch...

Here's my list of three things you should make time to watch sometime in the next week:

1. ABC's Nightline Faceoff "Does Satan Exist?"
2. Mark Driscoll's final session at the Acts 29 Boot Camp. (I referred to this a few weeks ago here.)
   
3. Simon Panrucker singing about guacamole and cake. (I'll embed it below for your viewing pleasure!)

Guacamole from Si on Vimeo.

9 years later and I'm still in...

Last weekend I sat in a room full of students for the annual Legacy youth conference at Ambrose University College. And while I expected this to be like every other weekend. Little sleep, tested nerves, mediocre teaching, rock star worship, awkward small groups, skits full of inside jokes, and terrible food. (Optimistic, eh?)

In reality what I got was more reminiscent of a similar youth conference 9 years earlier where God decided that it was time to do some work on my heart.

This past weekend I was faced with the fact that I've let bitterness take over so much of my life and my heart. And it was clear that it could not be ignored any longer.

In one of those experiential teaching moments I found myself setting aside my pride and selfishness and confessing my bitterness to God. I felt like He was asking me to let go and in doing so I experienced grace.

Now, I know that I'm not done. I still have many rough edges that need some sanding. But I'm trying. And I'm remaining open to what God has for me.

It was this past weekend that God reminded me of what he has asked me to do with my life. Not just in what I do as a "job" but also what I do with my heart.

So, I'm still in. That's what I told Him.

It's a heartfelt response much like I remember distinctly from 9 years ago.

It's a reply I've been hesitant to make, but it's one that I need to make regularly with sincerity.

I'm in.

Thursday...

I have some thoughts brewing.

In the meantime, for all you married folks...when's the last time you hung out with your spouse?

Tuesday...

I'm wiped. How about you?

Musical notes...

Here's a few of the hits and the misses with musical purchases lately:

• Decemberadio "Satisfied" - Sounds too much like 80's Christian Hard Rock. Think Guardian and your close. MISS
• Josh Wilson "Trying to Fit the Ocean in a Cup" - I took a leap with this one after watching this video of him doing some sweeting looping. The album is a little too unoriginal and strikes me as too much of a typical Contemporary Christian Music album. MISS
• Enter the Worship Circle "Fourth Circle" - I've been on the hunt for some new "worship" music and this fit the bill of new and original. I'm totally digging it and the band gets major bonus points for posting all their guitar tabs on their site. HIT
• Jason Mraz "We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things." - You can accuse me of being a 13 year old girl, but I like the guy. And this Limited Edition came with an extra CD and a DVD. HIT
• U2 "Get On Your Boots" (single) - A huge waste of $0.99. I'm glad the rest of the album didn't follow in the footsteps of this one. MISS
  
• U2 "No Line On the Horizon" - It's freaking U2, what do you expect? Apparently they'll be in Vancouver on October 28. Anyone else in? HIT
• Mat Kearney "Closer to Love" (single) - His last album contained a few too many redo's from his first CD release, so I'm stoked about the new album coming out in May. HIT
  
• Dave Matthews Band "Sledgehammer" (single) - From the "Live at Mile High Music Festival", this is a fine cover of the Peter Gabriel hit. I still cringe every time I hear Dave's version of "Sweet Caroline", so when he does a cover I get nervous. But this one was well done. HIT

Changing my outlook...

After weeks of rolling up the rim and hoping...even sometimes praying for a winning cup, I've decided to face reality. I'm already a winner. Therefore I'm no longer 1 for 13. I am now 12 for 13. I'm changing my persepective.

Sure, it may sound like reverse psychology, but I'm ok with that.

Who watches the Watchmen...

Not I.


Seriously, I found myself staring at the screen and wondering when it was going to be over, and that was only 30 odd minutes into it! Another 15 minutes and I was no more enthralled.

It was finally around the 60 minute mark that the movie was ditched in favor of a 12:00am Salisbury House run.

Would you believe...

Today I drove around in a convertible.

I lost again at rolling up the rim.

My kids woke up 2.5 hours earlier than usual.

I reconnected with 2 people in the last week that I haven't talked with in over 10 years.

Driscollisms...

I found a link that allowed me to watch part an Acts 29 Boot Camp video online yesterday where Mark Driscoll was talking about "The Call to Endure".

Here's a few notes I scribbled down in the midst of a million other things that were going on. I'll spare you the commentary as I believe most of them are self-explanatory.

"Minister from your life. Don't make ministry your life."

"Don't allow ministry to become your idol."

"Ministry is the one idol that other Christians will bless."

"Sabbath is fun. Involuntary Sabbath is not fun."

"(In the church) Your wife and children should do whatever they would do if they were not with you."

"You'll have lots of fans, lots of foes, and very few friends. Ministry is lonely."

I know Mark ruffles some feathers. But I find much of what he does say to be pure gold in the wisdom department.

This is Tuesday...

