truth wears pants.

The return

2012-01-03T10:42:00.001-05:00

After a long hiatus, I have decided a post is in good order. Plus I can do it on the go with my new app (always a plus). I decided I should not post about too much stuff that I get worked up about. Back when I used to work at the church I was constantly posting what I assumed were scathing and poignant blogs about the state of the church, assuming (I guess) that the whole work would read my post and the church would be radically transformed into what I saw as its best possible self.

No so much.

So I will post about something else (I hope).

For today, I just wanted to say how awesome my daughter Avaliese is. She slept all night and awoke at 10:30 this morning, giving dad the chance to chill and get pumped for a day of school preparation and returning library books and taking out loans to pay library fines...oops.

So, for the zero people reading this, goodbye for another year or two.

New Things

2010-01-29T14:45:00.002-05:00

It has been a ridiculously long time since I posted anything, and so I felt an update would perhaps be in order. In the very rare case that someone may be reading this here is what has happened since my last post.
1. I quit my job. In light of the incredible difficulties I was having and the general feeling that God was moving me in a new direction coupled with the strains of Graduate school, I quit. O happy day.
2. Christina and I have been going over the countless options as to where to go next. We have considered everything from the East Coast (Virginia Beach to be precise) to Chicago (on a long shot). So we are in limbo and just living at the moment.
3. We are looking for a church. At once I am anxious to get into a community of like minded people, but wary so we get into a place that will be easier than our previous church. I would like to be able to continue to lead worship, but am more interested in finding a good, God-centered, earth-changing group. I know some people have been through this long and often frustrating search. If any of you have some pointers, I would be obliged to hear them.
4. My Steelers did not make the playoffs. I am sad still.

I am sure there is more, but those are the big things.

a few things...

2009-09-02T15:00:00.002-04:00

I oftentimes only like to write when I have something personally profound to write about, or incredibly witty to say. The problem is that when I go back and read these posts it turns out that I pretty much suck and am "behind the curve" to say the least. So I will just write what I have born witness to in the past few days/weeks.

1. Hard times happen...no one is spared.
I have had a few people I know go through some tough stuff recently and it really makes no sense at all. These same people, some of whom have been pillars of faith in my life have had a struggle with God in these events. Solid faith can still be shaken. Our worlds can independently be turned upside down at any moment and I the only thing that I can say about it is that it sucks. It may seem typical or contrived, but God remains the same through it all. It is hard to realize during the bad, but God loves everyone. It would be quite cruel for Him to allow bad things to happen to non-Christians and good things to happen to the Ubber-faithful. Perhaps He is allowing these things to happen so that His children can have the experience, wisdom and love necessary to reach out to the needing world who, in their lack of faith, would find no hope in such similar situations. Bad things suck. There is no getting around it, but it is life.

2. Change is scary, exciting and necessary. One thing that I must say is that when you have geared yourself up to change, planned the transition and have finally broken that apathetic cycle that oftentimes countermands the necessary change, it can take forever. I am on the edge of pretty dramatic changes and am getting really restless. It has gone from, "Okay, in a few months this will happen." to "Any day now the news will come and all will be well." to every moment that passes seems to be a little more of a let down. Nonetheless it is an exciting time and one that I hope will lead to a freedom that I have not felt in a while. Exciting.

3. Americans need to get it together. I was thinking about this push that some political analyst tv guy has out right now for people to be as patriotic as they were on September 12, 2001. What is wrong with Americans. Can we really not get behind our country and stay there unless something bad happens. Lazy.

4. Christians need to dial down the patriotism and focus on the universal family of God. I have more on that but don't want to get into it. Just think about it.

5. This is where we get a little more heavy in topics....Football season rocks. A few years back I had a dicussion with my brother about my excitement over football season increasing as I got older. We both have a similar experience. Whether it is the only way to vicariously live out adventure, or simply just a good time, I am seemingly doubly excited yet again this year. Also, the Steelers are going to rock it this year so I am stoked.

6. It seems my office gets worse every day I go to sit in it. On top of it being a tiny little space with no outside windows, it seems my lights like to phase bright to dim ever so slightly. It makes me feel tired and dizzy all at once. I feel like I am in a trippy mid-seventies sci-fi movie in whcih the special effects are limited to harsh lighting and strobe-like effects. To top office the office love experience, there is no air conditioning vent. Rgardless of how cool it is outside, a human being in a tiny space will make the temperature rise incredibly. I would open my door, but the lobby is right outside and there is a constant stream of people distracting me there. To make that situation worse, the couch in the lobby is right outside the door and people sit there and stare at me when the door is open...epic fail on all accounts.

That is all. Like I said not too much substance, but there it is.

Later.

the worst invention ever masquerading as the greatest...

2009-07-09T16:32:00.002-04:00

Here in the booming metropolis of Canton, Ohio we have very few things going for us as a city. Among those select few pluses is our movie theaters. We have a massive multiplex that was built not long after a smaller theater, owned by the same company was built. To put this in perspective the smaller theater has ten screens, which is hardly minuscule. The smaller of the two theaters is now the greatest dollar theater I have ever been in. One of the main features of said dollar theater is the "do-it-yourself popcorn butter dispenser." Now two things just happened. 1. You just double checked to make sure that you read that correctly, and rest assured you did. 2. Your heart leapt for joy at the sheer greatness of such a device. Ladies and gentlemen I am here to tell you that this is not the correct human reaction. This invention is the devil in disguise, albeit a delicious, greasy buttery disguise. I have yet to use this contraption with success. The old adage "too much of a good thing" would not be an inappropriate slogan for this contraption. The first time I used it, I put so much butter on my popcorn that it turned the bottom of the bag into the consistancy of wet toilet paper, I got butter all over my jeans and ruined them, I gained 14 lbs. and got a stomach ache. You would think that an experience thus, would prevent such mishaps in the future, but the power of the Lard compels you. The second time I used it proved only slightly better and I have yet to use the do-it-yourself butter dispenser without disastrous results. And so I am here to warn you all of the coming doom if you encounter a do-it-yourself butter dispenser. It will ruin you.

In other news I am accepted to and going to begin graduate school. Hopefully within two years I will have a Masters of Arts in Biblical Interpretation....woohoo.

And since it has been so long since my last post, I must comment on how melt-your-face awesome Pittsburgh is for being the home of not only the Super Bowl Champion Steelers, but also the Stanley Cup Champion Penguins.

And lastly, I am not always enthusiastic for fall, but I do believe that this years fall time cannot come soon enough for the great music releases that will be taking place over the months of September and October. I am stoked. Some of my favorite artists seem to be on release schedules that gorge some years in great music and leave others in a wasteland of mediocrity.

The End.

Child Abuse Seminar

2009-05-15T09:48:00.002-04:00

I went to a child abuse seminar yesterday thinking, perhaps even hoping, that they would teach us how to spot and report suspected abuse. It was, however, just a risk management seminar teach us how to not abuse children and the legal steps we need to take to make sure that The Salvation Army is not liable for our volunteers and staff that we bring into the building. Now, to be sure this information is necessary. However, when the risk management fellow equated each possible abused child in our program to a sum of money I had had it. The quote went something like, "If you have a known pedophile in your building, each child abuse case can be seen as $2 Million. If you have 30 kids you could see the cost." Wow. A whole $60 Million and nothing about the possible ruined lives of the kids. To soften it a little, there was mention of the kids safety throughout, but there was always a sense of legal covering of the proverbial ass.

To change gears I was also quite interested to hear the "panel" be so very adamant saying that pedophilia is an incurable disease. Luckily a few pastors raised the question, what about the supernatural ability of God's saving grace and the sanctification work of His Spirit. The response was a simple, "It has been scientifically proven that there is no cure for pedophilia." I have forgotten to mention that this panel consists of a Christian Salvation Army Member who advises the Eastern Territory and is employed as such, a Christian Lawyer whom I have a bit more respect for than the others, and an Ordained Salvation Army pastor. The first thing that popped into my head when he said this was that there is a double standard. These same people would argue up and down that scientific proof means nothing when it comes to the creation of the world. "Evolution cannot have happened because God created the world in 7 days." Why is the church so eager to follow the proof of science in modern cases, and not in ancient ones? Why can't Christians ever seem to find the middle ground. Why can't we understand that God has ordered the world, and it is governed by laws, but that those laws do not pertain to himself, or us, when we have the Holy Spirit working in and through us? It is this lack of consistency that, I believe, has turned the public opinion of Christianity sour. I have not had time to fully think through my argument, but there it is. I hope that I will be able to learn enough in my lifetime that I will at least be able to limit these double standard occurrences in my beliefs. Who knows.

And speaking of learning, I am now a graduate. Yay me...yay me. Although I have to admit it seems like I have more to do now than I did a month ago. Before I was graduated there was a barrier between me and grad school. Now no such thing exists and so I have a lot of work to do.

Also, I stand upon the precipus of an historic occasion. This is an occasion that most people will never get to experience in their lifetimes. I may get a personal trifecta of major sports championships. I know it is that amazing. Cleveland has been waiting for more than my lifetime for just one, and I may get my three teams each one in 2009. This probably won't ever happen again and so I must step back and awe at the possibilities. The Steelers have their championship, enough to make this among the best sports years of my life. But as the Cavaliers have a good hope of winning it all and the Pittsburgh Penguins have a good hope of at least getting to the Stanley Cup Finals and then an equal chance to win it, I am on cloud nine. Even if they don't win it all, I may never see this kind of success among my teams (the only three I follow) in my lifetime and if they win it all, it may just mean the end of the world.

neither here nor there

2009-04-30T11:37:00.002-04:00

I don't want to continue on a negative train. This blog, has become a place for me to whine about stuff, and I don't want that to be the case all the time. So I will make this part short. I had another "altercation" with my boss. He became rather aggressive and flat out disrespectful and inappropriate. I was upset for about five minutes and then it passed. This almost daily ritual of foolishness has made me decide that it doesn't really matter. So whether it be callouses that I have developed or the realization that I can't change his thinking, I have decided to let it go. I am even resolved to be ok with the idea that his soul purpose is to make me quit. Frankly it doesn't matter.

