The great state of Tex-afornia

Video Game Heaven
Yesterday, I was listening to the radio and heard that the CyberAthelete Professional League was hosting their world championships in the metroplex. Normally costing $20 just to watch, if you mentioned the radion station you could get in for free.

So, I grabbed some of our middle school guys (the perfect companion on a quest such as this) and headed to Grapevine, TX. Sure enough we got in for free (they even made us laminated badges). What we saw as we walking in the door was Christmas for a male aged 12-28. There were literally thousands of people playing video games. What was cool was the hundreds of displays which allowed us spectators to partake in the madness. One of my favorite games, Medal of Honor, had the new version to play. I was on that box for at least 40 minutes. Most of the games were FPS (first person shooter).

Overall, I was excited that I was able to give my students a cool experience. We certainly stood out in the crowd (being the youngest of the crowd). The best part...it was all free.

posted by Kevin @ 12:54 PM 0 Comments

So, what have I been up to? 
Not much.  Last weekend we tubed the Guadalupe River and had a blast.  This week I have been leading games for our church elementary aged day camp.  This weekend we are going to Houston. 

One surprising thing about this summer is the amount of wakeboarding I have been able to do.  Because I work at a church and my wife works at a church I find that a lot of my activities involve church.  I have very few things in my life that allow me to escape.  One of those is disc golf.  The other is wakeboarding.  I am not very good, but I am just not getting to the point where I can get up and move around.  It's starting to get fun.  I love the water, so being on the lake is about as relaxing as it gets for me, even if I am being pulled all over the place. 

There is something kinda quieting about being all by yourself out on the water.  I find that my mind blocks out the noise of the boat.  Being from California I have always envied those who surfed.  Maybe I enjoy wakeboarding because it is the closest thing to surfing I have ever done.  Maybe I am trying to make wakeboarding into a zen experience for me...into something it's not.  I think God enjoys the thrill and rush I get from the sport.  I think the joy I get from being on the water is a gift from Him and I love enjoying the little gifts from God.

posted by Kevin @ 1:26 PM 0 Comments

From AltonBrown.com.

"I just saw the movie Supersize Me and I have to say that I liked it. It was fun, irreverent film making on a shoestring and it's good to know that filmmakers can still pull that sort of thing off.

What shocked me about the movie wasn't what it said, or. Heck I already new most of that stuff. What shocked me were the gasps I heard from the audience, most of whom seemed generally surprised that big business could be so...well...business like.

Here's what it comes down to kids. Ronald McDonald doesn't give a damn about you. Neither does that little minx Wendy or any of the other icons of drivethroughdom. And you know what, they're not supposed to. They're businesses doing what businesses do. They don't love you. They are not going to laugh with you on your birthdays, or hold you when you're sick and sad. They won't be with you when you graduate, when your children are born or when you die. You will be with you and your family and friends will be with you. And, if you're any kind of human being, you will be there for them. And you know what, you and your family and friends are supposed to provide you with nourishment too. That's right folks, feeding someone is an act of caring. We will always be fed best by those that care, be it ourselves or the aforementioned friends and family. "

You can read the rest here.

I think we forget the importance how we get our food. In the Old Testament God's guidelines for food are numerous and sometimes seems a bit trivial, but it points to the fact that what we put into our bodies says something about ourselves. AB makes me wonder what other things in our lives we have handed over to corporations that do not belong in their hands.

posted by Kevin @ 9:42 AM 0 Comments

Oklahoma...OK
So, I have been out of pocket for a while.  Sorry for the silence.  Last week our middle schoolers took a mission trip to Anadarko, OK.  The trip went well.  At first the group didn't want to work, but they really rose to the occasion.  I've observed a few things over the years while working with middle schoolers.  First, they are much more capable than we give them credit for.  They can lead, work hard, and be extremely creative.  Secondly, they still need someone to guide them, encourage them and work alongside them.  I love mission trips because you get to be with students all the time.  You get to observe how they work and how they react to a variety of situations.  I think the time of intensity opens so many doors to get into the lives of students like no other experience.  I think that is why monastaries were so popular for a long time.  On a mission trip the group forms a mini community that is serving with a purpose.  On some level it makes me want to take a group of 20 students and permanently live out in a foreign country...then again I don't like students that much.

posted by Kevin @ 11:07 AM 0 Comments

An Exerpt from "If I only love Jesus"

I praise the blood of the Lamb
That is stronger
than my own sin-infested blood
and remolds me
into the image of God

-M. Basilea Schlink

Meditate on the idea that our very blood and DNA is infested by sin. Even if we were able to not conciously sin, our humanity would still be infected by sin. But Christ exchanges our blood for His. My wife suggested that sin is like a virus that has tainted our everything, not just our soul. Christ has redeemed humanity and God is in the process of reconciling all things to himself. One day, all will be as it should. We, as Christians should look to this day (the "Eschaton" as Burguis puts it) with longing not because we will be taken from this world, but because this world will finally be made new.

posted by Kevin @ 1:07 PM 0 Comments

Who wants to be a hundred-aire?
Well, if you follow the news you know that the MegaMillions Texas Lottery was up to 290 million on Friday. On a whim my wife purchased four tickets. That night we looked at the numbers and on first glance we figured we had nothing. Thanks to to my wife for looking again because it turns out that we had a ticket with four out of six numbers. That ticket also had the megaplier (which multiplies the winnings by 2, 3, or 4). So, with all said and done my wife and I are officially 450 dollar-aires. I don't expect much to change. I plan on keeping my job. Seriously, we will put a bulk of the money for a trip to Europe next summer.

posted by Kevin @ 8:23 AM 0 Comments

Pilgrimage


My wife and I have a Celtic prayer book that I spend a great deal of time in. The theme for the month of July is pilgrimage. I sometimes feel as if I were on a pilgrimage. As some of you know I will be finishing school this May. There is uncertainty as to what I will be doing after I graduate. Some people may think it premature to start looking for a job this early. While I am not actively seeking I am beginning to pray that God would make it clear where the next step my family should take. We may stay at the church we are currently serving in or we may not. I am open either way. I guess the idea of pilgrimage comes from the uncertainty of a future destination. All of us are pilgrims in one sense or a another. We humans have a nagging suspicion that this world in which we live is not our true home. Our true residence lies with Jesus Christ. It's not even about getting to heaven (although that is a bonus). As one of my professors once said, "Heaven would be hell without Christ." With that in mind, I sense that God is taking my wife and me on a pilgrimage this year to find a place to serve. It may be that the destination is right here where we are, but that is not clear. So, as you are moved to prayer, please pray for my wife and me as we try to sense God's leading with sensitivity and patience. Pray also that I live in the present and give my all to the students I work with and the friends who love and care for us.

posted by Kevin @ 12:32 PM 0 Comments