Verse(s) of the day

Praise the LORD. I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.
Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them.
Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate.
He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever.
He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations.
The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.
They are steadfast for ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness.
He provided redemption for his people and he ordained his covenant forever— holy and awesome is his name.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

Psalm 111

Honest Injun

Earlier today, a group of manly men got together to eat and discuss the finer things in life. We got to talking about being upfront with spouses and potential spouses about our past. Some of the men said that if something occured earlier in their lives that had no bearing on their current relationship, they wouldn't say anything. The particular example being bandied about was what the French call a "menage a trois." Others said that no, if you're in a committed relationship, you have to tell the other person.

I didn't really share my views besides a few side comments and some shaking of my head. But this is how I feel. I think my wife/potential wife has the right to know anything that she wants about me. Some men might think I'm being too giving in this notion and there are some things that should always be sacred. To them I'd ask, sacred how? I almost feel like I would would want her to know me inside and out. Warts and all. I think that's the beauty of marriage. If I'm afraid that she won't love me anymore because of something I've done in the past, I shouldn't have married her in the first place. Consequently, I don't feel like my spouse should have to keep any secrets from me (unless it involves my birthday or Christmas).

Maybe I'm just too idealistic. Or maybe it's something else. I dunno.

It's bigger then a piece of paper!

I'm just saying...

A Chink in Ahold's Armor?

From today's Central Penn Business Journal

Ahold: Sales fall at Giant stores
Sales at Carlisle-based Giant Food Stores fell 5.6 percent, to $1.8 billion, in the first quarter this year, according to Royal Ahold NV, Giant’s parent company. Giant Food Stores also operates Martin’s Food Markets and Tops Markets. Total revenue at Royal Ahold rose by 8.6 percent, to $18 billion, primarily because of the company’s U.S. food-service distribution segment, according to a company earnings statement. Anders Moberg, Royal Ahold’s chief executive officer, said increased competition from rivals such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and high energy prices were cutting into sales. As a result, he said Royal Ahold is reviewing unprofitable units, including the Tops chain. Royal Ahold is based in the Netherlands. - Angela Doody

I think that works out to somewhere around $5 million (give or take a few hundred-thousand).

I should note that I have nothing personal against Giant. I like their free wi-fi. I just don't agree with their pricing. And that infernally long receipt I get when I buy just one item.

Salty Thoughts

Specifically thinking about Chapter Seven of the Cost of Discipleship by Bonhoeffer. Here's the verse:

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
Matthew 5.13

Are you salty all the time? This is what I was thinking about. About how our "salt" is more evident in some situations then others. I may be salt at work, but among friends, I may be bland. When the going is good, I'm salt. When the going gets tough, I'm not so salty anymore.

And that's the challenge. Maintaining our salty consistency throughout all aspects of our lives. Whether at home or at work or on vacation or in line at the grocery store. The enviroment that we may happen to be in at any moment should not affect our saltiness. But it does. But the more we chase after holiness, the more consistent our saltiness should be.

Reason #24

That the US won't win the world cup this year. Rappers don't play soccer.

Help Wanted

FRIEND: I am looking for a PT friend for a long-term temporary assignment (approx. two years). Position will be 10-20 hours a week. Responsibilities include going out to eat, seeing movies, playing racquetball and other tasks as assigned. Qualified applicants for this position will have the following qualifications: They must love God, they must love music (musicianship a plus), they must like seeing movies (mainstream and independent), they must like sports (preference given to those who like soccer and football), as well as enjoy playing them. Pay is pretty much nothing, but you will get loyalty, emails and snacks. Interested applicants should forward a resume or CV to Mind the Gap for immediate review. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE!

Movie Review - The Da Vinci Code

Went to go see this weekend's box office winner on Saturday night. As you can see from my prior post, there were people there to greet us. That picture was taken during the day when I bought my ticket. When we came back in the evening, there were about seven people there. And they had a big banner. And the person in my passenger seat told them in no uncertain terms what Jesus thought of them.

Caution: Spoilers Ahead!
Onto the movie. Let me just say this. I shouldn't have read the book first. I have become aware of an issue I have with books that are turned into movies. I read the book, remember all the minutia of the book, and then expect the movie to live up to and accurately portray the book on screen. The DVC didn't do that for me.

Tom Hanks plays a semi-believable college professor/author. But I think they could have done a better job casting the role of Robert Langdon. Like how about Dustin Hoffman? I'd believe he was an intellectual before Hanks. French actress Audrey Tautou plays the role of Sophie Neveau. She does a decent job in her role. I though that Jean Reno did an excellent job as Inspector Bezu Fache. I wasn't too sure about Magneto playing the role of Sir Leigh Teabing, but I think he did a pretty good job. I could definitely see him as someone who had spent his life searching for the holy grail.

