Missing LOTR

Don't get me wrong I'm not going to dress up like a hobbit, nor will you catch me with a staff and wizards cloak, but this holiday season I was kind of bummed that I didn't have the excitement of a new "Lord of the Rings" movie to see.

I remember the first trailer I saw some 4-5 years ago. Having never heard of the books I yawned and though that'll be a "renter" at best. A year or so later I began to hear about it and so I saw the first movie. The trilogy now holds a special place in my heart, and I think is by far the greatest trilogy ever made (and I grew up on Star Wars and Indiana Jones).

So when I saw this article I was curious (click on the link in the title). It was the last paragraph that gave me Hope!

Wait For the Lion’s Share
For those still in need of hope, The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, is scheduled to be released Christmas 2005. C.S. Lewis’ fantasy series should appeal to the same audience that ate up Lord of the Rings. Movies based on the six other novels in The Chronicles of Narnia are set to hit the big screen in the six consecutive years. Hold onto your hobbits, Aslan’s on the way.

Ahhh I can sleep again with anxious anticipation (I just hope they are half as good as the LOTR)!

Fun News

This from our friends at the onion.com

Actor Receives $25 Million For Everyman RoleHOLLYWOOD—Tom Hanks will reunite with director Steven Spielberg in Dreamworks' Payne's Pride, in which he will play the part of everyman John Hamilton Payne and receive $25 million for his efforts. "Tom is a man of the people," Spielberg said. "America loves him because he seems so approachable, and that's exactly what I told him last weekend over some Merlot from his vineyards." Spielberg added that Hanks is always a joy to work with because "he can really nail 'down to earth.'"

It's hard sometimes for people to admit that they are wrong!

But we love them any way.


Bill, Nick, Kwame and Amy entered the boardroom. . .

This would have been interesting

Before signing a deal to stay with the Cubs, Nomar Garciaparra instructed agent Arn Tellem to find out if the Yankees wanted the former Red Sox shortstop to play second base in The Bronx.
- New York Post

Seriously? Can you imagine? Just 2-3 years ago Nomar, Arod, and Jeter were considered maybe 3 of the greatest Shortstops ever!!! And George expects them to all play on the same team? Wow! some people I tell ya. Not that I think Nomar is all that, but seriously this would have been insane. It's already perposterous that the best SS in baseball plays 3rd for the yankees (thank you Derek Jeter's ego).

Anyway, I'll try and post something meaningful once school is out next monday.

Why do I still fill these out?

Got this in an e-mail from a friend so I thought I'd just post it in leu of something serious.

The theory is that you will learn a lot of little things about your friends, if you did not already know them.

1. What time do you get up? Anywhere from 5:20 am (monday's) to 8am (depending on how tired i am during the week.

2. If you could eat lunch with one person, who would it be? My beautiful bride to be of course. But if we are talking like fantasy once in a life time kind of thing Mark McGwire.

3. Gold/Silver? silver

4. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? WOW ummm . . . I know this . . .Man I really can't remember (amazing how things change so quickly) I'm going to say probably "The Village" M. Nigh Shanallalallannan ( I do like his movies just can't spell his name.

5. What is/are your favorite TV show(s)?Survivor and the Apprentice

6. What did you have for breakfast? nothing today

7. What inspires you? People who risk everything

9. What is your middle name? Dean

10. Beach, City or Country? City to live, country to relax, beach for a short visit

11. Favorite Ice-cream? Rocky Road

12. Butter, plain or salted popcorn? Butter

13. Favorite color? Red

14. What kind of car do you drive? Pontiac Grand Prix

15. Favorite sandwich? Quizno's Honey bacon club w/ Roast beef instead of Turkey

17. Favorite flowers? no idea

18. Where would you like to go on vacation? Holy Land, or Europe (Another baseball trip would be a blast though)

19. What color is your bathroom? White and blue I think

20. Favorite brand of clothing? They have brands???

21. Where would you retire? The Northwest

22. Favorite day of the week? Tuesday ;)

23. What did you do for your last birthday? Had penut butter pie, went to David and Farah's for a small cook out, then sat on a couch and tried to figure out a rubix cube for about 3 hours w/ Beth (before we were dating).

24. Where were you born? at the hospital . . . ohhhh right. . . . Lima Ohio!

25. Favorite sport to watch? Baseball

26. Who do you least expect to send this back to you? don't know

27. Person you expect to send it back first? see above

28. What fabric detergent do you use? Whatever is avalible

29. Coke or Pepsi? Dr. Pepper

30. Are you a morning person or a night owl? I lean toward the morning

31. What is your shoe size? 10ish

32. Do you have any pets? no and I may never again :(

33. What is your favorite season? Christmas or Fall

34. What time is it? 8:24pm35. What is your name on your birth certificate? Roger Dean Webb II

36. Nicknames? Buck, Buckly, Buckles, Dude, Man, Buddy, hey you, slacker, Babe, Punk, to name a few

37. Number of candles on your last birthday cake? I think there were like 8 or 9 (but I turned 28)

38 Kids? nope not for a few more years hopefully

39. Hair color? what's lefft of it is still black

40. Tattoos? nope

41. Eyes? 2 each are green

42. Piercing? nope

43. How much do you love your job? I enjoy it a lot and it pays well just need some more work.

44. Residence? Tacoma, Wa in the home of Pete, Kathy, nate & ankeka Siems (pronounced "sims")

45. Favorite food? Steak

46. Been to Africa? Yep

47. Been toilet papering? AND HOW!!!!

48. Have you ever been in love? Definately!

49.Been in a car accident? yep

50. Croutons or bacon bits? Croutons

51. Favorite saying or phrase? "Ummm Yeah"

52. Favorite restaurant? none curently

53. Favorite nonalcoholic drink? Dr. Pepper

54. How many times did you fail your driver's test? Never in either of the 2 states I've had to take it!

55. Before this one, from whom did you get your last e-mail? Myles Werntz actually

56. Do you sing in the shower? Not usually, but I might start trying that . . .

57. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Best Buy!!!!

58. What do you do most when you are bored? bored? Grab a book or a movie, but that doesn't happen much anymore

59. Bedtime: about 11 most nights

60. Glass half empty or half full? Half Full!!

61. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Right where I'm at, well except I'd be living with Beth, but that'll happen soon enough

62. Time you finished this e-mail? 835am

I've got a new . . .

I have big news, no I didn’t just save a bunch of money on my car insurance, I changed my cell phone. Yep I’m now a proud customer of AT&T/Cingular, allso for those of you that didn’t know Beth and I are now engaged. I guess that would qualify as big news as well. Additionally, I have a new Job, a New church and my computer crashed in the process (it couldn’t handle all the change I guess) and did I mention that I moved in with a family also?

Ok so in case you didn’t catch all that, here is what’s new in my life:


- Fiancé – Beth, yes we dated a whole 7 weeks before we got engaged on October 16th. She is an amazing lady and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with her. I’ll post some pictures when my computer is back up and running, maybe.

- Job – My position with the association ends officially the 15th of Nov. I have started working for Columbia Hospitality, at Cedar Brook Resort (which is owned by Washington Mutual {see a bank with a lot of Money}) in SeaTac, Wa (catch all that?). I do Audio Visual and Computer stuff. It’s a great company and a really nice facility that is VERY High tech. It’s part time, but I should be able to pick up some more hours at a sister property of ours in downtown Seattle.

