On Jesus and Dinosaurs

Some thoughts on patience

2010-03-26T01:06:00.001-04:00

When I think of all the things that God has given me over the last year, one that stands out is patience. I am not a naturally patient person. I'm the kind of guy who wishes shows would just come out on DVD right away, so I could watch the whole season in one sitting. On one occasion, I secretly and carefully unwrapped my Christmas presents a weeks early, in order to know what I was getting. Whenever I buy a gift for someone for a birthday or holiday, I always want to give it to them right away.

But there are things in life that can't be rushed. Like for example, getting a job. Just for example.

God does not adjust his timetables for our plans. This is a hard fact to swallow. But God's plans are so much more intricate and complete than ours. If I had gotten a job in August, I can't imagine all the ways my life would be lesser, but I know a few of them and I do not regret the suffering I have gone through for them.

I have been stuck on this verse in 1 Peter, chapter 5

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

I'm not trying to be a drama queen. I am positive that the "suffering" I have undergone is probably not exactly what Peter had in mind when he wrote that. I have no illusion that my life is very good, but at the same time, I can't downplay the mental suffering that I have undergone this year.

Searching for jobs sucks. Consistently putting yourself out there and being rejected is hard. Being told that the job you have worked towards for years, the job you are confident of your calling for, is just not for you, this is a hard thing to swallow. It digs into your confidence, into the most sensitive areas of your own importance and ability. But that doesn't mean that it is God saying NO, but perhaps, not now, not here.

And this is where patience appears. We hope for opportunity to appear, while working to make those opportunities available and using our time wisely as we wait. Patience means trusting that God is both in control and infinitely good. The second part is much harder to grasp, as you wake up each morning to do work you do not enjoy, as you struggle to pay bills, as your car shudders under you on the highway and you think, God, you could fix this anytime.

But the waiting period is so important, and we can be encouraged by the examples of Godly men of the past. Shoot, Noah waited 100 years for God to make it rain. In the meantime he built a gigantic ark and faced the jeers of his neighbors. Abraham waited 25 years for Isaac to be born to him. Granted he didn't handle his waiting period the best, what with the whole Hagar situation, but 25 years later, God had not forgotten him. Paul was arrested and sat in jail/was shipwrecked for 4 and a half years as he waited to appeal to Caesar. We know from his writings that he spent all that time sharing the gospel with his guards, politicians, and basically anyone who would hear from him.

But here is the trick with patience. It is so easy to lose sight of the end goal. We grow disheartened. This turns us to laziness. We are patient because we trust God. We become lazy when we feel God has failed us and we are too hurt to trust. Laziness is really nothing but unbelief and lack of faith, because if we had faith then there would be no time for laziness. We would realize that the in-between-God's-plans time is anything but a waiting period. It is a period of action. This is when God changes us. The end goal is not reward, but a completion of the change God has made in us. In the end this time of "waiting" in which I grow in my faith and disciple people and share the gospel is infinitely more important than any job I could ever be hired for. There is no time for laziness while there are so many people who still have not experienced true love.

But honestly, in my weakness, sometimes I am just lazy. Full disclosure here, that's what you get.

Quitting is an option, kinda

2010-03-13T01:32:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted a blog in a while, so I thought I would share some thoughts on some reading I just finished in Acts 18.

There are few things in the world more exhausting than engaging in ministry that feels fruitless. You are striving, sharing Jesus, loving and caring for other people, and nothing happens. No visible change in their heart, no interest in God, just suffering continuing to pile upon suffering. There is a beauty to this kind of striving, when we get to walk miles with other people, sharing the burden that is life with them.

But the dilemma that we eventually face is that not everyone is going to accept Jesus. However, everyone deserves a chance to hear and see Jesus. Eventually, as people dedicated to sharing Christ with the world, our focus needs to shift when we find our efforts fruitless. That is not to say that we should stop loving and caring for those people, but the time and energy we expend needs to be devoted elsewhere. Paul experienced this in Corinth. In Acts 18, after many fruitless hours preaching to the Jews in the synagogue, he proceeds to do something pretty intense. He goes Jay-Z, brushes the dirt off his shoulders (literally the translation is "he protested by shaking the dust from his clothes") and says "Your blood be on your own heads! I am guiltless. From now on I will go to the Gentiles". Whoa, pulled out the serious card there, Paul.

But what he does next shows the depth of love he has for these people. Sure, he goes to his buddy Titius Justus (A man with a terrible first name contrasted by an awesome last name) and starts preaching out of his house. Next door to the synagogue. He never stopped ministering to the Jews! As he is preaching loudly next door, I am certain that the Jews could all hear what he was saying. I am so certain of this because the next line says that Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and his whole household became a believer.

The really cool thing about this for me is how Paul describes his time in Corinth later, in his first letter to the Corinthians. He says "I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused it to grow". I bet for a while in Corinth, Paul felt like his ministry was fruitless. He was pouring and and seeing little for it. But then the church exploded. In Acts 18:17, there is a reference to Sosthenes, saying the other Jews beat him up after he had Paul arrested and his attempt to try Paul failed. This is likely the same Sosthenes who is greeted in 1st Corinthians as a Brother in Christ. Crazy!

I experienced this a lot in my time in Eaton Rapids. I planted and planted, rarely seeing growth. I felt like a failure and an abandoner when I was forced to shift focus and when I stepped out as a leader. But I think I know how Paul probably felt when he wrote Sosthenes name in Corinthians or when he thought of Crispus. The same thing that I think, when I see Andrew leading the guys I spent so much time thinking about, praying about, and loving. When I see guys like Brennan, Dan, Luke, and Trent eager to learn more about Jesus and grow in their faith, I see God's fruitful work.

Planting seeds is funny too. Only God knows how far down the line the way you have loved someone and shared Jesus with them will influence them to accept Him. This gives me hope for the people I have loved and comfort in my past efforts.

Space Janitor

2010-02-01T16:41:00.000-05:00

I used this phrase today and then Promised Emily that I would write a post explaining myself.

I want to be a space janitor. I have literally had dreams where I was a space janitor. I know what you are thinking, "Way to shoot high there Coryell". But before you put that flashy Judging Hat on, the one that is made out of purple velvet and you spent four hours Bedazzling, hear me out.

He is so happy to be there that he is not even worried about the terribly ugly uniform he is forced to wear. Or that haircut...

The other day on NPR they were talking about how Obama was planning to change NASA's mission to focus on deep space exploration, instead of its current goal, of reaching the moon and eventually establishing a base on it. I proceeded to scream at my radio "Dangit Obama! I want to go to the moon!" which I recognize, is exactly what a crazy person would do/say. I was just really disappointed, because it could ruin my chances of being space janitor.

My theory is that at some point in my life, we will establish a base on the moon. Most likely it will be some sort of sciencey base, or maybe even a mining colony, to get that precious Helium-3. Either way, the jobs being done there will never be something that I qualify for. I know this because I have a degree in History, which, as I have quickly learned in my job search, qualifies me for nothing. Except maybe to say "well actually,..." when someone mentions some historical fact that I wish to repudiate.

But every moonbase needs someone to clean up poop and stuff right? You still poop in space, as far as I am aware. The baseboards will need to be dusted every few months. And who will put sawdust down when somebody accidentally space vomits? So all in one grab, I am going to shoot both high and low. The first space janitor in history. That is my goal.

These Things That I Say pt. 1

2010-01-06T22:46:00.003-05:00

If you have been around me at all in the last year, you have heard me say some variation of these two things repeatedly:

1. "Man, in like a month I will have a new car. This car will be dead in the next few weeks."

2. "Yeah I should like, know about for sure if I have a job in like a few weeks."

I am going to split this into two posts, the second being the car post (I need some time to take pictures so you can revel in it's greatness).

I am currently working as a substitute teacher, aspiring to be on Young Life Staff. I have been actively engaged in this search for almost a year now. It's a struggle. I could unpack about a million things here for you, but I will try to keep it relatively tight.

I suffer from a condition called overenthusiaitis. You may not have heard of it before, because I just made it up. There is only one symptom and it is a tendency to get over excited and enthusiastic about
the future, when said enthusiasm is uncalled for and future prospects are tentative. This manifests itself in many ways. For example, I might learn that a major soft drink company has invented a self-chilling bottle. I will then proceed to tell everyone about it and then eagerly await it's arrival to my nearest Quality Dairy. When this day does not arrive, I am disappointed. In the 11 months I have been looking for a job, this has happened to me exactly 6 times. I think I have a chance and then I tell everybody about it, because I am excited. Then I have to tell people about my failure.

So here is my current situation. I have interviewed for a job, and I am waiting to hear. God has taught me an incredible amount of patience over the last year. I can wait. But, because of my chronic overenthusiaitis, you all are waiting as well.

I love you all dearly.

It is flattering to me the amount of people who ask me if I know anything. I know you are praying for me and rooting for me. The other day I got 5 messages, via multiple different medias, asking me if I know anything yet. But know this, while I recognize and appreciate your love, and while I have mountains more patience than even just months ago, this question is really hard for me. All I want to do is give you good news, but as of yet I have none and its hard to say that to everyone. If you can hold off on asking me, it would be helpful to me in my desire for patience. But please, keep praying!

And know this, the moment I get a job, I will let you know. Some of you I will call personally, some of you I will expect to read the Facebook status updates and various Twitterings. But trust me you will know.

Sorry to get serious for a minute. Also, I recognize this is my fault, but please, I have a disease. It's called overenthusiaitis. And the only cure... is more cowbell

Deep Thoughts

2009-12-12T14:20:00.000-05:00

I imagine that prison is a lot like a really long slumber party. Here is my reasoning:

1. Prison Clothes
Let's be honest. We all wish that we coukd wear prison clothes. Don't they just look so comfy. They are quite literally like pajamas. Slippers, so you can't beat anyone with your shoes. Baggy, solid coloured, no-pocketed pants and shirts. So nice.

They just look so comfy. And look, free bracelets! They appear to be friendship bracelets

2. Activities
There is really not a whole lot to do in the middle of the night during a slumber. Just like prison. You can hang out, watch some tv, maybe play some games outside in the "Yard", gossip with your buddies. Doesn't it sound great!

3. Cliques
An inevitable result of both slumber parties and prison is the formation of cliques. Groups of cool people "gang" up on the uncool people and play all sorts of pranks on them. At slumber parties, kids pull pranks on the losers such as the old "Hand in a bowl of water makes you pee" prank. In prison, guys pull pranks like the classic "Shiv in the kidney during lunch" and the ever popular "Now your name is Sally". Kids these days...

4. Warden/Mom&Dad
And of course, if things get too rowdy or loud, Mom/Dad/Warden will come down and yell at you/have you beaten.

I like to think that this man is the warden of every prison ever.

I suppose the only difference is that the worse you behave at a slumber party, the more likely you are to be sent home. Prison is the opposite, the worse you act, the longer the slumber party is. That is why I propose this thesis: Prison is like a slumber party, but better.

No really guys, I am 22

2009-11-04T18:10:00.002-05:00

The other day I was at school, just kind of hanging out, watching a bunch of kids do some random basic algebra worksheet. The teacher who I was subbing for had a very nice desk chair. You know, the kind that swivels smoothly and is very comfy. So I was doing a nice third circle spin back and forth, just passing the time and entertaining myself. I heard the girl sitting closest to me laugh loudly, so I looked up with my serious face, as she was supposed to be working silently.

"Yes?" I said.

She replied snidely, "I'm sorry Mr. Kelsey, I just have never seen an adult spin around in their chair like that."
.......

I try really hard to be an adult. I usually speak with a relatively commanding and authoritative tone. I discipline, when necessary. I wear khakis, dress shirts and fancy dress shoes. No matter how hard I try though, I can't suppress my childishness.

Take the fancy shoes, for example. I have lots of fancy dress shoes, courtesy of James Saker. They are awesome!

Kind of like these. Man heels. Super hot

But, they have leather bottoms, which makes them very slippery. Sometimes, when a kid will be working and they raise their hand and I have to come over and talk to them, I will walk and then slide in like Tom Cruise in Risky Business, but with pants (I would post a video of what I'm talking about, but it's way too awkward). Obviously I always do this without thinking. I say obviously because every time it happens, a kid laughs at me, which is never a desirable outcome to any action.