It feels like Monday so I will now bombard you with randomness:

• Yay for Brad! Senior Pastor of Parking & Recycling.
• This season of 24 started a little slow for me, but it appears that Jack is finding his groove.
• Had a Youth Ministry 3.0 "book club" meeting (part 1 of 4) with some of my leaders last night. It was a fun conversation topped off by Kool-Aid and over-sprinkled sugar cookies.
• I am angry at "Christian music". I bought a stack of CD's so we could get some new tunes for our youth nights and 2 discs completely suck. Can somebody please point me to a decent "Christian" band?!?!
• Taking a trip to the old stomping grounds in Portage this upcoming weekend. I hear it's cold there. Very, very cold.
• I'd like to go see Watchmen, but I cannot find the time.
• I have too many books that are in progress, with no end in sight.
• I would like to do something random and different today. Suggestions?
• I think my wife is beautiful.

How's your Tuesday?

Book #12...

A Christianity Worth Believing
Doug Pagitt

This book gets me thinking. How much do I currently believe about my faith just because everyone else around me believed it? How much do I actually know for myself? How much do I live and hold on to because I want to, and not just because of my upbringing?

How often do I question? How often do I search for answers? How often do I dig into life and God?

The answer? Not nearly enough.

I think my favorite part of this book was when Pagitt introduced me to the term of "contrarian". Now, I will be the first to say that I'm not usually one to rock the boat. In fact, I probably wish I was more rebellious that I actually am. Not just so I can stick out or be "relevant", but so that I can cause myself, and others, to think more.

As Doug describes a contrarian, I found myself nodding along.

"But to me, being a contrarian means holding out hope when others have stopped hoping. It means looking past the limitations and imagining the possibilities. It means rethinking ideas that have been ignored or dismissed in the past." (7)

I don't want to be the one who loses hope. I don't want to stop thinking and rethinking. I'm not satisfied with the same old thing repeating itself over and over and over again.

I once got told that I was too pessimistic. I've struggled with that label. Maybe to some extent it's true, but I tend to think that a pessimist gives up on hope. A pessimist gives up on dreaming. They give up on thinking and rethinking. They give up on what could be. They give up on what needs to be done or what should be done.

I don't want to be the one who gives up.

And why? This pretty much sums it up:

"We are convinced that when we stop asking questions, when we turn away from a set of facts or an idea screaming to be considered, that's when things really fall apart. We are not trying to cause trouble; we're trying to stay out of it." (8)

I'd like to be the one who asked too many questions, rather than the one who regrets asking any.

That's my Sunday ramble for you.

Breaking out in random song...

I've been unable to wrap my head around the fact that people actually enjoy dramatic productions where the cast appears to break out in spontaneous song at any given opportunity.

So I took my wife to see Annie last night. I bought her the tickets for Christmas and I think it was one of those gifts that she never expected.

While I would say that Stomp was a far more entertaining show, I didn't find the evening to be as painful as I would have thought. I almost feel culture, except for the fact that I felt like I was at a circus since there were so many kids at the show.

Oing, oing...

There are no words to describe this.

I cannot believe that this guy makes a living doing this.

But then I wonder if I've ever had days where I made no sense like that.

I hope not.




(ht Matthew Paul Turner)

I'd like to try something new here...

I've tried reviewing movies, music and books. But reviews tend to be so fickle anyways, so why bother?

I've tried random video posts. But if you post too many they actually cease to be random, don't they?

I've posted cool guitar videos I've stumbled across.

I've posted recaps of my week.

I've done reviews of our weekly student ministry events.

I feel like I've become an ADD blog, so I'm curious. If there was anything you would like to see/read here more often, what would it be?

300...

That's the number of unread posts in my Google Reader and it should say enough about the state of things lately.

In the meantime, I'd like to know if you bought the new U2 CD yet.

Mark the calendar...

June 2, 2009.

Dave Matthews Band releases "Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King".

A grown man's toys...

Most people know that I have collected various Star Wars memorabilia over the years. I have toys still in boxes, toys without boxes, board games with missing pieces, posters, books, magazines and a pile of other things.

The collection has sat in boxes in our basements and crawl spaces for years. And all those years I thought it would be great if one day I could create a room where I could put all my collectibles on display.

Well, at long last I decided it was time for a change. It was time to see if I could actually part with any of this stuff. So, after more than a month of Craigslist postings I finally had someone bite who was interested in buying a large piece of the collection.

So today I packed them into the car and dropped them off in exchange for a pile of bills.

So, why did I cave?

Have I finally accepted that I must carry on like a civilized adult and not play with toys?

Did it dawn on me that I didn't actually have any use for these things?

Am I trying to repress childhood memories?

Nope. Actually, I just had to find a way to get a new toy.

Yup, every man has a price for parting with their childhood. Mine was a guitar amp.

And I don't regret it one bit because she sounds oh so pretty.

The snow allows some catching up...

Book #11
Me to We
Alan Nelson

Besides being a constant advertisement for Group Publishing, Church Volunteer Central, and his own books and articles, there was a number of principles found in this leadership story/parable that are helpful.

