A tale of two video games.

I like video games. To be more specific, most rpg, strategy, of shooter games. One might sat that I am adept at them.However, there is a genre of video games that kicks my butt. Sports games. I don't know what it is, but I can't do well at sports in the video gaming world. I suppose if you want a fighting chance while hanging out with me, have me play something that doesn't involve shooting.

Quote of the day.

"Do you know what the problem of working in the church is?

Grace."

I said this to a pastor at church today, which caused him to fall to the ground, laughing. I was trying to explain how it seems to me like people abuse grace when it comes to working with others.

It is hard to truly explain what I mean, but inside a church the size of the one I work in, you have the ministry side and the business side. As Christians, we live under grace and working at a church, grace is present by default.

I've worked out in the 'real world' and in the confines of the church. They are very different.

When it all comes down to the core, I think I have a problem with working with grace. I want to treat the people who do well better than the people who don't.

But that is not grace, Jeff.

You are correct. I do believe that God gives everyone grace equally, from the out set. Its later on that gets confusing, but I do believe I need to work and live in the confines before it gets confusing.

So yeah, one of those stressful days, but I want to learn from it and improve my attitude at work.

People who should be blogging.

On my way home last night from hanging out with some amazing people, I got to thinking about who I'd like to see in the blogging world. In no particular order...

1. Todd and Sheila Eby: This wonder duo has been in ministry for a long time. Currently they help out in the Jr. High ministry, and help out with the Young Adults as well.

2. Burmell Walter: This gentlemen ends up in prison a lot. I love hearing his stories on life and his encounters in prison ministry.

3. Dave Engbrecht: Do I need to explain?

4. Ed Moser: My immediate superior at work. His attitude on life and his wisdom from his experiences is worth learning from.

5. Chris Lehane: Junior High pastor at church. It would be cool to see his perspective from ministry in a small youth group to a large youth group. It would also be cool to see how in the world he handles life with three women in his house. Wait a minute, he does have a blog! But, it hasn't been updated in OVER ONE YEAR!!!

The second time around

Do you ever here a message once and it is ok, but the second or third time you hear it, it has a bigger impact?

Now I'm not saying that the person giving the message has anything to do with it...far from it. It has to do with the timing of hearing the message. Hence the having a bigger impact upon hearing it again at a different time.

Thanks man.

I'm a victim of peer pressure...

...or something like that. There are two people that I occasionally eat lunch with that have this ability to coerce me into resigning my valiant efforts to stay away from carbonated beverages. So, on day 85, after 84 consecutive days without it... I caved. Today for the first time in my life, I think I had a headache because of too much caffeine. Well I think Saturday will be Day 1.

Reminder

Psalm 42:11

11 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

ICE

A while back I was listening to the local talk radio out of Ft. Wayne, as I normally do when I am in a vehicle during working hours. They were talking about ICE, or In Case of Emergency. ICE is a handy little thing that is supposed to help first responders in contacting relatives or whoever is an accident occurs. Most cell phones that are made these days have the ICE function as the first spot in the contacts of the phone.

It was interesting to think of how such a silly little thing could make first responder's jobs so easy. Granted, its not fun to think of, but its probably worth having. Even if your phone doesn't have the Ice function you can add ICE as a contact. Just put a symbol or a number in front of ICE so it will be at the top of your contact list and be so easy for first responders to find.

10... er... uh... 4 questions

So, things don't always go as planned, but it is still good.

1. What is your dream job? Wow, this one has made me think a good bit. Growing up, I wanted to be a Fire Fighter. I love working with my hands whether it is building something or tearing it apart. I like seeing immediate results. I also love being outdoors and working with youth. In my dream job, I think I would like to own my own business, so I could choose my own hours on go on trips as I choose. I would love to take groups on white-water rafting trips, mission trips, and whatnot.

2. Would you like to hangout sometime? Yes. Halo. Ultrazone. Wendy's. Who knows?

3. If you could be anyone off of Heroes, who would you be? This is a dangerous question to ask a nerd. In my mind it is simple. Peter Petrelli, who has the power to absorb the powers of other people with abilities. Now, if I was in a world were I was the only one with abilities... Hiro Nakamura, who possesses the ability of space-time manipulation.

4. What is the next outrageous thing you will be doing with your hair? The next outrageous thing? A little presumptive, are we? I probably won't know for sure until the time nears. Most likely it will be something I haven't done. Someone mentioned to me that I should do a bowl cut, not unlike our neighbors in the Naptown area. Corn rows? Or maybe I'll just do a tribute to several summers ago... Business up front, party in the back!

Thanks for participating. Maybe I will do this again sometime.

10 Questions

Well, I thought about asking for input again on my day off, but I never know when one of the pastors are going to take a vacation day. Anyways, Derry did this last week. I thought of doing it, but was too lethargic, so lets try it. If you readers can come out of hiding with 10 questions, I will answer them...

Time for a rant

Well, this might be a little dangerous and I might step and some toes, but its time for me to jump back on the soap box for a few minutes. Hopefully the intent behind this post will be understood.

First of all, I am a recovering hypocrite. Maybe that is a little too optimistic. I definitely am not perfect and have plenty of hypocritical tendencies that I need to work on.

It all started last week. I was debating on whether to go to First Serve Sat. It came down to Friday, and I still hadn't decided if I was going to go. My weekends have been crazy for about a month now, and the thought of being gone to volunteer from 8a.m. to 4p.m. then working from 6:30 until who knows when was not very appealing to me. As this debate was going on inside my head, I ridiculed someone for making excuses for not being able to go.

Friday night I started to think of the irony in what had transpired. I started to think of all of that. I got kicked in the butt for my attitude on this. I decided that I needed to go to First Serve and that was that.

At lunch somehow I got into a conversation about how many people from our church actually participate in serving. I started to get frustrated. I don't understand how it is so hard for me or anyone else to give up a few hours of time a month.

Sunday morning in class we were going over James 1. Check out the last two verses:
26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Are we making the most of the opportunities that are before us? If not, what can we do to get to that spot?

80

Today is day 80 of no pop whatsoever. I'm trying to figure out if I want to keep going, or take a couple day break, then jump back in on it. If I take a break, anyone want to do a no pop challenge with me?

200!!

This is my 200th post. Yeah, I know its cheap, but hey, its my blog. Here to more posts of me rambling about things nobody cares about and undoubtedly more posts that people will misinterpret.

The Joys of Technology

I recently bought a scanner, so I could scan some pics of years gone by. I did some preliminary experimenting to figure out the workings of the device. Thinking I had mastered the concepts, I attempted to scan about oh, 450 pics. Needless to say, results weren't as desired. I better actually read the manual or something.