- Discovery – I now attend Discovery Community Church it’s a great church that happens to meet in a movie theater. http://www.discochurch.com/ I’m in the process of interviewing to be the volunteer Youth Minister. It’s a staff position without pay at this point. I still have to go through the formality of the interview, and the process of bringing the church on board, but I’m excited about the opportunity. I’ll most likely start “officially” in December.

- Housing – I now live with Pete and Kathy from our Church. They have an extra room in their house and a soft spot for poor ministers so they are letting me stay rent free. They have 2 children Nate (4) and Anneka (2) who are unbelievably cute kids. I’ve enjoyed living with and getting to know the whole family they have been such a blessing. Kathy is pregnant as well so they have a new one due in Jan!

I think that’s about it for now. Life is starting to slow back down a bit. Which means it’s getting back to a normal pace. But once the ministry gets up and running I’m sure all that will vanish and we’ll back to full speed. Also planning a wedding takes a little bit of time. So you'll excuse my recent absence of posting. Oh yeah my New Cell # is avalible if you want to e-mail me deerspider@netzero.net I'd love to hear from ya.

Buck

Not the way it's supposed to be

"I think we're doing a lot of good things, but we're not doing enough," manager Tony La Russa said. "I don't think we're stinking up the joint but I think we're capable of playing better. They're stopping us sometimes. But we're better than some of the pitches and plays and swings that we've had." - Tony La Russa


That about summs it up. The Cardinals have failed to be the team that got them to the World Series. Thier pitching doesn't have to be GREAT. It just needs to go 6 innings and give up 4 runs or less. Thier Base running is usually better, and they just aren't doing the little things that have gotten them there.

No disrespect to Boston they have earned all 3 games, but the Cardinals could have won 2 of these 3 games. Here's to Miracles!!!!

I told ya so

As I said in the beggining of the Year the cardinals will play the Red Sox in the World Series:

See Post in April

So as today begins I'm modifying my picks only because of the injuries to Schilling and the deteriation of Perdo's pitching. If both those guys were the pitchers they were 2 years ago then The Sox would win in 5 or 6, but they aren't. So Cards will win in 6. I like thier defense better, and I think that they have a definate advantage in the NL park.

Quote of the day

“Beware of the inclination to dictate to God as to what you will allow to happen if you obey Him.—My Utmost For His Highest”

- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost, Jan 11th

Quote of the day

Quote of the day:

“Beware of the inclination to dictate to God as to what you will allow to happen if you obey Him.—My Utmost For His Highest”

- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost, Jan 11th


I hate it when I read stuff like this. . .

40 Miles from Nineveh

My friend (who was also my boss for a couple of years) Carl is back on leave for 2 weeks from Iraq. He is a Chaplin in the national guard and still has another 5 1/2 months left in Iraq. This past Sunday he spoke in his home church which just happens to be a block from my home so I went to hear him and then got the chance to each lunch with him and his family.

I can't tell you how good it was to see him. I've missed Carl and was anxious to hear about what was going on in his life and how he was handling being in Iraq. Additionally, I went to hear his take on the war. I wanted to hear from someone that I knew to see if it was worth it.

This really isn't meant to be a political post; I just wanted to share as Carl said, one man's perspective from a base in Iraq.

First off, Carl spent 3 months in Kuwait before ending up at his post. He said he never once saw anyone begging in Kuwait in three months. The day we crossed over into Iraq there were children lined up begging for food. One of his jobs is to go to villages and assess the needs of the various villages. Without fail he said that all of the villages need clean water, that most of the children in the country (or at least his area of it) drink from the sewers.

He said that in their area most of the farmers use shovels and plows to do their daily farming, and that most of the roads are dirt roads.

It's not that being in a rural area of farming using archaic methods it that tragic, but when you realize the vast resources that they have and all the money the get from oil. And you look across the border at Kuwait and see the standard of living could be so much different.

Carl gets to preach every other month in the chapel there. He said that he did a series on Jonah not to long ago. He said you know it really changes your perspective when you know that the city your talking about is only 40 miles away. I can't even imagine.

All that to say pray for our troops... guys like Carl, that are proud to be there, that do a great job and some, like Carl, are ministering in the name of Christ.


_____________________________

It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month ... which we know today as the honeymoon.

Useless info

In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase......... "goodnight, sleep tight."

I love stupid stuff like that.

In case i missed ya in the e-mail . . .

Friends and Family,
I just wanted to give you an update on several exciting things that God is doing in my life. Many of you know that I have been looking for a position as a Youth Minister here in the NW for the last few months. I’m excited to tell you God has led me to Discovery Community Church in Tacoma Washington. The process was long and at times a little painful, but I’m excited about joining the team at Discovery.

About the Church
Discovery is a relatively new church (a little over 3 years old) in the Tacoma area. We meet in Movie Theater, and reach a lot of 18-25 year olds. It’s very laid back in its approach and extremely community oriented. The church has lots of college students but hasn’t really had a significant “Youth Group” to this point. They have some good leaders that want to reach youth, but just need someone to help focus the vision and strategy.
So starting next week I’ll begin volunteering with the church on the set-up team and getting to know more about the church and the area where we minister. The plan is simply to pray and look for what God is doing and move forward with the leadership at the church. I can’t tell you how excited I am to be apart of this body. I’ve only been to a couple of services and a retreat, but already I’m anxious to grow with this community.
One last thing that I gotta share about the church is the vision statement. It’s something that resonates deep within my soul and it’s not often that I say that as I’ve seen many statements and missions in my young ministerial career. At any rate, The Discovery Vision:

The simple vision for Discovery Community Church is that I and every other person connected in this family could wake up each morning with the excitement and anticipation of encountering God, and each night go to sleep with the satisfaction that we did and somebody else did through us!

Looking for a Job
While I’m extremely excited about the position at Discovery, this will also mean that I need to get a “secular” job to pay the bills. At this point Discovery isn’t able to pay me a salary. While at first I was hesitant about this God has really given me a change of heart. I really am excited about being able to rub elbows with lost people on a daily basis. I covet your prayers though, as I need a job that is flexible enough to allow me to do ministry, and still pays me enough to not worry about how I’m going to pay the bills. Also, a job in Tacoma would be great as it will give me another door into the community. Currently I am still in my position at the association, and will remain there until I can either find meaningful employment or Dec. 31st which ever comes first. The association has been very gracious and understanding during this transition.

The Girl
I have met a young lady here who is incredible! We’ve been dating for about 3 weeks now. Her name is Beth Buchanan; she’s from Florida, recently graduated from the University of Auburn (Correction: Auburn University:)) and is up here for the sole purpose of helping with RiverChase Community Church (one of the church plants that I work with through the association). She took her sophomore year of college off to help plant RiverChase, and came back as soon as she graduated (this past May).
Beth and I have known each other for about 2 ½ years, but only recently “noticed” each other. She shares my heart for the Northwest, loves working with both children and youth, as well as being an avid sports fan. She has aheart for the lost and a passion for the church, which makes for a great ministry partner. While our relationship is relatively new it is progressing rather fast, as we’ll be making a trip to see each other’s families in early October. If you’re in NW Ark. we’d love to stop by and say hi; we’ll be in town the 13th – 15th. I’ll keep ya posted on how things are going.

Thanks so much for your prayers and support. I’d love to hear how your doing and what’s going on in your neck of the woods.


Keep in touch,
Buck

The Beginning . . .

