MASTERS COMPLETED!

After I squeezed five semester into four, sitting through seemingly endless hours of seminar classes and gave thousands of dollars to Bethel College, I have officially completed my Masters Degree in Ministries! By no means have I "mastered ministry" but I have a degree that say's I am a little smarter and more wise than I once was.

I still remember sitting down that first day of class with Dr. Tomasino on Aug. 23, 2005. That was one of the longest days of my life. The Silver Hawks just ended an eight-game home stand the night before and I was already exhausted from that. Let alone the eight hours of class that day. I also remember thinking that there is no way that I am actually going to complete this degree. Somehow and in someway I managed to get it done.

There were certainly numerous times on this journey that I wanted to quit because that seemed like the more logical solution then pounding out another 10+ page paper for another class. However, quitting would have been the easy way out and I really don't think I could have lived with myself had I actually quit.

Being a student again gave me one incredible opportunity. Not only did I get to spend a summer in L.A. as an intern at Mosaic, I got three credits for it! What that experience taught me may have made the whole graduate program worth while to me. That internship will be a gift that will keep on giving.

At this point I don't foresee any future education but, then again, I never imagined that I would actually go back and get my Masters Degree either. Being involved in academia again was a great experience but I certainly could use a reprieve from that for an extended period. Believe me when I say that not having to look a syllabus for the first time in 2 1/2 years will be nice!

Going through the program helped me tremendously in my own spiritually journey with God. In many ways this degree doesn't make me "spiritually wiser" but it helps me better understand how complex yet beautiful a relationship with Christ can and should be. That is something you can not put in any paper, write on a tuition check or explain in a class room.

FREE COLDSTONES!

If it is on the internet than it has to be true, right?!? I think the below might be worth testing out. What do you have to lose if the rumor isn't true? ...

there was an ad in the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press for Coldstone that said they will be giving out a free "like it" for anyone on Monday January 7 from 10am 'til 2pm all over America!!

Might be true, might be false but I could always go for an Apple Pie a la coldstones anytime!

CELEBRITY LOOK ALIKE?

So Corey says, "you look like Ben Lee"

Hmmm ... I might ... well, maybe ...

ROGER FEDERER

I was reading this article about the top most amazing sports stats from 2007 and this one about Roger Federer is absolutely stunning

91-4

Since he lost in the third round of the 2004 French Open to Gustavo Kuerten, Roger Federer has lost only four matches in Grand Slam tournaments while winning 91. Remarkably, all four losses came in the semis or finals, and all to the eventual champion (once to Marat Safin in the Australian Open and three times to Rafael Nadal in the French Open.) Mr. Federer's run is not only the greatest in tennis history, it may be unmatched in modern individual sports.

Just another example of why he should be considered the best tennis player of all-time. That just FOUR losses in a period covering more than two years ... Just Four!!

QUOTABLE ERWIN

During my return trip back to South Bend I was catching up on a long, lost podcast from Mosaic. The talk was given back in March, 2007 about searching for meaning and what that search looks like when it is done dysfuctionally. The middle part of the quote really stuck out to me the most. --

“God created us to enjoy. He created us to laugh. He created us to experience all this beauty and wonder but when we make it the core of our existence and when we try find our meaning in pleasure we actually lose the capacity to enjoy – pleasure … Everything that will destroy you brings you great pleasure up front. That’s how it lures you in. It doesn’t give you ‘the bill’ up front. The person who lives for pleasure actually ends up enjoying life the least.”

- Erwin McManus, Meaning: Dysfunction (March 4, 2007)

Think about it for a moment. What do things like drugs, alcohol, porn, money, etc., etc. do for you up front?

CHRISTMAS TRAVELS

So I'll be enjoying the beauty of Virginia for a few days before heading north to Pennsylvania. Have a good Christmas!

DOLPHINS WIN!!

The Miami Dolphins are the best 1-13 team in the NFL! Of course they are the only team with that record but who cares because after 16 consecutive losses dating back to last season victory belongs to the Dolphins!

They aren't good and they won't be for a while but they overcame a 13-3 halftime deficit in beating the Ravens 22-16 in OT! No more fears of an 0-16 season!

Now about that game against the Patriots next weekend ... ummm ...

I AM LEGEND

There is just something about Will Smith and saving the world. First there was Independence Day, then Men in Black followed by I, Robot. Plus, don't forget about Hitch were Smith saves all dumb men every were trying to impress the ladies ;-) Anyway ...



I was pumped for this movie when I saw the first trailer back in June even when I had no idea what the movie was really about. The whole idea of human zombies didn't appeal to me at first but I wanted to see this movie. I'm not one for being scared a movie. The whole horror genre just doesn't do it for me.


Yet this movie was very little about horror and more about suspense. There were a fair amount of suspenseful moments through out that definitely got my heart pumping but never in a "stupid horror way" (say like Freedy or Jason, etc.).

The performance that Will Smith gives is really good. The film is about 75% him and him only (kind of like Tom Hanks in Castaway). For going mostly solo he gives a very nice performance. I never got bored watching the film and in fact the movie felt like it went quickly even though it's about 1 hour, 45 minutes long.