It's kind of like this, but more accusatory. Like "Ha, you are a big, old loser"

I am not ashamed of who I am, I just suppose its not always appropriate for my life situations. However, it does sometimes come in handy. On Monday I taught Art at the Greater Lansing Islamic Center. This was great in a whole different way. But in this situation, it was great because my child mind helped in my job. The assignment was for the kids to draw an animal in a strange environment. Like cows flying or a dinosaur on Pluto. This is basically what I like to draw, so it worked out great.

Mostly it was hilarious for me. A girl drew a brontosaurus next to a volcano. I was like, "Well, this is not really a strange environment for a dinosaur, what would make this stranger?"

So she drew a cowboy riding it.

This is why being a child is great and being a childish adult is really great.

Man, Noel's Chart Looks So Much Cooler

2009-10-20T16:30:00.001-04:00

One thing that I really love is Biblical Conflict Resolution. Ironically, I am not fantastic at enacting it in my own life. But honestly, I am probably being too critical of myself here. I don't know if I have ever seen any sort of conflict resolution, no matter how well done, that wasn't hard and painful for all parties involved. Nobody likes being told that they have done something wrong, and sin, no matter how large or small, is always an embarrassing things to have revealed and acknowledged by someone. I am good at guiding people through appropriate conflict resolution though.

Noel posted his flowchart of conflict resolution yesterday on his website. The only place I disagree (and I posited this to him on his site, so recognize that I am probably wrong in my disagreement) is Steps 2 and 5. I feel like whether or not the person is a christian and whether or not it is a preference issue should not keep you from discussing the matter with them one on one. Oftentimes, this is all that is necessary to achieve the outcome you desire. Obviously you have no biblical grounds to push them to reformation here, but sometimes people just know that you disagree/they hurt you. Certainly we should be ready to forgive, but sometimes the forgiveness process is very hard. Would it not be easier to defuse the whole situation with one simple conversation? But, if you are rejected, move on to forgiveness and bear no grudges.

Here's Noel's Chart:

I made my own chart sometime last year for a Campaigner's lesson. It is a little rough, and could use some work, but here it is:

One of the most important points that was not made on either charts is what it means to treat someone as a Gentile and a tax collector. It is a sad fact in the American Church that when people come to this point of conflict resolution, the person is basically thrown out of the community and shunned. But is this how Jesus treated Gentiles and tax collectors? By no means! Really it just puts us back to the beginning, where they are unbelievers and we forgive and accept the injustice. And then we love them deeply and do our best to be physical representations of Jesus to them. So really the last point just means, increase your love and patience.

If anyone wants a copy of this, I can totally email them a pdf of it.

Klenginem

2009-10-19T13:27:00.003-04:00

I don't know where this thought originated from, but ever since I was a little kid, I have had an interesting perspective on things that I dislike. While I recognize that I might think a particular band/movie/product/whatever is terrible, I know that somewhere out there, there is a person who loves her/him/it and thinks that he/she/it is the greatest thing since sliced bread. For example, no matter how stupid we all think that the Snuggie may be, there is at least one person out there who just really genuinely loves their Snuggie. They are probably all like, "C'mon it is a blanket, with sleeves!"

However, it is unlikely that the person is this baby.

Years of therapy will not heal these wounds.

I think this is logical, since nothing in the world that is produced for other people to enjoy would get out there if nobody enjoyed it. This is confirmed by Internet Rule #34.

The reason I bring this up is because never, ever, ever in my life have I ever come remotely close to thinking something along the lines of "Man I really like Eminem, but I wish that I could hear his raps in Klingon, being rapped by a man dressed as a Klingon." But apparently some people have and so is born Klenginem. And yes, he is touring.

Of course, he is German, so this makes a lot more sense now.

Mr. Kelsey

2009-10-18T20:53:00.003-04:00

A firm belief that I have is that one of the only ways we will get through life is if we find the hilarity in it. That being said, my life is hilarious. Abso-freaking-lutely. One of the more hilarious things about my life currently is the fact that I am a substitute teacher. This is hilarious on many levels, but the greatest being the things that come out of the kids mouths. I have begun to write them down on scene, so I can remember them. Here are some gems.

Conversation with 7th Grade Girl
Her: Mr. Kelsey, do you have any kids?
Me: Uhhh, nope, I do not have any kids.
Her: Well why not?
Me: Ummm, well I am only 22 and I am not married.
Her (In an accusatory tone): Well, do you even have a girlfriend.
Me: No, I do not.
Her: Mr Kelsey, are you just going to be alone forever?

I did not really know how to respond to this. Maybe like this?

I kid, I kid. This is just an old picture that I used to threaten Dan Davenport with.

Another gem:
Different 7th Grade Girl
"You remind me of this hobo who was at Girl Scouts on Wednesday"

I have so many questions to ask her about this. Why do I, in my dress clothes, remind you of a hobo? Why was there a hobo at your Girl Scouts meeting? What is the name of this homeless doppleganger of me?

And another:
7th Grader
Her: "Did you get those shoes at the clown store?" (In reference to my very niceblack dress shoes.)
Me: "No, I just have very large feet"

I hope you enjoy these. I am sure there will be very many more to come.

Resurrection!

2009-10-18T16:51:00.003-04:00

Ok so here is my blog resurrection. This is like the 9 millionth resurrection attempted, but I think this one is going to work, for two reasons.

1. I think that I am hilarious.
Now please do not take this the wrong way. I came to this conclusion after reading some of my old blog posts that I had totally forgotten about and found myself laughing out loud. I am completely alright with the fact that nobody else might find me funny. This is not my aim. I am here only to make myself laugh. If you find my musings hilarious as well, then join me in a hearty chuckle.

2. It is interesting to see the progression of my mind and my faith
When I think back to myself even two years ago, I think of myself as a foolish and naive youth. I basically only remember my mistakes. However, if my blog can be seen as an accurate account, I have been too hard on myself. But it is also cool to see how I have changed.

BA-K-47

2009-04-27T00:42:00.002-04:00

Replica of an AK made out of bacon. Words can not express...

http://www.thisisfreakingridiculous.com/tifr/2009/4/13/ba-k-47.html

JWB: 1865's Sexiest Man Alive

2009-02-25T14:23:00.002-05:00

Apparently John Wilkes Booth was considered to be the hottest man in America prior to assassinating Lincoln. Talked about lower expectations. I need to find a time machine.

Although he does kind of look like a JT with a nice mustache.

Yes, no, maybe a bit? It is a little weird to think about if you were look at it in a modern context. Booth killing Lincoln is really like say.. Sean Penn killing Bush. He wasn't just some guy, he was like the greatest actor of his time and apparently a serious stud. So maybe not Sean Penn, but more like Brad Pitt killing Bush.

That's your history lesson for the day. It's good to learn.

Shoe-phile

2009-01-04T21:27:00.003-05:00

So I have a new hobby, and its a little gay:

Shoes

I made a rather ill-advised purchase after working all week on some IRS business. Ill-advised but real dope

The coolest thing about them is that the yellowish looking glows in the dark.

Dope

Then I had to spend 250 dollars today on getting new brakes in my car. All I have to say though is thank God for Jeff Langhart or else it would have been a lot more money

Ha

2008-11-11T06:38:00.001-05:00

I forgot that I have a blog. I am going to try to write on this again.

Australiaaaaaa

2008-01-20T15:25:00.000-05:00

So I had lunch with Mark and James before I left and I said yeah I will post on my blog as much as I can, and Mark said something to the effect of "Yeah I have heard that before". I pretended to be shocked and offended, but yeah look what happened.

So if there is a plane flight to hell, I imagine it would go somewhat like my journey here. To make a long story short, the travel agent never sent me my actual paper tickets. I arrived at the airport with an invoice which I thought was odd, but on the back it said "This ticket has monetary value". So they wouldn't let me on the plane, I ended up getting a connection straight to LA, where I would meet up with the group flight to Sydney. It doesn't really sound that bad here, but it was horrendous. I was just thinking the whole time, I really might not make it to Sydney.

Anyways so I am in LA, my place gets delayed for like 4 hours, but also the groups flight in Salt Lake got delayed and they didnt end up making it into LA until my plane was taking off. So I arrive in Sydney without the group, they came in the next day. So then of course the airline lost my luggage. I got 100 bucks out of it because I complained, but still, why couldn't anything go right?

So much has happened since I got here two weeks ago, I feel like time has flown, but I have done so much.

We are living in a dorm on the campus of the University of New South Wales. It is pretty sick, there are cockroaches and other bugs all over the place. The only way I can convince myself to sleep is by remembering that cockroaches cant bite, they are just really gross.

Anyways, I am just going to post some pictures and then try to write a blog later about all the stuff that I have done. Sorry there is no real content here.

I also hear a couple of weeks ago that one of my good high school friends, Rylan Cotter, died. Rylan was an awesome person. She was without question the funniest girl that I have ever known. She is going to be missed by everybody who knew her.

It has been an interesting few weeks of highs and lows. But yeah, here are some pics. I am having a pretty amazing time.

Yeah that is lawn bowling. I put this picture in because I wanted Drew B. to see the rebel youngster bowling with all the stuffy white old men. It is basically the plot of a somewhat funny movie called "Blackball" or something similiar that we watched one night.
It looks like I don't like the koala, but really the guy taking my picture just took it at an awful moment and almost cut me out. The kangaroo picture stinks too.

Hunter Valley, where all the wine is made. A day after we were there, there was an explosion in one of the wineries and a couple people died. Kinda crazy.

On Cookies and Germs

2007-12-06T08:38:00.000-05:00

I am currently eating a cookie in one of my classes and I wanted to set it down to type, but then I realized that I had no where to set it! So I put it on the table. Then I realized that that was kind of sick, putting a cookie on a school table. Ewwwww.

Call me Howard Hughes, but whenever I use a railing to go down or up stairs, I think about all the germs that are probably all over it. This usually makes me stop touching it. I think that it is unlikely that railings are high on janitors lists of things to clean. They have stuff to do, like putting sawdust on vomit and cleaning poo out of urinals...

But wooden railings never seem to bother me. Just metal ones. Maybe it is just the way it feels, but I always just feel like metal railings are germier than wooden. All railings and doorknobs should be made of wood.

Update: Problem solved, I just rested my next cookie on my leg.

D-Day

2007-12-06T08:33:00.000-05:00

The day is here. After months of procrastinating, slacking, and general nonchalantness, I finally come to the day where nearly everything is due. I am about to turn in a paper, go back to the guys house, finish another paper, cram for my exam, and then I am done. I was supposed to have a history project due today also, but I got that moved. After today I am done with half of my classes. Huzzah!

Computer

2007-11-29T00:21:00.001-05:00

So some sad news, at least for me, really not for anyone else. The Professor I used to work for who gave me the laptop I am using asked for it back for someone who needs it in the office. So soon I will be laptopless. The good news is that I was going over finances with my parents, and I realized all the trouble I have gone through this semester over money has paid off, as I have 5500 dollars worth of spending money for my trip. This also means that I should have enough money left over to buy a new MacBook. Huzzah

Blogging

2007-11-23T16:07:00.001-05:00

I know, I know, every few months I stop blogging for an extended period of time, and then suddenly I remember my blog and write a bunch of posts for about a month and then the trend repeats itself. However, this time I am dedicated to devoting more time to my blog, since in a little over a month, this will likely be the only way for all of you to know whats up in the very exciting life of Coryell.

I know you all are hanging on the edge of your seats all day, waiting for a phone call for me to tell you a new story, so when I fly off to Australia, the best way for me to tell you that I chased down a kangaroo and ended its life with my bare hands, or that I learned how to boomarang a shark and successfully catch the weapon when it swings back around, will no longer be by phone. Instead, you will have to talk to me via email or just read my stories on my blog and tell me how great I am in the comments section. Or, for those of you who are cooler than the rest (I am talking about the people who own Macbooks, of course) you can talk to me via videochat. I would like that. So here goes. My goal is at minimum a post every other day. We shall see...