On to some good news. I am done with my Undergraduate degree. That is right. It happened with the whimper of a passed CLEP test and the strange feeling that I was done but yet was not. It makes me smile when I think about it, but I don't really feel it. I have felt done for a while. like the last three months of my senior year in high school. But alas I am finished, just in time to start Grad School. "Where?" might you ask...not sure. I don't want to move, but I do. So there...

In the trivial but important world of Professional Sports, I am riding high. My Steelers won the Super Bowl...the creme de la creme. The Cavs are looking like freaks and will at least make it to the Finals (no prediction about the outcome) and the Penguins are looking pretty good. There is a chance that I will have the personal trifecta this year...good times. (If you are wondering about Gaysball, I mean baseball, well frankly I am so happy when October rolls around and any team wins the title, I leap for joy no matter who wins because that means I don't have to watch anymore "top plays" on SportsCenter or hear about a pulled hamstring someone got while running in a straight line for 60ft.)

Movie Season. Every year, the first four months of the year trick me into believing that I don't like going to see movies. Then May rolls around with the glorious series of highly anticipated garaunteed blockbuster that will rejuvinate my love affair with the big screen. Every year seems to be more anticipatory than the last. Although I realize that there will not be a genre shattering tour de force like The Dark Knight this year there are a slough of movies that I know will go into my top of the list category. A little insight into my excitement and my list of most anticipated.

6. Wolverine
Of all the recent reboots or first time Superhero franchises, this ranks among my least favorite. Perhaps it is the myriad of characters that makes it hard for me to get behind. These films have been good, but not the greatest and so I look foreward to this to sort of break me into the movie season. Also, they chose easily the most compelling (and freakin dead sexy) character to focus this film on. I have heard that it is less spectacle more story...good in my book.

5. Star Trek
I was way too young to get into this franchise in its hayday. Quite frankly compared to Star Wars there is no reason to watch. The origin story is always the best and the new look and feel may give this film the good time factor needed to be cool.

4. G.I. Joe

I may be more exited to see this film than Transformers, but I cannot decide. This movie holds the unknown. As long as they toss in "...and Knowing is half the battle" I'll be a fan. This one could go either way...we'll see.

3. Transformers

The story was actually good in the first film...not great. What makes this such a good time is the sheer amazinglyawesomeness of the spectacle of the robots. And of course Optimus Prime could be renamed Optimus Primeavel, as in he speaks to the primeavel good and "I wanna kick the crap out of bad gys" in every human being. Plus the first was was pretty funny.

2. Harry Potter

This was hard to bump to second. It may end up being better than my number one, but we'll have to wait and see. I held off being a fan. The movies have goten better right alongside the books. This could be a freaking good movie with a lot of emotional twist like a delayed second act in this seven part saga. This sets the stage for movie seven which has the youngsters in a more perolous world like that Luke and the Rebels find themselves in Star Wars and Frodo in The Lord of the Rings...stuff freat stories are made of.

1. Angels and Demons

A book taylor made for me, this is far and away Brown's best work. All the greatness of a treasure hunt, all the beauty of Rome and Reniassance Art, all the intrigue of an ancient secret society with powerful connections, and all the histroy of the Catholic church and you have my favorite types of stories all wrapped up into my favorite book of all time. This has the potential to be among my favorite movies of all time worth a place of honor in my DVD collection and the respect that only a thousnad viewings can bestow. Hopefully my self induced hype will not prouce a let down. My prediction is that I will like it anyway...it is a good story with lots of stuff that I will enjoy regardless. Summer movies here I come.

earth day

2009-04-22T12:34:00.003-04:00

Today I have the privilege to celebrate earth day by moving into a small interior office with no windows to outside and no ability get fresh air. Hooray for the Earth. Goodbye sweet creation. I hope some day soon we will be reunited.

Isolation

2009-04-06T13:21:00.002-04:00

I have been in contact recently with some very isolated and sheltered Christians. I can't say that I like them very much. I know I should love them, and in Christ I do, but they are annoying me. On Saturday I had a nice evening off, where I was watching The Sandlot, a great throwback to my childhood. In the movie there is a scene where the kids get their hands on Chewing Tobacco. They chew on it and get sick and throw up at the fair. I absolutely love that scene. In fact, I thought to myself that I want my kids to do that, or at least something similar. Life cannot be experienced in a bubble and for them to be effective members of society, and effective Christians, I think they need these experiences. I don't want them to do something like drink and drive, but a little mischief that they will have to pay the consequences for is cool with me. I want to be less isolated than I am. I would love to see the church, particularly my church be less isolated. My church is so isolated other Christians can't relate to us, let alone the non-Christians. If we continue, it will be not good.

Also, its spring, and although it is going to snow today and tomorrow, I have been enjoying the sun and warmth and golf.

Also, the Masters is this week...Go Tiger.

2009-01-30T13:41:00.002-05:00

As you can see, this is the mother of all icicles. To put in perspective this shot, there us about 8 feet between the top of the glass door and the gutter. It is hard to make out but the ice comes at least four feet below the door making this the largest icicle in the history of the world, but like forty feet...no lie. Well actually, lie. But its big. So I was thinking, if water could make such a large, and quite frankly scary weapon like this, one that could only be wielded by a force this world has not yet seen, doesn't it make sense that the Steelers are going to win the Super Bowl? I mean come on.

I was listening to Ben Roethlisburger talk about the "one for the other hand" to which he so eloquently pointed out, "In Pittsburgh, they are referring to it as the Six-Pack. IC Light baby." Oh Pittsburgh, you kidders.

I was also thinking about these two teams, The Steelers and the Cardinals. Now, I am no expert, but a Steel Mill Worker could pretty easily cruch a stupid old cardinal with his bear hands. In fact there is little doubt that said cardinal would not even leave a scratch. Also, a Steel Mill worker could sinply pour molten steel on the cardinals face and destroy the feebly little creature. In fact the Steel Mill Worker could do that to any of the other stupid team names that grace the jerseys and helmets of the other more feeble 30 teams in the NFL. Lesson: Steelers rule all if you mess with them they can pour molten steel on you so you better shhhhhh.

My Super Bowl ferver is increasing with every stoke of the keyboard. I am about to start jumping around with my Terrible Towel here in a minute. Wait....HERE WE GO STEELERS, HERE WE GO.

2008-12-16T01:01:00.002-05:00

It seems as though all I ever do on my blog is whine about something new, or get pissed about the state of the church these days. I keep vowing that I will be more cheerful the next time I post. Well it's 1 AM and I am not happy again. It seems that my job, particularly my boss, keeps taking and taking with no regards for who I am or what needs might be pressing in my life. It feels as though I have become nothing more than a commodity to be used and called upon to serve the needs and whims of this person and then discarded when they become too hindersome. I feel increasingly strong in my conviction that Church at my "Church" has taken a solid backseat to making money and looking good. Not the backseat of a small sedan either, where the passenger can lean forward and join the conversation but the back of a big 15 passenger van where the cries of the lowly passenger go unnoticed and unattended by the privileged few at the front. I want out. Now. Perhaps typing this is increasing my fury, but it seems hopeless. It has been a few years since I knew this was not for me, but I knew that God had me where I was for a purpose. But when those who are supposed to be helping me seem to conspire to tear down the work that is becoming increasingly difficult I can't imagine that this is the place for me for much longer.

My wife informed me last week that she had to work on Sunday morning. She was so happy that she got to miss Sunday morning. That's not good. I feel the same way. That could be put in the not good column. If I did not have the kids to keep me occupied I would probably stand up and curse out the congregation and the leadership for so blatantly deciding to be complacent and literally hindering the advancement of the kingdom of God. If you think I am being dramatic and that my harshness is in bad form, please come and visit. There is no one in the entire congregation that is willing to help with the kids except one person, who is consequently about to quit for the same reasons I am writing this frustrating post. I would go on and on and on, but I have lost steam. I have vented for the fourth time today and I temporarily feel better. That and I just remembered how awesome the Steelers are...a little good times in the face of temporary suck. Life not sad, just work...and not really work, church that coincides with work. But that being said its Christmas time and I like it. Songs, lights Jesus...all the good times. Happy Christmas everyone. I am not that sad really, just venting. See :) happy. And by that I do not mean that I am gay, or a fourteen year old girl..just trying to prove a point.

