Turkey Day

I'm excited to eat food this weekend.  Starting tonight, I got Chipotle.  Tomorrow, two Thanksgiving meals.  Friday, a day of rest.  Saturday is birthday dinner at Fogo de Chao.  

My stomach isn't big enough, but my appetite will make up for that.  I'm looking forward to eating more than I'm supposed to, putting myself in food comas and watching football.

Hopefully, Thanksgiving weekend will be as fun for you as I expect it to be for me.

Class Control

After tomorrow, my pastoral care class will have no more control of my free time.  I will complete all of my required visits and hours at the nursing home tomorrow.

I only have 3 people I need to see tomorrow.  I've met with two of them every week for 9 weeks, and the third I've only talked to twice.  

I'm looking forward to being done with this.  It was extremely beneficial for me, but way out of my comfort zone.

Sighs of Relief

Classes are over for the week, though I have one last nursing home visit on Wednesday.

Another Fantasy Football team secured a first round bye in the playoffs (which guaruntees we get some money back).

I took a nap today.

Things are good.

All Over Soon

My preaching class starts in six and half hours.

Sometime during the four hours it runs I will give my sermon on the Abraham and Isaac story, with the caveat that I have to do it emotionally (not my nature).  

I've always been able to deal with this text cognitively, or even in my own faith journey.  Largely, because I ignore many of the emotions that arise from it and questions that it causes for many.  

It took me a long time to figure out how to teach it in a way that didn't skip those things.  I can give the right answers to most of those questions, but can I do so in a way that validates both the questions and the emotions others feel?

After weeks of thinking, I am hoping that I finally figured out how to do that.  I'll be interested to hear my classmatess and teachers' responses and thoughts on the avenue I decided, specifically, on if I hit the goal the way I assume I can.  If not, i'll look forward to hearing how to tweak this sermon to make it better.

Either way, it will all be over soon.

Yay For More Options

I like Google as a company.

I thought that again today as they offered easy to change themes to the colors for their e-mail program.

Mine now looks similar in style and color to this blog.

Google is one of my favorite companies with the things they continue to produce and provide to the public at no charge.

Need More Amusement

I posted a couple of days ago about how failblog is one the websites I routinely visit.  It helps we waste time.

I also acknowledge that tomorrow I will have a class that I won't be fully attentive during.  I need something to do that keeps my eyes busy, but leaves my mind free to listen.

At home, Tetris or a Rubik's Cube can solve this problem.  I have a feeling that I'll need something similar at school tomorrow.

I default often to Free Cell, but am curious if anyone has any other options that I could find on the internet for that purpose.

Saying Goodbye

Today I begin the process of saying bye to many of the people I've been visiting every week at the nursing home.  Over the next two weeks I'll say bye to all of them.

Many of the students are nervous about this time and the emotions that may be involved with it.

This is one of the times that I am not nervous. 

Saying goodbye is one of the things that has never been too hard for me.  Moving a lot as a child probably helped that.  I'm not so concerned about emotions that may be attatched with it bothering me, I've said bye to enough people enough times to not be concerned.

Infuriating

There are lots of things that bother me.  Lots of ways I wish the church used its voice (or silence) better.

Here you can find one of the news stories that infuriated me recently.

It explains that a priest has deemed anyone who voted for Obama unworthy to take communion until they have done penance for that "sin."  

I was infuriated when I read this.  There is no wonder that so many want so little to do with organized religion in this country.

I'm saddened that this is the voice we are represented as having.

Wasting Time

Three or Four weeks ago I was reading news on MSN and clicked on a story link of the top 25 time-wasting sites on the internet.

One of them was FailBlog.  This site is a collection of pictures and videos of people doing dumb or embarassing things.  Some of them made me laugh hysterically while some make you a little woozy.  

I have shared this site with some of my family and friends and most of us check it daily now as they upload 3-4 things every day, so to many of you, this post is just a reminder of the hilarity that we have found on this page.

For the rest of you, here is a small taste, an example of a picture loaded yesterday:

Moving Fail:

No Sleeping In

Jenny won't let me sleep in tomorrow, even though I don't have class.

Instead, she scheduled another estimate for the attic job upstairs.

The spray insulation guys are coming to see the place.

My list of questions is ready, which is good, cause in the morning, my brain won't be.

Evening Naps

It is hard for me to screw up  my sleep schedule.  

Seeing as my sleep schedule is very inconsistent, I don't tend to have much problem falling asleep when I need to.

However, an evening nap can ruin that.  I fell asleep watching t.v. this evening and can't get tired enough to sleep yet.  

It's 1:40.  I have to be up at 7:00.  No part of me is tired yet.

