Good-bye June.

Just a few trailers this morning.

Spiderman 3 looks awesome!

The next Brad Pitt movie that has a really long title.

And finally, Charlotte's Web, which actually looks pretty good.

The rain came down and the flood came up

So it rained a bunch here earlier in the week. I was curious as to what it did to the yellow breeches. I went over to campus last night and they blocked off the old entrance, as well as all access to creekside drive. And here's why. That's some mighty high water there. Here's the view from the intersection of Creekside Drive and Campus Avenue, heading out the old entrance.

Planet Fitness wants you.

This post is specifically directed towards people in Cumberland, Dauphin, and Northern York counties, who don't currently belong to a gym/fitness center.

Perhaps you went to school with me back in the day. We used to make trips to the Giant on Gettysburg Pike. It was an older store, with orange and white tiles on the floor. But it was open 24-7, and when we needed Ramen, they were there for us. Well, they're not there anymore. Half of the store is now a furniture store, and starting in October, the other half will be home to Planet Fitness. And you should consider joining.

And here's why. After your initiation fee, it's only $10 a month. You heard right. Ten bucks a month. No contracts. They plan to offer treadmills, elliptical machines, bikes, and free weights. They will offer classes on a weekly basis and tanning will be available for an extra $5 a month.

I am planning on signing up and I thought it would be great if I could get some other folks to sign up as well. Workin' out ain't so bad when you're doing it with somebody else! I have worked out in the past at Messiah, but Messiah doesn't have enough equipment to keep up with the growing student body. So I've had to adjust my workout times which isn't always the most convenient thing for me. So I thought I would try something else. And I can afford $10 a month.

So think about it. And let me know if you're interested, cuz I have a deal for you.

Nuts to that!

Today I read something startling. Schools are banning recess games like tag and soccer. That's kinda sad. Kids need to move around and exercise during recess. That's why we have the jungle gyms and the monkey bars. And that big open space out behind the swings. That's where we played soccer with John Ryan's orange and black soccer ball.

But in order to protect the children, we must keep them from coming into physical contact with their classmates. So virtually all childhood games are out. And that makes me sad. Because kids are going to grow up and not be able to experience the joys (and pains) of playground games.

Hymn of the week

We sang this hymn on Sunday morning and I thought it was worth bringing to your attention. It also makes for a mighty fine prayer.

Take My Life And Let It Be

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

-Frances Havergal, 1874

World Cup Knock-Out

They started the knock-out rounds this morning. Germany took care of Sweden, and Argentina dispatched Mexico, but they had to go into overtime to do it.

So I wasn't going to be talking about what happened to the United States in the World Cup. But I had a dream last night. And it was relevant to US soccer, so I thought I would post about it.

In my dream, I was a member of the US National Team. I was riding the pine mind you, but I was still on the team. I was next to Bruce Arena (US coach) after the end of the Ghana game. Bruce asked me what people were going to be saying. I said that they would probably be talking about the poor refereeing. He agreed with me. Then he informed me that he was hungry for some Chick-fil-A. He asked me where the nearest restaurant was, I told him, and he was off. And then I woke up.

I don't know how to interpret that dream, but I can talk about the US squad. Now I have to tell you that I don't really like the US team. I have even heard rumors that there may at some point be a piece running on the internet attesting to my traitor-like leanings. But it all comes down to this: The US doesn't have the chops to play on the international stage. They have a handful of players that can play on that level. Unfortunately, you need more than a handful of players to win. Not only do they not have enough skilled players, but they also lack intensity. They play reactionary ball. They don't force the attack with enough frequency.

This is why we are no longer in Germany. You can talk about poor calls by the referee all you want. But the fact remains that if you can't score goals (plural), you can't expect to win. And that's all I have to say about that.

Pittsburgh photos

I finally got my Pittsburgh pictures up. Click here.

You are what you eat.

If you looked at my eating habits today compared to two years ago, you would notice a big difference. Gone are the sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits from McDonald's. Gone is my two pop-tart a day habit. Gone is my white bread. In their places, I now eat cereal, granola bars, and whole wheat bread. In hindsight, I'm calling that phase one.

Now comes phase two. I haven't quite figured out the exact plan yet, but I'm hoping to increase my whole grain intake, as well as my vegetable intake. The vegetable aspect will be the toughest because I really don't much care for a lot of vegetables. So I am going to learn to make myself a mean caesar salad. My goal will be to eat salad three times a week, minimum. I should also be eating more fruits, so we're going to see what I can do about that.

