Archive for June, 2005
Picture Issue Resolved on Stumin.net
Okay, we’ve – translate “Grant” – have had an issue of the picture on stumin.net being so freakin’ huge that unless you had dual monitors, you couldn’t see the whole image.
While that means a higher quality image, it does not mean a pleasant viewing experience on the web.
So we – translate “Grant” – fixed it. A little lower quality pic but easier and more pleasant viewing experience.
Go see for yourself.
War of the Worlds, The Suck Factor
After youth last night, we sat around Sonic waiting for the 9.50 showing of War of the Worlds. In the middle of the conversation, I said this.
“You know, I don’t know if I want to see this movie. We could just come over the house and watch Mystery Men.”
I am a prophet.
It was terrible. I’d rather seen Batman Begins for the 4th time or Star Wars III the third time. Somewhere in the world today Spielberg is laughing because he just got your $8.
The first 40 minutes of the film is so good. It tanks from there.
Character Development – well, if you call Dakota Fanning’s “Rachel” not screaming at the end of the movie development – it’s there.
Somehow, a near death experience with aliens brings an estranged father and son together with no dialogue.
Somehow, all of Boston is destroyed except the block that Tom’s ex-wife is staying.
Somehow, every electronic device is rendered useless except camcorders and the news van.
Wait for the DVD to see how they did the special effects. Because the eye-candy is amazing. It’s a shame they didn’t develop the story more.
Think Fantastic 4 is going to be the same way?
Minnesota Golf
We tried a new game last night: Minnesota Golf. Actually, it really isn’t Minnesota Golf, I took the idea of the real game Minnesota Golf and combined with Frisbee Golf. The real Minnesota is more like horseshoes. That is not exactly the most active game in the world so a few modifications were made. (Check out the pics here.)
The goal is to take these things – two golf balls with a hole drilled thru the center of them tied together with string – and throw them around a course ala frisbee golf. The difference is you want to wrap that thing around the “hole.’
Things learned:
1. Maxfli Golf balls have a liquid core. Quite the explosion that was!
2. Middle Schoolers will lose their balls on the first hole. They will throw them so high, they can’t retrieve them. See here.
3. They don’t float.
4. Make scorecards next time.
Great game. We’ll do it again.
Somewhere in there is Callie. She’s retrieving her golf balls, about 20 feet up the tree. This is what we would call an errant shot.
Under The Broadway Bridge
I took a 24 hour sabbatical from e-mail and blogging yesterday. It was good.
Last night, I went with Zack - don’t bother checking his blog – and Garrett to feed the homeless under the Broadway Bridge in downtown Rock. Mark E. started by sleeping out under the bridge one weekend, then going down there every Tuesday. He started inviting students and friends to join him. I’d been trying to go with them for months but as usual – something always came up.
Not tonight. As we pulled into the parking lot, I really wasn’t ‘nervous’ – more ashamed. Ashamed that I hadn’t been here sooner. Ashamed that I make more money in a week than most of them will see in a year. Ashamed that I see them more as objects than as people. Ashamed at the way I am currently leading my family to help the poor.
So as I am dealing with my own guilt, I sit down next Jerry. A homeless man probably in his early to mid 60′s. He’s been in Little Rock for 4 years. And we talked. He didn’t judge or begrudge me for having a home nor did he ask me for money. We just told our stories.
Mainly it was he telling his story with me interrupting every now and then to clarify events or ask his feelings at that time. I don’t know how long we talked.
When we left, the ‘veterans’ (Zack and Garrett) asked the rookies (Derrick and I) what we thought. I really don’t know if I think anything. I feel different. Not good or bad, just different.
During the ride home, I’m wrestling with the question…is this a one-time for me? Probably not. But it’s also probably not the start of a weekly visit either. I’m in the middle of making major life changes for me and while this is part of it, it’s down on the list for now. Again, another point of shame for me.
I am proud to be part of a student ministry where coaches like Mark E. takes risks and challenges us all – parents, students, co-ministers – by incarnating scripture in front of us. I’m humbled that this man is part of our team and sees part of life mission in ruining teenagers with Jesus.
Rocky Mountain Getaway Blogs
Here are the posts concerning the 2k5 Rocky Mountain Getaways…just in case you cared!
