Join the Hunt!

Just found this...don't ask me how I found this. Here is a webcam of Loch Ness in a search for the Loch Ness Monster. Remember that they are 5 hours ahead of us.

Leslie's Movies III - Take the Lead

Again I'm not the biggest fan of Antonio Bandaris. In fact I really didn't like Puss in Boots from Shrek.

I liked this one, it was a wonderful picture of redemption and grace. I really enjoyed it.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Leslie's Movies II - Music and Lyrics

For all of you Hugh Grant fans...finally something to compare to Notting Hill. Beautful and engaging and amzingly funny romantic comedy. I must say that when Shari showed me that she had picked out this movie to watch I wasn't really that impressed by it. I wasn't looking forward to it and I really didn't want to watch it when she picked it up last night. I was completely surprised when we started to watch it. It was awesome!

4.5 out of 5 stars.

Its nice to have you back Hugh!

Ryan and Andrea

Just had a great Memorial Day weekend. Ryan flew down again (two weekends in a row) and this time he stopped in Grand Rapids and picked up our friend Andrea. We had a great time. It was so nice to see old friends again. I hope you guys come down again real soon.

thanks guys

Leslie's Movies - The Holiday

So, our friend Leslie let us borrow several of her movies, some that I have always want to see or didn't want to see in the theatres. So I thought that I would give them the honor of writing about them. Here we go...

The first Leslie movie we saw was The Holiday. Kate Winslett and Cameron Diaz switch houses for the Christmas season to get away from negative relationships and wind up finding new ones. It was cute and friendly but not all that believable. But I think that is the point, writers say, "let make a story that is just outside of reality", because I think that's where American audiences live, just outside of reality.

Overall The Holiday get 2 out of 5 stars from me. I wouldn't buy it.

More Flying Pics...

As promised more pics of Elkhart County from above...

This is our house, well, at least the right half of the blue house is where we live...

This is the backside of the church

We did a touch and go at the South Bend airport and the landing path took us right over Notre Dames Football Stadium.

We had a great time! Thanks Ryan!

Heroes Season One!

Oh Man!

I really enjoyed Volume One of Heroes. It kept me in enough suspense to keep watching. I really enjoyed the premise and the originality of the series. I know it critics say that it is too much like the X-Men, but no there is something different there. There is something more. The philosophy behind it is more. I'm not sure I can put my finger on it yet, but maybe soon. Hopefully this is a show that will be around for years to come. I think they can come up with some very interesting story lines. The first season took place over a 6 week time span (it ended on November 8th, 2006). Some of the characters just met for the first time in the last episode. These people have just discovered that they are powerful, and that they can do many good things over time.

Well, I'm looking forward to Volume Two. a couple of teasers in the show were Molly saying there is someone that can see her when she thinks about him and Hiro being sent back in time to 17th century Japan. Can't wait!

Season One on DVD August 28th!

Overhead!

So, Ryan flew down and took Shari and I for a ride in the plane. Here is a shot of our church from above.

There will be more soon!

Umm...Over Their Heads?

So I had my students do this activity yesterday morning. They had to look at four passages that mentions the Day of the Lord and write down some descriptions about it. It didn't go over to well I even had leaders struggle. So, I'll do it really fast and see what I think.



Joel 2:28-3:3
The sun and moon will turn to blood.
People will unjustly party.
People will prophesy.
Bloodshed.


Amos 5:18-27
It will be of darkness and not light.
It will be one bad thing after another.
It will be a time of hopelessness, and suffering.
Worshipping God may be futile.


Obadiah 15
God will judge the godless nations.

Malachi 4:1-6
Fire will consume the wicked.

Was it over their heads? I don't know. I can't remember the last time I was led through a study in the minor prophets.

Spider-Man 4

Hey, Shari just found this. Spider-Man 4 villians will be Lizard and Carnage. Very cool!

Heroes: Origins

Here is another article, a lot better article.

Heroes: Origins

Ok, not too excited about this. I love Heroes, but this new spin-off, Heroes: Origens, doesn't look that great. It features a possible Heroes character than fans vote for this character to be on season 3. Not really excited for it. Eh, but who knows.

The Bible...For Adults Only?

I just read this article on Fox News and laughed out loud. I say let them put the ban on it. More kids will probably read it that way anyway!

Cavemen

Cavemen is one of the new shows that ABC is plotting for this upcoming fall. The show is based on the Geico commercials. I don't know. I don't think I'll pay any attention to it!

Spider-Man 3

So, its been a week, I feel that I can let my honest opinion about the movie out without feeling guilty about spoiling the movie to you faithful readers, (caution: spoilers ahead!)

