George Lucas in Love

I know this has been around for a while, but I just came across it and thought it was well done.

Budding Artiste

I was reading on our friend Keith's website the other day and saw that He won a photography prize. I know its old news by now, but Congratulations Keith! Here is the award winning photo:

You Win, They Eat

If you have a few minutes, why not earn some food for someone who is starving, literally. You can go here and see how broad your vocabulary is. As you get answers right, advertisers will donate rice to feed those without food.

Speedbump

Fed up with speeders? So is this guy!

Beatbox Giant

Caleb has learned to whistle in the last few days. He is doing it constantly now. He's so excited about his new skill.

This guys has taken it to a new level that Caleb can aspire to. Even if you don't like Beatbox, listen to this.

5 Differences

Click on "Play this Game." Then click on the differences you see in the pictures. It is very hard. If you get hung up, you can close it and reopen it and it will randomly pick 5 different things to change. If you beat this one, there is another picture that I found even harder (I could only find 3 of the 5 in the second picture).

True Community in the Church

“If you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together.” (African Proverb)

10 Ways to Avoid Building Community Within the Church (Source)

1. Keep conversations short.

You are busy, you have a lot to deal with in your life, if you talk to someone you might get close to them and that takes time and energy that you don’t have. Just keep it short and sweet, don’t bother talking about anything more than the weather. If you don’t know a person is hurting, then you don’t have to do anything about it.

2. Always sit in your “assigned” seat

By always sitting in the same seat you always sit around the same people. These folks know the deal, and stick to the appropriate 30 second conversations: weather, sports, how the new preacher is doing, etc. Also, this keeps you from having to venture out, meet new people, and possibly sit next to someone you aren’t familiar with.

3. Avoid new people

It’s one thing to deal with all the people that you already know at church, but it’s another to actually meet new people. Seriously, you aren’t good with names, you don’t have the time, or the energy, so just walk right past anyone you don’t know. After all, they won’t notice that you totally avoided them.

4. Come in late

Don’t overlook the beauty of this one. By coming in late you totally avoid even the 30 second conversations. And (bonus), you avoid the new people! It just makes life easier.

5. Leave immediately after the service (or early)

This has the same benefits as coming in late, with the added benefit of getting on the road more quickly to beat those other churches to eat. This way you get out of that crowded church building so that you can go sit with your people and eat a meal. If you add this method with the coming in late method you could go to a church for years and never meet anyone.

6. Be physically present but mentally absent

When talking to someone, pretend to listen by nodding your head and saying “uh huh” while you are really thinking about what show comes on TV later that night. Basically, just don’t engage anyone on any level. After all, you’re just there to put in your “time” and then get on with your life.

7. Don’t share a meal

If you goal is to avoid community, this step is of the utmost importance, don’t ask people to lunch! Sharing a meal is an intimate thing that creates deeper relationships. So, when someone asks you to lunch fake a stomach ulcer or something, just get out of it.

8. Stay very, very busy

The busier you are, especially on a Sunday, the less time you have to “deal” with people. In fact, attempt to be so busy that when speaking to someone you never even stop walking past them as you say hello.

9. Make your default response “everything is great”

People will always ask how you are doing. Make sure that you have your “default” answer ready so that when they ask you are ready to say, “everything is great!” This must be your default response, otherwise you might actually let on that your life is not perfect, or worse, that you are struggling. This colossal mistake could lead to deeper conversation and deeper relationship. If you are going to really avoid community while in church, this is probably your best weapon.

10. Don’t show up

This is definitively your best method of avoiding community overall because there is no community where there are no people.

Candycandy Cane

Last night we went by Kmart to look for some Christmas lights for the house. I went over to the electrical department to look for a timer, and on my way back to the Christmas section heard Ben all excited about Candy canes.

He was saying candycandy over and over as if it was one word.

I then passed by a mom and daughter and the daughter said "That boy sure was wound up about a candy cane." I pictured Ben holding a box of candy canes in my mind, becuase he does live for candy right now.

I then turned the corner to the aisle that they were on and Ben was jogging up and down the aisle parading the large candy cane yard ornament that he had found. He was about as adorable as possible, and I really wanted to get him the candy cane. I didn't because I figured it would end up being a weapon if I did.