This Week

2008-12-01T15:09:00.002-05:00

So I returned to work this week, which is to say that I have been flung into the deepest level of hell, never to breath fresh air, or feel the cool breeze upon my face. It is not that bad, I just always hate having to go back to work after having the euphoric experience of doing nothing for a few days. It's not that I am lazy, nor do I dislike the work that I am doing, but rather a bunch of small things that continuously build up to mean sad times when I must go to my place of employment. My job involves church, and I can honestly say that I am absolutely despising our church service right now. There is absolutely nothing about it that I am enjoying. It seems it goes from bad to worse. There is little to no life in the congregation and I have seen what little there was fade into near oblivion. Church, for me right now, seems to sit somewhere between a Saturday Night Live Sketch that makes fun of church, and an completely offensive stand up comedian that, instead of makes me laugh, makes my blood rise to boiling point, the remedy for which is to simply punch something in the face. It may seem like I am being dramatic, but I am not so much. I could handle a few weeks of that sort of thing, even a few months, but it has been so much so that Sunday has become one of the worst days of my week. This past Sunday, we sand a few "joyous" Christmas songs that sounded like they were an homage to Christ's birth in a Good Friday service. Also, there was this awkward argument that happened from the pulpit that really put me on edge. That sort of behavior should not happen, ever, especially in public, and especially especially in church and especially especially especially not by the leader of the church. I was not a happy camper, nor was my wife. I felt like I needed to give the kids in the church lesson on how to treat one another so they do not replicate the actions of the day. All of this was heightened by the sermon giver using the term "rat's ass" from the pulpit. For the record I have no problem with the term "rat's ass". However, coming from this person, who, in a recent sermon, said that we should keep the sabbath day holy by not dressing like we are at the beach (in shorts and flip-flops), it seemed more than just awkward and, again, there was explanation as to why such behavior was coming from the pulpit. But alas, on to happier things.

I purchased a record player...and some records. They sounded great. The record player broke. I was sad. I called Sony (the manufacturer of said record player) and they wanted me to pay to have it shipped to them for service. I was mad. I contacted Amazon today (the online retailer in which the record player in question was purchased). I will have my replacement record player at my house by tomorrow, no questions asked. I am happy. Go Amazon. (Long Pause and the quietly) Go.

I would write more but, frankly, I don't give a rat's ass. Ho.

2008-11-23T22:35:00.000-05:00

"He made Rivers run right into the sack of Robert Mathis"

-John Madden

Star Wars Weather

2008-11-04T10:25:00.002-05:00

I have been meaning to post this little something something since the first frost. As the weather turns colder and the flakes begin their inevitable invasion of my once perfectly warmer world, there are a few things that I look forward to. When I was a kid, the USA Network always began to show Star Wars around thanksgiving. They would show A New Hope on Wed., The Empire Strikes Back on Thurs., and Return of the Jedi on Fri. Then for the spectacular finish they would show all three on Sat. This has ingrained itself into my very being and so as the weather turns colder and night creeps upon day with ever increasing frequency, I get a feeling deep inside my bones that tells me I need to watch Star Wars...and its good.

I have some extras time for I am sitting in the Airport and have another hour to kill before I board so I will continue.

Politics...I hate talking politics...so I will not...I'm just saying.

I did however get up all sorts of early to get to the polls this morning when they opened so I could vote. I had to drive to Pittsburgh to get on my upcoming flight, so I had to vote even earlier. The problem is that now I have over an hour to wait. The last time I flew they said I would have to get to the airport two hours early and such...not so much. I was done with the interrogation and inappropriate touching in about ten minutes leaving me feel very cheated out of a good hour of sleep. Plus there were about a million people already at the poll location when I got there...at 6:30 AM. I rarely see that time and I figured I'd be in and out right? It took me forever...especially because there was a lady in front of me who was taking so long that she needed to go find a chair so that she could sit in front of the screen and take more time. Wow...6:30 Am is way too early to be patient, by like 6 hours too early.

The check in guy here at the terminal looks like a larger version of Martin Smith from Delirious. I had to spell check Delirious.

I have more but I will save it for D.C. because I have about a two hour layover there...

NBA

2008-10-28T22:40:00.002-04:00

So I am watching the cavs game, and I have to say that I am getting a little tired of the NBA. Almost every trip down the court the referees blew the whistle. It was so incredibly frustrating. When did the NBA decide to play by High School Girls Basketball rules? It seems like there has been a emasculation of every major pro sport instead of hockey in US. It's pretty heavy...that's right...heavy.

NFL Broadcasters

2008-10-28T21:05:00.002-04:00

This post is short. I was just thinking the other day that it will be a great day for NFL broadcasters when the majority of TVs in the nation are high-def because they will be free to stand further away from each other and still be in the frame. As it is now they have to stand uncomfortably close to each other. I was watching the other day and the shorter of the two men was forced to look up into the others eyes....creepy. One dude should never have to look up into another dude's eyes. High-def...yes.

thoughts

2008-10-10T22:27:00.003-04:00

I'm heading to Nashville on Monday to begin work on a new record. I'm excited and terrified at the same time. It has been a really long time since I have done anything real towards recording. It seems that life has exploded into my plans and new plans have emerged that have left the old ones a little worse for the wear. I want to make something good this time around. We'll see.

I sat at home by myself this evening and did very little. There are plenty of things I could have done, plenty of things I should have done, but nothing that I wanted to do. So I did nothing.
I am dreading the next two days. I do not want to elaborate too much in this medium for all too see (even though not many people actually read this).

I have too much to do in the next two and a half months. I am finishing up my first degree...hard enough as it is, but Christmas at the Salvation Army is coming. Most Salvation Army people almost make a joke of how busy it is at Christmas, but I think it is disgusting. We use this time of year to be our biggest fundraiser as well as it being the most needful time for the community. I am dreading Christmas and it is ridiculous that church/mission/organization would let that happen. I also have to clep out of four classes...something that I am reassured is not too difficult, but I will not know until I take my first test. I also have to begin applying to grad schools, a task that is proving to be pretty formidable. Oh well. To make matters worse, the NHL season has begun...I am a little excited but will save the real happiness for spring when the NHL becomes all the more magical. The NBA season is fast approaching and the Cavs look like they may be better with their new additions. And of course the NFL has been trudging through their season nicely. So many things to do.

Also, its Star Wars time of year. This is the time of year when Star Wars was payed consistantly every year on USA...Every time I drive to work and it is a cloudy day I wish I was actually heading somewhere to watch Star Wars...

That's all. The laptop is warm and making my lap way too warm, I am getting irritated by it.

Anywho...

Two men walk into a church...which is funny 'cause you'd think the second one would have seen the first one do it.

2008-10-09T12:41:00.008-04:00

I met with a pastor friend of mine this week and we naturally began talking about church. Right now he is trying to rethink how to do ministry in our city. It really is a very good time. The converstaion made me want to present some thoughts on my own church (as if that is a big surprise to anyone). The issue I have this time around comes from the superiority that exudes from the Sunday morning crowd. We have two distinct and polor opposite church services on Sunday. In the morning we get "the crusties". I say this in full cynisim and contempt and I will probably have to repent of it later, but I am tired of supposed mature Christians acting like infants. The issue with these folks is that they believe that there is nothing wrong with them. They are contenet to complain about anything new, sit in their dedicated seats on Sunday and not care about the dying world around them. I am currently in a Christian Ministry course at school and each book outlines how not to do church. This outline could be called The Salvation Army in Canton, OH. In ten years half the congregation will either be shut in or dead, and another 25 percent will be in their eighties and nineties. They currently do no personal ministry and scoff at any attemp to reach the lost through our Sunday morning service. Further, they do not accept anyone new. Their mantra is, "If you come here, you need to be like us, act like us and if you do not then you are not welcome." All that aside, I must say that I am equally dissapointed in the leadership. Here is why...

We have a wonderful Sunday night service. The average attenders are either homeless, drunkards, drug addicts, hookers, or a combination of them. Many of them come for the food that we provide aftarward. Some of them have recieved Christ. Many of them are striving to live the way that Christ wants them to live and they have found acceptance and fellowship with each other during this time. This is church. The problem is that they are looked upon entirely as an outreach ministry. The "next step" would be to invite them to Sunday morning, which, as I pointed out, could be detrimental to their faith. If Sunday morning has become such a force for negativity, and in my opinion, does more bad than good, what does that say about the state of our church. Meanwhile the people who could be the most effective people in the city ofr Christ are being treated as second class citizens. We are content to keep providing outreach to these poeple without bringing them into the fellowship that is the church. This is a problem. My point is that we have, perhaps inadvertantly, made a sociological barrier that separates the church from the outsiders who we simply evangelize too. The problem that I have is that many of these people have been coming and listening, and sharing, and striving for years and are still looked at as outsiders. I think that ministry to this group of people requires a new thought process. We need to be able to look upon them as a church; as our church. I believe the crusties and I have more to repent of than any of the people who walk throughthe door on Sunday evening and until we see it that way...well its going to continue to be sad.

2008-09-29T11:46:00.001-04:00

"She looked like a mortal combat character."

-Trox

church council

2008-09-24T20:58:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since I vented about the state of my church, and so I feel I must, with oozing cynicism, write a blog about the last hour and a half of my life. I just got home from a church council meeting that mysteriously forgot to talk about church. There was no mention of the declining numbers on Sunday morning, the lack of enthusiasm at this time, or the fact that in ten years the entire church council will be either dead or too old to sit up unassisted in a meeting. To top this off I have been taking a course on Church ministry and realized that by all clinical definitions we are a dying church. We are not in the beginning stages of death mind you, but rather holding on to the last hopeful strings of life, and even that just barely. Again, here we are in a council meeting, with a church about to die not discussing the state of the church. One of my books outlines an issue with changing pastors too often. When pastors change every few years, a deacon or elder basically becomes he head of the church and the church begins to move to the whims of this elder. No longer is there a purpose or a spirit led reason to the church's ministry, but it is guided rather by the desires of the deacon. That is what has been going in my church for many years and it is destroying itself. The only church related issues brought up had to do with a church Christmas party, a Christmas eve service and a New Years Eve service. The only thing said of these things were that we had done them in the past. There was no thought as to their necessity, or how to get more people to come and hear the Gospel. I could loose myself in the sadness and anger that I have been feeling towards the meeting so I will stop here and simply say that unless something big happens, the church will not make and I refuse to spin my wheels at a place that cannot accomplish the ministry that it is intended to do.