The idea is built around the fact that too many churches are pastor-centered where the congregation is not fully equipped or released to do much.

I agree. I'm also guilty. And I wonder how much of my "church career", I've built up ministries around myself instead of fully training and equipping the volunteers to lead.

I've always found it difficult to release others. I have a tendency to hold on too long and too tightly, which is why having a full time intern this year has been completely healthy for me. I'm learning that I am not (and should not) be the center of ministry life.

It sounds like a no-brainer, yet it seems so prevalent in the church today.

I'm rambling now. But I'd recommend giving this book a go if you're at all interested in rethinking how you get others involved in ministry. You may not find anything completely new, but it will get your mind working.

It's February...

Yup, it's time for snow again. I didn't even know that the forecast was calling for snow. Good grief, it's supposed to be Flip Flop Wednesday!

Here's the view from our kitchen.

It was a 25 minute drive from the church. And I'm quite surprised that our little car made it up the mountain and past the growing pile of cars, vans and SUVs that are being abandoned.

You should have seen the strange looks I got from two SUV drivers on their way down the mountain. They seemed shocked that I was even trying. Come on people, it's not that hard to drive in snow!

We canceled youth for the night, so now I get a rare Wednesday evening at home. And I'm wondering what things will look like in the morning.

Oh yeah, and I'm supposed to have a soccer game tomorrow night.

Oscars...

Did you watch?

I recorded it and then we watched bits and pieces after the kids were in bed. We also tried to guess who we thought would win each award. I beat Erin by one point. All hail King Mike.

Good to see Heath win.

And I might need to see Slumdog Millionaire.

25 things...

It's Sunday afternoon, the kids are cleaning their rooms, my wife stole the couch, and I'm too lazy to pull out the guitar. Now, at long last, you get your 25 random things about me.

1. I think watches that beep every hour are stupid.
2. I have always enjoyed watching COPS.
3. I can't stand politics, but I think Obama is cool.
4. I weighed 120 lbs when I got married.
5. I once played a year of baseball and hated it. From then on it was all soccer.
6. I met Don Cherry & Ron MacLean after a Jets game.
7. I still own my first ever guitar. It was a Fender acoustic given to me as a grad present.
8. I sometimes listen to country music. And I usually enjoy it.
9. I have only once received a red card during soccer, but I was able to talk the ref out of it and was let back on the field.
10. I always enjoy movies where the geeky guy gets the girl.
11. I always enjoy Christmas movies.
12. I had no intentions of being in full time ministry when I went to Bible College.
13. I have never been in an actual fist fight.
14. I own 25 Dave Matthews albums.
15. I would get a tattoo, except I hate needles and I'm a coward.
16. Simon Panrucker almost always makes me laugh hysterically or giggle.
17. I once made an announcement in church that someone died. They hadn't died, and were actually no where near death.
18. I like saltines.
19. Two songs that get played on almost any guitar I pick up are "Ants Marching" (Dave Matthews Band) and "More Than Words" (Extreme).
20. If forced to choose between seeing Dave Matthews, Eric Clapton, Manchester United or Montreal Canadiens, I would hands down choose United.
21. I once met James Doohan.
22. I don't like flying. I get all nervous and my palms sweat.
23. If I could, I would move to Maui.
24. I prefer to eat grated cheese over other kinds of cheese. My wife refers to this as my "cheese protocol".
25. My first car was a 2-door 1982 Honda Civic.

You are welcome.
I guess I'm supposed to tag someone, so I'll opt for Brad, Bryce, Erin (ha!) and Mike.

Why do you pain me so...

Dear football,

I love you so much, but you must stop hurting me.

I am too old to be recovering every week.

This is me (#10, striking a pose) right before I put my whole foot into the ground. I was officially out for the rest of the game and now I'm hobbling around the house.

And look at all that space on the top left corner! Too bad I was no where close to hitting it.

It's official...

I'm booked for Catalyst West.

Flights, hotel and car. Woohoo!

Where does the time go...

Sometime today I realized that it was Thursday. And then I realized that I wasn't too sure what happened to Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday? I have a vague recollection of.

I've also noticed that I'm falling WAY behind in my reading.

Book #9
The Magician's Nephew
C.S. Lewis

The kids and I are working our way through the Chronicles of Narnia and we've passed the first hurdle. It's been so long since I read these books, it's almost like I'm reading them for the first time. I'm loving the fact that the kids and I have something like this that we can share together.

Book #10
Cross Country
James Patterson

When I first started reading Patterson's stuff I loved the fact that the short chapters made it easy to pick up the book at any time. (I'm one of those guys that gets irritated when he can't fully finish a chapter.) But this time I found myself growing tired of the constant stops and breaks. As for the story, it was typical Patterson with a sprinkling of international intrigue.

Guitarisms...

It's been a while since I shared a guitarism with you.

I'm a self-proclaimed hack when it comes to the guitar, but I absolutely love it. In fact, I've recently begun my adventure into the wonderful world of the electrics and it has only served to reaffirm my love for the most awesome instrument.