Best Invention Ever?

2007-09-17T23:01:00.000-04:00

Sprite apparently has invented something to rival the internet as the greatest invention of our generation. The self-chilling bottled drink. Apparently when you pop the cap, some sort of mechanism creates ice from the drink, so it is not diluted at all. Gosh that is amazing. Honestly I would be willing to pay more for a drink that I am always sure will be cold. As a man who likes a cold beverage, the potential for this is limitless. Well, I suppose the potential for this is actually just limited to keeping drinks cold, but you get the picture.

Nerd King

2007-09-17T11:21:00.001-04:00

Take the test!

Leader Weekend

2007-09-11T14:34:00.001-04:00

Went up to TimberWolf for leader weekend, which was amazing.

James did the teaching for the weekend, and he really did a great job. One thing that he talked about that struck a chord for me is the idea of working with people who you claim you "just don't get along", or that your personalities will never allow you to mesh.

He showed this clip from the Office

And pointed out the idea that often times we just can't get along with people because we think we are better. This is definitely something that I suffer from. Even when these people have sinned against me, that does not put me in some zone where I am better than them, because by no means am I free of sin. So the idea of just sucking it up and forgiving these people for the little offenses makes sense, and has slowly become easier for me to deal with over the last year.

However, the one thing that I really do struggle with is what to do with someone who continues to sin, shows no remorse, and hurts you or themselves, or someone you love by that sin. What do we do there? Is forgiving always the right answer? What if that gave the person the idea that you are approving their actions, or that it will be fine, just annoying.

So I guess my question is... what do we do there?

The Dark Knight

2007-08-17T11:11:00.000-04:00

A few high-res still shots of the upcoming Batman: Dark Knight movie have been leaked. I do have to say, Heath Ledger is going to be a good joker. If you don't believe me, check out the teaser shot they let out:

Creepy, huh?

But anywho, here are the leaked stills.

J. Morgan Sweeney

2007-08-11T01:33:00.000-04:00

I got some very sad news today that my Professor, mentor, and friend, J.M. Sweeney, passed away in his sleep in London yesterday morning.

He was a great man, and one of the biggest influences in my life, even though I only knew him for two years. I lucked out my first semester of Freshmen year and landed in his 201H class. Since then, I have taken at least one class with him each semester and have met with him outside of class on numerous occasions.

To Sweeney,

The Best Teacher I ever had.

The only person I have ever had an 8 hour conversation with without realizing how quickly time has flown by

A man who loved the world he lived in, always looking to explore it, always looking to gain more experience of life around him

I'm sorry you never ended up seeing Cambodia

The only person over 60 that I know who loved the show Viva La Bam

Looked like Don Vito, except with and English/Irish accent and a vastly superior intellect

A teacher who was not afraid to really invest in his students, and to teach them more about life from his own journey.

A person dedicated to living life according to the Sermon on the Mount

The only person I know who could deliver searing sarcastic harassment while at the same time communicating to the person his own love and care

The funniest person I have ever met, even when he was intending it

A willing entertainment monkey at awkward events and parties

An artist at breaking the ice and making people feel comfortable

A man who did everything on his own terms, no matter what it cost him

I will never exchange more entertaining emails with anyone

The greatest storyteller of our time.

I never regretted a minute I spent around him, and I am so incredibly thankful for the last dinner I had with him. He treated me like a grandkid, or a son, always looking out for what was best for me, helping me with my struggles, encouraging me endlessly sometimes, and kicking me on the right track other times, guiding me through so many things that I couldn't even begin to understand how far his advice extended into my life. So much could be said about him. He was always there for guidance, for laughs, and knowledge. If I end up half the man he was, then I could consider my life fulfilled. I miss him already.

Secrets Secrets Are No Fun, Secrets Secrets Hurt Someone

2007-07-27T16:53:00.000-04:00

SEGA just showed off some new gameplay footage for their upcoming Ironman game.

The game looks amazing, and may turn out to be one of the best videogame adaptations of a comic book character.

Those of you who know me well know that I don't like Ironman. He is a jerk.

However, while I may hate him, I secretly love Ironman, mostly due to this game...

Granted, I generally choose XO Manowar as my character, but the game is pretty much amazing.

Anyways, now you have all seen the darkness of my heart. Sorry Cap.

Testimonys or is it Testimonies?

2007-07-25T22:53:00.000-04:00

Anyways, all spelling errors aside, I recently read two amazing testimonys from two people I really like.

The first is from good ole' George Foreman, who apparently is now a preacher.

The second is from Evel Knievel, who apparently just recently gave his life to Christ.

Burnout

2007-07-24T08:34:00.000-04:00

I was reading Mark Driscoll's blog and he has an interesting series going on called Death in Ministry.

His post about "Burnout" really stood out to me.

Burnout is something that most Young Life leaders experience at some point in their life. It is a scary thing, because ultimately it can lead to serious damage to their relationship with God.

Psychologist Herbert Freudenberger and his colleague Gail North have divided the path to burnout into twelve steps. These steps do not necessarily follow one another in order. Some people skip some steps, go through several at the same time, or experience them in various orders.

1. A compulsion to prove oneself (commitment to win no matter what)
2. Working harder (feeling irreplaceable they buckle down, raise personal expectations, and take on more and more responsibility)
3. Neglecting their needs (eating, sleeping, playing are sacrificed for performance)
4. Displacement of conflicts (something is wrong but I'm unsure what)
5. Revision of values (friends, hobbies, and fun are dismissed)
6. Denial of emerging problems (cynism, anger, and despising of others for being stupid, lazy, demanding, and undisciplined)
7. Withdrawal (socially withdrawn, loss of hope and direction, pursuit of sinful relief such as drugs, sex, or alcohol)
8. Obvious behavior changes (shy, apathetic, depressed, haggard)
9. Depersonalization (lose contact with self, life becomes meaningless and mechanical)
10. Inner emptiness (often overcompensated for with oversexing, overeating, drug and alcohol abuse in place of leisure time)
11. Depression (indifferent, hopeless, exhausted, life loses meaning and everything from agitation to apathy sets in)
12. Burnout (suicidal thoughts and/or obsession with heaven, physical and mental collapse, need for medical help)

How many of these criteria fit you?
What are you going to do about it?

I also love his next post.

When we push our bodies, schedules, minds, and budgets to the point where there is no margin, all that it takes to destroy us is one unforeseen expense, one small emergency, or one small cold. Therefore, leaving margin is the key to not being crushed when life does not go according to plan. This means leaving extra money in the bank, leaving extra time between appointments, and preparing to arrive at places early so that if there is traffic you will still be on time and not stressed. There are four basic areas where margin is essential and to wisely steward those areas we must ask what fills these buckets:

1. Emotional Energy
* What fills this bucket?
* What empties this bucket?
2. Physical Energy
* What fills this bucket?
* What empties this bucket?
3. Time
* What fills this bucket?
* What empties this bucket?
4. Finances
* What fills this bucket?
* What empties this bucket?

Which of these buckets fills up most quickly for you? Which bucket fills up most slowly for you? Which bucket empties most quickly for you? Which bucket empties most slowly for you? What can you do to count the cost in each of these areas before you make a decision?

After reaching a burnout point last year, I have slowly started to factor these things in. James always says "Money for gas should never be a reason for keeping our leaders from doing contact work." (He's not saying don't be selfish and spend all your money, just that if money is stopping you, then someone within the YL community should be able to help you with the issue).

Unfortunately, that is not really so. Honestly I am not the world's best budgeter, but by no means am I wasteful with my money (besides the excessive amount of parking tickets I get). However, it is nearly impossible to find all the gas money i need to do the amount of contact work that I am willing to do.

I suppose maybe its because I am scared to ask, in case people resent me.
Or perhaps I just don't want my own finances open to scrutinization because I am asking for someone elses money.
Or perhaps I am unwilling to give up my hobbies.
Or maybe God, in his infinite wisdom, knows my limits and refuses to let me push past them by going out to ER too much.

Remember, don't fill your bucket up too much!

The Adventures of the Kelsey Clan in Europa will resume soon

The Reason Why I Never Want to Swim Again

2007-07-19T09:27:00.001-04:00

Flesh Eating Bacteria... man

Are you impressed behind my ear, lookin' Aquafina clear

2007-07-18T11:16:00.000-04:00

Just checked out the Doe Boy Fresh (Three Six Mafia) music video On Demand yesterday. It's pretty nasty. The video is basically a ripoff of "Being John Malkovich", but it is real tight. Plus Chamillionaire's verse is nasty. In a good way.

Polska

2007-06-23T12:38:00.000-04:00

To continue the Tales of Coryell in Europe, for those of you who may be interested. Or is it whom? I never know when to use that word.

So we arrived in Krakow, Poland from Ireland

Really Krakow was probably my favorite place that we visited. It was a gorgeous city.

The city was designed in a very interesting, very European way. Basically there was a town square, that was gigantic with a big building in the center.

These pictures is just a piece of it, the town square was really gigantic.

Surrounding the entire town square were these outdoor "beer gardens", which were basically outdoor seating areas for restaurants. They are the little tent looking things in the background, those are what I am talking about. And literally every two doors, there were amazing restaurants. I really did not have a bad meal the entire time I was there. Well I suppose that is not entirely true. One day I decided to go out exploring and came upon a stand selling various polish foods in like, a fast food format. So being one to try new things, I ordered a Zapiekanka. It was terrible. I didn't take a picture, but just imagine the french bread pizzas you had in middle school. It looked like that but had mushrooms and then cheese on top, and then they covered it in their version of ketchup ( basically a mix of ketchup and hot sauce). Now I hate ketchup and mushrooms, so it was not my cup of soup.

This picture looks gross, but it was one of my favorite things I ate, Pork Knuckle. I ordered it several times.

Delish.

I like this picture of my bro and sis a lot

And in case you need to vomit, this guy IS wearing a fishnet wifebeater.

One thing that I could not avoid thinking the entire time we were in Krakow was how I bet vampires like it here. It was confirmed by the music.

Accordion music, although vampire-friendly, is incredibly cool and something that I wish I saw more of. But anyways, to add to the effect, there was this tall Cathedral in the town square, that would periodically be swarming with little black birds that kind of looked like bats.

The town square is gorgeous at night.

Alright, that is probably a long post, so I will continue the saga later.

Everything on Blogger is in Polish right now...

2007-06-20T17:56:00.000-04:00

So the trip has been awesome so far, and I thought I would recap it for those of you who want stories and visual aids.

The journey began at 1230ish, mostly because I was lazy with my laundry and my mom refused to leave until we knew that the machines were turned off. So we had to wait for me to finish up, which was kind of lame.

By the way, it is very difficult to navigate blogger right now, because it really is all in Polish. When I went up to upload the picture, it said to me

"Twoje obrazy są przekazywane do Bloggera"

Which is something that I do not understand.

Anyways, we headed off to Detroit, where our plane was delayed due to weather problems in Chi-town. Then we flew there, where we were delayed due to weather once again. Not a good start to 10 hours of flying. But somehow, we made it through. However, Ashely did not seem so happy about it. Or maybe she just doesn't like me... one or the other.
Oh I almost forgot. I took a sleeping pill on the plane and my sister was like, you should have waited until you were finished eating your food, in case you fall asleep in it. And I was all like, whatever, I have taken sleeping pills before and it has done nothing to me, so I took it and bet her a beer that I would be awake after half an hour. 15 minutes later, I apparently was basically acting high and staring off into space, saying random weird things. I can't remember what she told me I said, I will try to find out and post it later, but needless to say I do not remember any of this and I bought my sister a beer today.

So we arrived in Dublin, where we stayed from early that morning (Dublin time) until 4 the next morning (evil time), which I have discovered is an ungodly hour.

Our number one priority in Ireland: Beer.

You see, our first trip to Ireland, many fine years ago, was a lot of fun. However we neglected to do the one thing that our family always seems to do on vacations: alcohol production tours. And being Ireland, that meant we HAD to go to Guinness this time around.

So we did.

Being a person who enjoys beer where it is legal for me to be served, I was excited.