I liked it. I didn't love it, but I liked it. I feel as though they packed too much into this one film. Plotline summery:

• Peter Parker and Mary Jane fight
• Ben Parker's true killer, Flint Marko, is revielled and escapes to find that his daughter's sick.
• He winds up caught in the middle of the Particle Physics Experiment and his DNA becomes infused with sand - Sandman.
• Peter Parker starts to wear the Black suit of the Marsian Symbiote.
• Peter becomes dark - vengful
• He then creates a competitor of Eddie Brock at the paper.
• A lot of revenge situations take place.
• There is a lot about the Mary Jane/Peter Parker relationship (they get married eventually - and divorsed).
• Peter loses the symbiote and it comes to Eddie Brock - who now hates Peter Parker - Eddie then becomes Venom (even though the name Venom only appears in the ending credits.
• A lot happens with Harry Osborn
• Mary Jane gets kidnapped by Venom and Sandman (who have now teamed up - possible sinister six reference)
• Peter and Harry fight Venom and Sandman
• Peter kills the symbiote and Eddie kills himself by running towards the symbiote when Peter blows it up.
• Peter lets Sandman go - Forgives him for killing his uncle Ben.

Ok, here we go. I don't think they should have killed Venom. I felt that it would have been better to set up Venom in Spider-Man 4 so as to develop the character. I felt as though the ending should have been the fight with Sandman. And when everything is over there be a scene of Venom webslinging. I felt as though by killing Venom that the possible storylines of Carnage and Toxin have disappeared from all hopes of becoming a movie.

All in all though, I thought it was better than most people are saying it was. I definately thought that you couldn't do 7 Spider-Man movies without doing the Venom storyline. What I like about Spider-Man is the inner conflict that Peter has. Struggling with what is right and what is easy. Using his new found ability to help others, and taking care of people. I love that real aspect to the character, and I love that they brought it to the movies.

Movie Rating: B-

Tigers RSS

So, I've decided to celebrate the success of my Detroit Tigers by putting their news feed on the blog. I'm pumped...I hope that there are those of you who are too.

Support the Big D!

Of Wine and Heaven

I just listened to this sermon by Rob Bell yesterday and found it truly compelling. When thinking of the end times we rarely think about what the Old Testament says and we rarely think about what the original authors frame of reference was.

This is the link to the Mars Hill website's podcast link. The teaching is called Wine and Heaven.

More and More

So, I am writing a teaching series through the book of I Thessalonians and I am working through chapter four, and I stumbled onto something a little interesting. Chapter four has three parts (verses 1-8, 9-12, and 13-18). In 1-8 Paul is talking about how the people of Thessalonica are living like Christ, but - in verse one - should do it more and more, and then talks about how sexual immorality can screw that up. In 9-12 Paul is talking about how good these people are at loving each other as siblings, but - in verse ten - that they should do it more and more. In 13-18 (this is the classic reference for rapture theology) Paul describes the return of Christ like a 1st century wedding. Everything that Christ does in those verses is what the Bride-groom would do. There would be a trumpet call and loud shouting and then the groom would come to the bride. I believe in a marriage relationship it doesn't just start and never move or progress. In fact it is in constant movement - hopefully forward! Paul is telling these people to have a relationship with God. He wants their relationship with God to be more and more. I find this fascinating! And all to often we rip it out of context and make it say what we want it to say.

I just attended a funeral for a three year old...

Can I just say one thing...awkward.

That's what it was, awkward. Death shouldn't come so young. Death shouldn't seem so real. Death shouldn't be. I didn't know the boy, I've never met him. I knew the family. Keegan had an uncle, Chad, who is in the youth group. So I came to show my support to the family. The funeral was awkward - in the most respectful way possible.

I wondered down the hall from my office to the sancuary just moments before the funeral was to start. I found a seat, and seconds later a coworker sat next to me. We don't normally spend a lot of time together - awkward. It was cold, I don't know if it was emotions or the air conditioning was up to high, but it was awkward. The oranist played, "Jesus Loves Me" followed directly by "Jesus Loves the Little Children." Both seem obvious choices for a funeral of a child, but somehow out of place - awkward. Just into the second stanza of "'Jesus Loves the Little Children" a baby near the back started to cry loud enough that it would be appropriate for the mother to take him out, but from somewhere it felt good to hear. It was ok. She took her son into the foyer to comfort him and attend to his needs, but some how some way I felt as though it would be a good idea to tell her to stop, the baby's cry felt good - awkward. I didn't say anything, I couldn't speak. It felt wrong to speak. Seconds later the funeral director asked us to sit closer together so that more people could fit - awkward. Just then a tiny casket - awkward - came rolling into the room followed by many family members. It was the exact opposite of a wedding. All the people were of all ages, heights, weights, and used various means of walking (i.e. canes, wheelchairs, others shoulders) their walk was awkward. Just then the organist played "It is Well with My Soul" - awkward - a good song, and seemly would fit knowing the history of the song, but still - awkward.

I could go on and on, but just to say that it didn't feel right, and it shouldn't have. Death is so unnatural, and so against everything that God does and is that it can't be good.