Getting Over The Church's Mistakes

There is still so much I am getting over, unraveling, opening up about the bad side of the church I have seen. I remember over a year ago in one class at the Christian University I was at, the teacher decided to show us a quick video. I love the teacher to death, but she is also very emotional (pink-haired lady type of emotional) and is traditional pentecostal, finding her in the church choir after curiosity led me to go and see Benny Hinn one night at a church (That is a whole other story). What disappointed me about this video was its shock value. Afterwards I was angry....was I supposed to be scared? Was I supposed to be crying and telling God to save me? I was angry. It was a stupid video that was NOT relevant to our society today. It would infuriate more than draw people near. My heart broke as I was beginning to discover that a school that was trying to prepare a generation to reach millions of unchurched people was doing so many things wrong. Yeah, I said it, they were doing so many things wrong. Of course there will be many effective ministers to come out of the university, but I fear there will be many more ineffective. So watch the video, be shocked, and please feel free to leave a comment.
- T

A Grand Day Out

(UPDATE TO COME HERE SOON)

2 Weeks!

I have less than two weeks before school is out fer me! This morning was pretty rough for me. I did not want to get up and the weather was not helping. But then I have exams beginning next week for me! Whoop! Whoop!

Posting on another person's blog, I totally misspelled their name and in apology I wrote these as the reason to my stupidity:
1.I have a case of the Mondays
2. It's raining
3. I am wet
4. I have starbucks coffee
5. I woke up at 6
6. I forgot my government book
7. Exams are next week
8. I want to sleep
9. I am craving some ABBA
10.I haven't been able to watch the LOTR triolgy
11. I want to see Beowulf
12. I miss my church family so bad already
13. I have no friends here right now.
14. My bed was comfortable and warm
15. I want a flat screen tv
16. I want a HD player
17. I want my paycheck for Black Friday
18. I have a huge break today between classes
19. I have to sit through British literature
20....
Haha.
Yesterday I had a blast at Buck and Beth's Christmas party. We watch Christmas Vacation, The Polar Express, and It's A Wonderful Life. It pretty much rocked. So if you were not there, you totally missed out. Boo-ya.

Happy Holidays!

And so it begins in just a few minutes. One of the most "wonderful times of the year". The holidays. What is the holidays all about? Family. Community. Love. Hope. Stuff that I am all for. So my heart grows ten times larger as I anticipate all that is to come.
Happy Holidays!

WE WIN!

Dear Loved Family,

Last night Chris ran into the loving arms of her Savior. And we celebrate in a beautiful win. She was and will forever be an example of true love that Christ displayed. I don't find it coincidence that Christ without the letter 't' is Chris. He lived and breathed through her, and she struggled, she doubted, she cried, because she was human and so was Christ. Chris was a revolutionary. She had courage and bravery when no one had the guts to love. All walls dropped when she met you, and she hugged you with nothing but love and listened with nothing but wisdom to follow. And now, while we have to wait a blink of an eye before we can embrace her again, she lives here in Henry. She in him and him in her. I watched over the years as she and him grew together. And now in Henry I see Chris shining through. So please be in prayer for our huge family: all brothers, sisters, grandparents, nieces, nephews, cousins, neighbors, church friends, teachers, best friends, everyone. You are family. And so I end with the words of Louie Giglio and the Rick Peason family. Rick died two years ago at the age of 23 from cancer. He too was a revolutionary, and it was Chris who got me through his 'win' and now he who is getting me through hers.


'... so that now, as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For me to live is Christ, and for me to die is gain.' Phil 1:20-21

We all hoped Chris wouldn't die...
And in fact she's very much alive!

WE WIN.

We prayed and believed God would raise her up...
And He did!

WE WIN.

We wanted to see Chris get out of bed and walk out to her garden.
But instead she soared through the roof!

WE WIN.

Death tried to claim her...
But Jesus had already saved her!

WE WIN.

We grieve because Chris is gone...
But seeds of hope reside deep down in our souls because we know exactly where she is.

WE WIN.

We miss her
But we will again embrace her.

WE WIN.

Jesus Christ is Risen today and He is the ultimate grave robber.
In Him we have the victory.
In Him WE WIN.

Romans 8:10

- Thanks to Rick Pearson and Family for helping me to realize this.

O 'Crystal Ball!

So I only got about 40 minutes of sleep last night and I still have some more of the paper to do. I have about two hours until I turn it in. :\ I am suprisingly awake and not tired, ask me later on this afternoon after I get out of Brit. Lit....then, maybe then will I be. It was a nice drive this morning. I pretty much tailed Andrew about half the way. I listened to some David Crowder whom I've been missing for awhile. I just can't wait for this paper and my classes to be over so I can go home, sleep, and spend some time with Jesus. This has been some of the roughest two weeks I have ever had. I have not gotten the amount of sleep I have wanted, I have had made little time to spend reading the Gospel and be with my family. I've been wanting to watch the whole Lord of the Rings (Extended Edition) again since it has been half a year since I last watched it. It is over ten freaking hours!! And I watch the special features too (*Trent does Kevin expression from "The Office").
I had a Nike meeting last night and it was actually pretty awesome. I was team captain of the blue team and we won. Our team gets a pizza party. We got trained on the Nike Plus footwear, apparel, and iPod system as well. I didn't get home till about 10:15 though. OH! And we made a deal with the people who placed an offer on our house! So it looks like everything should be good from here on out with our house and moving in after Christmas.
So, what is my goal this week:
1. Study Generation Y and Generation Z. Try to figure out why kids seem to have no constant awareness of God these days.
2. Work on SPIN Production and the Groove Initative.
3. Sleep.
4. Work 30 hours at Nike. (That is both good and bad)
5. Spend more time awakening to God.
6. Spend more time with my family.
7. Hopefully go visit my aunt and uncle.
8. Starbucks on Thursday!!!
9. Heroes and the last original episode of "Office" due to the strike.
10. __________________________________

I leave you with a nice song from Keane, the music video will be posted on my afternoon break with more details.
- Trent

Our House Might Be Sold!

We just got our first offer for our house!
;)
We are waiting to hear back!

Shoes!

Aight. So I have always hated shoe shopping, I still don't really care for it, but I was working footwear at Nike the other day and was restocking a shoe, and well...we fell in love. Her name was the Nike Capri Slip. She is beuatiful, fit, colorful, she has curves, and fashion. I don't have any pictures with her yet, but I will show you her sister. She is orange, but my girl has neon.

Katydids?

It is November 1st and tonight when we let the dog out we could hear a ton of katydids. They should be long gone by now. Just some signs of the drought and lack of rain.