summer jams '06

this past summer was awesome! we went to Newfoundland for congress, it was kodak moments, a real great time. Nancy and i spent some time with family and friends while we were down there, which is always good for kicks and giggles. our summer assignment in Windsor was amazing. i could not have asked for a better learning experience and place of growth. learning from, and working with, Major Brenda and her team was a treat. God placed us in Windsor and used the summer to teach us a lot about ourselves, Himself, others, and ministry. we also spent some time in Toronto with family and friends which was real cool. other highlights of the summer include going to a Tigers game, taking up golfing, i suck but i love it, being shot into the air, at Cedar Point on this mad drag car racing type roller coaster and so many more it would bore you to read it all.

step up

watching the trailer and previews for this movie i vowed never to see it. i thought it was going to be another cliche filled teen dance movie, boy gets in trouble, meets girl, finds something in life to hold on to and work for. i was right. however, it was fun. pretty faces, elaborate dance sequences and terrible acting, like a two hour music video. but music videos are fun. if you thought it looked terrible, you will probably leave feeling that way. if you like Save The Last Dance and other teen dramas, this is the perfect date movie. i give it 2 "yeah"s out of five.

"you can't handle the truth!"

...that's the well known line from A FEW GOOD MEN, the military/court room drama starring Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson. i think it's true in the Christian/religous world as well. a devotional i read recently drew me to 2 Timothy 4. in it, Paul writes to Timothy about always speaking and teaching the TRUTH, and not just what people want to hear. another portion of scripture that connects with this thought is John 14:6, where Christ says: "I am the way, and the TRUTH, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."(NRSV, emphasis mine). this is crystal clear. truth is not relative, Jesus Christ is truth. this is hard to handle, and even harder to express. i still don't know the right way to say that Jesus Christ is the only truth that matters when it comes to religious issues. this is where it gets tough. lots of people will say Jesus was a great guy, a teacher and a philosopher, but they don't want to accept the fact that He was God and He is the only way to God. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, Jesus Among Other Gods by Ravi Zacharias, and But Don't All Religions Lead to God by Michael Green are books that look into this issue, and these are three that i'm thinking about now. i'm sure there are more. let's take Paul's words to Timothy for us as well: "...be prepared in season and out of season..." to speak and teach truth (2 Timothy 4:2, NIV).

heeerrreee's johnny!!!!

the man in black is back rockin', ipods and cd players that is. American V: A Hundred Highways was released on July 4, 2006. i've been listening to it since. this disc rocks! you need to check it out if you're a music fan, and if you're a johnny cash fan, it's a must own. it contains the last song he ever recorded, "Like the 309," as well as covers of Gordon Lightfoot, Bruce Sprigsteen, Ian Tyson and many others and the traditional "God's Gonna Cut You Down," which is Johnny Cash at his rawest and best. this album is from his final recording sessions before his death in 2003. this may not be the last we hear from him, i mean biggie smalls and tupac still have material released, but it will be among the best music that John has made. Rick Rubin, super music producer who has worked with audioslave, the red hot chili peppers, LL cool j, and the beastie boys, said "...this is the music that Johnny wanted us to hear." Cash and Rubin had been working together since 1994. the American recordings are my favorite of Cash's albulms and among my favorite albulms of all time. buy this cd.

"everybody's working for the weekend"

this past weekend was a blast! it was a long weekend here in Ontario, so that was very cool. we went to Point Pelee National Park on saturday. the very tip of the park is the most southernly point in Canada. we could walk out on it. it was great. Sunday was a great day, great service. great lunch, swiss chalet, and a great dip in a pool. monday was awesome. we went to cedar point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. i went on some stellar rides. i was twisted upside down, slammed against my seat, shot into the air, dropped down, and at one point going 121 miles per hour. it was crazy fun!

following jesus

i've recently read this awesome book FOLLOWING JESUS, by Dave Roberts. it's great, you should definitely check it out. and yesterday this came to mind: in John chapter 5 Jesus heals a man by a pool, and throughout the Gospels He spends time with folk around breakfast, lunch, and supper. i did not heal anyone, but i did have ministry oppurtunities by a pool and over lunch yesterday. i went swimming with the day care kids in the morning and Nancy and i went out to lunch with a couple. these were two great oppurtunities for ministry and getting to know people. now i will try to hang with some tax collectors.

to blog, or not to blog? that is the question.

if you're reading this, it means you know. i've officially jumped on the blogging bandwagon. i admit it. i am now a blogger. i didn't think i would ever do this. but i can't help it. i'm obsessed!!!!! and i blame you, all my friends and people i don't know. i read your blogs, your thoughts, your posts, and now i want to be apart of all the fun and games. so here it is. for better or worse.