I used to give my high school guys a hard time because they would play electric more than acoustic. And while I will never give up the acoustic, I can see why some people are drawn to the eclectic sounds of an electric guitar.

Anyways, I stumbled upon this video today. I love what some people can do with a loop pedal. If only I could get mine to work this well...

Uh...yeah...

Just watched Burn After Reading. Sheesh, those Coen brothers are strange.

So, here's a random question. Which Coen brothers film is your favorite?

I'm going to go with No Country For Old Men.

Valentines Blog Tour...

The latest pile of freebies that showed up in my mailbox for review consisted of four books. And being that I had no faith in my ability to read all four, nor did I particularly want to read all four, I decided to enlist an outsider. So Erin (I no longer link to her blog since she never actually blogs anymore. But I still love her!) was gracious enough to do two of the following reviews.

That alone is memorable because I don't think I have ever had a guest blogger stop by. Especially one this hot!

And just by way of clarification, I only counted one of these books towards my own book tally for the year. I just want there to be no confusion.

Here are Erin's thoughts on the first two books. Mine are obviously the last two.

I Do Again
Cheryl & Jeff Scruggs

This book was a quick and easy read. The authors were honest and open about the mistakes they had made that led to a divorce, and the rough journey to remarriage to each other 7 years later. It was a good reminder to not make the same pitfalls in my own marriage and enjoyable to hear a unique story of God working in people’s lives. Not super profound, but enjoyable.



For Women Only
Shaunti Feldhahn

I read this book in one sitting and for the most part felt like it was nothing new or surprising. I found that the generalizations were sometimes a little too general, but it was a good refresher on the differences between men and women. This might be a better read for someone who is newly or getting married to help them understand guys better. It did make me think about a few things in my marriage that I could work on though, and that’s not a bad thing.

For Men Only
Shaunti & Jeff Feldhahn
Book #8

This book was part of the For Couples Only series that Erin read the women's portion of. If you've been married for any length of time it's quite possible that you've figured out most of what's in this book. But the chances are that since you are male, you've likely forgotten it. So the book is a good reminder for some very simple basics on how you should approach your wife. Or if you're husband is a terrible listener, you may want to give him a copy and hope he picks something up.

The Love as a Way of Life
Gary Chapman & Elisa Stanford

I tried. Really, I did. But I just cannot find the inner strength required to complete the "90 day adventure" of daily readings that consist of a Bible verse followed up by an inspirational story about someone else's life. Sorry.

Sweet spots...

I'm working my way through "Me to We" by Alan Nelson. The basic idea is that churches need to move away from pastor-centered ministries and work more on mobilizing people. Sure, it's something most of us have heard a thousand times, but we are terrible when it comes to follow through.

A pile of stuff is jumping out at me and getting my brain going. Here's a few:

"When pastors try to do things outside their sweet spot, everyone suffers." (37)

"If the body works right, everyone should be doing what they're best at three-fourths of the time--and that includes the pastor." (38)

In an attempt to get some lively conversation going, here's a few questions for you to consider:

1. What are you currently doing that is outside your "sweet spot"?
   
   
2. Is it possible (or even necessary) to make changes to what you are currently doing?

No staff Tuesday...

I guess that's not entirely true. There's lots of staff around the building. We even got together for our regular Tuesday morning coffee. But we did have our regular Tuesday morning (pastoral) staff meeting canceled because the "boss" (I know that term isn't completely accurate, but I can't come up with anything more creative that doesn't make fun of his choice in hockey teams) is at a conference. We won't say where he is as it evokes within me certain feelings of jealousy.

Now I'm trying to use this "free" time to my advantage, but I'm failing miserably. The only thing I can think of is that I want to head over to Tim Horton's and grab a large French Vanilla.

What should I be doing?

• Tomorrow night's message
• A college reference for a high schooler
• Sending emails to finalize a student ministry leader's meeting
• Sending emails to get our Web team off the ground (heading up this team was the latest addition to my ministry plate)
• Trying to track down flight and hotel info for my Catalyst trip in April
• Getting caught up on some ministry reading

So, I pose the same question to you.

What should you be doing?

25...

It seems like everyone is playing this "25 Random Things" meme. I, however, have felt left out. I think the only person who has "tagged" me has been my mom.

Maybe I'll get to it one of these days. DO you even want to hear 25 random things?

In the meantime, did you happen to catch the Grammy's last night? Can you honestly tell me that you thought Plant & Krauss would win big?

Reading update...

Book #5
Good People
Marcus Sakey

What happens if you find tens of thousands of dollars hidden in your basement suite after the reclusive renter suddenly dies? Duh...keep it and make things super difficult when it turns out that the money is actually stolen. I'm kidding of course, but once again I wasn't actually too impressed with Sakey's story line. I like his writing, but he just seems to put people in ridiculous situations that they bring upon themselves. Then they complain about it and try to fix it on there own while seeming to avoid practical common sense. Skip it.