This evening will mark the end of my search for a youth ministry position. I made many presumptions about what this search would look like and how it would end. I can say that the search was painful, it was long, and in many ways very confusing, but . . . It was good. God has used the process to refine me, to expose some things in my life that were less then His best. It's hard when God reveals something to you about your character that you don't want to see, because then you make a choice run from it or confront it. For me it was an issue of Faith, real practical daily lived out faith. As I began looking for a job I wanted to be in a place that was impacting the lost in a relevant almost organic way, a place where there was freedom to try new things, where risk taking and failure were virtues, a place where I could grow as a minister, and I also wanted a place that would allow me to support a family. Planning on being at this church for a several years it's an important thing.

Then a friend of mine went and wrecked the whole thing. Brad a friend of mine that I've gotten to know here in the NW challenged me to talk to his pastor about coming on staff at Discovery. I talked with Jon (the pastor) a couple of times. I remember being excited about the vision and direction of the church, but there was a major catch. They had no money for the position. Immediately, there was a part of me that said "well that's obviously not God's will for my life" but the other part of me just couldn't let go. So I did what you supposed to do I prayed. I asked God to allow me to interview with another church so that I would be sure that Disco was the place I was supposed to be.

Now my thinking was let me interview with them and then I’ll get this magical feeling that Disco is sooooo much better and I’d rather be there then have money. Long story short, after my 3rd interview things were going well with this other church, I still wasn’t “sold” , but I could see things working out. They had a good youth group and a budget, and I knew the salary package would have been very nice. SO that’s when the other church called to inform me that they were going in another direction.

As I began to process what had happened with friends and think through my decision. It became obvious to me that God was exposing my interest in the church as being primarily about security (well money to be more precise). So that left me back at square 1. I had talked with 3 other churches all of which were offering full time positions, but none of them fit any of the other criteria. So I took Jon up on his offer to come worship at Discovery with them whenever felt like it.

There were no magical moments in the process but over the next few weeks, through friends, family, sermons, and prayer God began to make clear to me that Discovery was the place that he wanted me to be. I’m completely at peace with this decision. I have no idea what this process will look like, how things will work out, or even how I’m going to pay the bills, but I know that this is where God has me and I’m excited to step out in faith and watch him provide.

So tonight and tomorrow I’ll be attending a leadership retreat with the church. Then this Sunday I’ll attend my last service as member of High Pointe. And join the team the next week, on the set up team. Go through another 101 class with disco. And see what God is doing in student ministry in the Tacoma area.

It’s not the end of a chapter it’s the beginning.

The last 2 weeks

Wow, where to start?! Well first off I met the most amazing girl. I actually already knew her, but it was like I discovered her for the first time. Beth is amazing. For those of you keeping score at home (dad) we’ve “officially” been dating for about a week, but we’ve been hanging out for almost 3. I’ve known Beth for over 2 ½ years but she went back to Auburn (the university) to finish school. She moved back in May to help out at her church.

Long story short this came out of no where for both of us. She was a staffer for the camp that I helped put together for the association. We hung out a bit to do several of the tasks that needed to get done, neither of us had any interest even through the end of camp, we were both so busy that week that there wasn’t time for any of that. After camp several of the staffers stayed to see Seattle ect. So we all hung out for the next couple of days, it was during this time that we both started to think “hummm . . .” One thing led to another and we just started to talk. The next day same thing, hang out and go talk. A week, my birthday, a peanut butter pie, a rubik qube, and several conversations later we had the DTR.

(ok so this isn’t that short, deal with it).

Today, I can’t get enough of her, hours seem like nothing and there is no-one that I’d rather spend my time with then Beth. We are totally on the same page on everything that’s important. Not wanting to move back to the South, enjoying church planting, and just wanting to seek God in everything we do. So yeah it’s been a great 2 weeks.


Oh yeah my mom was in town over the last week too. It was cool to be able to let her see all that was going on here. Meet Beth and just see what I’ve been doing the last few years. Always good to see mom.

Oh yeah there are new developments in the job situation, but nothing’s official and I’ve got some meetings this week. I’ll update ya when I know more.

WOW!

I'm sitting in the most boring meeting I've been in years. We are going over the constitution for our association, word by word, phrase by painstaking phrase, and we are just on page one! And now we are discussing it. . .Wow! I'm so ready to be in a local church.

*********

School started yesterday, and I like the classes that I'm taking. Pastoral Counseling, Integration into Ministry, and, Growth something or other(i was unable to attend last night). The exciting part is that I'll be able to finish possibly in 2 more semesters.

***********

I heard back from Portland yesterday. Via voicemail. Basically, the secretary said - Buck, the senior pastor and associate minister have conferred and don't think that your skill set is a good fit with our youth ministry needs. Thanks for your time that's all i really know.
- Yep the secretary –

Aaron, one of my closest friends, remarked "that's like getting dumped by your girlfriend over the phone". Actually, it's like having a potential date’s friend leave the message "can we just be
friends?" It's painful to hear, but it's harder to hear from a distance. I don't have any resentment toward the 2 pastors or the church, just disappointed in the way it ended. I wasn't 100% sold on it, but I did like the potential.

Ultimately it'll be fine. God's sovereignty will win out and he'll place me where I need to be. It's not a fun process, but we'll see what God's got in store.

*******

It's an hour later and we are just now flipping to the 2nd page of a 10 page document!!

FYI - I typed this whole thing on my handheld. Lots of time on my hand

Now comes the wait

I had the interview last night. 2 and a half hour drive one way to eat dinner and talk about myself and this church. It's a lot like dating. Only she better be a really good prospect if I'm driving that far!

At any rate it went great! Now it's just a matter of them getting back with me. From everything I know I think it will be a good fit. The next stage is where I do the meet and greet with the church. I'm sure it will involve meeting the students and the staff, a really long interview with the Elder Board, and some type of introduction to the entire church body.

However I have to make it to that stage first. I'm not a proven commodity, but I have a lot of potential sooooo the question is do we fit???


Cool Quotes of the Night -

*
Me - What does a regular Sunday Morning look like?

Pastor - We don't have those at our church.

*
Associate Pastor - We need someone we can Laugh with, this is a serious business (ministry) but you have to enjoy those you work with, so were looking for some one that will fit into our team

*
Me - What are your expectations for Office hours?

Pastor - Depends on your function, some of us spend most of our time in the office, others work more like real estate agents in and out with a lot of meetings. We realize that sometimes you’re going to be up here late at night and other days you'll need to be meeting outside the campus.

*
Me - So what I'm hearing you say is that the person that comes in has complete freedom to change whatever they need to get the job done?

Pastor - Absolutely.


(please forgive spelling, the checker is

Post Camp Interview

Hey gang sorry for the long hiatus, but I got back from Camp this weekend and have had company till last night. Camp was great, but very hectic. We had 10 students accept Christ this week as well as numerous other decisions. I'll try and write more on camp later.

This evening I'll be driving down to Portland to meet with the Sr. Pastor and Middle Adult Pastor of a Bible Church there. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous, but I'll be fine after about the 3rd question. I'm actually most nervous about asking the right questions. I also have no clue if this is the place god has for me. Sooo, if you get a chance pray that God would give me clarity as I meet with this church.

Walking in Memphis

I'm in Memphis. It's the morning after Brad's wedding (my roommate in college), I'm sitting in the club section at Autozone park ( a very nice AAA baseball park) about 50 min. till first pitch. I've had a great weekend.
The Bachelor party was a blast 7 guys playing quarter poker till 3:30 in the morning. The guys were a lot of fun, we had barbeque at the rehersal dinner, which was preceeded by a lunch ar Rendevous (the best rib joint in memphis). And no there is no such thing as too much BBQ. It's fun to come back home and see old friends. But that wasn't why I was here.

