Oh … I’m sorry, have you been looking here for me? I’ve been a little busy and things are kinda a mess around here. But I’ll try to catch you up to speed. The last two weeks have been a little nutty and if I seem to be a few screws short that is because they fell off somewhere along the way.
Orientation Week
I got a job working on-call for ATC at Fuller (Audio/Video tech for the campus) I worked three larger events and got to use some random fun stuff that they have. (rear projector screens are interesting) I got to play with the sound gear at First Cong. as well as see what goes into a weekly Travis chapel service when my first job was doing sound for the staff/faculty chapel.
The more and more I hear Dr. Mouw speak the more and more I like him and what he stands for. The man has stories and life experiences that are almost surreal in the grand scheme of things. The man has been everywhere, done more than a few things that are worthy of note, is in conversation with more people than I would be able to count, and at the same time has a sound and firm understanding in his faith. The man has a theology centered on the third verse of hymns, but more than anything he is a storyteller; something I aspire to be in my ministry.
First week o’ School
Classes are going to be a wonderful experience this quarter. I have good friends in every class that I am in, as well as getting to know a few new students in Church history. Greek is going to be enjoyable and difficult at the same time. Church history is going to be 1 part history, 1 part theology, and 1 part comedy, season with doughnuts, simmer at medium heat till ready. Pentateuch is going to be a little slower, but I think as we get moving it will start to interest me more as we get to the narrative sections. Foundations: I’m still slightly bitter about this class for other reasons, but in the end I think it will be a good time. I have a group of people that I know all but two of them through other relations.
Then there was the BBQ
Much fun was had, I got the hard question of “If you were able to take over a character in a movie, who would you be?” While I answered Han Solo, the real answer is Malcolm Reynolds from Serenity. Some of you are sick of my Serenity shtick; what you have to know is that you’re just going to have to deal with it. I’m not sure anyone else at the BBQ would have known who he was.
I can educate you on Serenity, but expect that it will take up at least 2 hours for movie watching for the basic course, and if you want to see more, then plan on a weekly event. Enrolment is free, and you get 4 units that will not transfer or apply to any degree program other than that of being a nerd.
What did we learn? (plays veggie tales lesson music)
And so what we have learned applies to our lives today, and God has a lot to say in His Book.
Yes, I did Google these words, and yes I'm posting them here.
You see, we know that God's Word is for everyone; and now that our song is done, we'll take a look.
I’m writing this at the end of the weekend, I have had a nap each day as the physical tiredness of the week finally caught up to me. They were two good weeks, and more than anything I had to trust in God to do things that I could not do. I had many things that I had expected to do taken away from me. Looking back it was a good thing, not only for me but also for others who helped pick up the things I had to give up. I say that I am good at delegating things, but I think I have a lot to improve on. I know I have a stubborn button in me that makes walking across hot tar look easy in comparison to trying to overcome my stubbornness.
Something that I heard recently was on the subject of asking for help. It was a discussion on how to help the homeless. But I think the principle stretches beyond that. The idea is that asking for help makes you weaker and allows the other person to have confidence in their abilities. I don't ask for help all that often, and normally when I do, I'm so far in over my head that my weakness ends up affecting other things. The bible alludes to many situations of being strong in faith, but in most of the day-to-day things, God asks us to rely on him rather than ourselves; a point that I am only beginning to understand as I write these words. These words should shuffle around in my head for this week.
Afterthoughts:
New Movies:
Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang - FUNNY!!! Mystery flick
Ice Harvest - Another Mystery flick - So So
New Music:
Jars of Clay - Good Monsters: I can’t get enough of their lyrics, I need to give the slower half of the album another chance, but I have one song that I can keep playing on repeat both for the truth of the words and the music behind it.
Evanescence: New Album on Oct 3rd, going to run to Target and pick it up before class.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Feelings ...
For those who feel like my friend here does ... This one is for you
I hope I have friends like Animal: Supportive, and there for me. I hope to do the same.
I hope I have friends like Animal: Supportive, and there for me. I hope to do the same.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Musings at 3am
My body has been waking up at 1am and 4am consistently for the past week or so, with me finally getting out of bed around 6:30. So I’ve been awake for about an hour now (since 2am), which is not a good thing but my brain is operating in 4th gear with the grammar of reverse so this should be interesting.
