I kind of feel like I'm stealing from Philip a little when I mention the lunar eclipse that happened this morning, but I figure it's a rare enough event that I can do so without too much copyright infringement. I have always been interested in astronomy and the stars, planets, comets, black holes, galaxies...pretty much anything that has to do with space. Mandi mocks me for my lack of actual astronomical knowledge, but I generally just enjoy looking at the sky, and occasionally reading about interesting things that are being discovered about our universe. It really is amazing, seeing all that there is out there, and realizing how small a part of this entire creation we really are. Even with all of the knowledge that we've gained in the past 100 years or so, it's scarier still to realize how much of that we really don't understand, and how much more we don't even know about.
One of the things that's always impressed me since I became a Christian is how hard it is to look around you in everyday life and see everything that there is in our world, and be skeptical as to where it all came from and how it came to be. I guess, for me at least, while there are numerous theories on how everything works, and even more theories on how everything got started, it seems to me like it would be fairly obvious that everything had to have started with some type of creator. At least, that's how I think of it now.
I didn't become a Christian until I was 20, in 2003 (kinda hard to think that it's been 4 years already). One of my main problems was that I was simply too analytical. I needed to have concrete proof, something that I could put my hands on and say, for a fact, that it indeed was how people said it was. Wanting to follow a scientific route of study, I couldn't let myself simply take something on faith. You had to have proof, it's just how everything works. If you couldn't prove something beyond doubt with science and analytical thinking, then obviously there was something missing from you puzzle that you hadn't yet figured out. Thankfully, through friends, family and personal thought, I came to realize that I didn't have to have hands-on proof. I had to have faith. Faith in God and faith in His promises. For me, the realization that everything didn't require a data-set that showed everything to be true was a revelation, and allowed me to make my commitment to God. I think that one of the books that truly helped me out was one that we read in our sophomore year for our bible class entitled "The Case for Christ". Here was a man, who was also analytical in his thinking, and formerly an atheist, going around asking experts their opinions and reasonings for why Jesus was the Son of God. To see things laid out in such a concise, interview format was very insightful for me. After finishing that book, I later went back and read another one his books, "The Case for a Creator". It follows the same idea, with Strobel going around asking leading scientists in their field why there must be a creator to our universe. If you haven't read them, I would certainly recommend them to anyone, simply as another pathway to learn more.
I guess what I'm getting at here, is that during my first 20 years when I was looking for that concrete proof, for that beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt moment that would make it all clear, I was missing some of the biggest hints that could possibly have been given to me. Our creation, the world we live in, the universe we inhabit...all these things that show us the splendor of God, and the creativity that He possesses. People accredit many things to chance, to natural selection, to evolution, or to whatever it is that makes them feel the best in terms of a grander scheme, but they all have to start somewhere. There has to be a beginning, something that put it all in motion. If you read about the odds of things turning out as they have simply through chance, well...it's ridiculously low. And for people that are looking for the most plausible explanation, to choose some infinitely small number over the idea that there is a creator doesn't make it seem as if they're trying to pick the most likely option, at least to me anymore.
Seeing the eclipse this morning, and thinking of how God could have imagined such a thing, and to be able to witness it, was very awe-inspiring. And realizing that even with the grand scale of the universe, God still looks at each and every one of us individually is truly humbling. For me, something like the eclipse that is truly spectacular gives me a sense of the closeness of God. It lets me know when He is near.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
We're So Far Away
First off, my apologies to Paul for his hard work in looking for jobs for me. I did look in to them, this development with Mandi doing a Master's was quite a recent development. I think that from her thinking of it to being in the program, it was all of a week for the entire process. Probably the fastest application/acceptance/start of program sequence I can possibly think of.
Secondly, and speaking of Mandi's Master's program, if you could all pray for her, it would be much appreciated. I don't know how she's doing it, but she's working 10 hour days, driving back and forth from Nashville on weekends that she has class, reading about 300 pages in a book, writing a paper, and engaging in 2 hour debates online, all between yesterday and Thursday. So if you could keep her in prayer to just give her the energy and safety for travel and everything else, I'm sure it would be much appreciated.
Tomorrow, I get to go and pick up my diploma from UT that says I graduated from the program. Fairly exciting. In addition, I go back on Thursday to meet with some people that work there to discuss the possibilities of working with them. It's basically a meet and greet to be introduced to some people that have seen my resume, and to see if they might be interested in working with me, as well as whether I find what they do interesting myself. It's nice to have the help from a man at church that's getting me in contact with everyone. We'll have to see how it goes.
Something that we're discussing in church over the month of August has to do with outreach, and what ways one can go about reaching out to people in the community and those that we come in contact with. One thing that I've not really ever thought was that effective is the technique of door knocking. I don't know if that's just because I don't believe that would work for me to have random people coming to my door to talk to me without me wanting them to, or because I've heard that it's not that effective, but that was part of the talk this past Sunday. However, what they were door knocking for was presented as a survey for a school project, which then asked questions regarding religious beliefs. Some of the questions intrigued me, such as "What do you think the church needs to do better to meet the needs of the community?" and, "What would be a main reason to attend a church in your area?". The presenter didn't really have the time to give some of the responses to the questions that he asked (there was a total of about 18 questions), but I bet that there would be a number of answers that would be interesting to read in to. In general, it's just designed to highlight some of the reasons that people want to distance themselves from being part of a church, and what might be done on our part to help bridge that gap.