The movie itself was okay. It kind of plodded along while jumping around. It seemed to be uneven in that it jumped between fast action and slow dialogue (like the scene in the park). I really liked the work they put into the flashbacks that they used when discussing church history. It was obvious that they sunk some serious money into those scenes. That was good. They also had the benefit of the film being set in Europe.

I think I'm going to give this movie a 7. It could have been much better, but that would have make it LOTR-long. And people may not have liked that. It's redeeming values are the flashbacks and the fact that Hans Zimmer did the musical score. So now you know.

PS This is my 777th post.

Hey, that's my movie yer protestin'!

Thoughts on prayer

Some of you may not have noticed, but several months ago, I added a link to the prayer request page at Relevant Magazine.

I was reading through them today and I was struck by how much God's people are struggling. Whether it be job issues, or health issues, or other stuff. People are hurting. One entry in particular really stood out to me. It's a case where a friend's heart is really breaking for another.

Shann DB, 05.14.06 at 12:29:AM
I just got off the phone with an old friend and he has completely turned his back on You! IT makes me cry so i know your shoulders are heaving too! Almighty... fix him! guide His heart.... do what needs to be done to remind him who you really are. He has this false illusion, he put you in a tiny box and thinks you are some small God that can only manage one ant hill at a time. He has demoted you from soverign almighty King to keeper of small unimportant things...to a style rather than a reaction to Reality. Lord Remember! Bring him back to you! Have him return! Remind Him of the facts so that he at least makes an educated descision and not an uniformed one! Use me for HIm!

Please keep your friends and your loved ones in your prayers. It's important.

So very inspiring..

Pay close attention to George Shea's comments in this article.

O Lame Saint!

This weekend, I plan on seeing the most-hyped movie of the year. The hype has been hyping for a while now. And finally, The Da Vinci Code is here. Everybody has had their say about it. Now it's my turn.

I read the book a couple of weeks ago. It's an exciting read, filled with mystery and passion. It also makes some statements regarding Christ's divinity as well as commenting on Mary Magdalene's actual relationship to Jesus. The information in the book pertaining to the Church is easily believable. If you don't know better. I know full well, that people will reference this book as fact. Dan Brown even hints to the factuality of ideas presented in the book. And this is what has the Church in an uproar.

I am hear to tell you that this work of fiction has not changed my belief system. But here's what it has done. It's gotten me more interested in church history. It's also renewed my desire to really get into apologetics and know why I believe what I do. This desire originally came out of a lesson I heard Beth Moore give in January 2005. This summer, I want to dig a little deeper into the history of the Church. To learn more about what happened to the Church a century or two after Paul's letters. I just want to be better informed.

So thanks Dan Brown, for picquing my curiosity about Church history.

Reminder

Tomorrow is the last day to sign up to play my super-superb box office challenge.

1992

From the inside back cover:

My Dearest MTG,
I'm so glad I met you this year. You've been a great friend & you really make me laugh even when I don't want to. Don't forget to call me over the summer 867-5309.
S
P.S. See page 124, 117, 57, 14 & 17.

1992

This one's from page 52:

MTG,
Hip Cats rule the world, one step lower than God. Ming-Mongs will perish at the hands of the Hip Cats. MTG, it has been great having you as one of my good friends. Hopefully I'll see you next year and we will carry on the wrath of the Hip Cats.
M
THE CURE

1992

The topic of high school has come up twice over the past two days. This has led to a keen idea on my part for a blog entry. I thought you all would get a kick out of reading selected passages that my friends wrote in my yearbook back in '92. So let me set the mood. The top three songs as voted by the seniors that year was: "Everything I Do" by Bryan Adams, "More Than Words" by Extreme, and "Love of a Lifetime" by Firehouse. On to the musings:

MTG,
I just want to say thank you for everything. I would seriously be lost without you! You have been the world's best friend to me! I am so very glad I've gotten to know you this year! You crack me up! You are DEFINATELY the funniest & sweetest person! Don't give up on ______! She'll come around one of these days! But you better not be LS:LWL over her at the Jr/Sr. because you'll be with a MEGA-BABE and you're gonna have a blast - and if you guys have more fun than me, I am definitely ditching my "date!" Welp, I've had lots of fun joking around with you in class and on the phone - and lets not forget the wonderful fun we've had on our two BIG fieldtrips (It's a crime to sit on statues!!). Well, have a great summer & have TONS of fun on your missions trip. Don't forget to write me while I'm gone - I'll miss you but I'll be sure to give you a full update when I get back! Thanks for everything!
R
P.S. Tell your dad I said hi & don't ever tell him how much we talk on the phone! Especially that one Weds. night! OH NO! I hope no one ever finds out or you'll get in BIG DOO-DOO!