I have been watching much of the Firefly episodes of which the movie Serenity is based off of. Mostly for humor and to enjoy myself, but something about the ship itself has been dancing around in the back of my mind, and it centers around the last lines of Serenity. The captain is telling a new crew member the first rule of flying a (space)ship:
"Love. You can know all the math in the 'Verse, but take a boat in the air you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of worlds. Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down, tells ya she's hurtin' 'fore she keens. Makes her home."
I sometimes wonder if the same principle applies to churches. I church I attend is done up in a cathedral style that is quite elegant, but it was pointed out to me that the ceiling looks much like an inverted boat hull. I have seen some movies where there will be ships as part of the sanctuary (I can’t remember them even if it wasn’t 3:30am). So what is the first rule of pasturing a church?
'Love. You can know all the administration in the world, but pastor a church you don’t love, she’ll shake you off just as sure as the sun rises and falls. Love keeps her going when she should close doors, tells you her problems before they show up. Makes her home.'
Now abide these three: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.
Time to go back to sleep … I think I'm starting to make sense ...
I have been watching much of the Firefly episodes of which the movie Serenity is based off of. Mostly for humor and to enjoy myself, but something about the ship itself has been dancing around in the back of my mind, and it centers around the last lines of Serenity. The captain is telling a new crew member the first rule of flying a (space)ship:
"Love. You can know all the math in the 'Verse, but take a boat in the air you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of worlds. Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down, tells ya she's hurtin' 'fore she keens. Makes her home."
I sometimes wonder if the same principle applies to churches. I church I attend is done up in a cathedral style that is quite elegant, but it was pointed out to me that the ceiling looks much like an inverted boat hull. I have seen some movies where there will be ships as part of the sanctuary (I can’t remember them even if it wasn’t 3:30am). So what is the first rule of pasturing a church?
'Love. You can know all the administration in the world, but pastor a church you don’t love, she’ll shake you off just as sure as the sun rises and falls. Love keeps her going when she should close doors, tells you her problems before they show up. Makes her home.'
Now abide these three: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.
Time to go back to sleep … I think I'm starting to make sense ...
Monday, September 04, 2006
A Moment of Silence
I will admit that I am not a 'huge' Steve Irwin fan. But I still respect the man, and he will be missed.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Names
I’m writing this as I wanted to use it for my film paper on The Final Cut, but found that I couldn’t fit it in thematically or logically, but most of all I need to get it out of my head so I can finish my thought processes.
When I look back and remember things I have learned or experiences I have had they normally have a name associated with them. For example: When I encountered God for what was the first ‘real’ time the names of Bart Tarman(former chaplain of Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA) and Jill Pole are some of the first things that come to mind, more so Jill. In the two times I have had to move away from people who were very close friends I have simply told them to remember my name as it has more power than anything I have ever told them. I mean think about it: as Christians use the name of Jesus there is a certain understanding of what his life was like, we sometimes forget the tiny details. We can remember the major events, the type of person he was, and what his goals in life were. Jesus sent his disciples out ‘In his name’ knowing that he would be with the disciples if they remembered and spoke of Jesus himself.
I could list out probably 50 names of people that have directly affected me. Not many of them would be people who I barely knew and spoke from a pulpit once a week. Some people would have two names that mean two entirely different things. All of these are the names of friends who have shaped and molded my life whether they know it or not. The memories I have shared and remember are the things I treasure.
The premise behind The Final Cut is that technology has the ability to record all the visual and audio sounds that a person experiences over their lifetime. When the die those memories are stored in a computer file and then a person makes a movie of their life. The person who makes the movie is not involved with the family and has a huge computer to aid him in the film making process. The conflict of the movie revolves around how should people remember each other. Do you have a life distilled down by someone who has no emotional attachment; or do you remember what you have in your mind?
I have been to only one funeral in my lifetime. It was with someone who I barely knew, but after coming out I knew how the rest of the room felt. The memories and emotions that those in the room felt transmitted more than the words they spoke. Sometimes that which is unsaid speaks more than what is.
My name is Alan, my friends call me Cletus, and my closest friends call me a dork. And I embrace each of these with much joy.
When I look back and remember things I have learned or experiences I have had they normally have a name associated with them. For example: When I encountered God for what was the first ‘real’ time the names of Bart Tarman(former chaplain of Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA) and Jill Pole are some of the first things that come to mind, more so Jill. In the two times I have had to move away from people who were very close friends I have simply told them to remember my name as it has more power than anything I have ever told them. I mean think about it: as Christians use the name of Jesus there is a certain understanding of what his life was like, we sometimes forget the tiny details. We can remember the major events, the type of person he was, and what his goals in life were. Jesus sent his disciples out ‘In his name’ knowing that he would be with the disciples if they remembered and spoke of Jesus himself.
