Boxing Day

Today is boxing day, a holiday celebrated in the the U.K and Canada which traditionally is for giving presents to those in need.

However, for the majority of us outside of the Common Wealth of Nations, December 26 signals the passing of yet another Christmas. In the next few days withering Christmas trees will be discarded and decorations will be boxed up and stored in garages and basements.

My Christmas was a day of considerable joy, largely due to the fellowship of my friends and family. This holiday season was not a time of tremendous financial or material gain, although I was given an assortment of books that I look forward to reading, as well as a few albums. However, there are certain joys that cannot be bought- like dominating a game of Balderdash in which four different families were competing or introducing old friends to the TV show Flight of the Concords .

May the Lord bless and keep you this upcoming year and may the incarnation of our Lord be something that we cherish and celebrate every day and

The Kite Runner

While in Flagstaff over the weekend I picked up a used copy of The Kite Runner at Bookman's.

I just finished it today and I can not remember the last time I was so emotionally moved by a book.

One line in particular struck me as I read the book:

"I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded, not with fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night."

If you're looking for a copy to read, I'll gladly loan you mine. This is a fantastic book.

Good Times

The last few days have been considerably more interesting then the preceding week. Here's some of the more interesting things that occurred.

Friday and Saturday my buddy Darrick and I drove to Flagstaff to hangout with some friends from high school. For those of you who haven't been there, Flagstaff is a charming college town located in mountains (it is in the shadow of the San Fransisco Peaks, the highest mountain in Arizona). My dad lived there when he went to NAU some thirty years ago. Over the course of the 5 hour round trip we listened to "Kelsey" by Metro Station too many times to count.

Last night, I made a late night sledding run with my crew. Sledding is always fun- sledding by starlight when you can't see the bottom of the hill from the top is really fun. Hot Chocolate from Circle K and some late-late night Scategories capped off a fun filled day.

Today we traded in our sleds for skateboards and street luged some of the steepest hills in town. I regularly hit 35 mph on my bicycle, but 20 mph is pretty scary when one is only 2 inches above the pavement. The last time down I took a turn too sharply and ended up in a snow bank. At least it was a snow bank and not a ditch.

I also did some recording with Darrick. I am still working on the final mixing but be on the look out for a new song on our Monday Massacre page.

Cabin Fever

It is now day six of snow, which for someone who is car-less such as myself means day six of not going anywhere. Cabin fever is definitely starting to set in (as demonstrated by the fact that I'm writing a blog post at 2:30 AM).

I'm trying really hard not to let boredom turn into complacency. So I've been trying to find ways to make the most of my weather-imposed exile. Such as:

I'm reading a fantastic novel called What is the What? by Dave Eggers. It's the artistic retelling of the actual events of Sudanese refugee Valentino Achak Deng's life. I haven't finished it yet by I highly recommend picking up a copy.

Also, I'm writing a new song, which I believe will be called Solstice. The Winter Solstice is only a week and a half away (December 22) and I personally am very much looking forward to the days becoming longer once again. Although I am pretty much nocturnal , it being completely dark before 7:00 PM is just depressing.

Another way to keep from going stir-crazy is playing Scrabble online with my friends from Facebook. It is very addicting. Over the last few days I have been in the process of playing 3 simultaneous games with John Letoto- all of which I have either lost or are about to lose. His use of such words as "qaids" and "adz" have led me to believe that he may read the scrabble dictionary in his leisure time.

Snow

Illustrations

Home

I recorded a song today. Listen here.

My mom made monster cookies. mmmhhmm.

It snowed today. On the bright side it's gorgeous, on the down side since I couldn't ride my bike down to the coffee shop.

Heroes

I'm now addicted to the television program Heroes on NBC. How addicted? Well pretty much like Isaac Mendez and heroine. Basically I watched the entire 23 episode season in 36 hours... it's that good.

Haircut

This is the shortest my hair has been since I was 13. 

I'm Not There

I was fortunate enough to catch an early showing of I'm Not There tonight at Baxter Ave. Theater. The movie utilizes six different actors, including a black child and a women (Cate Blanchett) to play the role of Bob Dylan.

The movie has a profound, though not necessarily blatant, message. By interweaving seven separate story lines, which at times range from the historical to the bizarre and even absurd, I'm Not There portrays the elusive singer/songwriter far more accurately then a traditional movie ever could. In a sense, I'm Not There suggests that it is necessary to venture into the absurd to understand this larger than life figure. While a movie like Ray or Walk the Line worked to tell the story of other musicians from the same era, it simply wouldn't in this case.

From a postmodern perspective, whether or not the events actually occured is not as important as reflecting the truth of the individual. Cate Blanchett is especially successful in her role, as anyone familiar with the Martin Scorsese Documentary, No Direction Home, will recognize she has 1965 Bob Dylan down pat.

I will say, it would be difficult to enjoy this movie without being a fan of Bob Dylan (The soundtrack is completely composed of Dylan songs). However, if you are not a Dylan fan, I highly recommend becoming one so you can watch and appreciate this film.

Random: Eclectic

Working Black Friday wasn't too bad-- just long. We stopped by J.C. Penny's after my shift. The Men's section looked like a straight up battle zone.

Currently I am bedless, sans a sheet spread out on the floor. It's actually not too too bad. One is prone to wake up a little sore though.

On the subject of my my room, it's pretty messy right now,. Hopefully I'll find time to clean it up next week.

Watoto

Last night the Watoto Children's Choir from Uganda performed at Sojourn.

The Watoto vision is to provide for the millions of children orphaned by civil war and AIDS in Uganda. Their ministry model is truly holistic; it meets physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

I highly recommend supporting this ministry.

Carver 346

Tonight is my last night in Carver 346, the room that has been my home away from home for the last 2 1/2 years.

I can't say that there is anything particulary special about this moldy old dorm room, but over the years I guess I've developed a bit of an attachment to it... i mean a lot has happened here.

*sigh*

Okay... enough with being sentimental, I got to get this place cleaned out so i can move tomorrow!.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Some I haven't been able to stop listening to Jose Gonzalez as of late.

He's playing at the 930 on December 1st. You're crazy if you don't go.

Something of an End

I am still in shock by how amazing the My Brightest Diamond w/ Tim Fite concert was. Experienced scenesters and cultural elitists alike referred to it as "the best yet at the 930" and even "the best show I've ever been to".

I simply do not have the vocabulary to accurately describe Tim Fite's live show. If pressed, I would probably resort to using words like bizarre, weird, eclectic, and possibly genius- though none of these really do him justice . One fellow Sojourner described him as a revival preacher on drugs- an apt description. Definitely worth your time to listen (his most recent album is available to download).