Seeing New York City completely void of life was quite amazing. The special effects guys definitely did an outstanding job in making the city as lifeless as possible. Very impressive effort.

It would be interesting to find out how close to movie resembles the book that Robert Matheson wrote about 50 years. The ending felt a little rushed and some what odd. There wasn't much closure and it's like they were setting up a sequel.

Overall, a very good movie to watch. I'd say about a 7.0 on a scale of 10.

SEEKING CHARLIE'S AUTOGRAPH

During the Christmas season there is a reason to go “above and beyond” what one would normally do for another individual’s gift. For whatever reason, this just seems to happen. A person doing borderline absurd things to please another individual is common place.

So on Friday morning Charlie Weis offered a free “autograph session” to any Saint Mary’s, Notre Dame or Holy Cross faculty, staff or student. Since I needed to get an autograph for a friend of mine I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to do so. Little did I realize what I was about to get into.

I figured, as did Weis, that the session that started at 8:00 a.m. would be done by 10:00 a.m. at the latest. To me there’s nothing wrong with standing in line for an hour or so. I got to the complex around 7:45 a.m. and there were around 300 people in line outside. A little more people than I thought but still not too bad by any stretch.

Little did I realize there were hundreds more already inside the building waiting for his signature. I waited outside in the 20-something temperatures for about 40 minutes and I was ready to give-up because I was freezing. Fortunately the organizers let everyone that was outside come into the building.

When I went inside I finally realized how large this event was. People, and a lot of them, were in a very organized line that was about 300 yards long. Seriously it was almost comical. With about an hour invested into the process I decided I was in this thing for the long haul.

The next few hours were kind of fun on some surreal level. I got to know a few new people and share some stories with people that I will most likely never see again. By 11:45 a.m. I was still about two hours from the autograph. Luckily the football office bought pizza for everyone still waiting in line. I’d say they bought roughly 50 pizzas. A very nice token of kindness on their part.

At 12:30 p.m. a “bomb dropped” when Weis announced he had to stop signing at 1:00 p.m. and there was probably 90 minutes left of signatures to complete. He had pushed back his 10 a.m. appointments to 1:00 p.m. and had to honor those commitments.

So a handful of people, myself included, left our autographed apparel with the powers that be in the football office so Weis could sign them over the weekend and we can pick them up on Monday morning. I have no worries that Weis will sign each one of those items. Never in my wildest dreams did I think this simple process would take up over five hours of my life!

Let’s hope my friend appreciates the dedication needed to attain the autograph! ;-)

ERIC CLAPTON

I finally got done reading this article about Eric Clapton in Vanity Fair. I've always been a fan of what Clapton produces and without a doubt he is one of the best guitar players ever. Songs like "Tears in Heaven" and "Wonderful Tonight" are absolute classics.

What struck me about the article was the quote he gave when describing the end of his second stint in an alcohol rehabilitation center. After he got out he was facing the reality of being a father for the first time and feeling like rehab didn't work again until ....

Almost of their own accord, my legs gave way and I fell to my knees. In the privacy of my room I begged for help. I had no notion of whom I thought I was talking to—I just knew that I had come to the end of my tether, and I had nothing left to fight with. Then I remembered what I had heard about surrender, something I thought I could never do, that my pride just wouldn’t allow it. But I knew that on my own I wasn’t going to make it, so I asked for help, and, getting down on my knees, I surrendered.

Within a few days, I realized that something had happened for me. An atheist would probably say it was just a change of attitude, and to a certain extent that’s true, but there was much more to it than that. I had found a place to turn to, a place I’d always known was there but never really wanted, or needed, to believe in. From that day until this, I have never failed to pray in the morning, on my knees, asking for help, and at night, to express gratitude for my life and, most of all, for my sobriety. I choose to kneel because I feel I need to humble myself when I pray, and, with my ego, this is the most I can do.

If you are asking why I do all this, I will tell you: because it works. It’s as simple as that. In all the time I’ve been sober, I have never once seriously thought of taking a drink or a drug. I have no problem with religion, and I grew up with a strong curiosity about spiritual matters, but my searching took me away from church and community worship to the internal journey. Before my recovery began, I had found my God in music and the arts ... In some way, in some form, my God was always there, but now I have learned to talk to him.

I am in no way saying that Eric Clapton is a "born again Christian" but it's odd and really fascinating how so many song writers and musicians have these questions/curiosities about God, spirituality or religion.

UNTIL JUNE - CHRISTMAS CARD

(so I took this from Eric Bryant's blog)

This is one of the most creative Christmas cards I have ever seen. Absolutely brilliant. Be sure to check out the band at some point - here. They are a frequent on my iPod!! (click on picture to make it larger)

SHOPPPING

It's Dec. 11. Does anyone else out there feel lost about what gifts to get for the people on your list?

Every year this happens to me. I can buy any gift and wrap it up and say "Merry Christmas" with smile but I want to buy a gift that actually will be used and enjoyed. A gift that the one who is getting it will actually be grateful for it. On top of that I try to be unique in my gift giving. Even though I have failed at this attempt many times, I feel that risking at some level of being unique is necessary.