Serving as the best man I had the privialdge to stand by one of my best friends and his bride to be as they made the most significant commitment a person can make to another person. I felt very priviladged. Blessed to have a friend that valued me enough to say I want you right here at one of the most significant moments in my life.

Theentire weekend I wanted badly to just serve them. To do whatever I could to make this day special for Brad and Hannah. Anyway, they are in Mexico now probably checking into thier hotel. I know they'll have a great marraige. And I pray that I get to stay in close contact with them.

My guest apperance on the Lone Ranger

 
"The law don't mean to take revenge, only to get justice." - Buck Webb  (as played by Ron Hagerthy)

 

"The Sheriff of Smoke Tree" September 20, 1956  Episode # 184
A new mining camp needs a sheriff to control a man named Lem Crater (John Beradino) who arrived recently with two other men. A young man, Buck Webb (Ron Hagerthy), wants the job but after being run out of town, he needs some persuasion by the Lone Ranger to go back and borrows one of the Ranger's guns. A fight and a smoky mine shaft all add up to young Buck proving that he has what it takes to be the sheriff. The Lone Ranger is convinced also when he hears Buck say: "The law don't mean to take revenge, only to get justice." Mickey Simpson plays the part of Slim Peake, Slim Pickens plays the part of Joe Boley and Tudor Owen plays the part of Mason.

 
I'd love to see this episode.

Hypocrite

Ok so what's the pitching equivalent of staring at a home run? Pumping your fist after a K? Wagging your finger at a guy? Plunking a guy for the second time that night because you just lost the game?

Well I'm not sure exactly but Carlos Zammbrano, while a great pitcher, threw the biggest tantrum I've ever seen. Sheesh kid grow up.

P.S. The Cardinals have officially clinched the NL Central with their stunning comeback win today.

The Holy Observer: What's the funniest or oddest thing you've ever heard anyone else pray for?

Funny stuff. . .
 
Stacy - Silverton, OR
Comments: Before a softball game, one team member prayed, ''please let the other team win...and let us win, too.'' Both teams win? Like a tie, perhaps? Except nobody wants to tie...somebody's gotta win. It was hard to not laugh out loud when I heard this prayer.

THO's Response: Stacy, it's good that you didn't laugh out loud; you did what is right. A big part of being a Christian is knowing when to laugh and when to laugh behind someone's back. The good thing is even though the latter takes patience and willpower, those times are usually way funnier so you can have an even bigger laugh at someone else's expense an expense that they don't even know exists. The 'cost' of laughing out loud in front of them is often paid by you, and sometimes comes in the form of the pastor stopping his sermon, claiming he's doing the best he can, crying, and later kicking you off the worship band, which was made up of a bunch of no-talent clowns and had a horrible keytarist, anyway! "

Taking Off and Landing

Myles Werntz a friend of mine from college, and a fantastic writer, had a very thought provoking blog today. Read his thoughts and you'll know what I mean, but one line is a good jumping off point

"This is the curse of our generation: we are forever Cain, wandering from town to town, never settled down, leaving our name and feelings in little places all over the map."

I've been thinking a lot about this subject lately. Having not lived in the same residence for longer the 16 months since I left high school (I'm almost 28), and having lived in 4 vastly different areas in that same time. Looking for a job, again! (making this my 3rd job since leaving college) I find myself on the other end of the conversation.

I long for a community where my departure is not predetermined. I long for a place to throw down roots. But I know that, that place will not be here. I must once again pull up roots and start all over. While the location could be as close as 15 miles or as far as 2,500, the result is the same, another new beginning.

This time it's different though, for there is a hope. A hope that this could bring the peace that I seek, the peace that comes with longevity. They say one key to effective ministry is being in one place for a long time. I want to say that my ministry was effective, the lives were changed, and that I my time on each counted. And I want to say that my ministry was hard to distinguish from my day to day living, and at the end of it all God was pleased with the life that I lived.

But does that require that i remain in one place? I have no idea. The thought of living in one place for 30 years, is both comforting and suffocating at the same time.

IN the end though I have to rest on the fact that I do believe that God will see me through to the end, and that if I seek after him he'll place me where he needs me. A trite saying, but true none the less.

Money ball theory

If you read the book Moneyball (which any true baseball fan should have by now)run differential is sort of the mesuring stat that many in the indutry use to judge how well a team should do. The following explains why the cardinals are as good as they are. They may not have a GREAT rotation, but it is a good rotation. Couple that with the best everyday lineup in the NL, and best defense in Baseball and you have a team that should win the NL central.

I do wonder though how well will the cardinals do in the playoffs? If Morris and Williams come back to form by the send of september then I think they have a shot, but really the playoffs is a crap shoot. Just ask the braves.

STLtoday - Sports - Columnists: " run differential is a leading indicators of a team's strength and success. Through Wednesday, the Cardinals were a plus 95 for the season; Boston is a distant second, at plus 65. The next-best National League totals belong to the Cubs (+59) and Braves (+32). "

Nazi Propaganda

I now know what it’s like to watch a film that is filled with blatant lies to advance a political agenda. I just got back from Fahrenheit 9/11. I left angry, in fact I left before the movie was over. If I wasn’t a minister I would have flipped off the screen on my way out. If the movie were true (which it’s not), then George W. should be hanged on Pennsylvania Ave. I’m not saying that Bush has never lied or that he is a saint. But this movie is clearly an attack on Bush (conveniently only a few months before the elections) seeking to harm Bush’s reputation.

If you’ve seen the movie do yourself a favor and scan over a rebuttal to the movie. The link in the title is a pretty good one.

Climbing 2 sides of a Mountain

This makes 2 Saturdays in a row that I've had the joy of climbing everyone's favorite volcano. Last Saturday Heather and I went up the Paradise side. Well that is to say we did about 4 miles of hiking on 2 trails. There was a ton of snow and some nice views. The hikes were moderate with some elevation but nothing horribly difficult.

Today, However I went with Brian, DJ and Steve. WoW!!! We did approximately 10 miles (maybe more) in about 5 hours. This may not be a lot for the experienced hiker (which I'm not), but for me it required a hot shower a 2 hour nap and an evening with my feet up. It was Brutal. I loved the hike up the mountain, but coming down my feet were killing me with about 3 miles left.

Normally, if I'm tired I'm going to take a breather and easily mosy down the mountain. However today DJ and Brian had to be at work by 5. So after coming up short of making Mystic Lake (we only had about a half mile to go too!) We decided that we had to turn back or make the fellas late. So after 3 hours of hiking up the mountain we needed to be back in 2. Fortunately we were headed down hill for most of the way. We made it, and I'm glad I got pushed like I did it was a great workout, but I'm definitely feeling it this evening.

Anyway, I'm a officially a big hiking fan and intend to make more visits in the future.

You just can't make this stuff up

News

Wow! That's awsome. I bet the little girl is really proud of her mom.

Great Names of the Day

STLtoday - Sports - Cardinals: "Tulane first baseman Wesley Swackhamer, the Cardinals' fifth- round pick, and Texas lefthanded pitcher Buck Cody, their seventh-rounder, are also unsigned. "

Wow what a great name for a first baseman SWACKHAMER

The lone reply

Dear Buck,

Thank you for your resume submission we appreciate your interest in our employment opportunity here at Church X.

Your qualifications are excellent. However, we regret that the position is closed.
We will keep your resume on file and wish you well in your employment search.


