If I can’t be brave, I’ll settle for stupid
Posted on May 2, 2008
Filed Under What little I know about Lord of the Rings | 2 Comments
It has been a few years since the movie version of “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy came out, but I still marvel over such a great story. So many good characters, so many great moments.
But my favorite moment these days is from “The Fellowship of the Ring” (the first movie) when our heroes are deep within the mines of Moria, skeletons of dwarfs everywhere, and the sense of danger is mounting quickly. As Gandalf the wizard reads the horrible last few dying words from a dwarf’s journal, a hobbit, Pippin, decides to fiddle with a dwarf skeleton perched on the edge of a deep well. Suddenly, that skeleton falls into the well.
Hearing the terrible clatter, Gandalf turns and scolds him saying, “Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!” For now all of their enemies are aroused and know exactly where they are. This is not good. This is very, very not good.
That is my favorite moment in the movie? Well, yeah, actually it is. But allow me to explain…
This is an Automated Email. Do not reply.
Posted on May 1, 2008
Filed Under A Geek's Guide to the Scriptures | 1 Comment
Being unemployed has its challenges, one of which is the nagging reality that I need to contact the Unemployment Office at least once a month and let them know my employment status. I admit it! I chafe under the “rule” of keeping them informed of my progress (or lack there of).
So, I decided to do something about it. I found a free-be email system that I can utilize in sending out automated emails as often as I want, to whomever I want for as far out into the future as I want.
It is www.lettermelater.com.
Try that with a cell phone!
Posted on May 1, 2008
Filed Under A Geek's Guide to the Scriptures | Leave a Comment
Shane Hipps spoke at Mars Hill church the other week and gave a powerful, very relevant talk about how technology is shaping the Gospel, or… how the Gospel impacts us, to be a little more exact.
It is an incrediby powerful message called “Spirituality of the Cell phone.” If you do not get anything else out of Shane’s talk, please listen carefully to what he has to say about his experience as a chaplain at a liver ward, trying to minister to a dying atheist. It is a powerful story–and it beautifully summarizes his overall point.
Here is a copy of the podcast “the spirituality of the cell phone”
Botox for the soul
Posted on February 28, 2008
Filed Under Generally Spiritual (few if any geek references) | Leave a Comment
Well, it’s now 10:39 AM. I’m at the library, struggling to improve my resume. Thanks to various distractions and delays I didn’t leave the house till 9:30. Filled the car with gas, got a coffee, and now here I am. I have listened to several Chris Tomlin songs, but it didn’t help. I am feeling very burdened. Burdened? No, a burden would be an improvement. For a burden implies that I have something to carry and some place to carry it to. Frodo said “I do not know the way” well neither do I. It’s hard enough to try to job hunt, but to be so uncertain –or unwilling—about it all.
Why am I unwilling? Why do I hate the very thought of going back to a company, any company? I am not entirely sure. Some of it is overblown fears: fear of rejection, fear of looking stupid in an interview, fear of a wasted life actually.
Eowyn, what did you fear? “A cage. To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them and all chance of valor has gone beyond recall or desire.” 1
Fear, apprehension, comfort, complacency – I think those are my bars.
Why do we grow old? Read more
On the 12th service of Christmas my video director said to me…
Posted on January 5, 2008
Filed Under Generally Spiritual (few if any geek references) | Leave a Comment
If you happened to be anywhere within a parsec of our church this Christmas you probably noticed that we performed a little ditty called “Imagine Christmas.”
whoa!
A trapeze artist from California. Jugglers, tumblers, tap dancers, ballerinas, “stomp-dancers,” unicyclists…. all to a very cool version of “On the First Day of Christmas.” And that was just the warm up act–literally. The program hadn’t even started by the time they all left the stage.
Then there were the angels, suspended about 50′ above the stage, spinning and flapping their wings and talking about how excited they were that Creation was about to begin. Then there was Creation itself. Fast forward to Eve with the snake and all of creation crashing down all around them. Fast forward to two angels watching Mary with the baby Jesus.
My favorite line in the whole service was when two of the angels are watching Mary with Jesus and the taller one says to the shorter one “it’s all about second chances.”
And I saw all 12 services!!! yes! (and lots of rehearsals for that matter)
No, I was not reliving the days of Star Wars Episode 4, when “my generation” saw that movie in the theaters way too many times in a row. Read more
Tell me, who cut your hair?
Posted on December 3, 2007
Filed Under Generally Spiritual (few if any geek references) | 2 Comments
So, here I am at the library again. Coming here helps me to “officially” start each job hunting day, and I come here so I can get on task and stay on task and have a fruitful, productive job searching day.
That’s the theory…
Today I chose one of my favorite spots, near the front of the building in the coffee alcove. Mind you, I am not here because of the coffee machine. It’s because the chairs are comfortable and because the Wi-Fi reception is optimal here. It is true that the coffee is less than 6 ft. away, but I’m here because of the Wi-Fi. Really, it’s true.
wow. those quarters are starting to burn a hole in my pocket. And as we all know, we veterans of the library, the Java goddess only accepts quarters….
At any rate, because I am very close to the circulation desk, I have the perfect observation point to see all of the comings and goings here. I imagine my little notch in the hallway as sort of a “duck blind.” I see all sorts of people going to and fro yet most of them barely realize that I am here.
First, there are the faithful retirees who come to read the papers, find a good book and of course to socialize with other retirees. Then there are the moms toting their pre-schoolers who are clearly looking for a reason to get out of the house. Read more
The Cliffs of Insanity…. or “how’s the job search going?”
Posted on November 27, 2007
Filed Under Generally Spiritual (few if any geek references), Some slightly auto-biographical stuff | 5 Comments
Recently, a couple of people here and there have asked how the job hunting is going–which I deeply appreciate, by the way! I thought that I would answer with an update via the following entry from my personal journal kept on my laptop:
November 27, 2007
Notes on Max Lucado’s book “Cure for the common life” chapter 3:
Max keeps using Moses’ life as and example. For me that is perfect. I have really enjoyed the recent series on Moses at our church.
From Max: His design defines your destiny.
I believe that. No problem. I’m just not so sure I know what His design of me is.
Maybe I do know but I’m just not willing to walk off the cliff of faith and really give myself to my design.
Actually, my dilemma is not so much like the Indiana Jones cliff of faith, where all he needs to do is step out into “thin air” and start walking on an invisible(ish) bridge.
I feel like my situation requires a lot more effort than that; a lot more grunt labor. It’s more like I am at the bottom of a fjord, in a shaky little boat with no where to go and I am staring up at a huge row of cliffs. The Cliffs of Insanity.
3 Suitcases and a prayer…and email, of course.
Posted on November 20, 2007
Filed Under Generally Spiritual (few if any geek references) | Leave a Comment
I just read the latest blog entry from a missionary friend named Esther: http://hadassahscall.blogspot.com/
In summary, she is reducing her worldly goods down to 3 suit cases and moving to Africa for 12 months, possibly longer (I suspect). This is not the first time Esther has been to Africa. In fact, to me she is a seasoned veteran of travel to various places around the world that–let’s just say they would never be confused with 5 star resorts. This time, however, she will be staying for quite a while.
Could you do me a favor? Click on the above link, read her Nov. 6, 2007 entry and pray for Esther. Oh, and she will be checking her email and her blog as conditions and her schedule allows. What say you try dropping her an email occasionally. Just set up a reminder in your smartphone’s calendar–or if you’re more like my wife, put a sticky note on the fridge (hey, you use your technology, she’ll use hers!).
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