There's always gift cards but those are a last minute resort. I could try a book yet I've gone down that route before and need something new for 2008. It is almost like the challenge of looking for a "perfect" gift is what drives me more than anything else. Besides last minute shopping is more fun anyway!

... 13 days of shopping left til Christmas

GUITAR RIFTS

This is a pretty cool little piece on the top 10 guitar riffs of the 21st century. There are some great choices on the list - here.

My personal favorite is "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand

A FAIR LIFE?

Remember when you were growing up as a child and when something didn't go your way you said something to the effect of, "That's not fair"? Seemingly I was the king of saying that phrase on a regular basis.

Flash forward about 20 years to the other day when I was listening to some Relient K and this phrase comes out of the speakers:

“the beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair”

Not that I consider Relient K to be the "know-all, be-all" about living life but how true that statement is. I'm just glad that phrase never got thrown back in my face when I was child. Actually I wonder how I would have reacted to that.

AMERICAN GLADITORS!

Mark your calendar for Sunday, January 6! I used to love watching American Gladitors when I was growing up back in the day. I loved watching the "contestants" going through the gauntlet at the end of the show. It was great and it's coming back.

I'm not so sure how I feel about Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali being a main attraction for NBC but, does it really matter -- American Gladitors is back!

The Joust, The Wall, it's back ...

JESUS BUTTON?!?

Seriously, has the "christian marketplace" gotten this bad? I mean, come on!?! I may have just vomited in my own my mouth when I saw this ... no wait, I just did! Don't get me totally wrong, I'm all for Jesus but the people who make this stuff just to earn a buck pretty much makes me, well, vomit!

PRINCE CASPAIN

I must admit, I sly smile came across my face for the second installment of the Naria Chronicles. How can you not get excited for something that involves C.S. Lewis?

Trailer

SNOW

The white stuff is here -- again!

I actually had a dream on Tuesday night that it didn't snow and it was actually 60 degrees when I woke-up the next morning. Unfortunately, I guess that's why it is called dreaming. You want one thing to happen but the exact opposite takes place.

While brushing off my car this morning with temperatures in the 20-somethings, I was having a hard times coming to terms with the fact that winter is here. No more shorts, no more short sleeves shirts, no more nice running weather -- yuck!

Is it spring time yet? I guess that takes place only in my dreams.

QUOTABLE BRAD PITT

Fresh off the heals of his announcement on the Today Show on Monday morning to help rebuilt the ninth ward in New Orleans with eco-friendly homes, check out what Brad Pitt told Larry King.

"[Acting has] become less and less a focus as I get older, I think it's really more of a younger man, younger woman's game."

"At this point, I'd rather -- it takes so much time, [and] there's just other things I'd rather be doing .. "

I think I'm becoming a bigger fan of "Brad Pitt the person" then "Brad Pitt the actor."

THINKING FUN

Let's say there is a bullet which can shoot through any barrier. Let's also say there is an absolutely bullet-proof armor which no object can penetrate. What will happen if such a bullet hits such an armor?

Can a man drown in the fountain of eternal life?

Your mission is not to accept the mission. Do you accept?

A girl goes into the past and kills her Grandmother. Since her Grandmother is dead, the girl was never born. If she were never born, she never killed her grandmother.

If the temperature this morning is 0 degrees and the Weather Channel says, "it will be twice as cold tomorrow", what will the temperature be?

Answer truthfully (yes or no) to the following question: Will the next word you say be 'no'?

What happens if you are in a car going the speed of light and you turn the headlights on?

COLLEGE FOOTBALL RECAP

So I was going over my preseason prediction for the college football sesaon. I was surprised how decent my picks look over a season that featured more upsets than any previous season I can recall.

1. USC - Everyone's preseason #1 makes Rose Bowl
2. Texas - My bias shows through
3. West Virginia - So Close on this pick
4. Wisconsin - Not sure what I was thinking
5. Oklahoma - Right on
6. LSU - Close but not quite
7. Virginia Tech - Right on
8. Florida - Finishes just outside the BCS Bowls
9. California - Really, really bad pick
10. Michigan - Ummm ... At least they finished in the top 25

Best moment of the year had to be watching the end of the Appalachian State/Michigan game the first Saturday in September. Who saw that coming?!? I always wondered what would happen when the National Champion from Division I-AA would play a power house program in I-A. Guess I have that answer now with that stunning result.

Play of the year - here. 62 seconds, 15 laterials that is just absolutely amazing.

Player of the Year - Tim Tebow (Florida, QB). The guys runs and throws for overall 20 touchdowns. How can you not reward that?

Game of the Year - Either Arkansas/LSU in 3OT's or Stanford/USC

SEX GOD & CNN

Rob Bell does a little interview for CNN ...

Watch

QUOTABLE COACH

This is proudly said by the head coach of the New York Islanders, Ted Nolan. It's pretty good advice in any athletic competition.

“My philosophy has always been if we score one more than them, we have a good chance of winning”

Even as an avid Islander fan I was pretty skeptical about their chances to be competitive this year but currently they are among the best team in the eastern conference. His philosophy works for me!