Day 44, New Moon and Modern Warfare 2

While I was downrange, I joked with my assistant about him reading this 'teenage-romance' novel series: Twilight. I usually don't take big stances of opposition on things that I see as trivial or trendy, ...so, this is not a Reformed Chaplain bashing the most recent culture crazy.

The obsession with vampires is just not my bag. 'In my day', we had LOSTBOYS. Those guys were my early teen nightmares of nocturnal-bloodsuckers. Yet, much has change since then,...Jack Bauer no longer feasts on A-, but defends the country.

Yet, although I don't care too much for silly romantic girlish fantasies with vamps, I am quite enamored with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. We recently brought it into our home and it seems for the most part to be rather enjoyable. I have played the series of Call of Duty,...even on the computer, so I must be up to date on the recent release. I suppose we all have our taste....

Yet, one thing I have learned either by XBOX or girlish movie time, ...it is imperative that we don't let these little tastes become so satisfying that they draw us away from Christ or our families. The very instance I am noticing a lag in zeal toward my wife or my daily reading due to the XBOX, I must refocus my attentions and affections. As I have written earlier in the blog, I do believe that we will one day and give account before God how we didn't reach our neighbors or prayed...but we will definitely have countess hours logged on Facebook or 'leveled up' on MW2.

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Day 3, 10 years of John Piper

Its true, I am a Piperite. Here's my story: 10 years ago, I sat down in my lovely rented 'Triple-J' Ranch home with Josh Stewart, and popped in a sermon tape by John Piper. I remember as if it were yesterday. The title was appealing, "Did Christ die for you or for God?". Seemed provocative enough to engage my senses. 10 minutes after it had started, I could barely hold back my thoughts of how this man preached with such authority and seriousness. It wasn't hell fire and brimstone, and it wasn't comic relief. It seemed as though this was his last sermon, and this was the last sermon the audience would ever hear. Every now and then, I would steal a glance at Josh as we listened, and I could tell he was going through the same internal breakdown I was experiencing. Soon after the sermon was over, I made it my goal to read a book by this guy. The Borders I went and got a copy of "Pleasures of God". I began to read, and waves of questions flooded my m...

Day 70, Avatar, Did I 'see' it? (I did but it was called...)

"So, what did you think?" is the reverberating mantra as we all stand out our cushy popcorn laiden seats and grab our mysterious trash. I didn't want to answer because I had such mixed feelings. So, after 48 hours of work, a 3.3 mile run, and a several cups of coffee, ...I think I can write something that is not completely nonsensical. Here's my try. It took awhile for me to get passed the Ferngully, Dances with Wolves, Never-Ending Story, Star Wars, Zelda and Smurf overtures. Ferngully/Zelda because it seemed I was watching a documentary on the rain forest and how the 'great tree' held everything together in green peace. Dances with Wolves, as the new 'Kevin' be-friends a tribe and eventually goes 'en-gine' (Indian) on the United States Calvary taming the ta-tonka (Buffalo). Never-Ending Story, because who in the world can hang on to any animal and fly. Star Wars because, if you remember in Star Wars I, the Naboo people with Jar-Jar...I trul...

Day 67, Conversations that Change Us: Predestination

Sunday night a good friend of mine who is a West Point Graduate, and Battery Commander (Pretty Sharp dude) said, "Hey, I have got a question for you...What do you think about predestination?" Now, in many circles this would be resolved with two likely responses. 1. "Well, I think we should just leave those doctrines that divide the churches alone and focus on what really matters." 2. "Well, I have never really nailed down what I believe and thus will continue talking to eventually change the subject." I chose neither. I could tell that he had really been thinking about this. This was not one of those 'stump the chump' questions. I smiled and decided I would let him fill out the question and talk his way through it. As he did so, I would smile and put a guard rail or would give him what various views were. His eyes widened as he just began to have a huge dialogue with himself. I could tell his conversation was shaking and solidifying some idea...

Whiteboards and Pulpits

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