The Great Escape

In a few weeks, Great Escape Theatres will be opening a theatre at the Harrisburg East Mall (yes, I know they dropped the word "East," but I still call it the East Mall).  I sent them the following note via their comment page:

 

Your new theater is preparing to open in Harrisburg.  I was wondering if you would consider showing classic movies occasionally.  Maybe a little Dean Martin or Audrey Hepburn here and there?  I think that would be fantastic.  Not only would you attract movie buffs, but you might also draw out folks (like senior citizens), who don't normally go to the movies.  I know that I would definitely support you if you showed some classics.  Even more modern day classics in shorter runs, like the early Star Wars films.   I don't know a lot about how difficult this would be, but it would certainly give you a great degree of differentiation in the Harrisburg market.  Just my two cents.

 

In the name of customer relations and exciting blog entries, I will let you know if/when they respond to me and what their response is.

Reflections on a fall weekend

From the way-back machine..

1. Popeye's makes a good chicken
2. Tom Brady is not one of my favorite people
3. Drinking 3 oz of juice out of a baby bottle takes a suprisingly long time
4. I have a new respect for people who sit for an eight hour professional exam
5. The Messiah Men's soccer team didn't win this weekend
6. But they didn't play either
7. Our dishwasher has been washing dishes now for at least an hour.
8. Is that good?
9. Give thanks in ALL things
10. The Red Sox swept. Again.

A verse for your weekend..

Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.
Col. 3.2

Something to ponder

"We spend a tremendous amount of time in the Church arguing about things that God has already settled for us."  -Todd Philips

Oh this makes me msad.

Nike is buying Umbro.  Boo.

A competitive lot, they are..

Last night, my small group played Bible Pictionary.  Because it was unplanned and off-the-cuff, we got to pick what the other team had to draw and guess.  We split into two teams and set about picking out words or concepts for the other team to try to guess.  The way it worked out, was that one team ended up picking somewhat difficult items and the other team (my team) picked out somewhat easier things.  It probably would have helped if we created some parameters in regards to what kind of stuff should be considered off-limits.  But we didn't.

 

My team picked out ideas like "Pilate" and "triumphal entry."  The hardest one we picked was "Philadelphia."  Our opponents had no problems with most of our words.  On the other hand, we got things like "temptation of Christ" and "to sue."  We struggled and ended up losing the match 6-4.

 

But there was a lot of competitiveness in the room last night.  Lots of boisterous smack-talking and debating and arguing over rules or lack thereof.  It was fairly evident that both teams really wanted to win.  But only one could (our egos would make sure that there was a tiebreaker in case of a tie).  It's always interesting to see how competition affects people (or is it "effects"), for better or for worse.

 

And I am looking forward to our next competition.

O Wondrous Love

We sang this song on Sunday and I think the words are worth posting.

O wondrous love that will not let me go
I cling to you with all my strength and soul
Yet if my hold should ever fail
Your wondrous love will never let me go

O wondrous love that's come to dwell in me
Lord who am I that I should come to know
Your tender voice assuring me
This wondrous love will never let

I'm resting in the everlasting arms
In the ever faithful heart
The Shepherd of my life
You'll carry me on Your mighty wings of grace
Keeping me until the day
I look into Your eyes

O wondrous love that sings of Calvary
The sweetest sound this sinner's ever known
The song of Your redeeming Son
Whose wondrous love will never let me go

O wondrous love that rushes over me
I can't escape this river's glorious flow
You overwhelm my days with good
Your wondrous love will never let me go

"O Wondrous Love," words and music by Steve and Vicki Cook.

Rox vs Sox

For reasons unknown to me, the Colorado Rockies just decided to put tickets on sale for their World Series games (3,4, and 5) yesterday.  But the ticket sale didn't really work.  So they put tickets on sale again today.  So I said "what the heck!" and thought I would try to score a ticket.  Well, 80 minutes later, I'm still trying.  The tickets have not sold out, the ticketing software (not TicketMaster) is just very slow and has a very low user capacity.  So they expect ticket sales to continue into the evening. 

 

I'm not holding out much hope, but if I could snag a cheap seat ($65), it would be worth it to see a World Series game.

When God Writes Your Love Story

That (if you pay attention to the link on the lower left) is the title of the book that I just finished reading. I have to admit that I haven't read many books on Christian dating, mostly because I don't feel like they have anything new to tell me. Not that I'm a know-it-all when it comes to dating (I am still single after all), but I just don't know what they can tell me that I can't already find in a regulary old match.com sponsored book on dating.

But this book by Eric and Leslie Ludy caught my eye. As Christians, we should realize that God wants to be a key part of our entire lives. Not just a few key areas, but ALL areas. And the approach this book takes really shows you the importance of leaning on God in an area as important as this. It seems kinda obvious, but I was interested in hearing (or reading as the case may be) what thoughts they had to say about it.

I wanted to share a couple of quotes from the book that really resonated with me.

"Immature love always compares and snivels and struggles." -Eric Ludy

How true is that? I don't know how to explain that, but I know it's true.