Sincerely,

(Church X H.R. Guy)



That's the reply I received 3 weeks after I sent my resume to church X. And the sad thing is that's the only response I've heard, from anyone.

This process is going to be very frustrating. And I'm already tired of hearing verses like Phil. 4:16 (be anxious for nothing . . .), however upon receiving this letter I felt a peace (. . .and the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds.) about the process that I hadn't to this point. It was kind of like ok settle down, stay faithful in the position that your currently at and let this process run it's course. Ok so maybe I need to hear more verses like phil. 4:16.

Just for Coqui

Rarely does the world of sports intersect with Coqui's interests, but this I thought was a rare time so I'll comment on Soccer just this once.

David Beckham chocked like a school girl yesterday. Missing his penalty shot by a good 15 feet over the goal. What was he trying to do exactly?

STLtoday - Sports - Cardinals

STLtoday - Sports - Cardinals: "'It's very exhausting, especially when you lose,' said Cubs second baseman Todd Walker, who tied his career high with four hits, including a sixth-inning solo home run. 'These hurt worse than normal losses, especially playing the Cardinals.' "

As they should Todd, as they should

Quote of the Day

"Matt Morris allowed six runs on six hits in six innings June 20 against the Reds -- a 6-0 Cardinals loss -- and served up Ken Griffey Jr.'s 500th home run. He has allowed a major league-high 23 homers in 15 starts and wasn't overly perturbed about being a footnote to history. 'I stayed away with breaking balls until on a 2-2 count I tried to slip a fastball by him,' Morris said. 'I guess people have been doing that 500 times, and it didn't work.' "

The Finals

A few random thoughts . . .

- The Pistons won. And it wasn't even as close as the 13 point lead.

- I watched every game from start to finish starting with Game 2. The first time I've watched an NBA game since the Jordan era.

- It was a blast to see a team without a superstar. While the lakers did have more talent. The Pistons were definatly the best TEAM.

- Larry Brown is a class act and I'm glad to see him win. Acknowledging Rick Carlisle in your moment of glory? Are you kidding me? Wow.

- Speaking of Carlisle he's got to be the most bitter man in all of america. I mean honestly first your fired and then beated by the team that fired you, and they do the impossible. OUCH!!!

- THE Piston's Announcer is THE BOMB!!! Honestly he was the coolest! Especially after the Lakers stiff.

- Finally, did you see the horrid lip sync job by Aretha Franklin? It was so bad the camera's couldn't even pull out and make it work. It was sad.


Now that it's all done Baseball will be center stage till Septermber!!!

Baseball salaries database

This is a facinating list. A couple of notable tid bits as I looked at the list. The "A's" are actually in the middle of the pack in spending. Usually they are one of the bottom 5. The Rangers are actually below the A's now.

The mets take the cake for the bigest waste of moneyin the NL, thanks in large part to the 17 Million owed Mo Vaughn. While the Mariners are the biggest spending losers in the AL.

Sonics G Allen heads NBA All-Interview Team

Yahoo! Sports - NBA - Sonics G Allen heads NBA All-Interview Team

What the? They actually have team for who gives the best interviews?

The best record in the NL

STLtoday.com - Sports - Cardinals Yep that's right sports fans! the best record in the National league is held by YOUR ST. Louis Cardinals!!

The Source: Movie Reviews "Saved"

"I have faith. It only becomes cultish when people start to think that their way is the only way. I feel bad for Hilary Faye her whole identity is her relationship with Jesus. (Mandy Moore, Teen Vogue, May 2004, p. 118.)"

This is the core belief of the "pop culture Jesus". I'm not saying we should all protest the movie or anything insane, it just saddens me that any person who professes to "have faith" would ever think that the goal of thier life should be anything less. I know she's responding to the hypocrisy displayed by her character, but it reveals a much larger heart issue.

The Search Begins

Well folks it's that time. Seems like every 2 1/2 years I change jobs. It's not that I'm not happy or anything like that, but the last few jobs have been of the more temporary nature. And so it is with my current position. So I am officially looking for a new Job, I've got about 6 months before I HAVE to be in a new place, but I'm looking to move around the first of September. We'll see what God has in store though. Oh yeah, You can click on the Title to see a copy of my lovely resume.

And the Pendulum begins to swing . . .

It was bound to happen at some point, and it looks like now is the day. It appears that at least some head way is being made to make modesty at least an option. Read the article

This will not last!

Let me go on Record as saying that the Cincinnatti Reds are all smoke and mirrors. I'm not sure how they are winning like they are, but it simply will not last. The team is in the bottom half of the league in Runs Scored, Runs Against, and fielding %, you don't win championships doing that. Also they just don't have the pitching to last that long. My guess is they'll fade shortly after the All-star break if not before.

Also please note that as I predicted Chris Carpenter is have a break out year, and now that Albert has come back to form the Cards are starting to put it together. Now all they have to do is survie the loss of Mike Matheny (his defense and ability to call a game will be missed).

Going to be a long year . . .

Wow! Ya know they always say that in baseball players get old overnight. Well it's official the Mariners are OLD! I went to my first M's game of the year last night and they just don't have it. With the fickleness of the Seattle Market I'll be interested to see what the team draws next year (it'll take a year for them to really see the impact).

I'm grateful that I'm only a casual M's fan. Cause otherwise this would be a truly painful year to watch.

An Encouraging Day

I’m in this class that over the last 2 semesters has been extremely time consuming. In the class you are required to make a covenant and goals and all this stuff to help you work on some of your weaknesses. Along with that you meet with a Field Supervisor (my boss) weekly, a Spiritual Director (a pastor friend of mine) Monthly, and a ministry support and reflection group (made up of people I work with) 6 times over 8 months. It’s a lot of paper work, but the intent is great and it has given me a lot of feedback on how people perceive me.

Today was the “competency interview” or basically what I thought was going to be a “hey here is all the things that you need to continue to work on” meeting. Instead what it turned out to be one of the most encouraging 45 minutes I’ve ever experienced. The meeting had my boss, 2 co-workers who’s opinions I highly value and respect, my peer group leader ( a convention leader that I’ve enjoyed getting to know through the process), and a guy from the seminary.



I won’t go into all the specific of what they said (cause that would feel really self absorbed), but they spoke words of encouragement about the things they saw in my life all most all of them positive and a few that pointed to areas of needed growth. But all four were tremendously encouraging and spoke from a genuine heart. Their words were very comforting and something I feel God ordained for me to hear today. Not to stroke my ego, but to remind me of the call he has on my life, words that are needed as I look for my next place in ministry. I officially have just over 6 months left in my current position and have begun to think about what my next move might be. It’s exciting and frightening all at the same time, but today I feel blessed and encouraged. Blessed to have friends that will speak truth in my life, encouraged by the fact God’s call on my life is noticed by those around me.

Delaware in the Spring

Last week I had the privilege of attending a disciple now weekend at former youth minister's present church. It was a great weekend, where I had the privilege of hanging out with 8 of the coolest 7th and 8th graders you could ever meet. After the weekend was over I we took a trip to New York and Philly on separate days. It's amazing how close all those places are.

The last evening Emily (a new friend that lives in Delaware), Jason (a good friend from Ark and Seattle) and I went to Beautiful Citizen's Bank Park.



It was great to be able to see the new ballpark, but it was even better as it was my first game of the year. AND as if that were not enough they boys in Red were there to boot! SO I was pretty much giddy from the time we hit the parking lot. To add to my excitement I had the privilege of negotiating the price of our tickets with local merchants.