Unfortunately I shouldn't have been, because the factory tour was impressively underwhelming. Very, very dissapointing. Like, there was really nothing there, but a really amateurish and boring museum type tour, and a half-pint of Guinness. There was no actualy viewing of the process by which Guinness is made, just boards that describe it, and little tools, and ingredients scattered about. Waste of time!

However a much brighter point of the day was amazing fish and chips we had. I took a picture of it, because it was so beautiful in my mouth.

Also apparently Snape did not kill Dumbledore, he just sent him to Ireland.

There were a bunch of these actors dressed up in what was dissapointedly supposed to be "medieval English dress", filming some HBO show at Christchurch. It was interesting.

So we moseyed around Dublin and some pubs for the rest of the day, then departed early for Krakow, Poland, which is where I am currently typing this post.

I'm not saying that he definitely DID, but there is a possibility that Michael may or may not have potentially could of pooped his pants during this picture.
Maybe. I'm just saying, he has that face.

Love you all, Comments are appreciated.

Postity Post

2007-06-15T13:40:00.000-04:00

Well, it has been three long months since I last posted. This is mostly due to my laziness, so I apologize to all three of you who read this blog. Here is a short summary of my life in Bullet Points!

Summer Time! Huzzah
The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer opens tonight

See picture on the left
This movie will be terrible, but the Silver Surfer IS amazing, and Laurence Fishburne (See: Morpheus from the Matrix) will be doing his voice, which is sweet

I may or may not still have a job at the College of Education by the end of the Summer

My Prof is moving to a different part of the Department, so there really wont be much for me to do. I might keep the job and work a few hours, and find a different job

I still have not sent out my Thank-you notes from my birthday

It was May 19th, so yeah....

I am going to Europe on Monday!!!

Austria, Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic
And Ireland for day

Feel free to check my blog over the next few weeks, I will work hard at uploading pictures and whatnot when I can.

Holy Copyright Violation, Batman!

2007-03-22T18:00:00.000-04:00

All puns intended.

I had meant to post this earlier, but I have had a fairly busy week. Plus, if I choose to not neglect my blog, I would just be stepping out of my normal box.

Noel gave a great sermon last weekend, basically on conflict resolution between Christians and non-Christians, and Christians and Christians.

I am sure it was fantastic, but the entire sermon I was distracted by the pamphlet that he provided to go along with his sermon. It was a fantastic visual, but I did notice something that bothered me a bit. On the cover were some comic-booky visuals to go along with the theme, including this picture:

Which for some reason, my computer just doesnt want to rotate.

I was like, I know this picture! Which I do, because they have a been pimping out the new 4-part Shazaam! Captain Marvel series in DC's weekly 52 comic like it's... well I guess it is their job. In fact, this picture is ripped directly from this:

They just de-colored him, removed the lightning bolt, and gave him some less scary eyes.

I'm not sure which is worse, that I care about this, or the fact that I recognized the picture instantly.

But anyways, it is hilarious, albeit slightly sketchy in the realms of legality.

The Truth is Funny Sometimes

2007-02-26T13:26:00.001-05:00

Wanting to Want pt. 1

2007-02-10T03:18:00.000-05:00

A while back at a leadership meeting of some sort, Mark Burley made a very interesting comment about the difference between wanting something and "wanting to want" something. It would take too long to explain the entire context of the statement, but after thinking about it for some time, I think there is a really important theological idea within that statement.

It may take a few posts for me to finish this.

The difference between wanting and "wanting to want"

In this model, the idea of wanting something is based on the fact that you desire something, and when it comes within your means, you will get it, if it remains something that you desire. For example: I want a sandwhich. When my car starts to work again someday, I will go get one.

But "wanting to want" is like wanting to have a desire for something. I can see that a sandwhich would be good. I see the benefits in eating said sandwhich. But, ehhhh, I don't really want one. Otherwise I would get one.

I will continue this later in another post. I want to want to keep writing, but let's be honest, I really don't want to. But for fun, I was going to have pictures illustrating my point, but then decided to go a different route. Here is the one that I drew.

Oh Jim, you rapscallion

Super Bowl!

2007-02-05T14:32:00.000-05:00

So I have had a Super Bowl party at my house since I was in 7th grade. Along with that, the team that I root for has lost the Super Bowl since I was in 7th grade. Well not last night! Finally I am victorious.. vicariously through a team in a sport that I don't really care a whole lot about... But anyways, in celebration, I am going to post a picture so kindly drawn for me by one of the kids I helped out with at Riverview last weekend. Hopefully his dad doesn't ground him for being a traitor or anything

Yay Colts!

I Think There Was Cream Cheese In It...

2007-01-29T14:24:00.000-05:00

Note to self: In the future, any free wrap sandwiches should be regarded with suspicion until the exact contents are disclosed.

Word to your Mother

2007-01-26T01:08:00.001-05:00

I just love Johnny Cash

2007-01-19T20:49:00.000-05:00

I kind of want to be like him, not even in a musical way

Class

2007-01-19T10:56:00.000-05:00

So the other day I did my reading for class, then I showed up to class without my computer, took good notes, and made a large contribution to the class discussion. It felt really good.
I realize that this should not be something even worth writing about, but it is pretty significant to me.

I'm the kind of kid who can float by school without doing anything. In turn,I don't learn a whole lot in the long-term thinking of things, but I also don't have do to a whole lot. I cram for tests, do homework that will be graded, and show up to the classes that attendance is mandatory for. I can do this because I still do very well in the classes.

BUT... it makes school life, and even life in general (probably because school is life for college kids) so blase. When I don't do the readings, I forget why I am even a history major. I forget how much I love learning about the way our society was formed and the way people lived and worked and played in the past. I forget how much I want to speak different languages and experience different cultures.

I'm not going to make any promises, but I'm thinking maybe I should try to be a better student sometimes, so life seems more significant.

MyFace Week 4

2007-01-19T10:54:00.000-05:00

And here is last weeks, since I was sans camera cord.

Greatest Invention Ever....period

2007-01-13T01:39:00.000-05:00

The R2-D2 M.E.S

The R2-D2 DVD Projector is a 480p home-theater projector that looks just like the beloved robot. The 20-inch-tall projector features built-in speakers, an iPod dock, a memory card slot, and even an FM transmitter to broadcast audio around the house. Best of all, the projector moves just like R2-D2. Using a Millenium Falcon-shaped remote control, the projector can be piloted around the home with its three, wheeled legs. Built-in safety sensors help prevent the droid from taking spills or bumping into objects. Most importantly, it sounds just like R2-D2, with 11 different beeps, boops, and whistles randomly playing when it's in motion.

-Cnet

If anyone has 2500 bucks to spare, hook me up.

MyFace Week 3

2007-01-12T10:23:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I took this picture almost two weeks ago, but I lost my camera cord, so I havent been able to post anything. So the date for it is like 1/6

Best Picture Ever

2007-01-03T12:43:00.000-05:00

What a baller

Mark is Amazing!

2007-01-03T09:57:00.001-05:00

Don't believe me? Just watch.

He is like a circus bear.

myFace Week 2

2007-01-03T09:21:00.000-05:00

This is late because I am always lazy. I took the picture on Sunday, Dec. 31

Silver Freaking Surfer

2006-12-28T09:50:00.000-05:00

myFace Week 1

2006-12-23T00:32:00.000-05:00

So I have had acne since I was in 7th grade, which basically means that I have had acne half of the years that I can remember.

I am not super concerned about it. It bothers me a bit, but I'm not what you would call an "image centered" type of person. I mean, I would like it to be gone, but it doesn't bring me down all too much. My biggest problem with it is probably the treatment, because I have had to take special care of my face for like 8 years now, which I get pretty sick of.

So I am really excited to take this medicine now, Accutane, for my face. It is a pretty serious medicine, and tightly controlled, but there is something like a 99.98% chance that all my acne will be gone in a couple of months, and then after 9 months I wont have to do anything for it anymore. Whooo!

I mostly write this blog for myself anyways (which I'm sure is alright for the 3 people who read it), so I thought that I would use it to document the change on my face week by week. I got a sweet digital camera for Christmas, so I am going to take my picture once a week and make a post. It will be interesting to see not only the time change of the acne, but my hair and stuff like that.

Meet Willis

2006-12-22T11:30:00.000-05:00

Folks this is Willis.
Willis, say hi to the nice folks.

Our little Willis is a member of the Battle Creek Junior Officers Corp. We are just sooooo proud.

Words I Am Never Sure How to Spell

2006-12-22T10:54:00.000-05:00

Incredibley?

I Wish It Were True....

2006-11-01T01:35:00.000-05:00

So I just read
an article about this BBC drama where some radical Christians kill some Muslims I guess. It created a big uproar in England, because a lot of Christians are upset that it might bring about anti-Christian thoughts and behaviors.

There is one quote from an evangelical leader that stood out to me from the article.

Christian Voice National Director Stephen Green said: "This could even be incitement to hatred against Christians. It is completely ludicrous and brings the BBC into more disrepute."

"Most people watching it will just spot another bit of BBC bias and inaccuracy - nevertheless it shows a worrying mind-set in the people that are producing the programme to even think that there are Christians contemplating violence against any Muslims whatsoever - it is just not what we do."

The bolding was mine. I wish this were true, but there are sooooo many Christians that make this completely untrue. Maybe someday, we will all just read the bible and understand the real person of Jesus instead of the gun-toting, "I'm right, you're wrong" Jeezus of the Blessed United States of Murica

58 Minutes About Tetris?

2006-10-30T00:33:00.000-05:00

So not to overshadow the important and real post I just made, but I found this video on the internet that I just had to share with you guys.

Tetris is by far my favorite game of all time. Apparently BBC made a documentary chronicling its creation and movement into culture. It is wayyyy overdramatic, but really interesting. If you ever have an hour to spare (no one does, I am pretty sure that I am the only one who will watch this, but whatever), I suggest you watch it. Crazy Ruskies.

I think my favorite part is at the end when they are interviewing Pajitnov, the man who created Tetris. When asked if he was upset about not having earned virtually any money for creating such a popular and profitable product, he said "I never seriously think about this stuff. I live as I live."

I think I Can Do That

2006-10-29T19:12:00.000-05:00

So Noel gave a really good talk at Riverview yesterday. Some of what he hit on was how we could help to make this new expansion happen.

It's going to be sweet, I am really excited.

Here is a sketch of the floorplans:

So the last couple of weeks, I have been thinking about money in relation to ministry. I make about 50 bucks a week at my job, and the rest of my "income" is my monthly food money allowance. I spend about 40-80 bucks a week getting out to Eaton Rapids. Basically, 80% of my income goes to Young Life then. I have been using this as my excuse for not tithing to my church, because I am a poor college student and I am already giving 80%.

I can't really complain about this though, because somehow God has given me abundantly. Somehow, money is not exactly "tight". I go out to eat a lot, I buy comic books, I go see movies, I enjoy life. I can afford to give to my church, especially now, when they are really in need.

Here is my game plan. Today I started keeping a log of all expenditures. It's this new system I have invented, I'm going to call it keeping a "budget". So this "budget" will work by me keeping track of my income and expenditures, and then looking at what/how I can cut things down and just transfer that money that is being cut down into my church tithe. I know, it's a crazy idea. I should write a book about it or something.

When it comes down to it, it might just mean there is one less comic series that I collect, a couple more days a week I cook instead of going to Ida's. I am still going to blow a bunch of money on this Wii, because that is something I am really excited for and have been saving up to for a while, but I know I can do this.

What are some suggestions you adults have? I'm not good at this whole money management thing

Me Too David, Me too.....

2006-10-23T13:12:00.000-04:00

Following a link Trail

2006-10-19T10:18:00.000-04:00

I ran into this cool retelling of the crucifixion while following a random link trail. It's from this guy's myspace, if anyone cares.

I am NOT the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him...He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.
The face that Moses had begged to see--was forbidden to see--was slapped bloody. The thorns that God had sent to curse the earth’s rebellion now twisted around his own brow....