On a happier note, I got to play golf all last weekend on Long Island at brilliant private country clubs. It was good time. I'll post later and show pictures of the event, but it was a good time and thinking about has brought me back from that deep feeling of bitterness and anger that has overwhelmed my very being. A little melodramatic but, hey, it is about as bad a situation in my line of work as it can get.

Real quick explaination.

2008-08-27T23:56:00.001-04:00

My last few posts have been the first from a new program on my phone. The lack of correct language spelling and punctuation can be attributed to such.

Uploaded - 8\27\08-1

2008-08-27T23:52:00.001-04:00

Here is the "small" fries.

Five Guy's Burgers

2008-08-27T23:51:00.001-04:00

So on my way to Maine we stopped
In Scranton, PA and found this burger joint titled above. What the name does not suggest is that one of those guys is Jesus. It could only be from the very hand of the Almighty that such a creation could have come. It was two hand patted parties, bacon, jalepenos, onions, mushrooms, peppers, hot sauce, A-¹and apperently some Holy Water for good measure. What's more is that the small fries came in a small sixteen ounce cup, wgichbrgey filled generously with perfect fries (also among the best ever) and then filled a secondary box which they dumped over the existing cup so that I had about 3 lbs. of potatoes with my Holy burger. For those who know, this is the Chipotle burrito/ Mama's cheesesteak of burghers. Happy day. Oh and my wife informed me today that they are building one about a 1/2 hour away. (they are a franchise from D.C.)

one of the best quotes ever

2008-08-26T21:01:00.001-04:00

"You're as American as the Olympics."

-David Hasselhoff

fall

2008-08-26T10:48:00.002-04:00

I wish I could whole heartedly love fall. I do not. There is something deep within my soul that cries out in the midst of my excitement over the entirety of fallness. I went golfing yesterday and though the weather was perfect, there was a hint of a cool breeze that permeated through the sunshine. Upon said breeze was the unmistakable smell of impending fall. Some memory deep inside played with my senses and I smelled pumpkin spice, apples, decaying leaves and football. I felt as though I needed a sweater and in the midst of all this, I felt uneasy. Like the feeling you get when you do something wrong and you are going to be found out. That unsure, then reassured, the unsure again emotional gymnastics that takes place as you try to convince yourself that everything is going alright. Fall has great beauty but there is also the memory of school, not college mind you, but grade school. Then there is the start of busy programs at work. And most of all the sad and depressing purgatory of a steadily approaching long, cold and lifeless winter. And so I must say that I have come a long way since my all out hatred of fall. But I fear that the joys of this season will always carry that saddening feeling that comes from the very deepest parts of my soul.

That being said...Here we go Steelers, here we go.

I have had countless discussions already about the Steelers being less than the class of their division this year. People have been all up about the Brown (At least here in Brown Country), and have touted the difficulty of the Steelers schedule. But with all my fan-ness aside (Well not all of it, but at least with an attempt at objectivity) I am saying that the competition is falling hard and fast. The once daunting schedule seems to be looking easier as the injury plagued pre-season hits everyone. The Steelers schedule, which is the hardest in the league gets easier when teams that were decent loose key players. The Giants lost Umenyiora, the catalyst of a team that won the Super bowl on the shoulders of his and Micheal Strahan's ability to put pressure on the QB. With both of those guys out.... The Browns look like the screw ups they are. Last season was a ride of emotions as well as a couple of teams playing down to a team they thought was bad. This year....I predict a worse record than last year, a QB controversy and an angry fan base that calls for the head of Romeo Crennel. And the Chargers, who have also lost a significant defenseman and have a gimpy QB. I could go on about some of the other teams that would have been contenders, but will not be against the Steelers. But even so, this Steelers team will be better than last year. Tomlin has a year under his belt and everyone says that Roethlisburger is playing leaps and bounds better than last year. I think the Steelers have a legitimate shot.

I have not blogged since Batman came out and although my initial excitement and fervor for the film has faded...it was by far the best movie I have seen in years and probably one of my favorites of all time. It is like legendary crime drama, but one that has enough superhero spectacle to keep it moving without a hitch throughout. Unlike many movies of such depth this one is re watchable. Good times.

I've got more but I don't know if you or I have the fortitude to go any further.

P.S.

Steelers rule all. And Jesus told me that He is a Steelers fan because they are so awesome, so if you love Jesus you had better be a Steelers fan or the deepest level of you know where awaits those who do not conform.
Not really, but it would be kind of cool if it were true (The Jesus part not the Hell part).

Alright I've gone into incoherent ramble mode so I am done.

summertime and the feeling is right

2008-07-06T22:39:00.002-04:00

Well, I will start this off with a few good things. First, summer is and has been here for a while now and I am enjoying. On top of all the great golfing weather, it is great to just sit outside. I really want to go camping this year. Perhaps I just might. Secondly, the new Batman movie will be here in just under two weeks. I happen to love movies, and when it comes to them none rank higher on my wish list than this one. The early reviews are as good as they get and I have not read a single line of negative. I am used to reading reviews that heap some praise but then pull back to reveal some sort of criticism that is leveled at the movie. I think that some critics do this to stay credible if their opinion sucks. Regardless, this is not the case with The Dark Knight and it is all the more amazing that these reviews are for a comic book adaptation. So happy day for Batman, and I very much looking forward to next weekend.

We have new officers. God times as well. However we had our first Sunday and it was completely run by the interim fellow. I believe that he has saved all of his worst-ness for last. This Sunday was an exercise in brown nosing. We happen to have had our new Divisional Commanders on hand this week to install our new Corps Officers. The amount of overly verbose blah that happened was monumental and my wife was so upset she actually walked out. The whole time I was so flabbergasted by the unabashed hamming that I didn't even have time to process the fact that there was not a moment of true worship this morning. I hope that it was noticed by others because if it was not than all hope for my church is lost. It was nothing short of sickening and I could not overstate by anger and disdain for the service that took place. Maybe I can dress up like a bat, drive an awesome car and punch the corrupt "ministers" in their faces. I could be like the not so Christian, but church version of Batman. Sometimes I think that punching someone in the face would feel great. Almost akin to your team scoring a goal in Hockey in the playoffs. It would be such a great release. I understand that we should do unto other as we would have them do unto us, but what if I would want to be punched in the face if I ever acted that way, is it OK then for me to punch them?...It would be awesome if the answer to that question was yes. I'll have to check my Bible.

Mmmmmmm......Batman.

pushing back

2008-06-17T23:27:00.002-04:00

as you may have gathered from my previous posts, I have had a little difficulty with the job lately and it is revolving around one specific person. There have been many times in the past month and a half that I have been wondering if it is just me being a jerk, but I see that other people have the same reaction as I do. I was recently had an "official" brush with the issue and needless to say I was unhappy about it. Sorry to be vague but it would inappropriate for me to elaborate. Anyway, my issue now is that I realize that the "problem" has been increasingly shrewd and sneaky about their attempts to place themselves in a good light and to set themselves up for continued power as well as continuing to have things their way. The problem that I have is that I truly believe that this person is ruining the work that has been done over the past year at our church. It is amazing how quickly a close minded person, especially on on an extreme power trip can destroy work that has taken so long to accomplish. That being said, I have a feeling that if things will get resolves the damage can be repaired. Well, the long and short was that I "officially" pushed back this week and am glad that I have. If nothing else it is because no one else has. I am kind of relishing my position right now. I feel as though I am standing between people and danger and I realize that I have been equipped to do this. It seems as though less intense periods of trial in my life have been practice and perhaps I will say the same thing about this period someday. Regardless, I am happy to push back and happy to struggle, but I am extremely frustrated because, as I mentioned before I am doing so with a close minded person. Their reaction is to either ignore me, or to agree with me to my face and then ignore me later anyway. It is frustrating, but alas it is what is happening.

What's just a kick in the face is that the stupid Celtics have just blown out the Lakers. Stupid Celtics...It should be illegal to go and buy 4 All Stars and win a championship. The problem that I have is that people talk like they have done something extraordinary, but that is crap. It would be as if I played basketball with a 12 year old and was heralded as amazing for my victory over him. Perhaps that is too extreme, but you get my jist.

Luckily, The Dark Knight will be out in theaters soon and all will be well.

P.S. Tiger Wood is awesome...I mean rediculously an amazing anomaly that can not be overstated.

celtics-lakers and a big yuckie ball of....

2008-06-06T11:16:00.002-04:00

First off, the Celtics and Lakers tipped off last night. It promises to be a great time. I was disappointed with the outcome because I basically hate the Celtics. I never used to, but I have to admit I do so with much passion now. Perhaps it is their close proximity to the Patriots, perhaps it is the fact that everyone has been touting the individual greatness of superstar players who just happen to have been traded to the same team. The only things that they have actually accomplished by themselves is almost making a good playoff run and then failing, and then driving each of their teams into rebuilding mode. They then found their way onto the same team and all of a sudden they are all the hardest working, most intense competitors in the world. Come on. It is basically an all star team, and as such they should be better than they are, but they are not. We'll see if they win, but I am tired of the praise heaped on this group. They are actually underachieving if you ask me.
Kobe. Now I have liked Kobe for a long time. I was reading a few excerpts from the Phil Jackson book The Last Season: A Team in Search of its Soul, and I have to say there is some information about Kobe that is quite revealing. That being said, it is great to see him acting like a mature adult and getting his team in a position to win games. I was also impressed with Phil Jackson's apparent wisdom in his treatment of Kobe. It wasn't bad, but rather a realization that Kobe needed to mature. Good times Phil, good time.

