Danny can't wake up, Mrs. Torrance.

Next Blog

2010-11-19T00:24:00.000-08:00

I'm transitioning over to a new blog. Come check it out! Still needs work though...

reverenddhenrypeters.blogspot.com

It's Time...

2010-11-04T01:24:00.000-07:00

It's time for me to put this blog to rest. I do love it dearly and I am really proud of many of the posts that I've written. However, I just lost all desire to keep it going.

But lately I am finding new inspiration. I do want to write again, but I'm afraid that motivation will dry up too quickly. Well, we'll see how it goes. I think the new blog will be filled with more serious discussion. I think a lot of what I write will be thoughts on life and Jesus. I have many views that would not be considered "sound doctrine" and I've been timid to share those publicly, especially because I am a Pastor. But I don't want to deny this thought process anymore. I want to have open and honest discussions with people regarding what I believe.

I also want to continue writing silly things, random thoughts, unusual stories, and things I find intriguing. What would you like me to write about? For all those faithful followers (all 5 of you), what aspects of my blog attract you the most? What about any new ideas or things you hope I write about?

So tentatively I'll say this, NOVEMBER 19th will be the launch date of my new blog on a new site! Come here for the details then.

Oh, and also, I'm having troubles deciding on the url for the site. I could go with something simple like dan-peters.blogspot.com or dhpeters.blogspot.com.

Or keeping the title of this blog I could go with dannycantwakeup.blogspot.com

I don't know. Any creative titles for my new blog???

Top Ten Lists

2010-06-21T22:27:00.001-07:00

I love top ten type lists. I've written a few on my blog so far. These are my current lists:

Top 20 Undateable Qualities

Top 11 Summer Movies of 2008

Top Ten Hitchcock Films

Albums for All Times 1 & 2

I am currently working on a few more lists. They are...

Zelda Games

I still need to beat 4 more games before I can put them in order of my favorite.

Disney Movies

I am ranking all Disney theatrical animated features (excluding completely cg films). There are still 12 films I haven't seen yet, and some I need to watch again to determine where they fit in the ranking.

Top Ten Twilight Zone Episodes

The Twilight Zone is such an incredible TV show. Many of the episodes are completely mind-blowing and it's time I tell the world which ones!

Top Ten Star Trek: The Next Generation Episodes

Another great TV show, haha! The world needs to know my favorite episodes!!!

So stay tuned...

How I Am Not A Catholic - Part Four

2010-06-17T17:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, finally I'm back to this series! Let's continue:

So now I'm curious to learn more about Catholicism and my sister starts dating a Catholic. This was good timing. In the Fall of 2004 Jackie began going to RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation before becoming a Catholic). I had seriously considered going along with her just to learn more about Catholicism. It didn't really work with my school and work schedule so that fell through.

But now Jackie was learning a lot and reading from the Catechism and I began asking questions of her and Conor. These questions just kept snowballing and I learned more and more, wiping away many misconceptions I had. Also at CBC I had been learning more about Catholicism from a fresh perspective.

These are the main questions I wrestled with and a summary of the answers I received.

Purgatory

What exactly is purgatory? How can you believe people have the option to leave hell?

I always thought purgatory was a ticket out of hell. If you prayed for the dead or did penance or whatever, you could get yourself or your relatives out of hell. Turns out I was wrong. Purgatory is not a part of hell. It is actually for Christians. It is the next stage before entrance into heaven. Catholics believe you cannot enter into heaven until you have been fully purged of your sinful acts. It's not a place where you "earn" your way into heaven. It's the process you go through to be cleansed.

It's funny that Protestants are so against purgatory, because (whether they know it or not) they believe in an instantaneous purgatory. All Protestants believe we are cleansed before entering heaven. Catholics just believe it takes a little longer.

Praying to the Saints

How do you justify praying to the saints? The Bible says we shouldn't communicate with the dead.

I asked Conor this one and he gave me two answers that were really helpful.

1. Do you ask your friends to pray for you? Yes. Then why not ask the saints to pray for you? Ohhhhh.

2. Why do you think the saints are dead? Oh yeah, I guess they are "alive" in the afterlife.

Mary

Why pray to Mary? Do Catholics worship her?

This one I'm still a little fuzzy on, but there's a difference between worship and veneration. Only God should be worshiped. Mary and the saints are venerated. They are held in high regard and devotion is paid to them. But they are not equal to or greater than God.

Regarding prayers to Mary, once again you ask your friends to pray for you, so why not ask Mary, the mother of Jesus, to pray on your behalf? She's also considered the mother of the Catholic Church so yeah, a lot of honour and respect is passed her way.

Protestants

If my doctrine is not lined up with Catholics, would they say I'm going to hell?

"Of course not!" says Conor, "You are my brother in Christ." I'm not sure I totally understand the theology but I think it has to do with God showing fairness and grace. We are, after all, following after the same God.

Confession

Why confess your sins to a Priest for forgiveness when you could go straight to Jesus?

Priests don't actually forgive your sins. Christ forgives your sins. Priests speak the words of forgiveness on Christ's behalf. Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit onto his disciples in John 20:23 and said to them, "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

Confession also provides a great opportunity for healing. I think there is something powerful in hearing someone say "I forgive you". Protestants don't get that. A priest can also offer you advice and comfort. Protestants typically keep their sins private and only confess only to God. This is not healthy. James 5:16 says "Confess your sins, one to another, and you will be healed."

The Pope

How can the Pope be infallible? He's just a man like everyone else.

I once thought everything the Pope did was without sin according to this doctrine. Not true. The doctrine teaches that the Pope is protected from error by the Holy Spirit when he is solemnly declaring a dogmatic teaching on faith and morals. These dogmas are never spoken at random. They are products of various councils and there are rules and conditions to confirm their infallibility.

Well, those are just a few big ones that stood out to me. I don't have all the answers and don't fully understand all Catholic dogma, but I'm satisfied they are not heretics and that, in fact, we have a lot to learn from their teachings and tradition (and we have a lot to be thankful for because of them). But why am I still not a Catholic????

This Concludes Part Four.

My Lot in Life

2010-05-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

While I was in Italy I read the book "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell. I would say the main thesis of the book is summed up by this excerpt, "the biggest misconception about success is that we do it solely on our smarts, ambition, hustle and hard work." This one idea has taken root within me and has altered my perspective on life.

Our culture praises the work of the individual and gives awards and honours to specific people for extraordinary achievements. Even people's names are attached to breakthroughs, achievements, and high schools. But why do we attribute so much to individuals?

The only reason an individual can achieve or accomplish anything is because of everything and everyone that happened before them. Their success is largely a result of their lot in life. As Isaac Newton said, "If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants."

I'm not saying our individual efforts are insignificant. They are pretty darn cool! But rather, the circumstances in our life, the good and bad experiences, the genetic makeup of our bodies and brains, the culture and era that we live in, the people that surround us and instruct us and guide us, all play integral roles in us achieving our "individual" achievements.

Actually before Italy, this idea had first been planted in my brain when I was in Atlanta last November. While there I went to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and learned a lot about his life. The thing that struck me the most is the circumstances before him that caused him to be raised up as the leader for the civil rights movement. He really happened to be at the right place at the right time with the right upbringing and right skills.

One of the major events that propelled MLK Jr. to the forefront was the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1956. If you don't know the story, go research it. I'm sure you've heard of Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on the bus for white people. Well, this was the leverage used to challenge the segregation laws in the US. It should be noted that MLK Jr. didn't start the boycott, he was just a young minister at the time! It was E.D. Nixon who rallied the black people together, and he personally choose King to be the new leader. As a result of this year-long boycott, MLK Jr. became the face of the civil rights movement in the States. This gave King the power and the opportunity to became the great leader his father had been preparing him to become.

His father was a Reverend and a major player in the civil rights movement, yet he doesn't receive the same recognition as his son. Was it because his son was greater than he was? His son was a better achiever? I don't know for sure, but I would say no! I can imagine his work was just as significant as his son's. Yet he doesn't have a holiday or his face on any stamps. Why not? Because he wasn't born at the right time and the right place to effect the amount of change that his son did. I think Martin Luther King Jr. was a great individual, but his lot in life took him on a path leading to higher recognition and achievement.

Okay, so where am I going with all this?!?! For myself I can no longer look at any ONE person and think, "Wow, look how great they are!" or "Look at that loser!" because I now recognize that we are all simply products. Everyone has a different lot in life and that lot will determine whether you have the opportunity to succeed or whether you'll be severely limited in life. And the lot that we're given should in no way reflect our personal value or worth.

I have many more thoughts connected with this, but I'll stop here for now. This could go into topics like how we treat the planet, are all humans equal, God's role in assigning our portions, or how we've misunderstood the power of names. Where does this idea take you?

Before we're done here, though, I want to make a point of saying this is no excuse for wasting life. We are accountable for what we do with our portions and the choices that we make. I believe that we all have the opportunity to choose the right path, no matter our lot in life.

Lost Again

2010-04-26T10:47:00.000-07:00

We are nearing the end of the final season of Lost and I have to admit, this season sucks.

I absolutely loved the previous five seasons and would go so far as to say they're the best TV I've ever seen. And I knew I couldn't get my hopes up about this ending because so many great stories have been tarnished by their endings. Some examples:

A.I.: Artificial Intelligence

This movie should have ended when David was trapped underwater with the Blue Fairy. The whole aliens in the future thing was a waste.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

13 books in all. The first 12 were amazing, especially because they were dark, unconventional, and mysterious. A number of the mysteries were resolved in the 12th book so I was looking forward to the finale of the series with the 13th book. Little did I realize the 12th book was essentially the denouement and could have ended the series right there. The 13th book revealed nothing new and was just an extremely long epilogue.

Seinfeld

Seinfeld changed American humor and television forever. The finale was one of the most anticipated in history and was absolutely disappointing. I'm happy Larry David redeemed the series by creating a faux reunion on the latest series of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Heroes (Season 1)

When Heroes broke it was a huge success and that was for good reason. Great character development and a compelling story. It all pointed to the finale, and we all wondered what would happen with the prophesied explosion that would destroy New York. Well turns out all those great characters and plot points were a waste. The ending of the first season was unsatisfying to say the least.

Signs

I love the movies of M. Night Shyamalan, but I have to admit Signs train-wrecked at the end. All the suspense built up throughout the movie was so well done, but the final reveal left us all wondering, "Was that really it?!?" The aliens are allergic to water? Water???? 71% of the freaking planet is covered by water!!! It rains all over the place on this planet. Everything has water in it. How could the aliens not have figured that out before they invaded?

So before I say all the things that annoy me about this season I would like to say once again, I absolutely love Lost! Even if this season ends miserably I can't deny how amazing the first 5 seasons were, and there have been some highlights from this season that I also thoroughly enjoy.

And now that I've said that, what are the elements of Lost this season that really make it suck?

Bringing back old characters

It's nice every once in awhile to see old characters, but when each episode is filled with random characters from throughout the series, you've gone too far. This is so kitschy! I don't care about so many minor characters and personally I don't want to see dead characters again, unless they really are integral to the plot. It just feels like they're doing this for no reason other than to try and impress fans.

Alternate universes

This is connected with the previous element. TV shows and sequels have this idea that people want to see their characters acting completely opposite to how they normally would act. So now we've got Ben Linus as a timid high school teacher and Hurley as a successful entrepreneur that everyone respects. Seriously, this insults me. All these characters have been developed over 5 seasons and now it's like that is all thrown out the window and we're expected to care or be interested in what happens to them in this alternate reality. They might someone justify all this in upcoming episodes but it's going to have to be really good.

Completely altering characters

The change that has happened in some of the characters on the island has been too dramatic. Claire is back but it's not Claire anymore. It's some implausibly crazy girl that no one cares about anymore. Same with Sayid. Now he's emotionless and does whatever "Locke" says. They should have just killed these characters off, because their actions are so ridiculous now.

Mysteries revealed

I know we've all wanted these mysteries revealed since they began, but people forget the main reason why magicians don't reveal their secrets. It's because questioning and debating the mystery is much more interesting than learning the truth behind it. Some mystery reveals are cool, such as what we've learned about the smoke monster so far, but other mysteries I think should be left secret unless the reveal is mind-blowing. Finding out what the whispers are wasn't mind-blowing. It was meh. I hope the remainder of this season won't be as meh.

Strained romances

Up until this season, the love stories have connected with people. They were touching and well done. This season, however, has felt so forced. No one cares anymore about Jack and Kate and Sawyer. Hurley and Libby was a waste of an episode. Richard and his girl was unnecessary. No one cares. I do still like Desmond and Penny but that's it.

And I guess I'll wrap this up now. This season seems to me like it's taking on more than it can chew. At this point people just want it to end so there's no reason to drag things out and introduce new characters. They should have just kept it simpler. It's hard to care about Jacob and the Man in Black when we've only just met them. Maybe the remaining episodes will blow my mind and justify all I've just said. We'll see.

...Therefore I Am

2010-04-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

As human beings, we are complex. There are different sides to who we are. We are emotional beings. We are sexual. We are intellectual. We are spiritual. We are physical.

But something confuses me, and perhaps you can help me find clarity. Even though we are complex and multi-faceted, there are really only two verbs (that I can think of) that we use to express our deepest parts.

"I think..."

and

"I feel..."

The first is intellectual, the second is emotional. What about the sexual, the spiritual, and the physical (not to mention the other sides I couldn't think of)?

This bothered me growing up Pentecostal, because whenever we talked about spiritual things we would talk about our feelings. "I could feel the Spirit of God in this place." And then later in more conservative Christian circles we talked more about our thoughts. "I think God wants me to take this job."

Why do we only think and feel? Is there no other way to express those other sides of our humanity? Or are those two the only ways we truly experience life and everything filters through them?

What are you thoughts? Or feelings?

How I Am Not A Catholic - Part Three

2010-04-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

So going into Columbia Bible College I basically believed Catholicism was heretical, yet many Catholics were Christians and by God's grace were still going to heaven.

That started to shift almost right away at CBC. I could tell the attitude of students and profs was more accepting of Catholicism than I was. I had heard a couple years ago that Catholics don't use birth control and that always intrigued me. It actually made no sense to me at all. Why would they be opposed to birth control?!? I never heard of anyone being opposed to it before.

So it began to nag at me. And around that time I realized something I hadn't really thought about. Before the Reformation, the Catholic Church was THE Church. If people wanted to learn about Jesus they would have to do it through the Catholic Church (okay, I know I'm not counting the Eastern Orthodox Church, disregard for now). That's at least 1300 years!

So then I began wondering (out loud sometimes), "If the Catholic Church has been THE Church for so long, how can we so easily pass off all their teachings as heretical?" Especially regarding birth control, I wondered why without any effort or discussion we simply say, "Oh, that's a stupid belief!"

Enter Conor.

Between my first and second year at CBC my sister started dating Conor. He's Catholic. This should be interesting...

End of Part Three.

I'm Getting Crafty

2010-04-12T16:19:00.000-07:00

If you recall last Christmas, I was ranting something about presents. So one of my conclusions was that I would start making gifts for people rather than buying things for them. So I had Conor's name for our family gift exchange so I decided I would make him something, but what???

Well, Conor used to make twig furniture all the time, so I thought, "Why not make him a piece of furniture?" But instead of twigs I decided to use pennies. And that was because he had just moved home from Australia, where they have no pennies. And I despise pennies. So what better way to get rid of my pennies than to make a chair for Conor? Well here it is:

You'll notice it's not quite big enough for a human to sit on, but many of Conor's furniture pieces were miniature also. This chair I made happens to be just perfect for Spongebob Squarepants!

Upon opening his present, Conor wasn't too thrilled with it, and then it proceeded to break. The smell from the metal glue I used on it was REALLY strong and Conor hastily threw it behind the couch so the fumes wouldn't poison his newborn son. I guess I can see why he wasn't too thrilled.

Well after that experience, I realized penny furniture really wasn't a highly anticipated present. It was then that I discovered something much better. 8-bit Perler Bead Art!!! So far these are my creations:

I make them with Perler beads and then fuse them together with an iron. Then I put a magnet on them and voila, video game fridge magnets!!!

Unfortunately today I discovered the magnets I bought are crap and can't even hold up a piece of paper on the fridge. Oh well...trial and error I guess.

So, what video game characters do you like?? The best ones for me to make are old school NES. Anything else makes for much bigger designs. But whatever, it's your present!

How Much Longer?

2010-04-07T15:08:00.000-07:00

This blog is dying. I don't know how much longer is has to live. I want it to keep going, but the motivation just isn't there like it used to be. It's like msn. I never use that thing anymore. 2 years ago I was on it all the time.