Book #6
Crazy Love
Francis Chan

At times I was reminded of how loved I am. At times I was feeling guilty and slightly reprimanded for not being the Christian I should be. At times I was inspired and challenged. Chan really tries to push you to consider changing how you live so that it reflects your love for God. And from his own story, it sounds like a guy who practices what he preaches. The book also has a website that contains some videos to go along with the book. However, I wrestled with the tone of the book. Not that I expected some fluffy "Jesus loves you" kind of sentiment, but I found some of his stuff a little in your face. Some of it made me feel like I was a horrible Christian. Maybe I am. I'll probably put this on the shelf and pull it out again sometime.

Book #6
Everything Must Change
Brian McLaren

This was collecting dust on the shelf for the last year, and now I know why. I had a beggar of a time (is that even a phrase?) working through it. I love how McLaren isn't afraid to speak his mind and how he isn't afraid to ask some very big questions. But the way that his brain works can sometimes boggle my mind. I find myself reading, rereading and scratching my head more often than not. I can't put a finger on it, but sometime there are people that I just have a hard time tracking with. They are usually smart, well educated and they use big words. I think the big picture (if I found it) of change is one that seems like a great idea in principle, but I wonder if it is realistic. I also wonder if some of it is based too much on a fear of the worst of what could happen in the future. Still, you can't dismiss the merit of paying attention to ways in which the world (especially the Western world) is setting itself up for failure. There probably is something we can do.

Kickin it for Christ...

Christian shoes.

You can see the whole line up at their store.

Seriously.
Seriously?
Seriously?!?!

Their tag line is "Manufacturers of premium quality sneakers, and the original Christian shoes."

Umm...

January was Extreme Weather Shelter month at the church. Some great people (students included) stepped up to the plate to help provide a warm place for the homeless to rest for a night (or 25 as it turned out to be). Some volunteers fed them, some washed clothes and bedding, some packed lunches, some played cards and others just hung out and watched TV with them.

One of the things that we've seen as a result of this shelter is an influx of people hanging around the church during the day. They are sleeping in the courtyard, sleeping by the gym doors, hanging out in the front office, using the phone and just generally being a presence. (And I believe that is a good thing, even though I know it presents some difficulties.)

Many of the people who are around are looking for some sort of financial assistance. They can't (or won't) get food from the Food Bank of from Salvation Army. They've used up all their resources on rent, on damage deposits, or on drugs and alcohol. So they turn to the Church.

Since Monday is my day "on call" I was back and forth to the front office to talk with 5-6 people throughout the day. Most of the guys I talked with I have already met.

But it gets me wondering what other churches do when people show up looking for help. Care to share your approach?

Day two...

Well, we're still alive, but I must admit that I'm not mentally fit.

We ate at Newcomer's Lunch at church today. For supper we ordered pizza for our version of a Super Bowl party. But in my defense, we did share a Greek salad, so that has to be worth something.

The kids crack me up though.

When tucking them into bed (a little later than usual) Becca was questioning me about how things would work in the morning with mom away. I tried to assure her that the only difference was that I would make their lunch instead of mom. Becca laughed and then said "lunch" while using air quotes. I think she doubts my abilities as a homemaker.

And earlier today Aidan was playing with a Nerf gun and, while looking down the barrel, pulled the trigger. Apparently he forgot that he had loaded it and he shot himself in the nose.

I tell you, the older these kids get the funnier they get too.

Now it's 9:45pm and I'm thinking of packing it in to watch some X-Files.

Superbowl...

Bruce Springsteen and commercials. Is there even a game going on?

What's your interest in the Superbowl?

What does a dad do...

I've done this "solo" parenting thing before (results are found here, here, and here). And it gives me a whole new understanding and appreciation for those parents that have to go the road alone.

If I had to go longer than a week I think we'd be in rough shape.

So, what did I do all day as a single dad?

• We bundled up and headed off to Aidan's soccer game. I think they won 13-2 and there is much debate as to whether he scored 5 (dad's guess) or 7 (Aidan's modest guess).
• We had toast for lunch. I know that's a fairly week meal, but we had a short turn around before heading out for my soccer game.
• We bundled up and headed off to my aforementioned soccer game. A 4-1 loss. I was useless and I blame yesterday's ski trip.
• We watched the Manchester United game and most of Habs game off the DVR.
• We grocery shopped. And we bought more than pizza pops and juice boxes. Really.

So, Jon, if you can pass the news along to Erin. We are fine. So far. But supper tonight will not be healthy!

Friday fumbles...

I'm noticing a trend.

I'm gradually finding it more difficult to blog during the week.

I apologize. I know that you often revolve your own week around what you find here. I'm aware that this will make it more difficult for your regular life to continue. But, until things slow down a little bit you may have to suffice with trivial posts like this.

As for current predicaments, I just arrived home from Whistler where I spent the day skiing with my mother-in-law. I know many men who have "issues" with their mother-in-laws. They may be over-bearing or intrusive. (Is that the same thing?) They may be...(insert your own choice phrase/word). Mine is cool. She takes me skiing.