I could list out probably 50 names of people that have directly affected me. Not many of them would be people who I barely knew and spoke from a pulpit once a week. Some people would have two names that mean two entirely different things. All of these are the names of friends who have shaped and molded my life whether they know it or not. The memories I have shared and remember are the things I treasure.
The premise behind The Final Cut is that technology has the ability to record all the visual and audio sounds that a person experiences over their lifetime. When the die those memories are stored in a computer file and then a person makes a movie of their life. The person who makes the movie is not involved with the family and has a huge computer to aid him in the film making process. The conflict of the movie revolves around how should people remember each other. Do you have a life distilled down by someone who has no emotional attachment; or do you remember what you have in your mind?
I have been to only one funeral in my lifetime. It was with someone who I barely knew, but after coming out I knew how the rest of the room felt. The memories and emotions that those in the room felt transmitted more than the words they spoke. Sometimes that which is unsaid speaks more than what is.
My name is Alan, my friends call me Cletus, and my closest friends call me a dork. And I embrace each of these with much joy.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Concerting …
I’m kinda a music guy. At any given point there is music playing in the background, even if everyone else can’t hear it, and I have really really cool background music. I don’t quite have enough money to hire a band to walk behind me and play ‘walking music’ but I can imagine.
Anywho Summer is normally the time for going to concerts since I have free time. I say normally as this year I missed my annual trip to the world of Spirit West Coast - Think Woodstock but all Christian artists. I just got a phone call from my normal partner in crime and got a report from this year’s trip and I must say that I am very angry that I was taking class, and I might just have to take 8 units next summer. I don’t want to discuss specific bands that I missed, as even in going I miss bands that I want to see only because there are three stages going on at the same time.
The Joust (As told by ‘the champ,’ exaggerated by me):
It is a long standing tradition that junior and senior high school students like beating up on their youth leaders. So the bet has become this: If one of them can beat up my buddy they are entitled to a free ‘vendor food’ of their choice, if they loose they become errand boy for the leader for one meal (leader pays). My buddy is about 5’ 10” and about 220 lbs, I am 5’10” just under 200. I am the gatekeeper, and they have to get past me to get to him, and I am undefeated. I have made more of my students look stupid than I care to admit, and I enjoyed it very much.
The joust is not our medieval joust in the sense of horses and lances; it is basically a wooden pole with really soft pillows wrapped around the end so no one gets hurt. Well except for one’s ego, but that already got hurt during the preflight trash talk.
This year I was not there, so my buddy replaced my with a very energetic 5’5”ish 120ish lbs (this is mostly from the last time I saw her a year ago) angel of a girl who graduated from high school a couple of years ago. Nice girl, no real Joust experience. So the champ is called to do battle (he is only the champ because the High schoolers want a piece of him more than they want a piece of me.) On the podium is the high school kid who really wants a piece of my buddy. I think this kid is 5’7” ish 130-140lbs and just a scrappy fighter. The kid is all set and joust in hand standing waiting to do battle. My buddy puts on his headgear, climbs up, and reaches down for the joust. At this moment the kid takes a swing while the champ is off balance…
The champ’s nickname when he is not jousting is “The Bear.” And the general rule is that “Don’t poke the bear or he will maul you.”
… and it was called the poke heard round the ring, as the crowd knew the result of the fight. The bear decided to ‘play with his food’ before putting it down, but the Kid did get his chance.
My Dad the rock star:
Audio Adrenaline is on it’s farewell tour and will not be a band at the end of this year. This is mostly due to the lead singer Mark Stuart’s voice basically being spent to the point there is scar tissue (I think). So the group made some “Adios” T-Shirts to wish the band goodbye and they all wore them to the concert. (They have obviously not watched PCU.) Their big hit “Big House” they normally do in concert and then at the end they have someone from the audience sing the last word.
My dad is a self-proclaimed geezer, he has made T-shirts and hats (I have a hat,) and SWC has a ‘good seats’ option where you can pay extra cash to be right up next to the stage. He and ‘his’ partner in crime purchased two of said seats. At the point in the song when the last line was to be sung, Mark hops down into the crowd and PULLS MY DAD UP ON STAGE. If I was younger than I am today, I think I would be embarrassed. So on stage, my dad gets to sing the last note of “Big House” I can only imagine it will be coming soon to a sermon example near you. I have been told there are pictures to record this event, and I just hope they are not cell phone pictures.
