Things I Don't Understand But Find Fascinating...

This video was in the status bar of my friend Bridger Fetters on Facebook. I don't get it, but I love it! Thanks, Bridger, for sharing.

Thankfulness

This year for Thanksgiving, I got to experience what true thankfulness is. I couldn't afford to go home for Thanksgiving since it was about a week before I leave PRIME. I wasn't really sure what was going to happen for Thanksgiving, so I was kinda just playing it by ear. I hadn't really made any plans. About a week before the holiday, I found out that my mentor, boss, and friend, Mark Forstrom, was heading to Rockford for the holiday. So, I decided to call Jessica's family. She wasn't going to be able to make it home for Thanksgiving, so I wasn't totally sure about coming to her house. I decided that it would be better than staying in Cedar Rapids alone, so I hitched a ride with the Forstroms.

After enjoying a delightful drive from Brenda, we got to Rockford, where we met Jessica's parents. They took me back to the house, and it's been a great time since then. I've gotten to spend time with her family. Her grandparents have been staying in the basement, and we had Thanksgiving dinner at her uncle's house. It's been great to hang out with my future family extension. Would it have been better if Jess could have been here? Yes. Am I thankful I came? Most definitely.

Thank you, Palmer family, for making my Thanksgiving a great one!

Catching Up

I haven't posted on Searching For God Knows What for a while now. Since it's been six chapters, I'll do a quick update on the main points from each chapter:

9. Jesus didn't buy into our system of hierarchy. Why do we try to make him fit it now?

10. The Gospel of Jesus is more than a tool to fight evolution and "bad people."

11. The way we determine our value among ourselves is absurd. The Fall has made monkeys of us.

12. Morality isn't a code. It's a response of love to God.

13. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 1 Cor. 2:2 Why do we try to make our theological knowledge our "importance factor?"

14. Romeo and Juliet is a better description of the Gospel than the Roman Road.

Blazin' Glory

So today Mark Forstrom and I took on the Blazin' Challenge at Buffalo Wild Wings. It didn't quite turn out the way we expected it to. Originally, we had thought that it was a challenge to eat 12 wings coated in Blazin' sauce in a matter of 6 minutes. That's pretty reasonable...

Think again! Apparently, BW3 of Iowa decided to change the rules a little bit. Instead of 12, we were faced with 18. The time wasn't 6 minutes; it was now 5! Off we went. Mark and I were going great until the end. I hit the wall. Too much chicken! I didn't barf, but I slowed down considerably. When it came down to it, I only managed to eat 17 in 5 minutes. The last wing stared up from the pool of sauce and grease collecting at the bottom of the bowl with a menacing look. Mark had completed the challenge; but, alas, I was not up to it. Now, we're both suffering from heartburn...

That is the end of my story.

Hope

I recently saw a few yard signs supporting Democratic candidate Barack Obama. Although I like to adhere to no political party and vote for the candidate I feel upholds my values the most, I can't help but notice Senator Obama's campaign. It's been largely targeting young adults (an age bracket known for its absence at the voting booths). However, the campaign ad to the left struck me in a profound way.

What exactly is Senator Obama trying to say by these ads targeting for hope? It would seem to me that he is trying to strike a chord with many Americans who have lost hope. What hope is it that he is trying to re-establish? I just find it interesting that his recent campaign ads have all been addressing the ideas of hope and changing the world. Can a president really promise two things as large as hope and world change? Is it really the place of a president or a country (which can't really even agree on much within itself) to bring hope and change to the world? What happened to the hope we find in Christ? Has this hope suddenly become insufficient?

I've not looked too deeply into presidential candidates this year. Part of me wants to vote Democrat (with the exception of Hilary) partially out of rebellion to my father who is uber-conservative. Another part of me sees what a terrible mess everything has become as of late and wants to see change. But I don't think a president can bring the change I'm looking for. I'm sorry, Senator Obama, but you can't give me the hope I desire. The only way the change I'm looking for can come about is if the church gets out of the lifeboat and starts doing something together in the name of Christ to change the world the way the early church did it: with truth and love. The two go together hand-in-hand. You can't have one without the other. Both are insufficient to bring what Senator Obama and many others are looking for; together, they can do even more.

God's Heroes

This is a note written on Facebook by my good friend Jacob Lehmann. I thought I'd just share it with you guys:


"The batter steps up to the plate, warms up his muscles with a few practice swings, and prepares for the coming pitch. The pitcher winds up and sends the hurtling white blur toward the waiting catcher's mitt. The bat cracks, the ball soars out of the infield, over the outfield's fence, and into the stands. This batter is a splendid athlete, and many of those who sit in the stands have come in hopes of catching that home-run ball. The focus of this note, however, is not upon the athlete himself, but upon how the crowds of adoring fans are acting. Why are they acting this way? Why does this particular athlete deserve such adoration? He is special. He stands apart from the rest, because he has done great things and has devoted himself tirelessly to the sport that is his profession. People admire his achievements and his talent, both of which result from God's goodness. It is right that they admire him, and it is right that they make a big deal of him. It is part of who we are as human beings to admire beauty and excellence. We find the pinnacle of that in God; we shouldn't neglect honor of those who possess special talents or have achieved great things.
Tomorrow is Halloween. The term is derived from a contraction of the Catholic/Anglican/Lutheran holy day of All Hallows Evening. This is a special day which honors those who have gone before us in the faith, have sacrificed all for the cause of Christ and His Kingdom, and have proven themselves exceptionally selfless. God has made them holy and called them to serve Him; they answered the call and served him with a steadfast heart, though still imperfect. Upon attending one of these Masses, one might perceive the liturgy as idolatry. However, this is not the case. These people are no longer walking in the flesh, so we can't give them a pat on the back or tell them that they did well. They are currently in Heaven, worshiping the Lord day and night before His throne and, some believe, praying for those still struggling to serve God. Instead of patting them on the back, we celebrate a service and tell them through a certain type of prayer. This is not worship. It is much like cheering for an athlete. These "athletes", however, are not here bodily. This note could go on forever, so I will end here.

Just because the person dies, doesn't mean that his flame of influence has to die out..."

Friends Purge and Being Important

I realize I write long entries on this blog. Perhaps that's why no one leaves many comments. Or they just don't like me enough. Oh well!

I just got done with chapters 7 & 8 in Searching for God Know What. They were incredible chapters. To make it short, Miller says that the problem with humanity is that our focus is out of whack. We are looking to each other for our validity instead of to God. Before the Fall, God was our source of importance and validity. Now, we try to get it from each other. It goes right along with wanting to be our own god.

Basically, he likens the human state to the lifeboat analogy. Apart from God, we're all on a lifeboat deciding who should be thrown from our vessel. Our worth comes from a jury of our peers, and the sentence for not measuring up is drowning in the ocean of life. This is something I see on Facebook all the time (unlike Tye, my name is Facebook appropriate). Even in my own life, I try to validate my existence by accruing more friends on the social networking site. Recently, I had had enough. I went through my list of friends and got rid of about 300 people. They were people from my past with whom I have no communication. I was awakened to the fact that the only reason I have them as a friend was to say that I had 500+ friends, or in the hopes that they would see my profile and see what a remarkable individual I was.

The point of the matter is that we should be seeking to have our validity come from God. The two most important people in my life, God and Jessica, both validate me. I can stand being important to only two people. Can you?