My wife bought me a stress relieving squishy golf ball that sits in a nice wooden driver stand for my office about a year ago. About a weak ago the contents of which oozed out of its rubbery shell and onto the surface of my desk. This clear and sticky substance melts when I turn the air conditioner off and hardens when it is on. We collected said material yesterday and formed a ball. In the cool of the office, when slammed against the wall the ball shatters. But when taken outside it turns into a slimy, sticky mess and sticks to stuff. It is weird and disgusting and we are currently trying to find some slightly humorous and grossly inappropriate uses for it. If anyone actually reads this, please give me your ideas, I will take them into consideration.

church?

2008-06-05T11:22:00.002-04:00

So I went to church last week in a pair of shorts, flip-flops and a nice button down shirt. Coincidently the sermon was on Jesus casting the money lenders out of the temple with an emphasis on His zeal for God's house. The preacher slipped in the middle of his sermon (which by my theological understanding was completely misguided and poorly conceived), that we need to dress our best on Sunday and not look like we are going to the beach. I almost didn't catch it. I have resigned myself to the fact that the recent "Biblical" teaching is substandard and frequented references from tired man made traditions and also has been at times almost incoherent. So I have been reading the news on my iphone on Sundays, listening only to catch the statements that are either not true, or are based on ultra-Biblical ideas. Regardless, following church I received one of the nicest phone calls I have ever had. A member of the church called to let me know that the statements made from the pulpit, which were obviously directed at me, were not shared by the rest of the congregation, and even if our beliefs did not align themselves, we were allowed to respectfully disagree with each other and coexist in the fellowship of believers. I fully believe that this phone call would not have happened a year ago. In our toiling over the last year in switching to a contemporary format, there was an underlying motivation. The goal was to strip away all tradition and show the congregation what church is all about, which coincidentally is fellowship. It took about six months to happen, but people whom I never thought would come around started talking differently about church. Making statements like, "I have been wearing clothes that will make people feel more comfortably when they come here." They get that church is not an hour on Sunday, but a fellowship. Church is me and a friend or friends getting together. Period. Like minded people, gathering for fellowship, renewal and sometimes teaching. Worship is a lifestyle, corporate worship is a small part of it. Sunday morning is an extra-Biblical idea that came along centuries after the first Christians had "church". My deal is that there are people who are allowed to say what was said from the pulpit, from a place of authority and claim truth out of lies. The problem is that there are some people who will take the words to heart, and "church" will become stuffy, oppressive and exclusive all over again.
I spoke with a friend not too long ago about changing the format of church...It is hard to imagine. Even "contemporary" churches use the same formula for church. Singing, scripture and preaching. I understand that all these things are good things, but what about just being together? Does church have to be a combination of the three things? Can church be simply about hanging out with like minded and like hearted people. Can the fellowship reinvigorate us on its own? Is it possible to go to a movie, for example The Incredible Hulk, and have that be church? In regards to the beach comment. 1. What are you talking about guy, Jesus wore sandals and due to his status as homeless, there is a good chance that when he worshiped in public he was a bit ripe. 2. I have often said that there are very few times that I sense the power and magnitude of God than when I see the ocean. The sheer size throws me into a sense of wonder and I have had some of my most significant spiritual experiences in sight of the ocean. 3. In terms of wearing our "Sunday Best" it is awkward when you go to The Salvation Army heavily adorned and sit in a plain room that is not heavily adorned. To me it is a contradiction. 4. Come just as you are. 5. "You won't like me when I'm angry."

Keeping the tradition alive...

2008-05-08T14:49:00.003-04:00

I actually started this blog about two weeks ago and just finished it today. Therefore it is long and pretty much all over the place. I also may have repeated myself, if I have I am sorry. If I haven't then it by the sheer power of awesomeness which I poses in spades.

I don't blog that much. Also, having written too many pages for school in the last week, I realized that I have been really avoiding the blog writing for some time and with good reason. The semester is over, and after having one of the busiest ones of my college experience, I am abnormally glad to have accomplished it. Further, I packed more work into this period of time than I normally do, and strangely my grades improved because of it. When I am not challenged, I become disinterested and ultimately forget to turn in assignments which leads to bad grades, but when I must constantly do work, I am able to get it done and rarely forget...I think that it is the Savage way.

Also, to my utter disappointment and dismay, I am the last of my family to continue working for The Salvation Army. It is strange because anyone who knows me well has heard me rant against certain aspects the organization. The fact is my decision to keep going is two-fold. First, it would be a dumb decision to leave when I may have to change locations in the near future anyway. I would have little time to start work elsewhere. Second, I have been given the opportunity to minister in a way over the last year that I truly believe is effective. Regardless of the politics and the the Salvation Armyness of the job, I truly believe that God has some good work to do through me here. So I stay, but I am bewildered at the fact that my parents have left and I have not. Who would have thought?

Good Times, Bad Times

The Pens... :-)
The Cavs... :-(

Indiana Jones :-D
The people who went to see Indiana Jones with me (This is where I would type an extremely angry face if I knew how)

Indiana Jones

A few thoughts on the state of our nations young people, specifically in regards to their movie going habits.

First, they are all dorks....every single person save a select few were the biggest morons I have ever seen. At least one in every ten as dressed in a fedora and bomber jacket. The most egregious part being that they were terrible matches to the Indiana Jones costume. One guy wore a light tan bomber jacket with a gray and frumpy fedora...what? As I continued through the evening, I became more angered by the innate dorkiness of these people. I wanted to go around and in one swift double move hit their hats off their heads to show them how dorky they all were and then punch them in the fact to show how mad I was at them.

Then there is the loud group that never really grew up. These are the "frat" type guys that yelled obscenities and were generally obscene throughout the time we spent waiting for the film to commence. They also started the clapping...oh the clapping. There was once a day when a good cheer for the beginning of a legendary film was a good time. Now, however, the clapping has become another outlet for immature frat guys and dorks alike to share a moment of pure ridiculousness together. They clapped when the pre-show trivia screen came on. They clapped when the previews started, and again when all subsequent previews began. Again a good swif punching in the face was in order.

That all being said it was great to see Indiana Jones. The franchise has been one of my favorites throughout my childhood and still is to this day. Remarkably this movie felt very much like the older ones. It was a little more stylized Harrison Ford is twenty twenty years older, but remarkably did not look or act accordingly. I was amazed at how agile he was, and I looked closely in some parts to see if it was actually him. Of course some stunts were done by stunt men, but gee... Long and short it was a good time and I throughly plan to see it again as soon as I can. I wish another one was coming out tomorrow.

Me

I have been in the midst of pretty significant change. One of the things that I have noticed is that personality comes out when change happens. When life is more than just a comfortably road that we can coast on, the true person is revealed. I have long known that I have a pretty significant cynical streak. I am also an optimist...go figure. I have found myself literally struggling with these two personality traits as I deal with a significant challenge in my professional life. I am at once a leader with the idea that all will be well with a reassuring confidence in the innate goodness of people, and a cynic with the desire to be subversive and shrewd in my dealings with people. Strangely enough, both sides have a significant place in my situation, and I am glad that I am able to see these two sides work in tandem. Without the dichotomy of sorts, I do not think that I would be able to deal with the specific pressures placed on my situation.

Also, this situation has also provided fuel to anger at the established church in general. Again, I find myself using the cynicism and optimism in tandem. I realize I can't stand in judgment of anyone. I realize that I don't have the answers. I also realize that things are messed up. I realize that we have fallen disgustingly short of the calling that God has given His established church on earth. We have become the Pharisees. We have become the enemies of the gospel. And we should know better. What will it take to humble the church? What will it take to strip away all of the pretense and get back to what it means to be followers of Christ on this earth? I have my ideas, but they are probably no better than a million that have come before mine. Perhaps this current situation will give me the wisdom to know how to approach this in my own sphere of influence, as small as it may be. You know, I often think of following Christ as being gentle, humble, and almost meek. But is there a time when the temple needs to be cleared with a whip? And, do any of us have the right to do so? I really like the thought of punching people in the face. Don't ask me why. I have never actually done it, but when I see it sometimes it makes me think that it would feel really good to do so. Sometimes I think that could be the answer, but I know better. But, there is no getting around the fact that Christ got his hands dirty when He needed to, and he did so with the people that claimed to be right. Who knows; maybe I need to be punched in the face.

What do you say after being away for so long?

2008-03-06T13:58:00.002-05:00

I have neglected my blog posts. This is partly because I don't think anyone ever reads them. But there is something quite therapeutic about writing, especially when it has nothing to do with my studies. Not too much has happened since last. I am an uncle now, and am going to have a new niece soon. It is very strange to see, and talk, about my brothers being dads. It all is very surreal. But life goes on.

Philadelphia

I always yearn to move back to Philly this time of year. As opposed to the month plus of consistent cold and snowy weather, and the traditional April snowstorm of Northeast Ohio, Philly will inevitably be starting its long, slow and glorious march towards summertime. The weather will begin with long stretches of mild 50 degree weeks, with a few colder days. The cherry blossoms will begin to bloom. Kelly Drive will be bombarded by pedestrians eager to shed the winter and begin the good times of spring and summer. The green will get more vibrant and will last for an unnaturally long time as spring will bring the warm days, cool damp breezes and even cooler and magical nights. For now, I am stuck here in Ohio. It's cold, snowy, damp and cloudy every day. The chances that the few warm sunny days will land on my days are a few, and therefore I will get increasingly frustrated at my lack of ability to golf. The best I can do is to put up cheery springtime pictures on my desktop and lament the glorious weather that those in Philly will be enjoying.

