32-Bit Pumpkin

You think you have too much time on your hands? Check out what some techno nerds did with this pumpkin. This is a fully functional computer created with a Dell notebook motherboard. Scary right? Read about it here

In other news I must have "missed the memo" about the time change today. I was at the church bright and early this morning an hour ahead of time. I guess I should watch the local news more. Oh well, who needs sleep anyways?

quote:

"...when we reduce Christian spirituality to math we defile the Holy"
"Many of our attempts to understand Christian faith have only cheapened it. I can no more understand the totality of God than the pancake I made for breakfast understands the complexity of me."

-Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz

I just felt the need to mention

Relient K has a new EP coming out November 8th. You can listen to the new single "The Truth" on Gotee.com

Today has been a good day off. I got a ton of work done and I tried out and earned the main 'role' in our church Christmas musical (now I have 6 pages of lines to memorize...joy).

I'm looking forward to the weekend. I'm going to see the new Zorro movie tomorrow night, let's hope that it's one of the better movies playing this weekend.

musings

Today as I left early for First Priority at the middle school I was supprised to see my car and the landscape covered with a thin layer of frost. Not even the end of October and there is frost...in Alabama! I was very happy to see it and put on my orange and grey skii jacket. There is something safe and secure feeling about being bundled up. As I drove to the school the frost was danced alive in the golden rays of the sunrise. Beautiful.

"Thank you God for your creation, you are so beautiful to me."

wierd pic

my frind Jason made this photo...click for larger image

me and the guys outside of Arby's in Pittsburgh

I found "the King!"

Marko and I in the exhibit hall

scary picture taken on the way to Pittsburgh

NYWC Part II

Ok, so I'm finally ready to finish my report of the conference. Because it's now 3 days behind me, I'm a little murky on the details, so I'll just give you the highlights. Oh, and I left my digital camera at home, so I'll have ot post those pics later.

Later on in the week I got an opportunity (that is, I made an opportunity) to visit the Prayer Chapel...WOW. The atmosphere felt so safe and there were some amazing creative ways to worship and express prayer. It was all self-guided and very peaceful. My favorite was the prayer closet. It was simply a closet in the room with a small table, chair and a candle on it. In such a huge conference it was an amazing place of solitude.

Sunday, I attended a seminar entitled "Spirituality for the ADD." The entire seminar was devoted to understanding and working with people with ADD in a ministry context. The funny thing was that 5 out of 6 people in the seminar were ADD! A priceless moment was when- halfway through the class- Third Day started to warm up in the main convention hall and our whole classroom started to thump and shake. One of the two people facilitating the seminar stopped mid-sentence and noted: "For my own sanity and as an ADD person, I just want to acknowledge the huge distraction of the band warming up...that is all." It was great :)

One of the major highlights of the trip was when I won a little something called

A STINKIN' PSP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I won a PSP in a drawing...how cool is that. Now the trick is to enjoy and use the thing without giving all my money to Sony.

So that's my trip in a nutshell. The best thing about the trip wasn't the PSP, it was spending time with my friends from college (and one from Ohio), enjoying their fellowship. I'm so blessed to have such great friends!

interesting conversation

My friend Luke posted something about the Emerging Church on his blog and it sparked some great conversation, check it out here

back from NYWC

It's been a long day, but I'm home :)

I don't have much time tonight to write an update but I'll get one up tomorrow or Thursday complete with pics and seminar/speaker recaps.

Jason and I at the digital lounge

NYWC Day 1&2

Well, it's been a busy last 3 days. This is the first real chance I have had to update the blog ;)

After driving 15 hours, we arrived here in Pittsburgh, PA Thursday night. Not much to say other than "really tired."

Friday was the first full day of the convention. Some of the alliance pastors attending got together with Kent Julian for lunch at a really fancy California-style restaurant. I couldn't pronounce half the stuff, but it was great.

The main sessions were amazing and the speakers were very challenging. Doug Fields spoke in the evening and challenged us to practice the "art" of saying "no." After the session, I got to pre-screen the new Nooma video entitled: Rythm - it rocked as (no big surprise there). After the evening session, we all went to see KJ-52 and his "DJ iPod."

Today has been the best day yet. We had a great time relaxing this morning and after lunch we returned to the convention center for a great seminar on "community building" (that would be leading games). Only at an Youth Specialties Convention can you have a seminar where you spend 3/4 of the time playing games!

Other than the business, I have had a blast with Marko and some of my friends from college. Other than those staying at Jason's with us, we saw (by surprise) some other people we knew from college. Lots of fun :)

If I can get my laptop online, I'll post some photos to the blog. Check back for more updates.

Look at this guy

blessings

I love middle school students. I love high school students too, but there is something about middle school students that excites me. I think it might be the fact that they are so receptive to God's love and love from others. Middle school is a critical time in our lives. We are beginning to find out who we are and some of us are pretty scared by what they find. Around the time of middle school, we begin to realize that the world is horribly broken, and things are not the way that they should be.

God has given me a heart to love teens, even the awkward, weird, energetic people we call middle school students. I love 'em. Today I had an opportunity to attend a First Priority meeting at one of the local middle schools. Not only did I get to see my students, but I got to meet some of their friends. It was way cool. I got several remarks that I look like "another kid." I guess I still fit in well with that crowd (can't say I'm much more mature ;)

I'm looking forward to getting more involved at the middle school and getting into the lives of these teens. I have heard my fair share of stories of brokenness and hurt that these students go through at home, in school, and with their friends. Pray that God will give me an opportunity to share His love with these students.

need new skin

I'm bored of this blog skin, so I'm looking for something new. If you have any favorite skins or ideas let me know. I'm going to try to make my own custom header image...we will see.

I'm heading out on the road Thursday morning to Pittsburgh for the National Youth Workers Convention. I'll be taking my lappy with me so I'll post updates and pictures from my trip when I get a chance.

funny pic

This picture comes courtesy of my good friend Troy. First person to tell me what TV show this is gets a cookie. The person who tells me what character I am gets 10 cookies ;)

currently listening/watching

Out last week is the new album from David Crowder: Collision. I knew it was coming out and I wanted to purchase it, but I didn't have that happy excitement I had about the new Switchfoot album.

I got the album Wednesday and it has been stuck in my CD player ever since. What I really enjoy about the DCB (David Crowder Band) is their commitment to good music. All of what DCB does is worship music, but I have never had the sense that any of their songs are just thrown together.

Collision is a fusion of modern rock, folk, alternative, and electronica. The CD is packed with 21 tracks and while some of them are "filler" tracks, you really get a sense that you get much more than you paid for. I highly suggest this album; once again the DCB raises the bar for modern worship music making beautiful music along with beautiful worship.

Also, this weekend I got to see the new movie: Serenity

At first I thought this was going to be another cheesy sci-fi movie: boy was I wrong.

Other than the fact that many parts of the movie reminded me of the old Star Wars movies, I thought that the plot was wonderfully compelling and the social (and religious) commentary embedded in the film was thought-provoking.

Add some wonderful action sequences and some genuinely funny dialogue (Captain Mal: "Do you want to run this ship?" Discontented crew member: "Yes." Mal: "Well, you can't") and we have a great movie. If you enjoy sci-fi movies and don't mind some similarities to the old Star Wars films, I say check this one out.