New Playhouse

Emily's parents are doing a major landscaping renovation at their house, and Emily's old clubhouse didn't go with the new decor, so the landscapers brought it over to our house. It was a pretty interesting sight to watch them move it. It is a solid clubhouse, framed out and built just like a regular house. I think the boys will have many good memories in it.

By the way, Caleb is holding Faith the dinosaur. Each kid in his Kindergarten class gets to bring home Faith one weekend and keep a journal about their time with Faith. It's an interesting idea. Seems like a disease magnet to me, so we wouldn't let Caleb sleep with the stuffed animal. I'm glad we got it at the beginning of the school year and not in May!

Worfpack Bball

Outlook users and Wolfpack fans, here is a .csv file that you can import into outlook that has the 07 basketball schedule, opponent, location, and station info for each game. Just import and never miss a game. Go Pack!

Maze Frenzy Game

Try this game out. It took me about 10 tries to finish the maze. My time was 10788. You just have to be patient. Let me know how you do.
(click on the red ball to start and them just drag the red ball around with your mouse)

Link

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

Ben has learned now I lay me down to sleep and loves to say it at night. He gets so wound up about saying it that he has trouble keeping his eyes closed.

Trinity and Multiple Personalities

Note: I don't intend this to be offensive or derogatory in any way. I'm just "thinking out loud" and welcome your comments.

I was thinking the other day. It is hard to find an analogy that really helps us understand the trinity. It is so difficult to find something else that has both uniqueness and sameness in the same way as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Some have suggested water, ice, and steam, but one molecule is never all three at the same time. That leads to a view called modalism. It teaches something like the father leaving heaven and putting on his Jesus mask. Then Jesus leaves Earth and God puts on his Holy spirit mask. It is strong on the unity of God and the oneness of God, but weak on the distinctions that you see throughout scripture.

Here is a modern symbol that many like to use to help people understand the trinity. While it is accurate, I'm not sure how helpful it is.

I read about time being an analogy: "I would like to use 'time' to illustrate the Trinity. Is the "past" plus the "present" plus the "future" a total of three times? Not at all. It simply is a representation of three distinct aspects of the nature of time: past, present, and future. Likewise, the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit are not three separate beings or entities, but three distinct persons in the one nature of the Godhead." Link

Others point to an egg: the shell, the yolk, and the white all composing the egg (but Jesus is fully God, and the yolk is not fully egg)

So I was thinking, what about a person with multiple personalities. They all share one body and one soul. But they each have a will/desire of their own. I'm assuming that each can simultaneously live and exist inside the same person. I don't mean to be offensive, and there may be too much stigma associated with this disorder to use it to describe God, but is it a good analogy?

What do you think? Have you come across an analogy that helps you understand the trinity better, or is it just supposed to remain a mystery?

Who's on First - Star Wars Style

I not a big fan of mash-ups on Youtube, but this is well done.

Wolfpack Family

We all go to NC State! This was taken at the fair this year. We parked over at the RBC Center.

Minesweeper, the Movie

Branding #2

So which images are your favorite (from yesterday or today)? Which ones should I add to the blog as a permanent feature (if any)?

Tank Ball - Free Online Game

This game is pretty cool and has become Caleb's new obsession. I showed it to him Tuesday night and he wants to play it all the time now. I drive the tank and he shoots the canon.

You can join into a multi-player game and play against other people who are online. It's free and easy to learn. Just drive your tank around and shoot the other teams. Give it a try when you have a few extra minutes.

9 Unique Staircases

Check these out.

Link

Branding the Blog

This site is pretty fun. I'll be posting some of my creations over the next few days. Let me know if you come up with a good one.

Hockey Game

Caleb and I had the chance to go see the Hurricanes play last Monday. He had a blast trying to learn all the rules and figure out how hockey is played. The Hurricanes won 5-0, so we picked a good night to go. He is so into winning right now and gets so upset if he (or his team) loses. We left with about 3 minutes to go so we wouldn't get stuck in traffic and listened to the rest of the game in the car. He did a little victory dance in his car seat when I told him we won. Thanks again for the tickets Jack and Tammy!

