Christmas Eve traditions and fusion

I have a few random thoughts as we get ready to celebrate Christmas:

• Empire Strikes Back is on Spike TV right now...was one of my fav movies as a kid, esp when Han Solo gets frozen
• Our church has 2 great Christmas Eve Celebrations. I am really jazzed and looking forward to it. I have ben a part of Christmas stuff for church before, I am for real about this one. It is special.
• Lately I have noticed the fusion of different things to create some awesome experiences: pumpkin cheesecake, coconut and chocolate, Candlelight and singing, friends and family, Sriachi hot sauce and anything, The Killers and Elton John, and Google Map navigation and my cell phone.
• I have been consistent in my Bible reading as of late (thanks to my cell). The plan I am reading in has me in Job, Habakuk, and Revelation. Needless to say I am sick of hearing about God's judgment. I am a bit confused as to how to apply these words I have been reading (and I went to seminary, I know the context).
• Darth Vader just told Luke he is his father.
• After the first of the year, I have three huge things happening in the spring: travel for coaching network, plan for Easter, take 23 people to Kenya.
  
• I am having a kid in June. Shauna and I are starting to agree on names (although she wont budge on Rocco).
• I really don't like the new AT&T commercials with Luke Wilson.
• I really do like the freecreditreport.com commercials, but I will never go to that website.
• Our checking account was attacked. We need some prayer for resolution. We're grateful that we are OK regardless of the mean theives.
  
• Shauna is more ADHD than me now. Pregnancy has officially made us the most ADHD couple on the face of the planet. Focus is laughable. God help our child LOL.
• I work with some awesome people. Big shout outs to Missy, Kimberly, Kim, and Aaron...what a great last week in the office.
  
• I work for a great leader. thanks, Dan for letting me lead and believing in me. Your advice and friendship makes this much more than a job.
  
• I miss my family. Christmas is going to be a great recharge.
  
• I want to see Avatar. I will see it this coming week. I may take a day and spend it at the movie theater. That woudl be awesome.
  
• My sister is coming back with us to Baltimore. She's staying a week. I want to manipulate her to live with us and she knows it. She is very cool.
• 2009 showed me that God provides when I dont understand, snow can actually make a honda not move, and miracles happen everyday.
  
• I am reading a Mark Steele book called Christianish and I really like it.
• I am also reading Narcisistic Leadership and finishing Deliberate Simplicity. I got bored with George Carlin's autobiography with about 40 pages left. I doubt I will pick it back up. Was funny and good, just got too long and boring toward the end.
  
• I really love my wife. I love her more than I did when we got married. I am glad she is going to be the mother of our children.
  
• I am not checking this blog for typos.
• I have watched a lot of good television over the past six weeks. The Office, Community, Man Vs Food, and Football have been awesome.
• I lost to John Sheffield in the playoffs AGAIN in Fantasy Football even though I had a better team. No matter what he says, my team was better.
• I am going to start running again once we get back to Balto. I had a good 12 weeks in a row of running 5 mornings a week. I need to get back on that wagon. I feel better when I work out.

I may not blog much over the holidays, but you can certainly keep up woth my short updates HERE and on FB. I like to post random pictures on there.

Taking risks is cool.
N

Blog repost: What girls can learn about love from twilight

Thanks Kevin Harris...loved this recent post.
Here's the repost:

16 Unfortunate Lessons Girls Learn from Twilight

If a boy is aloof, stand-offish, ignores you or is just plain rude, it is because he is secretly in love with you — and you are the point of his existence.

Secrets are good — especially life-threatening ones.

It’s OK for a potential romantic interest to be dimwitted, violent and vengeful — as long as he has great abs.

If a boy tells you to stay away from him because he is dangerous and may even kill you, he must be the love of your life. You should stay with him since he will keep you safe forever.

If a boy leaves you, especially suddenly (while telling you he will never see you again), it is because he loves you so much he will suffer just to keep you safe.

When a boy leaves you, going into shock, losing all your friends and enduring night terrors are completely acceptable occurrences — as long as you keep your grades up.

It is extremely romantic to put yourself in dangerous situations in order to see your ex-boyfriend again. It’s even more romantic to remember the sound of his voice when he yelled at you.

Boys who leave you always come back.

Because they come back, you should hold out, waiting for them for months, even when completely acceptable and less-abusive alternative males present themselves.

Even though you have no intention of dating an alternative male who expresses interest in you, it is fine to string the young man along for months. Also, you should use him to fix things for you. Maybe he’ll even buy you something.

You should use said male to fix things because girls are incapable of anything mechanical or technical.

Lying to your parents is fine. Lying to your parents while you run away to save your suicidal boyfriend is an extremely good idea that shows your strength and maturity. Also, it is what you must do.

Car theft in the service of love is acceptable.

If the boy you are in love with causes you (even indirectly) to be so badly beaten you end up in the hospital, you should tell the doctors and your family that you “fell down the steps” because you are such a silly, clumsy girl. That false explanation always works well for abused women.

Men can be changed for the better if you sacrifice everything you are and devote yourself to their need for change.

Young women should make no effort to improve their social skills or emotional state. Instead, they should seek out potential mates that share their morose deficiencies and emotional illnesses.

Truly hilarious...good job, Kevin!

MVP

Meet Carol (she's the lady on the right; Teresa is on the left). Carol does a lot at our church, ALC. She runs our entire Hospitality Community (in house services, coffee bars, first impressions, guest stuff, etc. etc. etc.). Carol has a lot of gifts: she's a singer, an actress, a great hostess, and a phenomenal leader. She is actually leading and consumed with a very big leadership role at our church.

This past weekend, our drama team took on a rather lengthy and important role in the message communication about Capturing the Moment (from Luke 10 story and Mary/Martha, go watch it here once it is posted around Tues/Wed). It was a drama involving two ladies and took about 12 minutes total. There was a lot of dialogue and nuanced interaction. Carol was not originally cast in this drama.

Sadly, this past Friday, one of the ladies that was cast has some emergency medical issues come up, and was not available after all the practices, blocking, and hard work. We're still praying for you, Tanya! We love you and trust that God is working out every detail for good! Many were asking about you and we are thinking about you!

This unfortunate situation put our communication this past weekend in quite the bind. After all, we were planning on this drama being a major piece to the message: everything was depending on each other (music, message, and drama working together). Tom, our drama director, called Carol on Friday night. He gave her the script, and less than 24 hours later, Carol stepped in and connected beautifully in each Celebration with a great performance that ministered to everyone. At the last Celebration, many around the room were wiping tears. It was so awesome to see how God spoke through all of the elements and people involved, but particularly, how Carol was able to capture a moment this weekend. By stepping in like she did, in the crisis mode and in learning the character, she is my MVP of the whole weekend. Awesome.

Lead with your ears...

It was so much fun watching our band jam this past weekend in our Celebrations. We kicked off our Christmas series, and did so properly by celebrating and commnicating the good news of Jesus.

Along with some creativity, art, and an encouraging (and funny) message by Dan, it was a great weekend. My favorite times were the guitar solos, though. You gotta love a rocking, ears bleeding, extension of worship with a howling guitar! Great job, Rich!

"Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear."
James 1:18 (MSG)