XAWes's Xanga

uh, yeah!?

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 15:52:53 GMT

Xanga hasn't died yet but it seems to have been in the ICU for about a year now. It used to be something I could go to everyday and somebody new posted something new, now, it doesn't happen so much. I think the average person finds the people that are actually physically in front of them to be more interesting in the long run. Or maybe we just have 2 minute attention spans. I think another reason is that most of us just don't have that much to say in comparison to how many days there are in a year. It definitely makes me understand why this 24/7 news channels milk everything they can out of a story. If they didn't you would get at least 8 hrs a day of the newscasters just sitting and staring at each other or they just might have to actually give all perspectives of a story, but that would be way too much to ask. Anyway, nothing interesting to say here. Just thought it had been too long since my last post.

Welcome Week

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 14:49:08 GMT

Well, its begun. Move-in, Quadstock and Freshman connection have come and gone. Tonight we have a BBQ in the park, tomorrow night is our first XA and Thursday is the student organization fair that we'll be at and we'll have our first International student thing at the same time. Then Sarah and I make a trip to KC on Friday for a wedding rehearsal and wedding on Saturday. Then on Sunday, we have a potluck at church for the students.

Thats all for now.

your how old?

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:26:51 GMT

So, my birthday was Saturday. Naturally, people would ask the question; "so, how old are you?" That part is fine. Its the obvious question. What I discovered though is that 30 is a really bad age because my answer was 29 (for those of you who don't know) and multiple people's responses to that was word for word; "well at least your not 30".

So, this is my last year. After that I will apparently be just waiting to die. I'm shopping for a good rest home now.

What's happened to our Creativity? part 2

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 00:00:34 GMT

Sarah and I went to the movies tonight. I saw that Rush Hour 3 is coming out soon. Wow.

split personality disorder?

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 17:07:38 GMT

the Apostle Paul spoke of doing what he did not want to do...and so on. He tells of his seeming split personality. He wants to do whats right but does whats wrong then hates that he did whats wrong. I think its something that we can all relate to.

I find myself in a constant struggle similar to Paul's. I am both a skeptic and a believer in God's goodness. I've never been one to doubt the existence of God. I know that many people have a hard time believer in His existence and in His ability, I've never been one to doubt that. It is simply the only philosophy that makes sense to me.

I remember thinking when I was a kid that God would tattle on me to my parents or pastor or whoever was around at the time about whatever I did. It has always been easy for me to believe that He would punish me for the bad stuff.

What I have always been a skeptic about is His willingness to do the miracles of healing, provision and so on. I've never wanted to admit this but the doubt has always been deep down in my gut. It scares me to death to think that a God that is all powerful, all knowing, and everywhere would for some reason be unwilling to do the things that I've grown up reading about in the Bible. Honestly it doesn't make sense to me to have these doubts. As I've said I believe in God. And my very concept of God has as an essential part of His nature is His goodness. I know in my mind and in my heart that God is good. I also know what that means. It means I can trust Him despite my understanding or lack of understanding.

I guess all I can do is what I've been doing over the last few years. Trust Him despite the doubt. I've found that what it always works out so much better when I do that than when I don't.

Its a good thing that God's nature isn't dependent upon me in any way.

whats happened to our creativity?

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 16:02:59 GMT

I've been noticing lately that within the most widely seen parts of popular media we have just about dried up all of our new ideas or at least thats what the people making the media seem to think. I drove by the theater the other day and noticed the marque was filled with not only 2nds but mostly 3rds. Shrek 3, Pirates 3, Spiderman 3, Oceans 13 (which by the way Oceans 11 was a remake of a 60's movie), and the Bourne Ultimatim (the Bourne series is based off books written in the 70's). Television has gotten even worse outside of a couple exceptions. Seriously, how many different ways can people show the same game. How many cities have CSI's? And music is just as bad. Has Justin really brought sexy back? Can Nickleback ever sing a song to a different tune? It feels as though we have become a culture that is unable to be creative anymore. Instead we are being repackaged the old so we can feel like we're getting something new.

I think our creativity is linked to our ability to wonder at the Glorious. Chesterton talks about it and so does Ravi. They both make the argument that we need to recapture the wonder. C.S. Lewis even talks about the inability to create in "the Screwtape letters". The demons can only destroy or immulate, they are unable to create anything new. There is even a law of physics that states that matter can neither be made nor destroyed.

It seems to me that the more secular we become the less we will ever enjoy life. Maybe that is the major point to Chesterton's "Orthodoxy".

book cover

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 16:59:25 GMT

here it is for you shawn. I've got a marketing scheme and everything...just need to write the book now.

Friday, June 01, 2007

Fri, 01 Jun 2007 10:13:49 GMT

I changed my mind. I think the book will be titled "The Picasso Humanity".

Books

Wed, 30 May 2007 20:34:45 GMT

On Tuesdays I meet some fellas to discuss a book that we've all been reading. A friend of mine calls it storybook club. Everytime we get to talking one or more of us says that "some day I'll write a book about that".

My latest one will be titled "The Picasso Christian".

Pain

Wed, 09 May 2007 15:26:49 GMT

Is pain bad?