Ya know, I was thinking about it, and I bet that most people don't eat right. How many people get their full RDA of 3,500mg of Potassium a day? How many of us are consuming 25g of fiber a day? I know I'm not. I do try to keep the sodium and the fat in check, but sometimes I'm not so successful. But the carbs are the killer. I love potatoes and pasta, so that puts me at a disadvantage, but I try to moderate when possible. I'm having pasta three times this week, but that's only because I made a big batch of it on Saturday (intentionally, of course).

Perhaps tomorrow, I'll talk about eating natural.

Interesting news

For those of us with a Grantham connection. If you haven't received this email, feel free to use the link below to take part in the survey.

Greetings from Messiah College! We are currently in the process of exploring the feasibility of beginning graduate programs at Messiah. A Graduate Studies Task Force is collecting information from a wide variety of sources to assist in the College's decision making. Our alumni (including you!) are an important source of information. The task force would like to know how you think graduate programs would impact the College's identity as well as your personal interest level in possibly pursuing graduate studies at Messiah. We hope you will be willing to take a few minutes of your time to provide us with your perspectives. If so, all you have to do is click on the link provided below to access an electronic questionnaire. If you have questions, please contact Kevin Zook, Chair of the Graduate Studies Task Force, at 717-691-6031 or kzook@messiah.edu . Thank you!

To complete the questionnaire, just click on the following link . . .

http://www2.messiah.edu/adeptiv/survey/object.asp?ID=43g9LQAXRM4eLJ0a0Zag

File under M for miscellaneous

If anyone gets the chance to see Over The Hedge, you should do it. I saw it Friday night and I thought it was a good movie. The voice talent was A+ (Eugene Levy plays a porcupine father of three, William Shatner is an opossum). The animation was a little lacking, but nevertheless, it was funny and entertaining. I'm not writing a review because I should have written something down on Saturday and I didn't.

Spent Sunday in Pittsburgh, cheering on the Twins (from Minnesota) who happened to be playing the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ocean and I went out for the game and it was a good time. I've taken some pictures and hope to have them up maybe tonight or tomorrow.

I found this really neat site called LifeHacker. It lists all sorts of computer-cool stuff. Widgets, add-ons, and other fun stuff. And today, they just reviewed my current favorite browser, Opera.

Today is also, I believe, the first day of summer. You'll forgive me if I don't show any excitment. We'll talk again once fall rolls around..

Look, up in the sky

It's a bird!
It's a plane!
It's Superman!
In IMAX!

I am not one to normally pay $12.50 to see a movie. But I think this will be worth it. Especially with all the shots of space and the city.

That, as opposed to this, which I don't think is worth it no matter how large the screen is.

Verse of the week

From Isaiah..

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Isaiah 55.2

Picasa Anyone?

I was wondering if anyone has used Google's Picasa program. If so, how do you like it? I'm thinking about abandoning flickr.

The Beach

So since I vacationed at the beach this year, I thought I would regale you with a list of the best ten things about my vacation. Because I know you were wondering.

1. Being with family
2. Good food
3. Outlet shopping
4. Sleeping
5. Lack of humidity
6. Being able to read a book
7. Watching my nieces ride the same exact rides that my sister and I used to ride when were young.
8. Sunsets (regrettably, the sun rises these days at around 5:30 am. needless to say, I didn't get up for it)
9. Watching as much of the World Cup as I could handle (including watching parts or all of nine matches).
10. The rain

And we're watching the US vs. Italy match at Molly Brannigan's on Saturday afternoon. You're invited.

I'm back

And there was much rejoicing. Good times away. Sharing a beachhouse with four humans under the age of five was daunting at times. But it also gave insight into what some families have to do every day. And a new appreciation to parents of multiple children. Pray for parents.

I tried to audioblog, but I think my posting number was changed or deleted. Oh well.

Lots of stuff to post in the days and weeks to come. We'll see if I can't get something else up here by the end of business today...

Upcoming news and notes

I'm going on vacation. And I'm not bringing the laptop. That means that there won't be much reason to stop by here next week. However, for those of you who do stop by, I'm hoping to post some audio entries. At least once, hopefully twice, depending on whether or not I have anything worth rambling about.

And I'm looking forward to eating some Chick-fil-A next week too.