June 18, 2k5: Home
June 19, 2k5: Hey Gene, Storey Says…
June 20, 2k5: No Cord, No Card Reader
June 20, 2k5: Questions – Category, Ones Church Isn’t Answering
June 21, 2k5: Allergy Day
June 21, 2k5: Late Night Around The Table
June 23, 2k5: Last Day @ Getaway
June 24, 2k5: The Crew Is Off
Pictures:
Prayer Walk Around Boulder High
Morning Bike Ride
The View @ 12,000 feet
The Crew @ 12,000 feet
On T-shirts
Luggage Surprise
The Getaway Crew
More Getaway Pictures
In The Rock
Finally back in the Rock. What a crazy 10 days. Went back to 12th Avenue Baptist Church in Emporia, KS to perform the wedding of a former student. It was an awesome, neat time. We (me, Clay, Zack, and Turner) rolled into Emporia at 3 pm on Friday and went non-stop until 4 pm on Saturday.
I got to see a lot of old friends and they made me feel like a rock-star coming home for the weekend. My current students were surprised that:
A. I am actually loved, adored, and wanted by so many more people that just my mommy.
B. Emporia is such a cool little town.
C. It really is possible to balance an egg on end during the summer equinox.
It was so good to hang in E-town for awhile. But it is equally good to be home…and now off to do laundry.
Quite an inglorious end to an otherwise glorious 10 days.
By the way, if the other pictures weren’t enough for you, here are more from the Getaway.
The Getaway Crew, from right to left:
me, Danielle, Morgan (behind), Sarah, Christine (behind), Turner and Garrett (hugging….don’t ask), Christina, Zack (what the heck?), Holly, Clay (laying on Rock), The Babe (aka Aimster), Beth.
Connor? Well, he fell off the rock when the picture snapped…twice. I could try to explain, but only those in youth ministry will understand and they already do without the explanation…so I won’t.
Always check your luggage before you go…
This is what I was talking about concerning a surprise in a certain student’s suitcase…I don’t think I want to say anything more.
On T-Shirts
This is my next to favorite shirt. I didn’t get a picture of my favorite shirt nor did I buy my favorite shirt. Why?
Because I am on T-shirt detox by strict orders of my wife. She thinks that I ought to get rid of some of my old T-shirts before I get any new ones. As the wife of a student pastor of 15 years, she OUGHT to know better.
I mean – T-shirts are my uniform. You wouldn’t begrudge a CEO on having too many ties or dress shirts. You wouldn’t begrudge a nurse for having too many white/pink scrubs? (“Not many males in your profession, are there Focker?”) You wouldn’t begrudge Harry for having too many…wait a minute…we still don’t know what Harry does, so I’ll stop there.
At any rate, my favorite T said the following:
Tact is for those who do not have the gift of sarcasm.
Here is the view from 12,000 feet. A piture just can’t do it justice. And these will one day crumble…amazing, isn’t it?
One of our many bike rides in the AM. Just off to the left of my pumpkin head is a whitetail deer. The trail we are on swings around this little ledge – a 10 foot drop into a 34-degree creek.
We prayer walked around Boulder High School. The school is just two blocks away from the famed/infamous Pearl Street Mall. Even though both Young Life and Student Venture are on campus, both have experienced sharp resistance to Christ and an overall closed attitude toward Him.
The Crew Is Off
The rest of the youth group left Topeka this morning at 8 AM. So if all things go well, they should roll into Little Rock between 5 and 6 – depending on how many bathroom/food breaks.
We rolled into Topeka last night in time to see the Spurs win number 3. Good series. Sorry, Jer. Maybe next year.
Zack, Clay and Turner are sleeping in. I’m grabbing some MUG time then hooking up with Danny Payne – long-time friend, confidant, and fellow youth pastor for some lunch.
Then off to Emporia to marry a former student. Not me, I’m doing the ceremony. I’m quite satisfied with Amy.
Last Day @ Getaway
What a week. Say what you will about camps and conferences, but something happens when you get focused for an extended period of time on just listening to God.
In the last session this morning, we had a girl pass out and go into seizures. Needless to say, we are not exactly in the most convenient place in the world for ambulances and hospitals. So about 450 students just sat in the auditorium and prayed.
Out loud.
Together.
For about 20 minutes.
News came back that she was breathing, she was in the hospital, and stable. All of that in 20 minutes was a miracle alone.
So where do you go after that happens in your session? How about worship? So that is what we did.