So I don't see me writing on here much longer. Maybe it will go longer than I think, I don't know...

But I still have to write all those posts I promised but didn't get to while in Italy. And of course I'll write all about my trip to Italy (a post for every single day!).

Oh yeah, I'm back from Italy!!!! Got home yesterday afternoon. It sure is nice to be back for many reasons. But yeah, you'll hear all about it very soon.

Italy

2010-03-14T13:10:00.000-07:00

In a few hours I will be on a plane to Italy. I am both excited and nervous! I've been to other countries on my own before, but this is the first time I'll be alone in a non-English speaking country. Yay!!!

I'll try to keep my blog updated. Please be patient with me though if I'm a little late with some of the posts...

The Olympic Spirit

2010-03-10T23:36:00.000-08:00

Normally going into the Olympics I'm never excited about them. I could care less who wins what. It's much like any sport for me. The last Olympics happened while I was up at Rough Acres Bible Camp with our youth group. Everyone there was watching it every chance they got. I don't think I watched more than a minute.

When the Olympics came here I wasn't excited. I've known some of the behind the scenes things that aren't very favourable. The treatment of people living on the street, the bills getting larger and larger while essential services are being cut elsewhere in BC, the sex industry, etc, etc. The Olympics are not what they should be. Even as the torch came through Ladner I chose to not bother and go see it pass by.

So I was surprised when the Olympics began and I was instantly addicted. I watched more Olympics this year than my whole life combined. I couldn't get enough of it! I regret not getting downtown more and not getting tickets to any of the events. How did this happen? Where did this come from?

I blame it on the Olympic spirit. I think at its heart, the Olympics are excellent. The world joining together to play together! Where else do you see this happening? As a community and as a nation, we gathered together and had fun. I love the unifying aspect of the games and the buzz it created here in the city. It was absolutely electric!

So what do we do with all the negatives of the game? That's where I'm left worried. So much happened as a result of the Games that was unjust and selfish. It wasn't right. As I was reading the history of the Olympics I could see the passion the originators had for it. They wanted what I experienced, an event that draws the world together centered around sport. The difference is, they didn't want anyone making money off it. And that's where things got dicey.

Without any money involved, what's the incentive for the games? It's purely to represent your country and bring countries together. Now that the Olympics have become commercialized, along with the torch passing by we also get bombarded with Coca-Cola and RBC ads. Because people need to make money, there's more pressure for things to happen that are contrary to the Olympic spirit.

So the solution is to remove commercialization from the Olympics. Do that and it returns to its roots. However, that is no longer possible. The one big hitch is television. Without commercialization the games would not be televised. People around the world would not be able to follow their countries. The other hitches are of course things like modern excellent facilities, breakthroughs in technology for judging equpiment and sports equipment, training for the athletes, and so on. A lot of money is needed to run the Games today.

Well, where do we go from here? Do we continue to support this monster even though it leaves a trail of filth in its wake? I don't know the answer.

How I Am Not A Catholic - Part Two

2010-03-07T23:20:00.000-08:00

As a kid, somewhere along the way, I caught the belief that Catholics were not true Christians. They weren't really part of a cult, but their church had gone off the rails hundreds of years ago. I didn't think Catholics were "saved" and I thought they would end up in hell.

After all, they believed in purgatory. I thought purgatory meant that if a person worked hard enough they could get out of hell and join the Christians in heaven. However, this is not the actual definition of purgatory, but my misunderstood one.

They also worshiped Mary, saw the Pope as perfect and sinless, and needed a priest to forgive their sins (whereas I only needed to confess to God).

Somewhere in high school my beliefs lightened a little. I came to believe that some Catholics actually were "saved". They were just ignorant to the fact that their church was an abomination, but thankfully God would show them grace as they did not know what they were doing.

Poor stupid Catholics! Only a handful were saved, but most were still going straight to hell. The one issue that mattered most to me at this time was - Do they have a relationship with Jesus? I came to believe most Catholics had a relationship with the church, but not with Jesus personally.

I'm not sure where I got these ideas from. Obviously they were held by at least some people in my church. We were never taught these things, but passing comments and jokes stuck in my brain. It wasn't until Bible school that things started to change drastically.

End of Part Two.

Cut the Living Child in Two

2010-03-05T19:36:00.000-08:00

Two prostitutes claim a baby as their own. One of them is lying. King Solomon is the judge and he declares, "Cut the living child in two." The one woman cries out, "No! Give the baby to her. Don't kill him!" The second woman replies, "Neither of us will have him. Cut him in two." Solomon realizes the mother would not want to see harm come upon her baby, so he rightfully determines who the mother is and everyone marvels at Solomon's wisdom.

I always thought it was kind of a silly story. Would people really react this way? I think I can't fully understand it because I am not from that time period. But in talking with someone the other day, it made me think of an issue I've addressed previously.

Could this story apply to our current situation of child custody? Two separated parents want sole custody of their child. Instead, the child is shuffled back and forth between two homes. One week he is at his Dad's house. The next week he is at his Mom's. I wish we had a better system of determining who gets sole custody. This is no way to raise a child. So conflicting, so damaging, so irresponsible. It is as if the child is cut in two.

I wrestle with the solution. I'm not educated enough on this issue, but if we were to take the Solomon story as parallel, maybe the solution is there. Let's say Mom is the better parent and should raise the child, but Dad had some good lawyers and despite being a crappy parent he has 50% custody. If the obvious solution can't be determined (let the best parent raise the child) then what solutions are left. Cut the child in two (raise him in separate homes each week) or give the child to the worse parent (the toughest pill to swallow).

Of the two evils, separate homes or bad parent raising, which is the lesser? I don't know. I think the good parent isn't willing to give up their custody for a number of reasons (that are completely valid): they want their child to have some positive influence to counter the bad, they deserve to have the child and they'll take what they can get, if they give up the child there's a chance they'll never have a strong relationship with them, etc.

I could go on, but I'll stop there for now. What do you think?

Simple Request

2010-03-03T21:09:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling extremely ill. Can I please get back to you tomorrow?

"Of course! We would want your mind to be clear."

Gee thanks! See you tomorrow...

Olympic Celebrations!

2010-02-28T15:59:00.000-08:00

Before I write more about Catholicism I'd like to dedicate at least a couple posts to the Olympics. Here is the first:

8 years ago - I was in San Francisco, USA at this time of the year. I was on a missions trip with Columbia Bible College during reading break. At that time I didn't care too much about the Olympics, but I do get passionate about sport if others I'm with are passionate. So while we were down in the States, the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City were happening and the majority of our group was desperate to watch the final game of Men's Hockey between Canada and the USA.

We managed to find a small pizzeria that had a big screen TV and they were willing to have the game on for us. There was probably 20 of us Canadians packed in this US establishment with maybe 3-5 randoms. And we were loud! We cheered wildly and had an absolute blast, especially with the Canadian gold medal victory.

4 years ago - I didn't watch any of the Olympics. I'm not really sure why. I have a love/hate relationship with the Olympics that I'll get into later. It doesn't matter though, both Canada and the US were knocked out of the hockey competition early in the quarterfinals.

2 weeks ago - I realized the gold medal game would be happening today, Feb 28. I remembered how much fun I had 8 years ago and decided I wanted to find an excellent group of people I could party with if Canada made it that far. I was pretty excited about it.

1 week ago - I was talking with Pastor Dave about the ECU Service at the local hospital. Every 2 months our youth group goes to the Extended Care Unit of the hospital and leads the Sunday service for them. Well as I was talking with Dave, I realized it was our turn to lead the service on Feb 28. Today. THE DAY OF THE BIG GAME!!!!! The ECU service starts at 2:30. This meant I would miss the last few minutes of the game.

4 hours ago - I was throwing myself a bit of a pity party. I had to prepare for the service so that meant no celebrating with other people. I sat in my office playing guitar while watching the game on my computer. Only 3 other youth volunteered to help me out. I knew it would be slim pickings. I was so disappointed I wouldn't be able to watch the final minutes of the game.

2 hours ago - The score was 2-1 for Canada. I didn't have a chance to grab lunch after church, so I went to McD's 20 mins before the service started. The third period had just started and I watched the game as I ate my official Olympic Big Mac. I didn't have time to stay and watch the last 3 minutes of the game. I had to go the hospital.

I was hoping some of the staff would be watching the game so we could find out the final score, but I wasn't sure. Much to my surprise, all the people there were watching the game on the big screen! The lady asked me if it was okay that we continue watching the game and put off singing till later. I said of course! Well, as you all know, with less than a minute left USA scored and tied up the game, sending it into overtime! The service would be postponed even longer, haha!

Well, my heart was racing all through overtime, until Crosby scored the game-winning goal. Everyone cheered and we started singing Oh Canada. By this point it was too late to have the church service, but we did have a chance just to sit and chat with the people there.

It was then that I realized, this was a way better hockey party than one I would have planned to have gone to. Who would have guessed I would have watched the gold medal game with a bunch of elderly people, most of whom can't even communicate well. And it was a blast! I feel bad for all those youth who missed out on such a great experience. Sure they had their own parties. But none could have compared to this one!

How I Am Not A Catholic - Part One

2010-02-24T09:18:00.000-08:00

My sister, Jackie, wrote 3 posts titled, "How I Became a Catholic." I encourage you to read them if you haven't already. They describe her journey from Protestantland to Catholicworld. I got to witness this transformation and it caused me to ask many questions (for myself) as it was happening. But I did not make the same decision she made. I would like to share why that is, but definitely not as an attack against Jackie or Catholics. I fully support Jackie in her decision. So here I go...

End of Part One

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

2010-02-22T17:44:00.000-08:00

Look at this. My second post of this new blogging commitment and I'm already a day late. I probably would have kept putting it off but Jackie and Amy both commented about it.

With the help of Amy I've discovered there are two sides to me. One is organized, strategic and efficient. The other is messy, forgets where he puts things, and procrastinates. Can you guess which one I am right now?

Two weeks ago I was on the ball, and I was on the ball for a long time. But then it started coming apart, which doesn't surprise me. I kept thinking, "When is this all going to crash?" I had lasted an unusually long amount of time under control, but alas here I am back where I started.

And I hate it! I'm so sick of it, uggh! I can't tolerate this behaviour any longer, it's driving me mad. I feel good when I'm organized, but yet I sabotage it and fall into this pattern of avoiding everything. So I will fight you! You must not be allowed to ruin my life any longer, Mr. Hyde!

I get so overwhelmed when there are many things to do, and there are always many things to do in my job. Not to mention maintaining my suite and being in a relationship. And all my 500+ friends and family. It's hard to know when to draw the line, and my problem is I don't take the time to draw the line. I just do what's easiest, but then the hard things get harder, making me more prone to avoid them until I ultimately cannot avoid them.

Such is life. I won't let it bog me down any longer. Anyone got any advice?

Another Season

2010-02-17T15:07:00.000-08:00

Lent is upon us once again. Today is Ash Wednesday. Those who know me well, know I have developed a long list of things I fast from over the Lenten season. This year, however, I have decided to try something new. Rather than give stuff up, I will take something on.

When I went to New Zealand two years ago I challenged myself each day to ask someone new if I could pray for them. I was there for 7 days. I asked 0 people. It was actually quite a crushing blow to my spiritual side.

I will be leaving for Italy on March 14. I wanted to try this challenge again. Except this time, I thought it would be a good idea if I started early, and if I had the accountability of my friends to keep me to it. So for this season of Lent I will be asking someone new everyday if I can pray for them.

I will be writing a journal describing how this journey goes for me. I already know it will have a significant impact on my spirituality. I know because those 7 days where I did nothing left me empty and discouraged. This will push me to see people in a different light, to change my prayer focus from being me-focus, and to better practice the presence of God (among other as yet unknown experiences).

This is also another season of blogging for me. I realize without a commitment, I get nothing accomplished. So I hereby recommit to posting two blogs a week, on Wednesday and Sunday, from now until Easter Sunday.

May this season of Lent break you down to complete dependence on God and his Word.

My LIfe: A 2nd Update

2010-02-08T17:42:00.000-08:00

My life at a glance...

I'm nearing the middle of my 5th year at Cedar Park Church. I'd say for the first time I actually feel like I have a workable plan for structuring this ministry right.

A year ago I began hanging out with a Miss Amy Hales. We are now currently an "item". We're not getting married anytime soon, so stop asking please.

I love spinach now.

I am hovering around 210 lbs. Not too happy about that.

My dad passed away in Dec from esophageal cancer. It's been an emotional experience, but very healthy for me and my family (for the most part I think).

The contract on my phone is ending soon. I believe it might just be time to get an iPhone.

My dentist had me coming every 4 months for a cleaning to improve my gums. Today I was graduated to 6 months!!!

I'm currently rocking a soul patch while growing out my bangs. My goal is to shave the soul patch and become a Justin Bieber look-a-like.

Actually I think it's time for the beard to make a comeback.

Twisted my ankle last March and it's still bothering me.

Since my last update I have traveled to Sacramento, Campbell River, Quadra Island, Victoria, Malibu, Disneyland, Medford, Atlanta, and Edmonton (multiple time :S). My next destinations include Italy, Montreal, Ontario, and the Northern States.

All the Follow-Up Things that Went Wrong

2010-01-30T16:22:00.000-08:00

Monday, August 31st

- Make the trek back to Oregon in the rental car. I'm tired of driving and it's getting late. I knew I wouldn't make it to Oregon so I look to find a hotel in Washington for the night. I look everywhere for one of those travel books that has hotel coupons in them. Can't find one anywhere. Finally just pick a hotel past Tacoma and cough over the cash.

Tuesday, September 1st

- I need to arrive in Oregon by a certain time. If I'm late I will get charged extra for the rental car and for parking at the airport. I plan to leave early.

- I'm so tired it takes me forever to get on the road. While driving I realize I have left way too late. I have such little time to spare. I have to hit drive-thrus and hope I don't have to pee.

- I have to pee...really bad! I try holding it, but it's too strong. I pull off at a truck-stop and pee as fast as I possibly can. It's then I notice those travel books with the coupons! I had been looking at gas stations. I forgot they were at truck-stops!

- Arrive just in time with literally only minutes to spare. I don't know if my car will even be running well so I'm not excited about this. It starts but doesn't sound so good.

- I find a Toyota dealership and leave my car there. They can't look at it today, so I'll have to wait. I need a ride to a hotel so they say the shuttle will take me when he gets back. I go to the waiting area. This guy walks in and mumbles something. A guy gets up and follows him. A little while later another guy walks in and mumbles. I look at him inquisitively wondering if he's my driver. He walks away. I'm confused. He comes back and mumbles again. I ask if he's the shuttle. He says he is. Unbelievable.

- I have a coupon from the travel book. He can't find the hotel. I'm trying to help him with my GPS, but they've shut down this overpass and it's not helping.

- We finally spot the hotel but there's all this construction and the road is closed. He can't understand how I'll even get over there. He says he has to go pick someone else up. He's pretty sure I can take a walkway through the park, but he's not 100%.

- He drops me off and drives away. I trek with my bags through the park towards the walkway where I see construction guys. As I get closer the guy tells me I can't cross! This sucks. I can see the hotel from where I'm standing but don't know how to get there.

- I have supper at a diner nearby. I use the phone outside to call the hotel to figure out how to get there. She says I have to go across the highway and walk across the overpass. The overpass is open, but just to access the hotels.

- There's no way I can walk all the way around. I'd have to walk to the next overpass and then walk back to this overpass and it's hot and I've got a heavy bag. Plus I'm exhausted and emotionally drained.

- I used my last quarter to call the hotel. I go to a nearby different hotel and ask them to call me a cab. I'm on the line and telling the girl I need a cab. She tells me to hold on. I sit waiting there forever. Finally she says, "Hello?" She didn't say to hold! I don't know what she said, but she was waiting for me!!! Oh haha, what a hilarious misunderstanding!!!!?!?!?!

- The cab finally arrives. Guess what? I don't have any cash. He has to take me to an ATM on the way there. We finally get to the hotel. The cab ride cost me $8. Unbelievable.

- After I called the hotel I must have dropped the coupon cause it's gone now! Thankfully the lady believes me and gives me the discounted rate.

Wednesday, September 2nd

- I get in touch with the Modesto Toyota that screwed me over. The guy is apologetic and wants to help. I tell him to call the Medford Toyota cause it's costing me extra to use my cellphone. I'm so pissed off at them. He says he will.