"He has given me a wonderful hope. A hope that He is preparing a special someone to perfectly match my life." -Eric Ludy

This has got to be reassuring for all of us single folks. This is something that I have always believed, but I'm glad somebody decided to put it down in writing.

Women are designed to give ourselves - spiritually, emotionally and physically to one man." -Leslie Ludy

I'm no woman, but I find this thought to be an interesting one. And I would especially be interested in the comments of my female readers. I was thinking about this quote and an interesting thought came to my mind. When God decided to create Eve, there was only one man in existence. God didn't make another man and then create Eve and let her decide between the two. Ever stop to think about that?

So if you're single and interested in this topic, I'd recommend this book. I'm not saying that I agree with all the contents of the book, but I agree with most of it.

People get ready

Lots of posts coming in the next few days.  At least three of which are related to my most recent reading material.

Farmer's Fair

Last night I experience my first ever farmer's fair.  It struck me as a more gentrified and quaint Jubilee Day.  Definitely less commercialized and more community oriented.

The big closing event was "The Fantastic Parade."  It wasn't the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, but it had it's moments.  See the photos below.

Thank you Mark and Honey!

I'd just like to say thanks to the above couple who happen to own Keiser's Service Center.  I started using them several years ago and I have not been disappointed.  They are very easy to work with and they have been very accomodating to me in payment arrangements.  You may recall that I was getting my car inspected this week.  I ended up having to get new rear calipers and they were not cheap.  But Mark was willing to work with me and they have earned my respect, my trust and my business.  If you're in the area and you need work done, I'd recommend them in a second.

Holy Moses! - REVISED

I just found out that starting tomorrow, The Ten Commandments is showing at the Cinema Center in Camp Hill. Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner together again on the big screen!!

Please pass this info along to your friends and family. This is a great opportunity to see a classic on the big screen. AND it's safe for the whole family (although the plagues might be rough on younger children). If they get decent box office numbers, maybe the Cinema Center will bring more classics to the area in the future.

Update: This is not the original Ten Commandments that I linked to above. It's a cartoon. Sorry about the error.

Favorites: Places to Hang Out

*This is the second in an occasional series about my favorites.

 

These are my favorite places to hang out (outside my home):

 

1.  Church.  I like being at church.  I find it an incredibly comforting and encouraging place to be.  If our church ever opened a coffee shop or restaurant on-campus, I'd probably spend a lot of time there.  If the library carried periodicals and was open in the evenings, I'd be there.

 

2.  Bookstores.  I am thrilled to report that I read much more now then I did five years ago.  The bookstore plays a key role in my travel planning.  I like to scour guide books for destination information.  Besides travel, I enjoy browsing the periodicals as well as the "religious" section of the store.  And we can't forget the people-watching. 

 

3.  On the Water.  I love being on the water.  When I visit a city, one of the things I always try to do is take a boat ride, whether it's Milwaukee, NYC or London.  Unless there is no river to boat on.  If I had a canoe, I'd be a canoing fool.  Sometimes I'll just go down and watch the Yellow Breeches go by.  I find water peaceful.  I think that is one of the reasons why I love swimming.

 

4.  In the Air.  I love flying.  Watching the topography of the land change is something I enjoy doing.  And I've talked about clouds in the past.  Just being able to leave the ground in a big metal cylinder with wings amazes me everytime I take off.

Inspection

This week, I am getting my automobile inspected.  As a public service to my Pennsylvania readers, I am posting a link to the PENDOT inspection requirement page .  If you've ever wondered what exactly they look for and how detailed they're supposed to be, you'll enjoy it.  Most of my readers will be interested in Section E, as well as the reference section (that's where the diagrams are).

This week's episode of From the Kitchen

Roasted Tomatoes.   I used Romas because that's what the recipe called for. Didn't turn out quite as well as I would have hoped, but it shows some promise.  Not sure if I messed something up or I was expecting a different taste.  Eh, here's the photo..

Verse of the Day - Part Four

Thought I was done, but there's one more verse I'd like to leave you with..

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. " Phil. 4.6-7

This is a good, consistent reminder to me that God is in control. He. Knows. Everything. And the peace He offers can insulate us from the anxiety that might otherwise run our lives. But we need to be praying and we need to make a point to give stuff up to God. That's important.

So how is it with your soul?

Verse of the Day - Part Three

This will probably be the last one for the week.

"I am still confident of this:  I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."  Psalm 27.13

Sometimes I get bummed out because of my status.  Not so much as I used to, but still every once in a while.  I've begun to cling to this verse over the past couple of years.  And it's an encouragement to me.  To know that I will see God's goodness in this life (even more than I've already seen) is an awesome and comforting thought.

For you NFL fans out there

There was a good article in USA Today yesterday regarding NFL referees and how they prepare for games.  You can read more here.

Verse of the Day - Part Two

Today's verse is from Romans:

"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."  Romans 12.10

Three years ago today..

I boarded a big ol' plane and flew over to Munich (Meunchen), Germany.  There are lots of things that I remember from that trip. 

