"What's So Amazing about the Bible Jesus Never Knew"

Whoa, I'd better clarify. I'm not saying Jesus didn't know they bible, that is just an amalgamation of Phillip Yancy Book Titles. Probobly you'd have to be a nerd like me to think it's kinda funny, anyway....

So i decided that before i Left Christian Publications i should take advantage of my borrowing rights to check out books by Phillip Yancy, cause i had never read any of his books, and apperantly they are pretty good. Or at least he is a popular author. Being a popular author doesn't mean you write good books....see John Eldredge, Dan Brown, Mick Foley as examples. But Phillip is not a bad author. I first read his book, "What's So Amazing about Grace?", because i always wanted to know the answer to that question. It was good, he told many stories about the transforming power of grace as opposed the rule most humans live by which is ungrace. Then i moved on to "The Jesus I never Knew". Also a good read thus far, i haven't quite finished it yet. But as I was reading it on my favorite reading chair yesterday, i came across a statement that i am going to share with you as a qoute. Phillip is talking about the Beatitudes in this passage and i guess what it would look like in our day and age.

"Strength, good looks, connections, and the competitive instinct may bring a person success in a society like ours, but those very qualitites may block entrance to the kingdom of heaven. Dependance, sorrow, repentance, a longing to change-these are the gates to God's kingdom"
- Phillip Yancy (The Jesus I never Knew pg 114)

Anyway, that's what i wanted to share with you today. I need to go get ready for work now. I think i might wear a tie to work today. Also, if you would like to hear some good and encouraging music, check out the song "There is a River" by Jars of Clay. It's from thier most recent record. Have a great day friends. Oh yeah, and if you have some feedback on that quote, let me know.

"Tall Drink of Water...

Just as I promised, I'm back. Though, i'm feeling a lack of inspiration that has become not uncommon for me in theworld of the blog.

Had a decent day today, had friends over, ate food, hung out, chatted, overall, very positive things.

I voluntered with Operation Christmas Child on Thursday with my small group. It was one of the best experiances i have had in a long time. I couldn't stop talking about it for the next two days following, but found it very much like a missions trip. When you go on a trip of any kind, but also specifically a Missions Trip, you come home and try to explain to people what it was like, how it made you feel, what it made you think about, the people you met, the experiances you had and so on, but they just don't get it. Sometimes, even people who were there with you, don't get your experiance. Thats how i felt trying to talk about this awesome experiance. I felt like no matter how excited it made me, and how if affected me, no one really knew what i meant, and it could be cause i suck at articulating it, which could be true, but anyway it was good. I just felt like i was actually helping out with something that mattered, and i don't think i have felt that way for a while, which is sad, but i think thats how life is. You get a taste of something amazing, and then you go back to a life of mediocrity and normalness, just like everyone else. I don't know, it's very confusing, because i just want to bottle that feeling of satisfaction i had in doing this work, and take a swig every day, but i don't have that. I know feelings don't mean everything, and they can't control you, but i felt so good coming out of that situation, only to feel like no one understood or cared when i tried to explain it. That is a crappy feeling, almost as crappy as puking and vomiting at the same time...i believe there is no worse feeling then that!

Anyway, My dad is going in to the hospital in the morning for a Cat-Scan or however you call it, Megan you should know...anyway, he's still in pain, and so they are checking things out up in his brain. I am scared. I know we have come through a lot, and God has been with us, but i feel like i'm waiting for the other shoe to drop as some would put it. I feel like God's mercy and favor is only going to last so long, and then our luck is going to run out. And it freaks me out, because this whole situation with my dad seems so life or death to me everyday. I don't know, i am totally afraid, yet i know i shouldn't be right? I should trust that God has everything working out, and of course my only preaching that said, trusting God doesn't mean that everything is going to work out the way we want. I know that, but it doesn't make it any less difficult. I know what God is capable of, and yet, i find it hard to believe in the moment that it will work out for me. I guess in some ways i don't deserve to have things go my way, what have i done that would disqualify me from the nessecity of human suffering? Nothing, but at the same time, it comes back to control. I want control over this disease, I want control over my dad's health, and his recovery, but i don't have control, and it scares me, because it's this state of not knowing, having to live day to day, minute by minute, reasserting my faith, and constantly handing over my attempt at control over to the one who actually does have control and a vision of a world and a life outside of the next 6 months to a year. I want to believe that things will work out, and one day i could look back and say, "oh, thats what was going on that i couldn't see at the time", but i also want my dad to not have cancer and recover back to his normal self, but that doesn't seem to be the case, at least not in the time frame or way i want it to. Things look good for a while, then swing back to the other extreme, it's so painful, it's like having your hope crushed over and over again as you finally seem to be able to trust and live again. If it's bad for me, i can't imagine how bad it is for my mom and sister. They are real troopers, I am proud of them, for handling this situation as well as they have, no doubt without God, but still, i feel like i would've failed this had it been me there instead of them.

So, in summation, I feel confused and crappy. Need to gain some perspective...need to do this assignment due tomorrow. Oh well, another day, another dollar.

