Who knew?

WHAT DISNEYLAND ATTRACTION ARE YOU???

Ten years of working there have paid off...

The Parking Lot Tram: The uncredited workhorse of the Disneyland resort. You take visitors from the largest parking lot on earth to the front door of Disneyland and back again. You aren't the picture of glamour and most wouldn't even think you provide any sort of excitment, but without you no fun could be had at all. You don't mean to, but you seem often sour. You get little respect and sometimes get lots of scorn, but yet you are faithful and eager to please. People need you and you need them. Your simpleness is the perfect backdrop to showcase the eager smiles of children riding you for their first time to the Happiest Place on Earth.

What Disneyland attraction are you?
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The Gospel according to Southpaw and other misgivings

Okay, so my wife gets home the other day and tells me that I have to visit the website for a guy named "Southpaw." Apparently the local Christian radio station played his song - a Christian parody of the classic, "Baby Got Back," and then announced the website for this guy. Thank God for DSL. At any rate, as I watched the music video of his song, "Baby Got Book," I was struck by the fact that Christians all over the place are watching this, passing it along to their friends, and saying, "isn't this cool?" I mean, hello - the local Christian radio stations are playing it!

At any rate, the more and more I thought about it, the more and more frustrated I got. Maybe it's just me, and maybe I'm taking this the wrong way, but... after reading through some of the recent posts in the Worship folder on BUBBS, (BIOLA's online community) I don't think I'm getting too far off-base by saying that I find it sad that Christians aren't the ones at the forefront of the world, starting trends. Instead, we're trying to ride the coattails of all the world has to offer. Just look at the music section at your local Christian bookstore. You'll probably find a poster that compares the newest Christian bands to their secular counterpart. And what does the world think? I mean, sure, there's exceptions, (like Switchfoot, Jars of Clay and Pax 217), but for the most part, the world just sits back and laughs. So is it any wonder that movies like "Saved!" are so funny? Maybe it's because it's what really happens in Christian circles. Sad, but a convicting point, I think.

Speaking of "Saved!" and how the world views Christians, may I just say that my heart and prayers go out to Anne Basso and her family in the light of the loss of their daughter. What is going on with Christians that they feel like they can belittle one another in the name of Christ? It reminds me of the scene where Hillary Faye chucks her Bible at the pregnant girl (sorry, I can't remember her name offhand), saying, "I'm filled with Christ's love!!!" Do you really think that by publicly berating Anne and her decisions you'll win people to your cause? Do you honestly believe that the way you're coming across, Anne would even stop to consider your thoughts or arguments? It angers me that the Christian community at large fails to show love and compassion in the name of furthering their message. Our agendas should never come before the Gospel, for we must remember that it is the by the power of the Gospel that we are changed! Where in the world did we ever get the notion that we can hide behind the name of Jesus while we beat our brothers and sisters to death? Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

At any rate, that's my rant of the day. Sorry I don't have much more to say that's pleasant. HIlby updated her blog. Twice. Yeah! :-) It's always fun to read hers, and if you haven't, then you're missing out. I can't wait for our ten year reunion.... Go Griffins! :-)

There's just so much to share and so much to write, but... it'll have to wait for a time when I'm actually done with my work. More to come....

Tell me it's not true?!?!?

Okay, so I'm looking for a clever name for our church's Easter egg hunt outreach, and I came up with this: http://www.touchet1611.org/BunnyShoot.html Sorry. Just had to share.

While we're on the same note of hoping that things aren't true, here's a fun website that I love to waste my time on... www.larknews.com.

More later.

28 Years Later

Sounds like it should be a horror movie, doesn't it? :-)

Okay, so I go last week to attend my son's first performance in kindergarten at his new elementary school, and let me just say that it's a surreal feeling when it's your kid on the stage. You know, like it's a big sign up there, flashing "hey - you're old!" You know those telltale signs - like when you start hearing songs that you remember buying on a cassette single being played on the Time-Life infomercials during late-night TV. It's like one day you just wake up and are supposed to be grown up. But am I? I mean, hey - I still love to eat at McDonalds. (Sorry to all of you vegans out there... and I know you're out there.) I still love to sit and play a good round of Goldeneye on the Nintendo. But then... Nintendo? That's a whole 'nother can of worms.

So now I'm 28. The big two-eight. Who'd have ever thought I'd be... here? I certainly had never thought of it before. I mean, sure, I definitely had plans to be married... but never to someone as wonderful as Jennie. Sure, I definitely had plans to have kids... but never thought that they'd mean so much to me or be such a huge part of my life. And sure, I knew that I'd want to go into full time ministry... but never thought that it would land at my feet while I was struggling to figure out what to do when Fresno Unified cut all music positions within the district. BTW, can I just say that that was one of the dumbest moves I've ever seen? But don't get me started.

At any rate, I'm going to end now because it's late and I'm sure that I'm no longer making any sense. Suffice it to say that this is my obligatory last post of my 27th year of life, and that I'm going into my 28th year with everything that I could have ever dreamed of and more... well, except maybe a Mac. And a house. But... who knows God'll bring. Each day He's challenging me more and more to trust in Him. I think I'll give that a try...