They are also going to be doing a spiritual gift assessment, which I think will be fairly cool. I've heard lots of talk about these kinds of things before, but I've never been able to do one myself. I'm looking forward to doing this, just to see what kinds of things it tells you. I hope that it's not simply one where it's comparing yourself to other possible likenesses, but that it's really a question-response based test that can be fairly streamlined based on the individual. I'll find out in a couple weeks, but I for one am looking forward to it.
Our preacher on Sunday mornings is also going to start talking about something that I find to be interesting, which is defining what is tradition in church versus what is actually biblically defined truth. There is some irony to me that a 60-70 year old man in a CoC is preaching about what is/isn't tradition, but I've always enjoyed listening to his lessons, and look forward to what things he brings forth in this debate. While I'm kind of hoping he might talk about things like instrumental music and women in the church, I doubt those will be the subject of our Sunday sermons. I guess I can always hope though. Who knows, maybe I'll be surprised.
Getting in shape update: Went swimming with Mandi on Sunday for about 30-40 minutes or so. I'm not the best of swimmers, but I was completely wore out over the course of that. And I won't lie, it wasn't continuous swimming either. But man, I bet that will get you in shape. I did manage running this morning as well, doing a 1 mile run, and then some sprints. Sadly, at the end of this, I was completely spent. Good thing I have a month to improve.
Secondly, and speaking of Mandi's Master's program, if you could all pray for her, it would be much appreciated. I don't know how she's doing it, but she's working 10 hour days, driving back and forth from Nashville on weekends that she has class, reading about 300 pages in a book, writing a paper, and engaging in 2 hour debates online, all between yesterday and Thursday. So if you could keep her in prayer to just give her the energy and safety for travel and everything else, I'm sure it would be much appreciated.
Tomorrow, I get to go and pick up my diploma from UT that says I graduated from the program. Fairly exciting. In addition, I go back on Thursday to meet with some people that work there to discuss the possibilities of working with them. It's basically a meet and greet to be introduced to some people that have seen my resume, and to see if they might be interested in working with me, as well as whether I find what they do interesting myself. It's nice to have the help from a man at church that's getting me in contact with everyone. We'll have to see how it goes.
Something that we're discussing in church over the month of August has to do with outreach, and what ways one can go about reaching out to people in the community and those that we come in contact with. One thing that I've not really ever thought was that effective is the technique of door knocking. I don't know if that's just because I don't believe that would work for me to have random people coming to my door to talk to me without me wanting them to, or because I've heard that it's not that effective, but that was part of the talk this past Sunday. However, what they were door knocking for was presented as a survey for a school project, which then asked questions regarding religious beliefs. Some of the questions intrigued me, such as "What do you think the church needs to do better to meet the needs of the community?" and, "What would be a main reason to attend a church in your area?". The presenter didn't really have the time to give some of the responses to the questions that he asked (there was a total of about 18 questions), but I bet that there would be a number of answers that would be interesting to read in to. In general, it's just designed to highlight some of the reasons that people want to distance themselves from being part of a church, and what might be done on our part to help bridge that gap.
They are also going to be doing a spiritual gift assessment, which I think will be fairly cool. I've heard lots of talk about these kinds of things before, but I've never been able to do one myself. I'm looking forward to doing this, just to see what kinds of things it tells you. I hope that it's not simply one where it's comparing yourself to other possible likenesses, but that it's really a question-response based test that can be fairly streamlined based on the individual. I'll find out in a couple weeks, but I for one am looking forward to it.
Our preacher on Sunday mornings is also going to start talking about something that I find to be interesting, which is defining what is tradition in church versus what is actually biblically defined truth. There is some irony to me that a 60-70 year old man in a CoC is preaching about what is/isn't tradition, but I've always enjoyed listening to his lessons, and look forward to what things he brings forth in this debate. While I'm kind of hoping he might talk about things like instrumental music and women in the church, I doubt those will be the subject of our Sunday sermons. I guess I can always hope though. Who knows, maybe I'll be surprised.
Getting in shape update: Went swimming with Mandi on Sunday for about 30-40 minutes or so. I'm not the best of swimmers, but I was completely wore out over the course of that. And I won't lie, it wasn't continuous swimming either. But man, I bet that will get you in shape. I did manage running this morning as well, doing a 1 mile run, and then some sprints. Sadly, at the end of this, I was completely spent. Good thing I have a month to improve.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Kickin' It
Soccer season is now officially back in season. The European leagues have already started, or will be starting within the next couple weeks. The English Premiership started last week, and already there have been a number of surprises (Man United held to two draws), and a couple of serious injuries (Wayne Rooney broke his foot after 40 mins). All in all, though, the sport that I find to be the most exciting will be back in full swing by the end of the month. I'm also playing in the fantasy soccer league on espn.com. Last year, Mandi showed me up over the first half of the season before she went to Guatemala. Hopefully I'll have a little better showing this coming season. If you'd want to sign up, you still can here. I'm currently playing against Mandi, Jeremy Stoneburner, and possibly Josh Murphy if he got around to signing up for it. You also don't have to really know anything about it, so if you're interested, run on over there.