- That afternoon Medford Toyota calls and says they have my car ready. Guess what was wrong? The valve was dirty. Yes, the valve was dirty! He cleaned it and said it's running fine. I ask if the Modesto guys called him. They didn't. I hate them.

- The shuttle picks me up to get my car. The guy driving says he didn't have time to give my car the complimentary car wash. Thanks for letting me know. I didn't even know I would get a free car wash. Way to rub it in!

Thursday, September 3rd

- I drive all the way home. No engine light. No oil light. Those Modesto guys totally screwed me. I don't even think I needed that gear replaced, those idiots! I'm furious, but happy to be home.

Wednesday, November 19th

- I drive to Seattle to catch a flight to Atlanta for the National Youth Worker's Convention. 1.5 hours there the engine light comes on. Oh no.................

- I pull over and let my car cool down. After half and hour of playing sudoku I start it up again. The light is off so I drive again. After 15 minutes it's back on. I pull over and check my oil and wait again.

- The light doesn't come back on. I'm pretty close to my destination. The oil light comes on. I'm so frustrated I don't even care. I keep driving. The car isn't sounding good, but I made it to the hotel where I'm going to park and fly.

Monday, November 23rd

- I arrive back in Seattle, get my car and drive to a different hotel. I don't have time to take my car in on Monday so I'll have to do it Tuesday. Another night spent in a hotel $$$.

Tuesday, November 24th

- I bring my car to Burien Toyota. The lights aren't coming on for some reason, but whatever. I explain the situation (even all the Modesto and Medford fiascoes) and wait in the waiting room.

- The guy comes in and tells me, get this, I need to replace the actuator gear. What a dick! I told him that's exactly what happened to me before and that wasn't the problem. He backtracks and says I probably just need to make sure my car is full of oil at all times. As it burns away there isn't enough to get up to the actuator. He fills up my car with oil. I drive home with no more problems! Thanks for nothing $100 later. Well at least I know to always have oil on hand.

- I totally get lost trying to get back on the I-5 from Burien. It's rush hour and just when I think I know where I'm going I hit construction and have to take this wonky detour that is labeled so poorly!

- I stop at Best Buy to see if they have Rockband 2 for the Wii. I haven't been able to find it anywhere. They have it in stock! I take it to the counter and as the lady is explaining the warranty to me she stops talking. I ask her to repeat it. She starts talking and then stops again. Then I could see she was shaking. Next comes swaying back and forth and her eyes roll back into her head.

- She completely passes out right in front of me and hits the wall behind her. I have no clue what to do. I feel awkward touching this girl I don't know. I yell for the greeter person to come over. Finally she comes and calls people to help. I moved some stuff behind the girl so she'd be able to lie down. It was so weird. Then as their trying to revive this girl, another lady finishes ringing me up, haha. I felt so insensitive buying something while this girl is passed out on the floor. She was okay in the end. She came to and they took her to the back.

And that's the end of the oil light drama for now.
Although, I did manage to overheat my brother's car in Revelstoke in the middle of a huge snowfall.
Good times.

It's Late

2010-01-30T01:56:00.000-08:00

Where have I been?

There have been a number of factors distracting me. The biggest one is definitely Amy. Here is why:

1. I would often write late in the evening. Now I'm with Amy pretty much every evening. And it's never just hang out with Amy. I can't do other things while I'm with her because she wants me to be present. I understand that. I want her attention too.

2. Most of the time when an idea comes to my mind that I could write about, I end up sharing it with Amy. Then it loses its fizzle. I don't feel an urgent need to tell others because I've already outed it.

3. It takes a lot of mental energy for me to write. It takes time for me to stop what I'm doing and just ponder and ruminate on ideas and thoughts. Most of my mental energy is being invested in Amy now. When I get home my mind just wants to shut off.

I don't think these are bad things. They are normal. This is the new reality. I am adjusting. I love Amy more than I do blogging.

I think I should be writing more though. Amy hates when I ramble on about mundane things (cross one letter in Amy Hales and you get Amy Hates). Previously I could vent all those things on the internet and she could filter out what she wanted to hear and what she didn't. Now she can't. It's time to start writing again.

I've got a lot on my mind. So many things are running through it. I need to share.

Amy isn't the only distraction. Everything with my dad's cancer and passing has had a profound effect on me. It's unearthed feelings I didn't realize were there. I've had many dreams where we freely converse with one another. It's been a very long time since we've been able to talk like that. I've also been having many other dreams regarding his memorial. This is a weird time.

And life as a youth pastor is not as cohesive as I'd like it to be. I feel scattered, flying by the seat of my pants, and spinning more plates than I can handle.

But I love God more than ever. I'm glad he pushed me when I fell. He's the only one in this room who really knows what's going on. I like to think I completely trust him.

That's all I have to say right now.

All the Things that Went Wrong - Part Six

2009-11-07T21:23:00.000-08:00

Day Six - Sunday, August 30th

- Slept in. Felt refreshed. Happy we would soon be on our way home. "I'm guessing no one has told you yet," Matt reluctantly says from the other bed, "The oil light came back on last night." My world slowly begins to crumble. The stress and pressure of this whole trip has now become too much. I sit up on the bed trying to figure out what to do, but my brain is mush.

- I decide to call some of the wiser ones in our church for advice. When I use the hotel phone, it won't allow me to call long distance with Visa.

- I try calling collect. No one is answering. I can't get a hold of anyone.

- I must use my cellphone which costs a ridiculous amount of money. I get a hold of Ted and ask if I can call him back collect. He agrees.

- As I'm waiting for the automated system to kick in, emotionally I start to lose it. I begin to think when I hear his voice I am going to break down crying. The system prompts me to say my name after the beep. I started saying my name before the beep. It beeps. I burst out in laughter, knowing that I've screwed it up and it's going to sound funny for Ted. My mood is lightened.

- Ted suggests either taking it to a mechanic or leaving it behind and getting it shipped up north. That's going to cost a ridiculous amount of money.

- As we begin to look for a mechanic in Redding we discover nothing is open because it is Sunday. Would they even be able to help us today anyways? I need to get people home who have to work tomorrow.

- I think it was Matt at this point who suggested we transfer the SUV from my name to the other leaders. That way they can drive it back tonight, and Matt and I can stay with my car in Redding and take it in tomorrow. Brilliant plan!

- We call Alamo. There is no Alamo in Redding and we need to go in person to transfer the names. I ask where the nearest Alamo is. They don't know and they can't tell me. They couldn't tell me where any Alamo's were!?! All they said was they are at major airports, but the next closest airport we could think of was Portland and that's too far to drive. Scrap that plan!

- We try calling Greyhound to see if we can bus the workers home today. No one is answering the phone.

- We drive to Greyhound. It's going to cost quite a bit and it's going to take all night, which would leave the workers exhausted.

- We decide to check out a rental car place to see if we can rent a car for the workers to drive home, because the SUV I've rented can only be driven by me. After much searching we find open rental places at the Redding airport. It's going to cost quite a bit, and then I realize the SUV needs to be back tomorrow or else that will cost a lot as well.

- At the airport a lady there mentions there's an airport in Medford, Oregon (about 2 hours away). It dawns on me, "Maybe there's an Alamo there?" I ask where a payphone is. She says it's around the corner, but it's probably not working. Sure enough, it is broken.

- Thankfully the guy at the convenience shop thingy says I can use his phone. I call Alamo. They have a place in Medford! I now have to make the decision: Do we risk driving my car through the mountains for 2 hrs or come up with another option? I decide to risk it!

- After a highly anxious 2 hours of driving we pull into the Medford airport. My car has made the journey! But it sounds absolutely awful. I fear we have damaged something internally.

- We go in and begin the process of changing the names over. It's taking awhile, but the weight is lifting off my shoulders. I can't believe we've finally got this figured out! After about 30 mins of paperwork and discussion the agent looks at me and says, "Oh, we can't add additional drivers to minivans or SUV's if they are under 25." All of my leaders are under 25. We cannot transfer the vehicle over. We risked driving all this way for NOTHING!!! The weight suddenly comes slamming down on my shoulders.

- Now I have to come up with another option. I begin looking at the prospect of shipping my car. I look at plane tickets. I consider spending the night in Medford with everyone. Amanda gets in touch with her dad who is willing to drive down and pick us up. At this point it's past noon. I have to extend the reservation on the SUV but the Alamo guy can't do it. I have to call the Alamo in Vancouver. It takes forever, but I get through to them and extend it.

- Then I come up with the final plan. I'll leave my car in the parking lot. I will rent a car. Shane will drive it and I will drive the SUV. Tomorrow I will return the SUV and drive the rented car back to Medford by myself. I'll bring my car in to a mechanic here in Medford and figure it all out there. It's going to be a long drive back to BC though. I call back the Alamo in Vancouver and they take away my extension thankfully.

- As I'm renting the car, I'm telling the lady my story. She has sympathy on me and reduces the rate. Then she says, "You're really holding up well under all this." At those words I crack emotionally. I can feel the tears coming on, but I don't want to break down in front of her. We finish the transaction and as I'm walking away I start bawling.

- Now we're finally on the road. I am so relieved to have finally come up with something that sorta works. We realize we can't drive the rental car into Canada so we have to leave it near Blaine and have someone pick us up. Garritt graciously agrees to help us. Because we've left so late we won't get there until 2am.

- Around 11pm I start getting tired. Really tired. I consider pulling over for the night, but then Matt starts talking to me and I snap out of it.

- Garritt says he'll meet us as Blaine Airport. I say okay. I've never been there, but we have Lola (the GPS) to guide us. As we're nearing Blaine Airport, Garritt calls and says he's waiting for us...at the Bellingham Airport! Which we passed 10 mins ago!!!! Thankfully we find a Park & Ride. I call Garritt and tell him to meet us there. He drives by it a couple times, but finally finds us.

The End.
Check in on Monday for follow-up things that went wrong!
And stay tuned for "All the Things that Went Right"...

It's Been Too Long

2009-11-03T21:52:00.001-08:00

Hello my friends...

You're probably wondering where I've been. Or maybe you haven't.

Turns out I've been using fairy magic to heal and rejuvenate young animals.

Well I want you to know that I have decided to return to the blogosphere with renewed passion and vigor.

So be looking for the thrilling conclusion to All the Things That Went Wrong by the end of this week!

Love, Dan

All the Things that Went Wrong - Part Five

2009-09-24T10:28:00.000-07:00

Day Five - Saturday, August 29th

- Wake up at 10am thinking we probably won't leave until after lunch. Then questions start entering my head. What time does the dealership in Modesto close? How far is it even to Modesto from here? Can I get my oil changed at the dealership while we're there already? Where are we going to take Marie to get her checked out? Oh man! I better find out when the dealership closes!

- The internet tells me it's about 5 hours to Modesto. I call the dealership. They say my car is ready to go for the trip back to Canada. I ask when they close. "5pm," he says. Oh no! By this time it's about 10:30. No one else is awake. To be safe, we need to leave by 11 to make sure we get my car.

- I make the call to send Matt, Shane, and Amanda ahead of the rest of us to get my car. We have to do this because someone has to take Marie into a medical clinic. The three depart much the same way the Fellowship had to split and send Sam and Frodo on to Mordor. We all cry and hug (just kidding).

- Now we try to find a clinic that's open. It's Saturday. Nothing is open. Thankfully we finally find one place that is nearby even. I sent Lola on ahead with the Three so I'm left to find it with my map reading abilities. I take a couple wrong turns. We eventually make it there.

- While at the clinic, Marie says she needs to pee. I say to the receptionist, "Is there a toilet here we can use?" The girls are humiliated.

- Marie gets a shot in her bum. She has cellulitis and possibly even meningitis. As I'm paying the receptionist, Marie talks to her Mom on the phone. Mom starts freaking out because the insurance place is supposed to pay the clinic, not me. I tell her the clinic doesn't deal with insurance places. We have to send in the receipts. Mom doesn't believe me. I call insurance company. They say they'll call the clinic. I tell them they said I have to pay and we send the receipts to you. Insurance person agrees and says, "Okay, we'll send you the forms to mail in the receipts." Simple as that. I forget to ask if medication is covered. I call insurance place back. They confirm it is covered. Away we go to buy drugs.

- While waiting for prescription to be filled I go and get the oil changed. I meet up with them at Subway expecting them to have already gotten the drugs so we can go. After eating I discover they don't have them yet, so we have to go back to the store and pick them up.

- The Three arrive at the hotel in Redding at 9pm with my car. My vehicle still have 4 more tiring hours of driving to do. Thankfully my car is working again...or is it?

All the Things that Went Wrong - Part Four

2009-09-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

Day Four - Friday, August 28th

- Amanda doesn't fair well on some of the rides. She goes on Space Mountain. Now she's not feeling so good.

- While waiting to get into the Tiki Room some of the group decide to line up for pineapple smoothies. The doors open and we go inside while they are still in line. Then the doors close. They missed out on such a magnificent show!

- Marie's rash has gotten worse and there's a red swollen area on her ankle. She starts hobbling around.

- Eventually we make the call to once again go to the first aid place to get it checked out. Of all the people on our trip, Marie is the only one who isn't sure about her travel insurance. The nurse says she thinks it's cellulitis. Not good. She wants us to get it checked out right away.

- We try to call Marie's parents but the phone at the first aid place won't work properly. Finally we get them with my cellphone (not the cheapest solution). We wander around for a bit trying to decide what to do. We receive confirmation from Marie's parents they do have insurance. We decide to wait until the next day to go into a clinic. Marie rides around on Chelsea's lap the rest of the night. (So this doesn't sound that bad, but believe me it was super stressful trying to figure out what to do!)

- Realizing I haven't had any alone time this whole trip, and that it's probably going to be a gong show getting to Fantasmic again, I decide to take off on my own. Fantasmic is good, but there is no giant dragon!!! They were working on replacing the old dragon with a new one, but the new one wasn't working quite right. Plus the spot I had was standing room only and my legs were killing me.

- While I was gone, the group got split up between the two parks. Amanda wasn't feeling well so her and Matt went back to the car to rest. She had most of the tickets (because we would collect them to get FastPasses) so not everyone can get into Disneyland. Some of the youth rush to the tram to go to the parking lot to find them. However, they actually hadn't left for the parking lot yet. They just got separated in the crowds. Some of the youth go inside to get seats for Fantasmic, while the others wait for the other tickets to get in. As predicted by me, it is a giant gong show. Eventually I think the other youth did find the ones waiting for Fantasmic, but Matt and Amanda enjoyed the rest of their evening in the parking lot.

- I have a FastPass to go on Space Mountain one last time. While I'm waiting in the corridor, all of a sudden it becomes really quiet. Someone behind me says, "They better not have shut it down." Shortly after a voice comes over the speaker announcing the ride has been shut down for the rest of the night!

All the Things that Went Wrong - Part Three

2009-09-22T12:58:00.000-07:00

Day Three - Thursday, August 27th

- We needed to go to the church we were staying at to get the keys. It took us a lot longer to get there than I had anticipated. Traffic was brutal through LA. Finally we made it to the I-5, but that too was backed up. We weren't too far from our exit, so I took an earlier one. Driving through La Habra took so long with all the lights.

- Anaheim experiences its hottest days of the year. Temperatures are around 38 degrees. I sweat profusely.

- Our day at Disneyland went incredibly well, until the evening when Chelsea trips on a curb and slams her knee into the pavement.

- After walking around for a bit I make the call to take Chelsea in to first aid because it's swelling up quite a bit and she is having trouble walking. The group says they'll find seats for Fantasmic while we hobble over to first aid.

- The first aid people want to clean Chelsea's knee, but they need parental consent. You see, Chelsea is the only one under 18. Of all the people on our trip, she is the only one who needs parental consent. Oh guess what? I left all the parental consent forms in the van. Thankfully she calls her mom and gets the permission she needs...for them to simply clean her knee!!!

- Now Chelsea is in a wheelchair the rest of the night. We zip over to Fantasmic to find the others. We're not sure if they have even saved us seats. As we get there I get a text from Shane saying they're waiting for us at first aid. Hey, thanks for letting us know you didn't get seats so we wouldn't have had to race over there through all the crowds and wheelchairing!

- So we missed Fantasmic, but we did get seats for the fireworks. April and Rebecca went to get ice cream. I knew they were cutting it close. The fireworks started and they were nowhere to be seen. After the fireworks they found us.

- Realizing we could use Chelsea in the wheelchair to get onto rides faster, we raced over to Thunder Mountain. You can only take 5 people with a wheelchair person onto the rides so some of us sat back and waited. They were almost on the roller coaster when it got shut down!

