My New Car…

is a 1989 Oldsmobile 98. With over 215,000 miles on it, and all kinds of “extras”, it’s like driving a lazy boy on wheels. It’s a pretty sweet car. The best part is that I got it for free!  A family back in C-burg was wanting to give it to someone who needed one, and it worked out.  Very giving family.  Amanda and I were just driving around in one car, so it is certainly nice to have a second again.

My blogging patterns were a little different last week due to a crazy schedule. I can’t really figure out what’s going on, I try to organize my schedule and it’s still crazy.  I’m sure that it will even out eventually.

I am grateful for my car though.  It’s a huge blessing, and cool to see how God provides.

How has God provided for you lately?

-A

Busy Week

It’s been a busy week, here’s what’s happened:

-I got a second job

-I got a new (old) car (I blog about this more later)

-I had a lot of meetings at work

-I’m playing this weekend at church

-I’m looking forward to a day off on Monday!

I’ll blog again soon.

How was your week?

-A

We Heart Volunteers

Yes, we love them. They are the reason that LCBC is the way it is, as David said this past weekend. So last night the Young Adult team had a huge thank you party for our volunteers. It was great, we had some great food, good music, and a great time hanging out afterwards playing some games.

One of those games was Mario Kart Wii and Wii Sports on a huge (I mean HUGE) screen. I was “testing” it earlier in the day, to make sure everything worked, and the screen was so big, that when I was playing Mario Kart I could feel the movement in my stomach, like when I was going over hills. Crazy!

Well, below is a picture of some of our young adults playing tennis. Just our little way of saying a BIG thank you.

Thank YOU!

So, how do you feel appreciated?

-A

Currently Reading

So right now I’m reading two books:

The first is called “The Provocative Church” by Graham Tomlin.  This is a good book discussing the changes in evangelical culture and the history of which it comes from.  Has some good insights for some discussion I am currently having at my job.

The second book I am reading is called “Jesus for President”.  This is by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw.  I’m just one section into the book so far and it has given a great history of Israel and how they were a community that was supposed to be set apart for God by their laws and structure of government.  It will be interesting to see where the authors take this and see how it applies to believers today.  I’m hoping it helps me understand my role (as a Christ follower) in politics more.

I’m currently listening to a song written by my broseph called “Trusting and Waiting”.  Pretty cool song, and sounds good with basic instrumentation from Garage Band.  Go here to listen to it.

What are you reading?

-A

Used Car Parts and Optimus Prime

A work of beauty, if only it actually ran. If only he had the ‘all-spark‘…

check out this link

-A

Slowly Seeing the Lion

So, I have been rereading Prince Caspian this week.  I read it when I was in middle school when I was going through the whole Chronicles of Narnia.  (Chronic-WHAT-cles of Narnia)  Sorry, SNL flashback.  Anyways, I just read it in about 3 or 4 days, it probably took me a lot longer when I was little.

I was nearing the end when the 4 original kings and queens of Narnia encounter Aslan for the first time since being back in Narnia.  It was interesting how the youngest, Lucy, saw him before anyone else.  Slowly one by one, everyone else started to notice him and see him.  First his shadow, then his whole body.

Now being a few years down the road in my journey or faith, reading this made me chuckle a little bit.  Sometimes I wonder what I would have done in faith as a child.  Sometimes, now, I feel more like a child in my faith than ever.  I’m finding myself following something I can’t see.  Time and time again, I think I see a shadow, and things are kinda making sense.

But I may never see the picture fully here in this lifetime, but I think I’m slowly seeing the Lion.

-A

P.S. – that’s not me in the picture with Aslan, that’s Lucy.  I didn’t want you to think I looked like a girl…

Better than Yesterday

Today was a beautiful day.  Just what I needed, some sun!

Also a day where I continue to learn a lot about myself.

I got the new Death Cab for Cutie album today call “Narrow Stairs” – Great Album!  Check it out.

What did you learn about yourself today?

-A

One of those days

Today was one of those days where it was seriously one long meeting at work. It was a good meeting. But the combination of using my brain really hard for 9 hours and the lack of sun outside made me spent!

That ’s my tired face.

How was your day?

-A

To hug or not to hug…

…. or A-frame hug, side hug, or extension ladder hug. These of course, are different kinds of hugs that are out there. Tonight at our sweet life group we talked about the love language of physical touch. We have been going through a series hitting on the 5 different love languages.

Anyways, we were talking about the difficulty of this love language. The reason being, our society relates touch to sex, so for me to hug anyone other than my wife or family could seem like something else. The interesting thing is that multiple people in our group are in some kind of vocational ministry. This means that there are more boundaries in place, like I can’t ride alone with someone in a car of the opposite sex by myself.

We discussed the implications of this, and the good. It’s certainly a way to stop anything from ever happening (ex: some kind of inappropriate relationship starting), but at what point do our boundaries we set for ourselves effect the way we relate to people? Becoming a society of people who distance themselves from one another and who do not understand (or have not experienced) healthy touch, hugs, gifts, words of affirmation.

So what do you think? Do you like to give hugs?

-A

p.s. – make sure to give your mom a hug today!

The Checkerd Flag

Mario Kart Wii has been taking my time up lately. I’m finding that I am a very competitive person. Mainly because when I lose, and I start saying words I shouldn’t, Amanda gives me this look like, “it’s only a game”. I’m thinking, “I know, but I want to win!!!”.

Sometimes I also have to learn when to put the wheel down and do something productive with my life too. But on a day like today, when I have off, and it’s rainy out, there’s nothing like being Yoshi or Baby Peach and tearing up on the track!

So do you have a Wii? Do you have Mario Kart? Want to race?

See you on the track!

-A