"On your back with you!" One raises a mallet to sink in the spike. But the soldier’s heart must continue pumping as he readies the prisoner’s wrist. Someone must sustain the soldier’s life minute by minute, for no man has this power on his own. Who supplies breath to his lungs? Who gives energy to his cells? Who holds his molecules together? Only by the Son do "all things hold together". The victim wills that the soldier live on, he grants the warriors continued existence. The man swings.

As the man swings, the Son recalls how he and the Father first designed the medial nerve of the human forearm--the sensations it would be capable of. The design proves flawless--the nerves perform exquisitely. "Up you go!" They lift the cross. God is on display in his underwear and can scarcely breathe.

But these pains are a mere warm-up to his other and growing dread. He begins to feel a foreign sensation. Somewhere during this day an unearthly foul odor began to waft, not around his nose, but his heart. He feels dirty. Human wickedness starts to crawl upon his spotless being--the living excrement from our souls. The apple of his Father’s eye turns brown with rot.

His Father! He must face his Father like this!

From heaven the Father now rouses himself like a lion disturbed, shakes his mane, and roars against the shriveling remnant of a man hanging on a cross. Never has the Son seen the Father look at him so, never felt even the least of his hot breath. But the roar shakes the unseen world and darkens the visible sky. The Son does not recognize these eyes.

"Son of Man! Why have you behaved so? You have cheated, lusted, stolen, gossiped--murdered, envied, hated, lied. You have cursed, robbed, overspent, overeaten--fornicated, disobeyed, embezzled, and blasphemed. Oh, the duties you have shirked, the children you have abandoned! Who has ever so ignored the poor, so played the coward, so belittled my name? Have you ever held your razor tongue What a self righteous, pitiful drunk--you, who molest young boys, peddle killer drugs, travel in cliques, and mock your parents. Who gave you the boldness to rig elections, foment revolutions, torture animals, and worship demons? Does the list never end! Splitting families, raping virgins, acting smugly, playing the pimp--buying politicians, practicing exhortation, filming pornography, accepting bribes. You have burned down buildings, perfected terrorist tactics, founded false religions, traded in slaves--relishing each morsel and bragging about it all. I hate, loathe these things in you! Disgust for everything about you consumes me! Can you not feel my wrath?"

Of course the Son is innocent. He is blamelessness itself. The Father knows this. But the divine pair have an agreement, and the unthinkable must now take place. Jesus will be treated as if personally responsible for every sin ever committed.

The Father watches as his heart’s treasure, the mirror image of himself, sinks drowning into raw, liquid sin. Jehovah’s stored rage against humankind from every century explodes in a single direction.

"Father! Father! Why have you forsaken me?!"

But heaven stops its ears. The Son stares up at the One who cannot, who will not, reach down or reply.

The Trinity had planned it. The Son endured it. The Spirit enabled him. The Father rejected the Son whom he loved. Jesus, the God-man from Nazareth, perished. The Father accepted his sacrifice for sin and was satisfied. The Rescue was accomplished.

But Isn't Pandora supposed to be responsible for all the bad stuff?

2006-10-15T17:54:00.000-04:00

Found a really cool website via Penny-Arcade that I thought I would share with you guys.

It's called Pandora. It is basically an internet radio flash program. Ok, so that sounds lame when I describe it that way. The awesome thing about Pandora is that it customizes music to what you like, and will suggest new artists and songs to you that you probably haven't ever heard.

I suggest you go check it out. After playing a couple songs it will ask you if you want to become a member or something and pay money, or keep listening to the free ad-supported version. I mean, if you really want to shell out some money to thank the cool people who made it, then sweet, but honestly the ad-supported one has no ads at all. Not once have I heard an audio ad cut in between songs. It is pretty sweet

This is why Wyldlife is so important.

2006-10-09T14:14:00.001-04:00

Woot!

2006-10-06T09:28:00.000-04:00

Sorry it has been so long since I last posted, but my life has been crazy lately. Crazy in a good way and crazy in bad ways sometimes. But mostly good. Club started up two weeks ago, and it has been awesome. I really don't like Club, because I get stressed out about it and nervous and stuff, but I am loving it this year because the kids are amazing.

I guess you could say that our Club has been "stale" in the past. Not that it was bad, but that we would consistently have the same small group of people coming, and then every once in a while a new kid would come. I don't really know or understand what happened this year, but our Campaigner kids are on fire. In a good way, not like, with flames or anything.

Last Monday we had 50 kids at club, which is significantly more than we ever had last year, as far as I know. I'm excited by that. I recognize that it is not about the numbers, but I am fluctuating between pride and excitement right now. I give the guys in my house a hard time about it, and brag and stuff, but really I am just proud of the Campaigner kids. I am not the ones bringing new kids to Club, they are. They have taken up the mission of Christ in a way that I didn't really expect last year. They talk him up and show his love to people. They make God attractive to the other people in their school. Way to go guys!

I am excited by it because I know it is just the beginning.

Thanks

2006-09-25T10:40:00.000-04:00

But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.

Thank you for praying guys. It is not over yet, but it's better.

Things Are Looking Up

2006-09-24T11:19:00.000-04:00

Today is swelling with potential. Could be a very happy person at the end of this day. We shall see.

The Parable of the Lost Son

2006-09-21T13:37:00.000-04:00

Luke 15:11-32

The Parable of the Lost Son
Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.

"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father.
"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'

"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'

" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "

I am desperate for this to come true

Jesus is Cool, but Some of His Followers Give Me the Creeps

2006-09-18T14:42:00.000-04:00

Agreed. I am debating whether or not I want to see this movie. On one hand I am interested and also want to know what other people who say that they follow Christ are doing/saying/thinking in His name. On the other hand, I don't want to give them money, and being a person who takes kids to a "Jesus Camp", I don't want it to get popular and have parents thinking that this is was happens at YL camp. Because it is not. Plus I kind of felt sick after watching what they were doing to these kids. It reminds me of Scientology

Geeked Out.

2006-09-17T03:02:00.000-04:00

So I am a sucker for technology, even when there are much easier and more practical methods for doing something. A good example is my Palm Pilot.

Sure, it would be easier and more economical to just have a planner/notebook to record dates and write notes. But I wouldn't do it. Really the only thing motivating me to keep track of my dates is the fact that I get to use a cool toy.

I am saying this because I know that those of you who were at church noticed the funny thing that Noel was playing with onstage at church this weekend. I say this knowing full well that most of the people who read this blog probably were not at church. But let's just pretend. Anyways, it was a Wacom Tablet.

Except it was white. I geeked out a bit. It was basically unnecessary, because I think that the whole demonstration could have been done using powerpoint, but it was still awesome. I want to draw a massive picture with it. The picture he drew, which remained up on the screen the whole time he was talking, was a very effective way of showing what he wanted us to understand.

This is just a guess, but going along the same line, I bet when people around Noel have computer problems, he makes the statement "You should just get a Mac" or, "The best way to fix it would be for it to become a Mac", or some variation of that. I know, because I am that guy.

Gesundheit!

2006-09-15T14:23:00.000-04:00

Guys, I just sneezed what was quite possibly the largest sneeze in my life. The office door was closed and the girl outside the office heard me, stared in disbelief, and then yelled "Bless You!" through the glass. It was intense. I feel like I need to take a nap now.

November 19, 2006. A Date That Will Live in Infamy.

2006-09-15T13:24:00.000-04:00

It is the turning point of my college career. The day when I cease passing classes and proceed to fail them.

I declare it Wii-Day. Or for short Wiiay. Yeah, try to pronounce all those vowels at once. I am currently formulating my
list and budget in preparation.

The console itself will be 249.99 plus tax. I am going to purchase a second remote of course, so that will be another 39.99 plus tax. I am not really positive how it works out, but I hear the nunchaka attachment is like 19.99, so i need that also. Plus two launch title games. That is what I am going to limit myself to, so let's say about 80 bucks for that. That means that I need to have 390ish bucks saved by November 19. I think I can do that.

Crap! As I was typing this, I realized that November comes after October. So instead of being 1 month and 4 days away from release, it is 2 months and 4 days away from the release. That is disapointing. But, that leaves me and extra month to make all that money.

Apparently Wii Sports and the Opera Web Browser will both be packaged in, which excites me, but I am still rolling around what two games I will get. The launch list has not been finalized yet, but here is Nintendorks.com's guess at the potential launch titles.

First Party (* denotes temporary name)
Battalion Wars II
Big Brain Academy*
Excite Truck
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Mario Strikers Charged
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (alternate title: File Can't Be Found)
Super Mario Galaxy*
WarioWare: Smooth Moves (alternate title: Uncomfortable Touching)
Wii Sports

Third Party
after the jump (note: click on the link; "after the jump" is not a title)

Avatar: The Last Airbender
Disney's Chicken Little: Ace in Action
Dragon Ball Z Budokai: Tenkaichi 2 (alternate title: Do You Still Care About DBZ?)
Madden NFL 07
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (alternate title: Post-Penultimate Confederacy)
Rayman Raving Rabbids (alternate title: Everybody Loves Rayman)
Red Steel
Sonic and the Secret Rings (alternate title: Sonic and His Three Wives)
Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz
Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam (alternate title: Tony Hawk's Obligatory Wii Game)
Elebits
Trauma Center Second Opinion (alternate title: Yes, You Do Have a Brain Hemorrhage)

Note: Bad jokes after the titles are theirs, not mine.

So many amazing game choices. I am seriously throwing around Madden, because the gameplay looks amazing and I know my roommates would love it. I don't know where to go after that. Red Steel? Trauma Center? Marvel Ultimate Alliance? So many choices......

It's going to be good guys.

It Has Been Confirmed

2006-09-13T14:16:00.001-04:00

There is a God, and he loves me very very much.

Oh Snap

2006-09-13T10:35:00.000-04:00

So I was reading Genesis and I came on a passage that made me laugh, but kind of in a "dang I wish that weren't so true" kind of way.

"Who told you that you were naked? From the tree I commanded you not to eat have you eaten?" And the human said, "The woman whom you gave by me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate."

Yeah, we haven't changed have we? Gosh that is pathetic. As soon as Adam realizes he is in trouble he goes. "Wait God, it was her fault! And not only was it her fault, but you made her, you gave her to me! It's all your fault."

We all play this blame game. We do something stupid, we make a stupid choice, and then everything falls apart. And so we blame someone else, because either we can't accept the fact that we aren't infallible, or we refuse to accept the consequences of our stupidity.

This was me 100% in high school. I played the distraction game. Even if I were to admit my idiocy, I would point out other people who had done worse things than me. It reminds me of James' "Yabbut" idea.

Yeah, but..... It wasn't my fault
Yeah, but..... He did it.
Yeah, but..... I am not as bad as...
Yeah, but..... It was an accident
Yeah, but why is God picking on me, what did I do to deserve this. I am mostly a good Christian

I am still a blamer. There is a major part of me that just refuses to accept the idea that I could be wrong, or that I could mess up.

But that is the point of the fall, and the point of our need for Christ right? The yeah buts, the lack of infallibility. That is very Hebrew right there.

P.S. That picture is amazing, because he is all blaming her with his hands and stuff. I don't know who drew it, but good job.

Feel free to drop your Yabbuts in my comment box

Meaningless, Meaningless. Utterly Meaningless

2006-09-12T16:46:00.000-04:00

I like the NIV translation better I think, but as I was wallowing in self-pity over my increasingly crappy day, I was reminded of Ecclesiastes.

I like this bit, I am goingto study it a bit in between the German that has been rocking me lately, but here is what has been hitting me.

"Better a patient spirit than a haughty spirit. Don't let your spirit be quickly vexed, for vexation abides in the breasts of fools. Don't say, 'How has it happened that former times were better than these? ' For it is not wise of you to ask that question."

I am going to try to avoid the whole, why does my life suck today thing. Otherwise God might pull out the old "Gird your loins like a man; I will ask you and you will inform Me. Where were you when I laid the earth's foundations?..." thing.

Sometimes when I think I am having a bad day, I tend to forget all the amazing things that happen in the day. I think what Gd is really saying in Job andin Ecclesiastes is. Shut up man. Quit whining. Stop focusing on the few things that you feel like are ruining yourlife and check out the amazing things going on. Is your blood pumping? Are your muscles moving? Have words come from your mouth today? Look at these people I have given you to talk to. Look at this job I have given you to do. Why do you keep complaining?