We got there in the middle of the first, which I was ok with because that meant we'd definitely get below face value. After passing on some REALLY good seats that were a bit out of my price range. I was thought to be a sucker by vender #2 (tried to pass off $22 roof top bleacher seats as between 1st and home), we wound up going with vender #3 getting front row seats in the second deck just inside the foul pole.

The stadium is a great place to watch a game and of course state of the art. Being in philly I of course had the obligatory Cheese Steak (my 3rd of the weekend) which I must say was delicious. The game was great going down to a 6-5 victory for the cardinals with Izzy striking out Pat Burell with the bases loaded to end the game.

The evening was a blast in large part due to the company, proving once again that the best things in life are those that your able to share with someone else! Speaking of which I have to grab a movie on the way home, as some friends are coming over. So I'll try and be a bit more frequent in my posting. I also have some things to process as my world slowly begins the transition process yet again!

Wow !

Ok major props to the folks at blogger. This is a much easier format. I'm also pumped that I can use them for comments as well.

Meeting Mosaic

A week ago I had the chance to attend a meeting with Eric Bryant. Eric is on the leadership team at Mosaic, a church in L.A. Mosaic is the next Saddle back type church, not it's style but it's influence. The pastor of Mosaic, Erwin Mcmanus, has 3 books out.I finished the first one (An Unstoppable Force) a few weeks ago, and currently in the middle of the other 2 (seizing your divine Moment, and Uprising). If you haven't read any of his books they are MUST reads. Seriously some incredible books. McManus is not only a great theologian he's an incredibly creative person. After reading An Unstoppable Force I had the same reaction as I did when I read Purpose Driven Church ten years ago, before it was the crammed down our throats. He's on the cutting edge, most notably I love his thoughts on creating a culture through the church.

But that's not what grabbed my attention in this meeting. What grabbed my attention was something called "The Character Matrix". Mcmanus came up with this when he was working in an inner city church in Dallas, back in 1993. Essentially the matrix is a lose paradigm to help people see what their character looks like. The Goal is to transform self-centered people into servant leaders. It's one of those things you have to see, and I have neither the time nor the ability to draw the picture clearly, but Uprising is all about this concept so read more there. But I write to say that I was very much challenged in that meeting, and so if your looking for a book pick up Uprising by Erwin Mcmanus.

This day in Baseball Hisory:


1997 - The Chicago Cubs set the mark for worst start in NL history, extending their losing streak to 12 with a 4-0 loss to the Colorado Rockies. Chicago broke the modern NL record of 0-10 set by Atlanta in 1988 and the overall NL record of 0-11 by the 1884 Detroit Wolverines.

THe Glory days!!!

It's a sick addiction, but I love to see the Cubs lose!

Quote of the Day


I saw a saying that I've seen before it read:

"Happiness is an attitude, not a future state of being."

Nothing revolutionary about this, but the location of it was out of place. Because it wasn't in front of a church, or even a school. Nope this cup of chicken soup of the soul was posted on the sign for Carl's Sports Attic (a trading card shop).

It's always nice to see a man with a little clout rooting for your team!!

Season Preview

Opening day is tomorrow . . . night (yeah I know). But I thought I’d give my predictions on the standings as I think they’ll look come this October.

AL East

Red Sox – 2 words: Schilling, Martinez
Yankees – Starting pitching will get hurt
Blue Jays – Would be contenders in any other division in Baseball
O’s – Good additions still not enough
D-rays – Lou will have them playing better then the talent they have on the field.


AL Central – Division winner may only have 83 wins

Twins – I like Loshe and Santanna
Royals – Good line-up but rotation questions abound
White Sox- Not enough pitching
Tigers – Still the tigers
Indians – Still too young to do much


AL West

Angels – Added a lot to a team only a year removed from a Title
Mariners – Great pitching, just no power and too old. They’ll fade come September
A’s – Bullpen is shaky and the line-up isn’t as strong as it has been
Rangers – WOW, a complete mess


NL East

Phillies – A solid rotation and a potent line-up
Marlins – Pitching is too good not to compete
Braves – This is not your Fathers Braves team. To many questions with the line-up and the rotation. The rotation could be the 4th best in the division
Mets – They aren’t as bad as their record last year, but I just couldn’t see the braves falling to 4th.
Expos – How could they give Vasquez to the Yankees?? They really need to move this team in a hurry. I vote Portland, it’d be great to have an NL team with in a couple hour drive.


NL West – Similar to the Al Central just not bad. Any of 5 teams could win it.

Padres – New Stadium and some nice additions will push them over the edge
Diamondbacks – RJ and Webb will hold them in there
Giants – Slowly fading into the background, age gets this team
Dodgers – Pitching is still there, but like the M’s they have no power. Depodesta will make them a contender, but not this year.
Rockies – After Helton and Wilson I can’t think of a player on their roster, so they get last place.

NL Central

Cardinals – Yeah a bit of a homer pick, but I look at what they did last year and see that they’ve made significant up grades to their bullpen. They have 2 top notch pitchers (Williams was second in the NL in wins last year) along with 2 other work horse pitchers that will keep them in games. Combine that with the Best Defense in the NL and the Lineup the cards throw out and I just can’t pick against them.

Astros – Their pitching is un real, but Clemens (41) and Pettite both had era’s around 4 last year. Now they move to a park that is not Pitcher friendly. In the Last 3 years Pettite’s record away from Yankee Stadium is not that impressive:
21-14 with a 4.20 ERA and a .289 Average Against in 268 innings but a 3/1 k/bb ratio
Also they have an aging lineup with Kent/Biggio/Bagwell, they could but up big Numbers, but they could also age really fast. All that said they have 2 awesome starters in Miller and Oswalt. They could very easily run away with the division, it’s going to depended on the veterans if the postion players hit like they have in the past they could win it.

Cubs – Their pitching is great it’s the lineup and defense that are a bit shakey. Also I’m not convinced they have a solid pen. Last year the key to beating them was getting to the pen. The addition of Hawkins helps, and if Farnsworth puts it together then this could be a strong suit, but as I’ve said before. It’s the Cubs they find a way to lose!

Ok all three of the teams below are in a word AWFUL. The Reds have a good lineup if everyone’s healthy, but I dare you to name 2 starters in their rotation. And the Brewers and Pirates are both pathetic teams in nice stadiums.

Reds
Pirates
Brewers


AL Playoffs
Red Sox over the Twins
Angels over theYankees

Sox over the Angels

NL playoffs
Cardinals beat the Padres
Philles beat the Astros

Card over the Philles


Sox over the Cards in 6 ( I hope I’m wrong)

I just can’t see anyone beating Schilling and Martinez in the playoffs.

NL MVP – Pujols (finally)
AL MVP – Delgado

NL Cy Young - Beckett
AL Cy Young - Pedro



A couple of additional thoughts.


I don’t care what they say Opening day should ALWAYS be played in the U.S.! Not Japan, Italy Korea Australia, Russia, or China and no not even in Canada. Nothing against those countries but it’s AMERICA’S past time. One of the coolest things about baseball is the tradition that comes with it. When I visited Yankee stadium last summer it was more then just seeing a game it was seeing “The House that Ruth Built” the place where some of the greatest of all time played ball. You could almost see mantle and DiMaggio in the OF or Yogi behing home plate. Same with Fenway. Please for crying outloud Selig don’t screw up Opening day any more.


• As sorry a commissioner as Bud Selig has been you have to give him credit for the Wild Card. It keep more teams competitive deeper into the season, which makes for some phenomenal races.