To say that My Brightest Diamond blew me away is an extreme understatement. It's one thing to hear Shara Worden's sultry, operatic voice on her highly polished studio recordings (which are quite fantastic). It's quite another thing to hear her in person- transversing multiple octaves with her intricate vocal acrobatics while shredding on both electric guitar and Rhodes. For an artsy group of musicians, these guys rock hard.

Drake, as always, recorded the show and should have the mastered copy on the web in a few days. I'll post a link so you guys don't have to miss out.

Alleycat

I'm thinking about going fixie..

No, that doesn't mean what you think it does. I'm considering buying a fixed-gear bicycle .

What is a fixed-gear bicycle? I'm glad you asked. Read about them here.

I'm kind of nervous about the no brakes thing, but besides that I think the benefits far out way the cons.

Now if I can just scrape together the dough.

Safety First

I recently bought this handy flashing light to keep cars from hitting me when I ride my bike at night. So far it's working... now if I could only find a bike accessory that keeps drunk frat boys from yelling at me on Friday nights.

I also recently snapped this picture on a bike ride, of a monument for some civil war general who killed a bunch of rebels or something.

Wow. I am ready to be done with this semester like nobody's business.

Seriously, it's none of your business.

I love my community group.

We speak the gospel to each other, we study the Bible, we share our struggles, we confess our sins, we play games, we laugh, we have genuine fun, we strive to live in biblical community.

I'm learning everything that biblical community entials- in many ways it's radically new to me- but I do know that in community we are better equipped to love, worship, and obey God.

I'm so through with that "personal relationship" thing....

Quills

I've only missed going to Quills once in the past 9 days.

I think I may just ask if I can move in.

The Ringing Bell Tour

I'm at Quills, bright and early, for the third day in a row. Actually, it's dark and early, which is kind of depressing. Hopefully I'll get this research paper done today.

Anyway, the Derek Webb and Sandra McCracken show was absolutely fantastic. I was helping out at their merch table, but I still got to catch a lot of the show including some of my favorites such as Thy Mercy, My God; King and a Kingdom; and a New Law. Derek and Sandra played with each other practically all night, so it was kind of like the Webb Family band. The atmosphere was very cozy- even though there wasn't an empty seat in the house it still felt like they were playing in a living room for a few friends.

At the merch table, I spent some time hanging out with Jordan Brooke, a close friend of Sandra and Derek who did the art/design for The Builder and the Architect and Gravity Love. Check out some of her other work here, it's really good.

Derek Webb. Sandra McCracken. Tonight.

Derek Webb

I working at the merch table for the Derek Webb/Sandra McCracken concert Wednesday night at the 930.

Come out and buy a T-Shirt or something.

Istanbul, not Constantinople.

The Bulldogs (indoor team) won our last game tonight. It was truly a hard fought battle. However,we played with heart, we stuck with our strategy, and we didn't let up.

Brandon and Grant both had hat tricks and Pete had an absolutely sick cross goal shot that found net on the inside post. But my favorite goal was when Aaron executed a perfect volley after the opposing keeper deflected the ball straight in the air.

The fans were absolutely awesome and packed the entire house- we've established quite a repuation with Mockingbird's employees as the team with the crazy fans. Definately a good way to finish a season.

Woodcuts

The new art exhibit at Sojourn, How Quickly Comes the Night, is absolutely stunning. Check out some of the work and the meaning behind it here, or - even better- stop by and see it in person. My brother bought the picture of the human hands holding a skull, which is one of my favorite pieces in the collection.

Album Reviews

Dashboard Confessional - In the Shade of Poison Trees - Absolutely fantastic. This one might win back some fans who left over A Mission, A Mark, A Brand, A Scar.

Iron and Wine- The Shepherds Dog - Sam Beam employs cryptic, fragmented lyrics laced with biblical imagery to convey a clear anti-Christiant message. Musically Brilliant.

The Idan Raichel Project - The Idan Raichel Project - Honestly one of the best albums I've picked up all year. Idan Raichel has created a beautiful mosaic of world music from cultures spanning the entire globe.

I just ordered this album at Ear X Tacy.

I figured I needed more Jewish/ Ethiopian music in my Itunes.

Fall Break

This week is fall break and for the third consecutive year I am not going anywhere.

But it's not actually that bad because the few students that are actually here (all 13 of us) hangout a whole lot more- which is pretty cool.

Well the L.A. Galaxy vs. the Columbus Crew proved to be an awesome match. All of the goals were scored in the first 17 minutes, which for a soccer match is pretty insane. Our seats in the northwest corner game us an awesome view of the Crew's opening goal, a NASTY header by Alejandro Moreno in the second minute.

Unfortunately, David Beckham, the reason we bought tickets in the first place, was not there, as his father is in the hospital in England. At least in comparison to the last match I attended the weather was absolutely gorgeous.

Overall an excellent way to spend my birthday.

Happy Birthday to Me

Well it took long enough, but I am no longer a teenager.

Oddly, it feels like it happen a long time ago.

Wow. I am glad today is over.

Maybe it won't seem so bad tomorrow.

Midterm Update

I'm still alive and I think I still have my sanity- though I can't be as sure on that one.

Right now I'm confused on whether I should get started on my youth project or my MASSIVE midterm for Theology and Culture...

If I'm still alive by Friday night, I'll be alright.

24:52

I ran the 5K put on by the Great Commission Center today.

I had 2 goals:

1. Finish
2. Finish before any of the child competitors

Mission accomplished!!

Birds of a Feather

Currently I am chilling/ studying at Quills Coffee, my new second favorite coffee shop. I must say this place is so hip it's practically off the meter, and since they brew Sunergos beans you know that the coffee is excellent.

I ordered an Iced Miele (a charming drink comprised solely of featuring honey, cinnamon, espresso, and milk) on recommendation from my buddy Aaron O'neil which did not disappoint.

I'll definately be back here often.

Wow! I can't say how much I love Neil Rackers! Way to hit the winning field goal with one second left on the clock!

Confessions

From Confessions - Saint Augustine (p. 29)

"... in the theaters I sympathized with lovers when they sinfully enjoyed one another, although this was done ficticiously in the play. And when they lost one another, I grieved with them, as if pitying them, and yet had delight in both grief and pity. Nowadays I feel much more pity for one who delights in his wickedness than for one who counts himself unfortunate because he fails to obtain some harmful pleasure or suffers the loss of some miserable felicity. "

MLS

Saturday I went to my first ever Major League Soccer game in Columbus, Ohio and watched the Chicago Fire defeat the Columbus Crew one - nil.