So yeah, I am just going to shut up.

If you normally communicate with me through the internet or email, Its going to take me a while to respond. Feel free to call me.

Oh Powerbook, how you have failed me.

2006-09-12T16:43:00.000-04:00

So my computer is dead. The thing was beat to heck before I got it,but now I am pretty sure that the harddrive is dead. That sounds and is going to be expensive. I am not looking forward to it. Plus, I may have lost all my data. Plus my palm pilot came back, completely unfixed. So it has not been a good day. Let's hope we get this comp situation fixed soon.

Good Riddance

2006-09-11T14:07:00.000-04:00

Recently, it has come to my attention that the French are eating all of our horses.

Apparently when Katie was in France they were eating horses on the street or something. I don't really know how they do it, but I just picture street vendors hawking horse steaks. Horse meat does not really strike me as a fine delicacy, so that is why I assume it is sold and eaten in the same manner as hot dogs, whose nefarious schemes are well documented, not at some fancy schmancy restaurant.

So I am disgusted because horses are dirty smelly animals. But a little intrigued, because I wonder what they taste like. I imagine them tasting like glue. That would not be very good.

Probably the best part about this whole thing is that they are getting most of these edible horses from America. I like this for two reasons.

1. Animal rights activists/horse lovers in the US probably cry over this a lot, and I am a jerk.

2. The more horses France eats, the less horses in America. Good Riddance I say.

In a moment of irony, or shall we say coincidence (although such a thing does not exist), Penny-Arcade wrote a comic (excuse the language of the comic, it is very innapropriate) about the French eating horses today. I echo Gabe's concern, clearly we are the next step on the French food chain.

Naphtali

2006-09-08T10:49:00.000-04:00

So In my Hebrew class I had the opportunity to choose a Hebrew name. Being one of maybe 5 Gentiles in the class, I had to look up what name I wanted, unlike everyone else, who just rattled off the name they had had since they were 13 or whatever.

Anyways, I was really excited by it. In the Bible, names often describe the destiny or personality of a person, so I wanted to choose a name that I thought fit that.

I was doing some research one day and I cam across this picture:

There is this really random and intense encounter in Genesis where Jacob is preparing to go back home to meet his brother, after having betrayed and left him many years before. Suddenly he is in a wrestling match with some ethereal being, maybe God, maybe an Angel. Whatever it was, it was Godly. Jacob continues to wrestle him till dawn, when finally the being touches Jacobs hip, popping it out of socket. Jacob continues to refuse to let go until the "man" blesses him. The man then asks his name and then says, according to the Robert Alter translation: "Not Jacob shall your name hence be said, but Israel, for you have striven with God and men, and won out."

If there weren't such baggage to the name Y'israel, I would have taken it.

Here is what I like best about this story. Jacob was by no means a good man. He cheated and bargained and fought with those around him. All was for his gain. He was constantly seeking blessings, just like I constantly seek praise. But he was real. He loved God and became the father and namesake of Israel, God's chosen people.

The name God chose for his people was "one who wrestles with God". As Christians, we fear and loathe the world for its ungodliness. We shy away from anything could make us question our belief or our morals. A great example of that is the uproar over the DaVinci Code. Christians attacked it like it was Satan incarnate. All it does is ask questions, questions that we should be prepared to be asked, questions that we should ask ourselves, so that we can truly believe. My theory is that the people who get really upset over things that cause them to doubt are people who do not truly believe and are scared to lose what faith they have.

Lose Faith. Wrestle with God. Thank God for everytime someone makes you question what you believe. Because when you really question it, when you really search for the truth, the answer will be Christ. The only real Truth in the world exists within him.

I chose Naphtali because it means wrestling.

Naphtali
נַפְתָּלִי

Does this Convict You?

2006-09-08T10:34:00.000-04:00

I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit—I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel.
-Romans 9:1-3

I bolded that part. Thank God for Paul. I want to remember this every moment.

Hey

2006-09-07T21:55:00.000-04:00

Guys, I need lots of prayers right now. Thanks. Potentially I will blog about it later, we shall see, but I just need some prayer.

Is This Right?

2006-09-06T15:42:00.000-04:00

I know that most of the people who read my blog are involved in ministry, so I thought I would pose this question on here. If I don't get a good answer, I can always ask the "Dirty JG" as Hicks calls him.

I love Zombie movies. The problem with them is that they are usually accompanied by gratuitous violence and gore. I'm not a huge gore guy, but I like a lot of very violent movies. So my question is, is it wrong to watch stuff like that with kids I do ministry with, and people who will view me as a follower or Christ? I mean, obviously rated-R movies should not be watched with kids, but the best example I have is the game Dead Rising. This game has me sold on the 360 as a legit, good console.

I desperately want to play it. Jake, one of the guys in Eaton Rapids I hang out with, owns it. I am about to go over and hang out with him in like an hour and we are definitely going to play this game for an extended period of time. What is the argument against it? I understand the argument for it. Specifically, I really will enjoy this game, and I hate people who pretend to be someone they aren't, or hide who they really are. I am a kid who loves games like this, so I shouldn't hide my identity. But.... the game is not in any way helping me be Christlike. Unless Christ shotguns zombies?

Whaddya think?

The Word Prick Contains Meaning

2006-09-06T15:25:00.000-04:00

Ok don't take this post as self-loathing or me beating myself up, because mostly it is just me being thoughtful about this.

So I had this awesome conversation with my housemate/brother Mark Backus the other night. I'm not going to go into detail because it was mostly private and this is mostly the internet, but basically it was about our relationship and the relationship of our house.

Pretty much he called to my attention that I am a prick. He didn't actually say that, but basically he was just like, "Hey man, what's been going on here? This doesn't feel right"

It sounds like I have been kind of a prick, because the attitude he has gotten from me is indifference, ignorance, impatience, and utility. I only talk about things I need to get done, I am short, not cheery and thoughtful of others. I have been short in my replies with certain people in the house, and kind of cocky, like I am better than them/cleaner/my life is more important.

There are various reason for this attitude:
1. I got kicked in the nose, which has left me with a 3 month constant throbbing headache, a need for surgery, and a sour disposition.
2. I have had this very very frustrating family situation going on right now. We need all the prayers we can get. I am worried about the future of certain lives, relationships, and our entire family structure. We need God in this situation right now. Pray that He is seen and felt.
3. The stress of moving, school, Young Life is increasing, combined with the headaches, I become an impatient person.

None of these are really excuses. I really just want to say, I apologize for being a prick guys. I'm not shooting for it. I can't promise I will be up to my best level of niceness until this head thing goes away too, so just bear with me. Lots of prayers will help. Also, If I am acting reserved, depressed, or prickish, just call me out on it. Or bake me something. That usually cheers me up.

Love ya guys

Do I Like to Quarrel or Do I Just Like The Word?

2006-09-05T13:40:00.000-04:00

It's a little bit of both. So while Noel has been talking about Titus and what we should be doing with what God is saying in Titus, I have been reading and thinking about the book. This passage struck me hard, especially the bolded part:

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. 9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

Ok so the last part is meant specifically for those who are speaking heretically, but I feel like it can be applied to myself, and others who are un-Christ-like in the way they feel a need to argue.

My friend Mark was telling me about a conversation he had with his wife, Katie. I apologize if I misqoute, just yell at me in the comments section. He said to her, "One thing I like about Coryell is that he wants you to disagree with him, so he can see the other side." To which Katie replied, "No he doesn't he wants you to see it his way." Or something to that accord. Both of those statements are true. I'm not exactly proud of the latter one, but it happens to be true more often than the former.

I hate that I am known as an arguer. I don't deny the fact, but it is not something I like about myself. Because in reality, a person who holds strongly to his/her statement and refuses to admit defeat or see another persons side, is really a person who is just saying, " I am better than you, I am more important than you, What you say does not matter."

So when Noel quoted Titus this weekend and said "To avoid quarreling". It hit home. There is a serious difference between a conversation and an argument, and I like to use a conversation as a cloak for an argument. But in reality, when someone states their opinion several times in different terms as a reply to the other person, that right there is an argument.

Noone likes a person who argues all the time. Not even another arguer, because there is really no person who enjoys debates unless they win. People who like arguing are really just people who like to be/think that they are always right.

Before I accepted Christ I was much worse. Mostly because I had no love or respect for other people. The other day someone asked me the question, "Do your parents see a difference in you from when you got involved in Young Life and accepted Christ and before then". I think they do, they recognize that I have matured. But, probably the main reason people haven't noticed a completely drastic change is because it hasn't really been unfortunately. I am still a generally unpleasant person, mostly because of the arguing trait that I have.

I want to be able to say, " Before I was foolish, a quarreler, disobedient, led astray, a slave to various passions and pleasures, passing my days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another." Arguing is a symptom of hate. I would ask you guys this. Straight up just call me out. One thing that I love about Katie is that she never has a problem doing that. And I will probably be embarrassed and pretend like I wasn't, but just do it anyways. It is ok to have a conversation where you disagree, but you have to be willing to concede and think about what the other person is saying, not just restate your point. Be the love of Christ in your conversations.

What do you think? What are your weaknesses? What should I be doing about this?

He Truly Was a Mighty Hunter

2006-09-04T02:22:00.000-04:00

R.I.P. Steve Irwin

He got stabbed by a stingray in the heart. I feel like if Steve Irwin was to die, it would have to be something like that. What an amazing man though. If I were half as brave as him, I would be satisfied with myself.

1K Project II

2006-09-03T17:01:00.000-04:00

So I was going to post some thought's on Noel's teaching and some stuff that I have been rolling around lately, but I have had a rough day and don't want to think. So anyways, check this out.

Some guy made this video using some software, I think it was Trackmania. It is actually a sequel to The 1K Project, but this one is prettier and stuff.

We All Need Somebody

2006-09-01T13:37:00.000-04:00

I watched Unbreakable yesterday. With the new comic books kick I have been on, I figured it would mean more and make more sense to me now. Plus I hadn't seen it in like 6 years and it was only 10 bucks.

Superheroes fascinate me because it they are a visual depiction of the hunger within us for something more to life and the hunger to be saved. We look at life and we think... Seriously? Is that all? I mean, there has to be more to it?

Everybody does it. That is what a mid-life crisis is. That is what the entire book of Ecclesiastes is. Life is meaningless. What have I really done. I mean sure, I have accomplished things, but look at the idiots who are going to take over when I am done.

This isn't a very well-organized post, but it is just something that has been rolling around in my head lately.

NBC has a new show out this fall called "Heroes". I will be Tivo'ing it.

5 in 7

2006-09-01T13:31:00.000-04:00

So in the last week I have eaten at Potbelly's 5 times. I am debating whether that is a good thing or a bad thing. I should diversify my eating a little. I only paid for it 3 of the 5 times, if that helps.

X-TREME

2006-08-30T22:39:00.000-04:00

So today I discovered that I am not exactly as bad of a person as I thought I was.

Whenever I see people Rollerblading on campus, I think to myself, "Man, one of these days that kid is going to just biff it on his face and I will probably laugh really hard.... and then make sure he is alive."

Which is a partially true statement. For those of you not familiar with MSU campus, it has a lot of people and a lot of sidewalks everywhere. The people are all listening to iPods and not paying attention to bikers or bladers, and the sidewalks are incredibly bumpy and not exactly "well-kept". Recipe for disaster.

So today I am walking on campus and I see whizzing around on her rollerblades. She is less dorky than the average Blader, because it looks like she is just excersizing or whatever, not riding her skates to class. Hahaha.... Sorry but that is just funny. Anyways, she skids and falls. Not like, face first slide on your chest fall, but dips her knee onto the ground. Basically it looked fairly painful and very embarassing, but I don't even think any blood was spilled.

I was glad because my first reaction was to be scared and worried that she was hurt. She was fine, just really embarrased. No blood or anything, whatever. Thank, God she didn't fall and hit her face and stuff. Turns out I'm not a huge jerk I guess. At least, in that regards.

