you have GOT to see this

watch this video of the last second play by the Trinity Tigers, a division III football team.



It's both hilarious and amazing.

the wait begins...

my dad came up with tickets to the michigan game today, but i was unable to go because we hosted a "true love waits" ceremony at the church this evening. when turning the offer down i admit i was disappointed, but the ceremony was really amazing and i'm so glad i could be a part of it.

there must have been at least 30 kids who made the commitment (14 from our youth group) and it was really powerful to see them each pledge to answer God's call for sexual purity.

As a youth group we have been discussing the topic over the last month, which has provided for plenty of awkward moments. But every awkward moment, every embarrassing comment was totally worth the joy of watching these young men and women stand with their parents and commit to live sexually pure lives.

I'm really proud of each of them!

g'day

today was a good day. days off (whether weekend or weekday) often fill up so quickly with trips to meijer and other odd jobs that they rarely feel separate from the busy-ness of every other day. As a family man with "adult responsibilities" i understand that days off don't mean "lay on the couch all day", but it's still nice to have something that feels like a sabbath. today's activities included:

got to meet with fellow youth pastors at crossroads
family had lunch with mom, dad, and angela @ fazolis
lengthy nap in the afternoon
becky's awesome cheesy chicken for dinner
washed dishes with evan



played video games with evan and aaron (mariokart 64)
put together puzzles with evan
played catch with aaron
watched "the office" with becky (great episode, i laughed at the kool-aid man joke for 2 minutes)
played wii tennis and bowling with becky
blogged

not a perfect day, but pretty good
how was your day?

... more like snoreball

so the first game of the world series just ended. sox demolished the rox 13 to 1.


i've gotta admit, i'm not much of a baseball fan. in fact, i don't really care about baseball. i think it's slow and boring.

now, let me clarify that i'm not a baseball hater. I've been to a number of baseball games (pro and am) and those were fun. going to a game in person is about the experience and sharing it with the people around you. that's cool; but watching it on tv is painful. baseball on the wii is fun too.

i'm happy to talk sports with you, but just a word of warning... i'll run out of baseball conversation quite quickly.

and, oh yeah... i call the sox in 5

global what?!?

I managed to catch the last 1/2 hour of CNN's "Planet in Peril" and I was really touched by the personal stories demonstrating the impact of environmental issues around the globe. Those of you who read my previous blog on myspace know that I also recently saw the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth". I think that these programs start important conversations and give strong evidence for the serious environmental problems that we are currently facing.

Now I know what you are thinking... have i turned into a pawn in the left-wing environmental agenda?

I don't think so; I do think most of the projections for how these problems will destroy the future are based on worst-case scenario projections and interpreting data to fit established theories. but there is no denying the changes and struggles that are already happening around the globe.

I think it's important that we all act to make a difference in how we treat the environment through personal and political action. I'm trying to recycle more (especially at work) and I really appreciate our families (i.e. becky's) efforts to purchase organic goods. They're good for you and the environment. Environmental policies will definitely influence the choice of which political candidate i vote for in '08.

I'm also saving trees by writing my thoughts in electronic form instead of writing a chain letter to everyone I know (btw, you must send this to 10 of your friends or else the polar ice caps will completely melt in the next 24 hours!).

check this out for a better look at the cnn doc.

humano uno

I just started a new devotional book today that I'm really excited about. Inspired by the "warrior weekend" with dad and jared (and Way of the Wild Heart by john eldridge), i sought out a new book for my personal time with God.

I wasn't really sure what i wanted in a book, just something other than the traditional 1 page thoughts on a theme with a verse tacked on the end. I found "Men of the Bible" at the local christian book store and got excited about it immediately [when was the last time that happened?].

As stated above, i just read the first entry today. Adam. as in, Adam and Eve.

It made me visit the story in a new way and i was really blown away by the thought that Adam was created AS A MAN. He never had a childhood. He never "grew up". What was that like? to wake up and take your first breath. to become self aware from the first time. to look in the water and see yourself (or any person) for the first time. How amazing those moments in the garden would have been. How incredible to wake up with the perfect woman next to you, formed of your own flesh.

I've always thought stories of explorers were cool. Men who sailed and wandered and blazed trails and blasted into space for the first time. I always thought it would be cool to be the first person to discover niagara falls, or the grand canyon, or an island.

But what would that have been like to be the first person to see anything. To see a bird, a cloud, or watch the unveiling of newly created stars during the first sunset ever witnessed.

oh yeah, and he got to walk with God. pretty cool.

Grand Re-Opening

Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen of all ages.

I am officially rebooting this blog and using it to communicate with friends across the interweb.

I had been bloggin' on my myspace page, but I've stopped using it as much; and as far as i can tell, many of you have stopped using it too. If you want to catch up what i've been thinking 'bout for the past year you can read up here.

As for this site, what can you expect?? Only the greatest and most insightful thoughts ever conceived by humans!!! [double question mark followed by triple exclamation point!! awesome.]

Be sure to comment back and let me know what you have to say about my thoughts.