It rained the entire 90 minutes and since we neglected to check the weather forcast for Ohio we were caught without so much as an umbrella. Brandon Stern, however, stayed nice and dry under his parka and track jacket.

My favorite part of game was the Chicago Hooligans who drove 7 hours to watch the game. This group of 60-70 diehard fans led organized cheers for the entire game (most of which were adapted from Green Street Hooligans). The most humorous/ controversial cheer included the line "We wear red/we wear white/ we are F***ing dynamite"- which ticked off more than one soccer mom with little kids.

Surprises

Today was filled with a lot of surprises.

Dr. Mohler quoted the song "John Wayne Gacy Jr." by Sufjan Stevens in class this morning. I had no idea that Dr. Mohler even knew who Sufjan Stevens was, let alone actually owned several of his albums. Just goes to show that one should never underestimate Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr.

I got stung by a bee at work today; this was surprising because I have never been stung before by a bee or wasp. Evidently, I'm not allergic.

In perhaps the most schocking (and pleasent) surprise of the day, Jessica Cimato randomly showed up on campus- this after telling no one she was making the 15+ hour trip from Fort Meyers.

Just goes to show you that you never know what might happen.

Miscalculation

So I definately was still up at 1:45 AM thinking, "hey! I can still get 6 1/2 hourse of sleep tonight!"

..... *do the math in my head again*

"oh wait, i mean 5"

Plato: Republic

(from Republic page 13)

Socrates: "You would argue that that the good are our friends and the bad our enemies?"
Polemarchus: "Yes:
S: "And instead of saying simply as we did at first, that it is just to do good to our friends and harm to our enemies, we should further say: It is just to do good to our friends when they are good, and harm to our enemies when they are enemies?"
P: "Yes, that appears to me to be the truth."
S: "But ought the just to injure anyone at all?"
P: "Undoubtedly he ought to injure those who are both wicked and his enemies.
S: "When horse are injured, are they improved or deteriorated?
P: "the latter."
S: "Deteriorated, that is to say, in the good qualities of horses, and not dogs?"
P: "Yes, of horses."
S: "And dogs are deteriorated in the good qualities of dogs, and not of horses?"
P: "Of course."
S: "And will not men who are injured be deteriorated in that which is the proper virtue of man?"
P: "Certainly"
S: "And that human virtue is justice?
P: "To be sure."
S. "Then men who are injured are of necessity made unjust?"
P: "That is the result."
S: "But can the musician by his art make men unmusical?"
P: "Certainly not."
S: "Or the horseman by his art make them bad horsemen?"
P: " Impossible."
S: " And can the just by justice make men unjust, or speaking generally, can the good by virtue make them bad?"
P: "Assurdly not."
S: "Any more than heat can produce cold?"
P: "It cannot."
S: "Or drought moisture?"
P: "Clearly not"
S: "Nor can the good harm anyone?"
P: "Impossible."
S: "And the just is good?"
P: "Certainly."
S: "Then to injure a friend or anyone else is not the act of a just man, but of the opposite, who is the unjust?"
P: " I think that what you say is quite true, Socrates."
S: "Then, is a man says that justice consists in the repayment of debts, and the good is the debt which a just man owes to his friends, and evil the debt which he owes to his enemies- to say this is not wise; for it is not true, if, as has been clearly shown, the injuring of another can be in no case just."

How Should We Then Live?

I just finished this book yesterday and I must say I quite enjoyed it. Beyond just merely outlining a history of western philosophy and civilization, Schaffer examines how these philosophies shaped and guided the culture around it, particularly through the arts ( thankfully, he uses a lot of cool pictures). Whether it be how the dualism of Thomas Aquinas shaped the direction of modern thought, eventually leading to Immanuel Kant's noumenal and phenomenal dichotomy, or how the classical music of Richard Wagner was written to propogate materialism and nihilism, Schaffer provides an insight into the deeper meaning behind culture and the arts of which previously I was almost completely unaware.

I leave you with a short clip from the first chapter.

(Schaffer: 19)

"People have presuppositions, and they will live more consistently on the basis of these presuppositions than even they themselves may realize. By presuppositions we mean the basic way an individual looks at life, his basic world view, the grid through which he sees the world. Presuppositions rest upon that which a person considers to be the truth of what exists. People's presuppositions lay a grid for all they bring forth into the world. Their presuppositions also provide the basic for their values and therefore for their decisions. "

Pride: An Introspective Examination

Sunday night at Sojourn Community Church Pastor Daniel preached on Peter's denial of Christ in Matthew 26.

He said two things that really convicted me when I examined my own life in light of this passage:

(1) Peter denied Christ because he thought he was right and (2) he thought he was strong enough.

However, the reason that Peter was eventually restored, even after he had abandoned his faith in Christ (John 21, Acts 1-2), was because of Christ's prayer for Peter (Luke 22:31-32, John 17).

Wow. There's a whole lot more of Peter's pre-denial mindset in my own life then I would like to admit...

Praise God that he is faithful even when my faith is misplaced on myself.

The new Eisley CD, Combinations, is fantastic. A very well crafted, mature sophomore release.

Substituting coffee and Red Bull for sleep only works for so long....

Hopefully it will work for one more night.

Song of the Week

"You Picked Me" by A Fine Frenzy recently was the free download of the week on iTunes.

I'm not sure if the song is about Calvism, but I like to think it is.

Our indoor soccer club, the Boyce Bulldogs, opened up the season with a 9-4 loss.

It's very dissapointing to lose our first game, but there were a few bright spots that show a lot of promise for the rest of season.

Particularily was the Brandon to Grant/ Grant to Brandon combinations that were developing towards the end of the game. Those two were responsible for all of our goals.

Another highlight was the incredible amount of effort from the new kids, especially from Derek Jones, who was all over the place in a very last season Jason Davis fashion.

Hopefully next week will be better.

Carver 319

For those of you who do not have the pleasure of living on campus at Boyce College in Carver Hall, you may be unfamiliar with Carver 319, a modest corner dorm room next to the elevator on the third floor. If you ask Housing, they'll tell you that Brady Martin and Alex Loginow live there, but it is unlikely that you'll ever find just them in there. Instead, you'll find students from almost every hall hanging out, often in double digits. Many nights I have found myself in Carver 319, up way too late, engaged in a passionate (and often opinionated) theological discussion, or simply enjoying the companionship of my Christian brothers.

Anyway, for those of you who don't live in Carver, or for all of you who do but do not have enough thought-provoking, biblically-based discussion in your life, there is now the Carver 319 blog.

One thing is for sure, it's bound to be culturally engaging, controversial, and straight up entertaining.