- We still had fast passes for Splash Mountain so we raced over there to get one last ride. Just as we get there we discovered it too has been shut down due to mechanical failures.

- By this time it's late and I'm tired so we decide to go back to the church.

- The church has no A/C and it is freaking hot. Oh, and the ceiling fans only work when the lights are on. Genius!

- Shane left to find some food for our breakfast. He doesn't come back for like an hour. The first place he went had nothing good and it took him awhile to find someplace else.

- Just as people are getting ready for bed I hear Marie say, "I've got a rash on my leg." To be continued...

All the Things that Went Wrong - Part Two

2009-09-05T16:23:00.000-07:00

Day Two - Wednesday, August 26

- Rather than pulling into McDonalds for breakfast, I pulled into the taco place right beside it. Everyone made fun of me.

- While leaving McDonalds this lady in another car was making funny gestures at me. I rolled down the window to her screaming, "You're going the wrong way! This is one way!!!" I didn't really care. The lane was big enough for 3 cars.

- At noon my vehicle arrived at some small little town on the I-5 for lunch. The other car was about 30 mins behind us. They texted to let me know the oil light had come on AND the engine light was now on as well.

- When they caught up to us we decided to use Chelsea's GPS to find a nearby Toyota dealership. The GPS's name was Lola. Lola told us we had to drive 30 mins back the way we came. After eating lunch that's exactly what we did.

- So we drove back to Manteca, California. As we approached the destination I noticed multiple car dealerships. We were on the right track...until we passed where Lola said to go and saw no Toyota places. So we drove around the block and looked again. Sure enough, Lola had led us astray. There was no Toyota place.

- The nearest Toyota dealership was in Modesto. 30 mins in another direction!

- When we brought the car in, the guys there seemed like idiots. They said it'd be a couple hours before they'd be able to look at it, so we went to Starbucks and waited.

- After 2 hours I got the good news. The VVTi Actuator gear was on its last legs and needed to be replaced. Unfortunately they didn't have that part, but they could get it in tomorrow. We needed to be at Disneyland tomorrow. So we left the car there, rented another one, and away we went. It was 5pm by the time we left. We were supposed to be in Malibu by 5:30!

- We were driving through Fresno when we decided to stop for supper. The other car chose when to get off and I remember thinking in my head, "I hope they choose an okay part of town." Fresno has got some rough areas. We pulled over into Burger King. It was sketcky. Matt even found a crack pipe in the bathroom.

- As we neared the Los Angeles area, Chelsea gave Lola the Houweling's address. Now, there are a lot of things that went wrong in this situation. I can't really explain all the things that were going through my mind, but I didn't trust Lola at this point. Not just because of the Manteca Toyota fiasco, but because I was under the impression the Houweling's address was too new for the GPS to recognize it. Anyways, Lola kept telling me to turn, but we were nowhere near the off-ramp Casey told me to take, so I ignored her.

- We were following the directions Casey gave me, but I made a critical error. On the google map highway 118 turns into 23. But I could see that the 118 continued, except on google maps it wasn't a major highway. After 118 we were to connect onto the 101. If we had continued on the 118 it did connect to the 101 but you would have to backtrack to get to the exit we needed. The 23 also connected with the 101. Okay, this is all really confusing to explain, but logically it made more sense looking at the map that I should follow the 23. I thought that Casey didn't realize the 118 turned into the 23. Alright! This is so complicated, but that actually wasn't the critical error. But these are my thoughts going through my sleep-depraved, stress-ridden, 11pm night driving brain.

- THE critical error happened as we went to connect with the 101. We were on the phone with the Houwelings just as we were coming up to it and I got confused. I could either go North to Ventura or South to Los Angeles. The confusing part was that on the map highway 101 goes East to West! I knew I needed to go West, but I didn't know if it was Northwest or Southwest. Uggh! So we asked for help over the phone and they said, "South to Los Angeles!" Now, that would have been the right direction if we had continued on the 118 and were now hitting the 101, but that is not where we were. The Houwelings did not realize we were on the 23. And so we went South, when we should have gone NORTH!!!

- As we began going South I knew we weren't going in the right direction according to the map, but I thought to myself, "The map must be incorrect because the address is too new." By the way, Lola was completely freaking out at us, because she actually knew the right way to go. The address wasn't too new, as I had been made to believe, and Lola even knew the fastest way to get there, which was to turn way earlier than Casey's directions had said.

- After driving for 20 mins I realized we were way off course and turned around. We made it to the Houwelings at about midnight. It was so ridiculous. If we had followed Lola's directions we would have gotten there at around 10:40. When we told Casey about Lola he said, "Oh yeah, you should have followed her. I've never actually driven here from that direction."

- Estimated time of arrival in Malibu: 5:30pm. Actual time of arrival: Midnight.

- Finally able to fall asleep at around 1am I heard a chime. Shane and I wake up, "Was that a clock or the doorbell?" Pretty odd for the doorbell to be ringing at 1am. Then comes a knock at our door. Shane gets up. There are two police at the door letting us know we've left the lights on on our van!

All the Things that Went Wrong - Part One

2009-08-26T23:59:00.000-07:00

To truly appreciate the grad trip I just took my youth on, you must first hear all the misfortunes that befell us along the way...

Day One - Tuesday, August 25th

- I told Marie to meet us at the church at 7:30am. I told everyone else 8am. This is because Marie has a reputation for arriving late. Marie arrives at the church at 7:34. No one is there. She is forced to wait outside 20 mins until someone else shows up.

- The line I chose for the border crossing moved twice as slow as the line beside me. I'm not even exaggerating. It took us probably 30 mins to get across.

- Almost immediately we hit traffic. It took forever to get through it. We hadn't even hit Bellingham yet and we'd left the church 2 hours ago.

- We stopped at Wendy's for some lunch just past Tacoma. Tessa decides to do some handstands outside. Seems harmless?

- The odometer screen on my rental van changes to "4% oil life"

- I pass Shane on the highway. He has just been pulled over for speeding.

- We stop in Roseburg for supper at IHOP. Tessa realizes her wallet is missing. Whilst doing handstands at Wendy's she placed her wallet beside a tree...and left it there.

- Tessa and I find a payphone to solve the oil and wallet situations. Rental company tells me I need to change the oil on their vehicle. Unbelievable. We decide to continue driving and change it on the way back home.

- Tessa tries to find the phone number for the Wendy's, but we have no clue what street it was on. The operator puts her through to the Wendy's in the mall (which we clearly said was not the one we wanted). We find a map in a nearby bookstore and discover it is on Bridgeport rd. and call directory assistance again. They patch us through to the right place, but unfortunately the wallet is nowhere to be seen. Tessa had all her money for the trip in that wallet.

- IHOP is out of chicken strips and tilapia.

- IHOP takes ages to bring our food out. A stop I figured would take 1 hour turns into 2+ hours.

- Shane texts me saying the oil light has come on. Nice joke, Shane.

- No really, the oil light has come on on my car. I thought he was referring to how the rental car needed an oil change. They check the oil and there's plenty. The car sounds fine and isn't getting hot, so I make the decision to keep driving it until Redding.

- Whilst passing a car going down a hill, a pair of headlights come on from the side of the road. I predict I will soon be pulled over. Sure enough the car comes up behind me, follows for awhile, and then on come the lights. I act as innocently as possible, admit I was speeding, and fortunately get off with a warning.

- Estimated time of arrival in Redding: 10pm. Actual time of arrival: 12pm.

The Ghost in the Post - Part Eight

2009-08-23T20:49:00.000-07:00

"Hey!" Dan yelled.

"What's your problem??!" The Ghost in the Post replied.

"Where did my last two posts go???"

"Hmmm? I don't have the foggiest clue what you're going on about..."

"I wrote two posts this weekend. One on the rich guy at Subway and the other about GI Joe. Where did they go?!"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Because you're the one who always makes my posts disappear and it's really frustrating my readers!"

"Hmm, I thought you didn't believe in me....in any case, I think they might just reappear tomorrow..........."

"Stupid Post Ghost!"

GI Joe - The Rise of Cobra

2009-08-22T23:49:00.000-07:00

So I finally saw the GI Joe movie with my brothers tonight, and I've gotta say...it exceeded expectations!

I thought it was going to be a huge pile of crap, but it turned out to be a sweet-smelling pile of crap! As expected the dialogue was stupid, the plot was preposterous, the special effects were lacking, and the humour was so forced. Marlon Wayans had the most ridiculous lines and was not funny at all. His relationship with Scarlett was unbelievable. Uggh, it was so lame.

However, I have to say, I enjoyed every minute of the film! As a GI Joe fanatic as a child, it touched on so many of the elements I loved in the toy and cartoon. Unlike the Transformers movie, this one made the movie all about the GI Joes and Cobra. They had a lot of favorite characters, and I look forward to the sequels so we can be introduced to more of them. Where was Gung-Ho, Major Bludd, the Dreadnocks, Lt. Falcon? Obviously there are too many characters to bring into one movie, so I understand that we'll have to wait for them. I loved seeing Dr. Mindbender thrown in there, but I didn't like Brendan Fraser. I don't really like him as an actor, and in this movie he played a newer GI Joe that was added just recently. Not sure why they wanted to have him as a cameo.

I thought they were going to overuse the accelerator suits, but thankfully they were only there for a short bit. I like how they took advantage of the vehicles and weapons like with the toys. They were ridiculous and fun, and completely implausible but who cares? I knew they could only make this film if they kept it ridiculous, because the characters could never be taken seriously. And they did keep it ridiculous.

I loved it, I can't wait for the sequels!

The Rich Man and Subway

2009-08-21T23:07:00.000-07:00

I went to Subway tonight and I realized as they were making my sandwich, the guy had to skip over 2 other sandwiches that were just sitting there. I wondered whose sandwiches they were, until I saw this rich looking guy sitting casually by the window reading a paper.

After my sandwich was complete the Subway guy said the rich guy, "Excuse me sir, what would you like on your sandwich?"

I thought that was rather odd. This rich guy ordered two sandwiches and then sat down while he waited for them to be finished. Obviously he had never been to Subway before. I wonder what brought him to stoop so low as to enter this franchise restaurant in the first place.

"I'll have whatever goes on the sandwich!" The rich man barked in frustration.

Subway guy sheepishly replied, "Here you have to choose what toppings you want..."

"I don't give a sh*# what you put on it!" Snapped the rich man as he answered his ringing phone.

As I began to eat my sandwich I heard him comply and say what he wanted, all the while still talking on his phone trying to make some business deal.

When he went to pay for his food I noticed him look down at the ground. I could see a penny at his feet. He reached down and grabbed the penny.

I wondered to myself, "What is he going to do with a penny?" If it was me I would have either put it in the tip jar or thrown it in the garbage (I hate pennies by the way, more on that later!) What do you think he did?

Yeah, he put it in his pocket and walked away.

Options

2009-08-19T23:07:00.000-07:00

It's good to have options...or is it?

I get overwhelmed by the amount of options I have to choose from. It might be easier if the options were narrowed down to 2 or 3 (or even 15-20). But the options are almost limitless!

Take for example movies. There are thousands and thousands of movies out there. I can't keep up with all the ones I want to watch. I will never be able to see all the movies I want to see. So in the face of all these options I shut down and watch no movies. Or I should say I watch movies on the spur of the moment.

And when will it end with buying movies? Instead of renting a movie for 5 dollars I can buy it for 10. So I buy a lot of movies. But now I have all these movies, many I haven't even watched yet, and others that I'm not even sure I will watch again. That's why I stopped buying DVD's. Although I did buy one on Monday...

And the same is said for video games, books, online video clips, and music. Sooooo many options.

That's only one aspect of my life. What about all the other millions of options I have before me? Where to invest? What to wear? What to eat? Who to hang out with? Where to travel? What to do with my life?

I'm preaching this Sunday and it's sooooo hard to narrow things down, because there are so many options. Which direction do I head in? I could read and read and read for months and still not get everything there is to get from that one small passage of Scripture.

So how do I choose?

Kevin told me about the difference between living here and living in Madagascar. One thing that struck him was the shift and attitude towards options. Here we have too many options. We can't juggle them all. There, they have very little options. When they would go to the grocery store they couldn't choose which cereal they wanted to buy. They would show up and see, oh I guess we're eating Cheerios this week, because that's all they had.

And there mission had very little money or resources. So anything that they had they used to its fullest potential. Whenever they got something new they asked, "How can we use this to help people?" And they would find a use for it. Every dollar they had was stretched to help as many people as possible. Because they had no choice.

Here, we get something new and our first thought is ourselves. How will this benefit me? Our money is not used to its fullest. It is so abundant we spend on it whatever we want without much thought.

Inconvenience Store

I don't know what else to say, or where I'm going with this. I am just beginning to wrestle. I don't like having so many options. It shuts me down. But on the other hand, I like them because they keep me safe, and because I'm rich and healthy. It's easy to keep things the way they are. Hmm, I'll stop there...

Jesus Again...

2009-08-16T22:46:00.000-07:00

In regards to a previous post, Conor wrote,

"Is such a "pure" and disincarnate encounter with the historically real person of Jesus really possible?"

Hmm, yes and no. Although I don't know what disincarnate means. Are you saying because we don't have a bodily Jesus here? I assume that's what you mean...

Okay I have been thinking about this a lot this week, but I'm just going to say a few simple things.

I think that God has always been interested in relationship with humanity. That's how it was in the beginning. I think even all the priests and sacrifices and temple were meant to facilitate relationship.

However, with time we always fall into a business type relationship with God that isn't right. And that's what happened with the Old Testament way of relating to God. It became a transaction that was hollow. People weren't interested in God, they were interested in getting their way.

So God put an end to all that with Jesus. When Jesus came he shut down all those things (which was the plan all along). The plan was for the Messiah to come to restore that relationship on a deeper level.

Okay, so how do we have that relationship with a Jesus that is not bodily with us?

Partly it's personal. In that sense I do believe we can have a pure relationship with Jesus. He is alive and his Spirit is present. He speaks truth directly to us and guides us. However, we also are fallible and finite and can confuse those words with our own biases and desires.

We also have that relationship through community and tradition. Jesus left his disciples to pass on this faith and teaching. We need community to discern what is truth. We need time, history, and stories to give our faith weight and meaning. However, if that community and tradition becomes a business transaction, we've fallen into that trap that Jesus came to get us out of.

So basically that's what I'm saying. I do think that we connect with God through ritual, teaching from others, community, service, prayer, Scripture, art, nature, work, rest, etc, etc. However, when we get stuck in the rut of, "Am I doing all the right things to get to heaven???" we miss the whole point. That is what I associate "religion" with. The goal should be relationship with God, rather than selfish pursuits. God made that simpler for us by becoming a human that we can relate to.

What do you think?

Caught Again...

2009-08-14T23:55:00.000-07:00

I'm caught in another online phenomenon. Yes, Farmville is controlling my life! My brain is trying to think of creative ways I can design my farm by planting certain coloured crops in special formations. But first I have to raise money, and that'll take about a week for me to get enough cash to start playing around.

The odd thing is, I've only been playing it for a couple days, and today as I came out of the church I noticed the trees around it. I've seen them lots before, but I'd say this is the first time I opened my eyes to them. There's this set of trees that have bright red berries on them that I never noticed before. They look really neat. I'm glad some people from my church put in that effort.

Then I drove to someone's house and couldn't help noticing all the different plants and trees and how they were arranged. It's funny that a video game is teaching me to appreciate nature...

Random Attraction Update

2009-08-13T11:01:00.000-07:00

If I ever get to meet Randene Neill, I'm sure I'd react the same way as Ginger.

Not sure who thought this was a good idea...

Losing Friends

2009-08-12T21:37:00.000-07:00

On Facebook the number of friends I have fluctuates quite often, but it confuses me a little bit. I understand that some people are deleting me as friends so that makes my numbers go down. And of course I make new friends which makes my numbers go up.

But sometimes...my numbers go up and I haven't added any new friends!!! I'm not really sure what is happening there, but I think it's weird.

Some people I know regularly weed people off their facebook friends list. I don't. I have lots of people on my list that I never talk to and/or haven't even seen for years. But I like to keep them on my list so I can stalk them when I'm bored. It's fun looking through other people's photos. Just sayin'...

I don't mind if they go through my pictures. I'm don't put anything on my facebook page that I'm ashamed of. Sometimes I consider altering my page though, so it looks like I'm something I'm not. That way all the facebook stalkers can have something to tell their family and friends about. "Did you see what Dan's been up to??!? His status says he's single, but he's got pictures of himself with 13 kids!!!"