Today is USA Today

Kudos to my fave "quick-service" restaurant, Wendy's.

If you want to buy the new People magazine with pictures of the Brangelina kid, it's gonna cost you a little more. But just for this episode. (Hey Ocean! Are these folks on your "acceptable pro-creators" list?)

Umm, and Zach Braff got himself a new website. If you care.

And here's the first step in bringing airlines like Easyjet and Ryanair to the States.

Movie Ratings

If you like movies, check out this entry from Joe over at Evangelical Outpost. I think he makes a good point.

Red Robin has ideas..

I like Red Robin. I eat there. I get their emails. Sometimes they ask me about new product ideas. Tonight I got asked about some new products. And I thought I would share them with you, my readers. Here's some of the stuff they are thinking about:

Vertical Veggies
A tower of tempura fried Portabello mushrooms, green beans, zucchini, asparagus, and red peppers with wasabi and soy ginger dipping sauces.

BBQ & Bacon Deviled Eggs
Hard boiled eggs stuffed with creamy BBQ yolk, crisp bacon, and chives.

Thai Chicken Noodle Salad
Tender grilled chicken breast tossed in a spicy peanut sauce over rice noodles, Asian vegetables, and crisp lettuce with Sesame Thai Herb vinaigrette dressing. Topped with grilled pineapple and toasted peanuts.

Chili Chili Cheese Dog
An 8 oz. premium, all beef frank, steamed in beer and smothered in Red's home made chili chili, cheddar cheese, and red onion, on a warm toasted poppy seed bun. Served with our famous bottomless steak fries.

Chicago Style Dog
An 8 oz. premium, all beef frank, steamed in beer and topped with our famous red relish, hot peppers, pickles and onions, on a warm toasted poppy seed bun. Served with our famous bottomless steak fries.

Sangria Fajitas
Tender marinated and seasoned skirt steak or chicken breast, grilled to your request, and brushed with a Sangria & Citrus glaze, served on a hot skillet with Mexican rice, chipotle black beans, warm flour tortillas, homemade guacamole, salsa, and sour cream.

Chipotle-Poblano BBQ Macaroni and Cheese
Creamy, rich macaroni and cheese, baked with a hint of chipotle and roasted poblano chilies, topped with your choice of BBQ chicken breast or shrimp.

Mediterranean Salmon Burger
A 6 oz. filet of grilled wild sockeye salmon, basted with lemon and herbs, on a warm toasted whole grain bun, brushed with a peppery romesco sauce, and topped with green leaf lettuce, and bruschetta salsa. Served with a side of fire roasted vegetables or our famous bottomless steak fries.

Sweet & Sour Pork Burger
An all natural, lean char-broiled pork patty glazed in sweet & sour sauce topped with grilled pineapple, roasted red and green bell peppers, yellow onion, and gingered mayo, on a warm toasted sesame seed bun. Served with our famous bottomless steak fries.

Buffalo Burger Durango Dip
A tender, all natural, char-broiled bison patty topped with a pile of sautéed onions, and Monterey Jack cheese, on warm toasted bread. Served with a side of spiced au jus for dipping, and our famous bottomless steak fries.

Crispy Orange Chicken Burger
A crispy chicken breast filet in a Chinese orange-chile glaze topped with mandarin orange, shaved red onion, green leaf lettuce, and gingered mayo, on a warm toasted onion bun. Served with our famous bottomless steak fries.

The Cowboy Burger
A tender, all natural, char-broiled bison patty topped with chipotle-orange black bean and corn salsa, green leaf lettuce, and Texas red pepper mustard, on a warm toasted sesame seed bun. Served with our famous bottomless steak fries.

I told them I disapproved of the first three items, along with the "pork burger" (who eats pork burgers?) and the Orange Chicken burger.

Vacation Reading

As I have a little vacation coming up next week, I thought I would reveal the reads I have planned.

* Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity
* The Practice of Godliness
* Life Together
* The Ezekial Option

Viva las books!

It's coming home, it's coming home..

Friday. This coming Friday is the kick-off of the World Cup. It would be an understatment to say I'm excited. I am stoked! Over the past week, I have two dreams that involved the World Cup. I have the opportunity to watch soccer every day of the week for just about two weeks.

For those of you, wondering where my allegiance lies in this Cup, here's a pic of my boys, the three lions.



