A few years back, my buddy Justin and I embarked on the epic quest that is Kingdom Hearts. Many hours flew by as we battled enemy after enemy through the wonderful world of Disney, and many days were spent with no other agenda than to advance through the massive maps of the game. In short, Kingdom Hearts consumed our time in a major way for about a month. Continue reading
Everyone I know is getting married.
That’s an exaggeration. Let me try again.
Almost everyone I know is getting married.
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I used to be all about some trading cards. Granted, I never managed to jump on board the major trains (shout out to Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Magic, etc.). Instead, I amassed stacks upon stacks of Young Jedi cards (a trading card game based on Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace), Marvel’s Recharge trading card game (complete with images from the first Spider-man movie), and, finally, The Lord of the Rings trading card game. For all the inherent nerdiness, trading card games captivated me for years. I loved to collect, to display, and, whenever I found an opportunity, I loved to trade.
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My dad introduced my brother and me to Red Skelton’s comedy shows back in the day. While his sketches still stand out in my mind as some of the funniest I’ve ever seen, one of his more serious moments came to my mind the other day.
Frodo could not have made it to Mount Doom without the help of the fellowship. Sure, he wasn’t completely helpless on his own; he showed surprising resilience and courage throughout the journey. In fact, the strength of hobbits continually surprised the peoples of Middle Earth throughout the story of The Lord of the Rings. But the truth remains that the fellowship, that band of nine commissioned to carry the ring of power to its destruction, were crucial to Frodo’s success. The fellowship challenged Frodo to grow beyond what he had once thought possible for himself, and, because of their influence, he was able to complete his mission.
“You choose a thankless job, you can’t be upset when nobody thanks you. Don’t start chasing applause and acclaim. That way lies madness.”
– Ron Swanson
A cup of coffee.
A quiet corner of a coffee shop.
Poetry.
This has all the makings of a great night.
In college, I hung out with a pretty tame crew. We were all heavily involved in the Baptist Collegiate Ministry. We knew the party scene existed, but none of us had much experience in that realm. Alcohol was a foreign concept, with the only shots we ever took being administered by nurses during doctor’s appointments. Some of us, according to a spiritual gifts survey, even had the spiritual gift of celibacy. A wild night for us consisted of road trips to the city for Buffalo Wild Wings and a movie. We were on the verge of “Christian cliche,” and we loved it.
Every season, the three teams that finish last in the Barclays Premier League get relegated to the Championship, meaning they lose their place in the top twenty teams of the BPL. This makes for a really intense football season, because even the best teams can quickly drop into the relegation zone. The danger is real, making the football season a fight for survival for some of the lower teams. Those slots can be filled with teams from lower divisions, but a team has to fight to earn a place in the elite twenty BPL teams. This system makes for some great football. But it’s a horrible system for theology.
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Youth ministry can be a challenge.
Ok, that’s an understatement. Let me try again:
Youth ministry is a crucible through which one’s faith is put to the test in frightening and unimaginable ways. But that’s not to say there isn’t joy there as well.
as i learn to walk 