Movie Critics

I have been putting stock in movie critics lately and I have found that they are increasing snobby and ridiculous. Since when does every movie that has ever been made need to be high art? What ever happened to the good ole' days when a movie could just be entertaining? It seems like every critic feels as though they are more important than they are. I read Rottentomatoes.com and I can't decide weather or not to laugh at the stupidity of reviewers or cry at the state of the world. Since when was Rambo anything more than a guy killing everyone who gets in his way? Why review a movie like that through the criteria that many view the 'artsy' movies? Please excuse me, but I love me a good Van Damme crappy acting action flick with no plat and worse special effects. It seems as though the imagination of the entire movie going world has died at the hand of modern day special effects so that when special effects and acting are not superb, than the movie become unbelievable. Its all quite amusing and sad. Newsflash: most of the movie plotlines and dialogs are surreal. Some people like to just see cool crap happen. Its good to be in a mind numbing state of suspended belief for a few hours.

Your Mom Jokes

I have gotten in the oft embarrassing habit of replying any sentence with an action verb in it by repeating it with 'Your mom' as the subject. Sometimes it a good time, other times it is quite crude. Maybe I should think more...or stop.

LeBron vs. Kobe

I have heard a lot about this argument in the past few weeks. I have heard a lot of people's feeling on the subject. Here are mine.

The discussion really heated up after Sunday's games in which LeBron had 37 points and Kobe had 52. The discussion about the being the best must have a lot of factors included.

1. Kobe has had a better supporting cast, and his team can win without him. LeBron's team has lost all 7 games in which LeBron has been out.

2. LeBron is leading in EVERY stat category. LoBron is avaraging two more points, rebounds, and assists than Kobe. He has more block and more steals. The only stat in which Kobe is leading is in free throw shooting percentage.

3. Kobe is the better defender, but not by much. LeBron has more blocks and steals than Kobe.

4. Kobe might have a slight edge on raw skills, LeBron is catching up.

5. LeBron is superior in size and strength.

6. After last years playoff performance and LeBron's performance in almost every fourth quarter this season, clutch performances are even between him and Kobe.

7. LeBron makes his team better. Kobe might be getting better at sharing, but LeBron has always done that.

Kobe is a sick player. LeBron is a sick player. Right now, Kobe may have more basketball talent, but that is negligible especially beside the superior physical attributes of LeBron. A microcosm of the two could be their latest 50+ games. Kobe had 52 points and 4 assists. LeBron 50 points and 10 assists. Slight edge for LeBron. I think he is the best in the NBA right now.

The Importance of Traditions (and breaking them).

We have now been having a contemporary service at my church for six months. It took a lot of people time to adjust. The results have been astonishing. These results are not in number, but in quality of church. For the first time in the 4 years that I have been here, people stay after and fellowship with each other. The atmosphere is free and the church is becoming vibrant. In order to accomplish this there was a severe break with tradition. I love traditions. I love the mystery and reverence wrapped up in the history of traditions. I love to hear about Royal St. Andrews golf club and the traditions that have come from that place. But there is always a need to step back from tradition and prune what has been included in them that hinder. In Church this is especially true because traditions can be filled with man made ideas that lead to the stifling of the Holy Spirit and the effectiveness of the church's ministry. This is as true of 'contemporary' churches as it is of liturgical ones. There are contemporary traditions that have already sprung up that hinder. Traditions are wonderful and they allow us to connect with our heritage, but they must be periodically broken to ensure that they do not replace Christ as the head of the church and to ensure the bodies willingness to follow Christ out of tradition and into dynamic movement.

Bye.

Bye. I will hopefully post more frequently. Maybe I'll have more interesting things to blog about then.

Vacation...gone. It must be fall.

2007-08-07T14:59:00.000-04:00

I got home from a wonderful vacation on Sunday. That night the Football Hall of Fame game was on TV. My brain freaked out and now I believe whole heartedly that it is fall. I have a love hate relationship with fall. I enjoy the cool evenings and the colors (sort of), but I hate wintertime. If there was no magical Holiday season to accompany winter, I am certain that I would fall into a deep depression and self loathing time for 4 months until the glories of spring arrive. Anyway back to fall. If for no other reason than this, I have an affectionate place in my heart that swells with joy at the coming of fall, the reason is football. However, I am not ready for a fall transition. I went to sleep hoping for buds on trees and woke up to find the leaves turning brown. Although not literally that drastic, I still feel like I have been shorted on summer. Maybe its the horror of being home from vacation. The realization that I am not on the ocean, or at least near it seems to be hitting me harder than usual. The same can be said of my love for the ocean and the feel of a New England like fishing town. This year to cap off my vacation, we did two new things. 1. We went on a schooner ride. This was an authentic schooner from the turn of the twentieth century...mahogany trimmed and everything. The experience was interesting and I came away with a single realization from the experience....I WANT A SCHOONER. Needless to say it was awesome. 2. We went to Boston and stayed in a beautiful hotel right by the commons. This was great as well. The history I encountered, although slightly diluted by the modern metropolis that surrounded it was almost palpable. Not since my experience in Italy had I been so steeped in the atmosphere of those who have come before me. So vacation ended on such a high note for me that the shock of returning hit as hard as ever.

All hope is not lost. I am trying to determine how to squeeze some summer out of this month of august even amongst the back to school hoopla that seems to engulf every aspect of my life.

So...to porches and lemonade...amusement parks and swimming pools...shorts and flip-flops...and most especially the ocean, I commit to drinking deep the glory that you all are and savoring this last month of summer.

evil...or not.

2007-05-30T14:08:00.000-04:00

So I am reading Handbook of Faith, Hope and Love by Saint Augustine. Contained in the third and fourth chapters is an idea, which is by no means new to me, but nonetheless has struck me as if breaking into my psyche for the very first time. Augustine begins to lay out the argument that everything that is is good. All created things created by God are good, for he cannot create less than goodness. Evil is simply a deprivation of that inherent goodness. He goes further to say that God has allowed this deprivation to occur and even created his creation with the ability to become deprived. The evil can not exist except in what is good. If something were to become all evil it would cease to exist because the very thing itself is good. Like a sickness, the evil must have a host...and since all host are created as good from the creator, the sickness is only a deprivation of what is good.Also, good can only be measured next to evil. The heights of love can only be truly realized in stark contrast to the depths of hate. Desire can only be proven in the face of opposition. What would life be without evil? God is not the author of evil, but he allows it and even has created us with the capacity to do evil. The adventure of life is in the contrast. How can I drink deep the beauty of a spring day in the sun without the days of storm clouds. Like a filmmaker who breaks tension with comic relief, God has again shown his infinite wisdom and grace by providing for us a struggle that makes life worth it. Just a little something that I didn't learn, but was again made aware of.

Community

2007-05-21T14:58:00.001-04:00

So I caught up with two friends earlier today...one by phone and one while sitting at a cafe table on the sidewalk. I was extremely invigorated by the encounters. I was having a horrible day and had slipped into a cynical view of the world until I talked with them. It was nice to converse with like minded people. I don't get that too often. I am often found on an opposing viewpoints or at least running in place so to speak in my everyday conversations. It makes me yearn for community, something that at this point I only glimpse once and a while.

On a different note. In my conversations today I came to the realization that I am slightly off center of a paradox. I would not call myself a cynic, but I am very opposed to much of the institution of Christianity. At the same time, I am inherently optimistic. This blends itself nicely, I feel, as it allows a balance that enables me to see both sides of the story. The faults of the institutional church are in fact the same as my own, which is that my beliefs are inevitably formed by some degree by the beliefs of my parents. Now it is true that everyone at some point or another experiences a shucking of his or her parental influence and begins to think independently. But the beliefs of my parents ultimately, if only slightly, echo through my own credo. The same is true of the church. We are still reeling from the effects of error made by our forefathers. The church of the fourth century became Roman. Church became culture and in a way it became secular. The Church took on the identity of it's Roman assimilator and began a conquest to subjugate the world under its rule. it took 1200 years for Christians to break away and realize that Christ was about something different than what they had become. 800 years later we are still very Roman in nature. The western world is Roman, and unfortunately so is the church. I can't fault the church for still echoing the Roman subjugatory ways than I can fault myself for believing certain things based on my parents beliefs. I can however still rally against wrong. I am not a cynic, but rather someone who sees the errors being made and am trying to tell it as it is. I hope I am called out on my wrongs because I will not often be able to see them in myself. If we love, we will at least give ourselves a true foundation to stand on. It is not about being right or wrong.

Craziness

2007-05-18T12:38:00.000-04:00

So I decided that I am going to read as many classics as I can. I don't want quotes from old books located in modern books anymore. So I began with a fellow who's quotes have always captivated me (in these modern books). G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy. While laboring through the man's vivid and oftentimes confusing imagery, I am stumbling across amazingly clear arguments for the Christian faith. Chesterton writes as if he is a madman until the last paragraph of a chapter where he lets you know that his crazy way of thought produces the best explanation of spiritual truth. I am going to continue reading some of the Christian powerhouses of intellectual thought and perhaps move on to some secular literary giants. I oftentimes read such books as this and come away amazed at the author's ability to express my heart so clearly as I cannot. I have advocated the need to discover the roots of faith and to build a sound theology from which you cannot be swayed. I am finding that these men who have come before us have. Writers like Blaise Pascal, Thomas a' Kempis, C.S. Lewis and Dietrich Bonhoeffer have not only provided masterful intellectual arguments for the validity of Christianity, but also have proven that the general philosophies and worldviews of modern culture are not superior even from an intellectual standpoint.