In other soccer news, David Beckham made his first start for the LA Galaxy the other night in a 2-0 victory, scoring the first and assisting on the second. It finally looks like the ankle injury is healing up, and you should be hearing a lot more from him in the coming months. He's also been called in for the England national team friendly when they play Germany next week, so it seems as if his career is doing alright. For a look at his goal and assist, take a look here, and click on the "watch the goal" link. A patented Beckham free kick, and much more difficult than he makes it look.
Our church small group has a guys night on the second Tuesday of every month, which is essentially a night for the married guys to get out of the house and go out to eat and see a movie with a bunch of other guys. We went to Wild Wings, and then saw The Bourne Ultimatum. I have to say, I rather enjoyed the movie. It was, in my opinion, on the higher end of the spectrum compared with the other two. Looking back on it, I feel like there was hardly any dialogue, particularly from Matt Damon's character, but that might not actually be the case. I think it's just the fact that the action is so well done, and is always happening, that you kind of forget about the small moments when there are characters actually talking. You have car chases, foot chases, motorcycle pursuits, and some pretty incredible fight scenes. Of all the 3 movies that have come out this summer, this is by far the best one that I've seen. Catch it when you have the chance.
Job hunt update: Going OK. I'm getting massive amounts of help from people at church. Hopefully something will pan out soon that will allow me to stay here. Mandi is here in Knoxville for the next 2-3 years or so, and is now starting a Master's program at Lipscomb on the weekends (gasp!), and so I'm needing to find something around here.
Getting in shape update: So, now that I'm playing in the Club Sectionals tourney in Memphis in a months time, I've got to get running. First run? Tomorrow. Hopefully. Sometime...
In other soccer news, David Beckham made his first start for the LA Galaxy the other night in a 2-0 victory, scoring the first and assisting on the second. It finally looks like the ankle injury is healing up, and you should be hearing a lot more from him in the coming months. He's also been called in for the England national team friendly when they play Germany next week, so it seems as if his career is doing alright. For a look at his goal and assist, take a look here, and click on the "watch the goal" link. A patented Beckham free kick, and much more difficult than he makes it look.
Our church small group has a guys night on the second Tuesday of every month, which is essentially a night for the married guys to get out of the house and go out to eat and see a movie with a bunch of other guys. We went to Wild Wings, and then saw The Bourne Ultimatum. I have to say, I rather enjoyed the movie. It was, in my opinion, on the higher end of the spectrum compared with the other two. Looking back on it, I feel like there was hardly any dialogue, particularly from Matt Damon's character, but that might not actually be the case. I think it's just the fact that the action is so well done, and is always happening, that you kind of forget about the small moments when there are characters actually talking. You have car chases, foot chases, motorcycle pursuits, and some pretty incredible fight scenes. Of all the 3 movies that have come out this summer, this is by far the best one that I've seen. Catch it when you have the chance.
Job hunt update: Going OK. I'm getting massive amounts of help from people at church. Hopefully something will pan out soon that will allow me to stay here. Mandi is here in Knoxville for the next 2-3 years or so, and is now starting a Master's program at Lipscomb on the weekends (gasp!), and so I'm needing to find something around here.
Getting in shape update: So, now that I'm playing in the Club Sectionals tourney in Memphis in a months time, I've got to get running. First run? Tomorrow. Hopefully. Sometime...
Monday, August 06, 2007
Declaration
A lot has been going on this past week. Many things good, bad, and sad have occurred. I'm now back at the parents place, and am in the process of job hunting, painting the house, and hanging out with Dustin until he goes back to school this coming weekend. One event that turned out to be quite fun was an XBOX night at a family's house from church. It was done for all the rising middle schoolers in the church so that they could start to get to know some of the kids in the youth group, but I think that all of us young adults that showed up to "help" had just as much, if not more, fun playing on linked xboxes all night. It made for a generally exhausting weekend, but it was all good.
I am completely finished with UT!! I turned in my paper last week, it was accepted and there will be no more revisions. About the only thing I expect from them in the next few weeks is my diploma. Woohoo!! It's nice to think that I'm done with school, although it will be kind of weird not having to worry about homework or assignments that are due in the coming weeks and days. I think that I could get used to it though. I guess there wasn't much to this post, except to state that I'M DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Hopefully, more pertinent and interesting posts will follow in the near future)
I am completely finished with UT!! I turned in my paper last week, it was accepted and there will be no more revisions. About the only thing I expect from them in the next few weeks is my diploma. Woohoo!! It's nice to think that I'm done with school, although it will be kind of weird not having to worry about homework or assignments that are due in the coming weeks and days. I think that I could get used to it though. I guess there wasn't much to this post, except to state that I'M DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Hopefully, more pertinent and interesting posts will follow in the near future)
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