Coffee: The Week in Review.

Starbucks: Friday night I stopped by and ordered what used to be my favorite drink, the Dulce de Leche Latte. It was the first time I've ordered it in several months and after a summer of drinking half-pump white mochas and caramel lattes it was just too sweet. Being especially thirsty, I also purchased an iced green tea, which was delicious- though next time I think I will get it unsweet.

Java: I was there 2 times last week. I must say I enjoy being there when it is empty much more than when there isn't an empty table.

Sunergos: Visited last night with Toto and played a rousing and slightly frustrating game of Scrabble. In addition to great espresso based drinks Sunergos has the only drip coffee I enjoy black.

Long Distance

I went running tonight with my buddies Evan and Riddle. We're training for the 5K that the GCC is putting on.

I think I may have had a heart attack-- multiple times , especially when we finished by sprinting up the HUGE hill on the brick-paved street.

School

I am so behind.

Why do I excell at procrastinating?

Well, I was wrong. Dr. Mohler was, in fact, in class to go over the syllabus with us and give an opening lecture, which covered a diverse amount of topics, including the Hoover Institute and the punk band Bad Religion.

Theology and Culture

Today is the my first class session in Contemporary Issues in Theology and Culture.

It's rather unlikely that Dr. Mohler is actually going to be there just to go over the syllabus with us, but still, I'm excited about this class.

Cambodia: Pictures

In alot of the small villages we went to most of the kids had never had their picture taken. Just seeing their picture on the view screen made them go crazy! It wasn't long before they were posing for the camera, often imitating thier favorite WWE wrestlers ("Professional" Wrestling is HUGE in Cambodia).

Howdy!!!

Wow. Howdy leading is hard work.

Hong Kong

Culture Shock

I'm in Siem Reap right now, home of Angkor Wat, which is about five hours north of Phnom Phen.

Our group is staying at a four star hotel, which for me is a very difficult transition from villages with no electricity.

While everyone else is talking about how nice everything is (the spa, the pool, massages, facials, et cetera), I just can't enjoy all of these luxeries.

Last night Dal and Alex (who also share my sentiments) found little noodle shop on a side street a couple blocks from the hotel. Open air, no AC, and fruit smoothies for 50 cents. That's my definition of luxery.

Arsenic and Old Lace

Yesterday I to a small village to test their drinking water for arsenic with Sua, a local Christian and RDI employee. Sua and I share a common love of Manchester United and 1960's motown songs (our rendition of "Uptown Girl" was pretty much amazing), so we had a really good time.

Getting to these small villages is an adventure in and of itself, which includes taking ferries, 4 wheel drive only roads, and crossing really sketchy, rickety bridges.

Driving home we went through the downtown /tourist area, including the gorgeous multi-million dollar mansions built by government officials who pocket almost all of the humantarian aid/relief money (remember that next time you donate to the U.N. or Red Cross).

It's such a tragic and disgusting contrast to families we visited, who literally lived in houses without walls- just a sheet metal roof with dirt floors.

Cambodia

Well I've been in Cambodia for several days now, but for the the last 2 I've been in a small village without running water or electricity, let alone DSL.

We've been building a huge rain collecter, as currently their only source of water is the filthy river that runs through the village. The well water has deadly levels of arsenic in it.

We also distributed some clay-pot water filters, which remove toxins from the water with tiny, microscopic holes. Really quite ingenius.

In the evenings we've been playing a lot of soccer with children from the village- it's so much fun but absolutely exhausting in this climate.

Pictures coming soon.

Socialism

I'm in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam right now.

The airport is by far the oldest and most run down I've been in yet. The customs agent didn't seem to like me- I wanted to remind him that they actually won the war so I should be the one holding a grudge (granted, he didn't burn down my parent's village).

The Whiskey is very expensive here (in contrast to Tokyo where they had free samples- don't worry, I didn't break covenant), however, the cigerettes are much cheaper than back home. Alex Biven and I are considering buying a bunch and setting up a black market operation.


Anyway, it's time that I actually got going to Cambodia.

Lost in Translation

Well, we're stuck in Tokyo because we missed our flight to Hong Kong.

Now we have been redirected and will be traveling through Ho Chi Minh city.

My first time in a communist country!

2 hours isn't alot of sleep.

See ya later Heber.

It was real. It was fun. But it wasn't real fun.

Total Truth by Nancy Pearcey

"Artists are often the barometers of society, and by analyzing the worldviews embedded in their works we can learn a great deal about how to address the modern mind more effectively. Yet many Christians critique culture one-dimensionally, from a moral perspective alone, and as a result they come across as negative and condemning. "

"Our first response to the great works of human culture-- whether in art or in technology or economic productivity-- should be to celebrate them as reflections of God's own creativity. And when we analyze where they go wrong, it should be in a spirit of love."

Cheesecake

Today was my last day of work at Karolyn's Kitchen. All of the other waiters and waitresses pitched in and bought me a piece of cheesecake as a going away present, which was quite delicious.

Granted, the cheesecake was actually my idea.

That is to say that everyone buying me the cheesecake was my idea.

This was accomplished by telling everyone, "Hey, just to let you know, all of the waiters are pitching in and buying me a piece of cheesecake as a going away present."

Mmhhhmmm. Cheesecake.

Thought(s) on the Week

Aki, the retired Japaneses chef who lives next door made me supper the other night and it was delicious. Honestly one of the best meals I've ever had.

It's really hard to make money waiting tables when no one comes in.

In a very Kyle Cogar esq moment I actually used an episode of South Park as a source in a conversation about Mormonism with several members of the LDS church. As I no doubt should have learned from Kyle- that's not a good idea.

I trying to appreciate the irony that I came home to see my family and yet this is the second week this summer that both my little brother and parents have been out of state (or country)= leaving me home alone. And I have to try to explain to Peter and Jen, Derek and Kristina, and Jason and Corey why I missed their weddings.

Home Alone

My little brother is in California, my older brother is in Kentucky, and my parents are in Mongolia (yeah! Mongolia), so I'm home all alone all week (I'm not sure if that's completely safe to publish on the internet). To make matters worse my homeboy Darrick is in Tuscon taking summer classes (and all of my other friends from high school are on their 2 year LDS mission).

However, I was dramatically cheered up by two completely unexpected phone calls from my good friends Joel and Graham. Both are doing well and told me how God is doing incredible things in their lives. What an encouragement!

Small Town Hip Hop

Friday night Darrick and I decided that we should incorporate a Flight of the Concords-esq hip hop battle as part of our set the following night. We decided to rap about the only thing that we really knew well- and that's the White Mountains.