All this to say that these men are an inspiration. Even if their theology was misplaced (which I am not saying it was) they proved that it is possible to stand in the face of the immense opposition and stand on the Word of God. This all is not what I started out to say but...so be it.

there a first time for everything

2007-05-15T10:03:00.000-04:00

This morning, I ran upstairs to take care of some business right after I placed some toast in the toaster. As I did so, in the quiet of my head I said to myself, "I hope the pop doesn't toast while I'm up here." I continued to think to myself that I don't recall a time when I have inverted words in my head. I have misspoken words as such, but never in my own head...Maybe I'm going crazy.

2007-05-14T15:57:00.000-04:00

So I am on this kick constantly, which makes me think that it is not a passing fad in my heart, but rather a God given uneasiness with the state of the church. I have been extremely aware, and if you know me...vocal, about the church's lack of love. I might have let my ranting subside for a while had a no seen the latest Nooma video yesterday. The video dealt with the claims of Christianity vs. the claims of other religions of the 1st century. It spent some time dealing with the difference between the Roman Empire and the Kingdom of heaven here on earth. There are a few things that I was forced to conclude. I had a whole list that included history and such, but I deleted it and started again...

1. We were taught by Christ to be servants
2. Christianity held this teaching until its assimilation into the Roman Empire.
3. Christianity today more often the not attempts to subjugate everyone instead of serve and love them.
4. This is wrong

Too many times we are so worried about the world not acting like us that we forget that it is not their prerogative to do so. Further, our actions to the unsaved only hurt that cause. Our condemnation and "holier than thou art" leave a bad taste in my mouth let alone the unsaved at which it is directed. My wife yesterday was laughed at out loud and quite rudely by some folks who disapproved at her attire. Needless to say she was hurt and angered by their attitude towards her. The same is true when we snub our nose at the immorality around us. A. It is not our place to judge. B. We are called to show them Christ's love. C. There should not need to be any more reasons than A and B. "While we were still sinners Christ died for us". It's tame we stop trying to subjugate the non-Christians into Christianity but love them into the arms of Christ. I would go on but alas I am late for a class.

But fear not my dear brethren, for my heart has yet to be quenched of its desire. I shall return forthwith with terror and might to yet again herald my cause.

permission to speak freely...

2007-05-02T14:44:00.000-04:00

So I have been realizing a new and exciting trend in my life due to my studies. Contrary to what I have been warned, I am finding that studying the Bible on an intellectual level has strengthened my faith. I am changing. My core beliefs are the same, but I am finding more and more flaws in my expression of those beliefs. I am being constantly challenged by Scripture to be a follower of Christ and not necessarily a Christian. I spend lots of my time bucking the system, I always have. I am learning that this is perhaps something placed in me purposely. I don't want to get too detailed about my arguments against the church, but they are there and are merited by scripture. Somewhere in the screwed up history of the church, there has been truth lost. I have decided that truth is my priority. I don't want to be the person who knows what to say, or how to act. There is something to be be said about couth, but I believe that too much over the years had led to a version of Christianity that is no better than the Jewish order that Jesus spent so much energy speaking out against.

That all being said, I must proclaim the joy that learning is bringing me. It is truly great to know something well and be able to apply that knowledge. I am having fun and am growing at the same time.

Oh and can I just say...I have had a great season thus far on the golf course. I have had AMAZING scores. I am not one to brag, but it is like a miracle. I all of a sudden not only have control over most of my shots, but I am learning how to hit multiple types with each club. I also was able to hit the green in 2 on a par 5 for the first time ever, that was a thrill. Good things.

I am writing some songs again and for the first time in my life I am truly happy with them.

Hmmm. thats all. Sorry for the sporadicness of this post. That is not a word but I don't care...you all get the point.

Mac vs. HP

2007-04-10T17:11:00.000-04:00

So in typical fashion, I must rant and rave about the total stinky that is HP. My laptop screen (an HP) broke 5 days after the warranty expired. After being rudely spoken to by a guy who could not speak English, I was informed that I had two options: 1. Pay $700 to fix the screen on my computer originally purchased for $750. 2. Buy a new computer (they tried to sell me an inferior one for more money). I bought a Macbook instead. I was going to buy one in a few years when my computer was supposed to either break or become obsolete, so I figured why not. I am sad that had to spend another grand on a computer so quickly but am surely happy with my new Mac. Everything I've heard about these machines is true. The design of everything makes for a better day all around...and I'm cooler now too.

new season, new post

2007-03-20T16:12:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted as of late. It seems as though I have been engaging in an unrealized boycott of 2007 postings. This could be due, in large, to the deep depression that wintertime sans Christmas joy tends to sends me into. Today, I must say, is a little different. The weather, although not too warm is sunny and bright. I opened the trunk of my car and my sadly ignored golf clubs struck a chord in my soul that has changed my attitude. I may not be able to play just yet, but the light is shining brightly at the end of this proverbial tunnel. The freshly cut grass is all but filling my nostrils, the feel of the club as it ferociously strikes the ball is echoing through my bones, the curse words are almost formed on my lips as I miss par and then bogey and am able to reach double only by a hairs breadth (Golf brings out the worst in some I guess). All this to say that my favorite time of year has come...springtime.

My weeping has turned to laughter, my mourning to cheer
For gone is the death of winter and springtime is finally here.

Over The Rhine

2006-12-06T11:43:00.000-05:00

Every once and a while something strikes me as truly great. The Over the Rhine concert I attended last night was one of those things. They were flawless in every aspect of their performance. I was amazed at their ability to take an easygoing song that seemed to be meandering along and open it into an anthem of such beauty that it was breathtaking. They sang some some songs off of an upcoming album to be released next year and each one was like a punch in the stomach, though I tried to breathe my breath was taken away. If the album sounds anything like the live performances, I will say that it will be their best album to date. All in all it was a wonderful experience. They epitomize what I believe Christian music should sound like. They write songs that everyone wants to hear not bubble gum junk made for "the Fish" radio station. Their lyrics speak of life from the viewpoint of believers, not about church from the viewpoint of the church.
On several different occasions, I felt as though I was listening to the Standards from 50's. There was not one song that did not posses such a quality to it. Some day 50 years from now people might be hailing them as the songwriting greats of our time, or any time for that matter.

The Salvation Good Army

2006-12-04T15:36:00.000-05:00

So I am pretty spitting mad. If you noticed the cynicism in the title of this here post you might get a little taste of the amount of spit that is included in my mad. Here is the reason. Without divulging any personal information we have a gentleman in our corps who has a criminal background. The crime, which was sexual in nature has now caused him to be labeled as a sex offender. The man is now a Christian. He is by far the nicest man I have ever met. He loves the Lord and has been working extremely hard for the Salvation Army for meal allowance so that he doesn't have to sit at home in exile every day. Let me reiterate that he is the nicest man I have ever met and a wonderful example of a Godly person. The Salvation Army first would not hire him because of his background (to input data). Now there has been an edict handed down from our headquarters that the man can no longer receive volunteer meal allowance for his work and cannot volunteer anymore even at the protest of the corps officers. The reason given was that we needed to "protect our assets". This man is the first one to volunteer to help out for any church activity. He has recently gotten married to a wonderful woman and they together have become soldiers. The Salvation Army refuses to allow him to volunteer. A testament to the man's character is that when told he quietly said ok and has started the process of training others to do the work that he does. My point is that the Salvation Army has passed judgment and sentenced this man without even meeting him. Some would say that it is legal reasons. My response: who cares? Since when did we start to back down from persecution. When did we change William Booth's motto of "Go for souls and go for the worst" to "go for souls and go for the ones who wont cause too much of a problem or get in the way of our organization". When did we stop believing that the power of Christ's redeeming work could not reach sex offenders. When did we cease to be a church that does social work to a social service organization that is more concerned about the money we raise than the souls and lives of people. More and more I see issues like this one creeping their way in. Decisions are being made about churches by business men reading memos from lawyers. Our message has become secondary and we still pretend like it is primary. I could go forever but it is about time things change. I wont entertain those who tell me to step up and change it because I have seen what happens to those who try; they are placed in nowhere-land to "pastor" a "church" with no money and no congregation, while the leadership continues to hand out edicts based on memos written by lawyers. If one of these leaders would have said they prayed about it ad it didn't seem right, I would be appeased a little. But this is not the case. The Salvation Army has become a business... non profit or not, there is less and less Spirit and more and more politics involved and I am at a breaking point.
So you see the spit in my anger. It's there. Hope I didn't get any on you.

Breath

2006-11-15T15:30:00.000-05:00

So I was watching the newest video in the Nooma series. Nooma, for those of you who don't know, is a video series that has so far featured Rob Bell. They are done extremely well and are great for the newest believer all the way to the seasoned deacon. Official Nooma product plug now completed. Right, breath. So this newest one was about breath or Pneuma (πνευμα). How about the fancy Greek in there for your intellectual stimulation. Anyway, Bell began to talk about the fact the pneuma means breath but also means spirit. They are the same word. Then presented the fact that breath could mean spirit, and what's more the spirit of God. Before I end up transcribing the whole video, I'll cut tot he chase. Perhaps our very breath is symbolically an intake of the Holy Spirit? What if it is a physical intake of the Holy Spirit?
He talked about YHWY which in original Hebrew was actually (Y) yodh (H) heh (V) vav (H) heh. The name consists of four vowels and is refered to as the Tetragrammaton (Archenemies of the Decepti-cons).-just kidding. Anyway Tetragrammaton means word with four letters... The Name of God is a four letter word...

These "vowels" which are not as we would consider vowels per se, form a word that the Ancient Rabis would consider to sound like breathing. Maybe our breath as we breath it is the name of God. He went on and said some things to this end, but the point is, breath is awesome. It equals life, and perhaps, it reveals God to us every second of everyday.