Potbelly's

2006-08-30T14:03:00.000-04:00

I have found true love, and it's name is Italian Sandwich.

Potbelly Sandwich Works moved into town:I ate there Friday, somewhat skeptical. Could be good? I then proceeded to eat their Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. I didn't eat there today, but right now I am salivating just thinking about it. I desperately want some Potbelly's right now.

My friend Dave Koone is the Burrito Ambassador of Michigan for Chipotle, a mystical position that allows him to get free burritos for spreading the good word of Chipotle. I, on the other hand, am working my way into the Potbelly's Ambassador position. Sunday I introduced myself to the manager and he gave me a free sandwich ticket. Just working my way in.

Let me explain something to you guys. I have never eaten a sandwich that comes close to Potbelly's. It is the most satisying taste ever. Give me a call, I will take you there. I will probably get an Italian on regular w/extra meat, a little mayo, a little lettuce, tomato, pickle, mustard, oil, and seasoning with an Orangina to drink and an amazingly soft Oatmeal Chip cookie. and it will only cost me 7.07 for all of that. I mean, c'mon.Joy wrapped up in wax paper right there. Minus Potato Salad, I don't like Potato Salad. But I'm sure if I did, Potbelly's would be amazing.

Postity Post

2006-08-27T23:35:00.001-04:00

So my blog broke over the weekend. Which was unfortunate, becuase for once in a long long time, I had like 8 things to post on it. So yeah. I fixed it by updating to the Blogger 2.0 Beta and changing the template. Eventually I will make it look pretty. So my previous post needs to be edited, because that has changed, and i will update some time later.

Shalom!

Occupation: Student?

2006-08-25T09:43:00.000-04:00

School starts Monday. I have mixed feelings about it. On one side, I am really excited about my classes. On the other side, I am already stressed out with what I have to do right now, and I don't want to think how stressed I will be adding classes on top of that.

My schedule is not exactly "finalized" as of right now, even though classes start in like 3 days.

HEB101: Elementary Hebrew
-I am excited about this, because I like learning languages, and eventually I will be able to read the bible in its original language. Whoooo!

HST335: Europe 1700-1870
-Mostly I am excited to take this class because of the Professor, Sweeney. A large, irate teetotaling(sp?) Irishman. I have taken two classes with him and he is amazing. I don't think I have ever been more entertained in my life.

HST343: Russian History(forgot the time period)
-I like History a lot. Plus I am taking this class with Nathan Gamber, one of my housemates, he is pictured below. And yes, he is THAT ridiculous. Plus he dresses like a pirate. No joke.
LL151 Section 009: Basic Khmer 1
-This is the class that is not set in stone yet, because there has been some issues finding a tutor. It is also the class that I am most excited about. Khmer is the native language of Cambodia. As most of the people who are reading this probably know, I went to Cambodia over Christmas break last year and it was amazing. I kind of want to go live there for a while, we will see. Here are some pictures, because I can't put the place into words. It's just, beautiful and culturally deep.

CSS

2006-08-21T16:13:00.000-04:00

I wish I had paid attention in my CSE101 class when we were doing CSS stuff, that would have helped me with this whole website thing.

Wait, correction. I wish I WENT to my CSE101 class ever. That is the first step.

Blogging it

2006-08-21T15:22:00.000-04:00

So bear with me here. I know I haven't posted in like a week, but I have been crazy busy moving and all that jazz. I am going to play with my blog settings over the next few days. Blogger and Google finally really merged and now I am logging in using my gmail acount and working on the Blogger 2.0 beta. It's exciting. Trust me guys

I promise two decent blogs will be posted tomorrow, the day in which cable is in stalled in my house. Excellence!

P.S. Today is my dad's b-day. I know that he doesn't read this, or having any knowledge that this even exists, but happy bday to him anyways!

Return of Aloysius Snuffleupagus

2006-08-15T09:53:00.000-04:00

So I was reading the news today and one headline caught my eye: "Mammoths may roam again after 27,000 years"

Groundbreaking news. Forget all that Israel and Lebanon crap. Freaking dinosaurs man. It appears that they have found some frozen Wooly Mammoths and took the sperm from them and are now going to inseminate some African elephants and create Half-Mammoths. Basically I am really excited for this news. I mean, Snuffleupagus has been roaming the earth since the '70s, but what has he really brought to the table?

But I am still waiting for my T-Rex.
If you could resurrect one animal/creature, what would it be?

TimberWolf Lake 2006

2006-08-10T21:46:00.000-04:00

So it has been like a month since we went, but I was thinking that I should post a nice bit about my the best week of my summer. Plus I was bored, so that motivated me. It was one of the most amazing and Godly weeks I have ever been involved in. Not only was it a great to really recognize God's impact on my heart and remember how great his love is, but it was so powerful to see God moving in the guy's lives.

It was a draining week. A lot of emotions were tossed about. We all talked about the pain in our lives and the good in our lives, and it was amazing to see how God worked in the kids hearts throughout the week. I could keep rambling on about it, but it just really excited me.

Out of the 11 kids we brought, I think like 7 or 8 stood up to recommit their lives to Christ, and one kid "Asked God to be my homie". It was an intense week. I thank God for using Young Life and Tony and I to lead those kids to true love.

We headed up to TimberWolf (which is in Lake City, MI) on July 9th. The bus ride up was wacky as usual. We rode up with Joey Allen's crew, 6 guys from the Plymouth/Canton area.

One of the things that I noticed about being a leader instead of Junior Leader or camper was that I had to regulate a lot, and be a big fun blocker. Also I had to smack Chris for listening to emo music
Actually I was just posing, not abusing children. But he probably was listening to emo music. For shame.

I do not have a picture that does TWL justice, but here is what I do have.

Pretty sweet, huh? It is ginourmous and new and pretty and shiny and a lot of other things that are good. I like it a lot.

We went on the rope swing. After jealously watching Burley do a flip off the rope swing the last time I was at camp, I decided to try it out myself. Tony took a video of it. Because I am so humble, I thought I would share it with the world.

Sorry that it's sideways, I couldn't figure out how to rotate it.

Here is Tim, a man you should all come to know and love.
Tim did an amazing thing. During breakfast, two goofy backwoodsy type guys ran around and collected leftover food off of people's plates, blended it with a couple cups of water, and then asked Tim to drink it.

Tim proceeded to drink it. Coryell proceeded to throw up a little in his mouth.
It was astounding. Not only did he drink some, but he went after a second gulp. My stomach nearly leapt throught my throat. But Tim's suffering was not in vain. Nor was mine. He won a Paul Bunyan for it. I can't really describe a Paul Bunyan to you, because words can not explain it. Pure amazingness. It's a large iron skillet filled with ice cream, cookies, and toppings for 12 people. Needless to say, we devoured it.Hmmm. I appear to be so amazed that my face is glowing. Wow I have a large mouth too. Charles (curly black hair) didn't stop eating. After like 6 scoops and two cookies I was finished, but that kid, man. I am not sure how he did it. At the end, he was slurping the melted ice cream juice from his spoon. I thought I might pass out from fullness/dairyness.

Probably the most amazing part of the trip was how loving of an environment it was. We were there for multicultural camp, which was interesting for a bunch of skateboarding emo kids from Eaton Rapids and two dorky leaders from Mason (very very white communities). About half the camp was from urban areas, there were Native Alaskans lead by my pal, Dave Pavisch, some kids from Capernaum (Young Life's ministry for the disabled), and some suburbanites from Green Bay. The camp leaders set this awesome tone for the week right away. The camp motto was One Love. With that, we set out to show kids what a community with Christ's love would feel like.

You could not walk past someone without ending up engaging them in conversation. I have never seen a place more free of racial barriers. I can't really describe it, but my favorite picture in my mind from camp was watching Chris, a goofy, white, rural skateboarder teach a sweet, black, urban cheerleader how to skateboard. I think he taught like 8 different urban kids his trade. It was awesome. God was flowing in that camp.

I honestly could wax on and on about it forever. Feel free to ask me and I'm sure I will tell you more. But instead of typing more, I will leave you with this:

That's right, 13 Hulks. All of them Incredible. Incredibley ripped that is.

I for one welcome our new squirrel overlords

2006-08-10T13:07:00.000-04:00

I have this theory.

Our world is currently dominated by a complacent, fat, class of brown squirrels. As their empire has remained virtually unchallenged for hundreds of years, the brownies have grown obese, being fed chunks of bread and delicious "garbage" by their human servants.

This empire is quickly being challenged though. The enemy: Black Squirrels.

Enemy:

These "Blackies", as they like to be called, are a well-organized group of super soldier bent on world domination. They have already overrun Battle Creek, driving the lazy Brownies out. Their next territory is to be East Lansing. I for one welcome our new squirrel overlords. A fresh supply of walnuts shall be delivered on my doorstep each day.

No but seriously guys. I was walking down a path and this fat brown squirrel was just chilling, eating a nut. When a lithe, wiry black squirrel mauled him, stealing the nut. The brown squirrel, seeing that he was going to get his butt kicked, walked away in shame. Not just any shame, but squirrel shame, thats the worst kind.

Pretty soon they will be taking our lunch money and calling us bad names and insulting our father's humble occupation.

Alive in Joburg

2006-08-10T10:58:00.000-04:00

I am a sucker for science fiction. I don't know what it is about it, but I could sit down and read some Ray Bradbury or Star Wars books for hours on end.

They recently announced that Neill Blomkamp was chosen to direct the Halo movie. I found one of his short films on Youtube that I wanted to share with you because it is really really sweet. There is a higher def version of it on google video. It's called Alive in Joburg

Some skin-deep judgement

2006-08-04T00:24:00.000-04:00

So I absolutely love my church, but a little while ago I became frustrated because they are building additions to make it larger. My biggest problem with Riverview is that it is so big. I have only had a conversation with one of the pastors, and that was for like 5 minutes, and he recently moved. My problem isn't a lack of spiritual guidance, it's the impersonal feel of going to a church where the leader of the church has no idea who you are.

I hate the megachurch feel. Maybe it's the whole being raised Catholic thing working in me, but the church and commercial America are not something I like to see together. I feel like Riverview does a good job of keeping those seperated, but sometimes I get worried about the future, when we get too large.

I was reading Slice of Laodicea, a website that staunchly hates the emergent church for various reasons. Mostly it just reminds me of my Grandma talking about "kids these days" and how bad they are, but sometimes they make a valid point. As they started discussing this New York Times article about megachurches, I began to think this was one of those times.

By the end of the article, I felt a little ashamed of myself.

I know it's like, an 11 page article, but take the time to read it. One of the biblical ideas that has stuck with me is the phrase "I see them as trees, walking about." The explanation of that statement is worth a blog of its own, but basically it means: I look at the outside, I see things as to how they relate to me, without looking deeper into the person/thing. This is a perfect example of that. I see megachurches and I see a giant self help seminar. Maybe a little Jesus talk thrown in here and there. And at the beginning of the article, that's what it sounds like. It sounds impersonal and soft. It is a corporation, serving the customer. But beyond that, we get to see the real church, a place where small groups can meet and form a community of Christ-lovers. A pastor who is light on guilt and heavy on love. The thing that struck me the most out of the article was this line. "It's a fitting motto for Radiant, where love invariablly trumps judgment."

I know that is the part that really pissed Slice of Laodicea off about this church. There was a feel like no matter who you were, no matter how crappy of a sinner you were, you are still going to be loved. A pastor who is light on guilt and heavy on love. Hmmmm... who in the history of the world was like that. Oh yeah, it was Christ, that guy we are trying to be like. They describe it as softening the message of the church for the masses. Is that a dirty thing. If guilt and fear really worked to create true believers, and not just believers who are frightened into accepting it, then I would dump this whole God is love thing and go all Jonathan Edwards on everybody, all like, "The bow of God's wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood" But that's not God.

The real reason I am frustrated by the growth of my church is because I am selfish. I want it to be small and personable. I don't need that. I have a small and personable community in Young Life, one led by an amazing pastor, James Granger. Plus, it is stupid of me to be scared about Riverview becoming commercial. The pastors are too smart and too God-loving to let that happen. I feel like I can trust their vision for the church completely.