Casting Crowns:
I did make a road trip up to see Casting Crowns in concert with two friends and aside from the crazy drive (till 2am) we had a good time. I enjoyed a good time of touring the Mid-state fair and just getting away from school and out of LA. It was a nice change of scenery and in general a very worshipful evening that gave me a nice spiritual recharge after my vacation week of physical recharge. (More on vacation when I think about it)
Minor Things:
Newsboys: Rumor has it that with their new ‘non-worship’ album the greatest gift to a drummer is making a comeback to their set. Describing it would not do it justice. It must be seen to be believed. I’m getting giddy just thinking about it.
Anywho Summer is normally the time for going to concerts since I have free time. I say normally as this year I missed my annual trip to the world of Spirit West Coast - Think Woodstock but all Christian artists. I just got a phone call from my normal partner in crime and got a report from this year’s trip and I must say that I am very angry that I was taking class, and I might just have to take 8 units next summer. I don’t want to discuss specific bands that I missed, as even in going I miss bands that I want to see only because there are three stages going on at the same time.
The Joust (As told by ‘the champ,’ exaggerated by me):
It is a long standing tradition that junior and senior high school students like beating up on their youth leaders. So the bet has become this: If one of them can beat up my buddy they are entitled to a free ‘vendor food’ of their choice, if they loose they become errand boy for the leader for one meal (leader pays). My buddy is about 5’ 10” and about 220 lbs, I am 5’10” just under 200. I am the gatekeeper, and they have to get past me to get to him, and I am undefeated. I have made more of my students look stupid than I care to admit, and I enjoyed it very much.
The joust is not our medieval joust in the sense of horses and lances; it is basically a wooden pole with really soft pillows wrapped around the end so no one gets hurt. Well except for one’s ego, but that already got hurt during the preflight trash talk.
This year I was not there, so my buddy replaced my with a very energetic 5’5”ish 120ish lbs (this is mostly from the last time I saw her a year ago) angel of a girl who graduated from high school a couple of years ago. Nice girl, no real Joust experience. So the champ is called to do battle (he is only the champ because the High schoolers want a piece of him more than they want a piece of me.) On the podium is the high school kid who really wants a piece of my buddy. I think this kid is 5’7” ish 130-140lbs and just a scrappy fighter. The kid is all set and joust in hand standing waiting to do battle. My buddy puts on his headgear, climbs up, and reaches down for the joust. At this moment the kid takes a swing while the champ is off balance…
The champ’s nickname when he is not jousting is “The Bear.” And the general rule is that “Don’t poke the bear or he will maul you.”
… and it was called the poke heard round the ring, as the crowd knew the result of the fight. The bear decided to ‘play with his food’ before putting it down, but the Kid did get his chance.
My Dad the rock star:
Audio Adrenaline is on it’s farewell tour and will not be a band at the end of this year. This is mostly due to the lead singer Mark Stuart’s voice basically being spent to the point there is scar tissue (I think). So the group made some “Adios” T-Shirts to wish the band goodbye and they all wore them to the concert. (They have obviously not watched PCU.) Their big hit “Big House” they normally do in concert and then at the end they have someone from the audience sing the last word.
My dad is a self-proclaimed geezer, he has made T-shirts and hats (I have a hat,) and SWC has a ‘good seats’ option where you can pay extra cash to be right up next to the stage. He and ‘his’ partner in crime purchased two of said seats. At the point in the song when the last line was to be sung, Mark hops down into the crowd and PULLS MY DAD UP ON STAGE. If I was younger than I am today, I think I would be embarrassed. So on stage, my dad gets to sing the last note of “Big House” I can only imagine it will be coming soon to a sermon example near you. I have been told there are pictures to record this event, and I just hope they are not cell phone pictures.
Casting Crowns:
I did make a road trip up to see Casting Crowns in concert with two friends and aside from the crazy drive (till 2am) we had a good time. I enjoyed a good time of touring the Mid-state fair and just getting away from school and out of LA. It was a nice change of scenery and in general a very worshipful evening that gave me a nice spiritual recharge after my vacation week of physical recharge. (More on vacation when I think about it)
Minor Things:
Newsboys: Rumor has it that with their new ‘non-worship’ album the greatest gift to a drummer is making a comeback to their set. Describing it would not do it justice. It must be seen to be believed. I’m getting giddy just thinking about it.
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