• That said how is it that the Marlins have more World Championships (2) then Division titles (0)?

• I don’t care what the Cubs did in the offseason, they are still the Cubs and will find a way to lose before it’s all said and done.

• Also, why is it that nobody gives the cardinals any credit? They had a horrible season last year and had some key injuries especially early. They blew a League high 20 something save chances last year, and only finished 3 games out. So all they did this year was revamp the bullpen and bring in a more stable rotation to go behind Morris and Williams. Suppan and Marquis aren’t flashy but they can win with the lineup the cards will but on the field. Trust me the Cards will be there come September.

• How can the Cubs and Cardinals play their last series in July?? The 2 teams don't meet again the rest of the season. I don’t care if they are the 2 worst teams in MLB their rivalry is one of the best in the game and they should always have a series in Sept.

• Finally, Barry Bonds is a cheater. Ok well I can’t prove it but it sure looks like it. At the least he’s my favorite player to root against. (Yes, I’m still bitter over the 73 season. Give me Big Mac anyday)



That’s my take. I’ll update it at the break.

Quote of the day: "Strike three."

- The Cardinals Ray King answer to former Cardinal Fernando Vina when asked what pitch King threw to get Vina out in the third inning.

Today is a painful day. I sit and watch my razorbacks play basketball, well I use that term loosely. They scored 18 points in the first half against South Carolina. This is sooooo ugly. It was just a short 10 years ago that I was watching the boys win the national title. Ah, the glory days. Well they say they have some studs on the way. So Al Jefferson, Steven Hill, and company you better add a lot cause it’s ugly right now.

Well here is my latest silly dilemma. Our Cable went out about 3 weeks ago. We never paid for it in the first place it was just on when we moved in. So when it went out 6 months later I was not surprised and my ethical dilemma (yeah I probably should have called the cable company and told them) was eased.

Well, Scott and I went out for an lunch Saturday. And the conversation came to what to do now. You see Speed vision is on and IRL racing season has just begun, so Scotty wants very much to watch the races. I have enjoyed not having TV to some degree. It's been much less distracting to not have much to watch. So my roomie says that he's all for it.

So here is my dilemma. 2 months ago I had a strong urge to buy an X-box. And pretty much made an impulse buy and got it. So now I'm at a crisis. I feel that I really don't need to spend the money on getting Direct TV (we decided that it's a better deal then Cable, especially since you can get the MLB extra innings. This would allow me to see 2-3 games a week of my beloved Cardinals!!!) w/TiVo. It will wind up costing me an extra 20-25 dollars a month. Which having just done my budget would be ok during the summer months, but with school in session it's pretty tight.

The only reason I would get Direct TV is to Watch Sports also I've heard of the greatness of Cable for years so that's 2 reasons. However, I'm just not sure the effects this will have on my spiritual Life. Any thoughts?

This is why Pujols will be one of the greatest when it's all said and done! It's guys like these that make baseball worth watching!

Another prof that smart people make insanely stupid decisions. How can you spend $600,000 on 5 toilets? This is totally insane.

School was canceled yesterday so we could attend the Evangelism Conference (yeah we Baptist are so creative with our names). Henry Blackaby was the Key note speaker along with John Franklin (a guy from Life way who did an excellent job as well). Blackaby spoke on 1 John 1:1-4

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.
1 John 1:1-4 (NIV)

He made a statement that resonated with the core of what I believe. “Eternal life has come to mean getting to go to Heaven when you die; but the Bible says that’s not Eternal life.” Eternal Life according to verse 2 is a relationship! So you and I can have eternal life today!

He went on to explain the reason so many of us don’t witness. Again, his message was life a tuning fork in my ears, only it started to get painful. We can not bear witness to that which we have not, or in some cases are not, experiencing. In other words if we are experiencing a close intimate relationship your just going to tell others about it. If your not then your going to have to force yourself, or simply remain silent. Ouch!! That’s hard for me to hear, but it’s absolutely true. Which means I need to do some re-evaluating

I spent my time this weekend in School of all places. And oddly enough I thought it was not only productive but actually enjoyable! It's odd to my that now that I can actually see the end of my schooling days (spring of '05) I find myself enjoying it more then I ever have in my life.

Before class we were required to read Now, Discover your Strengths, an interesting book that essentially says we should focus on our strengths instead of always trying to fix our imperfections. Andy Stanley talks about this same idea in Next Generation Leader (a must read by the way), but this book fleshes it out more and gives you tools to identify your strengths. The concept is good and something I’m going to try and work harder at implementing in my life.

Most of the class however was focused developing our personal calling statement. This is a three part process that combines your Biblical purpose Statement, your core Values and Your personal Vision Statement. I absolutely loved this process because it allowed me to really sort through where I’m headed. My position with the association ends in December so I have to decide what I’m going to do when I’m done. This class coupled with a conversation I had with my new boss last week have really brought a lot of clarity to my direction, but the details are still well . . . yet to be resolved.

The long and short of it is I feel like God is calling me back to the local church, but has still given me heart to help other Youth Ministers. Soo this is what I have so far.

My Personal Calling Statement

Biblical Purpose Statement
I exist to bring God Glory; by being a man who places obedience to Christ and a love for others over my own desires.


Vision Statement
I see a day when God’s call in my life will bring about . . .

. . . my passion for Christ overflowing into the lives of 6-8 people in discipling relationships; which produce passionate Christ following disciples. I see relationships with lost people, established through involvement in community sports, which produce new believers.

. . . a student ministry where adult and student leaders equip futures leaders to do the work of the ministry.

. . . networks of Youth ministers across the Puget Sound, that work together to reach students and encourage one another.

. . . a seminary degree, that has given me a love of learning and a continued desire for growth.

. . . a wife whom I minister along side of and children which we raise to passionately seek after Christ.

I'm a life long Cardinal fan. I started watching baseball when I was in 4th grade, I'd ride my bike to Chris McCloud's house and we'd often watch Ozzie, Terry Pendelton, Joe magrain, Todd Worell and the rest of the Cardinals. But they haven't been to the World Series since 87 and I barely remember any of that.

The single greatest trade in the history of my Cardinal fandom was the acquisition of Mark McGwire. He's still my favorite baseball player of all time. His run to 70 was one of the greatest season of all time! His rival Corky Sosa is a cheater. I don't like him and probably never will. Which brings me to my point.

There are 2 teams that I hate in baseball. They are really polar opposites of each other. One known for it's winning and the other for it's endless ability to grab defeat from the jaws of victory. Corky's team the Cubbies for whatever reason just irritate me. Call it the biterness, but if there is one team I want to finish ahead of every year it's the Cubs. The other team I hate is the Yankees. I think it's a law that if you care at all about baseball then you either love or hate the Yankees. There is no in-between.

Last summer I got to go to Yankee stadium to see my beloved Cards play the hated Yankees. And as much as I hate them I found myself cheering with them. In a wired way I loved what they had, the fans were so knowledgeable, they were so into the game it was awesome! Now, granted I will claim special circumstances, because I just happened to have tickets the night Clemens won #300 and K'd #4000. I came away respecting the Yankees and their fans, but still hating them just not as much.

All that was before this weekend. The signing of A-rod infuriates me. Because as I watch my team struggle to keep their emerging Babe Ruth (and Pujols is in that company by the way), while passing on a needed quality 3rd starter (Maddox). The Yankees add a guy they didn't even need! The Yankees payroll is more then double 4/5 of the league. It's just not fair! To add to the misery Arod is one of the "Good Guys", how can he play for the evil empire?? It's like your best friend just eloped with your ex-girlfriend. I mean I can't root for the Yankees!

