Ho Humm...

I began thinking this morning about a "New Year's Resolution" and thought, what could I do? But then I remembered that whatever I decide I am going to do or do better in '06, I would end up doing for three weeks or so, and then slacking back off. So I have decided to not make a New Year's Resolution. In fact, I think it is resolution that makes life boring. So perhaps I am headed into a new year with less of a vision for what it is going to look like. But thats okay because I am the type who likes to see everything plotted out on a map. Goodbye to '05, and hello to '06, whatever you may bring me!

Exciting day today!

I got a call from Bobbi Ulm, the Human Resources Director at Northwoods Community Church. I have recently interviewed for a position working with college aged students and young adults, as well as doing some administative work for their director of young adults, Charlie Dean. They offered me the position today and I accepted it! This is awesome because I get to work with someone I respect both personally and professionally And I get to work with people roughly my age. This is definitely an exciting day!

More on Grace

So I'm still reading this book by Brennan Manning called The Raggamuffin Gospel and I was profoundly struck today by the power of nature in the process of grace. Nature has a way to change, and a way to refresh. I was driving today after doing some reading and I saw some trees that looked so beautiful. They were covered with snow on the tops, and there were about 200 of them in a line. Now, I don't usually notice things like this, but I think that nature plays a large role in grace. It has a way of pointing us to God, if we look for it. Actually, I think God is always looking to speak to us through nature and poor out His grace, but we usually fail to see it.

I had an interview today. I hope that I get the job. It would be a terrific job, not only as a resume builder, but as a time when I can learn a lot. Fingers crossed!

Semester Break

Boy oh boy, am I glad to be on semester break. I have to say, taking 18 hours was probably not the best idea. Considering I was PLANNING on taking three more semesters to finish my remaining 39 hours I have left as of today...but interesting thing happened today.....

I received my current up-to-date transcripts from Moody, and I only have 37 hours to complete. So I started thinking...I could finish school in two more semesters!!!

I just have to take one summer class and one winter class and then 16 hours each of the next two semesters, and then I'll be done!!!!! Yippy!!!!!!!!!

This is actually possible to do too! I am excited. Good good good.

Grace

Okay, so I a reading The Raggamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning. This is a book about God's grace and Jesus' character as a human, as well as God. In Manning's book, he quotes an author by the name of Burkhardt. He writes:

"I fear for the lawyer whose only life is corporate tax, the doctor whose whole existance is someone else's prostate, the business executive whose single responsibility is to his stockholders, the athlete who puts all his eggs in an 18-inch basket, the theologian who thinks the world can be saved by theology...A closed mind kills marriages and human relations; it deadens feelings and sensitivities; it makes for a church that lives in a thousand and one tunnels with no communication and no exit."

Unfortunately, this is what "church" has come to. I am included here. Everyone is killing themselves in order to be at the top of whatever they are doing. This can be healthy. In fact, there is great reward in being a terrific doctor, or an amazing basketball star...but in Heaven, no one is going to ask what you did on Earth as a vocation. The question is going to sound something like; Were you as accepting of grace as you could have been? And, what did you do to help others resound in God's grace. I miss the bus daily. I miss the beautiful grace of God because I choose to not accept it. Sure, I have accepted it once and for all, but there is more to life than praying a prayer and going about your business. I am not comfortable with a luke-warm acceptance of grace. I want more...I want the kind of grace that is...redeeming. The kind of grace that offers a sense of holiness. The irony of all this is that God offers that to me repeatedly, and only sometimes to do I accept it. Other times I choose to push God away for something I think is better, or more entertaining. The coolest part about all of this is that God isn't deterred by human weakness. God isn't stopped by human inequality. God pursues us where we are, and if we don't budge, he pushes even harder. I tell you the truth...God must be pushing really hard to reach me each and every day...and He loves me enough to continue to push

Chronicles of Narnia

Okay, here are my thoughts on this ever-so-hyped movie:

I think that overall it was okay. I have not read the books about Narnia, or book, or whatever (please forgive my ignorance here).

The story was good, albeit a bit slow... slow enough at times to put a friend of mine asleep for most of the movie.

The characters in the movie seemed to play good roles, they seemed to represent the book well, (thats what I was told).

I think that the graphics kind of sucked. It almost felt as if the story was too good for the movie. I mean, there were only a couple of people in "Narnia" that really seemed to require that much effect.

Overall, I give it a "B". It was a fun time for Bethany and I to get to hang out with a couple of friends and enjoy a decent movie. Though the realization did not meet the hype. (As susal)

"I hope you all get bit by a freakin crocodile"...

So tonight on Survivor, Judd got voted out...thankfully. He is an idiot. As he was leaving, he said, "I hope you all get bit by a freakin crocodile" That was one of the funniest things I've heard in a while. Unfortunately there are not any characters left on the show that make it worth watching...although I do have a strong passion of dis-likeness for Steph...

I had breakfast with a former co-worker today. Someone I worked in ministry with for a while. It was good to catch up. Some interesting thoughts about that:
Pekin is not a white collar city, in fact, to minister in Pekin is to minister in a simple way. Pekin does not have many rich people, so why have a ministry that caters to people who have a lot of money...interesting thoughts...
FBC is not like Northwoods. Northwoods consists primarily of white collar business men and women. It makes perfect sense that the ministry there is very much so catered to that type of person. It seems to me that a lot of churches try to mimick or copy other successful churches. What a mistake. Churches are successful because what they are doing is relevant in their community. It is the job of the church to be as relevant to the community as they possibly can. We should stop wasting time trying to do what other churches have done to be successful, because chances are, it's not going to work!