I haven't been on the slopes since well before my knee injuries and I was unsure how things would play out today. Well, it's kind of like riding a bike and it didn't take long to get back in the groove of things.

But now I'm wiped.

And my body aches.

And did I mention that I am supposed to play a soccer game tomorrow?

And my wife is running off until next Wednesday?

And I'm behind on my reading?

So, you just may be seeing a little more of me here in the days to come.

Some things are always funny...

Brad has a reason why every man should own an iPhone.

Well, here's reason #2 why you should own an iPhone.

All-Star weekend...

There's a bit of a fiasco over the NHL All-Star teams for this weekend. Most of it is concerning the selection of 4 Habs (Price, Kovlev, Komisarek, and Markov) to the starting line up. But since I'm a Habs fan, I'm thrilled.

The other bit of the fiasco is about players missing out on the game. Players like Lidstrom and Datsyuk from the Red Wings are staying home, which means a one game suspension courtesy of the NHL.

I've got the recorder set and will be watching the skills competition later tonight and the game tomorrow. But I'm looking forward to sharing this experience with my son.

I remember growing up in a house with no cable, so many years I'd run over to my grandparents apartment to watch the events unfold. I have good memories of the game and hope it can be passed on to my own kids.

Which leads me to this weekend's all important question:

Is the All-Star game worth it? Or is it all a bunch of hype?

When you can't sleep...

Ever have one of those nights where you toss and turn and just can't find that elusive thing called sleep?

What do you do?

Me? I watch the Discovery Channel.

Life Beneath the Surface...

Book #4
Life Beneath the Surface
Mike Pilavachi (and Craig Borlase)

I like Mike. I've heard him speak at a number of events and I've always enjoyed listening to him. I find him funny, encouraging, insightful and even entertaining. And he is a fan of Manchester United. Seriously, that alone wins me over.

I've been working through this book as a devotional of sorts. I've tried to read a chapter a day (some days I read two) and some of what I was challenged/encouraged with has had ripple effects that have started hitting our students.

You likely won't find anything profound that you have never heard before, but sometimes it's good to be reminded of the simpler parts of our faith.

Another retreat...

Who on earth plans to attend a staff retreat the day after getting back from a weekend youth retreat?

Me. (Yes, I'm an idiot.)

I'm glad to be home. Nothing profound happened this week, and this comment pretty much spells it out:

Lead Pastor type at dinner last night: "So, have you even been out of your room today?"

Slacker me: "Uh...yeah."

Lead Pastor type: "Seriously, did you leave your room at all today?"

Still slacker me: "Yeah."

Really, I spent a lot of time catching up with friends, but I skipped a few of the general sessions. I needed to. I was at risk of losing my mind if I kept on going.

So yesterday I slept in until 10:30, met with a couple people after lunch and then found myself a chair by the window and read and played guitar all afternoon. Then it was off to the banquet before heading out with the rest of the district youth pastors.

I shouldn't be tired right now, but I am.

Incoherent...

Every year I go on a retreat with my students I feel older. My body aches. My lack of sleep astounds me . And the recovery time takes twice as long as the year before. I must be getting older. Sigh...

Last night I'm lying in my bunk bed (yes, BUNK bed) and it suddenly dawns on me that I'm 31 years old and I'm awake at 2AM chatting with students and our intern. This is not normal, is it?

But it is what I do. And while I'm worse for wear right now, I'll recover.

Funny comment from a student: "We should do this again in a few months."

Yeah...right. Let's talk about this again sometime in the fall.

Word of the Weekend: "Swarleylicious"

Gangs...

Book #3
At the City's Edge
Marcus Sakey

I read his first book and found it to be ok, so I thought I'd pick up his other two at the library.

This is his second book and it takes you into the city of Chicago where gangsters, cops, and politicians do whatever they like.

I found this book much better than his first and there were many times when I was itching to find out how things would turn out. But once again the ending strikes me as a little too Hollywoodish.

His third book will be on the reading list for next week's District Staff Retreat in Kelowna.

Retreat weekend...

I head out with our students and leaders this weekend for our annual PROXIMITY Retreat.

What is PROXIMITY? Well, it's not something cool like our student ministry name. It's not even the name of the camp. Rather, it's a concept of growing close that we've been trying to develop with our students. It's been at the heart of what we've done for almost 2 years now. And the basic focus is two fold:

• Help students grow closer to God
• Help students (and leaders) grow closer to one another

Simple enough, right? You'd think so. But then when you see our group together you would also see why we need this to be a focus.

We have a pile of students that have little or nothing to do with God. We also have a pile of students from a pile of different schools that don't know one another. And some weeks they act accordingly. PROXIMITY doesn't fix it entirely, but it is a tool we use that helps.

We also used grilled cheese once upon a time. And that worked too.

Anyways, I'm going through all the pre-retreat jitters. Did I pack everything? What am I forgetting? What problems are we going to face? Who isn't going to show up on time? What if the rental vans aren't ready? What if the students hate this? What if I hate it? Will I survive?