Chances are, I'm going to sleep very well from Thursday into Friday.

Three Weeks Remaining

I'm required to visit the nursing home three more times.  

In the last 6 weeks, i've only been able to see 1 person every week.  Others have had severe health issues, been moved to different facilities, or passed away.

Each Wednesday has been exhausting for me.  

I expect the same by the end of the afternoon tomorrow.

On The Up and Up

In my two solo fantasy football leagues, I have pretty much secured myself a playoff birth with wins this week.

The co-owned team for me and Jason is on a 5 game winning streak and looking strong as well.

Jenny and I went to Sam's Club tonight because I was craving taquitos and corn dogs.  

Things are on the up and up today. 

I'm happy.  I only got in a little bit of trouble at home.  I don't have class tomorrow.  Any homework I do counts as working ahead since nothing is due on Thursday.

Today, life is good. 

Tomorrow, alreadys starting worse though, as our small group had traveling and other family issues so we had to cancel.  Don't know what we'll do with the time, but it is doubtful it will be as fulfilling as small group would have been.  

The Eye of the Storm

This week is the eye of the storm of my Seminary quarter.  From the busy week of assignments I had last week, and the coming ramp up to the end of the quarter I find myself in the midst of the eye of the storm.

A week where none of my 5 classes decided to have anything due.  

0 assignments.

A smart man would work ahead.  A diligent man would work ahead.  A responsible man would work ahead.

However, trumping those things, we find that a Kemper man will enjoy his freedom instead.

Fishing For More

The Challenge Continues.

My preaching instructor e-mailed me to day.  My assumed audience for the Abraham and Isaac story is a multi-ethnic church.  Specifically focusing on covering all of how a grandmother, young father, teenager, and single adult would deal differently with the emotions of the story.

If you are or have been one of these categories, please enlighten me on the questions you have, concerns you have, or emotions you have from the Abraham and Isaac story.

If you don't fit one of these specific categories, feel free to offer your assumptions about what any of those categories may feel.

The Merciless Needs Help

The class where I was quoted at saying "I suck at mercy" was a preaching class.

I asked one of the professors (it is co-taught) to give me some requirements above and beyond for the class to challenge myself more.

One of those was that he got to choose the text I would preach from for one of my sermons in the class, aiming to pick something that might force me out of my norm.

He picked the Abraham and Isaac story and told me that he expected me to deal with the emotion that is inherent to the story.  

I read through the story today.  I asked Jenny if she thought it was necessary that I answer the question of why God would test Abraham in this way.

I understand that question is one many have about the story, and I am not arguing that I don't want to, or won't address that question in the sermon, just curious if most people would find it necessary.

As you recall the story, or read it here, what questions do you wish someone would address if they were speaking on that story?

We Will Always Need Change

I voted today.  I voted earlier in the morning than I should ever have been awake.  Some of the people I voted for have won.  Some have lost.  I'm extremely content with that.  I imagine, I would have been content if everything I voted for one, or if everything I voted for lost.

America will never be perfect.  America will always need change.  America needs change now.  It needed change 8 years ago, it needed change 80 years ago.  It will need change in 4 years.

America needed change before we were at war.  America needed when the economy was strong.  America needed change before millions of babies were killed before birth.  America needed change before we were consciously aware of the energy crisis.

I don't remember one candidate running under the motto, "Let's not change anything."  I voted for the one's who I thought might bring the best change in accordance with my thoughts of what the government can do to enable any of those changes.  

None of them would have been perfect.  America still isn't perfect.  It never will be.  No form of government could ever orchestrate it to be.

I love America.  I wouldn't trade it for any other country.  Its faults and imperfections should be dealt with, but they are on the back burner of importance for me as an American Citizen.

I'm much more concerned with what Christ wants to do with this country and the rest of the world than what America wants to do with this country and the rest of the world.  I believe wholeheardetly that his leadership is perfect.  There is no fault in Him.  There will never be a fault with Him.  He will never change, yet He will never need to.  I find my solace and comfort in that.  That enables my contentment with the government elect in this country, because I find its importance in the grand scheme of things minimal.

Ads Be Gone

It's Time to Vote.

It's Time for the Ads To End.

Gooooo candidate I'm voting for.  Boooo other candidates.  (I actually am not overly invested, though I do think one of the tickets will do the job better)

Vote, or have a strong conviction as to why you don't, but laziness isn't an excuse.

Giddy as a SchoolBoy

Easily the thing I miss most about being youth pastor instead of student is the opportunity to teach and preach regularly.

Tomorrow I get to preach in one of my classes.  

Even that excites me.

I've been thinking about the message for a couple of weeks, so i'll be excited to hear how it explodes out of me tomorrow.

Yay!