Shockingly , "Small Town Hip Hop" was a big success. In response to popular demand, the recording should be coming out soon- so watch out.

This Week

My boss has been in Phoenix with her new grand baby, so i've been the only one working the coffee shop all week.

I also have been working nights at Karolyn's Kitchen, which basically means that after working 14 hours every day I don't have a lot of time for sleep.

I'm averaging three espresso drinks a day- I think I'm developing a tolerance.

I heart Bryce

Do yourself a favor, download this song.

The Day Thus Far

5:30 AM- I wake up after being up way too late
5:45 AM- in a rush to get ready for work I over cook one of my fried eggs and under cook the other (bleh)
6:05 AM- I get about three feet past my drive way before I realize that my front bicycle tire is completely flat- and I have neither a replacement tube or the time to change it.
6:30 AM -2:30 PM- work a rather frustrating shift of work in which I ran out ice, caramel, chocolate, and numerous other important coffee shop ingredients.
2:45- Slice my hand open cleaning the espresso machine, it bleeds profusely all over place and I have to call my parents to have them help me clean the store.
3:00- Find out that I got doubled booked and I missed a shift at my second job while working my first one.

*sigh*

I guess you could say I'm in a "glass half empty" kind of mood.

I

Fourth of July Festivities + a LOT of flatlanders = one very tired barista/waiter.

And I still have to get up early, open the coffee shop, get off in time to teach Sunday School, and play piano in church.

Praise God for coffee.

Amiina - Kurr

Dare I say it? I will.

I think I've found my third favorite Icelandic musical group. Bold I know, but it's true.

Amiina's new cd, Kurr, just came in the mail today, much to my excitement. However, I must say I thought I was getting a good deal when I saw it was only 8 pounds with free shipping, but it turns out that 8 pounds is almost 17 dollars.

Exchange rates aside, I am currently enthralled with my purchase. Each song is a dreamy indie symphony with a Sufjan- esq variety of intrumentation, including a saw on a few songs- which is pretty darn amazing.


For fans of Six Part Seven, The Album Leaf, and, of course, Sigur Ros

x 2

I doubled up my cardio routine today- i rode my bike and went running.

I'm feeling pretty ... spent... right now.

I got a $100 tip today.

When the gentlemen handed me the 100 dollar bill i asked him if he would liked it changed. He responded by saying that it was my tip.

He explained that he had more money then he could spend and that using it in this way made him happy. Besides, he said that money was useless unless you spend it.

Game Day Central

Well the first day of VBS went very well. I must say that now that all of the preparations are over I am significantly less stressed. I love the kids in my class and so far they have been awesome.

Ironically all stress/frustration is from other teachers (though not my co-teachers, they are awesome). Basically, Coach Ken, Coach Rod, and myself (Coach Michael) are all about putting the "vacation" back in Vacation Bible School.

This week I will be in addition to working two jobs, teaching VBS (which stands for Vacation Bible School for my readers who weren't raised in the Bible Belt).

I am very excited and expect to have a lot of fun.

And by fun I mean be stressed out.

Flight of the Concords

This could be the funniest tv show I've seen since Arrested Development.

TXT MSSG

Here's a sample of a typical text message conversation with my buddy Darrick:

Darrick: my roommate said we should write hip hop beats for a living. (in reference to our new myspace)
Me: haha. yeah, we totally could except we would need a cool name like the Chemical Brothers
Darrick: or the Blood Brothers
Me: Yeah, we could totally pioneer sxe (straight edge) hip hop- only none of that krump crap
Darrick: I don't know what krump is.
Me: Krump is a hip hop movement that promotes nonviolence through dancing and dressing up like clowns
Darrick: haha. how gay.

Today was my first day back at work since the surgery.

I definitely botched some orders due to a pain-killer induced brain fog, but beyond that it was nice to actually do something other than watch old westerns and eat ice cream all day.

Well, I think I'm going to go watch a Clint Eastwood movie and eat ice cream.

Recovery

Day 4:

I'm still swollen
I'm still drugged up on pain killers.
I'm still only eating apple sauce and ice cream (well the ice cream part isn't that bad)

Hhmm... I ready to fully recovered, like right..... now.

Darn it.

Wisdom Teeth: Post Op

Well I'm still alive... but just barely.

The last 24 hours are a bit of blur.... probably due to the prescription strength pain killers.

Wisdom Teeth

The dreaded moment has come...

I'm not looking forward to this.

Post this 10 times are you're going to Die!

I never forward chain emails or Myspace bulletins. As a result I :

have missed out on meeting my one true love, on more than one occasion.
have been informed that I don't love Jesus.
will have 7 years of bad luck.
won't have sex for five years.


Hhmm. It's a small price to pay to help stop the propagation of mindless garbage.

Otter Pops

It's no secret that I love Otter Pops. (Just check out my status on facebook as well as my interests). In fact, I'm actually eating Otter Pops right now.

Anyway, I'm not sure if I actually have enough readers to do this, but I think it would be cool to have a little online contest. Whoever answers the following question correctly gets, you guessed it, a free Otter Pop (transportation to my house to claim the prize not provided).

Question: Which of the following is NOT a flavor of Otter Pops?

A. Poncho Punch
B. Alexander the Grape
C. Strawberry Short Kook
D. Louie-Bloo Raspberry
E. Little Orphan Orange
F. Sir Isaac Lime

Mountain + Bike

The Rocket Summer

I can't wait for this album.

Random Thoughts about the Previous Week

I caught a late showing of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End last night. I felt like it was overdone, but still, it is a genuinely entertaining film that is well worth the $7. (Thanks to a tip from Paul, my group actually stuck around for the extra scene at the end of the credits.)

As a result of watching Pirates last night, I got very little sleep, for the second night in a row. Thankfully, I work in a coffee shop.

Unfortunately, I came crashing down from my caffeine buzz right as i started my shift at Karolynn's Kitchen.

Speaking of Karolynn's Kitchen, I got an $23 tip on a to-go order that I literally spent 5 minutes on- that was awesome. Also, that same night I won a free creme brule for selling the most rotisserie chicken dinners. It was delicious!

I bought another bike this week. It's a lower end, dual-suspension Mongoose mountain bike. Nothing fancy, but it will get me to work when I can't borrow my parent's car (oh the joys of being a one car family). Darrick and I went out for a spin today and had a blast. Pictures up soon.

Well the reality of an 11 hour work day off of 5 1/2 hours of sleep is sinking in.

I think I am going to collapse.

Ouch!!

I am getting my wisdom teeth removed in a few weeks.

Talk about a good time.

High School Graduation

High School Graduations could be one step above funerals.