As for right now, I am aware of the following:

• the 4 vans are booked
• the camp is expecting us (or at least most of us)
  
• pop, water and munchies have been purchased
• the teaching times have been planned
• some prizes have been set aside
• games have been prepared
• registration forms are all in one place
• worship leader is prepped and ready to go
• Tim Horton's French Vanilla mix is set aside (yikes, I almost forgot my mug!)
  

Now if I could only figure out what am I forgetting!?!?

If...

If you could only attend one conference or retreat this year, what would it be and why?

These are the ones that have ended up on my radar:

• Youth Pastors Retreat (a District thing, so there's no link)
  
• National Youth Workers Convention
  
• Drive '09
• Catalyst West
• Catalyst Atlanta
• Leadership Summit
  

Zombies...

Book #2
The Zombie Survival Guide
Max Brooks

A long time ago I was shocked to discover that my wife (apparently along with most of the world's female population) had no idea how to fend off a Zombie in a potential attack. So I did the proper thing as a concerned husband and put this book in her Christmas stocking.

I was concerned for her safety should I succumb to the living dead.

But she refused to read the book because it scares her (by the way, she is also afraid of X-Files and feet). So she told me to read it and let her know in brief detail what she may need to do if Zombies attack.

Funny book. Unless you consider the fact that there are likely people in the world who take this stuff seriously.

Newest family member...

Actually there are two new members worth noting. Obviously the real live one is WAY more important (and way cuter). But I'm struggling with what to post today, so you can hear about both.

Graeme (my sister and brother-in-law's first baby) arrived in December, but was officially let out of the hospital today. He was actually due at the end of this month so it's been a long hospital stay.

Cute kid, eh?

I'm so happy for my sister and her husband!





And this was the new arrival in our house at Christmas. It was the one I alluded to in this post when I mentioned that I need to learn how to play it. I love it. And it has encouraged me to play more guitar than I have in a long while.

For 2009...

Here's a few things I'm shooting for in 2009:

• With the kids - More reading with them (we're working our way through Narnia), more games, more Lego and more playing.
• With my wife - Go on more dates.
  
• With books - Reading 52 books. (Details can be found here.) But I'm going to try and read a wider variety this year.
  
• With TV - Once again I want to try and watch less.
• With music - Practice my guitar. (There's been a new addition to the household and I need to figure out how to make music with it.) Write some music. Yeah, my own stuff. And maybe if I'm daring enough I may even post it.
  
• With ministry - Take "silent" retreats a handful of times during the year. My friend Andrew has been long encouraging me to do this and I was finally able to include it in some written ministry goals after my job evaluation in the late fall.
• With life - I'd like to try something new.
  

Reviewing 2008...

Last year I set myself a few goals, so it's probably time I graded myself. Here goes:

• Books - I smashed my goal, so I'm my own personal hero. (A++)
• Blogs - My Google Reader still has under 50 subscriptions although I know a few times in the year I drifted into the mid 50's. (B)
• Music - I learned a few scales and then promptly forgot them. I didn't take any lessons. I didn't even write a song. (F)
  
• TV - I stopped watching Lost and Prison Break. I was able to find more time to read, and I know most of that is due to turning off the TV. (B+)
  
• Movies - I think I wrote about 19 movies that I watched. I know I watched more but I got lazier with my reviews as the year went on. (C-)
  
• Friends - I carved out a little more time with people, but not nearly enough. (D)
  
• Finances - This is still a work in progress, but I've been doing ok with the "cash only" approach. (C+)

One other thing I'd like to mention that I didn't write down but it's always a goal, and that's my family. I'd like to think that I spent more time with my family this last year. I'd probably need to ask them to grade me, but I'll give myself a B. I still need to, as Nathan so wisely puts it here, spend more time on the floor.

Stay tuned for some goals for 2009.

Old couch (take 2)...

Today I was cleaning.

(We're having people over to watch 24 tonight so we elected to actually vacuum. I drew the short straw.)

Anyways, I discovered a few treasures in the furthest most recesses of the couch. A Crayon, some Lite-Brite and a Tootsie Roll wrapper.

I know what you're asking now. So what?

Well, it got me thinking about this post where I agreed with an Andy Stanley quote that basically challenges us that it might be time to get rid of (or think of getting rid of) some older traditions in the church.

As I made my discovery today I was reminded that we may need to look inside the couch before we throw it out. We may find a few gems like these:

• A crayon that my daughter has been missing for some time. She can't seem to color certain things if she's missing the red crayon.
  
• Two pieces of Lite-Brite that, while not missed, are still practical and will have multiple artistic uses for years to come.
  
• A rolled up Tootsie Roll wrapper that is a remnant of a youth event where our grade 12's spent the evening throwing wrappers at each other. That was months ago and it still makes me laugh.

I guess we should probably look in the cushions before we throw the couch out.