 

The fear of traveling to an unfamiliar country by myself.  Prior to the trip, that loomed large.  Compounded by the fact that I barely knew the language, I was concerned.   But all my anxiety was for naught.  Once I got my bearings, I was all right.  I had done a good bit of pre-planning (as you probably expected), so I came prepared.  And that helped. 

 

I was blessed with a hotel pretty close to the main train station that had an internet connection and a clerk who spoke a little English.  And a free breakfast buffet.  I got to see a few castles, an honest-to-goodness real maypole, the Hofbrahaus and a lot of the city.  I even got to see Jennifer Garner overdubbed in German in "30 uber nacht" at the cinema!

 

It was a great trip.  I hope I can make it back some time.  I think I'd like to do a WWII tour where I visit key cities (like Munich) and check out sites of historical significance.

 

You can re-read the entries from my trip here. 

Verse of the Day - Part One

This week, my goal is to list a Bible verse every day, and then maybe talk a bit about how it applies to my life.  I'd encourage you to think about each verse and whether there's an application for it in your life.

"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."  Col. 4.6
 

I've gotten a lot better in my conversation in regards to edification, but I still have a ways to go.  One of my biggest perceived weaknesses is that when other people speak poorly of others, I don't say anything.  And by saying nothing, I feel like I'm agreeing.  And I need to be more bold in letting people know that they shouldn't be saying what they're saying.  I'm not sure how I go about doing that exactly, but that's something I need to work on.

How 'bout you?

From the kitchen...

Check it out. I made banana bread. It was pretty good. And I took a picture.

Livin' in the margin

I just wanted to call your attention to a sermon series at North Point in Atlanta.  Andy Stanley has been sharing a series titled "Take it to the Limit."  I've enjoyed listening to the series over the past few weeks.  He talks about how our culture thrives by living on the edge and how dangerous that is.  And why we as Christians shouldn't be anywhere near the edge.  Here's a link to the podcast feed.

Submission

This week in small group, we talked about husbands and wives, and the idea of submission. We looked at Paul's words in Ephesians 5, as well as Peter's words in I Peter 3. We had some good discussion about the idea of submission and how the world's view of submission might be different than the Biblical view. We talked about what submission could mean from a career perspective (like putting your career aside to care for children or elderly parents). We also searched for various passages about the Biblical responsibilities that husbands and wives have. I actually learned about some commands that I never knew existed.

I thought I would include the two key passages that we talked about. They may be very familiar to you, or they may be fairly new to you. Either way, they offer key guidelines of a Godly marriage.

Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
I Peter 3. 1-7

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Ephesians 5.22-33

It helps get me through the day.

Podcasts. I have found all sorts of great podcasts on the internet. It's the easiest way to hear multiple messages every week. There are a handful of speakers that I enjoy listening to, most of which are represented in the snapshot below. Now I don't always get around to listening to all of them, but they're there for me whenever I get around to it.


What kinds of podcasts do you subscribe to?

"Planned Incompleteness"

On Sunday, Phil talked about spiritual gifts.  Specifically, the role that these gifts play in the church.  The church is trying to emphasize spiritual gift recognition and this sermon series was (I think) the foundation for their push.  One of the phrases he used which caught my ear, was "planned incompleteness."  By this, he was referring to the fact that just as one person doesn't have every spiritual gift, not everyone in the church has the same gift.  He talked about how God purposely creates us with different gifts to (and here's the kicker) work together with other people.  I never much thought of something like planned incompleteness.  The fact that there are certain gifts that I don't have ON PURPOSE gives me pause.  That he created my gifts to be used in situations that I was not yet aware of is mind blowing. But that's God.

He also talked about about the number of different gifts.  Not just the different gifts, but variations on the same gift.  One of the examples he used was the gift of teaching.  He talked about how some people are gifted to teach elementary children and some are gifted to teach special needs children.  Some are gifted to teach in a structured classroom setting, and some are gifted to teach in an apprenticeship/mentoring relationship.  That's an interesting take on spiritual gifts, that I don't think most people think about.  I'm not quite sure how far you could take that (are there different levels of hospitality?), but it certainly makes you think.

Random thoughts...

It's October.  Summer's grasp is slipping and fall is beginning to flex it's muscle.  This is a good thing (sorry summer-lovers).  I'm looking forward to some cooler weather...

 

Has there ever been anything in your life that you yearned for, but you weren't sure if that was what God wanted for you?  And so you asked Him if that wasn't His will that He would take away that desire?  Just wondering.....

 

The new David Crowder Band album came out last week.  I haven't been really impressed with it.  I was impressed with the sound bites that I heard in the weeks leading up to the release, but the album was a different story.  Maybe it will grow on me...

 

Some high-quality worship in church yesterday and another good message from Phil.  There's some material there that may make for a separate entry...

 

I made a chicken and rice casserole over the weekend.  I borrowed the recipe basics from Paula Deen and then gave it a little extra hint of garlic.  Actually it was a big extra hint...

 

Later this week I'm planning on trying my hand at banana bread...

 

The roommate and I watched some Julia Stiles over the weekend.  I think it was The Prince and Me...