Eric Wolf – the director of the camp called for students to pursue full-time ministry. A move that more often than not, I resist. I mean, we need Christian film makers, writers, lawyers, mechanics, plumbers, and doctors. But he called specifically for people whose calling and purpose would be to take the story of Jesus cross-culturally. To be a going, great commission worker for God.
Well, the aisles flooded. And while I was impressed, I was cautious. How many of these were just emotional responses?
What Eric did next will probably get him in trouble but I loved it.
He said this…
Before I pray over you, I want you to make sure you’ve counted the cost of this decision. You are going to be laughed at, spit at, some of you will die, all of you will suffer. It’s impossible to be a Christian and NOT be in full-time ministry. What I am talking about here is a specific desire to take the story of Jesus to all peoples of the world, full-time, all the time. I’m talking about missionaries to Africa, Belize, Europe, Young Life leaders, Student Venture leaders, FCA, pastors to cross-cultural people who haven’t heard. Is that you? If it isn’t, I don’t want to embarrass you at all, so when we start praying, just slip back to your seat.
I was just floored. I’ve never heard anyone from the front try to send people back to their seats. And I think he’s right.
What a week. Pics will be coming later.
Late Night Around the Table
Right now around the table is Amy, Beth, Clay (who never blogs), Zack (who never blogs), Morgan, Holly – whose dad sometimes blogs but usually comments, and Christine.
Morgan says:
“We are having so much fun and love getting to know Morgan so much better…and will miss her when she goes to college.” (What is up with people who speak in third person?)
Zack says:
“I don’t know what to say. I’m planning to blog when I figure something out to say.”
Beth says:
“I don’t blog. And you can quote that.”
Clay says:
“Who’s the woman in church who does sign language or elaborate hand motions?”
Christine says:
“Holly and I have to hide when we eat ice cream because this WHOLE FREAKIN’ YOUTH GROUP is a bunch a MOOCHERS!!!!!”
Zack says:
“I’m not a moocher.”
Holly says:
“I do NOT look like my dad, Clay!”
Zack is still talking, but I’m done quoting him.
Amy says:
“Cynda Bellamy!!! And what do I need whip creme for?”
I’m hopeful on the last line.
Beth says:
“I miss my non-blogging, pimp husband.”
Well, I’m sure you are all just ecstatic about this entry.
And Zack is still talking.
I’m going to bed.
Allergy Day
One of the main reasons I love Colorado is that pollen is hardly ever a problem. Until this week.
It’s raining yellow here. It’s all over the cars, benches, rocks, and porches. If you stand in one spot for longer than 20 seconds, you’re covered in yellow.
And genius here left his Zyrtec in Little Rock. By the way – why the heck does an allergy company need a website?
So thanks to Annette, I’m drugged and happy again. It’s good to know dealers…you know what I mean.
NEWS and NOTES from the Getaway:
Rocky Mountain National Park doubled (let me repeat that in case you missed it) DOUBLED their entrance fees this year. So instead of a cool $30 for our vehicle – it cost us $75. On the positive side – we saw where that money was going to use…a hole in ground with a shack around it.
Craig Scott, Rachel Scott’s brother, (from the Columbine tragedy) spoke this morning. I was on the Zyrtec hunt so I didn’t get to hear it first hand. BUT every student has said it was the most powerful session so far.
Turner found a surprise in his bag while unpacking…I’ll try to post a pic of it when I get back or you can just ask him about it.
I’ll throw in more stuff tomorrow. We street witness tomorrow so pray for us. Some of the students this will be their first time and the wig out factor is sometimes high. We’re going to Boulder.
Questions – Category, Ones Church Isn’t Answering
One of the challenges of the conference has been – what do you REALLY believe. And why? Because of mommy and daddy? Youth Pastor? Pastor? Teacher? The Bible? (Which always requires the follow-up question, where does it say that?) How much of your belief system/structure is there because you put it there after careful consideration and wrestling?
The not-so-surprising answer has been ‘not much.’ Also, ‘by coincidence’, I am reading Radical Reformission by Mark Driscoll.
So in our small groups at night – the questions are getting intenser by the night. Which, in my opinion, is good. Again, ‘by coincidence’, I’m reading the questions Driscoll has had to deal with it in his world and there are some that are eerily familiar:
Can I pierce any part of my body? What about tattoos?
Is it okay to have plastic surgery?