The US is competing this year and they may very well be better then they were last year. And in the same breath, they may be worse and not even make it out of round-robin play. I think that for the sake of soccer catching on here in the States, they have to move out of their group and make some significant progress. But I don't know if that'll happen.

But I can guarantee this: there will be some good football (soccer) being played over the next month. Many of my peeps won't even bat an eye. But that's okay. They just don't know what they're missing.

That's what I'm talkin' about!

Sin. Yesterday, Pastor Phil preached out of Romans 6. The keynote verse was Romans 6:18:

You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

He talked about how when the Emancipation Proclamation was put into law, many slaves in the South didn't know what it meant for them and even if it applied to them. He made the same point with Christians. We have been freed from sin, but we can't necessarily digest what that means.

He also talked about the fact that when we sin, most of the time we find that the value of our sinning is greater than the value of not-sinning. Interesting way to look at it, eh?

While we will always have a propensity to sin because of our human nature, we don't have to give in each and every time. We have to train ourselves so that when we consider the option to sin, we turn the flesh aside and defer to the Spirit. And it's not something that will happen overnight. Pursuing holiness is a journey that takes some time. But I think that it's well worth the effort.

They laughed at me

Because I didn't want to get my shoes wet in the rain. For the sake of full disclosure, I should state that they stifled their laughter pretty well. But it was painfully difficult for them.

I never asked them why they laughed. I suspect it was something related to my concern for my material goods. Or maybe it was because it was fashion-related. And all my friends get a kick out of my fashion-sense.

But nevertheless, they laughed. And I knew beforehand that they would either laugh or they would have some marty-mcsmarty remarks to share. Yet knowing all this, I still shared. Part of it was me being truthful. I didn't want to go out into the rain because I didn't want to mess up my shoes. And I want to be be truthful with people. Especially if they're my friends. But I would be lying if I said that I didn't expect them to find it humorous. I expected them to chuckle a bit perhaps, but I didn't expect how delightfully funny they found it.

So obviously the lesson for me is that if I don't like people laughing at me, don't share things that will make them laugh. Laughing with me is fine. Laughing around me is great. Laughing at me, not so much. Some people, perhaps even one of my roommates will just tell me to suck it up. Perhaps call me a pansy or something of that nature. But that too is expected. Wow, I could right a whole 'nother entry on expectations. Perhaps later this week..

Might' Powerful Words

These are the lyrics to my current favorite song, courtesy of Mr. David Crowder.

Wholly Yours
I am full of earth, You are heaven's worth
I am stained with dirt, prone to depravity
And You are everything that is bright and clean
The antonym of me, You are divinity
What a certain sign of grace is this
From a broken earth flowers come up
Pushing through the dirt

You are holy, holy, holy
All heaven cries holy, holy God
You are holy, holy, holy
I wanna be holy like You are

You are everything that is bright and clean
And You're covering me with Your majesty
And the truest sign of grace was this
From wounded hands redemption fell down
Liberating man

But the harder I try, the more clearly can I
Feel the depth of our fall and the weight of it all
And so this might could be the most impossible thing
Your grandness in me, making me clean

Holy, hallelujah
Holy, holy, hallelujah
You are holy, holy, holy
All heaven cries holy, holy God
You are holy, holy, holy
I wanna be holy, holy God

So here I am, all of me, finally everything
Holy, holy, holy
I am wholly, wholly, wholly
I am wholly, wholly, wholly Yours
I am wholly Yours

Good, good stuff.

Jeremiah 29:11

We're talkin' history today. My history.

But I'm not going to talk about my past. I'm going to talk about my future. My oxymoronic future history. And what I hope/expect that future to bring.

First and foremost, is a wife. I do believe that marriage is something that I will be able to experience. The wife is key for several reasons. She'll make a delightful dining companion and a handy accessory to all the crimes that I may commit. When I travel, it will be nice to have somebody to pose with when pictures are taken. Oh, and she'll be MY WIFE!

I also hope to be able to be a greater blessing to people. I hope to really be able to reach out to folks and help them out in various ways. Prayer is a given. Financial help too. But I'd like to work on being a practical resource for people. I'm not quite sure how that plays out or what it looks like, but that is what I'd like to see.

I also hope to travel extensively. Earlier in the month, I posted some places where I'd rather be. Some of those places I've visited. The ones I haven't, I want to visit.

And most importantly, I want to follow God. I want to walk through the doors that He opens. I want to show His love and I want to be His light. That is what I want for my future.