I mean, quite frankly its depressing. A bunch of kids get up and cry about how this is the most important moment in their lives thus far, some old guy gets up and rambles about excellence or some crap like that. (A "two mice fell into a vat of cream" type illustration is a given.) Everyone throws their hat in the air, and afterwards, everyone goes out and gets wasted.

Don't get me wrong, I had a great time in high school. I didn't think life could get any better. However, in retrospect, now that I'm half way through college, high school just seems... insignificant.

High school was an learning process. An important milestone- sure. But I don't want my most significant accomplishments to be what I did in high school.

Dance Dance Revolution

I was listening to the Killers today and I started dancing, alone in my living room.

It happens sometimes.

Elevation

Overgaard has an elevation of 6,500 ft.

For the last 5 months I've been chilling at sea level.

Translation: I feel like an asthmatic with vertigo.

I'm leaving on a jet plane

My bags are packed. My room is empty. I'm about to put all of my crap into storage.

It's time to go home.

Green Tea

I recently started drinking tea. I don't like it yet, but I'm getting there.

Done with finals...finally.

I'm almost done with Introduction to Ethics.

When I am, it will be the first time I haven't been enrolled in a class/working on assignments since July.

I'm ready for a break.

I recently discovered that not only is there a Michael Butterworth who wrote science fiction books in the 70's, but there is also an Michael Butterworth who is a professional pianist.

The two things I ever wanted to do in life and other people with my name beat me too it.

I finished up some studio work with The Confessional today. I played piano on a song called "I Became the Love" a sort of power ballad that will be appearing on their forthcoming album.

Listen up for it on 91.9

Reflections on the Semester

My thoughts on the ending of the academic year:

Joel Nolette is gone, never to return. This loss comes on the one year anniversary of Jon Tollefson leaving me, continuing the disturbing trend of my closest friends leaving Boyce. The worse part is I don't have anyone to ride bikes with on Sunday afternoons anymore.

Peter Sieg is getting married in a month. So are Jason & Corey and a whole slew of other folk i know. I am predicting the Peter and Jen will have a child on the way this time next year.

I am saddened to think that I will not have the blessing of taking another Dr. Draper at Boyce. Interpretting Wisdom literature was awesome, even if we did hear the story about his 2 Jewish friends named Allen like four times.

The Fam

My family is in town to see Paul graduate, even my grandparents, which is pretty sweet.

So yes, if you see a skinny blond headed kid who kind of looks like me, he's my little brother. He's starting class here in the fall.

And no, we are not twins. So please get over it.

Uggh!??! Why am I still awake?

There's so much I have to do.

Finals?

Is it finals week already?

Good gosh, it snuck up on me.

Stupid finals week and its ninja-like sneaking abilities.

If you see Brandon Stern, shake his hand. In our two soccer games tonight he scored 7 goals, including the game winning shot in the second game, with 2 seconds left on the clock. What a stud.

Under The Juniper Tree - Stratospheric Surround Sound

It's been a pretty awesome/busy/crazy weekend.

Friday night was Boyce College's Spring banquet. My brother recieved every possible reward imaginable, including the outstanding graduate of his class and the Servant Towel. Amanda Moore and I wore vintage outfits- which if you ask me is very cool. She went for the Jackie Kennedy look while I attempted to pull off a straight Liberaci.

At the after party Matt Capps and I sang "To Hell with the Devil" by Stryper- pure hotness.

Saturday, I attended a film festival at Sojourn. Not only was this my first film festival, but it was also my debut as both an actor and a motion picture composer. The short film, Under The Juniper Tree, was directed by Drake Hatfield and featured, in addition to myself, the music of Cole Robertson and several other local musicians. The film recieved the "Most Beautiful" award, no doubt because I was in it (or perhaps despite of the fact).

ouch.

i went running, no i can barely move my left calf.

i am so out of shape.

Thunder

Drunk people aside, Thunder over Louisville was amazing.

This year I decided to brave the crowds and join the over 500,000 person crowd in watching the hemisphere's largest fireworks display from waterfront park. (yes, that right. the America's largest fireworks show is for a horse race, not Independance Day).

While we were waiting for the show to begin, I invented a game. The rules are as follows:

1 point for spotting an underage kid smoking (2 if in junior high)
1 point for spotting a redneck with a visible tattoo
5 points for smoking pot in plain sight with complete disregard for who might be watching

double points if the individual:

Is shirtless
Is drunk
Has a mullet.

This is pretty much the funniest thing I've seen in a long time.

Yesterday I had coffee with a homeless man named Peter. Well, I should say that I had coffee while he drank hot water with cinnamon and suger in it (i offered to buy him a drink, but he declined). Those of you who frequent coffee shops in the Crescent Hill area have probably seen him before.

Peter claims that he hears voices. Periodically he would stick his fingers in his ears- presumably to tune out the noise of the busy coffee shop to better hear them. He asked me a couple of times if I thought that the voices might be God or some of his angels. At one point he asked me if I was Jesus, and I informed him that I wasn't.

He also asked me if he could come home with me, and I explained that I couldn't.

Maybe Jesus would have, but I'm not there yet.

Scientology

I am writing a paper on Scientology right now. So far I've only been reading primary sources- mostly from L. Ron Hubbard himself.

It's pretty complicated stuff. But hey, if John Travolta AND Tom Cruise believe it, there has to be some validity, right?

(p.s. for those amongst my readers unfamiliar with my sense of humor, the preceding sentance was sarcastic)

Stu: Brand New Pictures!

Here's the pictures from the open mic, as promised. Also be sure to stop by the official Stewart myspace.

Stu: Live in Concert

Maybe I've told you guys about Stu before, and if not, remind me to. But he performed at the open mic at Mom's Coffee Shop today and it pretty much was the most amazing thing of all time.

Pictures coming soon.

The day thus far

Today I :

Fixed my broken chair.

Finally bought double-sided mounting tape to keep my posters from falling down.

Sold my old keyboard that I never use to pay for FACTS.

Rode my bike to the local library and got a library card.

Now I just have to write four papers and I will be set for the week.

He is Risen

My Easter was pretty much awesome, and not because of the cheap store-brand chocolate (though i do love me some cheap store-brand chocolate).

It started out well when Buck and I actually made it to church in time for the early service (though we cut it pretty close). Pastor Butler preached an amazing sermon on the exclusivity of Christ and the importance of the resurrection- very bold considering the crowd was predominately visitors.

In the second service I was in child care, with 13 two-year-olds. It went incredibly well considering.

After church Buck and I hit up the Beanblossom's Easter gathering, where there was great fellowship and Derby Pie to be had. Afterwards, we stopped by the Reddick household for Sarah and Billy's engagement party, where we joined pretty much half of the city of Louisville in congratulating Boyce's must un-Boyce-like couple.
.