What about birth control? (my response: ‘what about it?’)
How can masturbation be a sin if the Bible never mentions it? (my response: ‘What about this?’)
Can a woman be a pastor? Would we look for a woman pastor? (my response: “That’s a great question for the elders!”)
Now the questions aren’t meant to be offensive but I realize that someone will take offense to them. And that’s a problem.
The tendency is to react to the question with emotive, manipulative answers/shame in order to garner the response we want or ‘deem righteous.’ The problem is most of us – those of us in authority/mentor roles – really haven’t struggled with the questions with a Bible in our hands and hearts. We wrestle with the questions with images of our favorite teacher, mom, dad, or role model in our minds.
It’s hard enough to think and search the scriptures for answers (or hints of answers) without our own sense of ‘morality’ clouding the picture.
Pray for us as we try to walk humbly through our questions to the Source. He may or may not answer, but the journey to Him is worth the taking.
No Cord, No Card Reader
You would think in the tourist trap that is known as Estes Park, there would be a card reader for a Fuji camera…but there isn’t. I am going to try to look again today. Because, gang…it is just flat out gorgeous out here.
We (Amy and I) rode this morning – trail ride. What a blast. Uphill is brutal at 8,000 feet above sea level. But, to kinda mess up a Batman Begins quote…”Why do we go uphill? So we can go down.”
Streams, mud, rocks, and sand. What a way to start the day. I’ve got a pic – which hopefully we will post later.
So…let’s hold out hope for a card reader.
Hey Gene!! Storey Says …..
Gene – o…..
Storey is standing right next to me in the coffee shop looking out over Rocky Mountain National Park. She’s gorgeous and wanted me to tell you that “I Love You and you’re a great Dad.”
Not me…I mean, I do love you, but not like that and I’ve always guess you were a great dad but, I mean, you never know…
whatever —– Storey wanted you to know that.
She is on her way to “Venture Corp.” She should be fine, she was at Aggieland for 4 years.
Home
We are here, finally. We stayed in KC last night and ate dinner with my mom and dad at On The Border. It was cool to have the crew meet my parents.
My mom and dad would be awesome youth leaders. I wish they were in the same town as us because my dad has the same kind of annoying sense of humor as I do. Well, honestly it’s probably the other way around…
But the drive across Kansas is just…well…honestly…I have moments when I wonder if God just took a nap or daydreamed when he was speaking that part of the world into existence. There just isn’t anything out there.
Tonight was great. And I love the mountain air, the snowcapped mountains, and the ‘feel’ of home. I’m so thankful my parents took us on long Saturday drives in the mountains when we lived in Denver. It’s become a place of refuge and clarity for me.
And I really need it this week. I’ve got some major bike time planned with JC.
The Greatest Youth T-Shirt Ever
My good blogging friend Rob Terrell blogged this a few weeks ago…
What a great shirt. If it only had a Stumin on it.
A Loving Rebuke for Jeremy
It’s hard being an older and wiser youthworker. The responsibilities I have to my younger compatriots are many, but the first of which is to save them from massive embarrassment from the student culture.
Hence, my open letter to Jeremy, as he continues to leave bizarre – even for a youth pastor – comments on my blog.
I quote the beloved Jeremy on the subject of Batman Begins:
first star wars… and now THIS crap?
*sigh*.
our friendship is slowly falling apart, grant… slowly, but surely.
hahaha.
just kidding, of course. but what im not kidding about is your nerdiness. although, i do think the “war of the worlds” movie looks cool… mainly because on my recent trip to LA, i got to tour the set! yep. im pretty much in the movie i think.
superman could kick batmans a**.
My young friend….there are many reasons why we must consider Batman in general and the movie Batman Begins in particular as, to what I refered to as, “the greatest.” I will however only start with 2.
1. Batman has no altered DNA, alien superhero talent or attribute. He relies on technology, intelligence, discipline, and training. (And luck.)
2. Of all the comic book hero to movie translations – this by far has had the best story line and development. The only one that immediately comes to mind that comes close is Spiderman. But alas, Spiderman had Kristen Dunst in it…and while she is easy on the eyes, she’s murder on the ears.
Oh – and while we are on the subject of Star Wars – while the movie was the best of the first Trilogy…it falls miserably short in comparison to Batman Begins. But the music is still awesome.
I hope this has helped cleared some things up.