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updates_and_thoughts

in no particular order:

1) on thursday Northeastern goes before the Student Government for our final approval to become an RSO (registered student organization) at that campus. pray for us!

2) finished A Band of MiSFits...thoroughly enjoyed reliving the Giants' run to the World Series title last year.

3) speaking of baseball, check out BaseballMonk whenever you get a chance...our "viewership" is ever increasing over there and it continues to be a fun outlet. btw: 2 days until the season starts!

4) amy and i are now both back in boston, together, for the indefinite future. the last two weeks saw us traveling apart from each other (i went to KY with students and she went to NC for a PT conference). both trips were good but it is GREAT to be back together. this has been the most time we've spent apart since we were married. funny story: i used to think one of the hardest parts about being married would be sleeping in the same bed (i am a sprawler =), but i do not sleep as well by myself now which is an interesting discovery.

5) also finished Love Wins...i defer to Eugene Peterson' comment on the book: it's about elevating our conversation and expanding our imagination. 

6) much time is being spent towards ending the semester well with students and setting ourselves up for what should be an incredible fall!

7) very much looking forward to the weather warming up.

8) should have a post up by the end of the week on Manning Up and its implications for the church and collegiate ministry.

that's it for now... 

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too many thoughts for one post...i apologize.

- at some point in the next week or two i will have a major update regarding life direction to write about in this space...stay tuned.

- our community group continues to grow.  we are over double digits now!  (time to think about splitting, yikes).

- also, in our group we have some really fun new-christian/pre-christian types who bring a bunch of great energy and fresh perspectives to the table (one of our girls lied to her athiest parents about going to reunion at first...i love that!).

- i am having some really great conversations with ramon at starbucks.  our conversations have moved from film and making films to topics like religion and destiny and does anyone have the right to speak into other people's lives.  really interesting and fun.  we'll see what comes of that.

- bird street continues to be challenging in many ways, but i've experienced a recent break through with at least one of my students.  aishah's family is going through a nasty divorce right now and a lot of her anger over that got taken out on us.  she hated our program at first and did whatever she could to get written up/kicked out so she could go home, but now she has a turned a corner and is really enjoying herself after school.  which helps me enjoy myself too =)

- tuesday was also a big day at the school i work out.  it was very cool to see the kids get so excited about a national event.

- i am very antsy for baseball season to get underway.

- amy and i had our first experience of Boston University hockey (they are ranked 2nd in the nation in division I).  very fun!  they play in a beautiful arena, and hockey is such a great sport to see live.  however, we both felt very old sitting in the student section, wishing the dang kids in front of us would sit down and shut up.  

there's probably a bunch more to share, but i'll wrap it up there for now.

peace!

03059

items of the utmost importance and extreme significance for the week of november 26-december 2nd.

- today is the last day in november which means i have been in durango for four months...part of me wants to say "four months...that's all," the other part realizes that this constitutes one third of a year, amazing.

- i love the exchange between sarah and ryan in the comments...good stuff...

- i am currently reading "what is the what" by dave eggers (number two on the all time favorite authors list). this book is very different from the other stuff he has written (including, but not limited to, "a heartbreaking work of staggering genius," "how we are hungry," and "you shall know our velocity") what is the what is to do with the story of a Sudanese refugee and in many ways this book is actually the heartbreaking work of staggering genius. (here is a plug for www.savedarfur.org)

- now that the hockey fiasco is winding down, things are pretty slow at the soccer shop...until january when indoor starts. arsenal is also disappointing us as well. they'll have a great game (see their 3-1 win over hamburg in the champions league), then stink it up with a inexplicable 3-1 loss to bolton (in the EPL). way too inconsistent.

- CTK-durango's momentum continues to build...we will be multiplying our small groups in january, moving into the bigger room in pickles on christmas eve, and looking for more ways to expand our service in the community. personally, i am enjoying this season very much, but i can't wait for the calendar to flip over to january because i think many exciting things are going to start happening once the holidays are over.

- i'll be in salinas and available to hang out the last week of december...let me know if you'll be around.

- lastly, this man is a genius: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BcT4MXcNwY

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some weekend ponderings...

1) the fort went down in the DII championship, 1-0, to dowling (some school from NY). we listened to it on the radio in the shop today and they fought hard, but just couldn't finish a goal. i also hear that there are going to be some big changes this offseason...we'll see what happens next.

2) i got my ears pierced...been wanting to do this for a while and it finally happened. i had a great conversation with my piercer. when he found out i was a pastor he couldn't believe it, and not for the reason one might suspect. i thought he would say something to the effect of "pastor's don't get their ears pierced." this didn't seem to be weird to him at all. what he couldn't get over was how young i was. a direct quote: "i thought pastors were just a bunch of old guys who voted republican." i assured him that i know some young pastors who lean more towards a blue state perspective. it was a fun conversation and another moment where i left assured that i am in the right place at the right time.

3) i encountered my most angry customer in my time at the soccer shop. words cannot convey how angry this lady was (not at me specifically, although i got to bear a good deal of it). i wonder what message that sends to her kids, and i pray for anyone who can get so bent (i've never seen anyone this angry, even in a movie) over something like a jersey.

4) i am listening to the new damien rice cd on my ipod and loving it. (it happens to be titled "9", which is very much approved of here at the ID).

5) i can't wait for tomorrow. i love our little community, and the morale is so high right now on our team...this is a really fun time for us...the giddiness level at our staff meeting on wednesday was off the charts.

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some things that have been shaping my thoughts recently...

1) the irresistible revolution...
2) crowder and his concept of a rescue that has happened and will happen...
3) a book (i know, another book...where does he get the time) titled "body piercing saved my life: inside the phenomenon of christian rock"...
4) a quote from this book, where the author describes evangelical culture as "constructing an ever more-impregnable fortress in which Christians can amuse themselves while waiting out the apocalypse." (Ouch!)
5) my fear that the election results will exacerbate this reality and evangelicals will continue to retreat instead of engaging in mission...
6) relational conflict (how it seems to always lack a perspective of the bigger picture)...
7) bonfires with homeless friends...
8) trailer parks and run down apartment complexes...
9) a sermon on what you have to know vs. what you can know (see Mt. 22:37-39, Mk. 12:28-31)...
10) joy and soccer and worship...

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some midweek thoughts...

1) hanging out with grandpa is fun

2) i have to "preach" this week...it's slowly coming together

3) all apologies to will ferrell, jack black, dave chappelle, etc...stephen colbert is the funniest man in the world.

4) i am currently reading "Dear Church: Letters from a Disillusioned Generation." (my favorite line so far...'they (as in the disillusioned/twentysomething generation) chaff at the pragmatist/programmatic approach to ministry.') (my second favorite line...'we can't all be articulate, middle-class, college-educated, Gap-wearing, small group leaders...and if we were, who would be in relationship with all the world citizens who will never shop at the Gap?')

5) my favorite song of the moment is "have you forgotten" by the red house painters

6) this is the greatest picture of all time (look closely and you'll see what i mean).