Keep checking back as today I am devoting all my posts to yearbook musings from 1992.

Where would you rather be?

I was thinking about all the different places I'd rather be then where I am right now (which happens to be a desk in an office in central Pennsylvania). Here's a short list:

Bethany Beach, DE
Colorado Springs, CO
Phoenix, AZ
Las Vegas, NV
The Grand Canyon
Ottawa, Ontario
Banff, British Columbia
Driving Route 1 (the PCH)
Munich, Germany
London England
Rome, Italy
Glasgow, Scotland
Paris, France
Anywhere in Australia

The common factors among my selections are either a scenic view, or some rich history.

Movie Review - Marilyn Hotchkiss'

Saturday, I went to go see Marilyn Hotckiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School (heretofore called "Marilyn"). The movie features recognizable faces like Mary Steenburgen, Marisa Tomei, and John Goodman. The movie centers around John Goodman's character, who is trying to fulfill a childhood promise (made 40 years ago) with his high school crush (played by Camryn Manheim). The promise was that they would meet each other at Marilyn's, where they first learned to dance. Intertwined in this story, is the story of Frank Keane and his struggle to live life after the death of his wife.


It's a quirky little ensemble dramedy that's fun to watch. If you've ever taken dance lessons before, you will appreciate the scenes that take place at the school. Steenburgen plays the instructor, who is the daughter of Marilyn, still living in her shadows. The characters in this film are believable as people from all walks of life, who unite every Thursday night for dance lessons. The film also tackles death, in both how people deal with it and how it affects people's lives going forward.

As I assign ratings to the movies I watch, they all start out as 10's, then I start subtracting based on what I didn't like in the movie. This movie is getting a 10 from me. It was a great movie that left me tapping my foot and smiling.

My Psalm

O Lord,
Consider your servant in his current state.
As he examines certain areas of his life,
To follow your will.
Help him to see
What needs to be given to you.
Give him peace, as he yearns
For that special woman.
Continually remind him,
that his time is not Your time.
Be with him in his workplace,
As he continues to look for doors that you may open.
Guard the days of his life.
Give him wisdom.
Help him to live with love,
And help him to serve in love.

Opening this weekend..

And only this weekend. Check out Sophie Scholl: The Final Days at the Carlisle Theatre.

All signs point to surrender

More on surrender. More because the idea has popped up several times in the last week. And that's not coincidence.

I really need to learn that surrendering is a daily thing. That I just can't say I surrender, and leave it at that. I have to do it every day. Because if I don't, I'm going to get distracted. The tricky part is remembering to do it. But I can do it.

I just have to get this through my thick skull: More of Him and less of me.

The Grate Summer Movie Contest

I love movies. So I thought that I would have a little contest. I'm going to pick five movies that are being released this summer (that I just happen to be planning on seeing). Your job will be to pick the total sum of each film's domestic opening weekend. Here are your five films:

The Da Vinci Code (releasing 05/19)
X3: The Last Stand (releasing 05/26)
Superman Returns (releasing 06/30)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (releasing 07/07)
Lady in the Water (releasing 07/21/06)

I will use the weekend numbers from Variety for reference. The person who guesses closest to the actual sum (regardless of whether their guess is more or less than the actual sum) is the winner. The winner will receive a nice prize (probably a gift card or something). Only one entry per person. Void where prohibited. Restrictions may apply. No purchase necessary. You must make your guess by 5:00 pm on Friday, 05/19/06.

I like indie cinema

This movie is opening here this weekend. Finally.

Gems that didn't make it into the Bible

Did a little reading tonight. Since reading that Dan Brown book, I've gotten curious regarding the gnostic gospels and the Apocrypha. I thought I would share some of the things I learned this evening.

Things I just learned which aren't in the Bible:

1. Eve took the blame for eating from the Tree of Life.
2. Adam and Eve only discovered the need to drink water after they had been kicked out of the garden.
3. Adam tried to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff. When Eve saw him jump, she jumped as well. But God was merciful, and despite their injuries, allowed them to live.
4. Abraham circumcised himself.

And now you know.

The Prez talks soccer

Read what our Commander in Chief had to say about US Soccer.

Giving it up

I think I've progressed along nicely in my Christian walk. I'm learning new things and I feel more alive then I ever have before. But I still have a long ways to go. Tonight a few things really hit home for me. First, will I ever completely be able to give up all that I am to Christ? I know I've given up a lot, but there is so much more that I have to give up. So much more. Second, what is it like to completely give it all up to Him? And how do you know when you're there?