When I changed my birthday on facebook, that was a little taste of what goes on in my mind on a regular basis. If I'm walking down the street, I often think about doing something weird and random just so people can have a story to tell when they get home. "This guy walking down the street today for no reason ripped his shirt off and started air-punching!!! It was the greatest thing EVER!!!!!"

Yup, I definitely foresee some changes for my facebook page in the near future...

Clear the Table

2009-08-09T13:50:00.000-07:00

The priests, the laws, the temple, the sacrifices were all necessary to connect us with God.
But their usefulness proved to be temporary.
So God swept them off the table and introduced us to Jesus.
We no longer need religion to connect us with God.
We deal with Jesus now.

Satellite Conference

2009-08-07T19:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday and Today I went to a conference called The Leadership Summit. It's put on by Willow Creek and has quite a stacked list of speakers. I quite enjoyed most of it and walked away with some good insights.

However, here are some of my nitpickings, haha....

1. The actual conference happens in Chicago. We got to watch it via Satellite at a large church in Langley. Yesterday there were a number of times when the audio did not sync with the video. That was very distracting. Especially when we're trying to sing along with their worship team and their mouths are not moving to the words.

2. It is really weird singing while being led on a big screen with no actual band before you. Our crowd has no real interaction with their crowd. We are being led in worship by no one actually present. It was almost robotic. Not sure how else to describe it. And at one point I realized everyone here is singing praises to a giant tv screen. We are all facing forward looking at people that cannot see us. No one is actually looking into our eyes. We are all drones facing forward. Another weird thing about it was the volume was quite low, so sometimes I couldn't even really hear the band except for the drums. That was really awkward whenever they sang a song not many people knew.

3. People would clap. Why? Why do people clap? I often clap because I want the speaker to know I agree with them or that they have done an excellent job. The speaker cannot hear us clapping, so why are people clapping at our satellite sites? I can kinda understand at the end of a speech, because you're emotionally enthused and want to express that. I get that. However, it baffled me when people would clap to introduce a speaker. Once again, who is hearing your clapping? Haha.

4. There's a time delay. Chicago is in a different time zone. Essentially we are not watching this live, we are watching a taped version of what happened earlier that day. There is a lot of hype for us seeing this the same day, but whatever. And when you think of the time delay you realize, this band leading me in worship isn't even playing instruments or singing right now. We are being led by a video.

5. K, this next one is a bit tricky. I understand this is a big conference and you want people who are qualified to teach about good leadership. So every Pastor that was a speaker or guest came from a fairly large church. In fact, most had the church attendance number beside their name. Why? This to me says, a Pastor of a church of 100 is not a successful leader. They don't have what it takes to speak to me about Leadership. That bothers me. Well, they say a successful church grows...umm, hmm. Man, there are some incredible Pastors that have small congregations and I really think they need to be honoured and put on the same level as the megachurch Pastors. That's all I'm saying.

Thanks for listening to my negativity. Now here some good stuff:

1. At first it sounded like they were going to say structure your churches after big business, but I quickly realized they were saying we need to be innovative like many companies are today. Many companies today are thriving on a flat, grass-roots model that is not hierarchical like things have been for the past while. They also talked a lot about flipping your perceptions, changing conversations, and simple solutions. That surprised me.

2. I needed to hear many of the things said. I was shaken and inspired. I have some fresh ideas for this next year of youth ministry. I learned some things about myself that I need to work on.

3. I forgot I would probably see people I knew at this thing. It was really neat seeing a lot of people I hadn't seen in a long time.

4. The food was excellent.

Will I go next year? Hmm, I didn't want to go this year, so I'll say probably not. But who knows...

I Don't Know What I'm Doing

2009-08-05T22:21:00.000-07:00

I feel really clueless these days.

Well, that's not the proper adjective, because I do have lots of clues. I feel uncertain. I have a good foundation, and I have a lot going for me. But it's like, I don't know what to do.

Part of it is my tendency to run away. Although, I rarely do run away. Commitment is what makes me tick. My real problem is letting go.

So maybe I should run away? I don't know what I'm doing.

But even if I ran away, I wouldn't know what to do in that new place either, so what was the point of running away in the first place.

So let's just keep praying.

You know the Christmas song that goes, "Oh come let us adore him"? So the obvious meaning is "hey, let's go and worship Jesus" but sometimes when I sing it I think of as pleading to God or Mary and Joseph. So the secondary meaning is "please, let us in so we can praise Jesus!"

But this time I mean the first meaning,
"Oh Come, Let us Adore Him!"

The Post Ghost

2009-08-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

"You might not believe in me, but I believe in you!"

The Ghost in the Post

2009-08-02T22:19:00.000-07:00

I don't believe in ghosts.

It's My Birthday!!!

2009-07-31T22:52:00.000-07:00

I don't care.

Why throw a party? I'm not good at throwing parties, and I never enjoy parties I throw because I'm always thinking about the details, and worrying if everyone is having a good time. I'd rather someone throw a party for me. But some people suck at throwing parties too and I don't want those people to throw a party for me, but how do I say, "hey don't throw a party for me, cause you suck at it."?

And I don't like opening presents in front of people. I never respond genuinely cause it's always awkward for me. I don't like it.

And even though I do like attention, I sorta don't like it. Yeah, it's an odd thing.

And now I feel old. I don't like feeling old.

Meh. Happy Birthday to me!

ps. it's not actually my birthday yet, but it's coming up. i didn't intend to mislead you...

My Latest Move

2009-07-30T16:30:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I learned about this incredible move you can do when cheering. It's called "Air-Punching". Why did I never think of it before??!? When I was at camp I took advantage of my new move and used it whenever appropriate. I will definitely be air-punching this Saturday at the Fireworks!!!

If you'd like to see an excellent example of air-punching, click here to see this article where I first discovered it.

Family Guy

2009-07-29T21:26:00.000-07:00

I have never liked Family Guy. I've given it a shot on a number of occasions. There have been a few chuckles. But on the whole, I don't get why people think it's so funny.

There's something just empty about it. Maybe it goes for cheap laughs all the time. I think that's why I don't like it. So, I didn't like it very much and then I watched the South Park episode where they make fun of Family Guy and it really struck a chord for me.

Sorry, this is the best quality video I could find...

There's another part from that show where they explain how Family Guy episodes are created. Basically it's a manatee selecting random word balls in the water like a lottery. I couldn't find a clip for it, so trust me on this one ;)

The End.

p.s. Family Guy sucks!

Infallibility

2009-07-26T23:30:00.000-07:00

Most Christians are quite adamant the Bible is infallible. However, I don't think most of them know what they're talking about.

Let's start with the definition (www.m-w.com):

1 : incapable of error : unerring infallible memory>
2 : not liable to mislead, deceive, or disappoint : certain infallible remedy>
3 : incapable of error in defining doctrines touching faith or morals

Okay, for starters I don't know how people can believe the Bible is incapable of error. There are numerous geographical and scientific errors. There are also numerous contradictory story elements, especially in the gospels. I'm not ashamed to label Biblical Inerrancy as a joke.

It's the last two that are tricky. Now, I'm sure you want to believe the Bible is not liable to mislead, deceive, or disappoint, but I'm sorry, it does all three things. I wish it wasn't the case, but the Bible is not explicit enough.

If it really were to be infallible in that sense it would read more like a legal document, but even legal documents are open for interpretation. The funny thing about human language is that it is fluid, it means different things to different people in different contexts. So it sure would be great if the Bible was more clear, but as we all know the Bible is confusing.

In order to understand the Bible, one must interpret it. And interpretation takes a lot of work. There are a lot of factors working against you. Language, context, ancient cultures and customs, time, copies, etc.. Egads, it's a wonder we even have a somewhat united church these days.

Did you know the language primarily used in writing the Old Testament has no vowels? No vowels! Imagine trying to decipher what that means. Here's a sentence I made up for you.

G dwnstrs nd gt m th ct.

So if you knew the context you might be able to figure it out, but did I ask you to get me the cat, coat, or cot? Oh and did you know they also didn't have spaces between words?

gdwnstrsndgtmthct

Good luck.

Thankfully somewhere in time a bunch of people got together and put the vowels in and added spaces.

But did you know we have zero original manuscripts? That's not too surprising seeing as how they would be 2000+ yrs old. So there were lots of copies made. Lots and lots of copies. Over long periods of time.

So these copies are what was used to make our Bible. But did you know that last century some older copies were found? And did you know that those older copies were slightly different than the ones we had been using? Yeah, turns out some people either added or took away words as they copied the text. Perhaps they made an honest mistake or perhaps they purposefully altered the text. We'll never know. Still, for over a thousand years the church has been using Bibles that said different things than the originals.

Hey, did you know the church still doesn't agree what books should be in the Bible? Protestants have 66 books while the Catholics have more. The Greek and Russian Orthodox churches have more than the Catholics. The Eastern Orthodox church has more than them. The Syriac Orthodox church has even more. And finally the Ethiopian Orthodox church has a couple more as well.

Wait, so if the Bible is infallible, what is the Bible? How do we determine what the Bible should consist of? Good question.

You see, the developments of both the Old and New Testament canon took a long time. Different guys met a long time ago to decide which would stay and which would go. Many were canned, while others were questioned heavily.

Did you know the book of Esther and the book of Hebrews are just two of the books in the Protestant canon that were so close to getting turfed? Can you imagine what our faith would be like without these two books?

So yeah, some guys met and decided what the canon would be, but as I've already mentioned, even today the canon is not agreed upon.

And then of course, new books are found or rediscovered and everyone gets their panties in a knot. What about the Gospel of Thomas or the Gospel of Judas?!? Woohoo...

So is the Bible infallible? How can we even answer that when we don't even have complete agreement on what the Bible is? Not to mention I'm sure if we could look back further to the original manuscripts we'd find even more discrepancies.

And even if by some miracle of God the Bible is in fact infallible, there's another slight problem...

The people who read and interpret the Bible are fallible. So even if it was without error, how do we know our interpretations are right?!? How can we know for certain?

It's not as black and white as you'd like it to be. The Bible is not as easy to understand as you claim it is.

So where am I going with all this? Am I saying the Bible is not credible? Is our faith a waste of time? Certainly not! Because you see, God is much bigger than the Bible, and the Spirit of God does in fact speak to us through the Scriptures (despite its failures).

Without the Bible we would have no direction for life. We need these writings to understand God and what he created us for. Sure the Bible may not be "perfect" in the sense we want it to be, but what is contained in the Bible added to the traditions passed down through the years added to the interpretations passed on from old plus plus plus the Holy Spirit connecting the dots for us in our world today equals a holy mystery that opens our eyes to the glory of God. The Bible cannot stand alone. It must be taken with all we know from history and with all the unwritten things passed down throughout the church's existence.

I love the Bible and am thankful everyday that God gave it to us the way he did. Without it we would be lost and aimless. I am thankful the Bible is organic and fluid like the Spirit who speaks through it.

Mac vs. PC

2009-07-25T18:02:00.000-07:00

So, I hate it when people are like, "Oh, Macs are sooooo much better than PCs!" I don't know why people decide to make that part of their identity. They fight ruthlessly for the Mac and preach its greatness with great tenacity.

I've had a Mac now for a year, and in that time people ask me, "Is it better than a PC?" I would often reply it's pretty good, but I couldn't say it was better. I didn't want to be one of those guys who jumps on the bandwagon. Some like PC, some like Mac. So what?

This last week I left my computer at home and have been using other people's PCs. I have to now admit, I can't believe how frustrating using a PC is! Seriously, these things really are pieces of crap. Sluggish, complicated, and ugly. Today I gladly admit Macs are better than PCs.

The only thing that sucks about Mac that I've come across is the lack of software. PC still dominates the world and so there isn't a lot you can get for a Mac. Whatever, it's not like I need that many other programs anyways.

The Return

2009-07-24T22:15:00.000-07:00

These last two weeks at camp have been exciting! What a great experience this has been overall. So much to think about my head is exploding!!! But I'm tired. I hope to fill you in on my thoughts in the near future, but I think I need a few days to re-orient myself.

Old Man Cooper

2009-07-22T21:11:00.000-07:00

In the span of a year I have crossed a line. A year ago when I asked kids how old they thought I was, the typical response was 24-27. These last two weeks at two different camps I have gotten a different range of ages. Most say 30, but quite a few say 33-37. Last year I looked younger than I really am. This year I look like my age or possibly even older.

I am officially getting old.

And gray hairs have been discovered!

I'm Like a Bird

2009-07-19T12:44:00.000-07:00

Well, I leave again today for Camp Luther! I will be making my return as cabin leader, it's been so long! I'm really excited plus a little why-in-the-world-am-i-doing-this?!?

So yes, that means once again this week you won't be getting any posts until the weekend. In my absence check out this video:

Temporary

2009-07-17T22:32:00.000-07:00

So I'm back from camp!!! Yay, it was crazy, but fun...

So now, I will be posting the posts I promised, HOWEVER!!! I won't put them all up at the same time. They will come up one at a time, so you have to chance to read them carefully, haha.

Most of them are pretty silly, but whatever, I was tired when I did them!!!

Keep checking back to see the new one each day....

God is Good?

2009-07-15T13:53:00.000-07:00

I was sitting at the table with some of the cooks from camp and one was telling us about her plans next week. She was going to go to some town and stay in a hotel, which she wasn't too excited about (due to the cost) when a friend suggested she borrow his RV and just stay in town. She was so excited by this plan she remarked, "God is good!"

Immediately something twitched inside me. God is good because you get to stay in an RV rather than pay for a hotel? My first thought was of all the people around the world who don't even have a home or who live in a shack. So according to her logic, God actually isn't good, because he gave you a nice place to stay for a week while leaving billions of others out in the cold.

What makes God good? How do we measure God's goodness?

I don't believe it's appropriate to say God is good, because we just got what we wanted. It only reinforces the mindset that God is like Santa Claus.

I believe that God is good, and that he does give us good things. However, sometimes we need to suffer, so God gives us pain. Sometimes the best thing for us is to take something away. And sometimes God just allows evil and good things to happen...

I Am Edward Cullen

2009-07-14T23:47:00.000-07:00

When I was in grade 6 I wrote love letters to a girl in my class and signed them anonymously, "The Dark Avenger". In one of the poems I wrote something along the lines of "I watch over you while you're sleeping." Everyone ridicules me for writing that, BUT.....

When I read Twilight what did I discover??? Edward Cullen watches over Bella while she sleeps!!! So, why am I (an 11 yr old boy) creepy for writing that I do that while Edward (a 100 yr old vampire) gets away with actually watching a 16 year old girl sleep?

One of my youth watched Twilight a few weeks ago and even said to me, "Hey, Edward Cullen is just like you!" Yes, thank you! I knew I was being romantic. All the girls gush over Edward so why can't I get away with being creepy???

And then, this week at camp for crazy hair night I slicked my back and one of the campers told me, "You have Edward Cullen hair!"

I am Edward Cullen.

Anonymity

2009-07-12T21:58:00.000-07:00

Anonymity makes one powerful. You can say what you want without fear of repercussion. You can be whoever you want to be without someone actually judging you. But it is a false power.

Because you are not really you. When you say things and do things without accountability, it is not actually you saying or doing those things. It is the false you, a person who does not exist. And so your words and your actions are meaningless and bear no weight. You cannot be challenged or corrected. You cannot be encouraged or strengthened.

You are a vapor.

And by remaining anonymous, you even become less of a person. If you willingly do or say things without basing them in reality, you lose part of yourself. We need full human interaction to blossom as individuals. If no one can challenge you, you will never grow. If no one can correct you, you will depreciate.

This is how people can commit murder. This is how people become sexual predators.

I hate it when people comment on my blog anonymously.

Derren Brown

2009-07-10T13:36:00.000-07:00

I remember hearing about this British illusionist named Derren Brown awhile ago. I had seen a couple videos he had done and was impressed but skeptical.

Well, the last few days I've been going crazy watching videos of him on YouTube. I've watched most of his television show "Trick or Treat" and a couple of his specials. I wanted to embed some of the videos in this post, but it wouldn't let me. Check them out yourself by searching "Derren Brown". I think they're absolutely fascinating. But I'm left wondering what to believe.

Most of his tricks involve reading people's minds. He can tell if you are lying or he'll get you to think of something and then draw a picture of it. He says he's not using any actors and that all the people are strangers and aren't in on the trick. So I wonder, can he really tell if someone is lying or pick up on what you are thinking just by observing subtle changes in your behaviour?

