Feline Fixation

Many celebs call the Emerald City home. Bill Gates, Dave Matthews, (flashes of) Quincy Jones, Apolo Ohno and Sir Mix-a-lot just to name a few. Eight of my friends and I recently stayed a weekend in the coffee capitol of the world (soon to be renamed “the Subway capitol of the world”), to take in the sights, experience the weather, and enjoy what the greatest city in the greatest region of the U.S. has to offer.

Fortunately, our friend Abby has a cousin, who is married, who has grandparents, who have a condo overlooking the Puget Sound and the Seattle skyline. Upon arriving and opening the door though, you would have thought we had opened the door to Angela Martin’s condo.

Need help remembering the Levitical Laws?

http://vimeo.com/4406566

Scorpions & Spiritual Lessons

I lost a competition during spring break. It took approximately 32 minutes to drive from Carl's Jr. in Maricopa to the Williams house in Phoenix. I guessed 37, Jessica guessed 35 (I think), and Lindsay guessed 33. According to one source, the odds of a woman having sextuplets without the use of fertility drugs is 1 in 4.7 billion. The odds are similar for Lindsay beating me in a competition, and yet, it happened. The wager: a ticket to a spring training game the next day.

The next day, after 4 tries, we found no success in watching a spring training game; they were all sold out. So...I am off the hook. While Lindsay tried to finagle some money from me, no money was exchanged and no tickets either. Shortly after, while grabbing milkshakes at QT, I did make her a bet: She couldn't go 2 hours without talking about me, or to me. Megan witnessed our binding agreement and we shook on it. About 2.7 seconds later, Lindsay began talking to me, and I was $5 richer - or I should have been, but she never paid.

However, 2 weeks later I received a medium sized package in the mail, filled with packing paper. Taped to the bottom - a $5 monopoly bill. Touche Lindsay, touche.

Phew...Now that you know the background, let me tell you about one of the best spiritual lessons ever. I'm not sure where it came from, but one day, it just popped into my head. How could I send a unique part of Arizona to Texas AND simultaneously do as Colossians 3:16 says, and "teach and admonish one another with all wisdom..."? Here's how. Enjoy the pictures, look up the reference and remember how much your Heavenly Father loves you!

Step 1: Capture a gift from Arizona.

Step 2: Prepare spiritual lesson.

Step 3: Mail package to Lubbock.

Can't Find a Date - Have You Looked Here?

Consider a new local hang out open in every major city - the Christian Inspiration section at Barnes & Noble.

Have you kissed dating goodbye? You may want to reconsider now that virtually every book in those two rows can be used as a conversation starter.

Want to meet a girl's who is not afraid to reconsider long held orthodox beliefs and do something unpopular with the Evangelical world? Pick "Love Wins" by Rob Bell and see who walks over. The conversation may go something like this:
HER: Oh is that the new book about heaven, hell, universalism, and God's victorious love? Doesn't it seem like he's gone too far and alienated many evangelicals?
YOU: Why yes it is, and yes it seems he has. Would you like to make an unexpected and well, unorthodox decision and join me for dinner tonight? I have a 15% off coupon for Boston Market that expires in a week and was hoping to use it.

Or perhaps you just want to cut to the chase and make a clear statement to a guy. Give "Lady in Waiting - Becoming God's Best While Waiting for Mr. Right" a go.

HIM: Is that book about the long lines in woman's restrooms?
YOU: Oh haha [twirling your hair]. No, actually it's about waiting for Mr. Right and becoming Ms. Right in the meantime. What's your last name by the way?

Okay, let's say none of those work or that's not your cup-of-tea. You'd rather meet someone entirely contradictory and illogical. Grab "100 Ways to Simplify Your Life" off the shelf and see who pops in to your life.
THEM: Hi, I've been watching you from the "Spirituality" section, errr, I mean I just walked up. What book is that?
YOU: Oh it's a book about simplicity. Apparently a simple life is achievable once you do away with everything and practice these 100 principles. Wait, what's that in your hand?
THEM: It's "A Piece of My Mind" by Charlie Sheen.
YOU: Marry Me?

Good luck out there!

Some Old, New Music

At one time, hymns were the melodies that slowly drifted me into a comatose state for the Sunday sermon, and then revived me when it was over. The repetitive melodies and seemingly endless amount of verses were enough to cause me disdain for hymns, concluding in my childhood and teenage years that they were boring and used grammar I had never heard of (which is not saying much). However, I have now come to find a new love for ancient hymns that have been redone. Below are a few sites and groups whom are devoted to arranging new music to all-but-forgotten hymn texts. I've included a few song examples under the groups.

Red Mountain Music

It is Finished, Pt. 2
O Come All Ye Faithful

Indelible Grace

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go

Dennis

On our first night in New Orleans [Monday] we visited the New Orleans Rescue Mission. For $5 a night, a person can get a bed, a meal, and a shower. Part of staying at the Mission is attending evening service. On Monday night we (Living Water) were the evening service. As we do typically when we arrive, we began meeting and talking with some of the residents. I sat down and began a conversation with a man named Dennis. After some small talk about what we should experience in New Orleans, Dennis mentioned that he used to work off-shore on a boat. He then proceeded to tell me how he went from employed and married to unemployed with no family.

He said to me, “I don’t know what it is but I know that God is mad at me.” When I asked why he thought so, he began to tell me his story. On a car ride some months back, Dennis’ wife and parents were killed in a car wreck. In one night he lost all three. After that, he began to drink and that lead to the eventual loss of his job, which led to his homelessness. “So I’ve got anger towards God. When I see Him I’ve got a bone to pick with Him. I told that to one preacher and he said ‘oh man you don’t want to fight with God, He’ll win.’ I said I know but I still need to take some things up with Him.”

Dennis, as many would, was having a hard time understanding why the sudden death of his family occurred, and why to him. At this point, he believed it was because God was mad at him.

Soon our worship program began so we stopped talking, but I scribbled down a the following passages for Dennis to hand to him at the end of the service. I mentioned that he might feel like he has a few things in common with Job. And so we left the Rescue Mission.

• Job 1-3 & 40-42

• Matthew 5:45

This picture was taken Thursday afternoon. We had a cancellation at a detention center so we went to a homeless outreach where the serve lunch. I was one of the last to walk in and I saw Dennis and Greg Dreas (on of our leaders) speaking. Dennis and Greg had prayed at the mission for a job and room to stay in. Turns out that Dennis was offered a position by a man who owned several rental properties, which Dennis was to do handyman work. He also found a affordable room to rent nearby. Next Dennis said that he had read those verses and they really helped. He is already seeing his anger towards God leave and is recognizing that God provides when we ask Him. It was a highlight of our trip, seeing a man who was mad at God on Monday, and now on Thursday, is giving Him thanks for providing for him and realizing that God did not cause his family to die to send him a message.

Sunrise Snowboarding

Here are a few pictures and a video from a recent trip some friends and I took up to the mountains. Enjoy!


"Shred the Gnar" video