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.

Created in God's Image

So I'm reading this book, Created in God's Image by Anothony A. Hoekema for my Theology II J-Term, and so far it's been pretty enlightening. The following quote from Herman Bavinck is especially heavy/

"Man does not simply bear or have the image of God; he is the image of God. From the doctrine that man has been created in the image of God flows the clear implication that that image extends to the man in his entirety. Nothing in man is excluded from the image of God. All creatures reveal traces of God, but only man is the image of God. And he is that image totally, in soul and body, in all faculites and powers, in all conditions and relationships. Man is the image of God insofar as he is true man, and is man, true and real man, because and insofar as he is the image of God."

wow. pretty heavy stuff.

John G. Patton

I'm taking a slight break from my Theology II reading to start John G. Patton's autobiography, John G. Patton. So far I'm only at the end of chapter two and I've already been in tears twice.

One of the more moving accounts comes from his childhood, when his family was on the brink of malnourishment during a famine. However his family recieved an unexpected package of food, and were able to survive until the famine ended. His godly, Christian mother used the oppurtunity to teach her children about God's love, saying:

"Oh my children, love your Heavenly Father, tell Him in faith and prayer all your needs, and He will supply your wants so far as it shall be for your good and His glory."

This last part really touched me. Often my prayers are directed at such trivial things that are not really for my betterment and certainly not for God's glory.

My Teeth Hurt

So I went to the dentist for the first time in three years today, and evidently I have a cavity on one of my wisdom teeth.

Well most people get their wisdom pulled anyway, oh well.

This isn't going to be very fun.

New Year

So this is the New Year....

It's off to a good start.