Another thing he does is hypnotize people. I kinda believe that is possible to a certain extent, but sometimes he hypnotizes people so quickly, I just have a hard time swallowing it.

And perhaps the strangest thing he does, supposedly, is use subliminal messages to make his participants do what he wants. For example, in one performance he kept repeating the phrase Mail or Daily Mail subtly throughout the show so that later when it came time for a volunteer to choose one of ten papers, she chose the Daily Mail. Is that possible? My hunch is that he says that's why the volunteer choose the Daily Mail, but I think he's just saying that to misdirect the audience from seeing how he really does it. By saying he can use subliminal messages, he makes his performance appear more mysterious and foreboding.

All this had gotten me to think more and more of how we perceive the world, and we understand God. But that will be for another pst...

Patience

2009-07-08T22:35:00.001-07:00

Over the next week I will be writing my required posts, but.....i don't think i'll be able to post them for awhile. So please be patient. You will get to read them in time.

Now for my thoughts on Transformers. I think the movies have been stupid. The thing that really grinds my gears is the movie is called "Transformers" but the Transformers have little to no personality. They have hardly any dialogue, and when they do talk it's just to further the plot.

I grew up loving the cartoon, so it is a disappointment for me. Especially when you watch this first episode and realize the Transformers had more depth in a cartoon from the 80's, than in a multi-million dollar movie.

The Ultimate Question?

2009-07-07T21:52:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the comments I got and my thoughts. These are my thoughts and opinions. I am not refuting your questions now, you can argue what I say here.

Does it matter what the question is, as long as Jesus is the answer?

I'm going to say yes, it definitely matters what the question is. What if the question is: Where did evil come from? I'm not sure you'd be quick to answer Jesus. Maybe you would?

And also, I believe Jesus is too simple an answer. Everyone has a different understanding of who Jesus is (or was). There needs to be more context.

What is your ultimate question?

Very interesting! I like it, because everybody has something different that is nagging them. Or something unique that is holding them back. My top choice.

Although, thinking about it more...is the ultimate question relative or absolute?

What is worth doing?

For me I think there are questions before this that need to be answered. Before I can figure out what is worth doing, I have to ask myself what is "worth"? And doing is all about behaviour and action. What about character? What about being?

Hmm...I just realized each question you can unravel, and there are always questions that need to precede the one presented. Soooo, maybe that's how you answer the ultimate question, with another question...

Can I help you?

This question intrigues me, because it's not a question about a topic. Rather than focusing on something abstract, it focuses on something personal and practical. Rather than concern for oneself, the concern is for others. Rather than talking about answers, it answers itself by doing. Very intriguing...

Well done everyone!!! K, feedback or more questions.......

Someone...

2009-07-05T13:54:00.001-07:00

What is the ultimate question?

I can't continue my blog until we have the next question...

The Ultimate Question

2009-07-03T22:32:00.000-07:00

What is the meaning of life? I've been thinking about this on a fairly regular basis the last couple years. It really started when a friend asked me, "What do you want?" Could this be the primary question of every individual?

What do you want?

You see, I'm faced with a bit of a Catch-22. See if you can follow me...

When I read The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis, I was struck by his call for humility. Almost every section of that book is about lowering yourself, letting go of your pride, and putting to death everything within you that seeks to exalt yourself above others.

So I felt called to be humble to lower myself before others. But I soon realized, by lowering myself I can't raise other people up. If I want to help people, I have to teach them to be humble as well.

You see, so much of what we think is helping people, might in fact be raising their level of pride and enabling them to think of themselves as better than others. Rather than using our humility to teach humility, are we rather breeding more prideful people?

So how do we help people become humble? How do we serve others without reinforcing negative mindsets?

So I want to help people. I also want my life to have a purpose. I want to live a rich and full life (not in the sense of rich with possessions and power, but rich in the sense of depth and meaning).

Is it just me, or is it that when people have kids, they put so much focus on raising their family that it's almost like reaching out to other people doesn't even matter anymore? I think family is important, but who's going to help the families that aren't taking care of themselves?

Hmm, I feel like I've been random and all over the place in this post. This is all connected for me, but I'm not sure how to put it altogether so it makes sense outside my brain.

The first question that needs to be answered is "What is the meaning of life?" Do you agree? Is that the first question? Haha, actually the first question is, "What is the most important question?" Hey that's what Douglas Adams said in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy!

The hyper-intelligent pan-dimensional beings created the supercomputer, Deep Thought, to answer for them the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything. After 7.5 million years Deep Thought computed the answer to be....42!

"Forty-two!" yelled Loonquawl. "Is that all you've got to show for seven and a half million years' work?"

"I checked it very thoroughly." said the computer, "and that quite definitely is the answer. I think the problem, to be quite honest with you, is that you've never actually known what the question is." (p. 121)

So, now I leave it with you...
What is the ultimate question?

The Legend of Zelda (Geek Alert!!!)

2009-07-02T16:57:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in my previous post, I won't be buying anymore video games. However that rule does not apply to Zelda games! At the beginning of June I made a goal to beat every one. I've still got 4 more to go, plus new ones will be coming out and I'd like to play those too. So what is it about these games???

In 1996 I was looking through my friend Greg's collection of Super Nintendo games. It was then that I came across one titled "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past". Hmm, it looked interesting to me so I asked if I could borrow it. My life has not been the same since!

I absolutely love the Zelda series of video games. I love it so much, in fact, it's about time I finally beat them all! Let me tell you about each game...

The Legend of Zelda

Released: 1987
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
The year I beat it: Unknown

I've owned this game for a long time, but only made it about 75% through. The cartridge I bought has a faulty battery so sometimes it'll erase everything I've done. One day I'll beat it though! The frustrating thing about this Zelda game is that you can't move or shoot diagonally. Other than that, it's really fun!

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Released: 1987
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
The year I beat it: Unknown

I haven't played too much of this game. The strange thing is, it's mostly a side-scroller. I'm not a huge fan of Zelda II, but I haven't given it a fair shot yet.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Released: 1992
Platform: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The year I beat it: 1996

The first Zelda game I played and finished. So original and so much fun! I loved the mix of action plus puzzles.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Released: 1993
Platform: Game Boy
The year I beat it: 1998

The second Zelda game I beat. I bought it when I worked at Walmart. Greg and I worked at Sherwin-Williams Paint Store together and would often take turns playing when we should have been working. Sometimes I would work with this lady named Janet and I would hide in the back and play it (there was nothing else to do, the store didn't get much business).

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Released: 1998
Platform: Nintendo 64
The year I beat it: 1998

The third Zelda game I finished. I traded Goldeneye for this with a co-worker at Walmart. This game was epic for me. They translated Zelda to 3D in the most remarkable way. When we traded back I discovered Corey's younger brother had erased my Goldeneye file. I had completed everything. It took me forever to get that final cheat code. Now it was all gone...

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

Released: 2000
Platform: Nintendo 64
The year I beat it: 2000

The fourth Zelda game I finished. A lot different from the others, but still really cool. I loved the time travel and the moon slowly crashing to the planet. This game I bought from Rogers video for $10 and then sold it after I was finished for $8. I was quite proud of that.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

Released: 2001
Platform: Game Boy Color
The year I beat it: 2009

The ninth Zelda game I finished. An interesting thing about this game is that it's linked with the next game on this list by passwords. So when I beat Oracle of Ages, it gave me a password to start Oracle of Seasons with some of my information already included. It also opens up the game a bit more. You also don't have to start with Ages, you can start with Seasons and finish the same way.

One thing I didn't really like about this game was a few parts are side-scrolling and are almost exactly like Super Mario Bros. Not sure why they felt the need to include those sections.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

Released: 2001
Platform: Game Boy Color
The year I beat it: Unknown

Just started it today. It looks to be as fun as Oracle of Ages so I'm looking forward to it!

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Released: 2002
Platform: GameCube
The year I beat it: 2002

The fifth Zelda game I finished. I bought a Gamecube just so I could play this game. The system cost me $100. I rented Wind Waker for a couple weeks and then sold the Gamecube to my cousin after I was done for $75. Dennis often makes fun of me because I pretty much locked myself in the house until I had beaten it.

This game had completely different animation than the previous games. I thought it was cool, but it was more cartoony and wasn't as epic.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

Released: 2004
Platform: GameCube
The year I beat it: Unknown

In the near future I will be purchasing this game.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

Released: 2004
Platform: Game Boy Advance
The year I beat it: 2009

The eighth Zelda game I finished. I actually bought this game a couple years ago when I was travelling to England but didn't get very far in it. In June I started playing it again and loved it! It didn't take very long to beat, but it was still fun.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Released: 2006
Platform: Wii
The year I beat it: 2007

The sixth Zelda game I finished. When I was housesitting for Pastor Dave a couple summers ago I had the privilege of playing this on his son's Wii. Probably my favorite game of all time. I would get up super early just to play it before I went in to work.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

Released: 2007
Platform: Nintendo DS
The year I beat it: 2009

The seventh Zelda game I finished. I saw it in Costco and craved it, so I bought a Nintendo DS and this game from Willow Video Games for much cheaper. I'm not a fan of the DS. It's not easy to hold and my fingers go numb after awhile. The buttons are also not in the greatest places and it's really frustrating actually. At first I wasn't happy that this game almost solely uses the touch pad rather than the controls, but I actually got kinda used to it. I just found it really difficult using a second weapon.

The animation is the same style as Wind Waker and looked really good on the DS. I loved this game and had a lot of fun with it. I liked that sailing was more enjoyable in this game than in Wind Waker.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

Released: 2009?
Platform: Nintendo DS
The year I beat it: Unknown

Not yet released. This one will have a train theme!

Losing

2009-07-01T20:56:00.000-07:00

After I lost all my files off my external hard drive, I didn't really know how to feel. I was kinda numb, but then I began to realize it was probably for the best. Why was I collecting all those videos anyway? What was the point of all that time spent?

I don't know. I don't know what the heck I'm doing.

So to lose it all kind of made me realize it was a waste of time. I knew it was a waste, but I did it anyways. I don't know why I did it.

In the movie "Following" there's this character named Cobb. He's a thief and he's taken a young man under his wing to teach him about stealing. The first house they break into together, Cobb finds a box that contains memorable keepsakes (letters, photos, etc.). He explains to the young man that this box tells something intimate about these people and that they are very privileged to be seeing something so rare. At this point he empties the box on the floor and the young man exclaims, "What the hell did you do that for?" Cobb replies that this box is like a diary. The homeowner hid it, but secretly they wanted someone to find it. And that's what Cobb does, he comes in and flips it all over so that the people know someone has seen it.

"That's what it's all about - interrupting someone's life, making them see all the things they took for granted. Like when they go back and buy all this stuff from the shelves with the insurance money, they'll have to think for the first time in a long time...why they wanted all this stuff, what it's for. You take it away and you show them what they had. " - Cobb

For the first time in a long time, I'm wondering why I had all these video clips in the first place. And now for that matter, I wonder why I have all the movies I have. And why I have all the video games I have.

Years ago I knew I was obsessed with movies and video games so I got rid of all my stuff. It was really refreshing for me. As a result, I've never been into video games in the same way I was then. I still play them, but not nearly with the same obsession.

I'm losing my interest.

I'm ready to give up again.

I'm not going to collect videos off the internet anymore.

I'm not going to buy anymore dvds.

I'm not going to buy anymore video games (except Zelda games).

(i'm assuming thanks go to melissa for this cartoon)

Passivity

2009-06-28T23:01:00.000-07:00

I wish I wasn't so passive. I don't really know how to be assertive. Well, sorta. I've learned a lot in the last few years, but I know I still have much to learn.

The most frustrating thing is that I jump too quickly. On a scale of one to ten (one being calm, ten being angry) I'll start off as a one and then continue to be a one and then something is happening where I need to assert myself and I'll jump all the way up to an eight. I wish I could be more gradual, but I always overdo it, and then people around me get upset, and thus I have learned to just continue being passive and bottle it in.

But I'm trying to change that. It's just hard for me.

3D

2009-06-27T23:57:00.000-07:00

I saw Up in 3d tonight. The movie was really good (although I think Wall-E is better). I was surprised by how much I liked the 3d though. It really made me appreciate the movie more. I saw another movie in 3d a long time ago and it was pretty good, but this one was amazing with the colors and visuals. Oh, and they have 3d movies at Disneyland, but they're not nearly as good either. Yeah, this blew me away.

But Amy didn't even really notice it. And someone else told me they forgot it was in 3d by the end. I'm not sure how you could not notice it? I guess maybe cause it doesn't jump out of the screen. But for me it was like looking through a window. Sorta. How else to describe it? It doesn't come out of the screen, but it does go into it. Make sense?

Oh well, I loved the experience. I'm sad I didn't get to see Coraline in 3d.

Lost

2009-06-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

A few months ago my external hard drive stopped functioning properly. I was transferring some files that Phil gave me onto the external hard drive so I could free up some space on my computer. Unfortunately, halfway through the process it stopped responding and I was forced to restart my computer which completely messed everything up.

This isn't the first time that hard drive has failed me. I should have known better. The first time it crashed was awhile ago, and luckily I didn't have very much on it at the time, but it was a pain. This time however is a different story. I have this obsession with collecting video clips off the internet. I've been collecting them for 3 years now. You can imagine how many videos I've put onto that hard drive. All that effort and time, potentially gone now.

But there was hope. There are a number of sites online that talk about recovering data that is lost. However, all of them charge a fee. I have about 200gb of data stored. That would roughly cost me about $250 to recover (and there's no guaranteeing it will even recover all my files). Was it all worth $250?

For the most part, the majority of the stuff I've found is still on the internet and can be downloaded again, but it would take time. However there are some things I got that either can't be found anymore, or are really hard to find.

Well, last night I decided to make the decision. Do I shell out the cash, or do I try my best to fix it for free? I came across this one program and it seemed hopeful that that could fix it. I knew it was a risk, but I went for it anyways. I honestly didn't think all of it was worth $250. And I got what I paid for. It did not work...I lost it all :(

I can see all my files, but they're all corrupted. You can't open any of them. I've been randomly clicking on them to see if there's a chance and so far I've only gotten one episode of SNL Celebrity Jeopardy to work, haha.

So how do I feel now that all that time and effort was wasted? That's a good question, and it's one that will require another post.

To be continued...

Two Homes

2009-06-24T21:35:00.000-07:00

When parents divorce, it sucks. So why do some parents put even more pain on their kids? I don't understand who thought it would be a good idea to have joint physical custody. I know a couple families where the kids spend one week at mom's house and then one week at dad's house. I think that is purely selfish for the parents.

The kids I've seen that have had to live like that are never happy with their situation. Not only do they have to live in a different house every week (what adult would want to do that?) but they also have a completely different set of disciplinary standards each week. Yay! At Mom's house I'm not allowed to watch certain movies, but at Dad's house I am. Man that's gotta screw someone up.

So they get different conflicting parenting each week, AND they also get the joy of being used by one parent as leverage against the other. Yay again!

So what do I say? In most cases one of the parents is really sucky. I say they should realize they suck and let the other parent raise them full time. You can still have a relationship with your child even if they're not living in your house. Unfortunately, the thing that usually makes the person a sucky parent also makes them sucky at considering other people's best interests.

God have mercy on those children...

COLDPLAY!!!!

2009-06-21T23:44:00.000-07:00

I think Coldplay is a mediocre band. They put on a cool little show, but I actually thought Snow Patrol was more inspiring.

That's just my opinion of course. You can like them if you want.

G.I. Joe

2009-06-19T23:48:00.001-07:00

As a child, I loved G.I. Joe with an incredible passion. Besides Lego, without a doubt my absolute favorite toy! When I became a teenager I decided it was time for me to give up playing with GI Joes so that I could have a chance to grow up. So I put them all in a box and hid them under my bed. Within a couple days I had already pulled them out to play with them again. I realized it wasn't going to be easy for me to part with my friends so I had to throw them all away. I cannot tell you now how deeply I regret that decision...I almost cry everytime I think about it.

So when I discovered they were making a GI Joe movie, I was slightly excited, but I knew it probably wasn't going to be so good. When I saw the first trailer, I really began to lose all hope. Then Dennis told me he was doing some CGI work for the movie. He also told me it was an absolute gong show. Everything was a mess and he was part of the clean up crew.

How could they even make a movie about GI Joes anyways?!? It's not like the GI Joes had any special powers or anything. Each one specialized in one thing. One guy was good underwater, another guy was good in the snow, this other guy was good with a crocodile, and finally one of them was Native American. As a concept it's lame. There's no way you could make a serious movie about them.