Think of it like this, maybe, and this is a maybe (Don't want to sound new age or something), the breath given to us by God is inherently spirit. Drenched in the Holiness of God, this spirit covers over much of what we do and say. Even the evil that spews forth from the mouth may have originated in Holy only to be corrupted by our sinful nature. Perhaps it guards us against evil's purest form. Perhaps the Bible meant for us to see the word pneuma as one meaning. Perhaps there is a place where each of our physical bodies connects with our spiritual ones. Maybe we don't ask God into our heart (simply because it is western cultures seat of emotions) but we actually ask Him deeper than emotion, into our lungs? Whatever the case may be, it is quite a fascinating subject for me right now. I am enjoying studying up on it. It is quite invigorating to get past all of the Sunday School jargon to reach something a little closer to the truth.

The first and most essential need to survive as a physical human being in air (breath). God in his infinite cleverness may have the same basic need for our spirit.

Who knows.

Good times...

2006-11-15T11:25:00.000-05:00

So I was at a wedding last weekend in Philadelphia. It was an amazingly good time. I got to see some of my dearest friends and just hang out for a while. It was great. I could definitely live in Philadelphia. So then I went to a movie, Stranger Than Fiction, which is a good movie by the way. I had a good time doing that too. Than there is the Steelers game. Sunday November, 19th 2006 I will embark upon the greatest of journeys. I shall step into a professional sports arena and watch my first National Football League game live in person. What's more I will be watching my beloved Steelers take on their oldest rivals the Cleveland Browns. Good times to say the least. That's all. I'm having a good couple of weeks right now. And until we meet again, I shall leave you with this...

goodbye.

oh unfeigned heart where hast thou gone...

2006-10-26T09:40:00.000-04:00

So I was listening to music today, oh unknowable universe. I finally have found, not only previews, but a full listening party of the new Damien Rice CD. The album is great. Although much different than his previous record, it is still stock full of emotion and even more so than the first. This is the springboard for which I am about to write. The album literally hits you in the face with emotion. This is no sappy singer/songwriter she doesn't love me stuff, this is the heart laid bare at its deepest despair, while finding ways to show itself in the heights of joy. The thing that draws me, and probably most fans of Damien Rice, in is this transparency that gives you a glimpse into his inner most feelings without reservation. This is art at it's most raw; expressing what can't always be expressed onto words alone. The part that saddens me is that there is, from where I stand, no one to express such inner workings from a Christian standpoint. All too often I hear Christian music that is coated with a bit of sugar, or in many cases a lot. There is this feigned heart that presents itself, because if the real heart was exposed many of us would be shunned, or persecuted, or at least given a pointed finger in the face and a good lecture. We are so scared of everyone discovering our depravity that we push it down, and instead, find an easier way to express ourselves. It is not easy, but if we were to drop our charade would more people be open to Christianity? We show little grace these days because we are ashamed at how much has truly been given to us. We are different than the world, but that does not take away our humanity. The world has grown weary of Christians who smile through fake teeth, while telling them they are wrong. Alright, I will stop and go back before I end up on a completely different subject. Art...right.
Christianity as a whole seems to paint itself as a Stepford wife. Everything always peachy and such. The truth is far from it. We all have moments where things are less than ok; where the grace of God must swoop in and save us from ourselves. The problem is that we never let anyone know and present ourselves superior because that is what is expected from a good Christian. We are left presenting ourselves shallow and unknown. How will the world know the full grace of God unless we show it's most prized work: our very own hearts.
I hope this was not too confusing. I typed and deleted a lot. I tried to stay focused, but my mind leads me to other issues for another day.

turned tables or broken bones...

2006-10-24T11:34:00.000-04:00

I was driving home late the other night from Pittsburgh. It was late and the drive was long. I was left to think about many things, and my mind settled on church. I have been having discussion about church for some time and I am getting tired of it to be honest. As I thought about it, I had this strange feeling that seemed to come from in my bones. I really felt as though my bones were rattling with sadness and anger that I could not place. The strangeness was compounded by the fact that I felt that I needed to expel my emotions or suffer from broken bones. A strange thought occured to me. I was upset about church, universally, and the problems that we all seem to have, but my anger seemed to be rooted somewhere deeper than my own emotions. This is the strange thought I had: what if Christ felt this way about the money changers in the temple. What if there was this bone rattling feeling deep in Him that required the action that he took. He either turned the tables and righted the wrong, or suffer from broken bones from the feeling within. Maybe not a theologically sound argument, maybe just crazy surfacing for air, maybe true statements that I can't explain. What if there is a problem in our churches that goes so deep that there needs to be a radical change that will shake the misguided foundations of our institutionalized religion. Maybe there needs to be a pew turning party. I bet we can beat some deacons with whips and throw some pews around and all will be well. Just kidding. Don't take this all to heart. I'm just fuming.

call me monkey and i'll eat your hat.

2006-10-20T15:37:00.000-04:00

So, what do you say when someone angers you to the point of near explosion? The other day, I was minding my own business driving my car. The lane in front of me was ending and I thought to myself, " It would be a good idea to merge so i don't die." Apparently the old man beside me thought it would be better that I die. I made the decision to get in front of the man (who was driving incredibly slowly). I sped up, and he did the same. Now I have not tested the limits of my new car's speed yet and was nervous that I should slow down and accept defeat. This is not the way of a driver from Pennsylvania. To be vanquished by an old Ohio driver a.k.a. moron would be, to say the least, humiliating. As the needle on my speedometer and tachometer climbed, my pulse raced and sweat began to pour. The speed limit was already smashed to pieces and we were nearing it's double. At last as the road began to merge, my rear bumper passed his front and victory was mine. This was truly a race and when it was over I was left saying to myself, "what?"At this point I was prepared to let it go. The old man seemed happy to as well until I looked into my review mirror and saw him again. He was traveling unbelievably under the speed limit and had a line of cars building up behind him. Needless to say I was mad... I probably was not so much mad at old guy, as much as I was mad at living in stupid Ohio with motorists who, like old guy, are pretty much the biggest morons I have ever encountered. I forgave the guy. I'm not bitter. I swear.

Those few moments...

2006-10-19T09:58:00.000-04:00

Today on my way to work I was listening to John Mayer. It is a gloriously dreary day. I love these days. They remind me of the eighties for some reason. I get this nostalgia that throws me into a deep need to watch Star Wars. That's not the point. The point is I was driving my same old drive and something about the sadness of the song and the sadness of the day made me feel so alive. This seems like a contradiction but it's true...in fact the sadness together were so beautiful that I was actually happy. But alas, my heart was wrenched back to my reality when I shut the car off and the beautiful song was cut off all to harshly.
A similar thing happened to me about six months ago. I was listening to a song by Herbie Hancock and Damien Rice (An odd but brilliant Pairing) The song is called Don't Explain. Strangely the song is about cheating on your loved one and them forgiving the other person. That also is not the point. The song is incredibly sad sounding and extremely moody. I was sitting in my office and I let the song repeat several times and just sat. I almost saw the room turn sepia and my keyboard turn into a typewriter. I was caught in the twenties and felt that reality pierce my very being.
These moments give me an insight into what heaven must be like. When your soul takes charge and becomes aware of everything. Sadness turns to beauty and then to joy.
Maybe it is music that triggers these in my mind. Maybe that's why I write songs. Maybe it is something else for you. Either way, these moments are better than this life, and they make me yearn for what lay ahead in the next.

2006-10-12T11:07:00.000-04:00

So I was listening again to David Crowder Band: A Collision. I have listened hundreds of times before, but this time with a new knowledge. You see, after reading his new book and some interviews he has given, it is clear that the album in it's entirety is about death. With this realization, the album takes on a whole new light. The genius that I thought the album was before is actually ten fold and it is breathtaking. Every last lyric is placed with a purpose, and the words come out and speak as if someone was staring you in the face with tear filled eyes and bearing their soul. What's more, it does not stop at lyrical brilliance. The music, which is superb and mind blowing in it's subtleness and intensity at once, is also masterfully crafted to give weight to the words. The music fills in what spoken language cannot communicate. The result is a truly heart wrenching and uplifting experience. On a third tier, there is the fact that the album without the two previous things is astonishing as a whole. Each individual song is great, to be sure, but when put together it is one of the finest pieces of artwork I have experienced. Like a movie in soundwaves, I could sit and picture the music as a cinescope and get lost for hours. Put together in four parts it takes the listener on an experience of emotions, and when finished, there is nothing more that could possibly have been added to improve upon such a brilliant experience. The crazy thing is this third tier, as I have chosen to call it, is actually just the music without any deep reflection upon what is actually trying to be communicated. If you know me...I would talk your ear off and not stop about this. So do yourself a favor go pick it up and listen or face me talking about it over and over (sinister laugh)......

2006-10-04T11:52:00.000-04:00

My first time...

2006-10-03T13:20:00.000-04:00

So this is what it feels like to post a blog. My thoughts. My life. On-line. But enough about me, lets talk about you. Right. Can't do that in a blog. So I will just continue. I have created this blog to inform the world, particularly those in the world whom I am fond of, just what goes on in my life in the day-to-day. I also have been intrigued by the thoughts that have been expressed and the discussions had in other blogular areas. I am anxious to let those who would appose me know that they are in fact inferior beings upon whose face I shall stomp in repeated succession. Metaphorically speaking.

But I digress.

A couple of new things to share. I bought a new car. An extremely sweet car whose awesomeness has no words yet created that could appropriately describe its glorious splendor. It is a Toyota Yaris. Mmmmmmmmmmmm Yaris. The best riding car I have ever owned.

Well that is really the only thing but it is so awesome (See previous paragraph for full description) that it actually deserved 2 new things instead of just one. I hate typing...I really do. With that in mind I must bid you farewell...for now.

-Ryan