Today just got a whole lot better.

I just got a free soy caramellato here at Java, thanks to some snotty drive-through customer who forgot to say "blended" when she ordered.

Four. - The number of times I was heckled by pedestrians bicycling home from work last night.

Oh how I love the trolley hop.

Grammatical Genocide

Do you know what really drives me crazy?

When people mix up "you're" with "your".

Honestly, we are destroying the English language with our grammatical laziness.

Don't even get me started on instant-messenger abbreviations.

10 - 2

Soccer was pretty rough tonight.

We were pretty much torn apart like a wild gazelle trapped in the jaws of a crocodile.

Liturgy

I attended a pre-sanctified divine liturgy at Saint Michael's Eastern Orthodox Church yesterday- quite an enlightening experience. Quite unlike any church service I have been to before.

The building itself is absolutely beautiful, especially the inside of the dome.

Worshipping in an Eastern Orthodox church is a true multi-sensory experience, you see the icons, you hear the Word of God sung and preached, you smell the incense, you taste the Eucharist (well I didn't- but that's because I'm not Eastern Orthodox). There is a lot of ritual and tradition, a lot of pomp and circumstance, but we're talking about traditions that have been unchanged for over 1,400 years!

After the liturgy my brother, a friend, and I were invited by the parishioners to join them at potluck where we got to talk with the head priest, who was kind enough to answer all of our questions.

Overall, the entire experience really expanded my understanding of Christianity, and who my brothers are.

Music Update

Well, the tour with Ben may not be happening... that's still up in the air. If it does happen the it will probably be reduced to half the amount of shows.

In other news, I am currently working on no less than four musical projects.

Hopefully, Butterworth & Sieg will finally finish recording 2-3 more songs. We'll then release an EP, speculatively titled "Hammers and Strings".

Also a local band called "The Confessional" has asked me to appear on their upcoming CD. Should be interesting.

Meanwhile, Ben Smith and I have been collaborating on a top-secret musical project. I can't say much- but it does involves drum machines and quite possibly will make you dance.

Also, I have recently become inspired to release an instrumental album. I have been listening to quite a bit of underthejunipertree and the Photographic, and it's starting to rub off on me.

So hopefully I'll actually get around to finishing one of these. I'll let you know when that happens.

Spring Retreat

The Spring Retreat put on every year by Boyce Student Life starts today. It's going to be awesome for several reasons.

1. I won't be working- first weekend in FOREVER
2. I get an excused absence from class, which includes me getting to take 2 quizes at my convience next week, (thank Dr. Carlton, you're awesome)
3. I'm going for free since I'm running sound.

Yes sir, this is an excellent recipe for a good weekend.

I enjoy falling asleep.

I also enjoy reading theology.

What I do not enjoy is repeatedly falling asleep while trying to read theology.

Stupid daylight savings time, stealing all of my sleep.

It's still in the planning stages, but it looks like I will be going on tour with Ben Smith over spring break.

We'll be playing shows in Tennesse, Georgia, Viriginia, and Florida. If you're in the area, be sure to come out support Ben, he's an amazing musician and a brilliant song writer.

We stand in awe of the ocean,
The thunderstorm,
The sunset
The mountains;
But we pass by
A human being
Without notice
Even though
The person
Is God's most Magnificant Creation

-Augustine

In the Secret of His Presence

This song is simply amazing.

Salvation through Faith

"It is not, strictly speaking, even faith in Christ that saves, but Christ that saves through faith. The saving power resides exclusively, not in the act of faith or the attitude of faith or the nature of faith, but in the object of faith... so that we could not more radically misconcieve it than by transferring to faith even the smallest fraction of that saving energy which is attriubted in the Scriptures soley to Christ himself."

- J. Gresham Machen, What is Faith?

"Moreover, although we do good works, we do not base our salvation on them; for we cannot do any work that is not defiled by our flesh and also worthy of punishment... So we would always be in doubt, tossed back and forth without anycertainty, and our poor consciences would be tormented constantly if they did not rest on the merit of the suffering and death of our Savior."

- Belgic Confession

I didn't have to work today, which makes it the first time I have had a Friday off in recent memory.

This phenomenon occurs in such irregular frequency, I decided to commemorate the occasion by purchasing a pair of argyle (or argyll if you prefer) socks from Old Navy, thanks to a gift card still left over from Christmas.

It is such a strange thing to have fun and enjoy life when I should be working.

It's a really good feeling.

Best reason to buy organic Doritos?

They're healthy, so you don't have to feel guilty for eating a whole bag.

Hang-drying my jeans saves me 75 cents a week.

There are approximately 14 weeks in every semester.

14 x .75 = $10.50

Ten dollars and fifty cents! Just for not wasting electricity!

Saving the enviroment sure can be satisfying.

Beautiful Day

My older brother likes to joke that there should be an Oscar for best use of U2's Beautiful Day in a movie.

On a related note, I think today was pretty much beautiful.

It wasn't the nicest day of all time or anything- it was kind of windy/ a little chilly. But it was warm enough for me to ride my bicycle to work- and that is awesome.

I am definately ready for Spring.

I Will

We're starting a new initiative at church that I'm pretty stoked about.

I'm especially excited about the vision to plant a church in Louisville's south end and to meet the needs of those most in neeed.

It will be interesting to see how God moves.

Myspace

Myspace can be frustrating for me. I only log once every two-three weeks, so it's difficult at best to sustain any online community. My friends who blog have usually posted several times, and on the off chance I've actually gotten a comment or friend request, that individual has no doubt been frustrated by the un-timely nature of my correspondence.

However, the music element serves to justifies the entire ordeal. Myspace in simply the best invention ever to promote a band.

Here's a sampling of who I've been listening too:

Washed up rock star and classmate Ben Smith

My co-worker, Karsten Nelson

My friend Josh Pigg's friend Kelsey Waldon

And my good Phoenician friend Amber Hunter

I was awake for 22 hours straight yesterday (7:00 AM to 5:00 AM the next day).

That's not alot of fun.

Magic

I recently found out that my classmate, Josiah Nolan, is an amazing magician- to the degree that I'm wondering what he's doing at Bible college, since he must have sold his soul to Satan to do what I just saw him do.

The most impressive was by far a variation of the classic "is this your card" which involved Josiah violently coughing (yes! as in spit out of his mouth) up the card.

Man. Toto has got to video this stuff are something.

Syllabus Shock

Right now I am pretty much experiencing a conflicting gament of emotions.

On one hand I'm very, very excited about my classes with Dr. Carlton.

