Buy me...

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

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

Here's the deal.

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

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

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

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

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

Zombies...

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

Me: "Uh...yeah"

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

Movie trailers...

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

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

But now I'm too far off topic.

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

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

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

Congratulations are in order...

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

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

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

Weekend roundup...

I'm wearing shorts right now.

That pretty much sums up the weather today.

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

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

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

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

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

Reading contest update...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Guess what...

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

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

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

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

End of Wednesday...

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

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

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

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

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

Moments...

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

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

Random Pro-Football Moment:
City 2 United 1

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

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

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

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

6 questions...

I'm wondering what you think...

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

Enlarge your peer circle...

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

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

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

Here's part of his elaborate response:

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

Fight night...

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

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

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

My simple request...

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

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

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

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

Popcorn on the floor...

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

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

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

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

The few that have raced through my brains were these:

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

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

Friday & stuff...

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

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

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

But back to real life now.

My goals for the wonderful Friday:

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

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

Any suggestions?

$0.88 Reviews...

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

Hairspray

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

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




Once

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

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

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

Random recap...

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

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

$0.88 Reviews...

The Kingdom

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

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

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

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

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

For 2008...

Everyone seems to be making posts about their goals for 2008. I wouldn't want to feel left out, so here's a few of mine. There's even an opportunity for you to have some input into what you'd like to see in a few categories.

• Books - Let's shoot for 26. It seems to be a number that most people are shooting for, and I'm all for conformity.
  
• Blogs - I'd like to keep my Google Reader at a manageable number. I'm thinking under 50. That means a few more cuts are in order. As for my own blog I have decided to remain as random as ever in 2008.
  
• Music - Besides writing more of my own, I think I'd like to learn something new. Maybe I can actually learn to read music? Or maybe take some voice lessons? Or learn scales? Or learn to play electric guitar? Or maybe the banjo? I'm open to suggestions on this one.
  
• TV - This is simple: watch less. The Writer's Strike is already making me feel like I've accomplished this goal. But should TV start up again, I'm already making a decision to opt out of Lost.
  
• Movies - I'd like to do more blog reviews of what I'm watching. No big reason here, I just thought it'd be fun. And maybe you'll get a chuckle out of some of the junk I watch. Just don't judge me too harshly because I'm overly sensitive.
  
• Friends - I need some new ones as the old ones still haven't moved any closer to us. Don't worry, if you are currently listed under the category of "friends who live in another province", you can remain as friends. However, if you would like to remove yourself from the list, please contact the site administrator. In all seriousness, I need to spend more time developing some relationships with people.
  
• Finances - I need to become more "fiscally responsible" (yeah, I think that's what Erin called it).
  

You will notice an absence of ministry-related goals. There's a simple explanation for that. Those goals are developed in August and September, not in January. Duh. Either that or I don't have any significant ones. You decide.

$0.88 Reviews...

A local video store rents out new releases every Thursday for $0.88. How can you possibly go wrong for that price? So consider this the beginning of a new blogging series...at least until I grow bored with it, or forget that I started it in the first place. Here's what was playing last night:

Stardust

When this movie got released it wasn't even on my radar. In fact I had never even thought about watching it until I stumbled upon someone's list of favorite movies of 2007 (I can't even give props as I don't remember who it was...sorry). They listed it under a heading something like "Most Underrated Film of the Year" and even went as far as to compare it to The Princess Bride.

Wow. $0.88 well spent. Very entertaining, creative, and funny film with witches, pirates, falling stars, falling in love, and Robert DeNiro in a dress (I kid you not). I was splitting a gut at some parts while at other moments I was completely engrossed in the fantasy.

I'd be hesitant to show it to a younger audience and if you happen to be in the camp that considers the likes of Harry Potter and Halloween to be a tool of the devil, you may want to pass this one by. But if you haven't heard anything about this one, and you're looking for an evening of entertainment, you may be pleasantly surprised.


Waitress

This was another one of those films I hadn't heard much about, but Erin had mentioned something about wanting to see it. Since I've been choosing such terrible movies lately I decided to go with her suggestion. It was probably a good idea.

I really don't want to say anything that may ruin the movie, but it deals a great deal with relationships and infidelity. I constantly found myself wrestling with the question "who's to blame in all of this?"

My guess is that you'll likely be taken through a range of emotions that has you identifying with certain characters and feeling sorry for them while you feel complete disgust with others. You'll probably get a few laughs in along the way.

But my highlight of the movie was probably Andy Griffith. He alone made it worth the $0.88.

In other news...

Canada is currently up 2-0 over the USA. It's looking like a Canada-Sweden match up for the gold medal, provided they don't completely check their brains at the door. Which, I hate to say, is entirely possible with this year's team.