What do you think about the whole megachurch thing?

Man... Zombies

2006-07-31T00:19:00.000-04:00

So a lot of times I go onto Blogger intending to write a blog about something important or real. But instead I get distracted and post about something random, like jackalopes or something. Not to say zombies aren't important though. Because I mean, they are the living dead.

But I digress.....

So there is a game called Dead Rising coming out for Xbox 360. It is THE game for the 360. I mean there are some ok games for the system, but nothing has me sold like Dead Rising. If I had 350 bucks I would be there, but unfortunately I don't. Anyways, if you can handle a little virtual gore, watch this video and tell me it doesn't look sweet.

But that led me to watch some other videos, one which had Richard Cheese's cover of Down with the Sickness. Richard Cheese is a lounge singer who covers ridiculous songs like Milkshake or Like a Virgin. It's hilarious. I suggest you go on itunes and buy some of his stuff or something, your life will never be the same.

Here is a preview, just so you can laugh. Watch out, there is some poor language in it.

Feel free to snap along.

Actually to give you a better feel of what I love about both these things, watch this video. Once again, pardon the language/exploding zombie brains.

Or maybe a Jackalope...

2006-07-21T08:53:00.000-04:00

So I was driving down Okemos rd on my way to work today when I saw something hopping in some weeds on the side of the road. Usually when I see furry brown things hopping I assume that it is a bunny. Going off this assumption I continue to drive down the road at 60, because I mean, honestly, even if the rabbit decide to jump out in front of me, I would just demolish it with my front tire.

It was a poor assumption.

Turns out the weeds were really like 2 foot tall grass, and the rabbit was really a small deer, some might say a fawn. Those people are stupid because I don't like that word. So anyways the small/potentially baby deer jumps out in front of me and I slam on my breaks. I have prepared graphic formula to demonstrate this event.

No, just kidding I didn't hit the baby deer, but I was about 3 feet from it. Stupid deer, he could take a lesson from Frogger.

So anyways, something in my trunk made a gross smashing noise though, but I haven't gotten around to checking that out yet, so yeah.

The True Litmus Test is the Quantity of Comic Books and Videogames Owned

2006-07-20T13:15:00.000-04:00

So Katie Burley took this test to see how nerdy she truly was. Suprisingly she was a pretty big nerd. So I go into it thinking. Well, I just bought three comic books off of eBay and had an in depth conversation with a kid about the mechanics of puzzle videogames, I bet I get a really high score.

Guess again.

I am not really sure if I should be happy that I am apparantely only lightly nerdy, or if I should be sad, because being a nerd is a part of my identity.

I am going to go ahead and declare that the test was flawed.

That or I will just beat up Katie and take her lunch money. I will let the commenters decide.

Take a Vote!!

So here is what I have been doing...

2006-07-20T10:33:00.000-04:00

It has been centuries since I posted a real blog. I would like to give two excuses

1. My head hurts.
So apparently I probably did not actually break my nose (this is a fact that is still debatable, man that is a weird spelling word). When they X-Rayed it they found that I had a major sinus infection in each nostril, which is random and I'm lucky they found it because they weren't looking for it. The reason it's debatable whether its broken is the fact that it happened at exactly the same time as I got hit, so that is a random coincidence*. But anyways the medication hasn't helped and I have had a brain freeze headache for four weeks and even if the medicine does work, it won't happen for another two weeks. That's a long time for a headache

2. I have been away.
I was at camp babysitting the Grangers, then I went up to Torch Lake to visit my Grandparents, then I went to camp a couple of days later, then the next day I went to Chicago. It was a little intense

3. I am lazy.
Enough said.

So instead of writing a blog that is a blog, I'm going to write a blog about why I haven't written any blogs.

What have you been doing instead of blogging? I want to know.

*There are no such thing as a coincidence

Instead of writing informative Blogs about my life and thoughts, this is what I have been doing

2006-07-20T03:28:00.000-04:00

Yup... Mario is bout to lay down

I just the other day got, an internet was sent by my staff at 10 o'clock in the morning on Friday and I just got it yesterday.

2006-07-04T02:53:00.000-04:00

I have had a crazy couple of weeks, and they continue to get crazier. I have some real stuff to blog about, but instead of doing that right now I'm throwing this out there.

I don't usually like to go into politics, but this was too depressing/funny to pass up. The Senate recently shot down a Net Neutrality bill that would make the internet free for everybody or something, I am not really sure. Basically it would do good things for lots of people. What is really frustrating is the lack of basic knowledge that the Senators actually had about the internet.

Quote from http://www.williamgibsonbooks.com/blog/blog.asp

Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), after voting against the Net Neutrality amendment, struggles toward a crucial conceptualization:

There's one company now you can sign up and you can get a movie delivered to your house daily by delivery service. Okay. And currently it comes to your house, it gets put in the mail box when you get home and you change your order but you pay for that, right.

But this service isn't going to go through the interenet and what you do is you just go to a place on the internet and you order your movie and guess what you can order ten of them delivered to you and the delivery charge is free.

Ten of them streaming across that internet and what happens to your own personal internet?

I just the other day got, an internet was sent by my staff at 10 o'clock in the morning on Friday and I just got it yesterday. Why?

Because it got tangled up with all these things going on the internet commercially.

So you want to talk about the consumer? Let's talk about you and me. We use this internet to communicate and we aren't using it for commercial purposes.

We aren't earning anything by going on that internet. Now I'm not saying you have to or you want to discrimnate against those people [...]

The regulatory approach is wrong. Your approach is regulatory in the sense that it says "No one can charge anyone for massively invading this world of the internet". No, I'm not finished. I want people to understand my position, I'm not going to take a lot of time. [?]

They want to deliver vast amounts of information over the internet. And again, the internet is not something you just dump something on. It's not a truck.

It's a series of tubes.

And if you don't understand those tubes can be filled and if they are filled, when you put your message in, it gets in line and its going to be delayed by anyone that puts into that tube enormous amounts of material, enormous amounts of material.

Now we have a separate Department of Defense internet now, did you know that?

Do you know why?

Because they have to have theirs delivered immediately. They can't afford getting delayed by other people.

So the internet is like plumbing. If we shove too much hair/emails into the pipes, they get clogged up.... oh wait, no that is not what the internet is like. The really scary thing about this to me is that it just shows that he did absolutely no research before voting on this bill. It's not like information on how the internet works is difficult to find.

It reminds me of the Senate Commission on Videogames where the Senator remarked "I myself am a gamer" and then bragged about his Pong skills, which would be the equivalent of me calling myself a nuclear physicist because I drove past a nuclear power plant. You are just scratching the surface there man. Pong was invented 40 years ago.

I wish we could cut their pay. They obviously aren't making good use of the money we give them.

Feel Free to Call Me a Sissy

2006-06-27T01:33:00.000-04:00

I sometimes wonder if I go to heaven, will I just cry all the time, or at some point will I get over it and not cry.

Truth and Love always kinda make me tear up, and when other people cry I guess too. I am not really sure why Truth and Love give me this reaction, but I do know that not necessarily is it a bad thing. I mean sometimes crying can be good and sometimes it can be bad and I think this is an example of good crying.

I have been hearing a lot of Truth and seeing a lot of Love lately, so that is why I have been thinking about it. I teared up while listening to the special music lady sing and play tonight at club. I teared up when I read the comments on Mark's latest blog post, because it was such an obvious and amazing picture of Love and the way God wants us to respond to each other relationally. I cry every time I give my testimony and I tear up/cry every time I hear someone else give me their testimony.

I like it. I don't like crying during my testimony because it can disturb my ability to tell the story, but besides that I like it. I cry because I am happy, because when I see Truth and when I see real Love, the kind of Love that only God can make, I feel happy and alive and complete.

My dad challenged me the other day about the basic idea of testimony's. He said he disagrees is is honestly scared by the push to make it seem like something was wrong, something was bad before they found God (I think he said "religion") and then when they did, everything was right. I am scared by that push too, because I think sometimes there is pressure to make it seem like accepting Christ magically solved every problem you had. It scares me because it is filled with the opposite of Truth. I still have problems, just as many as I had before

But, the often misused/abused idea of Christ filling a whole in us that is often talked about in testimonys is as Jacob Koone would say "so so sooo" true. It is why I cry. I have loved in an earthly way (even if it was only for a year and a half) and that love pales in comparison to the few tiny glimpses of God's amazing, infinite love that I have seen. It is like comparing a mini-Maglite to the sun. I have heard truth. I have heard how to live my life and how to be fulfilled. I have heard many things that make sense, that are logical, that seem like truth. But none of them FEEL like truth the same way that God's Truth feels. I can't explain all/much of God's Truth to you. I have no clue why God would destroy the Earth in a flood and then turn around and make a covenant to never to it again. I have no clue why he doesn't just shout from the clouds in a way that it is clear he is talking, even to people with their iPod earbuds jammed into their ears. I can't explain anything away, all I can say is that when remember God's love from the moment I first felt it, I cry, like I am right now. And when I look into the darkness of the night, I don't feel alone. And when I see how loving someone else can change everything about their life, I stop hoping to be rescued by logic. I have my rescue. God isn't logical. Love and Truth aren't logical.

There is no magical words to make your problems go away. Praying the prayer won't fix everything that is wrong in your life. Nothing I have said will relieve the difficulties of life. But trusting in Love and real Truth, now that is something that will bring tears of comfort. My dad was so so sooo right, but so so soooo wrong. I love him.

P.S. Apparently hanging out with 5 year olds has brought my writing and grammar skills back down to around a 5 year olds. Sorry if it just doesn't sound good, hopefully the ideas were communicated. I reread it and it doesn't sound how I talk. I don't like that, but oh well.

I have to insert this picture in order to make it my profile picture

2006-06-26T00:48:00.000-04:00

On Jesus and Dinosaurs

Some thoughts on patience

Quitting is an option, kinda

Space Janitor

These Things That I Say pt. 1

Deep Thoughts

No really guys, I am 22

Sponsored Links

Man, Noel's Chart Looks So Much Cooler

Klenginem

Mr. Kelsey

Resurrection!

BA-K-47

JWB: 1865's Sexiest Man Alive

Shoe-phile

Ha

Australiaaaaaa

On Cookies and Germs

D-Day

Computer

Blogging

Best Invention Ever?

Nerd King

Leader Weekend

The Dark Knight

J. Morgan Sweeney

Secrets Secrets Are No Fun, Secrets Secrets Hurt Someone

Testimonys or is it Testimonies?

Burnout

The Reason Why I Never Want to Swim Again

Are you impressed behind my ear, lookin' Aquafina clear

Polska

Everything on Blogger is in Polish right now...

"Twoje obrazy są przekazywane do Bloggera"

Postity Post

Holy Copyright Violation, Batman!

The Truth is Funny Sometimes

Wanting to Want pt. 1

Super Bowl!

I Think There Was Cream Cheese In It...

Word to your Mother

I just love Johnny Cash

Class

MyFace Week 4

Greatest Invention Ever....period

MyFace Week 3

Best Picture Ever

Mark is Amazing!

myFace Week 2

Silver Freaking Surfer

myFace Week 1

Meet Willis

Words I Am Never Sure How to Spell

I Wish It Were True....

58 Minutes About Tetris?

I think I Can Do That

Me Too David, Me too.....

Following a link Trail

But Isn't Pandora supposed to be responsible for all the bad stuff?

This is why Wyldlife is so important.

Woot!

Thanks

Things Are Looking Up

The Parable of the Lost Son

Jesus is Cool, but Some of His Followers Give Me the Creeps

Geeked Out.

Gesundheit!

November 19, 2006. A Date That Will Live in Infamy.

It Has Been Confirmed

Oh Snap

Meaningless, Meaningless. Utterly Meaningless

Oh Powerbook, how you have failed me.

Good Riddance

Naphtali

Does this Convict You?

Hey

Is This Right?

The Word Prick Contains Meaning

Do I Like to Quarrel or Do I Just Like The Word?

He Truly Was a Mighty Hunter