So here's to hoping the Red Sox win the division and the Wild Card comes from the AL west!

Of course we always root for the Cardinals to win it all.

I'll post more thoughts on their division later, as this is way longer then intended.

I’m in a theology class that I really enjoy this semester. I’m actually excited to read my text books. Anyway, we were in class on Monday talking about Christology and the 2 person nature of Christ (human and divine). The discussion involved a very confusing section on Christ being begotten but not created. It’s a long subject that I won’t go into right now, but it was fun and mind bending.

Next, we talked about the fact that Christ’s humanness remains still today. I never really thought about it till that moment. I always assumed that he just sorta turned back into fully God when he returned to heaven. But in order for our salvation to remain so must Christ’s humanity. I didn’t have a huge emotional reaction, but it certainly has changed the way I see my savior. It makes me feel closer to him.

Something to think about.



Quote of the Day

MOTIVATION
If a pretty poster and a cute saying are all it takes to motivate you,
you probably have a very easy job. The kind computers will be doing soon!

This quote of the day brought to you by Jayson Stark of ESPN

Eddie Layton, who is retiring as the Yankee Stadium organist after 37 seasons, was honored last week at the New Jersey Sportswriters dinner.

On hand to pay tribute was Yankees GM Brian Cashman -- who said he'd heard Layton had just gotten a call from Astros GM Gerry Hunsicker to see if he was interested in unretiring in Houston.

SuperBowl observations

- The Pats O-line won the game for them. Yeah the defese was great, and Tom Brady blah blah blah, but 0 sacks for the entire post season was the clincher. O-line deserves the MVP.

- The first quater was the most boring football in the history of the superbowl. And there has been some really boring superbowls.

- Why do hire MTV to produce your halftime show and then expect it not to be obscene??? I realized how sad things were when a local morning show- known for it's pushing the line and sexual inuendo (yeah I know why was I listening to a show like that??) - made the point that the entire show was rather obscene and to get mad at the Janet/Justin incedent was crazy. I didn't see the half time (video games are better then crappy half time shows), but I do think CBS got what they bargined for.

Day 3 !

Having moved my new years resolutions back a month. I have begun at least one them so far. I haven't had a soda since the Superbowl, and have stayed away from french Fries. Now some would call this a diet, but in fact it's really only an attempt to curb the insane rate at which I was comsuming very unhealthy food, and one of those let's see if I can do this kind of things. So far about 52 hours and counting!

I’m behind, but I guess my blog shouldn’t be any different from the rest of my life. I wrote a really long post a week or so ago, but it was pretty whinny and well I hate it when people whine, so I didn’t want to bother you with my whining. Anyway, just know it had to do with married (or nearly married) people giving single people advice on being ok with your “singleness”. - Spare Me.

I resolved this year not to make any new years resolutions! Well at least not till February, I have not real reason for this other then I just didn’t feel like it in Jan. the verdict is still out on Feb. But the reality is I have this covenant thing I have to get to working on so really I think I’ll just try and make that work. Oh yeah, also I’m going to spend less, eat better, work out more, and work on growing closer to Christ! Why don’t I just print these goals up with a different year on each card? It’d save much time reflecting on life and stuff. And I could just blow it off by March or April, ok who am I kidding the 2nd week of February.

So I finally went to see the a specialist for my hand. Yeah, that was a nice waste of a half day. The appointment went great till I had to wait 45 min. for the review of my x-rays. It amazes me sometimes. Anyway, hand hasn’t hurt the last 2 weeks just went to see the doc to be on the safe side (and because it was a 3 week wait to get in). He has no clue what caused it. Eh, what are ya gonna do?

John Elway, Joe Monatna, Dan Marino MOVE OVER.

I've never seen a Quarterback dominate a game like Peyton Manning of the Colts Dominated the Kansas City Chiefs yesterday.

You heard it here first INDY is your SUperBowl Champ!!!

(ok so I'm sure you may have heard that several other places, but none the less having watched Manning since he was at Tenn. I did know his of his Greatness many years ago!)

Having the just gone through the finacial crunch of the holidays, the weekends have been . . . well . . . thrifty. So I find myself watching Star Wars after a very good dinner. Scott (my room mate) cooked a great dish called Swiss Steak, a wonderful combination of beef, covered in flower and tomato sauce, along , with a potato and a side of green peas. Ummm Ummm good. Sooo a Saturday night at home with Star Wars is the course for the evening.

It reminded me though of my college days when Star Wars was re-released into the Theaters. I remember a bunch of us got tickets to see it on a Saturday. Yep that's right we paid perfectly good money to see a movie we could have rented collectively at about 1/30th of the cost, but that's another post. I remember watching the movie and trying to think like those that saw it for the first time in 1979. How would a 21 year old in 1979 have seen this show? How would they have received it?

Now it is important to know that I grew up with Star Wars as one of my earliest memories. So I don't remember a time in which it did not exist. The world of the rebels fighting the federation, Luke, Darth Vader, and Princess Lea, were fond memories. We played Star Wars instead of Cowboys and Indians. So for me the world of star wars was like a history almost. I just accepted it.

I concluded that I have no idea how this film ever made it there were huge risks and crazy worlds. All of which the audience had no idea what was going on. However it did have one thing which I could not duplicate. That was technology. The Special effects were revolutionary at the time, and now watching them 15 years later I had seen the SPFX advance so much things looked a lot cheesier.

It was only until I saw "The Matrix" (yeah I know the sequels were disappointing, but were focusing just on the first movie not the trilogies) in the theater sometime later that I realized what those viewers must have thought. A totally new world with revolutionary SPFX. When I walked out of the Matrix I wasn't sure what I thought, but I thought it was pretty cool.

Anyway no real moral to the story just a random thought.

"Criticism has the power to do good when there is something that must be destroyed, dissolved or reduced, but [it is] capable only of harm when there is something to be built." - Carl Jung


- Found this while reading a seminary book. Really made me think about how much of my time is spent in building and in how much is spent in destroying, dissolving and reducing. Hummm. [note to self add that to new years resolutions (additional note to self start making new years resolutions)] Would love to write some great speech about all that but really that's about as far as the thoughts went. I do like the quote though.

- Additionally on the above quote does that mean that according to Carl Jung the term Constructive Criticism is an oximoron?

It's a day of great joy!

I'm presently at home in a sweat shirt and flannel pj's. Trying to make myself get some work done, but watching the snowfall is just too much. I think I'm giving up this battle after lunch. I'd post pictures but . . . um well . . . can't so just go to coqui's site I'm sure she'll have some up of the area in the next few days.

At any rate nothing quite so beautiful as the falling snow. It's just beautiful.

Oh yeah, Doc says he has no idea what's up with my hand. Therefore, I have an appointment with a specialist in 3 weeks. Normally this would be no big deal, except that last night I was awakened by the sever pain shooting through my hand. I did discover that some Ibuprofern every 4 hours or so seems to do the trick. I'll be fine, just really wondering what's up with my hand.

It's NOT carpal tunnel . . .

Well at least in my very uninformed non-medical opinion. However I have a very sharp pain residing in my hand and sometimes both hands. From the base of my thumb to the first knuckle. I can't figure it out really. Sooo I'm leaving it to the professionals and letting my doctor look at it this afternoon!

Quote of the weekend (best as I remember it anyway)

"Good luck finding anyone in the dessert of Seattle." - Coqui (referring to landscape of future mates)