easter always feels me with awe and frustrated. i feel awe because of what happened on easter sunday and i feel frustrated because of how little i live out what actually happened on that day. this morning caused even more of that than usual. for our youth sunday school i took the teens over to the mausoleum in resthaven cemetery (it’s next door to the church). within our group of students who were wandering around the cemetery there were two kids who made me wonder about what easter meant to them. one of the student’s mother was killed by derrick todd lee (the serial killer terrorized baton rouge a few years ago) and another student’s mother killed herself about a year ago. only the miracle of our easter faith can bring hope in situations like these.
easter morning #2
- i find that holy week is draining. no matter how many times i have lived through HIS crucifixion, my anxiety about HIS resurrection is undiminished. i’m terrified that this year it won’t happen; that that year it didn’t. anyone can be sentimental about the nativity. any fool can feel like a CHRISTian at CHRISTmas, but easter is the main event. if you don’t believe in the resurrection, you’re not a believer
john irving, a prayer for owen meany � 1989, ballantine books, new york, ny. pp. 250-251
easter morning
HE is risen!
movie report
it’s a holiday weekend and therefore my family and i have indulged in the consumption of movies. here are my thoughts on what we have watched:
- wednesday i watched “braveheart” for the umpteenth time and as usual it was great. i can’t believe that the yahoo summary of the critics’ reviews is only a “b+“.
- thursday the boys and i watched “the incredibles” and i have said earlier in the blog it was great. the yahoo summary of the critics’ reviews is an “a-” which i definitely agree with (though i can’t believe it rated higher than “braveheart”).
- friday the boys and i watched “robots“. i thought it was great. yahoo’s summary of the critic’s opinion is a “b+” and i would basically agree with that. it was well worth going to see and we’ll buy it when it comes out on dvd. “robots” has some very good themes in it such as following your dreams even when it cost you, discrimination, and an underlying possible discussion of plastic surgery (“why be you when you can be new”). then when you add robin williams to the mix it just gets better and better. if you were worried that you would just see “the genie” everytime you heard robin williams in the movie i think i can rest that fear. i didn’t think it was the same character at all.
- pam and i watched “the forgotten” last night and it was stupid. based on its trailer i had high hopes for the movie. it did not live up to those hopes. yahoo’s summary of the critic’s reviews is a “c+“. i think it was probably more like a “c” at best.
- tonight pam and i are going to watch “cellular“. i hope it’s good because i need something to was the bad aftertaste of “the forgotten” out of my head. i’ll post my thoughts on the movie later.
bowling
today the family and i went bowling with baaji & sam our two adopted indian college students. who knew that the bowling alley on a saturday afternoon was the place to meet people? i saw four or five people that i knew. pam and i really enjoy spending time with baaji and sam – they’re basically cool people.
speaking of our indian friends i thought i would bring up a new agency that i personally think is worthy of support. dalit is the indian word for the “untouchables” of india. the word itself means “broken ones” and it is a classification that the dalits have given to themselves. they represent approximately 16% of the population of india. they are the lowest of the low and are treated as such. the dalit freedom network is an organization that is working to improve the lives of the dalit and insure them the same opportunities that everyone else within indian society has. you can read more about the dalit and the dalit freedom network by clicking here.
SIDE NOTE – pam is howling once again. as i’ve said before – my wife is psychotic.
gmail
like everyone else in the world of gmail i have tons of “invites” left. so if you have been wanting to move up to the world of “gmail” then just email me at my gmail address or post a comment and i’ll send you one.
i’m presently watching my kids play halo 2. noah just picked up a “plasma rifle” and adam asked how he got it. noah’s response was “you have to kill somebody to get there go. it’s fun”. the n.r.a. would be proud. i however was a little disturbed, not disturbed enough to make them quite playing the game, but a little disturbed nonetheless. i think i’ll watch noah a little more closely.
SIDE NOTE – pam is howling again. my wife is psychotic.
dilbert rules
i can see right through you
if you read the flickr blog you’ve already seen these “transparent” computer screens. if you haven’t let me introduce you to the concept of a “transparent” computer screen. basically people take pictures of what is behind their computer and then place those images on their computer desktop and then take a picture of the environment containing the computer. when it is done correctly is makes it appear as though the computer screen is transparent – thus allowing you to see right through the computer screen. in my opinion it’s a pretty cool illusion. if you would like to see more of the images click here.
SIDE NOTE – the incredibles is an amazing movie. i love it when kids movies have such great themes (being who you are supposed to be, the struggles of the family, discrimination, working together, etc). “the incredibles” approach these themes in a very entertaining manner.
the end of the minor prophets
at the beginning of the month of march i started a series of messages on the minor prophets. as a part of this series members of the youth ministry volunteered to set-up worship stations on each of the minor prophets that i did not talk about (eight in all). each station was an interactive interpretation of the major theme of the minor prophet that it covered. last night was the end of the series and thus the end of minor prophet stations. i can’t post pictures of the stations from last night because my camera’s battery was dead but they were the same as the previous weeks … amazing. i love the fact that the teens and adults involved within the student ministry participate so much within our worship. they’ll be more stations in the future.
politics as normal
finally there’s a man running for political office that we can all get behind. he’s name is rob outhouse! i kid you not. a guy with the last name of outhouse ran for the position of sheriff in cayuga county, new york. i guess you could say that sheriff outhouse is one politician who is definitely “full of it.”
SIDE NOTE – since my camera’s battery died i don’t have pictures of the worship stations at the view last night but once again they were amazing. i’ve loved everything you guys and girls have done as a part of “the view.”