On the other hand, the sheer amount of work I have to do this semester is pretty overwhelming.

One thing is sure, this semester is going to stretch me far beyond my comfort zone- and that's a good thing.

That's Awesome

I like stealing my friend's catch phrases.

I especially like using one phrase in particular, "that's awesome" (spoken in a monotone, Ben Stein-esq voice) I stole it from my friend Darrick Dowdy.

It essentially is used to refer to anything- despite the literal meaning of the phrase- that in actuality is not, well, awesome. I believe Darrick coined the phrase when we were on the high school golf team at Mogollon High

I give you a few examples of "that's awesome" situations that occured to me recently.

Four middle-aged yet still frat-boyish ruffians talking rather inappropriately (and loudly) about women at Java while I was trying to study.

Trying to start our now broken down car in the freezing, freezing cold.

Returning to the study lounge to retrieve my forgotten gloves, only to barge in on a lone couple sharing a very... well... intimate moment.

Yep. That's awesome.

Spring Semester

Wow! Is it that time already?

Mafia

Tom Lyons+ Biggs+Nick Crouse+ Toto+My older brother= one good time playing mafia.

Few things in life are certain...

But one thing is for sure: I'm never going to get my Coldplay CD back from John Letoto.

Rosie Thomas: These Friends of Mine

Wow.

I Just found out about this album (get the whole story here)- and instantly proceded to buy it off of iTunes (it's only being sold online digitally).

Rosie Thomas, Sufjan Stevens, and Denison Witmer, all collaborating on one album written and recorded in Sufjan's New York apartment- now that's amazing.

Theology --> Doxology

True theology always leads to doxology.

The academic study of the Bible ultimately is futile if the end result is not loving God more. Simply put, knowledge about God is the means and not the end.

Today I finished the class portion of my Theology II J-term, which was fantastic yet very challenging. After we finished the section on the atonement, one student was so moved to request that the class sing a hymn. We sang two of my favorites, How Deep the Father’s Love for Us and In Christ Alone (listen here), which was followed with an extended period of prayer.

That I am going to remember well after college.

New Year's Resolution

So I made a New Years resolution: going one entire year without drinking soda pop. Not one drop.

18 days into it I'm still going strong, so hopefully I can keep it up.

In further effort to be healthier, I also have quit purchasing any kind of candy or Doritos (*sigh* even my beloved Belgian chocolate), though I still allow myself to eat them socially.

Physically- and mentally- I feel much better. It's not easy though.

Anathallo

On recomendation from my friend Peter, I just finished listening to Anathallo's Floating World, all the way through in one sitting.

It is absolutely stunning, right down to the short story in the linear notes.

This could be the best album I've heard since Sufjan Steven's Illinois, and that's saying ALOT.

Harmartiology

We wrapped up harmartiology today in Theology II. Really heavy stuff.

Still wrapping my head around all of the differant theories of the imputation of Adam's original sin to all of mankind (Romans 5:12).

Not the easiest thing to tackle after being in class for eight hours.

Michigan

I picked up Sufjan Steven's breakthrough album Greetings From Michigan today, bringing my total Sufjan collection to over a 100 songs (which clocks in at over six hours of music!).

It sounds great over my new computer speakers, which I purchased with my Best Buy gift card (thanks big time Aunt Karen).

Sunday Afternoon Naps

I fell asleep after church today, which always makes me really groggy afterwards.

I definately have a love/hate relationship with afternoon naps. One one hand, I'm pretty much a pro at taking naps... given 10 minutes, I can fall asleep like that *snap fingers* at pretty much any given point in the day. On the other hand, I'm so good at taking naps I always end up wasting alot of time.

Hhmm...

Maybe I should just start going to bed on time.

MMmm!

I don't know if any of you have tried that new breakfast cereal, Cap'n Crunch's Choco Crunch, but it is da bomb*!

*Possible substitutions include tight, fly, dope, in like Flynn, rad, sweet, and yummy.

Back in the Ville

yep.

I've Been Everywhere

I've been to Gallup, Albuquerque, Amarillo, Oklahoma City,

Holbrook, Tulsa, Springfield, Rolla....

Albuquerque

I'm currently in the charming city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. We're staying a pretty swanking Hampton Inn, complete with free wi-fi and a hot complimentary breakfast tomorrow.

There is about three inches of snow on the ground, which is seems very out of place in the desert landscape.

Well I better hit the hay, we're getting up in 5 hours.

Back to Boyce

Paul and I are leaving for Louisville this evening with our dad, who is going to leave his old car with us and fly back to Arizona.

It's going to be a pretty serious drive.

Mark Driscoll

So I recently read an interview in Relevant with several well known church leaders, including Mark Driscoll. A couple of the things he said really made an impression on me.

Relevant Magazine: "What is a negative tendacy of this generation as it relates to the faith?"

Driscoll: "This generation can be a whiny bunch of idealists getting together in small groups to complain about megachurches and the religious right rather than doing something."

RM: "What do you see as the greatest challenge for young Christians in the next ten years."

Driscoll: "There's a strong drift toward the hard theological left. Some emergant types [want] to recast Jesus as a limp-wrist hippie in a dress with a lot of product in His hair, who drank decaf and made pithy Zen statements about life while stopping for the perfect pair of shoes. In Revelation, Jesus is a pride fighter who has a tatoo down his leg, a sword in his hand and the commitment to make someone bleed. That is a guy I can worship. I cannot worship the hippie, diaper, halo Christ because I cannot worship a guy I can beat up."

I had a strawberry-bannana smoothie explode on me today- and I'm not even joking. There's still some chunks in my hair.

Stat Counter

So I recently got a stat counter for my blog. The results so far have been a little less than flattering.

*sigh*

If you were one of the five unique visitors from last week, thanks for keeping my blog from becoming a secret diary.

I wrote a new song, I'm pretty excited about this one.

Trey Bender

I got to hangout with my friend Trey Bender today, with is a rare and much appreciated privilage.

We got milkshakes at June's, we watched The Office, we played some Nintendo, we talked about what God is doing in our lives. (I also tried to convince him to come to Boyce, of course I do that with all of my Christian friends in Arizona)

I guess technically I haven't spent that much time with Trey, only two weeks of summer camp, each one seperated by a year, and a chance meeting at Starbucks 3 weeks ago in Phoenix- All adding up to the than 20 seperate occasions of actually seeing him.

But yet, Trey's one of those guys you meet and instantly hit it off with.

I love that guy.

Beavers and Ducks!

I'm watching Bandits right now. It's such an amazing movie.

Wii

So we've been having fun with David's Christmas gift.