What was the last thing you found in the couch cushions? (Proverbial or otherwise.)

Thursday...

I just watched Death Race. Don't ask why. The obvious answer is because it only set me back $0.88. That, and Erin headed out for coffee tonight so I had the TV to myself.

Then I realized I hadn't posted since Sunday. And that seemed to be too long. The countless emails that poured in from around the world were concerned that I had given up blogging.

Not so.

I'm here.

Just not much to blog about.

But I'll be back...someday.

Changing the furniture...

Sorry for the layout change, but I was frustrated by the last blog template that wouldn't how the date, let me access older posts or add the time that I posted. So I've settled on this new one...for now.

The Truth About You...

My first "official" book review. Sure, I'm offering this one in order to get free books, but I'm cheap.

Book #1
The Truth About You
Marcus Buckingham

It will likely take you longer to watch the DVD that comes with this book than it will take you to read the five chapters. Either way, you can probably pound it out in one sitting (two if you're slower like me).

Buckingham gives what appears to be some great advice for how we should each try to play to our strengths in life (particularly on the job front). He also gives some fairly simple application steps for how you can figure out what your own strengths (and even weaknesses) are.

What’s the goal? To get yourself into a situation (ie - job) where you find yourself working on your strengths a majority of your time while you attempt to pass on your weaknesses to others who are strong in those areas.

Buckingham is a very engaging author who obviously knows how to inspire people. He offers you hope while almost pushing you to believe in yourself. I know it sounds a little simplistic but I’m sure you’ll find the infamous words of Rob Schneider racing through your head, “You can do it!”

As for me, the jury will likely be out until I can work through the ReMemo pad, which is basically the project of figuring out my own strengths and weaknesses.

In short, it’s worth a read if you would like to do some self-reflecting while doing a little “on the job” homework.

Students in church,,,

Not many of our Wednesday night students attend our service on Sunday mornings.

But in the last 3-4 months we've seen a few more popping up from time to time.

The other thing you need to know is that I usually sit with the students (or is it that they sit with me?) during the service. The last couple of weeks we decided to sit somewhere else to change things up.

Well, it just so happened that a group of 4 students were sitting in the same general area as us. It's 4 students that are normally loud and not all of them were "born and bred in church", which means that they don't always behave the way typical "church kids" behave.

You're tracking with me, right?

Well, this crew was a little on the loud side today. Nothing life shattering by my account. Just kids being kids.

Well, after the service someone had a go at them. I didn't hear the conversation, but I knew they were getting an earful. And would you believe it, that I was next in line?

Here's the transcript as I remember it:

Person (obviously steamed): "Who do those kids think they are?"

Me (obviously blindsided): "What do you mean? They're kids."

Person: "They were talking all service. They were showing no respect for anyone. They showed no respect for the Lord's Supper."

Me: "Uh...well...they probably don't know better. They aren't in church much."

Person: "Does nobody teach them any respect?"

Me: "I don't know. They probably don't get told much. Did you try talking to them."

Person: "Yeah. You mean, this doesn't bother you?"

Me: "Uh...no."

Person "storms" off.

What do I do? I immediately head over to my students, shake hands and tell them that I think they're great and I look forward to seeing them on Wednesday.

And just for the record, I do not accept responsibility for the way any of my students acts while in church. I am their youth pastor, not their parent. If they are loud, try talking to their parents or to the students themselves (and do it in love). If it continues, then please find somewhere else to sit. It's a big room.

Are you watching...

Seriously, just when you think that Junior hockey can't get more exciting than Canada/USA, you get this. Canada. Russia. 5-5. Tied with 5 seconds left in the game.

If you're not watching, please quit what you're doing and go watch the overtime.

A new year, a new contest...

It only seems fitting that 2009 should usher in a brand new reading contest.

So, after much deliberation (and by that, I mean the 30 seconds that it's taken to post this) I'm going to make a goal of reading 52 books this year.

Anyone else want to play?

(Erin already started and she's on book 2 & 3. Show off!)

Oh Canada...

It was just over 12 minutes into last night's World Junior game between Canada and the USA.

The score was 3-0 in favor of the US.

I was tempted to throw in the towel. But I didn't. And I'm glad I didn't. What transpired will likely go down as one of the greatest World Junior games ever.

Canada fights back for a final 7-4 win. But let's be fair. 2 of those goals were into an empty net, so it was much closer than it looks on paper.

And the drama. A USA player taunts the Canadian bench after goal #2 by skating by cupping his glove to his ear in a mock "We can't hear you". Canada's John Tavares returns the favor. A USA player on the bench sticks his stick in the face of a Canadian player skating by the bench after a goal. A Canadian goal is scored by a player who was let out of the penalty box early by an official. And let's not forget about some of the saves made in the last half of the game. Sure, neither goalie could save a beach ball early on, but by mid-way through they had found their form and were making the game interesting.

Wow.

If you missed it, do yourself a favor and find a copy of that game to watch.

Next up: Semi-final on Saturday vs the winner of the Russia-Czech game.