....Just pour it on down the sink"

Lex and Lana sitting in a Tree

Well, I haven't posted in a long time. I've meant to, but as i've said many times, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Anyway, this will be short and sweet, and not really have much content, other then to say, yes i did get hired at the church in Vermilion, and also to say, that i am at work on my break and needing to kill some time, as opposed to killing some mockingbirds, which i do not approve of. I don't have much to say, well that's not true, i have a few things to say, but i want to save them for a more meaningful blog that i hope to post by tomorrow or Monday, but considering i have a major assignment due on Monday and a meeting in the morning, i may not get around to it. What i will get around to is finishing Season 2 of 24 tonight, and depending on how much energy i have, i might motor through the rest of season 5 of Smallville also. And some of you are saying, shouldn't you spend that time working on your assignment? To which i would respond, maybe, but as long as i get it done, and i pass it, i don't really care that much, because when i come home from work, i need to relax and spend time with my wife (aka 24 time). When that is over and i have been fed my evening meal, generally, Cara goes to sleep, and i stay up for another couple of hours, because my body isn't ready to sleep at 9pm, yet nor is my body ready to do homework at 9-11pm either. It's like this state of being awake and what not, yet not being overly mentally active. That's my veg time. I'm alone, i can read, or watch tv, or play video games or do whatever, but it's the time i need to rest, and process the day, so in a round-about way, no i will not use that time to do homework, shame on me i know. I am tired though. At work sometimes, including right now, i feel like i could lie down and sleep on the floor, but once i finish work, i have all this energy and can't fall asleep for many hours. So, thats about it for now, a random and pointless blog, used only to waste time, but now i am getting hungary thinking about going home, so i had better stop and get back to work for another hour and a half, but if any of you feel like stopping in and buying some Christian books, or even calling me at work, i wouldn't be against it.

Somebody Save Me

So, I was cruising the Web this morning before I started to work and found this hilarious website, that matches your photo to most likley celebrity look-alikes. Since Troy was in the picture I used, I am posting his as well. His worked out better then mine i think. Also, I've started watching Smallville again, i forgot how much i love this show.

http://www.myheritage.com

http://www.myheritage.com

Things are not always What they seem

For instance, I walked into a room. Including myself there were six visible people in the room. I was sitting, and i happened to glance around the room, and noticed that the five other people in the room were either black or brown, whatever right. Then one of the black guys turned around and he was actually white, but because of his clothes, and the shadows, and because i am very very tired, he appeared to be an African American of some sort, but in truth he was just a crazy honky hanging out with a bunch of African Americans. Also then i noticed a seventh person rise from the couch, which was facing away from me. So, i thought there were five black people, and one little ol' whitey me, when actually there was another white guy who appeard black, and also, it appeared there were only six people in the room, when in actual fact there were seven, thus leading me to conclude and state that indeed...things are not always what they seem.

TI TI UH OH

Ooooh, look at me, blogging from work, aren’t I the rebel? Ok, well, I am a little bit, but due to no original or worthwhile thoughts passing through my head at this stage of the day, don’t expect much. Basically, I’m blogging so I can say I blogged from CP once, don’t tell my bosses though, they just gave me a raise. None of which I will be sharing with any bums in Calgary by the way. I may be justifiying my lack of concern for these people, but to me, when Jesus says help the needy, he means, widows, single mothers, families whose dad has had brain surgery and can’t work, ok, that was cheap, but it’s true, my parents church has helped them so much since this whole madness has taken my dad’s ability to work. Those are the needy that need to be helped, also, people in Africa (in case you were wondering who was typing this, it’s still me, I just read a book on Bono….great book by the way, intimate conversations with the man, rather then a “biography” based on hearsay and no actual conversation with the person, I hate those, I bought one on Bob Dylan, worst mistake of my life!

Anyway, life is going good. Getting ready for the big candidation weekend, not this weekend but next. Had a meeting with a friend today, to help me prepare, feeling better about the whole situation. Though, I will be most relieved when this whole process is over. It has given me no end in an amount of stress. Not that that is a sign the job isn’t for me, it’s just being overwhelmed with responsibility from all angles. Work, School, Home, Small Group, CANDIDATING. And Candidating is the one I care most about besides Home, though, School gets me to Candidating, and Work, gives me money to live, so I care about them too.

I’m also missing lots of friends. Yearning for the days, when I could skip school with my best friends, and play video games, eat junk food and listen to music, and watch scrubs. Those days are over, and my peeps are spread out all over the country-side and it is killing me now, cause I need their encouragement with this whole thing, and not by any fault of their own, they aren’t around. So in essence, I’m feeling like a lonely old fart. Speaking of Farts……wait till I get home and lie down on my bed. You know what I’m talking about….don’t you Troy!?

I think this is getting a little long, considering I am getting paid whilst doing this. Today, I bought the new John Mayer and Willie Nelson records. Cara if you are just finding out now that I bought both, I’m sorry, but think of the clothes….think of the clothes….Haven’t finished Mayers, but it seems darker then his previous stuff, with a focus on politics, and a depression and helplessness at the state of affairs of this world. Willie’s album is a Ryan Adams and the Cardinals album with Willie Nelson singing, so you know it has to be good. Is it a coincidence that Ryan Adams produces the record and the Cardinals are Willie’s band on the Album, I think not! It’s good. Willie’s cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird” is quite nice considering it is a classic song that could never have a cover be as good as the original (props to Christine McVie), but it’s still good. Much better then his Leonard Cohen cover of “Hallelujah”. Also Willie closes the album with his rendition of Amazing Grace, it’s not as somber, or perhaps even just not as emotional as a church or group of people singing it, or whatever, but still a cool take, especially with the minute long guitar/Hammond organ solo in it, who would’ve thunk it eh?

Oh well, I gotta peace out. So Peace Out.

ps. Also, Tim and I had an awesome Saturday Night/Sunday Morning last weekend, i want to remember it forever, just like that weekend we watched Brokeback Mountain, except this time Troy was there, and Cara. It was a beautiful thing, and no, we did not get freaky when we watched Brokeback, so stop wondering.