Tonight as I left church, I found myself singing these words. Over and over and over again. I wanted to share these words with you and invite you to make them your prayer. They're courtesy of Faith Minnich, from her song "Surrender."

help me give my all to You
and help me be all that You want me to be
and may I live just for You
in perfect humility
surrendering all of me.

Dear Diary,

Last night was fun. I ate some dinner and then went to Target to buy a birthday present for mom. Then I went to the Atlanta Bread Company and surfed the web for a while. Then I came home and waited for the other two amigos. Then we went to the Harbour Coffeehouse. I didn't buy anything because I had purposely only brought $3.00 and didn't see anything that I could spend my money on (they didn't have peanut butter pie last night). We three amigos were joined by two chicas. We chatted for a while and then we played a game. It's called Phase 10. It's a card game that seems to take a long time to play. We played for about an hour, and I think one person made it halfway through the game. I cannot shuffle cards at all. I don't have the skills. However, I did really like the game. I had never played it before (which is the story with most card games). I asked if we could play it again tonight. I don't think people thought I was serious. But I was. Oh well. Hopefully we will play it again soon. Then we had to leave because the coffee place was closing down. Then the three amigos and the two chicas parted ways. I got home and did some reading and then went to bed. It was a fun evening.

And call me Thomas!

An amusing little blurb this morning from Scientologist Tom Cruise, regarding his daughter's mother's name change.

"Katie is a young girl's name," says Tom Cruise. "Her name is Kate now she's a child-bearing woman."

Good News

The Elks Theatre is back!

Color Me Badd

Warning, the following post contains mature subject matter.

There are a handful of things in life that I consider to be of a private nature. And strangely enough, one of them just happens to be sex. I was at a local bookstore earlier this evening, and I took a gander specifically over the sections that contain the "mens" and "womens" magazines. Your FHM, Cosmo, Redbook and Men's Health. From the looks of the cover of Cosmo (graced by one Mandy Moore), that issue appears to be the summer sex guide.

All this has got me to thinking. And I apologize for being so late to the party here, but when did sex leave the bedroom and become a newsstand staple? And when did the human race start to have problems with sex that led to researchers having to come up with "10 Sure-fire Tips?"

Is anyone else concerned about our "oversexed" culture? Maybe I'm just too retro. How do you deal with all the sexual material that's out there? Do you avert your eyes? Not watch television? How does one cope? Am I naive enough to think that I can avoid it? Or should I just take it like a man?

I understand that humans, by default are sexual creatures. God made sex to be an integral part of marriage. But when we took sex and placed it outside of marriage, I think it opened up a world of hurt. And I think we are only starting to see a glimpse of the repercussions.

Thoughts?

Albert Einstein on Relativity

"When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second.
When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour.
That's relativity."

Baylor-related

Couple of quick things to make you aware of.

1. There's a short film called Kyle's Film that is in final production. It's a project being put together by some folks down in Waco in memory of Kyle Lake. Kyle was the pastor at UBC in Waco, before his untimely death. The film will have two parts. The first is a visual representation of his last set of sermon notes. The second part will give you a glimpse into Kyle's personal life. This is a really cool project (IMO) that will also serve to raise funds for a scholarship fund for his children. Please check out the link and pass it on to others you think might be interested.

2. Louie Giglio will be speaking in Lancaster on Thursday evening. Thursday is the national day of prayer, and Louie will be the keynote speaker at Longs Park in Lancaster. He is the founder of the Passion movement. If you're in the area and you have the opportunity, I would definitely recommend that you check him out. Click here for more details. Louie is scheduled to speak at 7:40pm.

The weekend box office

My comments follow.

1. RV (Sony) $16,400,000
2. United 93 (Uni.) $11,605,000
3. Stick It (BV) $11,255,000
4. Silent Hill (Sony) $9,300,000
5. Scary Movie 4 (Dim.) $7,808,000
6. The Sentinel (Fox) $7,600,000
7. Ice Age: The Meltdown (Fox) $7,050,000
8. Akeelah and the Bee (Lions) $6,250,000
9. The Wild (BV) $4,719,000
10. The Benchwarmers (SonR) $4,400,000

Okay, the fact that that silly Robin Williams movie topped the box office tells me that people were planning on going to the theatre this past weekend to just see any movie. Perhaps, there was a big push by the recreational vehicle industry and lots of rv owners got out to see it. Little suprised that United took the second slot. I thought that would finish a little lower. With Stick It, people just don't know who Maddy Curley is yet. But they will....