I mean, I loved the cartoon and I read many GI Joe based books, but the thing that made them fun was that it was ridiculous. Seriously, did you know one of the GI Joes main thing was that he was a football player? They took an actual football player and made him into a member of the GI Joe. What could he possible contribute? Oh, and they also added a WWF wrestler...yeah. It's that amazing!

So the movie is coming quickly upon us, and I've been thinking about it a lot lately. Ha! In fact, I've already had two dreams about it. One dream I was watching the movie and thinking, "This is kinda good, I wonder when it's going to start sucking." But then I woke up and realized my dream was nothing like the actual movie. The second dream I remember thinking, "This is more like the cartoon. Yeah it's not great, but I kinda like this!" Then I woke up and realized once again, nothing like the actual movie is going to be.

Hmm, I still have to see it in theatres anyways. Uggh.

Fire David Letterman!!!

2009-06-17T23:37:00.000-07:00

Last night I was watching David Letterman and he kept making these jokes about a protest down the street that was calling for CBS to Fire Dave!

I thought it had to be a joke, cause why would people protest David Letterman? Surely they were being silly, something to do with Conan O'Brien now or something...I don't know.

So then as I was catching up on the media news this morning (which I do everyday actually, is that sad?) I discovered that there actually was a serious Fire Dave! rally outside his studio. People were actually angry at Letterman and it's all because of jokes he made about Sarah Palin's daughter. I think it's all ridiculous and people didn't really understand his jokes, but here are a few comments people were making at the rally:

"At least Jay Leno had interesting people; this schmuck has nobody! You know what ’schmuck’ means in Jewish?"

"Is someone making jokes about his child? Especially when, you know, he had a daughter out of wedlock himself."

"How dare he? When he has a bastard son, and a slut for a wife."

"Keep children safe from David Letterman’s mouth! He will rape them with his mouth! He is a child abuser! He is a verbal pedophile!"

Seriously, I can't believe people are that upset about Letterman's comments. Even Conor, an adamant Letterman hater, wouldn't stoop that low.

Poor crazy Americans. I hope they get over it. Actually, can I start a new conspiracy theory? Let's just say this is Sarah Palin's attempt to stay in the media spotlight so she can become a contender again in 4 yrs. This article points out that Leno made an equally distasteful joke about Sarah Palin's daughter back in September and no one got pissed off then...

I Don't Get It

2009-06-16T19:34:00.000-07:00

I don't find Megan Fox attractive. Am I the only one???

She looks completely fake. Maybe that's why guys like her? They fall for her because they've been conditioned to lust for photoshopped models or they are no longer rooted in the real world and don't appreciate real women. She's a terrible actress as well, but everyone knows that.

Language is Powerful

2009-06-14T23:10:00.000-07:00

Let's say there's a guy named David. David is from India. In India, David was a respected doctor for over 20 yrs. That was until political pressure forced him to flee from his home. Now he's found his way to Canada to start a new life. However, David does not speak English fluently.

When I worked at Walmart an Indian man came in trying to get his stereo he had just bought to work. I could see his problem and tried explaining it to him, but he could not speak English very well, which left us both very frustrated. In my frustration I remember thinking, "This guy is so stupid, he's living here so why doesn't he learn English?!?"

It dawned on me after he left: For all I know, this guy could be much smarter than me. Even though David was a brilliant doctor in India, here in Canada people would think of him as a moron because he wouldn't be able to communicate with them.

Language is powerful. You cannot truly know what's going on inside someone's head or who they are as a person, if they are unable to communicate with you. Imagine what it would be like to be mute. There is a guy in my church who has lost the ability to speak coherently. You can see the frustration on his face as he tries to tell you something funny he just thought of. I don't really know him, but he is probably incredibly funny and brilliant. I wonder if anyone can really know him now.

And then there's Patty from Peru. A girl I had a brief relationship with who spoke hardly any English whereas I spoke hardly any Spanish. I realized fairly soon there was no point in us trying to make things work out, because I hardly knew her as a person due to our language barrier.

So today I did a message on Science & the Bible with another guy named Pete Tait. I find preaching challenging enough as it is, because I struggle to find just the right words to communicate the concept that is growing inside my head. It was especially difficult today, because I have such difficulty communicating smart things, haha.

There are many books on Science & the Bible that are intelligently written, but I just can't word it the way they do. Not only do I fail at communicating deep and complex matters with scientific terms and in an intelligent fashion, but I also struggle to communicate things that are complex in a simple and easy-to-understand way.

Well, I try my hardest, and I hope for the most part I accomplish my mission. It's just sad to know that a lot of what goes on in my brain cannot fully be expressed to others. Actually maybe that's a good thing...

Taxidermy

2009-06-13T23:06:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, it confused me what stuffing animals had to do with driving a taxi. I don't think that sentence was grammatically correct. Feel free to edit it for me.

When I was a teenager, I thought they should stuff famous people after they die. Then we could visit them in a museum.

Just now I realized that I would like to learn how to stuff animals. I've always wanted to pose them in funny positions. Anyone willing to teach me?

Thoughts From Lent

2009-06-12T22:42:00.000-07:00

So lately I've been thinking about this past Lenten season. I always give stuff up for Lent, but this year was unique for some reason. Even though it is months later, I find myself stopping to think, "Oh should I be doing this?"

For example, one of the things I gave up was watching movies by myself. So I'll start watching a movie with Amy and think, "Good, I'm not watching this movie by myself..." and then realize, "Oh, it's not Lent anymore. I could be watching this alone if I wanted to."

Or I'll go to drink a pop and I'll think, "Don't do it, it's not good for you, and you know you don't really want to. You gave it up so easily for Lent, just put it away!" But then I drink it anyways. And then it makes my throat all gurgly because I don't know how to burp.

I'm trying to think more and more, "Why do I do the things I do?"

Why do I watch so many movies?

Why do I avoid people?

Why do I laze around when I could be more active?

I kinda wish Lent was longer.

White Spot

2009-06-10T23:12:00.000-07:00

I have a long and deep love and appreciation for White Spot. Whenever we went there as a kid, it was always an excited adventure!

One thing we used to do was guess the number of the next waitress to be called. On the ceiling there was this box that had numbers that would light up to signal something to the waitresses and we would each pick the number we thought would light up next. That was fun.

And I loved getting the pirate pack!!! Actually I remember at one time it was a treasure chest. I'm not sure if that was before the pirate ship or if that was just something special for that time. It always amazed me how they incorporated the meal into the pirate ship. There was a special compartment for the burger and the fries and the drink and the ice cream and the gold chocolate coin. But I especially loved how they used the straw as the mast!!! Ingenius.

The thing I loved the most about White Spot was their Triple O sauce. That stuff was amazing! It always oozed out the back of the burgers giving me a chance to attack it with my fries. So good! I loved Triple O sauce so much that for the most part, everytime I went to White Spot I would have to have a burger. I could get all the other food on this menu somewhere else, but Triple O sauce? Nope, I could only get it there.

But something happened...

I think it was on the ferry to the Sunshine Coast...

They always have White Spot on the ferries...

I ordered the BC burger, as usual...

And something wasn't right...

My burger

tasted

like

cigarettes!!!

I was absolutely disgusted! I couldn't finish it.

And there have been a number of times since when I've eaten a White Spot burger and tasted a hint of cigarettes. I don't know why that is? Is it just me? Did something in my taste buds change or did something in their burgers change?

I still like Triple O sauce, but then by the time I near the end of the burger I start to feel sick. This isn't necessarily because of the cigarette taste, but just something about the Triple O sauce isn't agreeing with me.

So I had a BC burger on the ferry back home from the island last weekend cause I was craving the sauce. And for the last time I felt sick. Yes, the last time. I am giving up on White Spot burgers. I'm sure this will only be a phase, but for now we need to break up.

I smelled cigarettes yesterday and immediately thought of White Spot burgers. I have definitely made the right decision...

What is a Post?

2009-06-07T23:11:00.000-07:00

According to Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary:

"something (as a message) that is published online."

The More You Know.

New Post #2

2009-06-05T23:40:00.000-07:00

I am still on the island.

New Post

2009-06-03T23:39:00.000-07:00

I am on the island.

And the Winners Are...

2009-06-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

The Mutual Friends Competition has come to a close and here are the runner-ups:

7th Place (tie)

Shane Tarnow - 76 mutual friends

Shane came out of obscurity to make it into the top 7, but his trip to Asia took away his focus. Amazing work nonetheless!

Jordie Roste - 76 mutual friends

Either he didn't know about the competition or didn't try.

5th Place

Andrew Learmonth - 77 mutual friends

Yeah, I don't think he reads my blog.

4th Place

Matt Castle - 79 mutual friends

Nor does this yahoo...

And now we come to the top three!

2nd Place (tie)

Jaclyn Sweeney - 83 mutual friends

Jackie and Shane were really the only two who actually put effort into this competition. In a month and a half Jackie jumped up 11 friends. Well done!

Megan Hazelton - 83 mutual friends

I don't think Megan tried very hard, but she did manage to keep the number 2 spot from going to Jackie.

Because there was a tie, there will be no third place prize, but instead both Jackie and Megan will get snacks and a movie on me!

And now the winner...

1st Place

Tyson Kliem - 120 mutual friends

Not surprising, no one had a chance to surpass the great one! Concert and dinner is on me buddy...

(I'm pretty sure Tyson won despite not even knowing he was in the competition)

Les Misérables

2009-05-31T16:28:00.000-07:00

Last night I took Amy to see Les Misérables. I had never seen it before and neither had she, so I was pretty excited. We had seats right in the front row of the balcony directly in the middle. It was sweet!

The first song started off good, except you could tell something wasn't quite right with the mics. It sounded like Jean Valjean's mic was rubbing against something. "Oh well," I thought, "I'm sure they'll fix it next time he goes offstage." But then his mic completely cut out, finally coming back on except now it had a tinny sound.

And then partway through the second song this loud throbbing noise started coming out the speakers. It was weird. I was surprised they were having such difficulties during such a big production. Then to my even greater surprise a voice came over the speakers,

"Ladies and Gentlemen," The voice caused Jean Valjean to stop singing mid-sentence, "We are experiencing some audio difficulties and will pause the production to correct the mistake."

How crazy is that?!? The actors walked off stage as the sound team worked feverishly to fix the problem. After about 10 mins everyone was getting restless. No one knew what was going on. You could tell some people were getting frustrated. They wouldn't let people leave their seats because the show could start up again at any minute.

we saw this guy sing at least...

Well, after I think about 25 mins, the Guest Services guy came out and told everyone the problem could not be fixed in time and the show would be cancelled. I still can't believe it. What a tough break! The guy behind us booed, which I think was completely immature, but thankfully many people clapped in support of the decision.

but we didn't get to see this part...

As a pastor of a church that has constant technical difficulties I could feel the pain of everyone in the production. What a letdown for them I'm sure. I hope they were not too discouraged by it. That's just life sometimes!

or this part...

Thankfully we have a chance to rebook tickets for a later show. I just hope we get good seats again...

Washington, DC

2009-05-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

I might be going to the U.S. capital this summer! But I don't know anyone there...anyone know someone I can hang out with that lives there???

Finally!!!

2009-05-29T23:38:00.000-07:00

Jay Leno is done with The Tonight Show!!!

I don't like Jay Leno. I think his humour is, well, umm, not humour? He's not funny. His sketches aren't funny (oh I actually like the talking photo booth...). I don't like listening to him interview guests. I don't like Jay Leno as a late night talk show host!

So I am glad that Conan is taking over The Tonight Show. I'm really excited to see what he does with the new show.

I am glad that Conan will be on earlier, however I kinda wish it wasn't on at the same time as David Letterman. Cause I love David Letterman! That guy is amazing!!! So it's going to be difficult juggling my love for Letterman and for Conan.

Oh well, Jay Leno is gone. Actually he's not. He just moved to a 10 o'clock time slot. Now that I think of it, I'm not really sure how I feel about this new deal.

Greater Is He

2009-05-27T18:07:00.000-07:00

During the conference this weekend, the speaker at one point said "Greater is he who is in me, than he who is in the world!" That's a common Christian saying. It's from 1 John 4:4 -

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (KJV)

So according to this, the greater one is the one (God) that is in you (Dan), rather than the one (the Antichrist) that is in the world (the system that seeks desires apart from God). That's a pretty good saying. God is bigger than Satan/the Devil/the Antichrist/the Evil one. But, for me that's not really an impactful statement. It's pretty much common sense. If you believe in God and you believe in the Devil, obviously God is stronger than the Devil. I don't question that. Satan doesn't really scare me, because God is so much more powerful than him, there really is no comparison.

Now when I heard the speaker say this phrase it made me think of it in a different light. This isn't how it's quoted in the scriptures, but the spirit of it is deeply rooted in scripture.

I imagined it as if Jesus was saying to me, "Greater is he who is in me, than he who is in the world."

From this perspective Jesus is saying, "He (Dan) who is in me (Jesus) is in a better position than he (someone against Jesus) who is in the world (the system that seeks desires apart from God)." So rather than asking Jesus into your heart, I would rather ask Jesus if I can come into his heart. I want to live in Jesus, with other Christians, rather than look at it as though Jesus is in my heart.

And it reminds me that if I choose to live in the world, with the mentality of those who do not seek God, than I will not be experiencing full life or power.

John 15:4 - Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (NIV)

Oh hey, I guess Jesus was saying both. Live in me, dwell in me, remain in me, and I will live in you, dwell in you, and remain in you. Yeah, that's a good relationship I think.

Greater is he who is in me, than he who is in the world.

Online TV

2009-05-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

I don't have cable, but I still get a few good channels over the antennae. But still, there aren't many shows on that I like to watch. And the ones I do like are on late (Letterman, Daily Show, Colbert Report, etc.). So when my buddy Phil told me the Comedy Network has an online video player, it changed my life!

The Comedy Network video player has a wide range of shows to watch, it's incredible!!! Now I can watch The Daily Show and The Colbert Report whenever I want, rather than at midnight. I also heard about this show called Stella awhile ago, but never had a chance to see it. Now I can watch it online! Demetri Martin had his own show called Important Things and I get to watch it online!!!

Phil wants me to get into South Park, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. There's so much else to watch, it's overwhelming. I just recently discovered other networks have online video players as well. I can watch all the latest videos and classic ones as well on Much Music and MTV. And I've just recently discovered the Discover Channel. I just finished the second season of Canada's Worst Driver and now I'm on the first season of Canada's Worst Handyman. Love it!!!

However, the thing that confuses me is...how can these networks afford to put these shows on the internet for free? Most of the sites have no advertising, and if they do it's usually just one commercial repeated over and over. This concerns me, cause I want it to last. I want these video players to be around for awhile. But I fear it's only a temporary thing.

My theory is they will get people hooked on going to their sites to watch their shows and slowly they'll put more and more advertising on it, or they will start charging people to watch their shows. I don't know, I just don't understand how they can keep it free?!?

Here are my favorite video players:

The Comedy Network

The Discovery Channel

MuchMusic

MTV Canada

CTV

GlobalTV

Postpwned

2009-05-24T22:57:00.000-07:00

this post is postponed because i am currently on a bus ride from hell back from edmonton...

Societal Expectations

2009-05-23T22:49:00.000-07:00

I don't like encores at concerts. I think they're dumb. Why do they leave and wait for us to yell and then come back and play a song or two that they've obviously practiced and are ready to play? One time I was at a concert and they played like 5 songs in their encore??!? I know it started cause a band would leave and the people would want them to play more and the band appreciated their fans and would play another song or two, but now it's an expectation.

Back then a band didn't have to play an encore. You know what I saw once??? The band left and maybe 15% of the crowd was cheering for them to come back. No one cared. But still the band came back and played some more?!? Ridiculous. If I was in a band, I wouldn't come back unless they were going nuts in the crowd. But then we'd lose fans, and I'd be kicked out of the band, even though I started it, and I'm the lead singer/lead guitarist/lead hottie.

It's just like tipping. Why do we tip at restaurants? I think that's the dumbest thing in the world. I'll get into that another time.

What's Going On?

2009-05-22T23:32:00.000-07:00

Well I'm in Edmonton right now with the youth group for YC: Alberta. This giant-mega Christian rock worship God concert invasion thingy is a big deal for our group. I'm dying of fatigue at the moment.

Here are some random things from the trip so far:

- This guy in Tim Hortons today walked around collecting all the newspapers. Then he went outside with them all and disappeared. Then he came back in with no newspapers and sat down to eat his food. I was considering reading one of those papers...

- Some of the youth bought me a new shirt. It's pretty incredible!