Plane Landing

This is pretty scary.

Do You Think Your Boss is an Overpaid Bafoon?

Then this latest study may not be good news for you. Apparently Bafoons prefer to surround themselves with bigger bafoons.

Shutter Before and After

This weekend project was hanging the shutters back up. It wasn't nearly as sketchy as taking them down. I learned from my mistakes and made better decisions about where to place the ladder. So what do you think? Emily and I are convinced it looks like a completely different house. I'm not sure if the pictures actually do it justice.

Fire

We had our first fire in our new house the other night. The boys were enthralled by it. We took the easy way out and just bought a Pine Mountain Log. It was too easy. Just throw it in and light it up!

This is Prophecy!

Fun Ticket

Apparently they have a new rule at the fair this year. You can't have too much fun. Both Caleb and Ben got cited a ticket for enjoying themselves too much.

Actually they are just getting honorary badges from this trooper. By the end of the day they had badges from almost every division of law enforcement in NC.

Chinese Knock-offs

Talk about no property rights, check out China's range of knock off products.

Fair Ride Pictures

Emily and I were excited that neither of us had to cram into this tiny train with the boys this year. They are finally old enough to ride on their own!

Caleb was very brave and rode in the bumper boats and the swings all by himself. He had never ridden either of those before, and he is not one to dive into new things all by himself. He loved it though, and told me the rides are his favorite part of the fair. He's wrong, the food is the best part, but I'm glad he enjoyed himself.

Bad Day at the Office

This is hilarious. We've all been there, but I doubt any of us have taken it to this level.

Robertson Endorses Guiliani

Link

I can understand holding your nose and voting for him if its a choice between Guiliani and Clinton, but why come out this early and support someone who has very little in common with you. I think I would just endorse no one before going here.

Transformer costume - Optimus Prime

This guy's costume actually transforms. Emily, be sure to show this to Caleb.

Darth Vader Meets His Match

Fair Pictures

Blog Reading Level

Be proud that you are reading a blog that has been independently (though probably not scientifically) certified at the genius level. I have no idea what their criteria are, other than the web address.



Just for fun, I entered my friend Micheal's blog address (www.michealfkennedy.wordpress.com) to see what the response was. Micheal, they burned you man. They called your blog "high school" level. The funny thing is that Michael's blog is about as academic as they come, where he publishes most of his seminary papers. Are you going to take that sitting down Michael? Apparently you need to throw a few youtube videos up on your blog to give it a boost!

Makin' me shutter

Now that the crown molding projects are winding down, the shutters were the next project. they are currently a faded light green color, which just looked dirty and boring against our light green siding. This past weekend I put three coats of jet black paint on them, and they look great. I'll hang them back up this week sometime and post a picture of before and after.

Getting this shutter off of Caleb's window was particularly sketchy. Just don't fall into the rose bush below!

Rabbit Jumping

Who knew that there was a subculture of rabbit owners who compete their rabbits in jumping competitions?

Skating Superstar

Leprechaun in Mobile, Alabama

Why is this being taken seriously on the evening news? This is ridiculous! I love the amateur sketch.

Thanks for the link Michael.

Simpsons Star Wars Parody

This is really good.

Hill Ridge Farms

On Monday Emily took the boys to Hill Ridge Farms in Youngsville. Caleb's preschool class was going there on a field trip. That place is like a mini-theme park. They have a huge slide, a fort, a teepee, two mazes, petting zoo, fish pond, hayrides, and a train ride. They didn't even have time to hit all the activities. At the end they got to pick a pumpkin out of the "pumpkin patch." They had a blast. Next time they go I'll have to call in sick at work!

One Big Kahuna

This guy is a stud. No doubt about it.

Carriage Ride

Sunday we went over to the pumpkin patch just outside our neighborhood and they were doing carriage rides. The carriages actually rode through our neighborhood, which was very weird to see.

The boys (and Emily) were very excited about doing this. Since we were the only ones on the carriage at the time, Emily got to hold the reigns (the boys got to too toward the end of the ride). Then they got to feed the horses some apples, pet them, and pick out a small gourd as a souvenir. It was a really fun afternoon. Hope they come back again next year!