- I bought 33 YC tickets for our youth and 35 tickets for no good reason. I managed to sell 34 of those tickets!!!! However, two of the tickets for our youth didn't get filled unfortunately, leaving me with 3 empty seats.

- My eyes are really mad at me for wearing contacts too long.

- I fell asleep multiple times during the main speaker tonight.

- David Crowder once again absolutely moved me!

- At the food court there is a China Court and a China Wok. I asked Amanda which one I should eat from. She said China Wok. I ate it. It was probably the worst chinese food I've ever had.

- Tonight I made a major discovery...not only did I find my missing gamecube memory card, but I also found my missing ipod headphones!!!!!!!!! They were in a little pocket in my bag.

- My computer can charge my phone. Except today it said "charge complete". So I unplugged it. Not ten minutes later did it start beeping from low battery. This is the second time it has lied to me about the charge being complete!

- A random lady bought two tickets off me and then drove me to West Edmonton Mall. That was a fairly awkward 15 min. drive...

Blockbuster!!?!

2009-05-20T17:16:00.000-07:00

When Blockbuster first introduced their "No Late Fees" campaign, I was skeptical. How could they afford to lose late fees??? Not only would they lose money from people not returning their movies on time, they would also lose a lot of money from the late fees themselves. It just didn't seem feasible to me.

And then I discovered they had a restocking fee if you didn't return the movie within a week past the due date, and they would charge you the full price for the movie if you just kept it. I guess I can see them making some money there, but still, seemed like more of a hassle for everyone.

So I wasn't too surprised to discover just recently that Blockbuster has brought back their late fees. And I would just like to say, I hate them for doing it! I had become so used to not feeling the pressure of returning a movie, that now I completely forget when it's due. Any day now I'm going to get busted for a late fee, all because they made me accustomed to not caring when I return it!

I just discovered that a local video store in Ladner accepts Blockbuster coupons. I've been disappointed with the Blockbuster selection lately, so I think it's time for me to switch over!

On another note, at the Ladner Blockbuster they have a movie called "Blockbuster" starring my buddy Josh Hughes!! You should really check it out sometime in the Drama section...

Concert Cravings

2009-05-17T23:59:00.000-07:00

I used to go to concerts quite a bit when I was in my 18-22 stage, but it's dwindled down since then. I loved moshing so much! Actually, I still do, but usually I'm twice the age of everyone in the mosh pit. So, I kinda find concerts boring if you can't mosh.

That is, until I discovered that I can dance at concerts!!! Well, it's not really dancing, it's just kinda me swaying around like a tree in the wind. Anyway, I love doing it, but there's not many bands that I love to dance to. I'm going to see Snow Patrol and Coldplay in June. I'm pretty excited about the chance to dance there!

Although, there are some bands that I either have not seen in concert, or that I'd love to see again. These are those bands:

Dashboard Confessional

Probably my favorite band and I haven't seen them once!!!! This is a travesty my friends! Someone get me to their concert NOW!!!

Emery

Also, I cannot believe I have not seen these guys in concert. It must happen soon!

Mates of State

Yeah, I know I just saw them a month ago, but they are amazing...

Stars

Mmmmm, I love their music...but have yet to see them live.

Tokyo Police Club

Just got their CD "Elephant Shell" and I can see myself going nuts at their show.

Death Cab for Cutie

Again, how have I never seen them in concert either?!?!

Sigur Rós

I will kill someone if I don't get tickets next time they're in Vancouver. There are only a few CD's that I find powerful. Sigur Rós in concert will undoubtedly move me.

Pedro the Lion

Ok, so Pedro doesn't exist anymore, but they were so good live!!!!!!! I cannot wait for David Bazan to tour with a band again. He's pretty good solo, but it's nothing compared to his music with a full band.

Mutual Friends 3rd Update

2009-05-15T13:15:00.000-07:00

7th Place (tie)

Shane Tarnow - 76 mutual friends

Jordie Roste - 76 mutual friends

5th Place

Andrew Learmonth - 77 mutual friends

4th Place

Matt Castle - 78 mutual friends

2nd Place (tie)

Jaclyn Sweeney - 83 mutual friends

Megan Hazelton - 83 mutual friends

1st Place

Tyson Kliem - 120 mutual friends

Oh yeah...

2009-05-14T16:03:00.000-07:00

I'm blogging again.

My commitment until August 31, 2009:

I will post every Wed, Fri, and Sun plus one mystery day each week!

Thank you,
Dr. Coopernicus Who

Star Trek

2009-05-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

I saw the new Star Trek movie yesterday. I liked it!!!

This changes everything for Star Trek films. You see, there's this rule:

Every even numbered Star Trek movie is good and every odd numbered one is not so good.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture = Long and boring at parts

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan = Sweet!

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock = Meh...

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home = A fun time had by all!

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier = Absolutely Abysmal

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country = Thrilling!!

Star Trek: Generations = Mediocre

Star Trek: First Contact = Action packed!

Star Trek: Insurrection = Lame (actually I loved it, but most people didn't)

And this is where everything changed

Star Trek: Nemesis

The Tenth movie. There was a lot of hype, especially because it was an even numbered Star Trek film. But it SUCKED!!!! It was so awful. Not only do they destroy the Enterprise again, but they also stole the ending from The Fellowship of the Ring where the bad guy gets speared and he pulls himself up the spear to give one final scream or something.

So now, the Eleventh Star Trek film is here, and it is amazing!

The characters were so good. Bones was my favorite. Loved Kirk and Spock. Not sure what was going on with Uhura. Thought Scotty was a little ridiculous. Liked Chekov. Sulu was okay. Nero was pretty much a lame villain, oh well. I'm really looking forward to seeing where they go with this series next!

One more thing:
I've been going to matinees for a really long time. Most of the time it's me and 3 other people in the theatre. This is the first time I've ever walked into a midweek matinee and saw at least 50 people! What the heck?!?

Mutual Friends 2nd Update

2009-05-06T15:18:00.000-07:00

I think some foul play is at work...

7th Place (tie)

Shane Tarnow - 76 mutual friends

Jordie Roste - 76 mutual friends

5th Place (tie)

Andrew Learmonth - 77 mutual friends

Matt Castle - 77 mutual friends

3rd Place

Jaclyn Sweeney - 78 mutual friends

2nd Place

Megan Hazelton - 81 mutual friends

1st Place

Tyson Kliem - 118 mutual friends

A Little Fun

2009-05-05T01:26:00.000-07:00

K, I'm going to write the rest of this post in code, and you have to try and solve it. Three parts, not connected, see if you can solve the mystery!

The amount of tools, furniture, parts and equipment we have
i think that icarly should be on more.
:D So some of the big questions are

Will your heart still race for me?
I Could
Even if the words are probably gonna hurt
But
I recall the push more than the fall
Won't
It gains the more it gives

Will man amount again?
For within inches aggression stops more.
Who sells plans clearly offended for profit?
Stop chase with psalms.

Mutual Friends Competition Update

2009-04-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

And the current standings are...

8th Place

Karin Saethre - 71 mutual friends

6th Place (tie)

Shane Tarnow - 76 mutual friends

Jordie Roste - 76 mutual friends

4th Place (tie)

Jaclyn Sweeney - 78 mutual friends

Andrew Learmonth - 78 mutual friends

3rd Place

Matt Castle - 80 mutual friends

2nd Place

Megan Hazelton - 81 mutual friends

1st Place

Tyson Kliem - 117 mutual friends

Oh Wait, I'm Not Alone...

2009-04-23T11:01:00.000-07:00

Did you feel like something wasn't quite right about this previous post? Like it was lacking something or just maybe too one-sided? No one commented so I don't know what you thought about it.

"It is not good for man to be alone..."

Maybe you thought I gave a compelling argument that we are always alone. Well, I disagree...with myself?

We are never alone. We are so connected and intertwined with so many people that at no given time are we really alone.

I am the product of thousands of years of humanity. Sir Isaac Newton once said (maybe), "If I have seen farther, it is because I have stood on the backs of giants." He didn't discover the laws of nature by himself. He discovered what he did because of all the hard work done by his forerunners. I am directly influenced by my parents, my siblings, my friends, my teachers, etc. The thoughts I think are not my own. They are not "original". They are the result of a million causes from other people.

I am not alone.

When I am by myself, do you know what I think about? I think about you. I'm always thinking about you. I try to get away from crowds so I can be alone, in front of the computer, on facebook and msn, because I am lonely. I want to connect with you. I don't want to be alone.

When I am alone, I think about our conversations and our experiences. I think about the next time I'm going to see you and what we'll be doing. I think about ways to make you feel good about yourself, and ways that I can make you happy. I think about how I've screwed up our relationship and how I want it to be better.

When I dialogue in my head, I am not alone. I am imagining everything you would say and do. These imaginations are not based on fantasy but on fact and past experience. I know you so well, that your being is imprinted in my soul.

The more I'm apart from you, the more I lose that connection with you, and I forget what you would say and how you would react. And then I see you again in real life and it's awkward, because I feel alone again.

I can feel alone, but I am never alone.

I am all alone now,
with all of you.

And you will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

(and when i say you, i am talking to multiple specific persons)

Break Time!

2009-04-19T23:06:00.000-07:00

Well, my blogging commitment is up. I should be back in a week with another one.

I went and saw Mates of State last night with Celia and Robyn. That show was freakin' amazing! I wish my foot wasn't sore or I would have cut the rug a little deeper. And I wish I could have hung out with Celia and Robyn more. Hopefully soon ;)

Mutual Friends Competition

2009-04-17T23:30:00.000-07:00

I currently have 513 Facebook friends. When I am bored or procrastinating I try to see who has the most mutual friends with me. This has inspired me to come up with a new contest.

On June 1, 2009 at 12:01 pm the three individuals who have the most mutual friends with me will be the winners!!! Here are the prizes:

1st Place - Dinner and Concert with Me.

2nd Place - Movie and Snacks with Me.

3rd Place - Coffee with Me

So far, these are the standings as I far as I can tell...

7th Place (tie)

Jaclyn Sweeney - 72 mutual friends

Karin Saethre - 72 mutual friends

5th Place

Jordie Roste - 76 mutual friends

4th Place

Andrew Learmonth - 78 mutual friends

2nd Place (tie)

Matt Castle - 80 mutual friends

Megan Hazelton - 80 mutual friends

1st Place

Tyson Kliem - 120 mutual friends

I Am All Alone Now...

2009-04-15T22:28:00.000-07:00

My friend Cheri has this as her facebook status:

"Cherry Cheri is all alone now"

I don't know why she wrote that, or what she's feeling, or what she's going through, but it made me think. Yes, I continue to think, and to see things from other angles.

Kind of a theme I've been on lately, seeing one thing and then realizing it might have a completely opposite meaning. When someone says, "I am all alone now..." we sigh in sadness with them, because it is sad to be alone. Even God himself says, "It is not good for man to be alone..."

But what if it isn't sad? What if it isn't about loneliness? You know where I'm going with this.

Sometimes it is good to be alone. Even when a couple is together, they still need their alone time. But that's not really what I'm getting at here. Sometimes it's good to be alone, and not in any serious relationship with the opposite sex.

My friend Paul once told me, "It's good for you to stay single...it's worked out for me."

I am all alone now.

Someone replied to Cheri's status with, "we are all alone silly!" That's true. Even those who have been married for 50 years are still "alone". Sure they are connected with an intimate bond of love and experience, but they will always be individuals. Even after such a long period of time together, there will still be miscommunication and the need for privacy. No one else hears all your thoughts or feels every emotion you feel. We have to deal with life on our own first. We are all alone.

I like how the last word of that sentence is now.
I am all alone now.
As if to say previously I wasn't alone. But as I've already pointed out, we are always alone. So maybe the addition of the now implies that I have finally accepted that truth. Where previously I thought I wasn't alone, I now know I am alone. Even while in a serious relationship or just with a group of friends, I thought I wasn't alone, but now I know I was and still am all alone.

I am all alone now.

"After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone."

For awhile I was not content being alone. People at church set me up with different girls and when those didn't work out I turned to online dating. God told me to stop trying. He told me to trust in him. And I did for a time. But then after a few months I was signed up again for online dating. And I ignored God and his desire for me to trust completely in him on this one. But I couldn't escape it, I couldn't escape him. So I gave up and quit again. And I put my trust in God.

And it was going alright. I was learning to be content with being alone. Yet it still nagged me. And just when I thought I was content, yada yada yada...I'm not content being alone.

But that is where God wants me to be. He wants me to be alone. For a time. And I'd like to put a number on that time, so I know when it's over. But I can't know. I just have to trust.

I am all alone now.

And I don't really like it. Yeah, turns out it still is sad for me. I'm not happy about it.

But I know that soon I will like it. Soon I will be able to say with a sense of release, "I am all alone now!"

I'll let you know when that happens.

"You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me."

Don't Pick on my Friend!!!!

2009-04-12T15:13:00.000-07:00

K, this has gone on long enough. I won't sit by while you put my friend down again and again! How can you be so inconsiderate??!?

Of course, I am talking about rain. Today's a wet day. We get these every once and awhile in the Lower Mainland. Lots of people get complainy on days like today. I think you should shut it...

Yes, I agree, rain makes the mood gloomy. A dark grey sky does not typically arouse feelings of joy. I get that. And rain ruins your hair, gets your clothes wet, and makes the ground muddy and roads slick.

But I strongly believe it is worth it. Let me share with you why I am in love with rain:

1. It slows life down. Too often we get rushy and busyness overtakes our lives. When the rain comes we drive slower (hopefully) and people tend to stay inside more. Our mood tends to become calmer and introspective.

2. It is relaxing. The sound of falling rain is so soothing. A rainy day inspires us to curl up under a warm blanket with a cup of tea in front of a roaring fire. Now that's the good life!

3. It waters all our plants and gardens and grass, producing amazing results when the sun comes out. If you want sunny days without the inconvenience of rain, why not move to the desert?!? Gee, cause maybe we need rain to make things pretty and our food delicious?!

4. Seriously, the water cycle is probably one of the most brilliant things God invented! Without rain we wouldn't have fresh water, umm, pretty much the greatest thing since fire.

5. No rain = no rainbows! Everyone loves rainbows. I saw an amazingly brilliant one just the other day driving into Ladner.

6. umbrellas, raincoats, gum-boots, and puddle-jumping!

7. Some of the best movie scenes are in the rain: the upside-down Spiderman kiss, Evie experiencing freedom for the first time in V for Vendetta, Rachel MacAdams and Ryan Gosling embracing in the Notebook, Gene Kelly singin' in the rain, Zach Braff and co. yelling into the infinite abyss wearing trash bags, etc...

8. Everyone I know who loves soccer, says it's best in the rain (I kinda like football in the rain).

9. Prevents forest fires.

10. I find it simply beautiful. Aesthetically pleasing, refreshing, and romantic.

Oh please, please, stop slagging off rain. I'm tired of all your whining about inconvenience. The rain does so much for you, so you should show your appreciation!

Reluctancy

2009-04-10T23:47:00.000-07:00

I hear people talking about Scrubs all the time. Especially Ting. Whenever I think of Scrubs I think of Ting.

Well, I've never understood the humour of it. I just didn't get why people liked it. I would see it on TV and try to give it a shot, but I really did not like it, AT ALL!!!!

So tonight Amy asked me if I wanted to watch it. I didn't. But she was determined to convince me it was good. So I'm willing to give anything a shot.

As the episode began, I wasn't interested. I couldn't bring myself to laugh. I didn't like it...

but then it slowly began to chip at my hardened shell...

and a little chuckle came out...

and Amy would be so proud of herself...which would make me more resolute. I will not enjoy Scrubs!!!!

but then I laughed again, and again, and again. and then they actually said some stuff that had depth to it. and i realized this show isn't just about goofy jokes. it actually has a point.

and we ended up watching 2 more episodes and i loved them both on multiple levels. hurumph...

so Amy won....
dangit! now i like scrubs......

Ed Wood II

2009-04-08T23:42:00.000-07:00

Don't know the story of Ed Wood? Check out this previous post.

Because here is my second revision to DVD cover:

What do you think? I'm quite proud of it myself (although the scanner didn't capture it perfectly). The first time I just put on Josh's face and added his name over Johnny Depp's. This time I added the angora sweater and the word bubbles. I didn't want Josh to be associated with the cross-dressing Ed Wood, so I now have him saying, "I don't wear woman's clothing anymore!" That way people won't be confused.

Well, I think it might be time for a third revision....
And I sure hope Josh appreciates my art.